Double take. Again.

Driving down the highway in Seoul 3 days after I got to Korea: random speedometer check...80??! Whaat? Oh, right. 80 KILOMETERS per hour. Got it.

Driving down the highway in Madison 6 hours after I got to the US: random roadside thermometer...12??! There's snow everywhere - whaaat? Oh, right. 12 degrees FARENHEIT. Got it.


We're not in Korea anymore, Toto...

감사합니다, 고마워

All my old Korean friends:
THANK YOU to my wonderful friend 진주어니. Literally there for me the entire time. Even picked me up from the airport, and returned me safely there in the end.
THANK YOU to 지성, 에리, 인재, 봉준, 영호, 윤재, 정은, Erik, 윤경, and 이라 who all made time to meet with me, and I think you all bought me food too.


All my new Korean friends:
THANK YOU to 나영 who was the best roomy I've ever had. Sweet and thoughtful, quiet and hard-working. I couldn't have picked a better one. I miss you!
THANK YOU to lovely 지희 and 진주, my honorary room mates.
THANK YOU to 김지수, the closest thing I had to a big brother at SCH.

THANK YOU to all my exchanges for all the hours and all the conversations.

THANK YOU to Guapo Xavier, for telling my I don't look like your idol Amanda Seyfried.

THANK YOU to Philip for being so sweet.
THANK YOU to 진주 and 에리's boyfriends for being so kind to my best friends. (And me...)

THANK YOU to 진주's family and 에리's family for welcoming me into your homes, treating me with honor and love. Now I have Korean families!
THANK YOU to 준재, for being so perfect at the right time in all the right ways. I'll come back so we can say goodbye (and hello) for real...


D-502:

THANK YOU - You all made my experience here what it was. I'll always remember you, SCH, and ll our fun times together with much love. And come visit me in America!


All my international friends:

THANK YOU to Dazha...Hermanita, I love you so much! I am so thankful and blesssed that you were in my suite. I couldn't have chosen a more wonderful friend and sister. I can't wait to come visit you in Mexico and meet our family!

THANK YOU to Nikki for being so fun and encouraging and sunshiny. I miss your voice and energy already. I love you and I'm happy I can visit you in WI!

THANK YOU to Mel for being there for me when my Grandpa passed away, and every other day. Mel, my white Hawaiian, next time I get a cold I'll just hop over and visit you to get better.

THANK YOU to Ashley for being so crazy and always making everyone laugh. I'll miss making fun of you, I'll miss you making fun of me. Keep talking to me...facebook is good for that!

THANK YOU to Aapo for so many good conversations and so much comfortable time not talking.

THANK YOU to so many more people I can't even start listing for all the smiles, hugs, laughs, talks, tears; shared frustrations, memories, walks, meals, facebook conversations. Whether we talked every day or only once or twice, you're not forgotten.


To my teachers:

THANK YOU to Derek, for forcing me to learn things about the Korean culture I would never have thought of otherwise.
THANK YOU to 림개삼선생님 for listening and understanding, and being professional.
THANK YOU to 오선생님 for being a cool lit professor! Loved that class, learned so much about so many cultures, and Korean views of Korea.
THANK YOU to Master for teaching me how to tie my Taekwondo belt correctly.
 THANK YOU to 백선갱님 for teaching me literally everything I know about Korean history.
THANK YOU to 김선생님 for understanding my broken Korean.
THANK YOU to 송선생님 to speaking Konglish and making me feel like I could understand Korean.

My Korean class:
THANK YOU to Iesha, Krista, Vera, San, Memo, Tanya, Ashley, Ryan, Kim... 아주 채미있어요. Right?? *grimace* ;)


My friends and family at home:
THANK YOU to Sam, always. Your consistancy has been my anchor and your support the wind in my sails. I love you.

THANK YOU to Mom and Dad and Esther, Av and Apryl and various brothers. Skype was better than nothing, right?

THANK YOU to my entire extended family for all of their support during this adventure, especially with Grandpa's passing.

THANK YOU to Nicole, Kyle, Austin, Brady, and Josh, for keeping up with me. Your names popping up in chaat windows on the bottom of my screen helped me through so many rough times, and helped me stay connected with you and my life in TN.

