Their heating system is different from ours in that it is heated by water pipes that run through the flooring, called the ondal system. It used to be heated by coal but now by gas. Cool right?! So that's why they don't mind doing everything on the floor, i.e. sleep, eat, and sit.
They are also trying to reduce waste and recycle a lot. You have to actually specifically purchase garbage bags that are separated into 3 categories. Common waste, food waste, and i think electronics. If you do not use those correctly you will be fined...but I don't know if people actually follow that ..but businesses generally do.
The air is terrible here. VERY polluted I am actually going to start wearing a face mask. I hate the smell of the sewers and it's very dusty. Not like China but still I see noticeable changes on my bags and shoes. It's dirtier looking just within a day! Argh. Also the "yellow dust (pollution)" from China is blowing our way so more of a reason to wear a mask.
The water is not potable in Korea. You must drink only filtered water. In restaurants you can have free water and kimchi/radish sides but it is self service. Miso soup is free too it comes out of a hot water dispenser...but that is probably all soup base...n msg.
There is no such thing as "Tip", it is calculated into the prices already. So no tip for taxi or food.
Western food is expensive here because it is something different. They have Burger King, Chili's, TGIFridays, etc. There is Viet food, I just had it yesterday. What a rip. It is not authentic, no one is Vietnamese and it didn't taste good. The restaurant I went to was particularly nicer, not your normal take out place so the prices were high and portions small. I don;t know if this is all Vietnamese food but I hope not because I would like to have it once in a while. Nothing on the menu was familiar either.... and I went into a "Chinese" restaurant my first week also and they didn't speak Chinese or have any chinese dishes except JiaJiang Myun..which is brown sauce noodles. Disappointing..but it tasted good though. You can get kimbap for 1500-2500 won, which is 2usd. It's korean sushi basically, but it does not taste good....and no sauce so very dry and has that yellow sweet radish...yuck...
So I went to Seoul Immigration this week and I ran into my first chinese person! I was so excited haha. I also heard students walking by speak Chinese..don't know what the deal is with that..but anyways I was outside the immigration building and there was a vendor who had big chinese characters that said "veg/pork buns..chinese food" so I was happy because I miss that. I went up to him and he started speaking to me in korean but I said I don;t speak korean and that I'm chinese so he said oh cool so just speak chinese to me then! And so I did. He spoke in Mandarin. I bought 6 little buns for 2000 won..nice! Then I walked down the block and there were vans with ajummas (married women) selling phone cards with signs in chinese saying you can call China US, etc. And further down the road I saw more ajummas standing though..about 5 of them trying to solicit you. It looked like Canal st basically, except with cards instead of bags haah.
So I was wondering why so many chinese people. Then I went inside and there were Chinese people at the Immigration office trying to get permanent residency?...or work visas i guess. Then I needed to make a copy so I went upstairs and it was a WHOLE second floor dedicated to Chinese immigrants. The line was soo long. Luckily I only had to make a photocopy so no line for that. They spoke to me in Chinese but I didn't understand her and she just spoke Korean. Funny how they speak both so fluently.
So I should be getting my Alien Registration card soon and be able to buy a cellphone =)
So at the train station there were malls too. I snuck a picture...
looks like a regular indoor mall except its underground!!
I went shopping last week at Dongdaemun and Its a hugeeee shoping plaza. =))) Clothes and accesories everywhere. So yea you can also bargain there and it's 24 hours.... There are 3 buildings.. Migliore Doota and Idont know the other name. There is a stage on the street for performers but I think they are amateurs. Here is a cute performance by some little girls.
the one in the front was soo cute she knew alll the dance moves for "Gee". That song is really big now. A girl from my school was doing the moves too.
Here is the video for the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E77r2hvgU8o
They are a 9 girl band..I think its overwhelming to be a group of 9 but whatevers...
EVEYBODY is playing it everywhere and everybody knows the moves! except me cuz i just got here and im horrible at following moves
Wonder Girls is so much better. Their song "Nobody" is also very hot right now. They are the rival competition to Girls Generation..kinda like Britney and Christina back then.
Wonder Girls was discovered by JYP who is like P.Diddy in US. He also trained and brought up Rain. I LOVE RAIN!!!!!! teehee
Here is Wonder Girls..JYP starts the show off he's the funny looking guy that's supposed to sing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCbqj4SxGJs
Land of Love Motels
The driveways/parking areas have these half covered rug looking things (think a carwash).. bc then you won't be able to see who's car is inside..for those who are cheating husbands/bfs...tsktsk
Pictures
\more around the corner...
And a DVD place???..... This is where you can have your own private viewing room and I think you bring your own DVDs...? idk...
EDIT*** these kind of places are actually sketchy and not to watch DVDs if you know what i mean...
Who knows what this says??....
O wells so here is a neighborhood Mini Stop...like a 7 Eleven
I didn't bring my camera charger bc I didn;t think it would work here so now I need to buy a charger =(
It's not sketchy around here even with all the motels and such.. It's very safe in Korea!!! Unless you are a foreigner (blond hair etc) then don;t take the cab at night..there has been stories. And one of the foreigner teachers said that they have been stalked to their apt and another time a cab driver put his hand on her leg...I am not taking the cab by myself at night! def not..and not w/o a cell.
But yea..everybody thinks I am korean...it is actually starting to be annoying. It'll pass I know it just gets to be too much sometimes. And then they guess Japanese when I say I'm not Korean...I'm Chinese!!!!
O ya..I nevernoticed but Korean language is very similar to Chinese..their old system of writing is actually in Chinese!! And no wonder so many words sound alike...and Japanese people were once Chinese too right? im not sure actually but if it's true the...I think we are all just Chinese!
okay now my Life as of recent:
Things are much better and I am getting into the flow of things. I have the routine down and am more comfortable with Circle Time where you sit down with the children and sing songs and just anything you want to have them learn english more freely and get to know them. It's great now!
Less stressful and I am glad because I really had thoughts of giving up..well that was also because my TA wasn't being supportive but now she;s backed off and is working with me so I'm glad. Everyday I am still at the office til late though...like 8 30 to 9pm. I don't mind but I got really burnt out on Friday and I had a mini headache.. It's hard! And it wasn't fair to my PM class bc I had no energy for them..
So I have seen great improvements/progress already in my kids and great feedback from parents! That;s always nice to hear =)
okay gtg bye! thnx for visiting my site i wil have better pics once I start going out more. I am hm stuck on youtube most of the time or cooking or getting ready for bed. Next week will be better!
=P
