잘 먹었습니다! I Ate Well!

(Title is pronounced roughly "Chal MeoGEOSSsumnida!")

Classes are finished. I passed my exams. Contacted my school. Now what?

Well, for the last two months, I haven't been able to cook much (surprisingly, something I like to do).  In fact, I haven't even had the time or (with this heat) mind to go grocery shopping.  So yesterday, I finally did so.

And what should I come up with in my vitamin deprived state, but the inexplicable urge to cook with tomatoes-- a vegetable which, despite my healthy respect for a good-LOOKing one, I utterly despise.  But there were some on sale, so I picked them up.

So here is the end product:

The 'Tales of' series prompted, Japanese dish, "Omu-raisu." The name is a Japanese combination of the words "omelet" and "rice" essentially amounting to "rice omelet."

The Japanese tend to top the dish with ketchup while the Koreans seem to prefer a watery tomato sauce, both of which are too sweet for my tastes.  So this one is garnished with my own homemade (dorm-made) tomato sauce (tomato, garlic, and onion sauce). While delicious, the sauce took me the better part of my "morning" (aka, early afternoon) to make. The eggs took probably about 6 minutes.

After that, I decided next time I would probably just mix some salt and garlic in ketchup.

This evening, while out and about with a friend, we picked up some meat, came back, and had a really nice pork and veggies in peanut sauce. It was the first time she had seen cooking with peanut butter.

For once, I'm actually glad to be eating something besides ramen.

Closing Time: A Letter Home

So, I've just realized it been nearly a year since I've written here.  So much for keeping a journal.  But today we had a lunch commemorating the commemorating the close of the KGSP 2012-2013 session here.  I started thinking of a bunch of things I'd like to say.  Perhaps in a less public forum than FB, but more public than an email.

This last month alone has been quite a ride.  It's been full of studying and stress, ups and downs, birthdays and field trips... and did I mention studying?

At the [near] end of it all, I have at least one thing to show for it.  I can say

"스트레스를 풀리기 위해서 이야기를 많이 해요."

which means "To relieve stress, I talk a lot."

This is not entirely true, for when the thoughts still go round and round-- and I have the time and nervous energy-- rather than talk, I write.

For one thing, the third and final TOPIK exam was just a week or so ago.  For those curious about that, the final results for that are out on August 2nd, officially.  I suppose one of the reasons I write this now is that I can reflect on just what this time is, while I still have some hope.  This sounds bleak and self-deprecating, but the truth is that one way or the other-- whether I've passed or not-- after the results are out, the hope is gone; for success or for failure, remains to be seen.  But in some poetic sense there is something to be said for reflecting before knowing what the future truly brings.

Most of the studying and stress, of course, was due to that-- the test, that is.  This may surprise some, while others may just shake their heads in lieu of an "I told you so," but I've never been that good at "studying."  Most of my good grades to date (most of which are further in the past than I'd like to admit, right now) have been due that double-edged sword of "just getting it." Luck has been my savior in a few rough patches over the years, so it has taken all the way 'till grad school for that simple fact to come bite me in the butt.   In Korea (and most Asian education systems) the "study" skill is much more useful, for better or worse.

I can whine and moan and analyze and justify all I want, and in the end, you know what I still have to do? I still have to pass the damn test... as the Korean government sees fit.  That's really all there is to it.

So I buckled down, learned some semblance of studying (not a kind I like to call particularly helpful in the long run), worked out a strategy, and took the test.

Also, for those curious, unlike my last test-- which was indeed a hopeless failure-- I feel like with some luck, or divine intervention (however you see it) it is possible I passed.  I also feel like, whether I passed or failed, it will be by a very small margin.  And that's really all I can or will say. In times like this, I prefer not to complicate things or stress myself out. At this time, It truly is a relief that there really is nothing useful to do. With so many books, dramas, video games, and friends to catch up on, I am rather enjoying the simple wait.

That said, there are a few blanket votes of confidence from the officials here.  For one thing, my contact at my next university has reserved a dorm room for me for next semester. For another, at the lunch today, we all received gifts and certificates of completion, even though the term doesn't end for another week.

With that in mind, I had a friend of mine snap some photos for my mom, who likes that sort of thing.

As you can see, we got flowers and everything.