THANK YOU to Jo. My best friend forever. "I won't give up on us even when the times get rough." "My love will follow you, stay with you - baby you're never alone!"


So many random people who had no idea that they were making my life better:

THANK YOU to the ladies in the New York Hot Dog for being so helpful and making sure I got what I wanted.

THANK YOU to the guys at the book store for finding my books for me.

THANK YOU to all the random people on subways and busses, in stores and restaurants, my friends' friends and family, who tried to talk English and put up with my attempts to speak Korean.

THANK YOU to the taxi drivers who did NOT try to cheat me.

THANK YOU to the guy at the Incheon Airport who checked my second bag for free.

만두를 만들다. Making Mandoo.

Mandoo is actually a traditional Chinese dumpling, but Koreans love it, and make it, too. It's one of my favorites here, and after I made pie for Jinju's family, her Mom offered to teach me how to make Mandoo. Here's the proof!


The Ingredients.

Mix: Tofu, drained and crumbled.
Ground beef mixed with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.
Ground pork with the same.
Sprouts and green onions chopped.
And the yolks of to eggs. (Save the whites!)
To make Kimchi Mandoo, just add rinsed, chopped kimchi to the mix!


The Dough/피.

Mix the same ingredients used to make pie crust, but then knead for a very long time, until the Pi is stiff. Cut into pieces and roll out into circles about as thin as a traditional corelle plate. Alternatively, you can roll out large pieces and cut smaller pieces out. Or...you can go to your friendly Korean market and purchase pre-made Pi.


Forming the Dumplings.

The finished mix will look something like the picture on the left. It is used as the filling for the Pi circles. There are different shapes and patterns you can make, they all taste almost the same so this is mainly for the aesthetic value. (You can see a package of the Pi on the table next to my hands.)





Cooking.

Two options: either plain in a double boiler or in soup. I love it both ways! If you cook them in the double boiler, the length will depend on the size, ingredients of the filling, and thickness of the Pi. Cooking to taste is common. You can also deep fry Mandoo, but...that's greasy.


ENJOY!

 These are the three different designs I made. But I suggest eating them cooked...

Family goes without being said.

Things that make me more excited to be in America.

Driving
Any where I want. Any time I want. Any speed I want. (Sort of.) Any people I want. Any direction I want.

HUGS!!
Koreans don't hug. They tend to be really touch with friends of the same sex. But I can't even begin to say how much more I would like to have one really good hug, then no physical contact for the rest of the encounter than weird hand and arm holding, and no hugs. No hugs! Korea! How do you survive??

Cosmos
Miss my bar. Miss my beer. Korean beer ain't got nothing on Woodchuck cider and Calfkiller. In fact, Korean beer is pretty bad.

Christmas
I've never been into Christmas much, but the deprivation I have experienced here has started to make me a bit dejected. Now, to be clear, I do NOT miss Christmas "music". Or shopping. And especially not shoppers. But the decorations, general jolly atmosphere, cards, cantatas, and lights...and I'm not even going to start on the food. (Until later.)

New clothes
The downside of losing weight is that none of your clothes fit anymore. The downside of doing that in Korea is that they have no thrift or resale shops. I'm tired of looking "frumpy"!!

Working
Not that I particularly loved either of my jobs, but I sure miss having one!

Soft skin
If I go for more than 24 hours without slathering lotion all over my poor body, my skin turns into scales that refuse to peel off. I don't know what kind of lotion the use here, but if I ever come back, I HAVE to find some.

Cooking
Because, I love cooking! So much. I feel so happy every time I do it here. Not...because it always ends with something delicious, but because it ends with something home made, and hand made. By me!

Gym
They have gyms here. Even the ones on campus you have to pay for. and running on a mountain covered with ice just doesn't appeal to me right now...

Art supplies
MY art supplies that is. I want to paint.

