Expat Diaries-Life and Perspectives in Korea

I decided for this month's Expat Diaries, I would step back in time and talk about when we first came over to Korea and how moving overseas has changed us. Link up your travel/expat stories below and get to know some of the other lovely bloggers!

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I still remember the moment my husband and I decided to move abroad. I had texted him to tell him that instead of settling in our hometown after the wedding, I wanted to live abroad and travel the world. He texted back saying he already knew of a job opportunity working as ESL teachers in South Korea. So while I planned the wedding, he set to work on the piles of paperwork needed in order to work abroad. Within four months, we were on a plane for half way around the world. The draw of traveling and experiencing different cultures all while being able to save money is what led us to hop on that plane with our lives in four small bags and not look back. Within the first six months of living in Korea, we had already decided one year was not long enough. We made plans to find jobs for a second and even a third year.

People always ask us how it feels to live in a different country. Don’t we miss home? Is it hard? Truth be told, it goes in cycles. At first, everything is a novelty. We walked around our small town for the first month with our eyes wide open, taking in all the strange sights and smells. Gawking in the fish market and getting confused at all of the signs written in Korean, a language that might as well been hieroglyphics. Then, it changes. You get sick of playing charades every time you want something to eat; you get annoyed at the pointing and the stares. You start to wonder why you came at all and daydream by looking at apartment ads posted back stateside (true story). And if you can make it through that, you graduate to the final stage…normalcy. Even the most bizarre, strange and annoying things seem like a walk in the park. Things that once made you want to pack your bags and leave, make you laugh and shake your head. The country you once thought of as so bizarre and foreign now feels like home (or as much as it can in a country where you'll always be looked at as an outsider).

My husband and I always speak about how life will be so different when we return back to the states. Living overseas not only changes the way you look at life, but also how you live life. So how has it changed us?

1. As you can imagine, Korean cuisine is drastically different from in the States. There is of course a lot of rice, a lot of fresh vegetables and a lot of spice. I am an absolute wimp when it comes to spice, so I hardly ate when we first moved here. But as the months wore on, I found myself adding more and more spicy sauce to my meals and even (gasp) craving Korean dishes. Living here has changed what we eat and has made us choose what we eat more carefully. We have found ourselves naturally eating less processed foods, more fresh produce and a more varied selection of dishes. When we move back home we’ll think more about what we are putting into our bodies and try to keep the habit of choosing to eat better foods for our bodies (even though for a while we’ll be downing every burger we come across).

2. Patience is not a virtue I excel at. But when you’re teaching young children a language they do not yet know and you have to explain what to do three times, in three distinctly different ways; patience eventually becomes one of your strong skills.

Even this simple art project took me a few times to explain

3. Living overseas and traveling as much as we do has made us much more open-minded to those around us and the different cultures of the world. And while this has made a huge impact in our own lives, it has also made us realize that we would like to raise our kids in the future with this same mentality.

4. One of the biggest things that living in Korea has shown us is how we treat foreigners in our own country. We feel so incredibly blessed to live in a country where, even though we know very little of the language, we have never had a negative or rude experience while living here due to language barriers. Everyone is so patient with us while we try to describe what we are looking for or what we need. Living in a different country is difficult as is, and I hope we can show the same patience to foreigners when we move back home. Now that we are able to understand what it feels like to be on the other side.

Traveling and living abroad is all about adaptation, developing the skill to laugh in any situation and most of all, to be humble. You learn to be flexible and work around the inevitable obstacles that will get in your way. You learn to laugh when the obvious cultural differences stare you in the face. For example, you have to laugh when the cook comes out of the kitchen and tells you to shush because you are the typical loud American, you have to laugh when your children try to grab your boobs in class, and you especially have to laugh when your boss tells you that you look tired and sick when really you feel fine. But most important of all of these, is to be humble. We as expats are bound to make mistakes and bound to step over a cultural line at some point. It is during those times that we have to be gracious and humble enough to take help from those around you and apologize.

I apologize that since we're leaving on a jet plane in a matter of hours, I won't be able to hop around to your blogs as usual. I assure you though that I look forward to reading them when we get back! Thanks everyone for linking up with us!

The queen of litter

Yep, that’s what I’ve been so far this week.  My sidekick, Rachel, finished her internship last Friday, and headed back to Cincinnati.  That means there’s no more raucous drive-by grabbings for litter pick up.  I’m on my own and slowly plod down the refuge roads gathering refuse.

Considering how thoughtless and uncaring many people are about our refuges, I suppose it’s job security.  No matter how many bottles, cans, and other garbage I pick up along the roadsides, there seems to be a never ending supply. 

Luckily, when I get fed up with this ‘crap’, I can take a slight detour down a few roads that are gated and not open to the public at this time of the year.  It’s here that I enjoy the unspoiled nature, and find indications that summer is waning.  The goldenrod has begun to flower, and the vibrant reds of the Sumac fruits are beginning to appear.  Sumac is one of the first trees to turn color in the fall, and today I found the first red leaves.

