Sea Parting Festival - Jindo

I had plans to go to Jindo for a festival with a group of people, but the plans were cancelled the night before due to probable difficulties getting to the island.  As it turns out, my neighbor, Alex, was planning on going so she knocked on my door around 8:30 Saturday morning to see if I wanted to join her.  Since there was a 9:45 bus, I had to get ready and pack my backpack in about 15 minutes and then off we went to Masan to catch the bus.

To our disappointment, there was no direct bus to Jindo from Masan but we were told to go to the other bus terminal in Masan.  (Why a small town like Masan has two bus terminals is beyond me!)  After some difficulty communicating with the taxi driver and eventually having to call our boss to translate, we arrive at the other terminal to catch a bus to Gwangju.  We just missed the 9:40 bus and the next one wasn't until after 11:00.  Alex said there was a 10:20 bus to Gwangju from Changwon so we hopped in another taxi and told him to take us to the Changwon bus terminal and to step on it!  Three hours later, we arrive in Gwangju and had an hour until the next bus could take us to Jindo.  The ride to Jindo was 2 hours and it was the first time I have been on a bus in Korea where foreigners outnumbered the natives. 

After arriving in Jindo, an island town on the southwest coast of Korea, we were able to take a shuttle to the festival.  It was at this point that I noticed a trend.  We had to present a ticket to board each bus and at the end of the journey, the driver wouldn't let a person off until he or she showed a ticket again (you know, just in case someone snuck on the moving bus as it was traveling along the highway!) 

The festival (also known as the Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival) is scheduled around a natural phenomenon.  I still don't quite understand the science behind this, but once a year, the difference between the high and low tides causes the sea to "part" for a couple hours and, as a result, opens up a 2.8km walkable path between mainland Jindo and a small island out in the water.  Many people come out to watch the sea split and Koreans come out in numbers to dig in the muck to collect abalone.  Unfortunately, we did not make it in time to see the actual splitting occur. 

A group promoting awareness of the hearing impaired

in Korea set up a tent.  Notice the one Korean sign

symbol is an upside-down middle finger.  I wonder if a

deaf person has ever been punched because someone

thought he or she was flipping them off!

I have no idea what the meaning of this dance was...or the guy

with the sword for that matter!

The Jindo Miracle Sea Road

The Jindo Miracle Sea Road

I don't think those boats are going anywhere for awhile! 

We still were able to walk along the road.  There was a hut renting out neon colored rain boots so Alex rented a pair.  I did not as the largest size they had was the equivalent of a men's 11 and since I wore my supposedly waterproof hiking boots, I didn't think it was a big deal.  Off we went walking along the sea path taking in the sights and sounds.  As I mentioned, there were hundreds of Korean women with nets, baskets, or bags digging in the mud looking for abalone.  The disappearance of the water left starfish and other creatures stranded.  If a creature was lucky, some sympathetic person would move it back into the water.  Others were not.  We saw a crab (still alive) that was missing a claw presumably because someone stepped on it.  And of course, the day would not be complete without a Moses sighting!

Yes, we did walk through that...

and that!!!





 Korean women digging for abalone

A nice score of abalone!

I don't think this starfish made it.  He was thrown back in

the water, however, just in case.

Moses Impersonator (with some random people)

 Those crazy Koreans!!!

  

Alex and I made it about halfway across when we noticed that the water was starting to return at a rapid pace.  This was a sign for us to turn around and head back to land.  Less than a minute later, we heard a whistle telling people the water is returning.  We make it back in plenty of time but continued to watch the water rapidly fill in around people trying to make it back.  It couldn't have been more than 15-20 minutes for the sea road to all but disappear.  I don't know how deep it eventually will get, but it is deep enough for boats to travel over most days.

Uh Oh!  The water is coming back!



The "road" is disappearing.

Somebody didn't make it back in time!  She better hurry!