FOOD
Where do I even start...
Ok, why is all the food here sweet? I just wanted a plain salty snack.
Eggnog, anyone? Anywhere? Nope.
Pancakes. They eat waffles here, covered in more sugar. Not exactly my cup of tea.
Eggs. I used to eat eggs every day! I could probably count how many I've had since I got here.
Yogurt. Not peach yogurt that makes me sick. Not strawberry yogurt - I don't like strawberry yogurt... Not yogurt with random chocolate cereal mix-ins. Just - freakin yogurt!
Frozen yogurt. Because ice cream is overrated. And Bingsu costs more than dinner.
Sweet&Sour chicken. Because they don't eat sour food here. Ever.
Sour gummy worms. See above.
Tortillas. And all other foods Mexican.
Bagels. And cream cheese. Because I love me some bagels and cream cheese!
FRUIT!!!!!! 1000x fruit! Because I can't afford to spend 3$ for 5 apples every week. Not to mention that at that rate I'd probably have eaten all the apples in Korea by the beginning of October.
VEGETABLES!!!!!!!! Because apparently kimchi supplies all the nutrients that all of ours provide put together. Maybe it's a fruit too, who knows...
Raisins. Oh my! I've loved raisins for so long. Now we can finally be together again.
Nuts. One small can of peanuts here: $7. You want mixed nuts? Try $12.
Non-fried chicken. Why is fried chicken so popular here? Why do you have to fry the poor chicken before you cover it in some kind of sweetish sauce?
Muffins. Because muffins here are always dry. *tears**more tears* I love muffins so much...
Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin anything!! Because I missed fall. And because...pumpkin.
Chicken soup. Because being sick here makes me want to eat chicken soup every day for the rest of my life.

The circle of gratitude.

So just in case any of you couldn't tell, I kind of like writing. I like writing blog posts. I like writing papers. (Yes...actually, I do.) I like writing letters, reports, journals, book reviews, love letters, post-it notes, and thank-you cards.

This semester I wrote thank-you notes to all of my teachers. Why? Because at the beginning of the semester I felt like a freshman again. I had to rebuild all the trust and report I've spent 3 years building with my professors at TTU. At first it was frustrating. I felt marginalized and unimportant. When I couldn't print my midterm paper for one of my classes (see my last post...) I was extremely stressed. This professor doesn't know me - he doesn't know that I really did have it done and that I tried for an hour to print it! But then I got my grade, and he hadn't taken any points off for turning it in 3 hours late. Turns out he did trust me.

And from there I began to see things in a different light.

These professors are all individuals who for one reason or another have taken an interest in other cultures, or at least international students. Every semester they see students come and go. Every semester they teach the same thing, over and over and over. Because they care about their culture and have the strength and courage to form new relationships with curious students from all over the world. Relationships that will most likely end in short order.

I know how hard this is.

So I wrote notes in which I attempted to express my appreciation for their investment. Two of my professors hugged me and almost cried. The other two looked shocked and responded with something like, "For me?! Whoa....! Thank you!"

Thank me? For what? For noticing your sacrifice and taking the time to thank you for it? Believe me, it's doing at least for me as it will do for you. Thank YOU!

No hablo Hanguk...o??

Here is an incomplete list of the worst times to NOT know the local language. From experience.

10. Meeting your friends' parents
Well, that was awkward. At least I'm not expected to say much.

9. Concerts and other performances/meetings
Now granted, most of these we choose to attend, but still - "Oh, was that funny?" "What did I just agree to?" "...can someone please tell me why we are clapping this time?"

8. Shopping
All I wanted was a toothbrush. But wait...what's the Korean word for "Toiletries"? Can I just say "Toothbrush imneeda"?? It was worth a try, but - no. Oh well, I guess it won't hurt me to just use mouthwash for a while. Until that runs out too...

7. Menus
Now I like most of the food I have eaten here, but still. When I walk into a restaurant I like to have some idea of my choices... More than once it was a random, "Uhh...*that* one..." *pointing vaguely at one portion of the menu* "Oh! *something fast in Korean*?" "Sure...I mean, 네..." Complete with an uncertain nod. It wasn't always good.

6. Taxis
You left your wallet at the dorm before a trip to Seoul? Haha -too bad! Hopefully that $30 will last for 3 days!
"Um, hey guys, does he even know where we wanted to go...?"

5. Prices
Did he really just charge me an extra 1000won because he didn't know where my dorm was and I had to tell him every turn??!"
"Wait...I'm pretty sure the sign said 800won, not 3000! Oh well, who needs lunch...right?"

4. Computers
Why yes, I purposefully printed 4 copies of this paper: 2 in black and white, 1 in color, and one with the completely wrong format!

