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Monthly Archives: June 2009

Buzzkill

Nobody likes a buzzkill. Nobody likes to hear your parents to tell you to turn down the Pink Floyd or to shut off Super Mario Brothers 3 when you’re about to defeat Bowser. Those are buzzkills of my past. My buzzkill in Korea are the people who have nothing better to do than sit and complain about everything Korean any chance they get.

These people are everywhere sadly. They are the kind of people who compalin about the most trivial things, ranging from a commercial seen on tv to the way someone may dress, whatever. It’s bullshit. If you have something genuine to complain about, such as being mistreated at work, fine, you have a valid point for wanting to complain. But when you complain about something trivial and pretty meaningless, you just make yourself look like a pompous ass.

Facebook is where we all often see the Korea complaints (and some are more than valid). The majority of complaints are about something minor and it pisses me off. You work two to four ACTUAL hours a day of teaching and get paid for an eight hour day and you still have the gall to complain, let alone have hours of free time to complain on Facebook? Puhhhhleaaaaaaaaaaase………

I’m aware that as I write this, it probably seems that I am complaining about those who compalin. Not my intenntion. I have my share of bad days here too, but complaining to the masses doesn’t make it better.

1. Most things that constitute a bad day are pretty minor things in the big picture of life. Shrug them off and move on.
2. Just roll with it. Things happen.
3. Don’t broadcast everylittle “bad” thing for the world to see. Some of us are decently happy here and don’t want our buzz killed.

 

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Why Mokpo?

Why stay in Mokpo? I have been asked this in person and online. I feel that I should put my answer here. It’s pretty simple why I like and choose to stay in Mokpo.

#1 Mokpo is NOT Seoul!

I like visiting Seoul the odd weekend for shopping, foreign food, and to escape Mokpo, but I never ever would want to live in Seoul. It’s just too big and in your face for me to handle living there. The people may speak more English than in Mokpo but hardly seem as friendly. Same goes for the foreigners. Mokpo may be smaller but it is comfier and I feel safer here than I do in Seoul.

#2 Community

There is a solid foreigner community here. It is a relatively tight knit and friendly group to be part of.

#3 Location

Mokpo is not terribly far from anything. A three hour KTX train to Seoul. A ferry ride to jeju, a one hour bus ride to Gwangju, etc. If I do want to leave it is very easy to. Korean transportation is pretty decent and affordable.

#4 Small town feel

I LOVE the small town/city Mokpo has to it. I come from a farm in rural Ontario, Canada, so it is nice to be in a city and still have that small town feeling. It’s comforting.

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2009 in Mokpo, South Korea

 

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Wando Beach Party

The teachers living in Wando last weekend organized a beach party. I have been to Wando once before last summer and it has an amazing beach. When I went, it was packed with Koreans and teachers and was a pretty happening place. I was expecting the same things this year when I arrived too.

Wim and I hopped the early morning bus from Mokpo to Wando. It takes about two hours by bus to get to Wando from Mokpo. Alex, Annie  and her two dogs, and Teihsa were coming from Naju to meet up with us in Wando as well. There were also other Mokpo people coming later and a few Mokpo people already ar Wando. It had the makings of a great weekend.

We met up with them and make our way by taxi to the beach. The actual beach is not in Wando, but is a 10,000 won cabride outside the town.  We got to the beach, set up our tents, dropped our bags, and grabbed our beer and proceeded to relax on the beach. A group of nearby Koreans came and offered us some food. The food consisted of gim, kimchi, and some raw and still alive sea creatures. Alex was the brave one who tried to eat the moving animals. The kimchi was pretty good I thought. The same group of Koreans also brought over some beer and cooked clams that were amazing!

Later on, the same Koreans brought me, Alex, Wim, and Ian over to play Mal Du Bakki (spelling incorrect). The game means break the horse’s back. The youtube videos should be pretty self explanatory.

The game ended and we went back to the beach and relaxed and more Mokpo people showed. Stories were shared, people drank, and people swam. The ocean was beautiful! I didn’t want to get out. The dya progressed and eventually the Beer Olympics were started. This consisted of wrestling and other games (I was a bit too drunk to remember). The day progressed into night and into a large beach bonfire and more drinks. I ended up back in my tent around 1 in the morning. But only then did I realize I brought no pillow or blanket and had a very cold and unpleasant sleep.

woke up at 7 and wandered the beach, taking pictures and collecting shells. Wim and I hopped the 9 am bus to Mokpo. I got into my apartment and collapsed into a comfortable sleep. It was a great Wando weekend and I do hope to make it back this summer.

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2009 in Korean Adventures

 

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Sweat Time!

It’s that time of year. The time of year where the humidity becomes very intense and I sweat like a pig. By around 10:30-11 in the morning I am a pile of teaching sweat. It’s not fun. The air conditioning in the schools is not turned on until late June or early July so there is no escape from the sweat. Opening windows helps somewhat but it’s still pretty bad. My Officetel has air con so that’s one plus!

Just gotta sweat it out!

 
 

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