Anyway, since the sea returned to its normal state, it was time for the 5+ hour journey back home.  We debated staying overnight in Gwangju but in the interest of saving money, we took the last bus back to Masan which arrived at 1:00 A.M.  Only on the last bus were we allowed to depart without showing the driver our ticket.

Overall, it was a fun day that was well worth the time spent.  Some people may say I am crazy for traveling over 10 hours round trip for this event but I will respond with this:

1)  I used to drive over 5 hours one way to go to a college football game and then come right back afterward, and...

2)  The alternative would have been to stay in Changwon all day and maybe go to the bar at night.  At least this was a once-in-a-lifetime memorable experience.

Is this toilet for women...or for little men?  Either way, it's

spelled wrong in typical Korean fashion!



 

 The Jindo Dog species is known to originate on Jindo Island.

    

St. Paddy's Day Hike

While other people were going to spend St. Patrick's Day getting drunk, I made plans to go hiking.  I was prepared for a more relaxed, low-key day.  However, I found myself having more of an adventure than I originally bargained for!

Mark and I made the plan to go hiking earlier in the week.  As the weekend approached, we were not sure if we would be able to head into the mountains as the forecast called for a rainy weekend.  It rained most of the day on Friday and early Saturday morning didn't look promising.  By 10:00, it was still dreary and foggy, but it looked like the rain might hold up so we decided to head out anyway.  Our planned route was to head up the mountain using the trail head behind the Gyeongsangnam Provincial Office, hike along the ridge line, and come back down to the trail head next to the shooting range. 

In the beginning, everything was going according to plan.  We made it up to the first peak in an hour and fifteen minutes.  The peaks along the ridge line offer spectacular views of Changwon on clear days, but it was very foggy on this particular day.  Despite the fog, we could still make out the buildings below and kept our eyes on the shooting range.  Going from peak to peak was exhilarating, and at times scary.  The were staircases going up the side of a rock formation with nothing underneath the stairs but a long drop to the ground below.  In another place, the trail was narrow with steep drops on either side that one misstep could mean serious trouble.  Oh, and don't let me forget to mention that the rain from the day before left some of the rocks slippery and sections of the trail muddy.  I wiped out once and had a few other close calls due to the conditions.

The fog was thick early in the morning and afternoon.

 Notice the slope of the rock ledge.  There was not much underneath the stairs except a long drop down.

The view from one of the staircases bolted to the side of the mountain.

 This part of Jeong Byeong Mountain is 460 m high.

 We found this perch with a scenic view.  However, falling can be hazardous to one's health!

566 m high on Jeong Byeong Mountain.  I think the highest elevation was 583 m but I didn't see a marker at the peak.

Like I said, reaching each new peak was exhilarating and provided a great sense of accomplishment, especially for being in the shape I'm in.  Because of this, we kept going along the ridge line, further than we should have.  Hiking is very popular in Korea and on the weekends, the trails can be crowded.  While the weather kept some people home, there were still many Koreans on the trails.  However, after reaching the last peak, we should have noticed that we were no longer seeing other people on the trail, but we were oblivious at first.  Descending the other side of the mountain was not an easy task.  There were parts along the trail where you had to scale down the sides of rocks and navigate down steep, muddy slopes.  Before long, we realized that the trail was not taking us down toward the shooting range, but rather toward some other town or neighborhood on the other side of the mountain! 

 Some parts required scaling down the rocks using ropes.

We kept going down, but tried to find a trail or other navigable route that would take us around the mountains into Changwon.  We weren't having any luck until we were near the bottom of the mountain.  There, the trail split off into two, one direction continuing on toward the base and the other seeming to head in the direction we needed to go.  We took the trail to the left hoping it would lead us in the right direction.  Although the trail was marked, it did not look like it was used often.  Low hanging branches and overgrown bushes obstructed the way.  At one point, my jacket got caught on a branch with many thorns and Mark had to help me get unstuck.  Eventually, the trail disappeared and we seemed to be in an orchard of some sort at the base of the mountain.  At this point, I was becoming exhausted.  We found a dirt road and followed that through the orchard.  About 20-30 minutes later, after having to backtrack once due to a dead end, we came upon a Korean man and woman who were probably working the farm.  We tried to ask how to get to Changwon University, and the man did his best to point us in the right direction.  It was not a good sign when Mark asked about finding a taxi and the woman laughed.

