i muved

HERE.

It Starts

Dear 조 명 희 ,

Hello, my name is Molly Delander. I am a Korean-American adoptee. I am writing you to find out some information about my birth family and possibly contact them as well. I realize you have many cases to look at, and that the process will be rather long. Please take into consideration that I am currently living in Suwon, South Korea. I would be able to come to Eastern Child Welfare if need be. I also have someone that could translate for me, if need be. I believe I have all of the documents and information you would need. I will give you some basic information to get things started.

My Korean name is 오 세 영

Birthdate: 05.24.1984

Case number: 84C-1458

Birthplace: Seoul

Father's name: 오 석 준

Mother's name: 왕 희 명



Please let me know if you need any more information at this time. Also, my phone number is: 010.4048.9203.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Molly Delander

Inspiration

Perfection personified.

Snow Shuffle

For the past couple of years, my Dad and i have been running an 8K together in Chicago at the end of March. It's been a special thing for us to do together. This year, i could not be there to join in the festivities...but my Dad went down to the city and made me proud. In true Chicago fashion, it was SNOWING the day of the race. True to his admirable character, this did not stop my father...and for good reason...why throw away months of training for a little slush? He finished the race, a little cold and soaked...only to be cloaked in my long-distance, radiant pride. Congrats, Dad...maybe we can find a race in Seoul for next year. xo.

Home Is Where the Heart [Attack] Is

Despite longing to spend time with those who i adore back home...i haven't really experienced any other twinges of desire to be back in the U.S. of A., until now. After waxing on about food with a close friend, i have the biggest hankering for nachos. Which reminds me of a time when a rendezvous for this said culinary delight turned into being served something that resembled three-inch-deep greasy, white plastic. It's easy to get down on America for its grossly abnormal proportions. Although today, i could really do the backstroke through an ocean of melted Chihuahua cheese, gauc, onions, jalepenos, and sour cream. A lactose-intolerant's synchronized nightmare/ fantasy. God bless America, indeed.

Kids Say/Do the Darndest Things...

Okay, i promise i won't get all new-mother on you and talk about every single hilarious thing my students say...although it would make a good book. But i just had a few gems i thought i'd share. Being that it is only the first week of the semester...i'm sure it's only the tip of the oral iceberg.

1) We had to do an in-class exercise which involved us talking about what you should do for your aches and pains. If you have a cold, you should eat soup. If you have a stomachache, you should drink ginger tea. i asked my students what you should do if you have a backache...one of them shouted, "drink soju!" [which is Korean rice-vodka]. Another said, "drink champagne!" Mind you, these are students who don't know how to string together a complete sentence. Ah, some things know no boundaries...

2) During the same exercise, in a different class we were talking about what kinds of aches and pains get what names. Throat hurts= sore throat. Head hurts= headache. Stomach hurts= stomachache. One of my already-favourite students bobbed his hand up and down with such great enthusiasm and said, teacher! What is it called when THIS hurts? Just my luck, the curious lad was pointing to his nether-regions and an explosion of laughter erupted across the classroom. Apparently, i have all the boys with an affinity for their packages...

3) i have a student named Korea this semester. Yep, Korea. i thought he was joking but apparently not. Talk about a nationalist. To be fair, i suppose there is the actress, America Ferra to consider.

Another One Bites the Dust

So, my second semester has come to a close at Avalon. i think we all generally feel a sense of relief and accomplishment. i received two little notes from my students "Hannah" and "Sally." Who would have dreamed that these small gestures of gratitude from CHILDREN could have me walking on cloud nine months prior to starting this gig? Not many, i have to say.

To celebrate the end of the semester, we all went out to eat dinner to relax and catch up. Everyone had pork barbeque, while i dined on delicious seafood and tofu chigae [stew]. My co-workers expressed concern that i wouldn't have enough to eat, which is just laughable. Besides the stew, [which is served with rice and is quite filling by itself] i indulged in the numerous and delicious panchan [side dishes]. Koreans get down on food unlike anyone i've ever seen. i don't know where they put it all. The same can be said for the consumption of alcohol.

One of my very animated co-workers told me that my very "flushed" appearance after downing a glass of beer was a sign of good health. Here i just thought it was an indication that i actually lack the enzyme to break down alcohol. Oh, and they have an expression for the facial redness. In Korea, they call people "burning carrot." i can't help but laugh heartily at this apt description.

The Ones With Black Hair

These are some of my students from the past semester. i was extremely lucky this time around and really loved just about all of my kids. They work remarkably hard and are also silly at times. They test my patience on a daily basis, but the experience is rewarding. They're frighteningly astute and are wildly funny. The woman in the last photo is one of my favourite co-teachers, Jin.

Music to My Ears...

