Adventures at Spa Land

14 September 2010

You might have been wondering – where has she been, but I am back. :) I am making my way by train to Seoul to meet a family that I might stay with. It has been a busy, but fun and productive last couple of days.

Spa Land! It conjures all kinds of ideas in the mind; a roller coaster where the seat back massages you and you wear cucumbers over your eyes, a ride in tea cups full of tea because of leaves healing qualities, or maybe instead of hot dogs there are fruit dogs. The theme song is “It’s a Spa World.” As I walked through the doors of the largest bathhouse in Korea I was daydreaming of such things.

The spa just opened last year and is on par with Canyon Ranch, but only cost me 14,000W (~$10) for 4 hours! The afternoon turned out to be such a treat. As you enter you put your shoes in a shoe room locker and then go barefoot the rest of the time. You then get a locker in the locker room to put everything else. I didn’t know the order of things, but I think I happened to do it in the right order. The spa treatment rooms are co-ed and all wear short pants and a top. My first stop was an outdoor foot bath, which was relaxing and I must say my feet still feel great. The treatment rooms have different healing qualities and some are Korean while others are Turkish, Roman and Finnish. One usually lies down or sits on the floor. I laid on a marble slab that lightly vibrated so that my DNA was rejuvenated (I think that was the DNA one). Another had salt rocks to do some other amazing thing for me (obviously I didn’t make it into the one that helped memory!). Most rooms were quite warm, but there was a cool down room. There was also a relaxation room, which was huge and had a restaurant and big comfy chairs with a TV for each pair. They had a snack bar from which I tasted some smoked eggs (the inside turns brown). This cafe was near a large area to socialize or eat (all of which was done on the floor).

I didn’t have as much stamina for the heat as the “regulars” so I headed to the baths after two hours. This part of course is separated men and women. I’ve been to other bathhouses in Turkey and Hungary, but this was unique. I walked in and saw numerous pools and loads of women (it was a Sunday after all) soaking, scrubbing, and washing every part of themselves. Friends and family would scrub one another’s backs. There were also small vanities where you could sit and wash yourself in front of a mirror. Then there were the showers that I was more used to (but no curtains or doors). I did learn that only the soaking takes place in the pools. The actually scrubbing is done outside and you rinse yourself with a bowl of water. It is unusual coming from the US to see so many women comfortable being nude in front of one another and bathing. The part I was most uncomfortable with was the squatty chairs that all the women used one after the other. It’s funny how each culture has its own standards of what is sanitary. In the readymade food area of the mall all the servers wear a clear mask that goes from their chin up over their mouth and we don’t do that in the US. I would be fine with the server giving me food without that, but I couldn’t exact the mind-shift required to use those squatty chairs.

After bathing I ventured to the outdoor hot spring area (manmade). It was relaxing and there were benches to lie on. I actually felt the need to clean again so headed to the showers (I felt they were my best option). I still had an hour left and was determined to not use my 14,000W to the fullest! So I got a clean uniform and headed to the lounge chairs in the spa treatment area. I grabbed my book and journal and plopped down. This is when one of my biggest delights so far happened.

Across from me was a Korean family eating. One of the women gave me a banana and later a pastry like delight. She then asked me to come and sit with her family. My eyes lit up and I bowed (I’m sure my bow is not the model of grace, but I try). Two younger members of the family spoke English very well. One studied English for a year in NYC and the other goes in 2 weeks. The young man about to head to NYC asked for suggestions on where to buy apartment gear, the best restaurants and which bank to use. He also wanted an English name. I told him a few. His cousin and I liked Charlie, but he thought it was a playboy name. He liked the sound of Dylan though. I felt so honored getting to “name” someone. Of course, after we parted I thought of more great names. We had so much fun talking and the woman who initially talked to me asked about my background. It’s commonplace in Korea to ask people about their age, marital status, etc. in order to place them within the hierarchy. Being a teacher seems to be pretty well respected and students apparently say “teacher” rather than Mr./Mrs. X. I lost track of time and when I looked at my watch I had 5 minutes to check out so had to hurriedly say my goodbyes and thanks. We exchanged contact info so maybe I’ll see them again. I am so glad I decided to go back to the common area.

Here's the link of Spa Land so you can see the place for yourself: http://centumcity.shinsegae.com/resort/sparland_info.asp

I’m in Seoul and just found a homestay position. Cross your fingers for me!!! Here's a picture of me tonight in Seoul. It was taken by my new friend that I met at Spa Land! Off to bed.

