Va-

gina.


That's right, vagina. I just signed up to do the Vagina Monologues here in Jinju. I was honestly surprised when my friend Jess asked me if I would want to do it. If you don't know what it is let me tell you a little story, in 1996 a lady named Eve Ensler wrote the monologues which became a play to support women's anti-violence groups. They raise money.. obviously all over the world between February 1st and April 30th to celebrate V-day!


JMU held the VMs every year I went there, but I was always working or something and couldn't go. NOW, I have the chance to be in it and act/read a script from the monologue. Especially after living in Korea (even if only for a couple of weeks now) I realize more than ever, that women still need to support each other to gain equality. I still cannot believe how I have felt around my boss and co-workers, it is like you can just feel when someone doubts women. And it is really sad. I've heard things like 'American women are SO difficult to be with, they always have to wear the pants and you have to do what they want to do'.. if that doesn't sound selfish and idiotic, I don't know what does. I think some of the older people that teach ESL around here are out to find easy vaginas that they don't have to work as hard for as in America. I know that is pretty blunt, but not sure how else to say it without eluding the point.

My boss, who was trying to be nice.. and I realize that.. came up to me the other day because he wants us to get to know each other better. He said that he has plenty of opportunities to get to know the TWO other ESL teachers (American MALES, in their mid to late 30s.. yes there are 3 teachers total at my Hagwon) because they play sports together (which yes, I believe because I own a vagina, I have not been invited, therefore I have not been able to decline due to my lack of coordination). And he said, "we wouldn't be able to do things together, because it would be like a date" "SO.. I've been thinking, and I think the only way that we can get to know each other is at church, I know you have your own church and thats ok with me, but the children's service is at 9AM.. do you like to sing"... and PLEASE, please tell me how I can get to know someone at church.. in a service?! It was just hard for me to wrap my hands around. I was very polite, and said I would try to be there at NINE AM on Sunday, but no promises for commitment, I just don't understand the whole concept of men and women here at all. I am very happy that I have been able to experience a new culture, and I am soaking it all in, but I think being a part of the VMS will help me be more confident! My boss is not a bad guy at all, and he lived in America for 4 years, I think it is just the culture here in Korea.

It makes me feel all angry inside, and I really don't like that. I am lacking a peace with equality, and I am normally not feministic or anything of the sort. I have loved Korea so far, and I can't wait to see all of the cool opportunities I will have, but there are just some things that need to be left in the 1920's.

I'm done with my rant. Period (for lack of better words :) )

E-Mart-a

I decided that after 2 1/2 weeks, it was time to go grocery shopping! I ventured to E-Mart-a (<- Konglish) .. it is really E-Mart .. which is about a 15 minute bus ride. It is HUGE. The main floor is all clothing and shoes, the second floor is all homegoods, and the bottom floor is all groceries. I found the wine section, the only one that I had recognized was a J.W. Morris white wine... I'm trying to figure out where I have bought that before. Originally, I thought I had bought it at Trader Joe's, but maybe not? That would be totally random if they had that at a store in Jinju, South Korea! Anyways, I bought bread, peanut butter, jelly, more bread (I've missed it :), some ground pork (I think beef is pretty rare here), no cheese (for the first time in my life! I'm really going to miss it!), fish, and lettuce! I would have bought more, but I had to take a bus and I'm running out of Korean won (I haven't exchanged all of my American yet).

Nothing too intensely odd happened at the store. Although, I'm sure it did, I'm starting to turn a blind eye to things! The seafood area was out of this world though, its very weird for me to see squid in a grocery store still. I mean I absolutely love it, but these people adore it! At the Kindergarten, I ate lunch yesterday there, and they served a squid soup.. even to the little kids! I was pretty amazed, it was a broth with cut up pieces of squid. I miss it being deep fried though :( Thats the best, and not really done here. Can you even imagine feeding squid to 4 year olds in America!? it just doesn't really happen!

The main thing I thought was A-WESOME were the escalators. They're flat, so that the carts can go uuup and dooown... pretty nifty!

Then I Saw Will Ferrell...

... as Jesus. He said "It is time [to go to the hospital]".