Also, some may have noticed (or been notified) that-- in order to counter this artificial, stressful craziness with some fun, creative craziness-- I have recently not only cut, but dyed my hair.  Yes, that's purple, by the way.

I cut it about a week or so before the the test, which according to Korean superstition, you're not supposed to do because all of the information will be cut away with your hair.  This only supports my theory that hair feeds off your brain.  I was definitely smarter when I had long hair back in high school.  But this time, it's ok, because I did my heaviest studying after I cut my hair, so I didn't loose that much. ^.^

Somewhere between here and there, we went to the beach. Good times were had by all.  White girl turned pink. I seem to be in the habit of changing colors recently. Also, a kicking set of birthdays, not the least memorable of which was the evening of the TOPIK itself.

Today, after our pre-graduation ceremony, I came home to a box of homey necessities.  You know: chocolate, allergy medicine, underwear (O.O), video games... the essentials.

And then there's my favorite. At school, the little one, instead of the Mother's Day book they usually do, made me a special "God-Mother's Day" book.  Some highlights are "One of my favorite things to do with you is... hang out with you and play games." How many guardian figures get to hear that?  And something that pleasantly surprised me: "Something you taught me is... everyone is equal."  I had never thought about it that way, but it makes me really proud to hear that it's rubbing off. Sending this out to the little one and to my mother, who taught me the same things.

Thank you so much, my brother and god-son. And thanks to all the friends and family who have supported me so far, through thick and through thin.

Love you so much! < 3

日本語を話したい！: I wanna speak Japanese!

Today's class was one of those times I wish I was in Japan.  Not necessarily because I like Japan better, but for the language.  No matter how many languages I study, I don't think I'll ever get used to STARTING a new one.

The limited expression is always the hardest.  Starting a language, you only have like three phrases that you repeat and rehash over and over again. I start feeling kind of racist, because the only thing I can ask people is "What is your nationality?"  I was even relieved just to be able to ask "Where are you from?" instead.

Furthermore, because there are somewhere around three people here who's native tongue is English, I usually need to limit my expression in English as well and interpret other's simplified expressions all while trying not to put my foot in my mouth.  To facilitate this, I generally end up thinking somewhere between English and Japanese--trying to use English vocabulary to express no more than I could in Japanese. 

Usually this can be rewarding, like solving a puzzle.  I have to admit that it's amusing how many people ask me, "How do you always know what people are saying?  I thought you didn't speak Korean."  (Generally, I just tell them "I'm used to guessing.") But over long periods of time, it's tiring. As a verbose person so used to expressing myself in complex and varied ways, I feel like I'm thinking through sludge.

We got into some grammar today, which is good.  Moving away from "How do you do?" is nice.  I'm actually really glad that our teacher accepts other grammatical structures than the ones we are focusing on.  (I think it has to do with the fact that we come from so many different backgrounds and levels of study.)  Due to the structure of Korea and Japanese, there are concepts and structures that are difficult to explain in English.  So, having studied Japanese, there are times when it just better for me to take notes in Japanese.  The text also has some sections translated into English, Japanese, and Chinese.  I found these particularly useful, but it puts me in a weird state of mind.

What really did it, though, was the new teacher.  We had a substitute today.  She started out good, keeping her structures simple and repeating things with subtle adjustments for better understanding and pattern recognition.  She also wrote things on the board to help get the point across and demonstrated more English than many of the other teachers had dared to. All together, I liked the pace. But about half way through, she began to speed up.  By the end of the period, she was literally rambling in Korean and didn't even bother to ask if we understood.  Between that, my degrading English, and my Japanese notes, I didn't know what language I was thinking, much less speaking.  I don't think there was one.

I did manage to eek out a short discussion in Japanese, but after that I was shot.  Even that short conversation felt liberating, somehow.  The other Japanese speaker was native, so the conversation went at my pace for a change.  For once, I felt like I got across everything I needed to.

I really want to speak Japanese now.  Well, I have for a while, just to make myself feel less stupid.  Why couldn't I have figured out how to talk to people when I was in Japan?

What is KGSP?

So, I guess I should explain a little bit about what's going here.  I've said it so many times i just assume everyone knows.  This started as just a little thing for my family, but I've come to realize it's become a little more than that.