Busan Revealed

September 11, 2010

We had some serious rain this morning – serious! It down-poured for hours and no, Rob, I still have no umbrella. :) I had thought about going to the beach, but obviously nixed that idea. I said farewell to all the other hostellers who have been here pretty much since I arrived. Another hosteller was saying obscenities in his sleep – quite amusing. This was after he crashed on the floor loudly – I had flashbacks to camp when people fell out of the top bunks.

Yesterday I went to the country’s largest fish market, the Jagalchi Fish Market. It was quite an experience and I saw creatures I had no idea existed. I’ve posted some pictures so you can share in the experience. :) Most Koreans, especially older ones, are reluctant to have their picture taken so I couldn’t capture the individual stall scenes well. However, one younger man wanted me to take his picture with one of his fishes. There were tons of dried fish – I never realized they could be so flat! One woman held up a sashimi (sp?) for me (tubular blob that lives in the mud) and squeezed it for me so I could see it spew water. Of everything, that creature is the weirdest one I saw. There are loads of octopi – all different types. I keep hearing stores of the tentacles grabbing onto you as you try to eat it (even when it’s cut up) so for the recent non-vegetarian I think I’ll postpone that dish. I’m also not quite up for picking out my live fish, shellfish or whatever and eating it then and there. It’s definitely all about what you’re used to. I grew up ripping apart lobster and I know for some that takes some getting used to. I’m glad I saw the market it though because you get a real sense of the main seafood here – and Busan being on the water focuses on seafood.

I was surprised, but yesterday I was offered religious experiences by two different people (not the drug induced kinds). One woman was a Jehovah’s Witness and gave me reading material and wanted me to come to Bible study. The other offer happened when I was at a language cafe and a gentleman asked if I wanted to go to his church on Sunday, the largest Christian church in Busan. I felt like I was back in the Midwest. :) About 1/3 of Koreans are Christians/Catholics. When they refer to Protestants they say Christians and Catholics are simply called Catholics.

I also had a cultural lesson on the subway the other day. When I got on there were plenty of seats and I took one with the bow of approval from a man. The seat was within the disabled/pregnant section and as the subway filled up I didn’t see anyone who fit that description. I saw a gentleman maybe in his 50s, but he didn’t fit any of the pictures that indicated when I should get up. No cane, no wheelchair and he definitely wasn’t pregnant! I wondered if I should get up because I know the treatment of elders is different here, but was tired, hungry and my feet were sore so I stayed in my seat. In NYC I would run the risk of insulting the man if I offered my seat. I’ve had men say, “I don’t look that old do I?!” Anyway, so all of a sudden I feel a firm tap on my thigh. It’s the man and he points to the signs. I, of course, gave up my seat happily. Should I let the Busan subway system know that they should add a sign with someone with grey hair to indicate to us foreigners that they should also be given the seat? :) Actually, I think no matter where I was sitting I was supposed to give it up. Today though some older women kept pointing out seats I should take. They were nicely looking out for me. I do think the Confucian tradition of respecting elders is something we could learn from in the US. Oh, one more thing about the subways that I didn’t expect. When there are crowds on the subway platforms waiting for the train people neatly line up. While I might get elbowed on the sidewalk, the trains are more peaceful. They don’t make my blood pressure rise like the NYC ones at rush hour. :)

I went to a language cafe where I tried to learn the basic Korean alphabet and what the sounds are. We tried to write the sounds out phonetically with the Roman alphabet, but one sound is totally behind our repertoire. They also had a party and I talked with several locals and a couple of American ex-pats. We played Jenga and had lots of laughs. One woman is from Seoul and only recently moved here for work. I think we’ll get together soon. I noticed at this cafe and at my hostel that young men own them. They’re impressive entrepreneurs taking advantage of the evolving Korea.

Busan is not overly crowded, no more than a western city. And everyone waits for the crosswalk signal. They are far apart from one another so there are big crowds and waves of people go across when the light turns. There is a variety in restaurant options - I passed a Mexican restaurant yesterday. The nightlife is lively as I’m near two universities. Oh, you can rent DVD rooms. You rent a room to screen a DVD of your choice and some have chairs and others don’t. Apparently, some young people go there for activities other than movies. :) I think it’s around $10. SK has been pretty inexpensive so far. I can live on 33,000W a day (about $28), if I budget. And that includes my hostel which is 20,000W. Not bad for a modernized country. I have seen lots of Dunken Donuts and Baskin Robbins, but not as many McDonald's and the like. I guess they prefer our sweets over our fast food.

Tonight I went to a bbq joint. One of the employees helped me cook the pork because I was at a complete loss. It actually tasted pretty good with the marinade. You can see from the picture that I had lots of sides and condiments to figure out. I tried to look at the tables near me, but they were mostly behind me in the process. I created my own combos and cast aside the hot chilies after one little bite!

