Cars of Busan

I was walking along a busy street the other day and saw a taxi stopped at a red light. He was there for a minute or so, and I guess he got impatient waiting for the light to change. He hit the gas and went through the intersection about 15 seconds before the light turned green. This is not unusual in Busan.

I've seen delivery scooters stopped at red lights, a few cars back when they decided to speed between the stopped cars to get to the front of the line, and then just burst through the red light. Scooters rarely stop for red lights.

Cars unquestionably have the right-of-way and it's important to stay on your toes as a pedestrian. Crosswalks don't give much time to cross the street. If a car can make its turn by squeezing past you at a high speed, they will do it. I've almost been hit a few times as a pedestrian, including once in the school parking lot.

I noticed several interesting differences between cars in South Korea and back home. I presume because of relatively tight spaces in parking lots, many cars are affixed with pads near the doors to avoid damaging the next car when they open their doors.

Another interesting difference is that many cars post their cellphone number on the corner of the windshield. This comes in handy when you double park and someone needs you to move your car. However, I can't imagine this would work well in other countries. People would probably get some angry calls based on their poor driving and parking. But Korea is an entirely different kind of place.

At self-serve gas stations, you'll notice that plastic gloves are provided for customers when filling up. I don't know if this service is offered because of COVID-19 or if it's standard sanitary practice. I imagine it's been a regular thing in Korea for a long time. The price of gasoline in Busan converts to about $1.47 (Canadian dollars) per litre for unleaded and $1.25 (CAD) per litre for diesel. A little more expensive than back home, I think.

I find the vehicles are quite similar to those in North America. Most of the cars are standard-sized sedans, hatchbacks, and smaller model SUVs. They're hardly any large pickups or bulky SUVs and most of the delivery trucks are quite small.

Cool hood ornament

There are still plenty of mini Kei-cars around, with a size more similar to the vehicles I saw in Japan.

I've seen some foreign vehicles such as Ford, BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota. However, domestic brands like Hyundai and Kia dominate the market, naturally. 

The school buses are quite interesting. They are basically mini-buses painted yellow. They pick up students and take them to school or after-school programs like study academies or even to taekwondo or music practice.

I have been driven in a few cars while here in Korea, and they tend to be new, clean, comfortable and equipped with all of the modern technical features such as on-screen navigation, over-head camera, and television. But it's already been 7 months since I've driven a car, and I likely won't have the chance to drive for the entire year. I'm not eager to drive in Korea, but I wonder about my driving skills when I return to Canada. 

That's Dog You're Eating

Teacher:    That's dog you're eating. Can you eat dog?
Me:            What!? Dog? Dog, like d-o-g, dog?
Teacher:     No. Dog, like d-u-c-k.
Me:          

 

So, yes, my colleagues do speak English but there is the occasional miscommunication, especially with facemasks muffling things. I never really bothered to translate the lunch menu before eating but I think I'll start. Knowing the difference between dog and duck can make all the difference.

School lunch featuring duck, not dog.

Indeed, life is strange here and sometimes it's necessary to seek out some familiarity. I was introduced to an Italian restaurant that serves some amazing spaghetti in crab sauce with fresh homemade bread. The owners are a friendly, older Korean couple who spent some time living abroad and can speak English. They take incredible pride in their food and the quality is amazing. After the first meal, I knew I would become a regular customer. Korean food is great but at least with spaghetti, I don't have to guess what I'm eating. Spaghetti is spaghetti. And it's one of the best meals I've had in Korea.

Despite the strangeness of life here, I am amazed at the kindness I have received from the Korean people. I have become somewhat of a regular customer at Twosome Place, a cafe next to my main school and near my home. I still can't communicate properly in Korean, but I've made friends with one of the baristas. Whenever I come in during her shift, she gives me free ice cream with my latte. The first time was an amazing surprise because we hadn't really spoken at all, so it was just a kind gesture for a regular customer. But since then, it's been consistent. Every time I see her, a cup of ice cream is added to my order. There's nothing like ice cream to help you forget about the ridiculousness of teaching at middle school. I just need to remain consistent at the gym to offset all of this ice cream.

When I was living in Toronto I didn't eat Korean food regularly but every so often I would stop by KoreaTown and pick up some Walnut Cakes, known as Hodo Kwaja in Korean. These cakes resemble actual walnuts and are filled with either sweet red bean paste or mash potato and walnut. I hadn't found any in Korea until yesterday when a teacher brought some in for everyone to try. I love the sweet bean paste.

