Y'all, I felt like I was on the Midnight Train to Georgia this whole trip! I had never taken the slow train for such a long distance (and I probably won't again)! Normally, I take the KTX train from Seoul to Busan. The trip is about 3 hours and costs about 58,000 won. The slow train I took is called a mugunghwa (무궁화) and it only cost about 29,000. They're the cheapest cuz they're the slowest. I had expected the same level of comfort as the KTX but that was far from the case.
The biggest annoyance on the slow train is how many people are popping on and off and roaming the aisles searching for seats (because they only paid for a standing ticket). When I boarded the train, some guy was sitting in my seat. When I arrived with my ticket, he quickly jumped up. If I were not familiar with the standing ticket system, I might have been thinking Iwas the one in the wrong place!
As I mentioned in the video, I had about 4 or 5 different people in the window seat next to me. It was annoying enough that I'd suggest requesting a window seat if you're riding for a long distance. At any rate, I'll DEFINITELY be taking the KTX train back to Seoul! lol
As you can probably tell from Day 24, I was feeling a little "Bah humbug" about spending Christmas in Seoul rather than back in the US with my family. Even so, I decided to spend part of Jesus' birthday at a Christmas service cuz I figure it's kind of like his birthday party and whatnot. I'm glad I went (and dragged a couple of people with me)!
I took video of a couple of my favorite Christmas songs and even a little of me singing which CLEARLY disproves that silly stereotype about all black people being able to sing! (I try. I really do but...)
Pretty short and sweet on this one cuz I'm headed off on a quick visa run to Japan over the weekend. :p
Oh yeah! Michael Hurt's blog is: http://metropolitician.blogs.com/
Christmas in Seoul is like Valentine's Day in America...on cocaine: bigger, faster, and more couple-y! For this very reason, I kinda hate it! LOL
That being the case, this year, some resourceful Korean folks decided to make sure their Christmas was full of couple-y joy, because well, that's the only kind of joy that really matters on Jesus' birthday, no? >_>
They came up with an event called 솔로대첩, which to the best of my understanding means, "This is your chance not to be a loser on Christmas, so don't mess it up!" Guys and girls had a chance to do speed dating Korean style. Point & snatch, if I'm not mistaken! Either way, it made for good TV, thus all the footage and photos online. ^___^
Part of me is just a little salty that I couldn't go since I had to work. Haters gon' hate!
Today, I went to a meetup hosted by Brothas & Sistas of South Korea, better known as BSSK. The group revolves around a Facebook group dedicated to making life easier for black folks in Korea. ^___^
Not all members of the group are black and while the group was started by an American, members are from all over the world---anyone who finds the black experience relevant to their own experience.
For newbies in Korea, the Facebook group is a great way to get info (hair products, regional foods) or just find other people of the same cultural background in your area.
The group has been a big help to me on many occasions, so I thought it was something important to share during my December blog. :)
Today was a pretty low-key day. My friend Michael Hurt threw a Christmas party complete with all the American food fixin's! There was SO much food. ^____^
Gatherings like this are always nice in a city like Seoul because there was such an interesting and diverse group of people. There was an American artist-in-residence, a few native Koreans, long-term expats and folks just beginning the journey.
It's always nice to get some of one's "native food" during the big holidays. It's even better to have friends who think enough to organize things like this in the first place. :)
처음부터 저는 앤드류의특별한 재능이 알아봤어요. 근데 앤드류의 목소리를 들리는 후에... 와! 정말 감동 했어요!그의 목소리는 순수하고 진심으로 불러요.
노래했던 노래의 가사가 “Maybe I have the gift...but nobody wants it,”라고 해요. 안 맞아요! 분명하게 앤드류가 선물을 있어요! ^______^
이 비디오로 앤드류에게 격려하려고 해요.
여러분, 제 친구 앤드류 최를 지지해 주세요!
A while back, I met Andrew Choi at an English church service. He's a really nice and humble guy. From the first time I met him, I could tell he had a special talent. And when I finally heard him sing, I was really impressed! His voice is pure and he sings from his heart.
The lyrics to the song he sings in the video say, "Maybe I have the gift everyone speaks so highly of, but nobody wants it." That's totally not true! Andrew clearly has the gift! ^____^
I made this video to support him. Please everyone, support my friend Andrew Choi!