I’m getting a bit nervous that I haven’t settled in here as I’d like yet. Maybe in a few days I’ll find a room to rent and find people who want to learn English. Send your good luck my way please! I’m thinking of all my friends and family back home and wishing you all well.

My initial wanderings around Busan...

10 September 2010

I’m starting to get a feel for Busan and become familiar with the subways and my neighborhood. The subways are such a treat compared to NYC. The stations are clean, modern and air conditioned! The subways themselves have upholstered seats, which New Yorkers would sadly destroy in a day. I definitely don’t miss the rats and stench of NY subways! Although, the sewers do have a sulfur stench for some reason.

After sleeping 13 hours straight and a few more my first night (day) I was up for some exploring yesterday. First I went to a restaurant the hostel recommended because my diet for the previous 30 hours had been a bag of some kind of peanut snack. I got a lot of food for about $3! The food was good although I don’t know what it was – I just pointed at a picture. No kimchi though, which I know my former colleague would have order. For those who don’t know it, it is a fragrant cabbage dish.

Then it was off to get a cell phone. I bought one in NYC with a SIM card, but apparently they don’t use SIM cards here. The phone should work in other destinations because the traveler’s that recommended it for me didn’t come to Korea. Anyway, finding the cell phone store was quite an experience. In Busan (maybe all of SK) you cannot find a place based on its address. Addresses were just given out in the order they were requested so they have no geographical bearing. I don’t know how that brilliant idea was thought up. So instead landmarks and stations are used (and the equivalent of google maps). The woman at the hostel was helpful in pointing me in the right direction and looking up the internet map. I also was comforted that she said they’ll likely speak English because it’s the only place to get prepaid phones.

So I take two subways and hit the pavement. I followed what on the map looked to be right, but had no luck. I asked people on the street (pointing to the name of the store in Korean that the woman had written for me along with their phone number) and they didn’t know of it, but would nicely call. But since they didn’t speak English I could never get good directions. I’m not sure they even knew where I should go. I then got what seemed like good directions, but still didn’t see the store. Finally, one man took me back to his store and looked online and then called. He then personally escorted me to the store, which I had walked by once! People have been very helpful when I’m lost and I’ve tried to say thank you, hello and goodbye in Korean. I made a cheat sheet and have to fumble to get it to say the Korean words. You’d think after having to ask so many people for help and having other interactions that I’d have at least one word memorized. Nope. But maybe today is the day! I was never blessed with an aptitude for languages.

So, the real adventure began when “I found” the store. The place was empty except for the 3 workers, none of whom spoke English well. We stumbled through communicating what I was looking for, but hit a block when we got to the details of payments and adding money to the phone. The called some translator, I think it was a general service because they didn’t seem to know anything about the phone plans. We talked to translators at least four different times until we go things squared away. At one point I thought we were done and they gave me the phone, but no charger. So I asked for one and it cost 5,000W extra. Not much money, but confusing because what good is a cell phone without a charger. Why wouldn’t it be included? We called the translator again and his English wasn’t that great either so I didn’t fully understand the “why” just that it “is” separate. Since 5,000W is only about $4 I didn’t push the matter. Two hours later, viola, I had my phone. We all clapped and had big smiles when everything was done. Thank goodness I have gained more patience as the years have passed.

After all the errands and chores of the first part of the day, I treated myself to a temple visit. Beomeo-sa is a Buddhist temple on a mountain and some of the structures dated back to the 7th century. I’ve included some photos. There wasn’t much info provided, but there seemed to be a main temple and then several others of different sizes. They all had Buddha as the central focus, of course, but some had one central Buddha and then thousands of shiny 3” high Buddha’s lining the walls. I saw several people praying. The photo you see of the inside of the temple I took because it was the only one no one was praying in. But I still got reprimanded so apparently there are to be no pictures of the inside. You can pay to stay at the temple and go through the rituals with the monks. If I can afford it I would love to do that before I go. We’ll see if I have the endurance to do 108 deep bows! There is supposed to be great hiking for the day, but it was late and I was hungry and sleepy again. So I’ll save that for another day.

I’ve met some nice traveler’s at the hostel. They headed to the beach yesterday, but I kept my focus and did my chores (yes, a pat on the back thank you). Maybe I’ll sneak to the beach for a bit today. Who knows maybe I’ll find someone who wants to learn English. One woman said she was offered a job while walking around! So apparently, I need to be a more avid street walker! I have a potential lead for a room to rent in an apartment so cross your fingers!