Food is a bridge to understanding a culture. It can make you feel happy and accepted. It can also make you feel like a foreigner, completely lost and out of your element. No dog for me, thanks.

Semester 2

Semester two is starting off with a bang. Back to school, rising COVID-19 numbers, online and in-class lessons, and typhoons. Oh my!

South Korea has seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases and there was worry about a wider spread. When things are under control we typically see about 30-60 new cases in the country each day. However, there was a recent stretch of days when there were about 300-400 new cases each day. It was a five-month high since the worst of it back in the spring. Certain strict measures were put in place around Seoul where much of this outbreak occurred. Even Busan, which was relatively untouched by the corona-virus is now averaging 5-10 new cases per day. As such, this semester started with a mix of online and in-person classes.

A balance needs to be reached between the safety of the students on one hand, and on the other, the apparent need for 3rd graders to attend classes in-person so as to not disadvantage them as they write exams and make preparations for their application to high schools. 

So, for the first two weeks of the semester, I have been giving in-person lessons to my grade 3 classes and online lessons to my grade 2s and grade 1s. I record my presentations for the online lessons and deliver only 5 in-person classes per week to the grade 3s. 

The COVID-19 numbers dropped slightly over the past week, so the plan has been modified again and for the next week all students will alternate attendance at school and on-line lessons. If all goes well, I assume the full student body will attend classes at school after next week.

The corona-virus is not the only natural disaster to torment Korea. This season brought 10 typhoons to the area, and quite recently two did some damage in the southern part of Korea. Typhoon Maysak made landfall in Busan and all along the southern coast of Korea causing one day of classes to be fully converted to the online format and me to lose a night's sleep due to the howling winds. 

Sign blown off the building across the street.

The flag almost ripped off the pole. Day after Typhoon Maysak

For the safety of the grade 3 students, the only kids doing in-person lessons at this time, they were switched to online lessons for the day. No need to have the students travelling through a typhoon to get to school. Teachers, on the other hand, needed to report to work on time to the empty school. I've complained about this before, and have come to accept that this is how things are done here, but I asked my co-teacher about our safety. She gave the most perfect response, "Teachers are not considered human."  Hahaha. Yeah, that's about right. 

But be careful what you wish for. The next storm, Typhoon Haishen, was forecasted to be stronger than Maysak, so even the teachers got to stay home that day. I thought that this would be a really serious storm for the Board of Education to ask teachers to hunker down at home. I was relieved when the typhoon changed course, sparing Busan from the worst of the effects. Haishen took a right turn and southern Japan was hammered by wind and rain. Still, it was quite gusty here in Busan.

Back at school, each teacher was issued new facemasks. I received 20 high-quality masks and now have a good supply for the term. Unfortunately, it seems that the corona-virus will be an everpresent issue this semester as well.

On the positive side, there have been plenty of free treats for teachers at the start of the semester. Rice cakes are a particular favourite. Below is a photo of a pumpkin rice cake with seeds and nuts given by the new vice-principal.

I have a new teaching schedule this semester. Monday and Tuesday, I teach at my boys school. Back-to-back-to-back lessons are especially challenging. Thankfully, I have one less lesson with the boys per week this semester. My main school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday gave me an ideal schedule with at least one break between my lessons.

All in all, it is really nice to be back at school and seeing the students again. "Long time, no see, Teacher", they said. I asked what they did during their summer vacation. "Study" and "play computer games" were their responses.  I hope it wasn't only studying and computer games during summer vacation, but with the corona-virus, it's difficult to do much else. 

I can't believe it's the Fall already. Time flies when you're having fun and dodging calamity.

Hospital Visit in Korea

1. I don't have the corona-virus and this has nothing to do with COVID-19.
2. I'm basically fine now, so nothing to worry about. Thanks.

After cleaning my apartment, I laid down for a little rest. When I awoke and tried to walk to a nearby cafe I was in considerable pain and had stiffness in my lower back. I was unable to walk properly and felt twisted in my back. It was a struggle to walk for more than a few steps.

Over the next few days, things did not improve. There was pressure in my back when I sat down, and anytime I twisted or rolled over in bed I would get a jolt of pain. It was difficult to get dressed or bend down. A really weird thing is that my body alignment was visibly off, meaning my torso was twisted. My belly button was off-centre by about ½ inch.