If you haven't yet, check out Beirut's new album...and Bon Iver's new EP. Both albums are great leaps and new sounds for the respective artists. Also, there is a compilation CD with Feist, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Iron and Wine, etc. called Dark Was the Night. It's a benefit CD for AIDS with some serious rockin' new tunes.

It's Been a Long Time, A Long Time Comin...

Okay, okay. i admit it. i've been procrastinating. Maybe procrastinating isn't the right word for it. Perhaps i'd say i've even been avoiding making a new post. But i suppose someone else can put it more eloquently than i can. Janis Joplin once said, "i can't talk about my singing, i'm inside it. How can you describe something you're inside of?"

i truly understand that sentiment she's describing. The main reason i have been hesitant to document anything new is that i've been busy just experiencing it. Prone to being an over-analyzer, i usually don't allow myself to indulge in the moment and just relax. My silly little thoughts are habitually bouncing about my brain. Sometimes, with such fury that i'm convinced they've taken physical form, making themselves arduous pin balls and ricocheting off the weary recesses of my mind.

So, being that i moved across the world, over several bodies of water and a few continents to boot, i decided to let myself just be. i've been kind of like a little sponge...experiencing things and trying to document them with mind, senses, and with my camera as best as possible.

i am going to leave you with a laundry list of things i've experienced, eaten, had spiritual epiphanies about, loathe, love, [etc.] in the past few months. It's kind of a cop-out i realize... i promise to be better about posting on a regular basis. i know, my blogging is REALLY significant and people are losing sleep over not being constantly updated on my travels. Worry not, fine citizens of the Western hemisphere, my silence has been broken. Hehe. Okay, over and out. Miss you all very much.


1. i spent Christmas Day with a bunch of people i really dislike at a restaurant i despise even more. Nothin like celebrating Jesus' b-day with social derelicts and dippin into some fine cuisine at Outback Steakhouse. Amen.

2. Koreans don't flush toilet paper. i don't know why. i've always flushed the stuff here and their flushers seem more than capable of getting the job done. They've got a little "sanitary" bin next to the porcelain thrones to dispose of the paper. i think it'd be a hell of a lot more sanitary if that stuff was flushed down with the rest of the stuff...just sayin....

3. i ate at this Indian restaurant called India House in a part of Itewon [Seoul] claiming to be the best restaurant in Seoul. Suffice to say, they are promoting some major false advertisement. Your curry wasn't all that.

4. i've learned to navigate the Seoul subway system. Honestly, it's quite a feat. You can refer back to a previous post with a map. i think it has something crazy like 13 lines [rivaled only by Paris]. It's the first time i've been intimidated by a public transpiration system. Although, once you've figured out how to get around on one...they're all the same...scale is the only intimidating factor.

5. i miss bougie things like Whole Foods, the New York Times Sunday edition, and going to brunch. i have become a soulless, consumer. Is there hope for me?

6. i eat squid on a semi-regular basis. i've eaten snail [thanks to my friend, Susan]. Don't worry, won't be dipping into the local specials such as silkworm stew anytime soon ;)

7. For the Lunar New Year, i received a giant box of seaweed from my employer. Only in Asia. It DOES make your hair shiny.

8. In Korea, shopping is a hands-on experience. i mean, the salesperson's hands on YOU. i've been practically man-handled in stores. It's a vast contrast from what i'm used to and comfortable with! Oh, and they aren't shy about telling you that you're too big to fit into their clothing as well! Koreans don't mince words. Gotta love the honesty here.

9. A friend of mine here, asked me if i wanted to go with him to volunteer a couple of Saturdays ago at this home for the mentally disabled. It was a pretty rad experience. We got to cook and hang out and sing. i hope to do it on a regular basis.

10. i received an apology slash Valentine from one of my students. It's a real gem. He had referred to his member as a sausage and banana [fully knowing the connotations] in my class. Of course, it took restraint for my own sense of 5th grade humour not to appreciate these colourful word choices...

NEW year, NEW post

...coming soon...

Now i Know My "ABCs"...

So, i've been studying the alphabet with the little free time i have here. The Korean alphabet is made up of twenty-four characters. It's relatively easy compared to Chinese, which has about forty thousand. Hangul was created under King Sejong during the Choson Dynasty [1393-1910]. in It's a simplified system, since he knew many Koreans could not write [because they used Chinese characters] and it prevented them for communicating. Only the educated, elite learned to use the Chinese characters. King Sejong was aware of this and knew that the Chinese system did not capture nuances and phrases unique to the Korean culture. Hangul also gave Koreans more of their own cultural identity and independence from Chinese thought.

There are fourteen basic consonants and five compound consonants in Hangul. There are ten basic vowels and eleven compound. Most people can learn to read and write. They just have no idea what the meaning of the syllables are. There can be three characters per column. Each column of words makes up one part [syllable] of the word.

