Update...

• The new school year began last Wednesday.  It wasn't quite the return to work that I had expected.  In a week I have yet to have a full day of classes.  According to my co-teachers, the manager of the English center hasn't finalized a schedule yet.  Seriously?  We've been out of school since December 23.  Maybe there's more to making a schedule for 3 teachers than I realize.
• Jessica started a yoga class.  It meets 5 days a week in the evening.  She's enjoying it but she's sore.  Really sore. 
• On Saturday we will have been in Korea for 6 months.  We're working on our plan for what to do next.  Jessica's boss wants to meet with me today to try to persuade us to stay in Korea a little longer.  We'll see how that goes.

Graduation

Here's a few shots from Kindergarten Graduation for Jessica's students at English Island Academy.

Weekend 3.0

I'm now convinced that my old manager Betse trained every Starbucks employee in Korea. 

We spent the weekend in Seoul to celebrate Jessica's birthday on Saturday.  Every time we go to one of the big cities we make our way from the bus station directly to Starbucks.  Seriously.  And every time, without fail, this is the scenario....

I order the dark roast coffee of the week.  Jessica orders a hazelnut frappacino.

Them: "Uhhhh.....(looks at the menu).....hazelnut frappacino......uhhhhh........no."

Me: "Do you have caramel frappacino?"

Them: "Yes."

Me: "Do you have hazelnut latte?"

Them: "Yes."

In a matter of 7 seconds I have managed to navigate a language barrier and establish the fact that they have 1) frappacinos, and 2) hazelnut syrup.

Me: .....(holding a pretend cup)....."caramel frappacino".....(pretend to pull something out of my pretend cup)...."caramel no, hazelnut yes".......(pretend to put something new into my pretend cup).

Them: "Ahhhhhh......yes!"

I've done this same song and dance so many times I could do it in my sleep.

The Korean baristas have always been extremely happy to make what ever drink we ask for once they realize that they have the means to make it.  It's not their fault really.  Like I said, my old manager apparently taught them the same thing she tried to teach us: Don't give the customer what they want, but what you want to sell them.

Asia....you're the best!

Check out the artwork of Hong Kong artist Dorothy Tang.

Be careful what you wish for

If you’ve ever traveled abroad or read this blog, you know the routine.  You make a trip to the store.  All you want is something simple.  Shampoo.  Coconuts.  Matching underwear.  The cashier will not sell you the item.  She says something to you in Korean.  You obviously don’t understand.  She repeats herself.  You obviously still don’t understand.  You leave empty handed and frustrated.  It’s like that song.  The one that never ends. 

This is what I assume is usually happening: the cashier is trying to tell us about a “buy one/ get one free” deal on Coconuts.  Or maybe if you buy shampoo, you get a bottle of conditioner half price.  Quite possibly she’s desperately trying to tell us not to wear matching underwear.  I’m sure the cashier always has the best of intentions.  But it’s still frustrating.  When I worked in similar jobs in the US and I was confronted with the same situation, I handled it differently.  The scenario generally involved a Hispanic person, and their English wasn’t the best.  Instead of trying to explain to them that they could upgrade their Chick-fil-A combo for only $0.40 and receive large fries and a large drink, or maybe that Starbucks is offering a deal too good to pass up on those dried out, bland scones, I would simply let the transaction go.  I would only give them what they asked for.  I didn’t want to confuse and frustrate the customer.  Even though they missed out on something beneficial, they left happy. 

I’ve always complained that the Korean cashiers at Homeplus should do the same.

Last Friday my wish was granted.  Jessica and I were in Andong for a movie.  From experience, we know that the next available train to Yeongju leaves the station at 2:15am.  Therefore, after the movie lets out we make our way to the bus station.  It’s a little more expensive, but buses make regular trips to Yeongju.  The movie let out around 11:45pm, and we waved down the first taxi we saw. 

“Bus-uh tuh-mi-nal, gah-ju-say-yo” I say to the driver.  And away we go.  The new bus station is on the other side of town, maybe 20 minutes.  We arrive, hand the driver 10,000 Won for his troubles, and exit the car.  There are about 10 people waiting, and the next one in line hops in the taxi after us.  The station is dark, and we walk inside to find it closed. 

