5 Months Since

01.28.07

It snowed again this weekend but didn't stick. I'm used to the cold now so scarves and skull caps are less necessary. Bummer. I'm already mourning this winter's death. I'm afraid i'm going to melt come summer. Went back to Suwon today to see the fortress again. This time, however, my roommate Rob and another coworker, Ashley, came along. Snapped a few pictures... after we sorted out my hour long detour of selecting the wrong bus. Learning experiences when you're alone; embarassing when you're wasting other's time. But they were, of course, very gracious about the whole thing.

Things are going well here. I can form some rudimentary Korean sentences on my own now. There's joy there. My Brittish roommate who finished his contract with my particular school at the end of November and went back to England for a bit has returned. With the end of January, I am nearing the halfway point of my year contract and still need to explore the city and country a bit. Some of my coworkers are braving a trip to North Korea in a few months during the short period when the border opens to Americans (Meegook, we're called). I'm not so brave. Anyway,

kc

ps - posted some more pictures on the flickr page, which is linked on the right....

Mid January

01/14/07

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has posted comments. I enjoy reading them and am happy that anyone stops by to 'check' on me. Secondly, the picture above is near the Han river. I walked around the area again today. The river divides the city into a North half and a South half, the richer half supposedly occupying the Southern portion. Suyu (my district) is in the North. Third, the characters on the left part of the picture are Chinese and not Korean. Fourth, I'd like to address the 'bowing' thing....

I love it. It is so freakin respectful. I've done it subtly through my life, but people here do it frequently. As I said, I love it. And it's entirely different than the head that nods upwards - the 'what's up' gesture in Western culture. I would like to note that many of the animals in nature make themselves appear larger at times to stave off danger (the peacocks feathers, the lions mane, cats arching their backs, puff fish, bears standing on hind legs, etc). When you nod upwards, you are making yourself appear larger (however subtle the gesture) and when you bow, you are exposing yourself to danger (theoretically). Therefore, i find it infinitely more respectful to bow than to 'what's up' someone. Hasta

kc