It's been difficult seeing these characters as actual representational letters instead of being abstract, forms. i now have even more respect for my students that know both Hangul and English!

i think Hagul is elegant and definitely distinct. There is beauty in simplicity. For those who have difficulty distinguishing between Japanese, Chinese, and Korean characters...Korean is the least ornamented or complex-looking.

Here is a chart of the alphabet broken down. It does not include the compound consonants and vowels. They'll be a test in a week ;)

Good eats

So, i have been doing a good share of eating out while i've been here. Good, fresh, and mostly healthy food is readily available here for a good price. It's much easier to avoid the temptation of bad food here. Not that there isn't McDonald's or Pizza Hut here. There is. But why would you want to fill your gut with that stuff when you've access to authentic food?

My favorites dishes have been the soups. Mostly, because i've been sick on an off since i've been here. Kal-gu-su is a clear-broth-based soup with green chilies, rice noodles, leeks, eggs and clams. Sun [soon] du bu is a spicy, red pepper-based [also contains kimchi, which is the Korean signature, fermented cabbage dish] soup with green chilies, shrimp, and mussels.

i also love that vegetables are just part of cuisine, rather than add-ons or after thoughts. Koreans eat little dishes with their rice, soups, and bits of meat called panchan [the a is pronounced like ah, as in father]. They are relishes and little flavour bursts that really enhance the meal. i always feel like royalty because the table is covered with about a dozen of small dishes.

We got all of this food [pictured below] for five dollars. This bi [bee] bim bap was served with meat [my friends got pork, i got squid] marinated in chili-pepper paste. Rice is mixed in with Korean-style greens, carrots, bean sprouts radishes, etc. It was delicious.

Seoul-City

i have made two trips recently to Seoul. Once, by subway and once by bus. Even though the bus takes less time, i prefer the subway. i never experienced much motion sickness before coming to Korea. However, the drivers here are on and off the gas like nobody's business. It's ridiculous. i think even the strongest sailor's stomach would be tested.

Seoul is the ultimate modern city. The subways are over-flowing with people, much like New York City. You'd better have a cell phone or a meeting point because it is so easy to get lost in the shuffle. We had to fight our way up people- clogged stair cases throughout the duration of the trip.

There are a good mix of Western and Korean stores. We visited Kangnam. It is a trendy, wealthy area of the city. There is a huge bookstore called Kyobo, where they offer a nice selection of English texts. i bought a Korean language book [i'm sure the first of many] and a dictionary.

The first trip to Seoul ended concluded with non-traditional Korean fare. We ended up eating at this place that offered burritos. Suffice to say, my potato and egg burrito was pretty tasty...although i couldn't get over the fact that i had left my mostly-Latino neighborhood in Chicago, and was now half way around the world eating the aforementioned inspired cuisine. The appropriated, Korean version if you will....We even got horchata which did pale in comparison to the authentic stuff i've had in Pilsen...but i was thankful for globalization of the gastronomic persuasion at that moment. [ You can see my burrito and my friend Susan enjoying her horchata in the image below].

Like many major cities, i found Seoul to be brimming over with street vendors. Food, clothing, jewelry...pretty much anything you could desire can all be found within the nooks of crannies of the city. My favorites included these fleece-like pants that seemed to be a real hit with the locals [see below].

i know i have just scratched the surface of Seoul. i don't know if i'll ever be able to see it all [please refer to an older post of a diagram of the city's subway system...it's the Bermuda Triangle of mass transit, even compared to Paris!] i look forward to finding new places and discovering more about the city where i was born.

What's In a Name?

As i've mentioned before, students and both teachers alike at the school i teach at have chosen "English names" for themselves as a way for them to be more easily identifiable by the foreign teachers [like myself] and so they can form some kind of identity and or bond within themselves as well as the language itself.

i find both of the reasons to be rather absurd, given the fact i have heard a very sad story of a Chinese friend moving to St. Louis as a fifth grader and being told to pick an English name so he could better "fit in" with his classmates. He went as the plain, vanilla "Eric" until he graduated from high school. It was only when he entered college, that he re- assumed his given Chinese name and probably a genuine sense of pride of being able to be his true self.

At any rate, i'm not quite sure how some of my students have gone about choosing their English name. i feel like it's my civic duty as a Korean-American to let them know what's up. So far, my favourites are: Axel, Ace, Mickey, (Mouse) Harry, (Potter...there have been girls named Harry as well, apparently gender does not pertain to literary heroes) Mario, (Brothers) Donny (dare i think...Osmand?) and Betty (Boop?). Hilarious. It's humorous to think that these names are down right ridiculous to my American ear without accounting for the pop culture reference. If there was a boy named Mickey in the States, i tend to think lots of black eyes awaited him in his ill-future. We also have a male administator at the office that dubbed himself, Pulitzer. Somehow, i think things like egos don't need any translating.