If you haven't figured it out by now, I love movies! And one of my absolute favorite things about Korea is going to the MOVIES! CGV theaters are pretty cool because a lot of them have movie-related displays and interactive stuff.
CGV Theaters also have 4D. Not 3D friends. 3D is so 80's! 4D is complete with motion, smells, and random chair effects! It's like going on a really futuristic amusement park display. Super fun! When Avatar was out, it was impossible to get 4D tickets cuz so many people wanted to see the movie again. I heard it was awesome, cuz uh, yeah, I couldn't get tickets. CGV also has two-person seats called SweetBox which is really nice if you're on a date. (I've used them! ^____^) And if you're a baller, they have Gold Class seats. Seriously expensive. Seriously nice. (I haven't used those.)
Anyways, the only thing I don't like about going to the movies in Korea is how quiet Korean people are when they watch movies! They don't really laugh and they certainly don't talk! [Which is absolutely CRAZY considering that my high school students would talk through the entire church chapel service every week and half of them talked through the minister's prayer!] I have no idea why there's so much quiet but I'm a movie talker so I find it a bit unnerving. Especially, when people don't laugh at the funny parts. I like to laugh. But not alone in a room with 100 people. o_@!
I'd really like to know what's up with Koreans being so quiet at the movies. If you have any idea, please let me know! LOL
Today's video will probably be more interesting for people living outside of Korea than those who are already here.
I--along with the adorable Peppero--gave a tour of our apartment, which in Korea would be called a "villa" (because every city has it's own explanation for real estate words!) Villas are typically not as nice as officetels or apartments but nowadays, many villas are being rebuilt and redesigned to rival modern apartments. For the most part, a villa is just a midget of an apartment building. Generally, that means no parking (or only one space) and no security guard.
If you watch the video in playlist mode, a video tour of my previous apartment will play automatically. My previous place was a loft officetel in the suburbs of Seoul and considerably nicer--and more expensive! It's an interesting compare-and-contrast.
Anyways, there's only 10 days left! And only 5 days till Christmas. I'm sure I can squeak out a few more topics! ^___~
Actually, after making this video, I left out the craziest story...about the semi-stalker I had. (Don't worry mom. It's not as bad as it sounds!) But maybe I'll mention him in a blog on safety in Korea? :p
Anyways, just talked about three terrible dates that I had with three different Korean guys. Each was terrible for it's own unique reason! LOL In their defense, I didn't date much in the States either. I generally have a medium-low tolerance for people trying to impress me which is what a girl has to endure for a whole evening just to get a free meal. *le sigh!* (If I think you're impressive, you win. If not, there's nothing you can do--on purpose, anyway--to change that!)
Anyways, hope someone found this amusing. I didn't want to go to hard on any of them, because, well, there's a high likelihood that at least one of them will watch the video! lol
This is the eternal question, "Should I work in Korea?" The answer depends on who YOU are. LOL
Basically, if you've got negativity going on, Korea is guaranteed to intensify it! (That's been my experience in Seoul anyway.) If you're super-flexible and find humor in the absurd, then THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! 오서 오세요! ^__^
Korean culture is quite different from American culture. In fact, a lot of things are almost opposite! That said, obviously, there are tons of expats here who love this place and have made it their home. Personally, I love Seoul as much as I love my hometown, which I kinda hate...so uh, yeah. I feel the same way about both places! lol
As long as you're not coming to Korea with rose-colored glasses, or too many self-centered expectations, you should be able to find your time here worthwhile and memorable. Either way, just remember: I'M JUST TRYNNA HELP! ^___^
So, today's interesting activity was the monthly Seoul Filmmaker's Workshop. This is an English-speakers meetup to screen films and ask questions/get feedback from other indie filmmakers. It was started by Sonny, whose full name I can't quite spell but can be found here if you're interested. His latest music video is here. Very cool. ^__^
For the film I wrote, "A Day in 1951," we're still in the process of finalizing the ending. Should one of the characters die or not? Choices...choices... lol
Anyways, if you're a filmmaker, screenwriter, or actor in Seoul, definitely check out the Seoul Filmmaker's Workshop!