So, around March, I applied for this thing called Korean Government Scholarship Program, or KGSP for short.  It's part of the National Institute for International Education's (NIIED) Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program. They are also responsible for programs like EPIK.  Don't ask me what it stands for, just something about teaching English in Korea; like JET, but I'm pretty sure it's easier and sweeter. They love their acronyms in this game.

In any case, the program will fund between 3 and 4 years of education in Korea starting with a year of Korean Language training and one of five language institutes at various Korean universities.  I am currently in that stage, studying Korean at Jeonju University (JJU), "A place for Superstars!"  And they won't let us forget it.

If we reach TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 3 (of 6) within a year and a half (ideally within a year), we will be admitted into a graduate program (previously applied to) at another university; 2 years for a masters program and 3 for a PhD.

By "fund" they mean purchase our plane ticket, pay/wave tuition for every university we are sent to, and provide a monthly living allowance for the duration of our stay.  Nice, huh? My mother spend a lot of time wondering, "what's the catch."  Really, there isn't.  The program guidelines are pretty strict, especially in the beginning during the language courses, but basically, we're getting paid to learn Korean.  And I learned about it from a former Korean roommate of mine, so I trusted it.  Some people may not believe it, but, as an Asian Studies major, it makes sense to me.  It's difficult to explain here, but it's part of the way many Asian cultures do things.  It's rooted in their relationships, rituals, and business.

Anyway, after I stunningly pass level 6 on my TOPIK (here's hoping ;-) ), I'll be going to Kongju National University (KNU) for a master's degree in Game Design.  Yes, game design-- that generally means video games and it is exactly what it sounds like.  It's a little daunting to be surrounded by doctors and engineers (I've wanted to be an engineer since about 8th grade), but so far, I've run into a lot more acceptance and respect for the field than I have in America.  But then again, that's why I decided to do it here in the first place.

Also, for the record, KNU is where the friend who recommended the program to me is an administrator in the international education department.  It will be good to meet with her again.  I've also realized, i've never been able to speak Korean with her before.  For now, that will be my goal.

The Long Awaited Academic Schedule

Orientation (for JJU, not KGSP) was again disorganized and confusing, but I got the information I needed out of it.   We signed up for a meal plan and found out what books we will need and where our classes will be.  Also, yesterday we filled out some paperwork for foreigner registration and bank account as well as school ID cards.

The bit that is probably the most interesting to the folks back home is the academic schedule.

Our classes are Mon-Fri from 9am to 1pm. There are four 10-week class periods separated by 2-week breaks.

Period 1:  9/5-11/16/2012
- BREAK -
Period 2:  11/28-2/7/2012
- BREAK -
Period 3:  3/6-5/15/2012
- BREAK -
Period 4:  5/29-8/7/2012

There are also four TOPIK (Test Of Proficiency In Korean) per year.  One in October, January/February, April, and in July.

So now I know when to go to class and that I won't starve for the next four or five months.  A productive few days, yeah?

Roommate Touchdown

I have a roommate now.  She is a Korean nursing major named 혜정 (Hyaejang?).  She moved in sometime Saturday while some classmates and I were out exploring and shopping, and I met her this morning.  We talked for a bit on Sunday morning when we woke up.  

Later in the afternoon, she came by with her friend and invited me out with them.  We saw the shopping center downtown where they explained to be that there were also many  many movie theaters.  They said that Jeonju had a very famous film festval that many popular figures attended every year.

Then we went to a sightseeing spot called (I probably have this wrong) Hangukmaeul.  Long story short, it has a lot of traditional style houses to look at and a lot of traditonal themed restaurants and shops.  The girls seemed very intent on eating traditional Kroean food, so we went to a restaurant together that served it and ate family style.  There were many dishes to be shared: fish, pickled vegitables, noodles, soups, tofu, etc.  They insisted that it was very good food, better thanwhat was by the school.  I agreed that it was, but nevertheless, it wasn't to my taste. 

On our way back, we passed the Royal Portrait Museum.  I suspect it has a more distinct name, but it was in Korean.  Perhaps it can be found looking for "Gyeonggijeon."  After paying a small admission fee (between 300 and 1000 won, depending on your age and entry purpose)we were able to enter the grouds of what looked to me like a palace, temple, or official building.  

