Local Music - Goomchi (곰치) and Woodshake (우드쉐이크)

Since coming to South Korea I have really grown to love listening to local Indie bands play acoustic music on the street, in coffee shops, and in Jazz clubs. I can't say this is a completely new thing, especially since my year in New Zealand really awakened my love of going to see bands live and in concert, but whenever I see people randomly playing around Yongi Lake, or even in front of City 7 Mall, I like to stop and listen, even if it's just for a couple of songs. Two groups that I really enjoy and who I consider to be my favorite Indie Changwon bands are Goomchi (곰치) and Woodshake (우드쉐이크). The singers  have great voices and the music is really good. They're also fun to watch. I've enjoyed every performance I've seen of these two bands. Below is a Youtube playlist that I created of both of the bands' music. Listen. Relax. Enjoy! ^^

Click the link to listen to the Playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJU23RQbMN8&list=PLztyChq2-Zutv7G-kABplEdGl7ibHCrgR

Goomchi

 



Woodshake

 

Springtime in Korea

Woah! Three months have passed without one post from me.
죄송합니다 (Joesonghapnida) - I'm sorry! Life has been busy (as usual, haha).  There's so much to say. So much to tell. Where to begin?

1) International Cultural Exchange Association (ICEA)
So I joined a group in February that consists of Korean University students and Foreign students, teachers, etc meeting together to do activities and learn about each other's culture. The group is based in the city of Busan - Korea's second largest city - so about twice a month I hop on a bus and take a 40 minute trip to Busan to engage in the fun activities. The group pairs each Korean student up with a foreign buddy, and then each buddy pair is placed into a small group that does the activities together. My buddy is a student named Seungwoo. He actually attends Changwon University so we are in the same city during the week and both have to take the trip out to Busan on the weekend. Recently I've been meeting up with him and his girlfriend (Garam) during the week to have coffee and practice English. They're a lot of fun to hang out with. ^^

ICEA - Playing a unique 'Korean' beach game



Cooking Korean barbecue together.

Some of the members of my group in ICEA

Trip to the Busan Aquarium

Playing Pool, a popular Korean pastime

 

Me and my Buddy Seungwoo

2) Cherry Blossoms
The beginning of Spring was marked with a gorgeous display of blooming Cherry Blossom Trees. The cities of Changwon and Jinhae planted these beautiful trees all over their cities in order to increase the beauty of their city. Jinhae even has a fun Cherry Blossom Festival that is sponsored by the Korean Navy Base located in that city. I went to the Jinhae Gunhangje (Naval Port) Cherry Blossom Festival with some friends from my Bible Study and had a great time exploring the various beautiful areas of the city including the Korean Navy Base and Naval Academy (which are only open to the public during the 10 days of the festival), the Traditional Market area, the Yeojwacheon Stream Walk, the Lookout Tower, and the Mountain Drive. I also, explored the blossoms around Changwon on Easter Sunday and was blown away by the beauty of God's creation. If trees can be this beautiful on earth I can't wait to see what Heaven looks like!

Cherry Blossom Trees line the streets in Jinhae

Me and some of the ladies from my Bible Study.

A life size replica of an ancient Korean war ship located on the Naval Base. Visitors were able to go inside it.

I really wanted to take a picture with a sailor so I convinced this friendly guy to pose with me.

Yeojwacheon Stream

Changwon's Cherry Blossoms

Blossoms by Yongi Lake in Changwon

3) Sports
I'm not really into sports, but I love going to games with my friends. Why? Because I love the atmosphere of sporting events. People cheering. Eating Stadium food. Half-time shows and contests. It's great! When I learned that Korean fans tend to be super energetic during sporting events I decided I really had to experience this for myself. Thus I found myself at both an LG Sakers Basketball game and a Changwon Dinos Baseball game. The crowd did not disappoint! The Stadium gave attenders signs to wave as they cheered. There were theme songs and dances for the teams that many fans in the stands did with reckless abandon. There was a 'hype' man who used used giant signs and a bullhorn to lead the fans in cheering. Both the Basketball team AND the Baseball team had cheerleaders. What?! Haha! Needless to say, I had FUN!! Oh yeah, and one other awesome thing: You can bring in your own food, drinks, cooking devices, etc. I witnessed families carrying in big boxes of pizza and fried chicken. At the Baseball stadium people even brought in portable grills to do a little Korean barbecuing. Nice! Why have a tailgate party outside the stadium when you could do it inside instead. Haha!

LG Sakers - the guys in red. Yes! There are foreigners on the team. How did you know? ^^

Couple seats...um...yeah...

The Saker Mascot and a Banana guy giving away free bananas to the crowd.

Cheerleaders

This guy proposed to his girlfriend in the middle of the game. Thankfully she said 'Yes!' Haha!

NC Dinos game. The Dinos are a brand new team. Changwon citizens are super excited to have their own baseball team!

The people in red were all cheering for the opposing team. Haha! They had quite a crowd!
 

Fried Chicken is a popular food item to eat at baseball games.