Today I did a walking tour of my neighborhood, Itaewon. There's a really terribly cheezy song about it called, Itaewon Freedom, thus the title.
Itaewon is known for its large non-Korean population. It's the most "international" neighborhood in Seoul (and probably Korea). It is home to Korea's only mosque (building). There's also at least one Vedic (Hindu) center that I know of. Itaewon is what it is because of the close proximity to Yongsan (US) military base. It has a medium-large red light district and several gay clubs/pubs in an area known as "Homo Hill." Which incidentally, is quite near "African Alley," which I showed in the video.
There's quite a lot of good international food--much of it authentic--available in Itaewon. There are surprising selections like Moroccan and Bulgarian food, as well as more common fair such as Italian and Thai foods. There's definitely something appealing for everyone!
Now that I have your attention, I'd like to share some giggles with you from a Korean children's book I'm reading. My Korean is probably on the level of a 1st or 2nd grader, thus the children's' books.
This one caught my eye because well, it's Oprah! Heck, anytime I see a Korean book with black people on it, I pick it up to see what's going down! The Why? series is super popular at the moment so I thought this one would be a good place to start my Korean reading.
While many of the illustrations in this book aren't anything close to accurate, some of them are pretty cute and whimsical, and others are well, just ridiculously wrong. In defense of the illustrator, EVERYBODY in this book got the whitewash. Some people just got it more than others! With that out of the way, let's start with
the Cute Stuff:
If you enlarge this image, you will see that our friend Oprah, the poor blackwhite Latina Mississippi child is chatting with her jarred cockroach friends. They, like all good-natured animated creatures, are talking back. Well, not particularly good-natured. They call her strange then asked to be let out.
Little high-yella Oprah wants to be let out too. She looks out the window into the distance and prays to God for a better life. Am I the only one who feels a song coming on?! This scene has Disney written all over it! LOL
On to the next...
Later in life, Oprah finds her self in the awkward position of being the only black person at an all-white school. (I can TOTALLY relate.) It is made slightly more awkward by the fact that all the cool white kids want to be her friend. And are willing to stretch her arms beyond their appropriate human capacity to make that happen!!! (The sound that makes is apparently something like, "keuuuuung!")
I appreciate that Oprah's dad only got the medium level whitewash but more importantly, how magical they made him seem. Look at that background! Vernon and his wife Thelma are so amazing, they could be Korean! Don't worry high-yella Oprah, you're with good people now...
Gayle King somehow strangely looks very much like herself. I recognized her immediately!
Also, I would really like to know what Dr. Phil thinks about the curvature of his baldness. It's so.... vectorized!
the Funny
The fact that Tom Cruise's couchscapade made it in the book.
Fat Oprah. It's not funny because she's fat. It's funny because they made her eat a drumstick AND a piece of pizza at the same time. And that she's sweating for no reason. Which is probably why the second photo has her saying, "I have to change my life!" LOL
As for this one, as a dedicated fan of The Color Purple, I have no idea how anyone in their right mind drew this picture from the photo on the right! Only the words of dear Squeeky could express my confusion properly, "Harpo, who dis woman?!"
Oprah's confrontation with a black panther. How dare he pick a Puerto Rican out of the crowd to single out! Besides that, this someone has now introduced the term "oreo" to the entire Korean elementary school population. (See the asterisk.) AND, this guy seriously looks like an extra from The Boondocks. That is all.
the WRONG!
These are the illustrations that make me think the publishers don't know how to do an internet search! It does make me ask the question so elegantly posed by the book's title: WHY, PEOPLE? Why?! lol
Oprah's 1950's Mississippi elementary school class:
I dunno kids, but I think the missed that whole bit about the Civil Rights movement...
Next, meet Oprah and her college boyfriend Anthony Otey:
Oh wait! He wasn'ta blondewhite anything like this illustration! (And I seriously doubt Oprah studied with a sweatband either!) Maybe they got him mixed up with John Tesh?
As much as I've made fun of it, all-in-all, the book as been a nice read. Because of the wacky illustrations, I'm not sure how much (if any) creative license might have been taken with details of the biography, but it's interesting to read about someone I'm fairly familiar with in an unfamiliar way. Because English and Korean are so different, it definitely doesn't feel like a translation of a biography, as much as a retelling.