It was a a big, fancy old Korean style building that housed a famous portrait of King Taejo.  According to the plaques, this is the only surviving portrait of this king and it has survived much distress, including the invasion of the Japanese.  Another building in the compound housed a series of portraits of other kings, including King Sejong-- the king responisible for the Korean writing system, hangeul.  There was also a museum and beautiful grounds to visit.  From the grounds, we could also see the bell tower of the oldest (Christian) church in Jeonju, over 100 years old.

[PIctures to come]

On a different note, I haven't had internet for the last several days.  Well, I had internet, but I couldn't go to any websites.  I have a feeling the JJUniversity page that keeps coming up instead is informing me that I'm blocked for some reason, but many people have been having the same problem.  Others don't but they said that while we were out a few days ago, someone came around to adjust the internet somehow.  I'm feeling a little frustrated at the moment because theere was an anouncement that said such a visit would be made between 10am and noon; I was in my room all morning until nearly 1pm and no one came.  Meanwhile,others are complaining (very embarrassed) that someone had come while they were asleep.  

Anyway, I'm told that I will need to ask at the computer office to get my internet "fixed," so I will try to do that today.  I'm going nuts!  It seems to work ok for now, but I haven't tried anything fancy yet.

Field Trip! - "Orientation"

The last two days here have been spent in field trip land. All of us piled in a bus to Gyeongju city for "orientation." Although, from my point of view, it was really quite DISorienting. Texting my friend later tonight, I called it "mass chaos always on the verge of catastrophe."

The two main lessons for this weekend are thus:

1) 400 human beings should not be kept in such proximity for such legths of time. (and you thought cons were bad...)

2) Buses should absolutely NEVER make U-turns.

I have to admit it was kind of cool to see everyone from the program together, just to see the scale of it. There was an informational/introductory set of presentations. We had some cool drum and dance performances. But after enough time, keeping that many people focused--particularly when many, if not most, have to concentrate to understand what's being said--will break down. The attention span of even the brightest and most disciplined has it limits.

I'm not going to go into the details of trying to find our hotel rooms and how we came to the conclusion that our staff member is secretly related to Harry Houdini. It just isn't worth revisiting and words wouldn't do it justice anyway. *sigh*

also, obnoxious yellow shirts. Mandatory obnoxiously yellow shirts.

Dinner was really nice. Lots of different kinds of food. And a nice talent show, too, but again, attention span decreases exponentially as the number of people in a room increases.

After that, a number of us went out because many of us were convinced 9:30 is too early for bed. This, of course, led to many complaints about the midnight curfew at our dorm. It's a sour topic and I'll leave it at that for now. It was fun exploring and eventually drinking with everyone, but differences in expectations hung tension and confusion in the air. (it's all about expectations.)

Anyway, today was field trip day. you know, more fun things. cultural things, not lectures. Except field trips tend to only work in smaller groups. if you have a lot of people that need to go on a field trip, you break them up into smaller groups. simple intheory and attempted in this situation. but it's difficult to stay in small groups when all of the groups are going to the same place at the same time.

The most frustrating endeavor of the day was going to a city hall and then commandeering elevators for over 400 people to go to the 15th floor to have lunch in a cafeteria. And i had no idea until we got there that that was all we were there for. I about jumped off that 15th floor. Well, we were actually there for some welcoming ceremony, but that was outside. I have no effing clue why we had to go to some 15th floor cafeteria for lunch with 400+ students.

I think the best stop was a tour of POSCO steel plant. It, of course, was much more organized. they are used to large groups and good at keeping them organized. The plant was also really cool and we also got to see the steel get rolled flat and then get coiled into giant rolls. a giant slab in minutes. Awesome.

I think by the end of it, I was just crabby from the number of people and the mass chaos. I really can't stand disorganized events and massive numbers of people. Looking back, I could have, and maybe should have, enjoyed it. But i'm tired and it's done.

Now we have two days to recover. There is a placement test on Monday morning, which I will not be participating in since I am undoubtedly a "beginner" in Korean language and we will meet again in the afternoon to fill out forms and submit photos for our alien cards and school IDs. Sometime this weekend, I have to go get my picture taken... again. I should just have them print a sheet of 30. And I thought Asians believe that photographs steal your soul. Maybe they want to steal our souls. It's all a ploy.

Also, still no hide nor hair of a roommate. my guess is that she's Korean. it would explain why there was no onle else on the arrival list with my room number.