I started 2017 on a rooftop watching slightly obstructed views of six different firework shows. I didn't celebrate with champagne, but instead canned, sparkling wine from Family Mart. The evening started with Indian food, KTV, and a stroll through the night market with more fireworks. It was a pretty great way to ring in the new year.
Test fireworks at the night market.
So far my 2017 has been filled with exploration. I embarrassingly enough still feel like I have only seen a little of Taiwan. So I have been taking day trips to try to make the most of my time here. On New Year's Day, I Skyped with my family and our friends the Hogans to wish them a happy New Year. Then my friend Michael and I took a bus to Lukang. The city has one big, winding market. We wandered through the streets browsing and snacking on street foods. It was pretty busy and took some effort to shuffle through the crowds.
Here is a picture of the crowded street in Lukang.
The following day Michael and I took a bus to Sun Moon Lake. This is usually one of the first sights people see in Taiwan. While I had driven by it, I had never actually taken the time to explore. We got a packaged deal that included a roundtrip bus ticket, a boat ride to three different stops around the lake, a bus around the lake, and a gondola ride. All this was just a little of $20 USD. Michael was very impressed with this deal. We took the boat ride first, which was relaxing to be on the water. We got lunch at a couple different street vendors, including a Taiwanese hamburger place. Instead of an American hamburger, it had seasoned chicken with cabbage on a rice bun. We also got Bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich on French bread. I took a bite first. "How is it?" Micheal asked. "Well I only had a bite of bread, but the bread tastes so good!" I answered. It is hard to come by good French bread. The gondola lift provided a clear, picturesque view of the lake. There was an Aboriginal tourist village at the top, but we chose not to pay the extra admission to go inside. The rest of our time at the lake we spent just walking around. There was not a path all the way around the lake, but we were able to walk for a bit before heading back. It was a beautiful day to be at the lake.
View of Sun Moon Lake
Gnomeo enjoying the sunshine.
The following weekend I went on another day trip. Taiwan has lots of great hikes, of which I had been on 0. Dakeng is about an hour's scoot away. I finally felt comfortable enough to scoot up and down the winding mountain roads. Once Tyler, Michael, April, Hannah, and I reached Dakeng, there were several hikes to choose from. The path was a little intimidating. It was essentially a wooden plank bridge all the way up the mountain with a post and rope handrail. It went up, up, up. The trail was fairly crowded with us having to frequently stop and turn sideways to let others pass. Others would tell us "jia you," which literally translates to "put more gas in." On the trail it was meant as words of encouragement to not give up. There were even a couple of dogs that would run between our legs up the trail. There was not much of a view at the top, but there were decks with benches to take a little break. We chatted for a bit before heading back down. My calves were shaky by the time we reached our scooters. I certainly felt sore for the next week after. It was a nice hike and I want to go back to explore the other trails.
Here we are on the trail of Dakeng. Picture by Tyler.
This past weekend on Saturday, I did English storytelling at the library. On Sunday, we were going to go to Sanyi (a woodcarving village). However, it was cold and rainy, so we decided it against it though. A wet and cold hour long scoot is no fun. Instead we went to the science musuem and I made friends with guide dogs in the park. So 2017 has been off to a great start. I don't really do resolutions for the New Year, because I have found that they are usually fleeting. However, almost every year Neil Gaiman posts a wish for others in the upcoming year. You can read some of his past ones here (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2016/12/another-year.html). This year, his wish was in the form of Leonard Cohen's song "Democracy." I can get behind wishes, so here is my wish for all of you in 2017 with some help from people smarter than me.
In the
upcoming year of great unknowns, I wish that you can hold onto your
hopefulness. As Dumbledore said, “Happiness
can be found in even the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the
light.”
I wish that
you be gentle and kind to yourself. You say things in your head you would never
let another person say aloud to you. Don’t listen to this voice. No one is
really thinking that much about you, so don’t worry what others might think
about you. Do listen to the voice that says I don’t know what I do, but I know
that it’s not this. Accept what you deserve, which is a boatload, at least. You
are enough.
I wish for
you to hold onto the friendships that make you a better person and let go of
the ones that don’t.
I wish that
you use your voice, in whatever form that takes, to stand up for something you
believe in. We are going to need a lot of voices this year. It’s going to get
loud.
Finally, I
hope that you laugh and explore and spend more time doing things that make you
happy. As John Lennon said, “When I went
to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’
They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t
understand life.”
Let's be honest, 2016 was kind of a dumpster fire year. There was seemingly a lot of terrorist activity. In the United States, there were constant examples of racism and sexism. The greatest example probably was electing an unqualified candidate who is both sexist and a racist. Not to mention the countless great entertainers we lost this year. Yep. Dumpster Fire.
2016.
