How It Ends

This will likely be my final blog about Korea. A little over a week ago, I was fired from my job and was left with some bleak options. In the end, the only one that seemed reasonable was to pack up my stuff and head home. I wasn't happy about leaving the country, but at the same time, I was glad to come back to the States. After paying for my flights to and from Korea (about $1600 total), I ended up just about breaking even on the whole adventure.

I spent the first few days back in Sugar Land adjusting and looking for a job. Believe me when I say this: there are no good jobs available in the U.S.

So what's next? Is this really the end of my adventures? Well, I've always wanted to live and work in Europe, so part of my job search has focused on teaching English in cities like Vienna, Prague, and Krakow. I'm thinking about just packing up my stuff and heading to Europe for awhile to see what's available. I think it will be relatively easy for a native English speaker to get a job, so I'm not all that worried.

Thanks so much to everyone who commented and kept up with me during my months in Korea! You have no idea how nice it was to see that someone had commented on a blog post or to read an email from someone who had questions about Korea. Just knowing that people back home were reading this thing kept me from getting homesick!

If you're interested in following my new blog about life in Europe, it will be up and running as soon as I figure out exactly what I'm doing and where I'm going. The link is: http://texan-in-europe.blogspot.com/
(EDIT: I never made it to Europe, so that link is dead...)

Here are the final pictures from my Korean adventure!

The best way to combat jet lag is to stay up all night before your flight. One of the side effects is sleeping in airports.

The last picture of me in Korea

Fired

You read it correctly: I was fired last Friday. What did I do to provoke this action? Was it something terrible? Maybe I hit a kid or some other unspeakable crime? No. I called in sick on Thursday, and for that, I was fired.

Pull up a chair. I'll fill you in on the whole ridiculous saga. As you can tell from my previous post, I was sick last week. I probably had bronchitis or pneumonia, since I've had both and this felt pretty similar. Regardless of what it was, I was getting progressively worse and, by Wednesday, I was feeling awful. After work, I called my manager to tell her that I wouldn't be going into work on Thursday. Now, we don't exactly get sick days here. If we absolutely must miss a day, we are not paid that day and we have to pay for a substitute to teach our classes. It's not a tremendous amount of money, but it does give you a little insight into what it's like to work here. In other words, it's unpleasant.

Anyway, my manager told me to call her early in the morning to tell her again that I wouldn't be coming to work. Why she needed this extra confirmation is beyond me, but I agreed and fell asleep...for 13 hours.

I awoke to the sound of my phone ringing and my manager asking where I was. I explained that I had said I would miss work, and had spent the last 13 hours in a fever-induced sleep. I apologized for not calling, but she was already aware that I'd be missing work.

Instead of going to work, I met my manager at the doctor's office an hour later. She saw how sick I was, which was confirmed by the doctor, who prescribed me tons of medicine. After leaving the doctor's office, I went home and slept the rest of the day. Finally feeling better that night, I called my manager to say that I would return the following day.

After work on Friday, I was fired. The reasons given were that I had failed to notify the office that I would be absent from work on Thursday. They gave me a few weeks to continue working here, but I must leave by May 5th. So, in short, I was fired because I was sick. If this were the U.S., these people would be staring at a judge, jury, and a huge lawsuit for wrongful termination. But this isn't the States and any legal battles are long and generally favor the employer. Basically, if you're an American working in Korea and you have a problem, you're screwed.

Many people have asked me what I'm going to do now. I could grovel and beg for my job back and probably get it, but I don't think I want to work for a company that treats its employees with such little respect. Another option is to stay at the school for a few more weeks like they want and then go home. Finally, I could just pack up and leave immediately.

Since I'm writing this while it's still going on, I'll tell you what happened after it's all over. Be sure to see how it all ends!

Korean Sicknesses

I knew that, despite my best efforts to avoid illness, I would eventually get sick in Korea. It happened this week. It started with a cough that just wouldn't go away and progressed to an all-out attack on my immune system.