On Monday night, as we were driving home from Tongyeong (yes, where I ate the raw oyster from the sea) I began to feel extremely tired, achey and my throat was beginning to hurt. I knew these were not signs of anything good to come. As soon as I got out of the car to walk to my apartment, I could feel that I might possibly have a fever. And that might possibly feeling.. was right! It started off pretty low grade, but miserable. I called Mista Lee to warn him, and he said we could go to the doctor in the morning. I woke up the next morning to a 102 and got it down before I had to leave to go to the doctor and school. By this time on Tuesday, my throat hadn't totally given out on me, but how soon would it ever! The Doctor, who is supposed to be good and the mother of a student from the school, sucked! To say the least. It took all of two minutes for her to take my temperature, look at my throat and say 'tonsilitis'. I was dumbfounded, you aren't going to listen to my lungs, take my blood pressure, heartrate, height, weight?! Whatever, she gave me about 4 pills to take 3 times a day. So I prayed it would get better!

Tuesday night, fever again and this time of 103.6, this actually happened directly after my last class of the night. I knew I needed to eat a decent meal, so I got take-out from my normal restaurant, and was SO miserable I sat in the corner and balled my eyes out! I had a huge scarf and hat on, so I don't think anyone noticed. But it was just painful to sit up let alone function! Of course, I freaked out. I don't normally get fevers, and I wasn't too sure about what to do. My director says that he thinks fevers are good for you, and I'm thinking not if it kills my brain cells!! I don't have very many to spare!!

On Wednesday, I felt 80% better, I was like 'phew, i'm gonna get through this!!' ... BUT then I woke up at 5AM with a 102.6 and I decided it was time for me to go to the hospital. I called Mista Lee's cell phone, it was turned off. I called his house phone, and his wife told me he was at church. CHURCH?! At 5AM, you aren't Catholic! I was flipping out at this point, miserable, not having a clue what was wrong with me. I called my parents while I waited for him to call me back, and flipped out at them because I was trying to get them to ask any doctor we know what they THINK could be wrong with me, so at least I have somewhere to start off with, with these Korean 'doctors'.

Anyways, Emergency Room, worst time of my life. I got there and had a high temperature. They gave me a shot in my butt, I still have no clue to this day what it was. They took this super long swab, and shoved down my nose to swab my throat.. the worst thing I've ever felt. And then they hooked me up to an IV. Still, never checking my lungs, nothing. They wound up giving me SIX pills to take THREE times a day, plus TamiFlu twice a day.



No fever last night, but this is still SO miserable! I haven't been blogging/facebooking/Skyping very much because I have literally been sleeping allll day long! I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support, their helping!

This video is just a snippit of what Tongyeong is all about. This place was breath taking! Sorry it moves around so fast, I wanted to make sure it was short so the video would load this time!! We took a cable car to the top of the mountain, and then climbed up about 15 minutes further. It was gorgeous! It was the battle site of The Great Battle of Hansan between Japan and Korea. I was amazed! For more pictures, visit my facebook!

You Could Call it Being a Social Butterfly...

... but I like to call it a Communications Graduate!

I have met SO many more people than I would have assumed I would being here for a week and three days! Jinju is a LOT smaller than the capitol of Korea, Seoul. I have never seen a foreigner in my area walking down the street, yet I have managed to hang out with around 15 people on 4 seperate occasions. So far, I am enjoying my company. I have been hanging out with a lot of Englishmen, New Zealanders, Americans, Scottish, and Koreans! It is A LOT of guys here too, I think each time the group went out there were make 4 foreign girls at a time? I'm not going to lie, it is nice! And it has been a lot of laughs, I love it! I knew I would meet weird people like me who would move to a foreign country for a year+ and love it! I feel so at ease here. Good times!

Last night was New Years Eve for many Asian countries, I had a good time. Met a couple more people and laughed a lot. I.. and everyone I have met, have come to realize that I am the youngest foreigner teaching ESL in Jinju. Maybe there is another one out there? But so far, everyone has been at least 23, and I am the lovely age of 21! And there I was feeling OLD about being a college graduate, and now I feel young again! OH youthfulness!

Talk about youthfulness, Koreans, women especially, age SO well. It is absolutely dumbfounding how gorgeously young these women look for their age! I love it, I'll drink what they're drinking!

