Lessons 76 - 78

(11/21) Lesson 76: Old people in Korea have no problem shoving you out of the way. Just don't do it back to them.

So I'm on the train with Holly and a few friends. We get off at our stop. The train was packed. We make a dash for the escalator, leaving one of our friends behind. He tries to catch up and brushes past an old guy who is taking his time getting to the escalator. So what does the old guy do? He shoves him. Hard. And what does our friend do? He pushes his way back into line. And the old guy stands right behind him and berates him in Korean for the entire escalator ride.

This is not the first instance I've encountered really pushy elderly Koreans. On several occasions I've been nearly knocked over by little old ladies that barely came up to my shoulder and had no problem using a solid elbow or both hands to push me clear out of their way. Far as I can tell, you don't really say "excuse me" around here - you just push on by. But generally it's the old people that will knock you on your arse.

11/22 - Lesson 77: Baking in an American kitchen is one of the most comforting things that's occurred so far.

My AF buddies decided to have Taco Night on base. We all gathered at one couple's apartment (since they're the ones with a proper kitchen and lots of space) and mucho tacos were made and devoured. I also made my chocolate chip cookies; I had the resources and the ingredients available and I hadn't made them in months.

Considering that the kitchen in my apartment consists of two burners and barely a foot of counter space, and a dinky little sink, one can imagine my glee baking in a kitchen with a stove, a sink triple the size of mine, a ridiculous amount of counter space, and the proper cookie-making equipment. My cookies had never been so delicious.

I felt as though I were back in the States, surrounded by Americans and baking in an American kitchen (with American electrical outlets and American units of measurement). Having just these few hours of Americanness after so long was a breath of fresh air in polluted, confusing, isolating Korea.

11/26 - Lesson 78: Thanksgiving is possible in Korea.

This was the second Thanksgiving I've spent away from home. The first time I was in Switzerland eating a disappointing turkey dinner with the Americans and Canadians at the Ecole d'Humanité. Our centerpiece was a turkey we made out of snow - we had to set it outside the room on a window sill so that it wouldn't melt.

This time around I went down to Songtan and ate Thanksgiving dinner at Osan Lounge; there was a buffet style dinner and Erin and her boyfriend made the turkey centerpieces... out of candy.

The directions can be found here.

Holly's class also dressed up like pilgrims and Indians and went to each classroom to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. They were the cutest darn things ever.

Mickey

This is not what the first Thanksgiving looked like.

P.S. I'm glad Thanksgiving was not included in the curriculum because I would be the teacher that ruins the Thanksgiving myth for every child in my class. "So on the first Thanksgiving, there was lots of death... and no turkey."