I reported to school on Monday but there were few teachers around because classes hadn't started yet for the semester. Eventually, one English teacher arrived at school and I disclosed my ailments. I had asked her to write a note for me so I could go to the pharmacy for some cream or whatever they had that might help. Instead, she gave me two pain pills from the school supply, one for then and one for after dinner. They were surprisingly powerful pills as I soon felt drowsy at school. The evening pill ensured a good night's sleep and some grogginess in the morning, but no relief for my back.

The English teacher explained that she had similar symptoms before and it was a slipped disk in her back. She insisted that I see a doctor. 

Medical privacy is not really a thing at my school in Korean. When the foreign English teacher is unwell, everyone soon learns about it. A crowd formed near my desk and a discussion ensued. I couldn't understand the words, but from the context, it was clear that the teachers were discussing what to do with me, who would take me, and which doctor or hospital would be the best choice. One teacher even grabbed my back trying to find the spot that hurt. How do you say, "Unhand my love handle, you goon" in Korean?

It was decided that a friendly math teacher would take me to a nearby hospital. This teacher was nice and spoke passable English. We waited for about 45 minutes at the hospital before seeing the doctor. While waiting, the teacher accidentally bumped my leg several times sending waves of pain through my back. 

The teacher took 10 seconds to explain my symptoms to the doctor. The doctor then asked one question. I was out of his office in less than a minute with a prescription for 3 days worth of painkillers and muscle relaxants. Evidently, the doctor did not think it was a slipped disc but rather a ligament strain. With my Alien Registration Card, the hospital visit cost about $5 and the pills about $4.

This is a perfect example of why learning the language is important. I believe that the math teacher who took me to the doctor didn't think my problem was serious. In those 10 seconds I assume he said something like, "he has back pain". Moreover, he didn't really talk to me about my symptoms beforehand, so he wouldn't have had any idea what to tell the doctor. A lot of assumptions were made on my behalf, without my input. 

Two days later, my co-teacher planned to take me to another doctor. I was sure to carefully explain to her what was wrong with my back. We decided to try a small clinic that does physiotherapy and acupuncture. Needles stuck into my back would be a new experience for me but I felt that some sort of treatment was necessary. Unfortunately, because of the typhoon the night before, the area was hit with a power outage. When we arrived at the clinic, a note posted on the door explained they were closed for the day. No needles in the back for me.

Thankfully the pills seem to be working. I improved a little each day. I was feeling about 75% recovered, so we decided to forgo another trip to the doctor on Friday. The school nurse gave me a supply of patches to apply to my sore back instead. The patches give off heat when stuck onto your skin. I wore it on Friday night, and it seemed to help. I was feeling pretty good by Saturday so I'll wear these patches during the weekend, and hopefully, I'll be back to normal by Monday. No pun intended.

Navigating the medical system is a real chore as a foreigner, especially when you're in pain and can't speak the language. Thankfully, I have great support from the teachers at my school. Even though things were done a little differently than I'm used to, I still feel well cared for.

Summer Vacation on Jeju Island

Summer vacation options were limited this year. The corona-virus made going abroad impossible, and the shortened time-off made travelling far away impractical. Still, after playing it pretty safe and staying in Busan for the whole semester, I decided I needed to have some sort of holiday, even if it was a short one.

Jeju is an island off the southern coast of Korea famous for its warm weather, natural beauty, and is popular for vacationers and honeymooners from Korea, China, and Japan. Only a one-hour flight from Busan, I made Jeju my destination for a 4-day getaway in late-August.

With all the craziness of the end of term and the summer camps, I didn't have much time to plan my vacation. I made myself familiar with a few key sights and activities, and finally reserved my flight on Korean Air and booked a hotel room at the Ramada in Jeju City. 

The rise in corona-virus cases in Korea threatened my vacation and made me a little nervous about travelling, and my co-teacher dropped a few hints about cancelling the vacation. I decided to follow through with my plans and I'm glad that I did.

But things didn't start out very smoothly. I navigated to Gimhae International Airport by public bus well in advance of my domestic flight. And just sat there for hours. My one-hour flight was delayed by 2 hours due to a mechanical issue with the plane. They actually found an alternate plane for us. At least no one was sitting next to me on the flight. But by the time we were up in the air, we started our landing approach.