Let's take a look at some of the differences between being sick in the U.S. and being sick in Korea.

- In Korea, you will see a doctor and receive a questionable injection for any ailment.

- You will receive conventional medicine, such as antibiotics, as well as useless traditional Korean remedies.

- In Korea, your boss will do anything to make you come into work when you are sick. This includes, but is not limited to: begging, threatening, and fining. After all, it's your fault that you're sick, right?

- If you somehow manage to miss work for a day, you will be told that you must return the next day, regardless of your condition.

- This whole process is much cheaper than in the U.S., but it's much more annoying.

As you can probably guess, I'm more than a little unhappy about being treated like crap because I was sick. However, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come the day after I missed work. Stay tuned...

Korean Dentistry

I had an appointment the other day with a Korean dentist. Surprisingly, going to the dentist in Korea is nothing to worry about! I just had my teeth cleaned, so I can't vouch for any of their other services. They do also offer Botox injections. If you're wondering, the whole teeth-cleaning process is about the same as in the U.S. They did put some kind of mask over my face to keep me clean, which I thought was funny. However, no one in the office spoke English, so I had to go with one of my coworkers. So why did I have to go to the dentist?

A few days ago, I noticed a spot on one of my back teeth. Thinking it was nothing more than a leftover piece of food, I viciously attacked it with a toothbrush. Imagine my surprise when, despite several minutes of brushing, the small black spot remained! It was no bigger than a grain of sand, but it was so irritating to look at! I studied it for several minutes in the mirror and decided, with my infinite dentistry wisdom, that this must be a cavity. Wanting to be sure of my decision, I tried to poke various items into the tiny hole. Luckily, nothing worked.

So to sum it up: don't be afraid to go to the dentist. Oh, and despite the fact that I have no health insurance, it only cost me about $40. Not bad!

Korean Wal Mart

I've already posted a few things about shopping in Korea, but I felt it necessary to show you some more of the craziness that is Homeplus. It's essentially Korea's version of Wal Mart, but there are some noticeable differences. Can you spot them?

25 Things About Me

If you're not on Facebook (Mom and Dad), you've never seen people fill out one of these little surveys. Basically, it's just 25 random things about myself. Here goes!

1. I miss sandwiches and Diet Coke, but now I love kimchi and Coke Zero.

2. I'm 25 and I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. It doesn't bother me at all.

3. One of my goals in life is to make as much money as I can while doing as little work as possible.

4. Since graduating from college, I've had 6 jobs. I've been a swim coach, real estate agent, personal annuity consultant, substitute teacher, bartender, and English teacher.

5. I really don't want to get married...unless I change my mind. So maybe.

6. About once a month, I stay up all night for no reason at all. I'm weird.

7. I have over $5,000 of my money invested in stocks and mutual funds. Its current value is less than $800. My fingers are crossed.

8. When I came to Korea, I didn't use a cell phone for over a month. I also don't have a tv. Funny thing is, I couldn't care less.

9. I despise: smoking, weird piercings, tattoos, and my stupid computer.

10. I love: sports, beer, girls, and my stupid computer.

11. The last time I paid for music was 1999.

12. I've lived in Texas for 16 years, but I've never been on a horse and I don't have an accent. I also hate country music.

13. I have embarrassingly small hands and feet.

14. I'll probably stay in Korea for another year. After that, I might go teach somewhere in Europe.

15. One of my ex-girlfriends is married. Another is engaged. They are both nurses and look eerily similar. Weird.

16. When I was a kid, my best friend and I argued about who would win in a fight: his dad or mine. My father was a chemical engineer; his dad played football for the New Orleans Saints.

17. I like teaching, but I don't want to do it forever. If I can use it as a way to see the world and save some money though, I'll do it!

