Here's a list of things that tickle my fancy:
Friendly people
Yesterday, I bought a coat rack. I had been very annoyed, because the only store I knew of that had them was always open with no attendant. So I could look and touch, but never buy. Just hire someone, you a-holes. Yesterday I finally found one. I stopped at the grocery store to buy some pork and bananas afterwards, and my arm was real sore from carrying a rather awkward box. Some people from my building who were ahead of me in line waited for me outside and offered me a space in their taxi. So, my arm awkwardness was greatly reduced.
That is friendly.
We are also accomodated quite well by just about everyone. They all know who we are, that we know nothing, and they are all happy to help. Like the Ryu Family. I mean, it's gotta suck for them. They're learning a little bit of english, but mostly, we are just eating their food. And learning a little bit of Korean. And yesterday Mr Lee told me that they had told him to tell us that if we ever needed help, with anything, we could call them at any time, and they would come help.
That is very friendly.
I have students who constantly stop to say hello, and most of the time try to talk to me. Even students I don't regularly see, from the grades I don't teach come up to me and try to speak. Sometimes with new vocabulary you can tell they have been eager to try out!
There are old ladies who stop you to give you a hug in the street. They give you candy, and want to shake your hand.
Singing
Everyone here sings. Not everyone sings well, but most people can be heard at some time or other with a tune on their lips.
Mr Lee uses music to get his girls excited about english, and I thin that Mr Hyun joins in because Mr Lee does the leg work of finding songs for him. Anyways, at the beginning and ending of every english class, I can hear 35 girls singing along with only the cheesiest sappy pop songs, sung by the likes of Britney Spears, Nick Lachey and, oh yes, Celine Dion.
I used "If I had $1000000" by the Barenaked ladies as a listening exercise for the girl's school. I thought it would be pretty easy, since it is basically just one sentence over and over again, with only the ending varying at all. It was harder than I had thought, but this week (the third week of listening at the beginning of class and trying to fill in blanked-out words) they started singing along. It made me so happy, in one class I almost started crying.
I tried to explain to them about "The Original Sausage Kings of Chicago", my unfortunately named acoustic duo with Andy Payne, and how we would perform that song at every gig (which were rare, I admit) and usually extend it to about ten minutes with choice verses such as this:
If I had $1000000, (If I had $1000000)
I'd buy Matt a haircut
Shut up you stupid asshole
If I had $1000000 (If I had $1000000)
I'd give it to Matt to get a hairstyle
But I'd spend it all on candy...
They didn't get it though. Of course, I didn't reveal the lyrics, only that it reminded me of "the old days", and shock them with the news that I once had long hair and an eyebrow ring.
McGyver reruns.
Don't ask me why I love this show. But I do. Oh man, I live McGyver. Not love love, but you know, the show is great. And McGyver babes sure are babes. Oh yeah.
Cheap awesome clothes.
So, Korea is the home of e-Mart and Lotte-Mart. They're like Sears, basically. And I have money now, so it's way easier to get new clothes. I am in a wool-loving, fun clothes-making country. I have bought a few new sweaters, and luckily, I fit into the largest size at most stores. Sometimes the second largest too!
The grade twos and one grade three class at the boys' school.
These guys make me laugh all of the time. There is one frustrating grade three class, but the other is amazing. Both grade two classes are just hilarious. All of the time, funny. And they know what they are doing.
Sometimes, it's the way they mispronounce "Special Forces" so that I think they want to name their team "Special Bus". But it's also that they understand why I thought it was funny when I explain it to them! Today, one team wanted to be called "Team Negro", which made me laugh everytime I said it.
Public transportation.
There is almost always a bus running to where you want to go. The tickets are cheap.
Are you craving a latte and some time to read? Take a bus to Kwangju and get a latte. Read on the bus. It is an extravagant gift to myself, but what the hell? It's fun!
The fall is extending forever.
It will drop to between zero degrees and five for one day.
"Wow, winter is finally here!" you will think to yourself.
The next day it will be fifteen, and you will feel hot in the sun. The next week will be similar.
This will repeat through all of November.
I like Fall. It is my favourite season.
And it seems like it will never end.
Snacks!
I just got handed a clementine. There are snacks being offered by everyone, to everyone, all of the time. Sometimes delicious things, sometimes disgusting bean paste filled rice cakes.
Cheap booze.
Yep, just head on down to Family Mart and pick yourself up some $2 1.5 litre bottles of Hite. Or a bottle of soju, only $2 or $3.
DVD Bangs.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Greatest. Things. Ever.
A private mini-theatre? Don't mind if I do.
No worries.
No money problems, no real work concerns (aside from boredom, and mild discipline issues), cheap bills, cheap food. No worries.
Beautiful scenery.
If you can plug your nose, this is a really beautiful place. It stinks a lot, whether it's garbage, burning agricultural crops for fallow, rotting compost collections, or assorted varieties of dung scattered about. But once you get past that, it is beautiful. Seriously beautiful. Korea is 70% mountainous, and one of the most forested countries in the world. The mountains are alive with colour, and are only starting to fade now in the very late fall. There is beautiful contrast between the colours of the leaves and the rocks jutting out of the mountains, and our fourth floor apartment on the highest point of land in the city gives us some great views, and lately, some beautiful sunrises.
There are terraced fields everywhere, so you can see for miles, and the hills have been worked out over time. And where hills do rise out of the fields, there are graveyards where people have placed their relatives so that they will have a view over the fields for all time.
Fresh foods
We're in Korea's breadbasket-equivalent area. There have been fresh fruits and vegetables available for the last couple of months, and when you buy meat, you can see them cut it off of a hanging animal behind the counter. It's pretty neat.
Barbecue!
That's all. The barbecue here is great.
So, hopefully, that will reduce your worrying about my suicidal mood. I'm not depressed, I just assume that no-one wants to hear stories about "I had a good day and people were nice. Then I went to the grocery store and when I didn't understand what the cashier said she tilted the screen so I could read it which was really nice."
BORING!
New and exciting frustrating things happen continually, but the awesome things are just a constant relief playing in the background. So stop worrying. Geez!
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