On Saturday 27th February Ann, my bosses daughter and friend, took me out for dinner. Over the last couple of months we've been spending a bit of time together. It's been really nice hanging out with a really down to earth Korean, and it's meant I've experienced a side of Korea I never thought I would! We went to this little place at the back of the market where they serve a barley rice with all the trimmings, including fish and steaming kimchi-chigae. I love it! But it's so filling - unlike most of Korea's food. I usually try and grab some food before I eat dinner out, so I'm actually full by the end of the meal, but this time I shouldn't have bothered! The problem is you're expected to at least finish your rice here. The farmers work so hard cultivating and harvesting it that by leaving any is often seen as spitting on their hard work. After this we run a quick errand to the photography shop, where Ann gets passport pictures taken. In the west we have small booths that take only a couple of minutes. In Korea you get to sit in a real photographers chair and you're almost guaranteed a good picture! I must remember to get some pictures done before I leave :)
We head to a symphony. It's the KBS (Korean Broadcasting Station) who are preforming, and it's wonderful. I recognise a couple of the pieces and love listening to the Italian. I see a couple of people I know, including one of my shy students who ends up presenting a couple of bouquets of flowers to the performers. I'm really proud of her as she tells me what she's about to do. I also see one of the old teacher's co-teachers, so we have a quick chat. I like knowing a couple of people here in Korea :)
As I'm writing this the town siren is going off. I've only heard it in Yeongdeok (the next town over) as a drill, but never here. I hope it is just a drill, so I don't have to move. There has just been an earthquake in Japan, so maybe we'll be affected...
Anyway, Jay and I have been texting each other for a while. We're waiting for the two new EPIK teachers to arrive in Yeonghae. The girl is supposed to be staying with me, while they find her a new place, but we haven't heard anything yet. We've just decided that we should go and knock on Denice and Ryan's old apartment door and see if anyone opens up. So, once I'm done with Ann and her friend we head over to the apartment. By the way, I wouldn't normally do something like this, but Korea's a very special place.
That's how we met John, the surfer dude from Santa Barbara. We go out drinking for a while and make plans for the next day. Yeonghae has a massive annual celebration to do with beating the Japanese. It's so big that people come from far and near to join in and talk about it for years. Looking forward to the festivities we all go our separate ways to sleep.
There's also a new guy in Yeongdeok, so John and I head over to pick him up for the day. Bertie is a tall sporty South African. After waiting for almost an hour for a bus we give up and take a taxi back to Yeaghae and meet Jay for some food. The sun is shining and the wind's just right. I know we're in for a treat with weather like that! Straight after lunch we walk down the dusty road towards the music and merriment we can hear. And there it is. Huge by Yeonghae standards, there are lots and lots of food stalls, galbi stations and drinking tents. And in the middle of the area that is normally used as the gym car park there is a stage with chairs being set out for the talent contest and shows later that night.
As soon as we step into this crazy Korean moment we are quite literally dragged towards the galbi station, where the new teachers are made to try this wonderful grilled pork. Oh, and of course mekju. They are loving it. Every galbi station we pass, the proprietors shout for us to join them. Most of the time we do. This stuff is amazing! It's definitely in my top 5 of Korean foods! We wonder round, saying hi to everyone. They love having more foreigners to look at. Some of my students are out and about enjoying the sunshine, and accost me to find out who these new people are. Are they your friends? Do they stay in your house? Who are they? Teachers? Boyfriend? The questions went on and on. It was amusing!
After a good amount of time perusing the area we decide to head to the beach, just because the weather is so nice, it's almost law to walk to the beach on such a nice day :p so off we head on the 40 minute wonder down the road to the beach. It's worth it, just to sit and watch the waves crash on to the beach. For most of the walk we're silent, apart from the odd conversation springing up about the differences between each of our countries or where we can drink tonight, what 's good to eat, how to use things. It's actually nice not to be talking non stop (and I love talking!).
I make my excuses to chat to my parents, our weekly official date to talk together. Mum and I email almost daily, so normally we just get to gossip and natter on our Sunday nights, which is nice. But we are all pretty excited about their impending trip to the east, so we get to chat about where they'll be going and what they plan on doing. It's nice to see them a little less stressed, but I know that over the next few weeks it'll get worse until they leave work. And then their mini adventure starts!
I've planned to meet the lads, somewhere and at some point. None of us thought that in a small place like Yeonghae it'd prove almost impossible to find each other. But as I make my way towards the start of the procession for Korean Independence Movement Day I can't find them. As an aside, March 1st, 1919, marked the beginning of the KIM, when the independence fighters announced Korea's declaration of independence from Japanese colonialism. It didn't go as smoothly as planned, as Japan's response was for their military and police forces to kill and injure thousands of unarmed protesters. But, in the long run, Korea got what they wanted!
I get caught up in the procession and a fire stick is thrust into my hands, while a kind Korean man asks me where my friends went. I say I don't know, but maybe they'll be here. He's kind and we talk for a short while. I always wish I could speak more Korean so that I can talk to him in his own language, but alas learning Korean in Korea has proved to be harder than a solid oak tree. In the process of looking for the lads, I meet another foreigner and her family visiting Yeonghae. How awesome is that? People know about YH!!!
So, the evening continues, I catch up with the lads, and we watch as the evening festivities begin. Belly dancers, drummers, singers, most of whom have been practising all year I imagine. We find a beer tent, and are invited to sit with some old men. As I'm the one who speaks any Korea out of the three of us, I do the talking and explaining. We do shots of beer and soju. I am so going to regret this in the morning!! But for tonight, I'm going to have fun! I discover that the more I drink, the more Korea I can speak and understand. I reconsidering learning Korean at the bar! Eventually, after being dragged onto the dance floor in front of the whole of YH but a crazy drunk man and eating larvae, oh and the famous pop idol sings us sweet melodies, the festival is drawn to a close and we make our way out. We find the 1st bar, and duck in. It's so relaxed and open we stay a while, before meeting up with Jay again and heading to Noraebang, or Karaoke to everyone else :p where we have a couple hours of singing badly and laughing at each other!
And that's almost the end, but nothing else exciting happened, so I'll spare you all the details. I know this has been a long post, but hopefully you get the excitement and how great the day was. I'm glad the new guys came on that weekend, it's such a good start to the rest of the year :)
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