18. I can juggle.

19. I've been pulled over 7 times by the police; I've received 4 speeding tickets and a seat belt ticket.

20. I don't blame any president for everything, but I won't give them credit for much, either.

21. I heard about the September 11th attacks in my car on the way to high school.

22. I can watch any sport on tv and love it.

23. Since I received a medical redshirt, I still have one year of eligibility in the NCAA.

24. My favorite shows when I was growing up were: Full House, Macgyver, Saved by the Bell, and Growing Pains.

25. There are 7 people in my family who are smarter than me. I'm not stupid, they're just extremely intelligent.

Free Time

My brother asks:

So Alan, what do you do with all your free time?

Well, my time off of work is a little unusual. My workday is from 1:30pm - 10pm, so it's a little different from what I'm used to. Actually, I'm used to not working at all, so I have no frame of reference. Anyway, after work I usually go work out or grab some dinner until about 11. Then I go home and either go right to bed or stay up and play on my computer for a bit. I usually fall asleep before 2am. My mornings begin between 9-11am, where I just get ready for work and play on my computer.

It's all terribly exciting, I know. I've found that the Internet looks exactly the same no matter where you are. Oh, except that here it's blazing fast. I can usually download movies in less than 20 minutes. :-)

On the weekends, I try to find something adventurous to do. I haven't left my city much yet, but I've done a lot here. I find new restaurants and shops, hang out with my friends, and buy things for my apartment. I also spend a lot of time trying to keep in touch with friends and family back home and working on this blog!

It may not sound exciting, but believe me, I manage to turn anything into an adventure. Basically, anything I do can be described like this: Today, I went to the store...IN KOREA! Then, I got a haircut...IN KOREA! When viewed like that, even the most mundane things become fun.

I do plan on taking a few trips around Korea soon, so that will take up some of my free time as well. I visited the National War Memorial Museum, went to a cave a few weeks ago, and I'm also going to the DMZ sometime (what's that? here).

PICTURES!

No explanation needed.

I'm in Korea, remember?

Entrance to the cave

The literal translation of this rock formation is "three weird rocks."

I love the unnecessary capitalization and lack of punctuation, not to mention the blunt attitude.

This is possibly the worst picture of me. Ever.

Korean Chips

What do chips taste like in Korea? Thankfully, not as bad as the cookies. There are some weird flavors, but at least they taste almost "normal."

You will also see the result of tasting too many cookies and chips in a short period of time.

EDIT: The first 34 seconds of the video look blurry for some reason. I tried to fix it several times, but it's not working. The rest of the video looks fine.

Korean Cookies

What's your favorite type of cookie? Chocolate chip? Maybe Oreo?

Are Korean cookies any different from those you'd find in America? Would I be making this video if they were the same?

Enjoy! :-)





Next blog: Korean chips!

Time for an Update

Sorry for the delay, but I've been rather distracted by a few things going on at my school right now. I'll be sure to let you all know what's happening in a few weeks!

Let's watch some videos!

Kimbap

Kimbap (kim-bop) is a popular food here in Korea. It looks and tastes suspiciously like sushi, but it's somehow different. I'm not sure why exactly. Anyway, here's a short video I made about one of the many kimbap varieties.





Parking

If you think Koreans are crazy drivers, just wait til you see how they park. There are no rules. None.

Accentuate the Positive

My last post may have rubbed some people the wrong way. I mean it when I say that I love nearly everything about this crazy country. Some of the things I love:

1. The girls
Of course this one's first! Seriously, the girls here are...wow. I'm not exactly a shy person, but I'm no Don Juan, either. Just like any other guy, I'm a little nervous about approaching an attractive girl. Here, though, it's completely different! Everyone wants to talk to me, including gorgeous girls! I've gotten a lot of phone numbers (pointless, since I don't have a phone). Sometimes being American has its advantages.

2. Fashion
Yes, some of the styles are a little strange. Sure, some of the guys look like girls. Oh, and let's not go into people wearing masks to protect them from pollution, cold weather, or God knows what else. What I love about the fashions here is everyone tries so hard to look pretty.