 We found these near the base of the mountain.  I don't know what they were.

 We had to navigate through this orchard(?) until we found the road (below).

We continued down the road in the direction the man pointed.  Soon, we were walking through a small area of houses which I assumed were for people who worked the land in one form or another.  There were also chicken coops along the road with roosters crowing as we walked by.  Eventually, we saw a paved road and a building so we headed in that direction.  The building turned out to be deserted as it looked like it was just constructed.  The main road turned out to be a brand new expressway going under the mountains that was not yet open.  Considering the only alternative was to go up and over the mountain without a trail to guide us, we started walking along the deserted expressway through the tunnel under the mountain.  Although it was nice and cool inside the tunnel, it seemed to go on forever.  We walked for at least 15-20 minutes before we came out the other side.

 The tunnel seemed to go on FOREVER!!!

There was a random phone booth in the tunnel.

The good news was we could now see the university.  The bad news was we still had to get off the elevated expressway and across the fenced-off railroad tracks.  A ways down, we saw what appeared to be an overpass over the tracks.  Looking further down the expressway, we spotted signs (still shrink-wrapped as the expressway wasn't open) for an exit toward the university and the train station.  After making our way toward the exit and down the ramp, we noticed the exit is not yet finished.  Also, the exit was not connected with the overpass we spotted earlier.  To get to the overpass, we had to scale down a dirt embankment.  To our disappointment, the overpass was part of the construction still going on and led to a dead-end on the other side.  At least we were over the railroad tracks though!

Our best option at that point was to slide down another embankment and walk along the fence that paralleled the railroad tracks.  Our plan was to follow the tracks to the station and catch a taxi there.  After walking a while along the fence, we ran into a Korean couple going in the opposite direction.  They seemed to be trying to point us in a different direction which was through a cemetery.  We obliged and after passing through the cemetery and another muddy area, we were at the university.  Sweaty, exhausted, and muddy, we made our way to the entrance of the university and hopped in a taxi to take us home.

The path along the railroad tracks.

What should have been a 3-4 hour hike turned into an adventure lasting over 6 hours!  Despite being lost and exhausted, we never panicked or lost our spirits.  Even during our trek, we were able to joke around and state that this was one hike that won't soon be forgotten! 

Going to the Doctor (USA vs. Korea)

I knew it would happen though as spring drew nearer I was hoping I would skip it this year.  I am referring to getting sick.  It usually happens to me once every winter.  This year, it turned out to be a bad sore throat with bouts of coughing.  Finally, after 5 days of not getting better, I made the decision to go to the doctor. 

It is interesting how living in a different country enables one to view their own country in a different light.  Sometimes, the comparisons allow you to view your own country more favorably.  This was not one of those times.  I should mention that I am basing these comparisons on only one trip to the doctor here in Korea, but I have a strong feeling that my experience was not a statistical anomaly.