This year wasn't all that bad though, especially for me personally. I started 2016 by doing daily sub jobs after a long term subbing assignment ended. After that assignment ended, I was really questioning whether I wanted to continue teaching. The daily sub jobs allowed me to gain confidence in teaching. I could go into a classroom with students I didn't know and be seen as a teacher. Eventually this led me to another long term subbing job that also redeemed my faith in teaching. Then I moved to Taiwan. I have loved living abroad and being able to travel. I have also made some good friends and have strengthened the relationship with some of my friends back home. I love to reflect this time of year and think about all the changes in my life. I also love reading year end lists of best of and favorites, so I created one of my own. Here are some of my favorite things from 2016. Turns out, I listened to a lot of good music in 2016.
Song to listen to on repeat while writing
"Formation" by Beyonce
Beyonce is a national treasure. This year she slayed with Lemonade. I have listened to "Formation" probably over a hundred times. It was my go-to song to play on repeat while writing. Now, I need to listen to go it again. . .
MVP
Lin-Manuel Miranda
I was a little late to the Hamilton game. Once I got on the train, I did not get off. Lin-Maunel Miranda wrote the book, music, and starred in the title role of Hamilton. This year Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards. Miranda wrote a killer sonnet for one of his acceptance speeches. Who does that? He also co-wrote a book about Hamilton, released the Hamilton Mix Tape, and co-wrote the music for the movie Moana. All of which, is just so good! He is delightful on Twitter and always seems so kind and generous. Just give him all the things already!
Pump Up Song
"The Greatest" by Sia
This song is inspired by the shooting that took place in Orlando. With the repeated chorus of "don't give up, I won't give up" it is hard to give up with Sia telling you not to.
-ism
Feminism
Although there is still a long ways to go with gender equality, this year had some great steps in the right direction. For the first time a woman was female presidential candidate on a major party ticket. The Senate now has the highest number of women of color on record. Taiwan elected a single, female president. Women athletes continue to be impressive from Serena Williams to Simone Biles to Katie Ledecky. While I have always considered myself a feminist, this year I became much more outspoken in my feminism. My favorite podcast (see below) helped me with this. Mode of Transportation
Scooter
After getting in my scooter accident, I didn't know if I wanted a scooter. I am so glad I eventually got one though. My drives to and from work are now (mostly) stressfree and enjoyable.
Podcast
Call Your Girlfriend
This podcast is two long-distance female friends having conversations. The conversations range from politics to pop culture to women's health. It is engaging and feminist. The first time I listened to it, I went on a walk that ended up being four hours because I did not want to stop listening. It is one of the podcasts that I listen to without fail.
Brother-Sister Duo
Alex and Maia Shibutani
Last January I went to some of the Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Paul. I haven't really followed ice skating since the Kristi Yamaguchi was big. I didn't have anyone I was really rooting for. That changed when I saw the Shibutanis skate. They are a brother/sister pair of ice dancers. They are phenomenal.
Meme
Biden: Ok here's the plan: have you seen Home Alone
Barack Obama and Joe Biden Memes
Post-election was rough. These gave me a little bit of laughter in the time afterwards. I am really going to miss these two.
Song That Makes Me Want to Cry (in a good way)
This song is on the Hamilton Mixtape. This is a song that is also on the original broadway recording of Hamilton, but it is sung a little bit different here. Regina Spektor and Ben Folds sing this song in a way that is so sweet and hopeful.
Way to Work Out
The Fitness Marshall
My friend Tyler introduced me to the Fitness Marshall. He does dance workout videos to pop songs. Usually I like the songs better after we have danced to them. We rent out a fitness room in our apartment a couple of times a week to workout. The dances range in difficulty, but are always fun. His commentary is pretty funny too.
Athlete
Simon Biles
I did not know anything about Simone Biles until this year. Once I found out about her, I could not stop watching videos of all of her routines.
Sequel
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
I read about 40 books this year, which is not a lot for me. I keep track of the books I read through Goodreads. Looking at my list of books from this year, I noticed a lot of sequels. There were many good ones, particularly fantasy and/or YA. I enjoyed the finall books in the Every YA series by Ellie Marney. Another very good YA ending to the series was The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkowski. My favorite though was A Court of Mist and Fury. It is a new adult fantasy series. The first one was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This book diverged from the retelling into something of its own. Maas is very good at worldbuilding and having her characters constantly grow and change. With the way this book ended, I am really looking forward to reading the next one when it comes out in May. TV Character
Dustin from Stranger Things
Frequently when watching a movie or TV show, I often have a problem with how kids are portrayed. The dialogue will frequently feel inauthentic and it is obvious that an adult wrote it. Kids act in a way that they probably wouldn't in real life. The actors who play the kids in Stranger Things are all great. More importantly, they act and behave in a way that kids would. It felt authentic. My favorite was Dustin, because he is goofy and loyal. Food MVP
White Rice
So far this year I have eaten a lot of rice. It has really become a diet staple. I don't mind though. 90s Throwback
TLC
When my friends and I go to KTV (karaoke), the English songs that are available are mostly hits from the 90s and early 2000s. I don't really remember listening to TLC when I was younger, but thanks to KTV I have been reacquainted. They have several great songs that I have since revisited. My KTV standards is "No Scrubs."