4) Seoul
I went to visit South Korea's largest city, twice. It is said that a quarter of the population of South Korea live in Seoul. Wow! It is located near the northern part of South Korea, not THAT far from the DMZ aka North Korea. I live near the bottom of South Korea about 40 minutes away from Korea's second largest city - Busan. Despite the distance, the trip from Changwon to Seoul only took 4 hours and 10 minutes by bus. Nice! I decided it was time to visit this city where so many Koreans and Foreigners want to live. Also, my friend Mary lives in Seoul and it was high time for a visit! Seoul is a great city with lot's to do. There are a ton of people but oddly it didn't feel as crowded as New York City feels to me. Maybe because the city is so spread out. Taking the subway from one side of the city to the other can take over 40 minutes. Yeesh! I went to Seoul twice because the city is just too big to see in one weekend trip. Even after going for a second time for an extended weekend I still feel like there's A LOT I haven't seen. Though Seoul is a pretty cool city I was still very happy to return to my 'small' (1 million population) city of Changwon. Haha! ^^

My new favorite drink shop, Mango Six

I went to see the musical Grease. they had an all Korean cast.

A fancy Seoul Subway Station

Traditional entertainment in the Subway

 

One of the many cool statues all around Seoul

The Seoul City Center

 

I was able to get a NZ/Australian meat pie in the foreigner area of Seoul - Itaewon

 

A huge indoor mall - Times Square

 

Samcheongdong shopping area.

 

Gyeongbuk Palace (In downtown Seoul)

 

Inside Gyeongbuk Palace

Inside Gyeongbuk Palace

 

The Changing of the Guards at Deoksugung Palace

Inside Deoksugung Palace

Inside Deoksugung Palace with Mary and her friend.

Even from inside Deoksugung Palace there was a constant reminder that we were still in the city. 

 

Locks of Love at Namsan (Seoul) Tower. Couples would put these locks here as a sign of their everlasting love.

 

A view of Seoul at night from Namsan Tower

 

Myeong dong - a popular shopping district

The Cheonggyecheon River. It goes right through the heart of the Seoul City Center.

 

 

Unusual Norms in South Korea

So I've been in South Korea for over four months now. During these four months I've had to make a lot of adjustments to things that one might call 'unusual' in the USA but are just part of normal every day life in S. Korea. The longer I'm here the more I begin to reevaluate the expectations of my culture. I mean is it really wrong for guys to wear cutesy socks? Do we really know about good customer service? Korea makes you feel so much more special as a customer when they bow and greet you every time you enter and leave the store? Why don't Americans have a fervor to know and learn another language? At the same time, I am truly an American at heart so some things in Korea just don't make sense to me and I really have to fight hard to not judge and condemn them for being...different. With these and numerous other thoughts running through my head I want to share with you some things that have become 'normal' for me here in S. Korea but may seem somewhat odd to my USA friends.

Drive-by ‘Hello’ – Walking down the street on any given day it’s not unusual to hear ‘Hello’ shouted to you in English….by a Korean.  Usually a child but sometimes an adult. I have to admit, this is something that I consider extremely funny. Why? Because of the response if you say ‘Hello’ back. If it’s a child they get really excited! If it’s an adult they get…really excited! Hahaha! The best is when a child yells ‘Hello!’ and then runs behind their parent’s legs. I just smile, wave, and respond with a greeting back at them. These ‘Hellos’ happen when you least expect it. Once, I was walking down a crowded street in Busan when a group of guys walked by and at the last minute, right before we passed each other, a guy said ‘Hello!’ ^^ I don’t mind these drive-by ‘Hellos’ because it’s a chance for them to practice their English in a country where they get SO LITTLE exposure to native English, and I think it’s just nice to say ‘Hello’ to people who are strangers.  My goal recently has been to get these drive-bys to say more.  Maybe if I respond with “Hello. How are you today?” they’ll answer my question. What do you think?

Plastic Food Displays – If you’re hungry, want to eat at a restaurant, and can’t read Korean (or just don’t know what the dish is even if you can) have no fear! There are many restaurants that will display many of their delicious dishes in the window.  Sure the display is a poor plastic imitation of the food, but any help is appreciated. :)

 

Sitting on the Floor – I know what you’re thinking: “How is this unusual? We sometimes sit on the floor in the USA too!” Yes, but do you sit on the floor when you go out to eat? Here in S. Korea many restaurants are floor seating only. I have to admit, I kind of enjoy sitting on the floor to eat. The floors are heated so it’s pretty warm AND you get the added challenge of trying to eat with chopsticks and not spill the food in your lap. It’s kind of funny.

Take Off Your Shoes! – Here in S. Korea you don’t wear shoes in the house…or at some schools…or at some restaurants…or at some churches…or at….you get the point. Usually if the place involves sitting on the floor at some point you take your shoes off and either walk around in your socks or in slippers provided by the place or yourself. ^^ My apartment actually has a built in area at the entrance where you leave your shoes when you first enter the apartment.  