A name can be a defining personification of who someone ends up being in their adult life. It's quite amazing how this way of branding or labeling can affect and shape a person's character. Some are so fitting that there is no question whether or not they were meant to be an "Eve" or a "Dottie" [although, i'm sure someone would beg to differ].

Sometimes, i don't think parents give enough thought into how much trauma they've instantly bestowed or how they've sent their child up for life-long ridicule just by choosing the wrong moniker. What may seem "unique" or "trendy" to the name-giver, may not be seen in the same light by the receiver's peers. And trust me, traveling down the already- laborious and, at times treacherous road of life, is already a task for any child. You're just throwing another giant obstacle in their path; a constant reminder of an unfortunate, misguided, [although well-intentioned] permanent and primary parenting misstep.

i, myself, have struggled with my own name my adoptive parents gave me. My Dad always takes pride in naming me with a classic Irish epithet. Many people have noted that they think it suits me quite nicely and appropriately. It's not that i dislike it, there could be FAR worse things to be called in life. That being said, because of who i am on the physical, outside does not quite match the nice Euro-American tag. Because of my yellow outside and my "cream filling," [in the words of CJ] i have learned that i have the ablility to confuse people [white, Asian, and others] alike.

Lately, i have felt like i do identify with my given Korean name more than my American one. i can't give a solid reason why i feel that way. It's not just because of other's expectations. There are plenty of people of different ethnicities rockin displaced-sort-of names. It's another example of globalization. Nor is it that i feel more Korean than American. i really and truly, more than ever feel like i AM and CAN be both, equally.

Korea At First Glance...

Here is a short, abbreviated list of findings/cultural observations i have made during the past week in Suwon. i will probably expound upon some of them later.


1. Don't drink the water- So, i came to Korea not knowing that one shouldn't drink the tap water. i was thinking that South Korea is a fairly modern and developed country. Seoul is a massive, contemporary city, with a staggeringly huge population of 10 million. At any rate, Samsung may symbolize the efficiency and velocity in which technology is exploding inside Korea, however the demand for a clean and systematic water system has been put on the back burner. It seems as though everything i have been striving towards [in regards to drastically reducing the number of plastic products i buy] in the States has been negated within my first week and a half in Suwon. i have taken to buying bottles of water as well as boiling it. Hopefully the energy and knowledge Koreans have put into modernizing their society will trickle down [literally] to more important and pressing issues.

2. Recycle, separate, recycle- i know i just ragged on the fact that they rely heavily on bottled water here. The Koreans DO have a really extensive recycling program called appropriately, Happy Suwon. One has to divide their garbage into different categories. There are special waste bags sold at stores, each color coded for the proper item. The one main difference of recycling here is that they separate all of their food waste from everything else. There are certainly no garbage disposals here. The food waste is collected and some of it is supposedly used for animal feed, which seems logical and a way for food to see another mouth before it is returned to the Earth and not be completely wasted.

3. Whiter is nicer- Like many societies, light skin is still coveted and valued in Korea. It is a symbol of affluence and beauty. One of the Korean teachers in my school has undergone a "cosmetic procedure," in which her skin was bleached. God only knows what this process really entailed and what harsh chemicals have been released into her system. But i'm sure the dudes really go for it! She looks almost ghost-like and her facial features all reflect a slight blue tint under the harsh illumination of the florescent lights in the office. In addition to bleaching, there are skin whitening creams sold here, all promising the same result: whiter skin for a more beautiful you. How sad that within many ethnic societies where the colour of your skin separates you within your own race, and also how the standard of Western beauty has wreaked havoc on girls all over the world. Perhaps, beauty is not only skin deep.

4. Kids will be kids- For some reason I had this Western naiveté about Asian children being better behaved than American children. You know, little black-haired children filing into neat and orderly lines without emitting even a squeak. Yeah, that ideal was shot to shit in the first ten minutes i stepped into a hallway at the school i teach at. These little hellions are just as loud and squirrely as any other kids i've been subjected to. Do i dare admit that in between their raucous behaviour, they still maintain quite a high ahem, adorable factor? [Mom, don't get your hopes up, i have not lifted the ban on even entertaining the thought of pro-creating].

5. Study, study, study- Even though the kids are rather wild at times, i can hardly blame them. These kids come to my school after their regular school. Some of them come straight from one school to ours. These are young (8-12) kids that go to nine hours of school plus extra curriculars [which in Korea, everyone plays the piano...or another instrument]. They have hours of school work to do, even after they leave my school. i would say more than half of them seem exhausted. My own attention span rarely exceeds that of a gnat at times. It's no wonder that the Korean education is among the top in the world. Many young adults go onto study at Harvard or Princeton in the U.S. There was actually an article in the New York Times a while ago about the dedication and the veracity of Korean students, and how many of them are beating out American students in our top universities. i admire their determination but i wonder if these children miss out on simpler and happier times.