Music Video
"Soy Yo" by Bomba Estereo
I posted about this music video in another post, but it is worth re-posting. I love everything about this music video. The song is very catchy, but the music video has good representation of people of color. The girl's dancing is also on-point.
New TV Show
Lady Dynamite
I didn't watch a whole lot of TV this year. I continued watching a couple shows, but very few new shows caught my attention. Netflix has been putting out some great series. Lady Dynamite is one of them. Maria Bamford is a Minnesota-based comedian known for destigmatizing mental illness. Her show is largely based on her life and follows her during three different parts of her life. Like her stand-up this show is very weird, but in the best possible way. Many comedians also make guest appearances, so it is fun to see who is going to show up next. Go-To Karaoke Song
"It's All Coming Back to Me" by Celine Dion
We sing this at KTV every time without fail. It is long, but has so many different parts with lots of opportunity for dramatic flair.
Best Celebrity Memoir
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
I read quite a bit on non-fiction this year, mostly of which were essay collections and/or written by celebrities. Anna Kendrick's was my favorite of this year. She is very funny and relatedable in her writing about her time starring as a kid on Broadway to her career now.
New Routine
Sunday Night yoga
I started going to yoga to become more mindful. I have a hard time clearing my mind and thought yoga would be a good way to work on that. My balance and flexibility are also not great. Since moving to Taiwan, I now go to yoga class with my friends Michael and Jacob almost every Sunday. It has helped me with my mindfulness, flexibility, and balance and is a great way to start to week.
I took an inadvertent hiatus this past month when my computer stopped working. The screen would start to have purple vertical stripes before turning completely white. I would turn my computer off and then back on again, but the whole cycle would repeat within minutes. Getting the computer fixed should have be easy. It was still under warranty. If I was living the the US, I would know what to do. Living abroad makes things just a little bit harder. Here are the steps that I took to get my computer fixed: 1. Went to the giant electronics center. They told me they do not fix computers. They just sell them. They gave me a paper with a phone number to call. 2. I called the phone number. It sounded like an answering service, but I did not know what they are saying because it is all in Chinese. 3. I found Dell support online. With my problem, they suggested doing the chat, instead of sending an e-mail. 4. The chat center was only open 7 am-7 pm in Central time. I wait for the window to open to message them. Even though it was in their supposed business hours, it still repeatedly said it was unavailable. 5. I send an e-mail. I got a response within 48 business hours. They said that because I am in Taiwan and will be staying in Taiwan for an extended period of time I need to fill a form out online to change ownership. Then I can contact the service people in Taiwan. This makes absolutely no sense to me, because my computer is not changing ownership. 6. I still filled out the forms online. They said it would take 7-15 days to process. 7. I e-mailed the service people in Taiwan. I got a response asking for more details. 8. Marcie helped translate the phone call for me for the number that I was given. It was someone in China and they can't help me. She contacted Dell through Facebook. 9. Marcie called another number for me. It was the number for an engineer from Dell. I send them pictures of my computer screen. They said they will send someone on-site to fix it. 10. Two days later, an engineer cames to my school and put in a new screen on my computer. It got fixed, but the whole process took about two weeks. My computer was most likely made in Taiwan. Why was it so hard? Living abroad is great most of the time, but as my roommate Josilin says, "Living abroad makes everything 1.5X harder." This is just easy enough to be tolerable and hard enough to be frustrating. Here are a couple of other things that are just a little bit harder about living here. Cooking As previously mentioned, most people here will eat out more frequently than they cook for a variety of reasons. First, it is hot here, so ingredients spoil quickly. Most homes also do not have an oven, but just have a stovetop and/or a toaster oven. We recently upgraded to a bigger toaster oven. Finally, ingredients are usually expensive and sometimes hard to find. I wanted to do some baking over the holidays with our new toaster oven. I had to go to two stores to find almost everything that I needed. A bag of chocolate chips cost about $10. There were also many ingredients that I could not find. Buying Things/Clothes In the United States, I can find almost everything I need at either Goodwill, Target, or Michaels. They don't have those stores here. There have been some items that I have tried to find and have not been able to. Buying clothes also poses a challenge for me. It is