Over-the-counter medication:  When I first started feeling sick, I thought I might be catching a cold or getting the flu.  When this happens in the United States, I can go to any retail store, supermarket, or convenient store and purchase medications such as pain relievers, cough medicine, and cold/flu relief gel caps.  In Korea, however, even over-the-counter medications can only be purchased in a pharmacy.  Considering that there seems to be 3 convenient stores every block, this is rather,well, inconvenient.  Currently, Korea is considering legislation to allow other businesses to sell basic over-the-counter drugs but until then, I have to say:
ADVANTAGE: United States

Getting in to see the doctor:  Five days later, I still wasn't feeling better so I wanted to see a doctor.  In the U.S, this would involve calling the doctor's office to make an appointment.  There rarely were openings available on the day I would call and almost never an available time over the next day or two that was convenient for me.  This usually meant that going to the doctor would involve missing work.  In Korea, you just show up at the nearest hospital with no appointment.  I gave the receptionist my ID, told her my symptoms, and into the hospital I went.
ADVANTAGE: Korea

Wait time:   Not once did I ever see my doctor on time in the United States.  I often had to wait 20-30 minutes or more beyond my appointment time to see the doctor.  Once, I had the first appointment of the day at 7:00.  I still did not see the doctor until 7:20.  At the Korean hospital, after I checked in with the receptionist, I was given a personal guide to accompany me during my visit.  I don't think this is typical but rather because I do not speak Korean.  Anyway, she took my up to the waiting area for the doctor and waited with me.  From the time I checked in without an appointment to the time I saw the doctor, I waited no more than 10 minutes.  
ADVANTAGE: Korea

Communication: The doctor spoke enough English that I was able to communicate with him and understand what he was saying although I did have to ask him to repeat himself a couple times.  The other staff in the hospital I interacted with spoke very little English but just barely enough for me to communicate what I wanted.  When I was finished with the doctor, he told me what I had.  I don't remember exactly what it was because he used advanced medical jargon that I couldn't understand.  Come to think of it, my doctor back in the U.S. does the exact same thing.  I just remember him saying something about my tonsils and using long compound words to describe them.
ADVANTAGE: United States (by a small margin)

Cost: After seeing the doctor, my guide took me to the cashier to pay.  The cost to see the doctor was around $14.  This was without insurance as I applied for the health coverage last week but have not yet received anything.  With insurance in the U.S, my co-pay was $20.  The prescription, meanwhile, was also approximately $14 for everything without insurance while back home, I was paying a $10-$25 co-pay per medication depending on what it was.  Again, this was with insurance.  Imagine what the prices in Korea are with the insurance!
ADVANTAGE: Korea

Filling a prescription:  After the cashier took my payment and printed out my prescription, my guide took me to a side exit and showed me the pharmacy across the street where I can get my prescription filled.  I walked in, handed the pharmacist my prescription, and had it filled in less than 5 minutes.  Also, the pharmacy took my medication and divided it into packets for easy consumption.  The instructions were to take one packet, 3x a day, along with 10ml of "gargle".  To be fair, pharmacies in the United States do not take much longer to fill a prescription.  I think 15-20 minutes was my average wait time back home.  
ADVANTAGE: Korea (by a small margin)

Let me first say that I believe the United States is the best country in the world and I am proud to be American.  However, I was never naive enough to think that America is the best at everything.  It is really a shame that many people in America are strongly against changing something that clearly needs improvement, such as our health care system.  I realize I am only making comparisons based on one visit to the doctor here in Korea, but I NEVER had a medical experience back home that even came close to the affordable, easy, efficient, experience I had this morning.  Other nations, including Korea. have learned ways to improve certain aspects of their own counties from the United States.  The United States also could learn a thing or two from other countries but many people are against just that.  I just wish more Americans were not so stubborn and ethnocentric as to prohibit our great nation from becoming even greater.         

How I Celebrated Samiljeol

On March 1, 1919, a movement began in Korea protesting colonial rule by the Japanese.  A group of Koreans wrote a document similar to the U.S.' Declaration of Independence.  Japan reacted to this with aggression and many people were killed, but the Koreans eventually would prevail.  Much like the Declaration, this did not lead to immediate independence, but it was a catalyst which led to the Korean people thinking about independence which they would officially gain over 26 years later with the defeat of Japan after World War II.  Thus, Samiljeol is a national holiday every March 1 to celebrate this movement.  Why is this important to me you ask?  The answer is quite simple.  I get a day off!