6. Notes on style:

a) Korean men can DRESS- You heard it here first. Yes indeed, Korean men have quite an acute fashion sense. It isn't calculated to an off-putting degree either. i don't know where they take their cues from but American men should be taking notes.

b) Who wears short skirts? Yes, so i must first say that the majority of Korean women are also very stylish and well-put-together. i was surprised to see that some of them do not bat an eyelash when wearing almost-second-set-of-cheeks bearing mini skirts. i thought they would be a bit more on the conservative side here. Yet another silly Western perception i had about Asian women. While sky-high skirts might be on the menu, cleavage of any sort is definitely not. i'm not sure how well the Hooters franchise would do here.

7. Vitamin deficiency?- There is seriously something going on with Koreans and their eyesight. Nearly 60-70 percent of my students have glasses. i have never seen so many young kids with glasses. Of course, these aren't just your run-of-the-mill kids with glasses. There are some chic little fashionistas running around. It's crazy. They should find a way to put more beta carotene into kimchi. i wonder if my near-blindness is genetic too?

8. Warm house, warm floor- Oh yes Mom, i know you're jealous. They totally have a control that is separate for the heat in the floor. It's amazing. No more cold feet...ever. I do have to remember not to put anything that could have the potential of melting on it. i've already had one accident with a much prized Dogoba chocolate bar getting quite soggy because my suitcase had fell onto the floor.

9. AA?- Koreans work very hard. Most have at least ten hour days and work six days a week. That being said, they let off steam by getting deeerunk. Falling down drunk. Friends have to carry you home drunk. i've seen public that sort of fall-down public drunkeness by eight o' clock on a Friday night. And this kind of behaviour is not reserved for the young. i've witnessed older men and women stumbling across crosswalks. i had heard that South Koreans had a drinking problem. Now i've seen it first hand. It doesn't help that soju [a Korean vodka-like, clear liquor] is dirt cheap. i just experienced my first "soju bomb" [a shot of soju dropped into really bad Korean beer] last night. That's enough to burn a hole in anyone's liver.

10. Body yogurt does NOT= lotion- When i arrived to my apartment there was a little housewarming gift. It was a body care package with soaps and body yogurt. i was relieved and thankful since i have notably dry skin. Yogurt in my mind equaled moisture and therefore was the Korean version of lotion. It had a bit of a weird texture, kind of like actual yogurt. But, i just ignored it and continued to use it until yesterday. My skin was sooo incredibly dry. i couldn't figure it out, i mean i WAS moisturizing! WTF? Turns out, i was rubbing body wash all over my just-washed body and not rinsing it off. Therefore, resulting in some majorly reptilian skin. I looked like a lizard woman. i finally got some actual lotion today, even though i had to open the bottle multiple times in the store before i was sure it was indeed the right stuff!

11. Picture of health- i had to go to the hospital the other day to get a physical. i was greeted by a guy who was smoking in the entrance that was also hooked up to IV liquids. Awesome. i am also told they sell cigarettes and soju at the hospital. i guess we have different ideals of how to heal your body! They also had these little waste boxes [not covered] where people had disposed of cotton pads after having their blood drawn. They give you no band aid and just send you on your way with you still having to pinch off where you're still bleeding from. Kind of gross. Oh well, it was still better than the hospital i visited in Paris...which was absolutely filthy!

12. Squatty potties- Oh yes, i had thought that these kinds of bathrooms were still reserved for less-developed countries. No no. Last night after drinking gallons of water, soju, and beer my co-worker and friend Susan exposed me to the squotty potty. It's just what it sounds like. There's a little porcelain base in the floor and well, you get the rest. i had quite a lot of trouble with this and couldn't figure out how to maneuver my body and get the job done without any of it getting on me. EEEEk. Luckily, this is not common-practice for bathrooms in South Korea anymore. Otherwise, i'd be opting for skirts or dresses a lot more!

Kindness of Strangers

i have been in correspondence with a fellow Korean adoptee, CJ for awhile. He is a nephew of my uncle's girlfriend. Follow that? Good. He actually decided to do this whole teaching thing around the same time as i did. It was from him that i received Steven's name and was able to finally get to Korea. We have been sending messages to each other for a few months now. Mostly, it is him giving me answers to my grillions of questions.

On Saturday, we decided to meet up in person. He had made contact with his birth family a while ago and has been welcomed with open arms since he has arrived here. His youngest sister [Hae Mi] who happens to live in Suwon, and her husband [Sung Jae], and CJ picked me up near the intersection by the school i will be teaching at.