getting colder here and I did not pack enough (any) winter clothes. I know what you are thinking. Kristin, you are from Minnesota. It can't get that cold. Why would you need winter clothes? That is what I thought too. It does get colder here though. While the temperature does not get that low, it is a wet cold. It reminds me of when I lived in Washington. Most places also do not have heat, so there is no escaping the cold. As someone who wears plus-sized clothes, it is hard for me to find clothes that fit me here. Sizes, particularly women's sizes, run small. I have found some clothes that are "one size fits all," but that is a lie. My mom looked into sending some sweaters to me. It was about $160 for a medium-sized package. I bought some clothes online from one of the few websites that I have found that will ship here. It was a little pricy to ship and send the clothes here though. I also found a jacket in the men's department at the Taiwan equivalent of Wal-Mart. Language Barrier Usually I can get by just fine by miming and speaking the very little Chinese I know. However, sometimes there is confusion on both parts, like the following real dialogue. Act 1: Josilin, Tyler, and Kristin get into a car driven by a Taiwanese friend. Josilin: to driver Will you take us to the Blue Store? Driver: What is the Blue Store? Tyler: It is a store that is blue. It is a chain. I don't know what the Chinese name is. Josilin: The Blue Store? Driver: I don't know what that is. Tyler: Do you know the 24 Hour store? Josilin: It is green and is open 24 hours. Tyler: It has a big 24 H on it. Driver: I don't know what that is either. Act 2: Josilin and Kristin enter Family Mart to buy bus tickets to go to Taipei. They first go to the bus ticket machine, but see that it is in Chinese. They wait at the counter to be helped. There are two employees working. Josilin: To Family Mart employee slowly. We need a bus to Taipei. The woman looks confused at first. Then she seems to understand. She motions that she will be right back. Then she goes in a door through the back of the store. Josilin: She is going to come back with a box. She thinks I want a box. Kristin: No, I think she understood you. Woman comes back carrying a box. Josilin: motioning driving a bus We need to take a bus to Taipei. Family Mart employee laughs and jokingly mimes for Josilin to get in the box and drive it to Taipei. Being Away From Family During the Holidays It has not felt like December or the holiday season. This is partly to do with the fact that it has been in the 70s and 80s here. There is not going to be a white Christmas for me this year. However, it is mostly due to that at this time, I usually have school off and am able to spend time with friends and family. It has been hard not seeing my friends and family. FaceTime, e-mail, and Facebook have helped me stay in contact. It is still not the same though as being home.
So some things about living abroad no doubt are harder. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been worth it. I made a Christmas card with some of my favorite memories from this year. They are all from my time abroad. I recognize that I am very privileged to be abroad. I got to travel around Taiwan and South Korea, taught great students, met up with old friends, and made great new friends.
Here are some of my favorite memories from this year. From upper left clockwise to lower left: Amanda, Makara, Patrick, and I in Busan, South Korea, Robin (Tyler) and Batman (me) protecting the streets of Taiwan, my third grade class on Halloween, T. Marcie and I eating Din Tai Fung, Cultural village in Busan, South Korea, my roommate Josilin and I at Rainbow Village.
Monday I celebrated Halloween with my students. Halloween is not a holiday that is celebrated in Taiwan. However, most English schools here do celebrate it, so my students got a little taste of Halloween. The Thursday before Halloween Teacher Tyler and I co-taught a science lesson to 5th and 6th grade. The students made predictions and then tested out which candy they thought would sink or float. Afterwards, they watched "The Haunted Mask" episode of Goosebumps. On Halloween I met with both classes. Both grades went through a very scary haunted house in the basement of our school created by the Chinese staff. It was the first haunted house I have ever been in and I was scared. Both classes also decorated pumpkins. It is very hard to find pumpkins in Taiwan, so the pumpkins we decorated were quite small (see picture). The students used hair dryers to to melt crayons on the pumpkins. The students really enjoyed the process of it. For the rest of class, we played bingo and other games to get in the Halloween spirit. It was Fried Chicken Monday that night. We watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and some other Halloween episodes to celebrate.
Clockwise from the left: Three of my 3rd grade students in our "photo booth," the foreign teachers all dressed up, Teacher Tyler and I co-teaching a science lesson to our 5th/6th grade students, two of my 3rd grade students decorating our pumpkin, and my 3rd grade class on Halloween.
Tyler and I protecting the streets of Taichung.
