Midnight Runs and Nori Bongs

Hello again from the sunny side of South Korea,

Just as the northern boundary waters continue to be the focal point of tumultuous foreign relations, so our hogwan has served as a volatile point of instability over the past couple of weeks. Within three days, our foreign teacher staff underwent a firing, a “midnight run,” and three contract completions. For all of you who are out of touch with “Overseas English Teacher Lingo,” the definition of a “midnight run” is as follows: when an employee leaves the country he/she is working in with a) no intention of coming back and b) no word of warning to the employer. I do not wish to discuss any of these events simply because I feel like too much of my time on this God-given earth is already spent on discussing/pondering/complaining about these job related things. However, I felt it necessary to contextualize this post by explaining the chaos that has been our young “professional” lives.

Sadly enough, it’s difficult to think of things that are not work related. Whether we like it or not, (and to be sure, we don’t) our lives are dominated by the logistics and drama of the workplace. There’s nothing more frustrating than going home frustrated after a frustrating day at work. The ability to leave work at work is an acrobatic act of genius that we have yet to become enlightened to. But as I said before, and have already failed at doing, let’s avoid grumblings of work.

For the most part, I feel like we have settled into Busan. Sometimes, especially in the morning, I sort of even feel like a local: I go to pick up a fresh loaf of bread at the bakery conveniently located downstairs, I pick up a colorful variety of produce at the grocery store across the street, and more often than not, I give a friendly head-nod to the security guard at the entrance of our building…It’s the small hints of familiarity that appease my occasional disdain for living somewhere completely and utterly foreign.

Perhaps the biggest cultural event that we have experienced in the past couple of weeks was the “professional” basketball game that we attended this past Sunday. We had the pleasure of attending the match with our good friends Kevin and Laura. While entering the stadium, we knew that if not for the competitive level of the game, we would, at the very least, be entertained by the game’s environment. Sure enough, the game wasn’t all that, and the environment was everything.

One of the most comical aspects of the Korean basketball league is that each team is only allowed two foreign players. What this ends up meaning is that each team consists of a platoon of 5 foot something Korean guys and two, massive black men. Further affirming the obvious truth that the foreign men are the best players on the court is the rule stipulating that only one foreigner can be on the court at a time. The offence at both ends of the court can be boiled down to: give the foreigner the ball and see what happens. Surpassing the entertainment value of the game itself is the cheerleading squad, with their clavicles appropriately covered and their choreography reminiscent of Brittney Spear’s “innocent” schoolgirl era. And of course, there’s the mascot. “Teletuby on crack” is really the only way to describe the creature that all-to-gleefully frolics around the sidelines. If all of this excitement wasn’t enough, throughout the game there also was a small man in a Santa coat leading the stadium in synchronized cheers.

Another noteworthy cultural experience was when our school staff went out on the town. After hitting up a local bar we decided it would be best to showcase our singing talents at one of the many Nori Bongs in the area. Widely known to the rest of the world as karaoke bars, the element of musical excellence in these singing rooms is taken to a whole new level on the Korean peninsula. Whereas we North Americans might view karaoke as a time to mock past and contemporary pop songs, South Koreans place noticeable importance on the execution and delivery of their favorite hits. To be sure, the Koreans have a good time in the nori bongs, but they also value a well sung song. Not to be arrogant, but I dazzled the crowd with a soulful rendition of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” Kat gave Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” her best shot. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.

Well, that is all for now. Let’s wrap this post up with a nice holiday bow.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

Love and Peace this holiday season.

Mitch and Kat

December Blues

Hello again from the other side of the world.
Before I begin, let us first apologize for not being more punctual with this blog entry. When we first started this blogging endeavor we had hoped that we would post something every week. A month and a half into our stay here and it seems like this goal has already fallen by the wayside. We realize so many of you eagerly await the release of these entries, so failing to provide entries is like depriving a baby of its mother’s teat…cruel, unprovoked, and just downright sad.
But in all seriousness, we appreciate your interest.

As you may have gleaned from the title of this entry, December has brought with it a wave of emotional volatility. Actually, wave might be too strong a word; a gradually drifting grey cloud is probably more accurate. In short, being away from home during the holiday season is difficult to swallow.

At a time when families are gathering and festive cheer is generously being lathered upon society, we’re in a country that doesn’t know the difference between a stocking and a Yule log. At first, being removed from the Christmas hype brings a sense of intrigued wonder…i.e. “I wonder what being away from home during the Christmas season will be like?” This is closely followed by a less intriguing sadness. After the sadness, a bizarre hope that we might be able to recreate the aura of Christmas emerges. This is now being chased by a sobering realization that no matter what we do, Christmas just won’t be the same. By now you might be wondering, “But what about the Christmas spirit? It’s not about ribbons, tags, packages, boxes or bags…Christmas doesn’t come from a store, Christmas means a little bit more…” And you’re correct. The Grinch hit it right on the head. However, I don’t think it’s the fervent, unchecked consumption and materialism that Kat and I are missing the most. It’s the little things- it’s that “little bit more” that makes the meaningful difference.

If I were to guess, and obviously I will, I would say that it’s the lack of familiarity that has been making this month so difficult to bare. Of all the seasons and holidays, I would venture to guess that Christmas is when Westerners crave the most familiarity- we go out and buy the right decorations, we spend hours making the appropriate meal, we absolutely must watch the classic movies, we need to carry out the traditions are families have always practiced… To forget or neglect such things would mean to throw off the very atmosphere that we try so desperately try to create.

And so, being in a foreign, unfamiliar place during a time when familiarity is yearned for, worked for, and even paid for, can be frustrating. When it’s hard enough to get a home-made American meal, how could one even flirt with the idea of getting a little taste of the North American Christmas experience? Certainly, the spirit of the season lives on, but how quickly it seems to go unnoticed when the little things that remind you of its presence are nowhere to be found.

So, enjoy this Christmas season. Savor the familiarity, in all its gross excess, joys, flaws, and all. One day you might miss it.

Peace and Love to all.

P.S. Soon we’re hoping to post some pictures of the Christmas crafts that Kat and I have been busy making.