Anyways, hope you've enjoyed this super long post. Tomorrow's will be pretty basic.
I went down to the Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul today. I ended up buying a pair of (oh-so-essential) winter booty shorts at Uniqlo--that I promise to show off later--on my way to my last eye check up since my LASEK surgery over a year ago.
For the record, I went from -5.75 contacts prescription to better than 20/20 after about 6 months or so. The staff at Dream Eye in Myeongdong (NOT the one in Gangnam) are SUPER nice and professional. Everyone speaks good English. I'd totally recommend them! (And they give you a discount if you tell them who sent you!)
Once again, please ask questions either here in the comment box...
Or on the blog: http://bearingmyseoul.blogspot.kr
Or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearingMySeoul
I've still got more days to go!
I'm also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSeoulSista
And Me2Day (미투데이에서 한국말로 포스트를 쓰다): http://me2day.net/yoseoulsista
This is a RIDICULOUSLY long video. Some of it is actually funny. I started editing a bit but then I gave up. (I'm backlogged on editing! lol)
Basically, people always wonder what dating is like for a single foreign girl in Seoul. Especially for some outside of the ideal (read: white) like myself. Honestly, I have no complaints I wouldn't have if I were back home. That said, I HAVE noticed some patterns. That's what I talk about in the video. That, and a couple of wacky stories.
If there's a "demand" I'll make a Part 2 with more true stories. ^__~
Once again, please ask questions either here in the comment box...
Or on the blog: http://bearingmyseoul.blogspot.kr
Or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearingMySeoul
I've still got more days to go!
I'm also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSeoulSista
And Me2Day (미투데이에서 한국말로 포스트를 쓰다): http://me2day.net/yoseoulsista
[This is Day Twelve of 30 consecutive days of video blogs.]
FRIENDS, FAMILY, & TOTAL STRANGERS!
Yesterday I talked about the travails of dating in Korea, and today, I'm talking about my personality, how "weird" it is---I prefer the word, "rare"---and how that plays out for me in dating, and life in general.
According to Myers-Briggs personality types, I'm an INTP. I've also tested as a Choleric-Phlegmatic on a Four Temperaments test which is also an unusual combination. I think it's fabulous being super unique! ^__~
Once again, please ask questions either here in the comment box... Or on the blog: http://bearingmyseoul.blogspot.kr Or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearingMySeoul I've still got more days to go!
I'm also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSeoulSista And Me2Day (미투데이에서 한국말로 포스트를 쓰다): http://me2day.net/yoseoulsista
Korean dramas (television programs) are one of the most popular aspects of Korean pop culture. In this video I talk about where to find Korean TV shows with English subtitles for FREE on the internet. (You can thank me by subscribing to my channel on YouTube! ^__^)
I also mention a really great site for Korean self-study: Talk To Me in Korean. Self-explanatory. 90% of the material is free so definitely check it out!
For the record, my five essential Korean dramas are:
그리고 "보너스" 질문 많다: 몇 살이에요? 아프리카 사람이죠? 한국 남자 좋아해요? 남자 친구 있어요? 나이 많는데 왜 결혼 안 했어요?
이 보너스 질문은 조금 싫다. 아는 사람이 물어보면 괜찮지만 모르는 사람한테서 이상한 느낌을 받다. 그래도 이 비디오는 그 질문을 대답을 위해서 모르는 사람이 저한테 묻기가 필요없다! ㅋㅋㅋ
Today's video is in Korean. I answered the questions Korean people always ask when we first meet:
Why did you come to Korea?
What's your favorite Korean food?
How long are you going to stay in Korea?
And
the BONUS questions: How old are you? Are you African? Do you like
Korean men? Do you have a boyfriend? You're really old! why aren't you
married? (Which is quite a classic. *eye roll!*)
I kinda hate (the bonus) questions. If someone I know asks them it's ok, but when strangers ask, it feels weird. Even so, in this video I answered the questions so that strangers don't have to ask me! LOL
Anyways, I am the QUEEN of nervous laughter, which makes quite a cameo appearance in the video. I'm just hoping, like doing standup, speaking Korean will get easier over time. :p
My friend David scheduled his birthday party a couple of weeks before his actual birthday just so he could have a party. (Being born around Christmas kinda sucks. There's no way anybody can compete with Jesus' birthday! lol) For whatever fun reason, he decided to do a Mexican theme complete with a pinata and Pin-the-Tail-on-the Donkey. All of us are quite a bit too old for it but enjoyed ourselves a bunch!