Thursday I tend to go back to the same restaurants to eat every week. Josilin and I decided to once a week take turns picking out a new restaurant and trying it. Since getting back from South Korea, I have been craving Korean BBQ. This week was my pick, so I chose a Korean BBQ place close to our school. Everyone in my apartment building came out to eat. It obviously wasn't as authentic as the Korean BBQ I had in Korea, but it was still good. The restaurant was called Stand Up, and as you might guess you stood up around the barbeques. Our waitress was very friendly and helped us order and cook everything. It was a fun meal with friends. Friday Every other Friday there is a diner that holds a pub quiz. Josilin, Tyler, and I go almost every time. We have gotten close to winning, but have never taken home the prize. This week I was feeling good, because the theme was the 90s. We did very well on a couple of rounds (Friends, toys and electronics, 90s cartoons), but did not do so well on some other rounds (sports). Scott was the only person on our team who knew much about sports. I did know about the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding incident (thanks Weird Al). The following is my only other not-so helpful contribution. Host: What basketball team did Muggsy Bogues play for? Me: Was he on the Harlem Globetrotters? I am pretty sure he was on a Scooby-Doo episode with the Harlem Globetrotters. (He wasn't) Scott: No, he wasn't on the Globetrotters. Me: Did he play for the Bulls? I remember him playing with Michael Jordan in Space Jam. Scott: He did play with Michael Jordan in Space Jam, but not in real life. Scott got that question right, without any help from me. We were two points off from winning. We will get it one of these days! Saturday Tyler, Josilin, and I scooted to see a cave. As Josilin says, "caves are the best part of nature." It was my first longer scooter ride, so I was a little nervous. It was not bad though. It was short enough to not be uncomfortable. We were unsure whether or not the cave was okay to go inside at first. There were signs around it in Chinese, which of course we could not read. Thanks to Google Translate, we deemed that it was okay to go inside the cave. The passage inside was very narrow. We could only go in one person at a time. The floor also filled with about an inch of water. So with the flashlight on our phones turned on, we went into the cave one at a time. We didn't get very far when Josilin told us to turn around and go back because she had seen a bat. We turned around and went back outside the cave. Because the cave was so narrow, Josilin was worried that the bat would fly into her face. We stood outside the cave for a little bit deciding what to do. Tyler decided to go first and we decided to try again. We did not get very far when Tyler told us to turn around, because he had seen a giant spider. He was worried the spider was going to crawl on him and lay eggs. Once again we left the cave. We stood outside the cave once again deciding what to do. A family came with some younger children. We tried to get them to go into the cave, so we could go behind them. Some people around our age also came and stood outside the cave with us. We tried to get them to go in. One of them had a very large flashlight. We tried to communicate through English and miming that we had seen a giant spider. They just laughed at us.
Tyler inside the cave.
Eventually we found out that there was an exit to the cave a little bit down the way. We decided to start at the exit. Two men, including the one with the big flashlight, went in first. We got farther than we did on the other side without seeing any creepy crawlies. The two men stopped at an intersection and said that they would not go any farther because they were wearing shoes. We discussed whether or not to continue on. I said that I would go first, because I had not gone first yet. I wasn't scared of bats or spiders. I didn't get very far, when I saw the hugest spider I had ever seen. It was at least 2-3 times bigger than a tarantula with a huge body (I think it might be called a Huntsman Spider. Look it up, it is terrifying.) I turned around. I told Josilin and Tyler I had seen a huge spider. They told me that they had already told me that earlier. I did not think it would be that big though. We left the cave and visited a nearby temple. I fell asleep early Saturday night from all the day's excitement.
We have evidence we actually made it inside the cave.
Gnomeo training dragons.
Sunday I did Fitness Marshall workout videos with Tyler and Michael. Then I went to lunch with Michael and Josilin. Every so often, Josilin will host a Sunday night dinner. I had volunteered to cook this time. Josilin made queso and I made quesadillas. Cooking can be a challenge in Taiwan for a variety of reasons. Most apartments do not have ovens. It is hard to find the ingredients that you need, and it is also expensive. It is much cheaper to just eat out. I hadn't cooked in awhile though, so I was looking forward to it. Michael, Jacob, and Tyler came over for dinner and it was fun to share that community building. Afterwards, Michael, Jacob, and I went to yoga. It was a fun weekend!