It seems that summer was a little late in coming to northern Minnesota this year, and already I’m noticing signs of fall.  Berries are ripening, the birds have finished nesting and are done singing, and the post breeding quiet is descending.  I still hear the haunting call of the loon occasionally, but time is moving on. 

I’ve been watching the progress of several pairs of Trumpeter Swans.  One pair still has two signets, another has three signets surviving.  Sadly, the pair that frequents the Chippewa picnic area along the Otter Tail River seems to have lost their young.  Life isn’t always easy out in the wild.

Tomorrow, I get a break from picking up litter.  I’ll be leading a tour of the refuge.  The tour is scheduled each Thursday during the summer, but you never know if anyone will show up for it.  I hope some folks show up tomorrow so I can show them what a great place this is.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

You Asked, I Answered Part III

People sent in questions from all around the world asking about our lives here in South Korea. So...you asked, I answered! Since I had so many awesome questions, and I would really like to answer them all, I have decided to split this up into a three part series, this being the second installment. For Part I click here or Part II click here. Let's get started!

photo courtesy of dots.i.am photography

Jenni from The Beautiful Little Fools asked
If you could go back in time to any time period what period would you choose and where in the world would you go to during that time period?
I would love to be in Chicago during the 1920's. As a fashion major, this is my favorite time period and I also think that with all the historical events that take place during that time, it would be so interesting to observe first hand. And besides, who wouldn't want to go do the charleston at a speakeasy?

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Kate from Another Clean Slate asked:
What do your family and friends think of your blog?
Hmmm, I'm scared to ask! Actually, as much as my husband sometimes hates me being on the computer so much writing, he's been my number one fan. Brainstorming to help me collaborate pieces and series, proofreading, photo taking and majority of the editing. As much as I'm the face of the blog, I truly feel like it's a joint effort. All of my friends and family know that I write and they comment from time to time, but it doesn't come up in discussion all that often (which I'm partially thankful for! Anyone else feel awkward when people bring up your blog?!) 

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Jess from A Stamp in My Passport asked:
What is your least favorite part of living abroad? 
The staring. I feel fortunate enough that we live in a city with a large amount of foreigners here so it doesn't happen as much as other parts of the country. But there are still plenty of times when foreign women are stared at solely based on the fact that we're foreign. (I even had a three year old look at me and start crying because I was the first foreigner she'd seen! Talk about a rough first day at a new job!) It's not so much the children staring because we look different, it's the parents that join in as it's not seen as a rude social aspect like it is in the states. And don't get me started on the drunk guys that litter the streets at night. I got less cat calls when I lived near a bar area in Chicago than I do here. The worst experience was when an older man walked into my classroom before it started and had his buddy take a picture of the two of us. This sadly isn't that uncommon so I reluctantly obliged. He took it too far when he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close to him. I have never felt so objectified by a person just because of the way I look. This definitely does not speak about Korea as a whole, it's just a frustrating experience that I, and many foreign women I know, have had. 

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Bailie from The Hemborg Wife asked:
Do you ever get confused when where you mean when you are talking about home?" 
YES YES YES! I many times have to stop myself after I say the word 'home' to clarify where I am talking about. This is especially true when we visit the states. When we leave Korea, we tell people we're going home. When we go back to Korea, we tell family and friends we are going back home. In our minds we have two homes, plain and simple. One that we currently live in, and one that we will one day return to.

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Laura from Inspiration Sparks asked:
What's your favorite part about living/exploring South Korea? I really wanna visit Seoul soon!!!!! 
The landscape is truly breathtaking. Where we live, the island is filled with mountains, all with seaside views from the top. I never grew up by water or mountains so just having the view of mountains plus several beaches within a short drive away is so much fun in the summer!
If you're visiting Seoul a few things that are must see's are: Namsan Tower, Meyongdong (for shopping), Bongeunsa Temple and Insadong traditional market. But honestly, whatever you do in Seoul you will love! It's such a great city to visit!

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And when you say "spend your lives traveling the world" does that mean you're not wanting to come back to the states? 
We're not planning on coming back anytime soon! When we first came over to Korea, the plan was to stay a year, two tops. Each year we're here, we extend is another year! We have just realized that we love the expat life. Sure, there are times when it's more difficult but all the positives that we have experienced with traveling, lifestyle and our own relationship have made it well worth it! With all that said, we do plan on moving back eventually, most likely in a few more years, we just haven't made any concrete plans to yet. 

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Aukele from 91dash asked:
What is one thing you miss about the USA or your home (no family answers!)
I've said it before and I'll say it again...TARGET! I think that would be the most popular answer for the majority of expats actually. I miss being able to walk into one store and find clothes, groceries and house goods. That's practically impossible here. 