After landing in Jeju and passing through the corona-virus and security checks, an unfriendly taxi driver took me to my hotel in Jeju City. The Ramada was modern, comfortable, air-conditioned and supplied with soft pillows and blankets. I was really happy with the hotel and the view from my 9th-floor window.

Jeju is a relatively small island but the attractions are spread out. Everyone I spoke to recommended that I rent a car. That wasn't an option for me, so I took the bus everywhere. As a result, I couldn't see everything I would've liked to, but I did get a nice view of Jeju's countryside and a chance to mingle with the locals on the bus. It takes a certain amount of courage to get onto a bus you're not 100% sure is going where you need it to go, and not have the language skills to confirm.

My first outing took me to the Manjanggeul Cave, a mere 1.5 hours away by bus. The Manjanggeul Cave is a really cool cave and underground tunnel cut through by lava years ago. It's about 23 meters wide, 30 meters high, and 8 km long and is exceptionally cool. It was 14°C in the tunnel and +30° above ground. There was water dripping down from the rocks and puddles everywhere. You can see the markings on the wall indicating the various levels of the lava flow. At the end of the tunnel is a large column of hardened lava that flowed down from the ceiling and set in place. 

On day 2 of my vacation, I attempted to climb the highest peak in South Korea, Mt. Hallasan, a volcano in the center of Jeju Island. Standing 1947 metres tall, I was quite unsure about making the attempt, especially after looking at myself in the mirror. I think the exact thought that went through my mind was, "Are you serious?"

A 40-minute bus ride at 6:30AM took me to the start of the Seongpanak Trail. Described as the longest but easiest ascent trail, my goal was to climb to the summit and then descend on another trail that had better views of the mountain and surrounding area. Seongpanak trail winds through a forested area on the mountain until near the top.

The trail started easily enough with boardwalks, rope carpet and plenty of flat sections. I worked my way up the mountain and the air became hotter, and the steps steeper. There were markers showing your progress and noting how many meters in elevation you had attained. There were a few shelters along the way for a washroom break and a rest. However, it was not possible to buy water or snacks. You had to carry everything.

I brought a bunch of sweet snacks, beef jerky, and 3 litres of water which I thought was way too heavy at the start but was grateful for every last drop by the end of the hike. As a matter of fact, I saw Korean hikers begging for water at the shelters because they didn't bring enough.

I climbed for 5 hours and literally everyone passed me. I moved slow and steady but was becoming exhausted. I was a mere 2 kilometres from the summit but that final stretch was in the open sun and was steep and uneven. I had to take a break after every few meters. I stopped for a while to assess my situation and my water reserve. The choice was to push on to the summit and be in real danger on the way down, or turn back and ensure my safe return.

Disappointed that I wouldn't make the summit, I made the prudent choice to walk down the trail. It took 4 hours to descend. I was euphoric finally having gravity working in my favour. At first, I quickly moved down the mountain. But eventually, I was experiencing discomfort in my feet and legs. Going up produced sore muscles, burning lungs, and a light head. Going down ruined my feet and calves. I absolutely could not walk the next day, and I'm still feeling it a few days later. In total, it was a hike of 9 hours and 15 kilometres.

The Korean hikers were supportive and encouraging. Those who spoke English told me to "Fight!" and that I was "Almost there."  I got a lot of "Thank yous" when I stepped aside to let the faster hikers pass by. Something was lost in translation when a man told me "Nice steps. It's elemental. Have a good time. Hahaha!" 

That evening and the next day was all about recovery. I barely left the hotel to eat and get a latte. Walking would be painful for the next several days. Fun hike but I paid the price.

On my last day in Jeju, I decided to check out the Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) for a nice ocean view. I wasn't really expecting to have to climb again, but it was 180 metres up to the top and put my weary legs to the test. Bad idea but a nice view. Seongsan Ilchulbong supposedly brings good luck when you view the sunrise from its peak. I arrived shortly after 9am, so I missed out on the lucky sunrise. I was, however, completely soaked in sweat, and needed to make my way to the airport for my flight back to Busan.

I purchased some Jeju orange-flavoured chocolates for my coworkers and then landed safely in Busan. Ready for semester 2 of my life as an English teacher in South Korea. 

My timing for this holiday was perfect because the next week a typhoon would hit parts of Jeju and several flights were cancelled or delayed. 

Jeju is a beautiful island getaway and is well worth the visit. I would eagerly return given the chance.