One of the advantages of living in Asia is that there is a lot to see, and you can get fairly cheap flights. My bucket list of places to see started with places where I have friends currently living. My first place I chose to visit was South Korea to visit my friend Amanda. I got approved for the vacation days and very quickly purchased tickets. The tickets were far cheaper than the flights I would buy from Minneapolis to Seattle. My plan was to spend two days exploring Seoul by myself, then I would take the train to Busan to see Amanda for the weekend. I consider myself fairly well traveled, but this was my first trip where I did some traveling on my own. I definitely made some mistakes and learned some things about myself as a traveller. The day before I left for my trip, I was feeling very stressed. I still had not received my new debit card from Minnesota. Thankfully, earlier in the week I had gotten a Taiwanese debit card. I had one month's pay in my account. I hoped it would be enough. I went into work very early to finish all my sub plans and tie up loose ends before I left. My roommate Josilin asked if I was ready for my trip. I told her that I did not feel prepared. I had done very little research. I had a three-day weekend the week before. Why hadn't I done more research? I wasn't packed. I hadn't even figured out when I needed to catch the bus to the airport, let alone any other transportation while I was there. Josilin had just gotten back from South Korea a few weeks earlier, so thankfully later that night she walked me through some things that momentarily calmed me down. That night I decided and figured out what time I needed to leave. I also wasn't leaving until the next evening, so I had some time in the morning to pack. I scooted to the bus station, took the bus, and then caught my flight to Seoul. The Incheon Airport is on an island, but there is a subway that goes directly to Seoul. Josilin had told me the night before which stop to get off on. She told me to use Google Maps once I got off the subway to find the hostel. For some reason, my Google Maps was not working. I just started walking hoping I was going in the right direction. It hit me for a moment that I was in a foreign country and I had no idea where I was. I went back and forth with trying to use Google Maps and trying to connect to Wi-Fi. Eventually I was able to connect to Wi-Fi and found out that I was walking in the wrong direction. My Google Maps started working and I was able to make my way to the hostel. By the time I got to the hostel, it was 11 pm. My flight was scheduled to land at 8:00 pm. When booking it, I had assumed I would be able to do something that night. Two of the other teachers at my school also happened to be in South Korea the same time as me, so I planned to meet up with them at the hostel. They were both asleep by the time I got there. I researched how to get the DMZ tour for the next day on my phone, then I went to bed. I did not sleep well that night. This was partly because of stress and partly because I am not used to sharing a room with five other people.
The next morning I woke up and checked my phone. It would not turn on. I tried plugging it in, but it still would not turn on or charge. I had downloaded the Seoul Subway app on my phone to be able to get us to the DMZ tour. My friend Michael woke up and together we were able to use his phone to get to where we needed for the DMZ. My phone was very hot and still would not turn on. I questioned whether or not I would be able to go down to Busan the next day. At the DMZ tour (the demilitarized zone), we made several stops exploring the border between North and South Korea. We stopped at a lookout, where we could see North Korea. We also stopped at the last train station stop before it would enter North Korea. What I found most interesting and unnerving was going into the third infiltration tunnel. South Korea has found tunnels from North Korea underground through the south. The tunnel that we went into was big enough for 30,000 soldiers to go through in one hour. They have found four tunnels, but suspect that there are more that have not been found yet. Our tour guide was very energetic and funny. While at the observatory she told us, "North Korea is watching us with telescopes right now, please do not do anything to make them angry." Even though there is tension between North and South Korea, people still talk about when Korea will be reunited as one country again. It is somthing that Koreans hope will happen in the future.
Michael and I went back to the hostel to have a quick rest. I tried to get my phone to work using a variety of things that the internet told me to do. I still could not get it to work. Michael, very graciously, said that I could use his Ipad for when I went to Busan. Busan was back on! The rest of the day in Seoul, Michael, Scott, and I walked around and went to see Miss. Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children as a 4D movie. In a 4D movie, the seats would move to go along with the movie. Everything that the characters touched or felt, we would also feel. For example, in one scene it was raining, so we felt a mist of rain. I enjoyed the movie for the 4D effects. The next morning I used the hostel computer to try and figure out how to take the KTX (high speed rail) down to Busan. I bought my ticket and thought I could print it at the hostel. The printer at the hostel was not working, so I figured I would just show them my confirmation number at the ticket place. I had really wanted to go to a dog cafe, but found that they opened too late for me to be able to catch my train. Also, because my phone was not working I did not have a way to figure out the navigation. I had to check out of the hostel by 11, so Michael, Scott, and I started exploring after I checked out. We walked to Bukchon Hanok Village to see a more traditional village in Seoul. It is still a residential area, so there were signs all over reminding visitors of this and to keep quiet voices. We found a place to eat lunch. I had calculated the time I would need to make it to the station to catch my train. I checked the time and realized that it was going to be close. I said goodbye to Michael and Scott and used Michael's Ipad to find the closest subway station. I could only find the subway I needed going in the opposite direction. I tried to find a different entrance, but still could not find the right subway. The station that I was supposed to transfer to wasn't that far away, so I started walking there. Again, I had a hard time finding the right entrance. Eventually, a man asked if I needed help and pointed me in the right direction for the subway I needed. While waiting in line, another man also waiting to get on the subway approached me. He asked if I spoke English. We chatted the whole subway ride and he walked me through what I needed to do to catch the KTX. He was a theology professor who had had several sabbaticals in the United States. Right when I was about to get off, I asked him what his name was. His answer: Moses. I arrived at the train station an hour after my train departed. I got in line to buy another train ticket. I got to the train station at 4:00 and got a ticket for the 4:20 train. It was very easy buying my ticket and finding my train. I slept for quite a bit of my 3.5 hour train ride. Finally, I made it to Busan and found Amanda. We dropped my stuff off at her apartment and headed for the beach. At the beach, we watched a light show on the bridge. After I had purchased my tickets to come to South Korea, I had found out that my friends Makara and Patrick were moving to South Korea in September. I let them know I was around and they came to Busan to the weekend to see me. All of us met up at a very good pizza place and then we moved to a bar called Thursday Party. There, we played darts, talked, and I finally felt like I was able to relax.
