And getting blackout more times than I did the other 22 years of my life. Alcohol tolerance is up though!
Its hard to believe I am on the last term of my contract. The last 2 terms really flew by and in 13 weeks I'll be done! Crazy. This year so far has held so many firsts. I think I have become more independant and become more of a stable adult. Then again I have had more wild nights than ever before. Training week was my first College like experience since I never got to live in a dorm. This 1.5 week was the start to my adventure and the number of study sessions made it seem like we were in school. The after party was great and the celebration of passing was awesome. Though there was also cliques that developed, I got to meet some great people. First time having my own apartment, buying my own household items, sleeping on the floor for weeks before buying furniture. Having my fridge replaced because the other one didn't work and having plumbing fixed because apparently electrical tape doesn't hold water. Delicious food, of course. And getting blackout more times than I did the other 22 years of my life. Alcohol tolerance is up though! Coworkers have become great friends. Teaching has become so much easier than day 1. Relationship fights start and end sooner. Still some work to do but I think I've gotten to be a better girlfriend and I feel like I'm in a different kind of relationship compared to the previous ones. Having people VISIT me and crashing on my couch. More to come in 2015.
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Battered SoleA gastro pub located in Itaewon that has some of the best cocktails I have had in Korea. They use fresh fruits for their drinks and their ingredients for their food is top notch. This is the third time we have been here and each time has had us coming back for more. Everything we have tried here is amazing. The picture above is their duck breast with mashed potatoes and a red wine reduction. The fish and chips and BS burger are also great. Last night, we had the BS starting plate and everything on their was delicious. It had salmon, pork and scottish eggs croque, deep fried cheese, and cured ham. Every little bit was amazing and the only problem was how quickly it disappeared. If you go to the top floor, there is also a rooftop with grass that you can chill on. They have blankets to sit on and cover yourself with. It doesn't have any over so rainy nights or chilly nights are out of the question. Rocky Mountain TavernA Canadian Pub in Itaewon. They had large cocktails that weren't great after the Battered Sole but that is to be expected. Good prices and decent drinks. I don't know about their other shooters but the Vancouver Canuck, though correct in colour, tasted gross.
When we were there, there was also jello shots. It has been a long time since I have had one and at $10 for 5 it was an impulse buy. But it was okay. Orange was a bit vodka heavy and the red/berry one was much better tasting. After dinner at 6:30 and drinks at the RMT, I was pooped and hopped on a bus home before 11pm. Falling asleep to Planet Earth- Deserts. This is my life in Korea dear friends back home. Exciting no? As some of you may know I got sick 2-3 weeks ago. It was made worse by the fact of my lack of down time (Tight schedule at work due to overload of students, and boyfriend's parents visiting) and the return of sickness as I was getting better.
Lucky for you readers, this allowed me to experience two bits of Korea I hadn't previously: the hospital and the pharmacy. I caved and went to the hospital emergency after I was sick for days. It was a sunday and though they didn't speak much English and I don't speak Korean but they were able to understand I had a fever for the last 3 days and that it started with a sore throat. They took my readings and told me I had swollen tonsils but it wasn't a big deal. They gave me a shot in the butt (awkward because I made to take off my underwear and shorts but they motioned to just give them a cheek). I paid they they sent me on my way with medication to take. They gave clear instructions on when to take them too. I got better quickly after that but my skin was messed up for a while. I figured it was from my 4 day fever and thought it would go away. It did but it took a while and it flared up after a couple days of getting better. I thought it was an allergy and picked up some antihistamine. 4,000 원 for claritin and the pharmacist spoke PERFECT English. Unfortunately, it didn't work and I went to a different pharmacy since it was close to where I was (pharmacies are plentiful in Korea). Much bigger than the first and though she spoke less English she recommended me a cream that got my hot, red, dry. and itchy skin to calm down after a day. My hospital trip took about 20-30min and cost $80 for the trip, shot and meds for 3 days. the cream was $35 for 160ml and I checked online: it is retail price. Overall, the experience was painless and the entire system was super efficient compared to the long waits of Canada. I don't have health insurance though. CDI said they would pay for half but I don't know anyone who has this benefit and if you want to sign up you should do it when you first come to Korea or else you have to pay for the entire time you have been in Korea not just when you start. Warning: No editing because this is just a string of thoughts. There will be many emotional and wordy ramblings. Korea hasn't been all fun and games. Getting here was tedious and a headache at times. All the experience of getting here is not exactly going to ever help me again. Getting the Alien Registration Card was a test of patience. Some of the kids make me want to smack them upside the head for their attitude. Cars seem to want to run you over, traffic is terrible and spitting on the ground is all to common. The foreign food is not very good and my own inexperience in the language has caused me some problems.