In the U.S., if you go to Wal-Mart, you MIGHT throw on a clean shirt and make sure there isn't too much mustard crusted in the corners of your mouth from the ill-advised "mustard beer" concoction from the night before. Or you may just chance it. In Korea, if you're going anywhere, you'd better look like a supermodel. That is, of course, unless you're an American. Everyone already mistakes us for celebrities, so we can get away with looking like crap.

3. Awesomeness
If the U.S. is the cool, rich kid at the party, South Korea is our badass cousin. Don't believe me? You try living next to a crazy dictator who constantly threatens you with annihilation and see how you fare. South Korea's also about the same size as Indiana, but they somehow lead the world in technology. Own anything made by LG, Samsung, or Hyundai? Pretty good quality, isn't it?

Back to weaponry. The only country more awesome than Korea, in terms of firepower-to-size ratio, is Israel. Don't get me started on how you don't mess with the Israelis. Did you see Munich?

4. So Cheap!

I eat every meal at restaurants, and I can spend easily spend less than $7 every day on food. A haircut costs about $5. Buses, taxis, and subways are all ridiculously cheap. I plan on saving more than half of my money every month, while still managing to live quite well.

Just for Fun
Things I Googled while writing this blog:
mustard beer, Munich, is googled a word?, size of Korea, size of Israel, synonym for "badass"

Some Pictures!

Something's wrong here

What could this be?

Oh, these are "A side dish"

America is really lacking in the weird cartoon character department

A No Smoking Sign: not really a rule, just a suggestion

Just some random stores...

This is actually a pretty good parking job, by Korean standards.

The Negative Side of Things

I've been in Korea for a month! So far, most of my experiences living in Korea have been great. I love the culture, students, food, and the girls. I haven't been negative because the good things definitely outweigh the bad. But alas, there are a few things I wish I'd known about before coming here...

1. Nosebleeds
Don't read this if you're easily grossed out. Ever since the first day here, I've had a stuffy nose each morning. When I blow my nose, it's all blood. Gross, huh? I think it's from the dry air and it doesn't really bother me anymore, but it's a little freaky at first.

2. Smoking
People smoke everywhere. Korea seems to be about 20-30 years behind the U.S. in terms of banning it in places like restaurants and even inside buildings. It's disgusting and I hate it, but it's not the end of the world.

3. People Can Seem Rude
This one is mostly just a cultural difference. In the U.S., if someone is coming through a door after you, you just naturally hold it open for them, right? Not the case in Korea. You're on your own if you want to go through a door. What I find funny is that Koreans absolutely love it if you hold the door open for them! Weird.

4. My English Speaking Skills Have Deteriorated
I spend several hours each day talking in slow, simple phrases and sentences so people can understand me. The negative side-effect is that I have trouble switching back to normal, fluent English. After talking on the phone to my family or something, I start to get some of my fluency back, but I have to try very hard. It's a strange feeling to suddenly lose skills in a language you've spoken your whole life.

5. No Diet Coke
Seriously, what IS Coke Light?!


And now, some videos!

First, we have an adventure. Buying a pillow shouldn't be a big deal, right?





Next, a random compilation video. First, a cell phone store employee who shouts random gibberish over a loudspeaker as people walk by and ignore him. After that, another prize machine, but this time with a twist. Then, a group of men playing a game called "kickball," which is extremely similar to volleyball. The main difference is you use your feet. Oh, you also have to be old and drunk.





Now for some more funny pictures! :-)

Harsh! Sucks to be Chinese!

A typical menu. What would YOU order?!

In Korea, whenever someone's moving or just doesn't want something anymore, they just leave it on the sidewalk. Whoever wants it can just come up and take it! Look what I found!!

2 Canadians and a Brit in Korea.

Cake!

I think this picture pretty much explains itself.

That's all for today! Hope you enjoyed!

Just a Quick Update

Hey everyone! Nothing very interesting or special to report, but I think that's a good thing. Things are starting to feel somewhat "normal" for me over here. I have a routine of getting up, going to work, coming home and going to bed. Not that it's at all boring, considering I'm living in a foreign country where I have an adventure daily. I just feel like I've started to get into a rhythm instead of feeling like I'm out of place.