Usually, i would be a bit fearful of this kind of situation being awkward. Luckily, i felt comfortable immediately. i felt as though we had been old friends catching up. We went to E-Mart to get some groceries and other necessities. Let me try to explain what E-Mart was like. Imagine an open-air market, Ikea and a Super Wal-Mart piled into one store, during the busiest of holidays. i am going to need to take a Xanax every time i need some milk and eggs! People were bashing into each other with carts every which way, children were screaming, and ladies were giving out samples around each turn.

i bought mostly produce, since i have been starved for proper nutrition these last few days. i also wanted to buy a rice cooker, but CJ informed me that they are very expensive here! The cheapest one we could find was like $40. If i am going to pay that much it better do my dishes and laundry too. How ironic! i yearn for my $15 one i bought from Target.

The best part of the trip was our discovery of an outdoor brand called The Redface. Oh yes, it's just a gift wrapped in hilarity. It's obviously ripping off The Northface, but i don't think they get the joke in the translation. Everyone that knows me has experienced my "redface" at one time or another as a result of alcohol consumption. Not all Asians are lucky enough to turn a shade of crimson but many do. Expect some photos of me suited up in some Redface gear...rockin my own "redface" as well...haha.

After what seemed like eons, we proceeded to the checkout. i was exhausted! We piled all of our stuff into the car and headed over to Hae Mi and Sung Jae's place for dinner.

They cooked us a delicious meal of soup and a vegtable dish consisting of mushrooms and peppers. It was so wonderful to have a home cooked meal. The soup had a nice kick to it. They tease CJ because of his inability to eat spicy things. Apparently, it runs in the male side of the family.

Sung Jae had borrowed a Nintendo Wii from a friend of his and hooked it up for us to play. Now, i'm not really a video game person at all. i played old school Nintendo a bit as a child with my brother. CJ claimed he had only played Wii twice, but i beg to differ. He schooled me in bowling and tennis. i have to admit, it was much more fun than i thought. But, i still think i prefer reality to virtual.

We hung out for the rest of the evening watching some Korean variety shows. i was also surprised to see them bust out a tub of ice cream for dessert. i didn't think dairy was big here or that a lot of my fellow Asians could digest it. i was wrong. i guess i can no longer blame my being Korean on my shitty digestive problems.

They drove me back to my house [after me not being able to find it] and helped me unload my things. i can not express my gratitude enough. They made me feel so welcome and at home in a place where i have not felt either since my arrival. How often do perfect strangers go out of their way for you? CJ is indeed very lucky to have them as family. Thanks again!

i passed out shortly after returning home and woke again at four in the morning. Despite taking and Ambien, i still got little rest. i am just going to have to work harder to over come this obstacle in the line of many.

***the above photo is some of my own Korean-inspired handy work.

Lost in Translation [Sofia Coppola, Eat Your Heart Out]

The flight from Seoul to Tokyo is usually two hours or so. I was informed it was going to be three hours from Tokyo to Seoul because of the time of year we were flying. Apparently, during the fall/winter months, the wind off the sea becomes much more of a force to contend [as well as the direction it blows] with and adds on an additional hour.

Again, i was blessed with an aisle seat and only one other person sharing the third seat. We were served breakfast, and i even received my vegetarian request. This day was definitely starting out better than the last. After finishing my meal of sesame and mushroom rice, i took a good glance around and surveyed the area. Two Koreans who were rather close in proximity to me were reading books with rather graphic [we're talking a la crown of thorns] pictures of Jesus on the cover. Hmmm....

The few hours passed quickly and we began our decent to the Seoul airport. Surprisingly, i became a bit emotional, tears slipped over my irises and down my cheeks. i quickly wiped them and hoped nobody took notice. It was all a bit overwhelming coming back to the place where i was born for the first time in over twenty-three years. A light dusting of snow greeted the tires of the plane, as we touched down on Korean land.

After going through customs, i made my way down to baggage claim. i grabbed a cart and waited anxiously for my luggage, silently praying all of it made it through the long journey with me. i immediately saw one my huge suitcases, and an American guy was nice enough to help me drag it off the luggage belt. A few minutes later, i spotted the other suitcase. After playing a quick game of Tetris with my luggage, i fit it onto my cart. i waited a good ten minutes for my guitar, but did not see it make its way onto the already-rotating line up of suitcases. My heart began to sink at the prospect of losing my prized possession.

i spotted a woman helping some other Americans find their missing luggage and asked if she would mind helping me as well. She got an a walkie-talkie and motioned me to follow her. She was gaining speed, weaving in and out of the crowds of people. i tried my best to keep up with her but i already had about 160 lbs of crap weighing me down! Damn my American girl tendencies! Finally, another airport employee came rushing towards us with my beloved guitar in tow. i thanked him [one of the only phrases in Korean i know] profusely and made my way out of the baggage area to begin to look for my Korean contact.

Now, usually i would be able to spot the one or two Asian guys in the immediate area. No such luck here. Black hair and almond shaped eyes are no longer a distinguishing features. i had no idea what this guy looked like or how old he was. After about ten minutes of walking around in circles, i decided to go to the information desk to see if i could place a phone call to him. Just as i was dialing, a man approached me and said, "Molly?"