Amanda, Makara, Patrick, and I at Thursday Party. It felt a little bit like a cross-over episode with a friend from my hometown meeting friends from university.
The next day, Amanda took me to a temple. It was actually the first temple that I have been to while in Asia (I know, shame on me). There was a festival going on at the temple, where there were various free stations that you could go to with a stamp card. Amanda and I had our names written in Korean, made a bracelet, and got a rice cake. There was also a station where people could try on a traditional Hanbok. We were hesitant, being two white girls from the Midwest who are aware of cultural appropriation. At the urging of the people at the booth, we tried on the Hanboks. "Picture by tree," the man helping us said. We moved over by a tree and he took our picture along with several other people nearby. For lunch, Amanda took me to a restaurant by her house and I had noodle soup. She wanted to try something new, with help from the internet she made her order. She described it as "earthy" and said I should try some." While she was still eating, she messaged her friend to ask what she had ordered. It was clotted pig and cow blood. We went back to Amanda's apartment and I tried to figure out the best way to get to the airport. I also plugged in my phone and it finally started to charge! I needed to get back to Incheon airport for my flight the next morning. There was an airport in Busan, but again I did not research enough to know this. I could take the KTX, but the only problem was that the last one was 11:00 pm and it did not start until morning, which would not get me to the airport in time. Amanda helped me find a slow train to take me to Seoul that left at 11:00 pm. I dropped my baggage a locker in a subway station. Amanda and I met up with Makara and Patrick to go to Gamcheon Cultural Village. It was fun to walk around and see all of the colorful houses. There were also lots of little fun, artistic shops to walk around and see. The view wasn't too bad either.
Gamcheon Cultural Village in Busan, South Korea.
Gnomeo enjoyed the view too!
After exploring the cultural village, we explored the downtown area of Busan. Amanda described it as the "Times Square of Busan." There were lots of people walking around and the street was buzzing. We walked around for awhile, and found a Korean BBQ place. Everyone showed me the ins and outs of eating Korean BBQ and I had my first experience trying soju. I would highly recommend mixing soju with something else.
All the good fixing at the Korean BBQ.
After BBQ, we went to an arcade which had noraebang (karaoke) rooms. The rooms were very small and just fit the four of us. We belted out songs and the machine in the room would give us a score on how we did. Our final song, fittingly, was "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC, which we got 100 on. We rode the subway back to get my luggage. Then, I bought my train ticket for the ride back to Seoul. I was early for my train, mostly because I was paranoid about missing it again. There were chairs left out by the train station because they had had a Chinese culture fest. We all sat around and talked and it was wonderful. Amanda, Makara, and Patrick walked me to my train and we said our goodbyes. Although Seoul had been stressful to me, Busan had been a blast. I really enjoyed seeing and visiting with my friends. My train left at 11 pm. I slept the majority of the 5.5 hour ride. I arrived at Seoul Station at 4:30. Subways did not start until 5:30, so I waited around a bit at the station. I caught the Subway to the airport. I was very early for my flight, but that was okay. I met up with Michael and Scott who happened to be on the same flight home as me. As much fun as I had in South Korea, I was excited to go back home and see my Taiwan family.
Almost home!
Initial impressions of South Korea:
The weather was much cooler than in Taiwan. I really enjoyed it, because to me it felt like fall weather.
The public transportation system is fantastic! Despite having issues finding that one subway, the subway system is easy to use and very convenient. The trains were also very easy to use. It was fairly easy to figure out.
Fashion was on-point. I think I could have just sat around and people watched to see the clothes that people wore.
There is much more of a drinking culture in South Korea than Taiwan.
It is a place that I would definitely go back to and explore more!
Lessons learned:
You should take into account all travel time, including how long it will take you to get to the airport to where ever you are going.
Know where you are going and how to get there with at least a general sense.
I need a private room to be able to sleep.
Phones are really useful when traveling.
I am not the type of person who can go to a country and spontaneously figure out how to do things. I need to do lots of research before I go otherwise it will give me stressness.
It is wonderful to meet up with friends abroad. Also, it is so helpful to have friends to show you around.