The kids I'm teaching are, for the most part, really great! They give me candy, gum, and stickers on a daily basis. They also expect the same from me ("Teacher, CANDY!"), but I'm "mean Teacher" because I never have any. Sorry kids.

One small adventure story: the other day, I badly needed a haircut. I didn't want to travel 30 minutes to Itaewon (town with a lot of foreigners), so I just walked into the first barber shop I could find. No one spoke English and the women sort of hesitated when I entered. Bad idea? Not at all! I'm really good at hand motions now, so I just explained how I wanted my hair and let her go to work. It's the best haircut I've had in 6 years. Oh, and it cost about $5.

Apartment

Finally, at long last, a video of my gorgeous apartment! Some things to know before watching and commenting:

1. Yes, I know it's small. Smaller than wherever you live.

2. It's dirty. I decided I'm not gonna clean for a stupid video.

3. My bedspread has flowers on it. That means I'm gay, right? Shut up.

4. I think I said "crap" a couple times. Sorry mom.

5. If you're thinking about coming to Korea, this is probably not the type of apartment you'll have. This is as small as they get, so yours will probably be a little better. Most people at least have a separate bedroom. I think this one costs about 400,000 won/month while most schools budget around 500,000 won.

6. After watching it, I HAD to make it more interesting, hence the music and such.

7. It's a little long, but it took me forever to edit it and everything.

8. I'm still learning how to edit these things. I promise I'll make my videos more visually appealing someday.

Enjoy!!

More Korean Adventures

Happy Lunar New Year! Apart from getting some time off of work, I don't really know what the holiday entails. I guess it's sorta like our New Year? Anyway, I'm off work until Wednesday, so that's nice. I made a few more videos about what life's like here. I promise I'll do one of my apartment soon, I just haven't had time to clean it yet!


Shopping for food in Bucheon. It was crazy busy!!




Pizza in Korea. There are always a few surprises...





Even something as simple as doing laundry can be an adventure!






And more pictures!!


Find Nemo!




I got attacked.




They really love Spam here. This was some kind of gift box that cost about $45.



Hmmm...



What?!



I've never seen this flavor of Pringles before. Maybe you have?



Bucheon at night




Anything else you people wanna see besides my apartment? Let me know and I'll take pics or do a video! :-)

Korean Taxis and Trains

I usually just walk everywhere I need to go, but if I'm in a hurry or need to get to the train station or something, I take a taxi. It's actually easier than you'd think, and it's very cheap (it usually only costs about $2). I have a slip of paper with my address on it, so I somehow always manage to make it home.

Here's a video about Korean taxis, starring my British friend, Steve. You can visit his blog here.





Another video, this one just a compilation of things I thought were funny/interesting.





Next, we have a short video we shot on the train. The first part is pretty normal, but watch how crowded it gets at night! Crazy!





And now, some random pics I've taken so far....

My whole world, packed neatly into these suitcases



My first day in Korea. So exhausted



Cute


Somewhere in that maze of Korean symbols is the name of my school...



Dumpling soup. It cost about $3



You get unlimited free sides with every meal! Most of them are vegetables, but they're pretty decent.




Korean Post-Its


I just thought this was funny



A Texan in Korea



Yes, it is simply called "The Mall"




Random street



Korean Barbecue





PIZZA!! It tastes ok, just a little bland. They haven't gotten the sauce quite right yet.




Random guy promoting something




How safe is Korea? Well, we found this stack of beer just sitting outside an elevator. No one was around, so anyone could've walked up and grabbed some free beers...like a couple of foreigners...



Korean escalators - I don't know if they have these anywhere else, but they make a lot of sense!




Quiznos in Korea?! Yes. It tastes the same, too.



My favorite...



I found this in Itaewon, a city with a lot of Americans and foreign goods. All I've been able to find is either Coke Zero or Coke Light. I was ecstatic!




That's all for now! Annyong! :-)