I went to church this morning (a different one from the last time) and I enjoyed it a lot. The pastor is absolutely awesome, loved his sermon. And the people were fabulous! I met a couple of foreigners, and the Koreans were great, they didn't hover over me this time and make me feel uncomfortable. Another crazy thing is that, an older Korean man named Kevin (his English name) introduced himself and found out I was from Virginia. And he was a graduate from Virginia Tech, which is about an hours drive from my house!! Crazy huh?! I never knew Roanoke could be so well known, most people have never even heard of it back in the states! The picture below is of the Pastor, Brandon and I ( he is the pastor talked about in the 'what a ca-winky-dink' post! )













Tomorrow morning I will be heading out at 9AM to visit a coastal area called Kon Yong. It is supposed to be beautiful, and we'll take a cable car that will take us somewhere, and if the weather is nice we should be able to see a lot of islands! Yippee! Although it will still be cold :(

Jinju is becoming more and more like home to me. I am extremely happy with the direction my life is headed and can't wait for the ride I have just begun!

Proof....

Here is proof I am over jetlag:

6:00pmMitchell
Do you not sleep?

6:00pmPaula
I live in Korea, it's 6PM here.

6:00pmMitchell
lol i see you on all the time at like the oddest hours in the morning

6:01pmPaula
thanks for the curiosity

6:01pmMitchell
oh well thanks for the explination
haha




Haaaaleluia!

Happy New Years Eve, I'm going out to celebrate tonight! Toot Toot!

What I've Learned About Korea in 1 Week

As of 1:30AM this morning I have been living in Korea for officially a week! Crazy huh?

What I've Learned About Korea in 1 Week:
1.) KOREANS HAVE AN ISSUE WITH SPACE. They live ontop of one another in apartments. They hover over you in church. They stand an inch away from you on the sidewalk. Yet, they do not like public displays of affection.

2.) KOREAN CULTURE IS BIPOLAR. Koreans are either super strict about culture by always taking their shoes off and following conditions based on past beliefs, so you would think they would be super caring people. THEN, you become a pedestrian, pedestrians have absolutely no say and no rights in Korea. I can't tell you how many times I thought I could have gotten ran over by that car/bus, or even the moped that was driving on the sidewalk!!

3.) KOREANS HAVE MOUTHS OF STEEL. I have now eaten about 4 hardcore traditional Korean meals with fellow Koreans, and I have been to other Korean restaurants by myself/with foreigners and noticed that Koreans hardly ever drink when they eat! I have yet to see one have even a cup of water for them if something gets too spicy. And then there is me having to refill the tiny tiny little cups they give you for water and refilling them over and over and over. Then at the end of the meal they are like, tea or coffee?! And I'm thinking, it is a little late for that don't ya think?!

4.) BUS DRIVERS WANT YOU TO DIE. They have no clue how to drive. You get on the bus, and after you pay your 1,000 won you are basically immediately hurled towards the back of the bus because they just LOVE the gas pedal. AND then they slam on the breaks anytime they need to stop. I pray I don't fall flat on my back, because I can hardcore see that happening. Crazy asian drivers!

5.) ASIANS CAN HAVE ATTITUDES. I taught my mini asians today the word fierce (because it was in their book, but it didn't really explain what it meant). I told them that it was basically an extreme, and since it was a class of 6 girls and one boy. I taught them some Tyra Banks sass, because she always says FIERCE super sassy and and snaps her finger while doing the head bob. I did it a couple of times for them before they actually let loose and did it. And it was HILARIOUS!

6.) BATHING NAKED IS A-OK HERE. I learned this while showering with grandmas and moms and my directors wife. You would think it would be awkward, but the bath houses were wicked relaxing!

7.) KOREANS LOVE PENISES. They consider statues of them to be good for fertility. I have seen plenty of pictures of random giant penises people have seen during various journeys in Korea. PLUS I saw my first one that had to be about 2 1/2 stories tall, that was all lit up with different colored lights in the MIDDLE of a highway on the way to Seoul from the airport the night I arrived! I can't wait to explore Korea, it will be like where's waldo.. except.. well, you know!

8.) KOREANS CARE A LOT ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE WRAPPED. No pun intended with number 8. But they care so much, that not only gifts are immaculately wrapped, but so is take-out. And this was after we had eaten most of it.. the box has three pieces of pizza in it and the bag has two pieces that they wrapped in alluminum and put in a cute gift bag. P.S. Korea obviously loves women, you see 'love for women' everywhere!!

9.) I AM SO VERY IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY! This is going to be a great year!