Spitting – Yuck! People spit ALL THE TIME here in South Korea. And not just a light dribble. They do a Big Lugee. You can hear the person from down the street revving up to make their biggest spit wad – Aaachk Phttuuw! Are you grossed out yet?! Yeah, that’s how I feel every time I hear it. And if you walk with your headphones on and don’t hear the spit you will definitely see it on the ground. I’m constantly looking at the ground to make sure I don’t step in the numerous wads of spittle. No wonder people take off their shoes in the house here. I would too if there was the constant risk of walking in someone’s spit and then dragging that onto the floor of my house. So far I’ve only seen guys do this so maybe it’s just a guy thing. Who knows! Either way, it’s gross.

Speedster Buses – Entering the Bus is like entering a race car. You better be ready for the bus to speed off the moment the last person gets on. Any wise or experienced bus rider will upon entering the bus immediately grab a stable thing to hold onto. And I don’t mean one of those dangling grab straps. Those things are only useful if you don’t want to fall flat on your face.  You can still be swung forwards and backwards, crashing into people, as the bus steps on the gas after every red light and slams on the breaks at every bus stop. It’s quite a ride! Nevermind that the bus is going way above the speed limit and weaving in and out of traffic too. Yeah, this type of driving would definitely produce many lawsuits in the USA. ^^

Bus Wait Time Indicator – Speaking of Buses, many large cities in South Korea have this cool device:

 

It tells you how many minutes until the next bus comes. It’s great! The wait doesn’t feel as long when you see the minutes going down. Some of the fancier devices (like this one) even tell you how many stops away the bus is. Maybe they have these somewhere in the USA, but not in Cleveland, so yeah, pretty unusual.

 

Battery Disposal – So two months into my time here in South Korea I found myself with some dead AAA batteries. Thankfully I was smart enough to realize that a country that has an extensive garbage and recycling system probably doesn’t want you to just throw the batteries into the garbage. Upon asking some Korean friends about the proper way to dispose of batteries they informed me that there should be a container in my neighborhood for batteries. Hmm, I never really paid attention to the random containers that I passed on my walk to and from work, but ‘lo and behold’ there was indeed a battery container. And it looks like this:

Good thing they put a picture on the front. Haha! Oh yeah, and right next to it was the container for old light bulbs. :)

Pencil Sharpeners – South Korea has some really cute and fun pencil sharpeners.  Just look and see!

Crayons? – Crayons are also different here.  They work kind of like mechanical pencils. You just twist the bottom and the crayon comes up.  Different.

 

 

Winter Dress (or lack there of) – It has been a cold Winter in Changwon. Some days it’s been so cold that your hands would begin to feel numb after a few minutes of being outside.  I’m from Cleveland, Ohio so I know how to dress for cold weather. Like this:

 

But many Korean women I’ve seen in this cold weather dress like this:

Yeah.  Cold legs. No gloves. Thin jacket for fashion. Not so fun.  Maybe shorts shouldn't be worn in the winter?

Texting on Ice – Um, some people here in S. Korea have amazing balance! I have seen people walk across a sheet of ice, ice that would normally cause a person to slip and slide, and not only stay upright but also accomplish this amazing feat while texting. This is not just a one time occurrence. I have seen many people do this. These people walk as though there’s no ice on the ground at all.  Amazing!

Lockers…Everywhere – Say you want to go grocery shopping but you have a bulky bag with you that you don’t want to carry around.  Well, no worries! There are convenient lockers at the entrance to many large grocery stores as well as museums and other public places. So for just 10 cents you can put your items in a locker, and the best part is you get the money back when you return your locker key! In fact, many large grocery/department stores require you to put your bags in a locker before you enter the store. Of course this would never fly in the USA (the threat of bombs in unattended backpacks and such is too big a scare), but it’s very convenient in South Korea. ^^

 

Mirrors…Everywhere – And people fixing their hair, make-up, or clothing at every mirror.  When I see men and women looking in the mirror to put ONE strand of hair back in place I think “Why? It’s just going to move the moment you walk away!!” I’ve watch girls at a concert fixing their hair using the camera on their phones, I’ve seen guys dancing in front of the mirrors at a club - I guess to see how great they dance(?), and I’ve watched numerous people fix the way they look using the convenient mirrors in the elevator. There are even some public bathrooms that have mirrors on the back of the toilet stall doors (and they’re placed at sitting level).  Seriously!?  So here’s my song for S. Korea:

Mirror by BarlowGirl

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Have I got it?

'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am

I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect

So sorry you won't define me

Sorry you don't own me

 

Who are you to tell me

That I'm less than what I should be?

Who are you? Who are you?,

I don't need to listen

To the list of things I should do

I won't try, no, I won't try

 

So that’s a little taste of the things that you might see in S. Korea that might be unusual to Americans but normal to Koreans. As I mentioned earlier, they’re not necessarily bad just not what we’re used to in the States. It’s good to know that the Lord made such a creative world filled with different people, different cultures, and different customs! ^^