September marks a month of change. The weather changes with the start of fall. Students go back to school and go back to their normal schedules. I had already been teaching the majority of my students for a month, but they started Chinese school. I started my normal teaching schedule. In school, we have been doing less ice breakers and routines and have been starting to rigorously dig into the curriculum. Even with the changes, I have been able to develop some routines. One of the routines is Fried Chicken Monday (FCM), where some of the other teachers and I get fried chicken and watch TV. Both inside and outside of school it was an incredibly busy month. We had a four-day weekend, where Josilin and I took a day trip to Taipei. There were three typhoons with two typhoon days. I also finally got a scooter and my Alien Resident Card (ARC). Here is a look at some of the things that I did this month.
Click on the picture to get a better view and to be able to read it better.
This past week I found myself facing several frustrations (listed below) that made it clear that there are some challenges with living in a foreign country. Here are some of the realities I faced this week. I fully realize that these are very much first world problems.
First, my bank issued new debit cards with chips in them. They sent mine to my former address, even though I had given them my parent's address as a forwarding address. They cancelled all the old debit cards, so I no longer have a working debit card. I just got paid, so I have money. It is annoying that I am without one. I will need it by the time I go to South Korea in less than a month. My parents are planning on mailing it to me when they get back from vacation.
My schedule at work changed in September. Since the students have started Chinese school, I see them afterward. This means I go into work a lot later and get done at 7:00 pm. I am someone who wakes up early, so this has been an adjustment for me. I would rather go into work earlier and get done earlier. At times it feels like I am just waiting around until work. I am still figuring out things to do here during the day and how to productively use my time. Also, see below.
In August, I would ride my bike to work when it wasn't raining. With my change in schedule, by the time I get off work it is rush hour and dark. So I have been taking the bus and getting rides from people. The buses do not seem to run as frequently at night and it takes me a lot longer to get home because of rush hour. On two occasions, I have waited about 40 minutes for a bus. This happens at night when I am tired from work and just want to get home and eat dinner. At this point it is really convenient not having a scooter.
These things are all pretty small. Together though, they made me a little cranky, a little bummed, and a little irritable the past week. It made me realize that sadly my honeymoon in Taiwan is over. When I first came to Taiwan, one of the administrators said that we would eventually come down from the high of being here. I kind of shrugged it off. Now I completely understand. Everything is not shiny, bright, and new. I am not just on vacation. I am living in a foreign country and there are definitely aspects of my life that are more difficult abroad.
Leslie Knope asks her constituents, "Are you better off than a year ago?"
To get some perspective, I turned to the wonderful Leslie Knope. After her first year as a city councilwoman, she faced being recalled. She asked her constituents,"are you better off than a year ago?" This is a question that I posed to myself too. Am I better off than I was a year ago? Absolutely. At this time last year, I was working as a long-term substitute in a school that I would dread going to each day. I was working with people that I did not particularly care for. Here I am still enjoying my job, I am surrounded by wonderful people, and I get to experience living in a wonderful country. I recognize that I am very privliged to be able to do these things. Also, many of my frustrations are small and very fixable. The debit card will get sent to me. I can research more what to do during the day and spend more time developing good writing habits. I can inquire more about scooters that are for sale, instead of waiting for one to magically appear. An event this weekend also gave me some perspective. We had a four-day weekend and were originally going to go down south to go to a yacht party. The party ending up getting cancelled because there were not one, but two typhoons. So instead of going south, my roommate and I took a day trip to Taipei (more on this later). As we were taking the bus back, we both were pretty wiped out. I mentioned that I would probably go to bed almost right away after getting home. We had not been gone long, but I still looked forward to returning home. Without even thinking about it, I called Taiwan home. Even though my honeymoon period is over with living in Taiwan, calling Taiwan home is better than the honeymoon, vacation stage.
Since this post is kind of a bummer, I want to end on a positive note. Here are a couple of recommendations of things I watched, listened to, read, and did this week that made me happy. Watch/Listen: The music video for the song "Soy Yo" by Bomba Estéreo. The song itself is very catchy and features interludes of recorder. The music video makes me love this song even more. It shows a Latina girl shutting down various haters throughout her city. I have watched it on repeat this week, as did my friends after I played it for them.
Listen: I recently took a four hour walk and binged on this podcast. The podcast is put on by two long-distance best friends who talk about the news, feminism, and what it is like to be a woman today. There have been so many moments while listening that I found myself thinking, "this is something other women experience too?" http://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes Read: Neil Gaiman's 2012 Keynote to the University of the Arts This is something that I reread every couple of months. Neil Gaiman always gives fantastic advice and wisdom. His speech here focuses on the importance of making good art no matter what is happening in your life. http://www.uarts.edu/neil-gaiman-keynote-address-2012
Do: The workout videos from the Fitness Marshall's YouTube Channel. He does dance workouts to current pop hits. My friend Tyler introduced me to the channel and we have done the workouts a couple of times this week. Dancing it out really helped my mood this week. My favorite is to Justin Bieber's "Cold Water," which is below.