Steven, as he calls himself, has been my main contact in Korea ever since i started zeroing in on a job. He was helped me find employment and answer questions. His English is good but he speaks with such a heavy Korean accent, i have to strain to understand each word he is saying. Most Koreans working with Americans like to give themselves an English-sounding name. It's kind of humorous, since within the first five seconds of conversing with him, the jig is totally up.

He brought his car around and we loaded my suitcases in. We drove for a good hour or so. Seoul's new airport is actually on a small island. We crossed a bridge and we went over the Yellow Sea. The scenery was beautiful, some of the trees are still turning colour here. There were elevated hills and valleys with apartment buildings sprouting up from spaces in between. We talked about many things, i probably bombarded him with questions. The most interesting thing he told me was that his generation was not very interested in the re-unification between North and South Korea. He told me that they had grown up with the countries being separated and that now they really operated as two different and distinct Koreas. i wonder if this is the wide-held belief or if it changes more amongst individuals?

Our trip was punctuated with some start and stop traffic. Steven says there is usually horrible traffic which makes since since we were right outside of Seoul [population: 10 million]. We finally made it into the city of Suwon. After driving around for a good fifteen minutes, Steven decided to give into the idea that we were a bit lost. The streets were more narrow than i expected and hardly have any side walks. People and cars seem to dart out nowhere. My dreams of biking may have been crushed within the first minutes of being there.

Eric, an employee of the school i am teaching at, met us on the street and directed us to my apartment. Both of the men helped me unload my luggage and brought it up the two flights of stairs. My apartment is quite cozy. Cozy as in small-ish. i have a separate little room for doing laundry and even have a washing machine! The bathroom leaves something to be desired. Being somewhat of self- professed hygiene freak, it is going to take some major getting used to. You see, the toilet is not separated from the shower area. Moreover, the entire bathroom is the shower, with a large drain in the floor. There is a shower head attached to a hose-like apparatus. i am looking into getting a curtain so i can pretend the space is divided and not have to look at my toilet while washing my hair.

Steven said "goodbye" and Eric took me to lunch. Eric is Korean (another with an English name) and does not speak much English. He took me to a small restaurant and i tried to explain that i only ate fish. We ate in almost silence, except for the slurping [it's not rude here] of the udon noodles. It was like being on blind date plus being mute. How awkward! The chattering of Korean that surrounded us began to sound like white noise to me. The best part was that he handed me a fork in the beginning of the meal. Dude, i might not speak Korean but i am still Korean!

After lunch we went to the school and met some teachers and other faculty. i must have looked worn because they advised me to go home and get some rest! i slept from 2-11 until the head English teacher [American] came to drop of some groceries to me! What a kind gesture! Some people can't get any more sweet and darling.

i awoke at about one in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep. It's going to take some time to shake this wicked jet lag.

Tune in Tokyo

Well well. i left my house at about quarter to seven on Tuesday. After spending the last forty-eight hours in quite a shitstorm, contracting a cold, and stuffing my life for a year into two over-sized suitcases, i was off to the races.

The parental unit made sure that i was at Mitchell International a good hour and a half in advance. After checking my over weight bag (s) and guitar (sorry Dad), we had time to sit around for a bit. The minutes ticked away, and we had our teary good bye. Like the loving people they are, they waited around until i successfully passed through security, and until their waves and faces shrunk to a mere blur.

The flight from Milwaukee to Minneapolis went by in an instant. i tooled around the airport when i arrived, in search of something substantial to gorge myself on before embarking on the fourteen-plus hour plane ride, and being subjected to space-like plane food. It has never been easy being a vegetarian in the Midwest. However, the Chili's (yes, i was going to try and eat there, get your snarky laughs in now) in the Minneapolis airport exemplified how ridiculous it can get. Would you like a side of meat with your meatwhich? How about a meat shake to wash down those meat fries? They had not one thing that didn't involve chicken or cow parts. How are you gonna deny me my last, all- American fine dining experience? i suppose, it was for the better. Thank you vegetable Gods, for intervening on my wavering convictions. i managed to choke down a veggie wrap from Subway before boarding my flight.

The plane to Tokyo was massive. It seemed more like a ship with wings and seemed to go on forever. Three rows of seats divided up the space. There were many Asian people on the flight, although i would venture to guess the majority of the people were either Chinese or Thai or Taiwanese. A middle-aged Chinese man and i shared row 56, with a seat in between us. Thank God i had arranged to have an aisle seat last minute. It gives me pangs of anxiety to even think about crawling over multiple laps every time i needed to use the facilities or stretch my legs!

The duration of the flight was long, but not as painful as i expected. i could get up and walk about freely. There were two babies sitting in rather close proximity, but they were surprisingly docile throughout the majority of the flight...i only awoke to a handful of screams, which pales in comparison to the memories i have of my younger brother on hellish, plane rides on family trips to Florida. That boy had a set of lungs.