After an exhausting last week and a half, I needed a day away from my students.  After a leisurely morning on March 1, I went hiking for the 2nd time in Korea.  The weather was gorgeous!  I'm guessing the high temperature was somewhere around 12-13 degrees Celcius.  I went with Mark and a friend of his, Olivia.  This time, we headed to a trail near the Changwon Shooting Range.  We noticed that they offer skeet shooting and said we will be trying that in the future (check here for pictures and a description when we go).  Anyway, we head up the trail and I notice a few cemeteries along the way.  It seems like an out of the way place to bury someone, but then again, this is Korea and there probably isn't enough flat land for the types of cemetaries I'm used to seeing.  Continuing on, I should mention that Olivia is into fitness and is making it up the trail with ease.  Meanwhile, Mark, and especially I, are huffing and puffing as we trek along.  Unlike last time, we did not make it up to the top of the mountain, but we weren't planning on it from the outset so it was no big deal.

 There were a few cemetaries along the trail.

 A random single grave on the hillside.

 I'm still not sure whether the stairs make it easier

or harder.

 The thumbs up was fake!  I was dying!

 Mark was doing better than me, but he was

feeling the burn as well.

Dusting the shoes off!

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we went to see a movie at City 7, the main shopping mall in Changwon.  For the most part, everything was similar to the movie-going experience in America including the prices.  It cost 9,000 won for a movie ticket.  There were two exceptions, however.  The first was that when you buy the tickets, you are assigned seats, much like in a stadium.  The employee showed us a map of the auditorium and what seats were available and we had to choose our seat locations ahead of time.  The other main difference was that the movie was subtitled in Korean.  We saw Safe House with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.  Obviously, the movie was in English, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the Korean subtitles for some reason.  I guess that is something I will just have to get used to.  Aside from the subtitles, once the movie started, I forgot I was in Korea for those two hours!

While the day wasn't exactly relaxing, it was defintely something I needed.  Since the last two weeks have worn me out (though not in a bad way), I needed a day not on the weekend to just go out and have fun.  I know the Koreans back in 1919 weren't thinking of me when planning their movement, but they sure seemed to pick a day that was convenient for me!

First Trip to Busan

I finally made it outside of Changwon for reasons other than work.  This past Saturday, I went to Busan with Mark, a friend and coworker of mine, and his friend Ian (whom I only met for the second time).  It was a busy, exhausting day, but I had a lot of fun and met some cool people there.

We took the 8:00 bus from Changwon to the Sasang Bus Terminal in Busan.  The trip lasted approximately 30 minutes.  I was surprised at how cheap the tickets were.  The cost was only 3,700 won for the one way trip to Sasang.  Unlike Changwon, Busan has a subway system which we used for the next part of our journey.  Busan's subway system seems just like any that could be found in America with one major inconvenience.  The ticket vending machines do not accept credit cards.  If you do not have a Mybi card (a prepaid transportation fare card of which I left at home), you must pay with cash and of course, the machines don't accept notes greater than 1,000 won.  (It doesn't help that the ATMs will only distribute 10,000 won notes.)

 The Busan subway can be extremely crowded at times.

Our first stop of the day was at a Toastmaster's meeting where Ian is a member.  Toastmasters is an international organization to help people become better public speakers and communicators.  The meeting was held at Pusan National University.  From what I could gather, aside from Ian, the club consisted of Koreans looking to improve their English speaking abilities.  Some people volunteer to give prepared speeches at each meeting and others volunteer to perform evaluating roles.  At this meeting there was only one prepared speaker.  I think it was his first speech as a member.  In my opinion, he did a great job as he looked comfortable (most Koreans are very shy when speaking English) and delivered a humorous speech which seemed to hold the audiences' attention. 