Heading Out

JFK Airport, 11pm on 6 Sept. 2010

After feeling much anxiety for the last few days – no weeks – I am much calmer now that I’m at JFK Airport awaiting my flights to Busan, South Korea. 15 hours and 7000 miles to Seoul – ouch! Maybe I’m calmer because I’m tired or maybe it’s because I finally got everything to fit in my bag (well, not everything). Could it just be denial? I’m used to airports and planes. My mind could be playing tricks on me and thinking we’ll be landing in Arizona or California. I was jonesing for one final Starbucks Chai Latte, but I seem to be in the one area of NYC that their arms do not reach. So here I sit at gate B26, the only blonde in sight. The gate announcements are in Korean and then English - I’ve already left the US. :)

It has been a whirlwind few weeks. I have completed two TESOL online courses, traveled around the northeast a bit seeing family and friends, officially quit my job, dogsat, babysat, made many runs to the pharmacy getting supplies, and maybe the most shocking is that I started dabbling in eating meat after being vegetarian for 15 years (I figure on this trip I can’t avoid fish/meat so wanted to get my stomach adjusted stateside). I can’t say I’m enjoying much of it and can’t quite imagine eating Busan’s main cuisine, raw fish. I never even had that before I was vegetarian. I don’t think that delicacy had made an appearance in Oklahoma in the ‘80s or early ‘90s. I’m sure in Asia I’ll be eating lots of things that I don’t know what they are and maybe that’s better for the recent off-the-wagon vegetarian. I’ll just continue to thank the animal, fish, shellfish or whatever gave its life for its involuntary sacrifice.

It’s been tough saying my goodbyes to people – only finishing them up on my way to the airport. I have to keep reminding myself that unlike the adventures and traders of earlier centuries I have the luxury of Skype, email, and cell phones. As I amass all the courage I can for this adventure, I have a new respect for the courage it took those who traveled distances before all those technologies, and even the telegraph. Just a few years ago it would have taken more courage. I will be far more connected with friends and family then I was just 14 years ago when I headed off to Florence to study for a semester. I had no email (I’ve always been slow on the technology front) and calling home was expensive and rare (of course I had no cell phone - that was only for the very rich) so snail mail was it. And I definitely had no blog!

I really appreciate all the farewell wishes I received. I also have some nice farewell gifts. I have wonderful reminders of those I love: a Turkish medallion to ward off the evil eye, a periwinkle shell, beautifully homemade pouches for my mp3 player and camera, earrings, smiley face stickers as well as cards and books of encouragement and love. My sister, the vet, also made sure to look out for my health. She’s helped stock my medical kit, even throwing in crazy glue for deep cuts I get when I’m not in a place to get stitches! So far I’ve just managed to glue sheets of plastic to myself while I was assembling my hiding places for traveler’s checks. She’s also made me promise not to go barefoot in Africa. :)

As you can see from my pictures the process of packing was quite an ordeal and only met with success after several rounds of search and destroys missions with a friend. Are you amazed with the results – I am! I really have to pat myself on the back (and my friend) for the compactness and that the bag comes in under 50 pounds. After my South Korea stint I’ll be able to get rid of even more! Considering I’m going for a year I thought what I had for the first round wasn’t so crazy. But considering I have to lug all this stuff myself, I needed my things to fit into a bag smaller than I usually take for a weeklong trip! I had to make some tough sacrifices like 2 of my 4 hand sanitizers, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of pants, and some make-up (but not as much as my friend would have liked). :) Actually my heartbreaking decision was to leave my new SLR camera and 3 lenses behind. I know it would be cumbersome and likely get stolen, but for those who know me you know how much I love photography. I’ve even had daydreams of being a professional or at least selling some of my work. But I couldn’t make it fit without adding a bag. And always having to carry around my laptop and camera gear would surely make me a hunchback. So the friends I left it with will either enjoy snapping pictures of their adorable 1 year old (I took 500 pictures of him in 3 hours!) or they will have to express mail it to me when serious withdrawal sets in. For now my point and shoot will have to do.

I don’t have a room to rent set up yet in Busan, but do have a dorm bed in a hostel. And hopefully I can find some teaching English gigs soon. More later...

Busan, South Korea - 8 Sept. 2010

I’ve made it to my hostel in Busan, South Korea via a bus. People have been great in offering help and wanting to chat with me if they know English. Although most residents here have asked why I came so it makes me wonder if they don’t think it’s worth it. The people I’ve talked to in the hostel have enjoyed it. Still not sure that reality has set in – maybe when I’m over the jetlag. Made a quick inquiry with the hostel receptionist about finding a room to rent and she said it might be hard not having a friend here already, but she gave me a website. I’ll give it a go here and can head to Seoul if need be. I’ve seen more adds online for Seoul.

Oh, so after being bummed to not get Starbucks at JFK there is one just up the street. I should have known. I tend to stay away from American establishments abroad, but that might be my comfort stop now and then.