The flight attendants made welcomed frequent offers of water. Being at such a high altitude for an extended period of time can dehydrate you. i swear, the guy sitting next to me must have had a bladder of steel. During the entire flight, he only got up from his seat twice! Either that, or he was afraid to ask me to move....

Despite having made requests for vegetarian meals on-line beforehand, this method undoubtedly leaves room for error. i sucked it up and in true Thanksgiving-esque fashion and ate the little side dishes. Luckily, i had come prepared with multiple bags of snacks that served as meal rations.

The in-flight movies were cinematic gems such as Baby's Momma and that crappy new-ish one about an election with Kevin Costner. If there wasn't a worse actor in the world. In between blips of sleep, i half-watched these in order to pass the time more quickly. Truth be told, they did aid in subtracting four hours or so from the monstrous tally.

We finally landed and i had seen the sun set and rise all within the confines of the plane. The pilot informed us that we had landed a bit late. i only had about an hour to find my gate and get through another round of security. i skipped the connection information counter because i figured i'd by-pass the crowded area and be able to find my gate on a screen.

The security check-point was a nightmare. Basically, all of the people on my plane were headed somewhere else too. After zig-zagging through countless roped off lines, i ran down the terminal, in search of my gate. i scanned multiple screens, multiple times. i couldn't find my flight anywhere. Slightly panicked, i asked a young Japanese woman to help me. She directed me towards another information/help desk.

Turns out, my flight to Seoul had gotten canceled and rescheduled for six thirty that next morning. i'm actually still not sure what happened. Perhaps some mechanical problems? Whatever the reason, i became uncharacteristically worried. i was stranded in Tokyo with no phone and no where to stay. After just completing a fourteen-hour journey, i was in no state of mind to deal with this cog that had gotten thrown in the wheel of my plans. The woman at the Northwest Airlines counter was very nice and let me make a call to my contact in Korea. Thankfully, i got a hold of him and said that i would not be making it to Seoul until the next morning. He assured me that he would be waiting for me at 9:30.

The woman working for NWA guided me towards the arrivals gate. i was a little confused because i had figured i was going to rough it and sleep in the airport. There were other Koreans displaced by the cancellation, that were filtering down into the same area. i still was a bit puzzled as to where i was going. Another airport worker directed us to fill out some forms and i finally realized i was going through customs. A Korean woman was confused about something on her form, but i could not communicate with her to help. i wanted to tell her that even if i could help her with her question, i was still probably just as, if not more, perplexed by the situation. After i went through customs, i got slightly nervous again because i did not know where i was going to be staying.

We came to another Northwest Airlines desk and there were another small group of Koreans already collected there. One of the men was pretty irate, screaming at the defenseless Japanese man behind the counter. The Japanese man quietly eeked out that he did not speak Korean. The Korean man then began to berate him in English. He was finally calmed slightly when another man intervened and gave him a hotel voucher. i received one as well and we were off like lambs to the slaughter to a hotel in Tokyo.

After checking in, i made my way to the room on the third floor. i passed some of the maintenance staff and all five of them bowed to me. It was one of the first real moments i had that really made me feel like i was in Asia. i made my way into my room and plopped down on the bed and turned on the television. Now, i know that i can not speak Japanese. But, the programs were just plain bizarre. Some man being force-fed some disgusting-looking slop, a crazy- looking game show, and some version of QVC were among some of the spectacles i observed. Then again, i'm sure if a Japanese person turned on some American channels and saw morbidly obese people competing in weight-loss challenges, they'd be kind of confused too. i finally settled on one of the two English-speaking channels. The voices of CNN reporters lulled me asleep.

i was up before my requested wake-up call at four (am) and got my luggage in order. By now, my internal clock was so screwed up, and my body was begging for some explanation and regularity. i boarded the shuttle bus with the rest of my Korean cohorts. The bus was late leaving the hotel and i began to wonder if i was going to miss ANOTHER flight.

We were ushered through security and then guided to gate twenty-two. After exceeding our scheduled boarding time, i began to become concerned again. Finally, as if waiting a mini- eternity, we began to file onto the plane to Seoul.

Like Woah

So, a dear friend of mine hipped me to this amazing amazing amazing singer, Sharon Jones. She preforms with an eight-piece band called the Dap Kings. They are on Daptone Records, based out of Brooklyn. This woman's voice is killin. On the reals. Despite the market being kind of over-saturated with the old school Motown sound, Sharon Jones is the real thing- making timeless music that deserves to be recognized. She's fifty-two and in the prime of her game. Her fervent cover of "This Land is Your Land" would make Woody Guthrie no less than proud.
If you live in Chicago, she's coming to the Vic, December 4.

Here she is with the title track off her album, 100 Days, 100 Nights.