3. Directions
Scenario One:
Me: "Myeongdeong station, right?"
윤재: "Yes."
...20 minutes later...
윤재: "Where are you??!"
Me: "Myeongdeong station...? In front of the UniQlo."
윤재: "Oh, you mean Myeongdong...ok. I'll be there in 10 minutes."
Me: Uhh.

Scenario Two:
Well...here I am. Standing in the middle of the 2nd biggest train station I've ever been in. My train leaves in 4 minutes. There are 16 platforms and more than one type of train per platform. Someone wanna help a cute foreigner? Anyone?? No? Oh that's ok, if I miss my train I'll just, you know - NEVER get to go to BUSAN!! AH!!!

Scenario Three:
Well, here I am. Wandering around the second biggest city in the world. It's about...1am. But hey, I know my hostel is around here somewhere, because I remember that one building was kind of close to it...

2. Being sick
준재: What, are you sick?
Me: ...yep!
준재: Did you go to the doctor??
Me: 준재, how could I go to the doctor - he wouldn't have any idea that I was saying...
준재: Ah... Well how about the pharmacy? Did you get medicine?
Me: Uh, well...no. I can't read the labels - I don't know what kind to get.
준재: Oh. That is a real problem. I think you must really be missing home now! It's really bad to be sick away from home.
Me: .......I KNOW! But thank you for caring.

1. New friends
Well, I said something in Korean, and he thought it was funny, so he answered. Maybe it was funny, maybe it wasn't - I'll never know.
She added me on Facebook, so now I can see all her Korean statuses. Cool.
It takes him about as long to think/write in Korean and translate it into English as it takes me to figure out how to make the simplest sentences in extremely broken Korean.

But it's worth it.

On a Scale of 1 to Amanda Seyfried...

Within 2 days of arriving in Korea, the general populace seemed to have settled on my celebrity look-alike: Amanda Seyfried. (Although I never considered her to be terribly attractive, I decided to take it as a compliment.) Since that first week, I have repeatedly and from very different sources been told that I look just like her. By "varying sources", I mean varying Korean sources. It had never before crossed my mind that I looked *anything* like her, so when I arrived here and all-of-a-sudden looked *just* like her, I wondered what changed.

When I ask Koreans why they think I look like her, their answers generally include at least 2 of the following:
"You are really pretty."
"Blond hair."
"Big eyes."
"Light skin."
"Green eyes."
(I have since learned that the last 4 equal the first 1 here.)

When I asked my american friends if they saw the resemblance, most of them made comments such as:
"Well if she wasn't caked in makeup..."
"I guess you both have big eyes."
"Your facial structure is similar."
"Maybe I can see that."
"Well if your hair was lighter..."
And nobody said, but everybody thought:
"Well if you were skinnier..."

This is me at prom with my friend JJ in May 2010.

Amanda 2 days ago with Korean Kpop singer Taecyeon.

Amanda is a "stunning blond" actress/model.

I am a lowly college student and ambitious blogger.

While us Americans tend to categorize hair by colors such as blond, dirty blond, strawberry blond, brown, dark brown, light brown, black, red, or auburn, the Koreans view hair as light or Korean. We see eyes as big or normal, green, hazel, blue, bright blue, brown, and even "eyes like the sea after a storm". Koreans view eyes as either big or Korean, and either light or Korean. We view skin as light or tan, they see either light skin or Korean. Facial structure doesn't even cross their radar. And finally, being skinny in America is often equated with being attractive. Same in Korea. Unless you have non-Korean features - then you are pretty.

And I learned all this just because I suddenly looked like Amanda Seyfried when I landed in South Korea!

Reverse Culture Shock, 1

Before coming here my study abroad adviser mentioned that after returning from a year in Spain she experienced some "Reverse Culture Shock". And that I should be prepared to experience at least a mild case of it.

Since then I've been pondering what all would be involved with this so-called reverse culture shock. Is it something I should worry about or try to prepare myself for? Earlier this week I had a conversation about it with a few of the other exchange students. I now have some new thoughts to mull over.

Among other challenges that I am sure I cannot anticipate, I have realized that this experienced has changed me in ways that I am only beginning to recognize. My view of the US has altered, as has that of the rest of the world. I've experienced things that most of my friends will only ever dream (or worry) about. I've learned how to do things that I will never need to do in the US. My attitude towards many new customs, ideas, and people has become even more open. I've grown used to living in a place where I understand little of my surroundings - and few people can understand me.