After the prepared speeches, the club has a session called Table Topics.  During this session, people select an unknown topic and deliver a 1-2 minute speech.  I was "volunteered" to participate in this.  I agreed and delivered a short speech and the topic was "My Mentor".  Mark and Ian also participated during this session but had different topics.  I must say that I was impressed that the Korean members were making a serious effort to improve their skills and confidence in using the English language.  Afterward, we went out for coffee and sandwiches with some of the club members. 

After lunch, it was back to the subway to head to our next destination.  We went to go help out at an Olympics style event that was being held for children from an orphanage.  A local volunteer organization for expats was sponsoring the event so there were volunteers not only from Korea, but from other countries such as America, South Africa, China, and Iran.  The children seemed to have a fun time interacting with the volunteers while playing games and doing other activities.  After the children returned to the orphanage, most of the volunteers gathered at a coffee shop to socialize and eat pizza, chicken, and bread (various cakes and such).  I met some very interesting people not only from Korea but other parts of the world as well.



When the event was over, Mark, Ian, and I went to a couple foreigner bars in Busan.  The first was a New Zealand style bar called The Beach.  As the name implies, the bar is on the street that runs along Gwangalli Beach.  However, we were unsure which direction it was from where we were so twice Mark asked a foreigner, "Where is The Beach?"  Both times, they must have thought Mark was crazy because they pointed to the beach across the street and said, "Um.....right there."  However, after clarifying he meant the bar, both foreigners did not know where it was.  We eventually found it and had a couple beers while rugby played on the TV above the bar.  Afterward, we went to an Irish bar called Wolfgang's near the more famous Haeundae Beach.  After a Guinness, we decided it was time to head home.  It had been a long day and we were tired.  There was a bus terminal near Haeundae Beach so we caught a bus back to Changwon which arrived around 12:30.  Despite being very tiring, I had a good time in Busan.  I would be willing to go back to Toastmasters as well as help out again with the volunteer organization. 

 Me at Gwangalli Beach

 Mark and I at Gwangalli Beach

Ian and I at Gwangalli Beach

 Gwangalli Beach

It was a long, tiring day!

Note:  I may add more pictures at a later time if I receive them.

The Job: Part 1

The main reason for me coming to South Korea was to teach so it only makes sense that my job is a major part of my experience here.  When evaulating my time abroad, one of the most significant considerations will be whether I look upon my job favorably or unfavorably.  Luckily for me, almost everything has been positive so far.

I've heard many horror stories about foreigners ending up in bad situations both through the teacher himself or herself as well as from other sources.  These bad experiences vary, but the most common situations are schools not paying on time if at all, teachers being fired for no legitamate reason, and schools placing unreasonable demands on the foreign teachers.

When I arrived here in Korea, I was surprised to find out my job situation was not quite what I had expected.  This made me extremely nervous at first.  I thought I was going to be working at one school and that my boss was the owner.  As it turns out, my boss is better classified as a recruiter (at least in my case).  He recruited me to "rent" me out to multiple schools who did not need a foreign teacher on a full time basis.  Honestly, had I known this beforehand, I probably would not have accepted the position.  I'm glad this was not the case as I am very happy with my current situation.

When asked about my boss, most of what I say is positive.  He has been very friendly and helpful to me thus far not only with job related issues but with other situations outside of work.  I am frequently asked if I am happy with my situation and if I am enjoying my time in Korea.  Having a boss who seems concerned about making sure I have a pleasant experience has helped make my transition to life here in Korea much smoother.

Currently, I work at three schools.  I also am tutoring a businessman one on one but I will address that at a later date.  While each school is run differently, I am happy with all three.  I like having a different school to go to each day because it helps me to avoid a monotonous routine.  I have different start and end times as well which helps to prevent me from getting in a rut.  One of my schools is in a different town, Jangyu.  I enjoy getting out of Changwon a couple days a week and being in different surroundings (even if visually there is no difference between the two).