Taxi drivers commonly know bus and train schedules.  They make most of their money driving newly arrived passengers to their destinations, and circling back to the station to retrieve new patrons.  Our driver was no different.  He knew the bus station was closed.  He knew those white people in his car were clueless to the fact.  But he drove us anyway.  Never did he try to explain that there were no buses.  At first I was a bit irritated because now we would have to spend another 10,000 Won to get back to the train station.  But then I remembered all those times at Homeplus when we left without what we came for and no clue as to why. 

So to that Korean taxi driver who took our money and kept his mouth shut: Thanks a million.

New Project

I'm working on a new project with several friends of mine.  It's a new blog called The Turnbuckle...an open-ended conversation about travel and world culture(s).  I plan to have it up and running in the second half of March.  Having lived in the US for 28 years, and now spending a year in Asia, I've had the opportunity to gain a new perspective on life.  Eating habits.  Social stigmas.  Relationships.  Ideas have been challenged.  Routines have been rethought.  I find it fascinating how two people, separated by thousands of miles, can do essentially the same thing in two different ways.

I'm certain that I'm not the only one out there who has had similar experiences.  I would love to hear about how your thoughts have changed, or maybe confirmed, once you saw new ways of doing things around the world.

If you would like to write one blog post or several, or just want to share an idea, send me an email.  Let's chat.

Jake
hollingsworth.jacobm@gmail.com  

Ps.  Don't panic!  The ...in Korea blog will continue as well.

Photos

Some of my favorites from Jessica's photo collection.

Man on bicycle in Yeongju

Inside Great Wall tower

Beijing door handle

Last Day of Vacation

Including weekends, today was Day 50 of my winter vacation.  As all good things must come to an end, tomorrow I will return to school for the opening ceremonies of the new semester.  Here are a few pictures from our day.  Jessica and I had lunch with Susie and her two children, Hyewon and Jiwon.  These pictures are from our favorite coffee shop after lunch.  The little cup is full of sugar.  Yes, they ate it.  ALL of it.

Good luck Susie.

Beijing and Bluegrass

I wish I could say it was the best of both worlds.  But the truth is, it wasn’t.  I’m quite certain I’m not the first person to stand at this particular crossroad.  Clueless.

The scene is Starbucks.  Beijing.  Tiananmen Square, the geographical and cultural center of the Chinese capital, is no more than 50 yards to the north.  From our window seat, my wife and I can see the exact spot where bold protesters and insecure authorities butted heads.  Mao is in the background, forever resting in his crystal coffin.  Soldiers, clad in knee length dark green coats and fur hats, patrol the area, restricting photographs to a minimum. 

We’re in another world.  There might as well be a million miles between us and home.  Nothing but the Pike Place roast in my cup is familiar, and even it doesn’t quite taste the same. 

This is it.  Adventure.  I came to Asia for something different, but too often I found familiarity.  So much was swirling around my head.  Thoughts.  Images.  Sounds.  It was like Happy Gilmore’s Happy Place.  But much, much better. 

And in a second, it all came crashing down.  It was the most hated and yet welcomed intrusion.  I’ll Fly Away was the next selection on the Starbucks music rotation.

Bluegrass. 

In an instant I was home again.  Guitars.  Mandolins.  Asheville.  Mountains.  Real mountains.  Mountains with character and a story to tell.

I sat silently and disoriented as the song played out.  Where am I?  And why am I here and not there?  Or there and not here?  I was content until my heart was ripped out and transplanted 13,000 miles to the banks of the French Broad.  But at the same time everything around me looked strangely Asian.

I suppose this is the inner struggle of the traveler.

Stay or go.  Decisions to be made....

Where's the beef?

This is what we saw after dinner at the butcher's shop just outside of Mr. Pizza last night.  Yummm.....

PETA would have a field day with this, which is why I'm happy to be in Korea.

...and here's a little trip down memory lane.