In addition to the changed that I have experienced, my friends' lives have continued without me. How can we just pick up where we left off? Four months, while not a long time, can change a lot.

I wonder what I will experience when I get home. I wonder how I will respond to being thrown back into my old life with my new knowledge and perspectives. I wonder if I will feel overwhelmed, sad, lonely, excited, left-out, out-of-place, comfortable, or just nothing.

Operation Pumpkin Pie. Code name: Chuseok Kitchen

Thanksgiving has traditionally been my favorite American holiday, so spending it in Korea without my family or food was a bit sad for me. Instead of staying sad, however, I determined to bring a little bit of Thanksgiving to my Korean family here. Easier said than done.

I mean, what kind of kitchen doesn't have a potato masher? Or even forks...? While even my small, inadequate American (Thanksgiving) kitchen holds most tools and ingredients necessary for pumpkin pie, my family's Chuseok (Korea's Thanksgiving day) kitchen was a bit lacking in the pie area...

So this is how it went.

1) Before heading to Seoul, I quickly looked up how to make pumpkin puree - just in case I couldn't find any canned pumpkin.

2) I took a look through the kitchen to figure out what I would need.

3) Jinju and I headed to E-mart where I developed a recipe in my head, and bought the following ingredients:

2 small, green pumpkins (the only kind available here)
cinnamon
vanilla powder
milk
butter spread
baking flour
brown sugar
vanilla ice cream
baking soda
and a pizza pan (they don't sell pie pans here)

4) I then gutted the pumpkin and while it was roasting, I made a streusel apple pie, because APPLE PIE!

5) We then peeled and mashed the pumpkins, and I made some kind of filling that looked and tasted fairly authentic...

6) Finally all we had to do was wait, and wait... 

7) Then it was done - some time around midnight. And we ate.

To say it was absolutely wonderful - like a little bit of Thanksgiving heaven, would not be a stretch. To say it was the best pie I've ever made or eaten, well, that might be a bit of a stretch. BUT, it was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

8) The last step was impressing my Korean family enough for them to beg me to come back so we could cook more (and drink Soju together - that's another story you will probably hear later...). And I almost made one of my American friends cry - it was that good. 

Ok, nevermind. The last step is...

9) Feeling like a million dollars. Because I did it! I made Thanksgiving in a Chuseok kitchen. And because I brought happiness to so many people!

Waeguking it out

The Korean word "Waeguk" can be loosely translated into English as "foreigner". But only loosely, because if a Korean went to America or Bolivia or France, he or she would still refer to the people there as "Waeguks". Why? Because the Korean people tend to see every other Korean person as an extension of their family, and everyone else as a Waeguk.

It is sometimes used somewhat maliciously, but most often it is just used by Korean people and even Waeguks themselves as a handy label. We refer to ourselves as "Waeguks" when we do things that Koreans find silly or different. We sometimes also like to "play the Waeguk card".... "Oh, I'm sorry - I wasn't supposed to sit there? Ah, well, as you see, I'm a Waeguk, so I didn't know." Uh-huh. It does come in handy at times.

Either way, regardless of where I go, there is never a doubt in anyone's mind as to whether or not I am a Waeguk. I, however, spend most of my time while travelling in Korea, either alone or with Korean friends. Both of which give me a bit of a higher foreigner rating. (We all have those...) So it was very strange on Saturday to walk around in Gangnam - a popular place for Waeguks - with my blond Swedish friend.

First, because I rarely travel with other foreigners. Second, because when I do it's usually with my Hawaiian or my Mexican friend. Third, because neither of us were as "foreign" as we looked...as in, we both know how to read Korean, and we have both spent several months here attempting to learn and adapt to the Korean culture. Forth, because when we used to spend time together in Cookeville, we both blended in quite easily. Fifth, he is married to a Korean girl and therefore also spends little of his time with other Waeguks.

So it was strange, to be with another blond person, looking the full part of Waeguks - travelling together, blond, speaking English, Gangnam, while both of us knew we had a much better understanding of our surroundings than any of the natives surrounding us could've known.