My Korean coworkers I have worked with so far have been nothing short of friendly and helpful.  Whenever I required assistance, someone has always been available to provide it.  I am sure that some of my coworkers became sick of making copies for me as I only recently learned how to use the copiers (because I couldn't read the options in Korean, not because the technology baffled me), but they never complained.

My coworkers and directors at each school seem to respect my ability to run a classroom.  While my level of independence in the classroom is different at each school, I do not feel like I am being micromanaged in any way.  I feel that most of the time I am given enough leeway to conduct class in a manner I see fit.  Although I am required to use the provided textbook (trust me when I say most are not that great), I have also been able to introduce other material as well when necessary.   

The students I teach also show respect (that's a new experience for me!) and, for the most part, are fun to work with.  Despite the fact that Koreans tend to be shy, the students were very outgoing from the beginning.  After the initial shock of my presence wore off (this was usually in a matter of seconds) the curiosity would kick in.  Then the questions would come and these usually started with, "Where are you from?" or "How tall are you?"  The first few times I was asked my height, I answed, "6 feet 4 inches" and this caused a bunch of confused looks until I realized that I needed to provide an answer in centimeters.  I now say without thinking I am 193 cm tall.  It makes me wonder how long it will take me to adjust back to American units when I return home.  Surprisingly, I have only been asked how heavy I am once or twice.  Once introductions are over with, I am just another teacher.  Most students seem to like me, and I feel the same way about them.  The only behavior problems I have to deal with are younger students who may get a bit restless.  In a sense, working with the Korean students is almost like working summer camp at the park district.

To Be or Not To Be...Homesick

It's been a while since I last posted on here.  I've had most of my next post already written for some time now.  I just have to finish it up but I've been putting it off.  I'll probably finish it early this week.  Truth is, last week, I didn't have the motivation to do much of anything.  Upon reflection, I wonder if I was/am feeling homesick.  Many people told me it kicks in around two months after your arrival and this Tuesday will be the two month mark for me.  Aside from work, I really didn't do much throughout the week beside watch a bunch of TV shows and movies I downloaded or read a book on my Kindle.  I realized that I thought more often about what family and friends might be doing back in the United States.  Since I've never experienced homesickness before, are these thoughts, coupled with my lack of motivation, a case of me being homesick?

I've also heard that during the homesick stage, one might become aggravated with his or her new surroundings.  I came to Korea with the understanding that the culture was going to be different in some ways and I've tried not to allow American culture and expectations influence my views of Korea and its people.  Up until today, I think I have succeeded in this.  I should mention that Koreans in general are pushy people.  This has not bothered me once since I arrived.  In Korea, pushing your way through a crowd is not considered impolite, as is the case in America.  Normally, I don't fault Koreans for this.  People are a product of their environment and as such, this is how Koreans are raised.  Today, however, while grocery shopping, I was becoming very annoyed every time someone pushed past me.  I suppose it is my fault for deciding to go to the store on the day it is most crowded but nevertheless, I was still swearing (under my breath of course) at every person who pushed by.    

I tried to find other reasons for my lethargic demeanor and low tolerance level this past week.  The best argument against homesickness is the fact that this was the first full week following a short two-day week.  Even with a job as low-key and low-stress as mine, a full week following a vacation can still be tough.  Even many of my students seemed to be more apathetic and tired than usual.  I wouldn't be surprised if this is all it was and I was over thinking everything.  Some people say I do that from time to time.

Truthfully, I hope this is a case of homesickness.  I know I will get it at some point and the sooner, the better.  If this is all being homesick is, than it is no big deal.  I still went out on Friday night and had a great time.  I went with a bunch of people to an all-you-can-eat meat restaurant and to the bars afterward.  I was out drinking and playing bar games such as darts and beer pong and didn't leave until sometime after 3 in the morning.  If this past week was not a case of homesickness, than I guess I am still waiting and not knowing what to expect.  Either way, I've been here almost two months and not once have I thought that coming here was a mistake.