Productive Weekend

I think one of the biggest reasons I was sour about Korea when I first got here is because I was working so often. And I am not complaining, I’m just sayin’… but this is a typical day in the life of Justin Wayne Powers. I have to get picked up at 7:40 every morning and I have a 35 minute commute to the school. From 8:30 to 5, I am working. And there is no conference (or even ‘second conference’). The only break is lunch and that is usually spent eating and getting ready for the afternoon. We end classes at 5, have a meeting at 5:10 then leave around 5:40. But don’t get dropped off until 6:15ish. So all-in-all, that is like a ten hour work day. But I have gotten really lucky, for the past three weekends I have had both Saturday and Sunday off! I will be honest, I have been trying to maneuver myself where I can’t come into work. One weekend I have friends staying at my house then last weekend I went on a trip sponsored by KORAIL. I explain my typical workday to emphasizes how valuable my weekends are to me. (Oh but how I do miss the Hardin work day, and especially those ‘important teacher bonus conferences’).
Have you ever had a day or couple of days where you didn’t really do anything but that nothingness made you feel uber accomplished? That past weekend was one of those times. My kids that week weren’t anything to write home about so it was nice knowing a new batch would be bused in the next week. Unfortunately, I loss my cute, pregnant Joy teacher. Since we are both ‘experienced’ they regrouped the programs and we are no longer in the same program. So that was a sucky way to end the week. Also, Friday two of the Foreign Teachers were leaving so we all went to an extravagant restaurant: Pizza Hut. (Korean Pizza Hut es no bueno, every time I eat there I get sick in my tummy). It was nice to hang out with the other teachers and everybody was more relaxed since it was the weekend. I didn’t get to stay long at Pizza Hut because I had the KORAIL trip and I had to be in Seoul at 10:30. KORAIL offered a free trip to foreigners as a promotion for the tours. And Ryan (another teacher at English Village) and I signed up to go. When I got on our train there were all these low-hanging stars and moons from the ceiling of the train car so I thought is was a ‘booze-cruise’ type trip. I didn’t even look for my assigned seat, I just started looking for another car to sleep in. Since the entire train was used for the trip, I figured there would be at least one car with little or no people. I found the dinning car and nobody was in there so I laid down and tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately, the dinning cart was where all the organizers for the trip ended up congregating and being noisy. And I fortuitously chose the seat by the door where people kept entering and exiting. So I didn’t get to sleep one wink the entire trip down there. Ryan, my travel companion was in another car and got off at the wrong stop. (That was kind of my fault, I had his travel itinerary). But fortunately, foreigners can almost do anything here and play the ‘I can’t speak Korean’ card and get away with it. I was oddly relieved when he wasn’t at our stop because I want to venture out on my own and I thought it would be a good challenge.
The first thing we did on the trip once we got to Soonchun (in the south) was watch the sunrise on the beach. And in Korean fashion, we got to the beach late and it was cloudy. Then we were all going to a jimjibong, a Korean sauna. I have heard about the jimjibongs and I wanted to go but I was scared to. The saunas are segregated male and female and there is no modesty admitted. And I am not big on the whole nudity scene so I was really nervous. Also, I wasn’t sure of the protocol of a Korean jimjibong and I didn’t want to make a cultural mistake while I was naked. The sauna ended up being awesome. It felt so good. They had huge pools of hot and cold water, also, pools of hot tea and salt water. I have no idea what they are specifically for but they felt so relaxing. So going to a jimjibong was one of my productive feats this weekend. The jimjibong also is related to my second act of productivity.
Segue.
Since I had temporarily misplaced my travel buddy, Ryan, I had started trying to talk with my Korean trip leaders. The leaders were just college students looking to make money on their break and weren’t too concerned that I had lost Ryan somewhere between Seoul and the Sea of Japan. It isn’t odd for Korean guys to talk with one another, while naked at the jimjibong. So that is how I met my first authentic Korean friend (outside of my work): naked. I tried to insinuate that I did not want to talk while naked but that plea was lost in translation. Despite the meeting grounds, I am so excited to have made genuine Korean friends, on my own. I sincerely see this as an accomplishment.
When I was in college, some of my friends were part of Campus Crusade for the Chris. And a huge part of their ministry was befriending foreign students and just hanging out with them. Selfishly, I always thought it sounded like a drag. But, oh how the tables have turned! I want so badly for a Korean guy my age just to come talk with me and ask me to chill with him (though I would prefer that neither of us be naked). And I have met Koreans through my work but I need some segregation in my life, not everything I do and all the people I know be associated with Ansan English Village. I hate talking to with people with a motivation or agenda but I was talking with these guys the whole trip hoping to befriend them (and more then just on the facebook). Even though I felt super queer, on the way back to Seoul I asked for the guys’ numbers. (Even though I don’t have a phone yet, I told them I would call them).
I think it is hard to understand how significant I find these potential friendships. I feel like I have ownership over them. Like they are MY friends and I don’t want any other foreigners I know to meet them and become their friends.
We also went to a green tea farm, a lotus festival, and a disappointing traditional Bazaar. (most of those stops were kind of lame).
Oh, last thing, I ended up meeting up with Ryan at one of the stops and I realized that we were unintentionally wearing ‘couples clothes.’ One of my favorite Korean customs is couples, of all ages, wear matching clothes. Some pairs, that I gather are not very committed and have a bleak future, simply wear an identical shirt. But then there are the inspiring duos that dress as identical as physically possible. Jewelry, shoes, even makeup sometimes (I am guessing. You know how feminine Asian guys can look…). I find couple’s clothes fascinating and I can’t wait to be in a couple so I can match our clothes. I have tried to platonic-ally match clothes with female friends here but they just make fun of me. But Ryan and I both showed up wearing blue shirts and khaki cargo shorts. So we were in weak couple clothes.
Sorry this is long. I don't blame you for not reading it.
In .love.
Jp