The absolute worst thing about coming to Korea has been the departure of co-workers. These people have grown to be my closest friends in a short 6 months. In a country where I know no one, I have come to rely on them in times of professional, personal and physical hardship. I see these people more than I would my friends or family back home. In one day, I will eat lunch with them as well as dinner. We all live a short walk or an even shorter subway ride from each other so weekends usually involve some social event. The overlap in work problems and overall nerdiness allow for endless conversation. I appreciate and have grown to love these people; people I would never have met if I hadn't come to Korea. We are different in location, age, academic background and previous occupations. In this short moment in time, we are here in this space we call temporary home. In this limited time, we have created memories and bonds that have molded us into who we are and will be. There is an incredible sadness that bubbles over right now because two of our friends have gone back home. This sadness is different from the the one that I had when I left Vancouver. Leaving Vancouver, I knew I would eventually return. When I did, almost everyone would still be there and I would be able to catch up with those friends. I know this group will never be the same. My sister reminded me that I could always visit. Most of us are from North America so a road trip or even a flight would not be impossible. What is impossible is the interactions that happened so naturally here. The group as a whole would not be together. All the enjoyable banters and dynamics can not be recreated and familiarity will be lost. I even felt a pang of sadness entering the subway station the first morning after they left; I knew I would not bump into Thomas anymore. I grew up from childhood to adulthood in the same neighbourhood and same house. I have never moved or switched schools. Every step has been something I had been anticipating. Every friendship would end with growing apart. Having them leave is like them have been ripped away too soon. This experience has been rewarding. I would not trade this for anything. I genuinely wish them all the best in the future and I am glad I can check in on them once in a while. I desperately hope I can remember all the good memories we had and I will be sad on the days I forget their laugh, their voice or their face. I will hold the advice, wisdom and experience Ryan has passed on to me whiling continuing to pass it on myself. Lastly, I hope I was able to convey how much they meant to me and how thankful I am to have had our lives overlap in this brief moment in time. Since before I got to Korea, I have been warned about that Korea has four seasons. An odd warning, I thought; most places have 4 seasons. Did a little reading in on this and I find out why. Being from Vancouver, Canada, most people assume I would be use to the cold. Wrong. Vancouver is a temperate area unlike the prairies, or central Canada that experience extreme weather. Since I have arrived, I have been dreading summer. Not only is is hot but it is also humid; every time you step outside you feel sticky which I hate. Monsoon season sounded terrifying because I was expecting this: I had been told that I may as well wear board shorts and a tank top then bring something to change into because there was no way I would be getting to work dry. Thankfully, it has been a dry monsoon season this year! Not only that, it has been raining either while we are at work or at night time. This has two benefits: 1. Not raining on me and 2. it is cooler when we get out of work and are walking home. I was caught one day while I was getting lunch but it was just around the corner, 1 min max on my short little legs. I was soaked. One hour later and my students thought I had just got out of the shower (long hair fail :( ). Anyways, I took a short walk in the rain tonight while listening to the Counte of Monte Cristo audiobook (EVEN though it was spoiler for me. You know who you are.) and it was refreshing. For once, I didn't feel hot walking outside and there was no one by the river. I walked barefoot on the pebble paths of death and crossed the stone foot bridge that was covered in water. It probably wasn't deemed safe since the grass around the steps down to the bridge wasn't kept but the water was no more than half an inch and it was nice. I think the weirdest part was that I felt triumphant. While everyone was under their umbrella and dodging puddles, I was walking through the shallow ones in sandals and only in a t-shirt and shorts. Felt like I did my Vancouver roots proud. Don't worry, took a hot shower when I got home. |
AuthorHello! I am Erika, English teacher in Hanoi. I had started my journey as a teacher in Korea but will continue until the kids drain all the life force in me. This is a blog to keep my friends and family informed as to what I am up to. I expect all of you to visit me. |