Ingredients for Mexican food are a bit hard to find here so he had his mom send some all the way from California just so he could cook a big feast for everyone. This party is forever part of my 30-Day Diary and a mini-gift for a great friend. ^____^
So, today I participated in a panel on film making for a professor friend's film making workshop class. I was pretty surprised to be invited in the first place but he was looking for a counter balance to the directors' point of view. Even as a fledgling producer, I was happy to provide it!
I was able to talk a bit about the line producing I did during pre-production for an indie feature film called AMISS, and about the experience of writing a short film and being a part of the editing process--which is what I'm doing for "A Day in 1951." I don't have any footage from the panel so I decided to show a couple of minutes from the short film that I wrote. It's directed by Stuart Howe, super awesome director and all around ok guy. ^____~
The clip is just a rough cut of the first time to two lead characters meet.The final product will have a different score and lighting but this is a taste of the final product. If you have any questions, ask away!
[Warning for my super-conservative friends: This video has the "n-word", a "hell yeah," and a slightly crass reference to washing one's hidden bits but hey, my mom thought this one was funnier than my more 'mild' set so take that as you will!]
Last year, I made a New Year's resolution to try standup comedy and/or improv acting. I used to be pretty good at improv back when I did theater in high school and I made returning to public performance a goal for the year. I stopped into improv rehersals a couple of times but found it pretty tough to keep up to speed with all the seasoned folks on the team and the Sunday night meeting time. Then I went to comedy open mic and realized that 2.5 years of teaching high school had genuinely prepared me for potentially disinterested audiences in a way that few other things could have. ^____^
After starting last spring, I did comedy pretty regularly until beginning Korean classes earlier this year. I went back to open mic this week and did Stand Up Seoul, the show some of the guys organize once-a-month. Predictably, after being off stage for nearly a year, it wasn't the best set I've ever done SO I decided to share a different set that I like much better! Hope no South Africans get offended. It really is all meant to be a joke! ;)
I was planning to answer one of the questions I received on YouTube, which was basically, "Why did you go to Korea?" in the process, we got a ton of snow so naturally, I recorded some of it! We only get fluffy snow like this once or twice a winter, so it's kind of exciting.
The video's a little long but it's got variety. Listen to me talk or just watch the snow. Or both. ^___^
Find out why I chose Korea over several other lovely places on this side of the globe!
If you found the post helpful or have questions, be sure to let me know!
-t.
Basically, Asian-style study and Western-style study---or specifically American style study...Wait, Americans study?!---have very little in common. Furthermore, English and Korean are the two LEAST compatible languages on the planet. (No, I didn't make that up.)
That said, it's pretty important to have a clear picture of your personal goals and the goals of the university you choose if you want the best bang for your buck!
If you found the post helpful or have questions, be sure to let me know!
-t.
The Mokdong Immigration Office is probably my least favorite place in all of Korea. Yes, I hate it more than Seoul Station where all the homeless people sleep. Most of the homeless people are rather cordial to foreigners.
Anyways, if you're not a Korean citizen, (or if you're Korean and make the "mistake" of marrying a non-citizen), you'll get familiar with the 출입국관리사무소 soon enough. This post talks about what I wanted to do at immigration and what actually ended up happening, with some actual footage from the office.
This place isn't all bad though, I once saw the guys from the band Aziatix there. Too bad I was too tired and hungry to realize it was actually them until they were gone!
Once again, please ask questions either here on the blog or on Facebook or on YouTube. I've still got 27 more days to go!
Heritage Choir. I absolutely love these guys! I'd try to marry one of them but
the lead singer is already married and the other boys don't speak much
English...
Anyways, I try to get out to every worship
service I can cuz these guys sing just like the choirs I grew up
listening too. I'm always mad blessed after singing and dancing around
with them for a couple of hours.
You can check Heritage out on their webpage (or Facebook, which is all in 한국말.) If you're in Korea and want to order their CDs, search for 헤리티지 on GodPeople.com.