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Bonnie from A Compass Rose asked:
Who are bloggers that inspire you and help you to dream bigger? 
Great question! Some blogs that I love reading and turn to for inspiration and a great model on how to run a blog are Elsie & Emma from A Beautiful Mess, Jenni from Story of My Life and Megan from Across the Pond.

Thank you so much for everyone who sent in a question! I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed answering them!

A couple of gems in Little Falls, MN

After visiting Crane Meadows and Sherburne National Wildlife Refuges yesterday, I headed back to the rig with a stop in Little Falls along the way.  I had seen a sign along the roads advertising the Minnesota Fishing Museum.  I’ve heard of a lot of different kinds of museums, but a fishing museum?  I decided I had to check it out.

I took their invitation to “Stop in and step back in time to experience the evolution of fresh water fishing in Minnesota.”  This small museum contains over 10,000 fishing artifacts.

The lady volunteer who greeted me on my arrival was most enthusiastic about what I was about to see.  There are all kinds of lures, fishing poles, and motors dating back to 1913.  The folks working there truly have a love for what they are preserving.

Among my favorite displays were the Minnesota record size fish, where they were caught, and by whom that were displayed along the walls.  These taxidermied fish and replicas covered every kind of fresh fish caught in the state.  I don’t ever expect to catch a 54 lb. Muskie, but I sure would enjoy hooking a big old sunfish.   

I’m not much into the history and evolution of boat motors or lures for that matter, but I did get a chuckle out of the lighter side of their displays like the ‘record’ fish, and big bobber.  There was also a large diorama that depicted a spearing dark house on a frozen lake.  Carving lifelike wooden fish decoys to lure big fish in to spear through a hole in the ice is something I didn’t even know existed.  It’s not likely I’d ever do ice fishing…too cold for me…, but the story I read of a twelve year old ‘coming of age’ in a dark house was riveting. 

My absolute favorite lure display was this one depicting the history of the fishing lure from one million B.C. to the present.  I sure hope if you click on this pic that you will be able to read the captions.  They are a real hoot!  I even remember carving one of those red and white lures like the second one from the bottom when I was about 17 years old.  Never caught anything with it, but what fun I had, way back when, dreaming about catching a ‘big one’.  Living in the city of Chicago at that time, I thought northern Wisconsin with all of its lakes was heaven.  I even talked my best friend, Carolyn (aka: bigfoot), into letting me cut off several locks of her brilliant red hair to use on one of my lures.  Those lures that I carved and tied are long gone, but their dreams still remain.  Some day, I’ll land that big one… if only in my dreams.

The $4.00 fee to see the museum was well worth it for me.  It brought back many happy memories from my youth.  By the time I got there, I had less than an hour to visit before they closed, but they allowed me to stay parked in their lot after closing so I could take advantage of a celebration that was going on very nearby.  The Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church next door was having an old time bazaar going on.

There was a huge crowd attending, and parking spaces were at a premium.  There was a live Polish Polka Band performing, and that kind of surprised me for a northern Minnesota community.  I would have expected a Norwegian festival.  However, I had one thing in mind when thinking of a church bazaar.

I don’t sew or crochet, and I have been in need of some of those dish towels that have a method of hanging around a fridge or stove handle.  The best place I know of to find them is at a church bazaar.  I was not disappointed.  I bought these three towels from (I hesitate to say) a little older ladies group that supports the church.  They do such fine work, and these were just what I was looking for.

I also found these hand embroidered pillow cases at a reasonable price.  I don’t have the patience or talent for this kind of work, but I sure do appreciate it.  The fishing museum and a church bazaar.  With those two gems and my visits to two refuges, the day was a resounding success from my point of view.

Last, but not least, I added a new tee shirt to my collection at the MN Fishing Museum.  I just couldn’t pass it up.  As I purchased it, I thought of Where are the Dixons Today?  I think it would be the perfect shirt for Jim.

(As an aside, crappie is a fish whose name is pronounced differently depending on where you live in this country.  In Minnesota, it’s pronounced ‘croppie’, but in New York it’s called ‘crappie’.  The NY pronunciation is how I interpret this shirt. )

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Travel Tuesdays- Shanghai

Just a little something to cure your wanderlust for the week.

via

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

Being a tourist

On my trip to Rochester and back last week, I passed several places along the road that I wanted to investigate further.  I had packed a lunch last night, so I headed out early to visit a couple of them.  Only problem was, when I got up, my left ankle was giving me fits.  How in the world does a person get what feels like a sprained ankle while they’re asleep?  That painful limp persisted all day, so it put a damper on some of my plans.

First up was Crane Meadows NWR down near Little Falls, MN.  It turned out that the only public access to this refuge at this time of the year is the 3.7 mile hiking trail along the Platte River.

That wasn’t going to work for me today, but I did make it to the first overlook of the Platte.  This refuge doesn’t have a wildlife drive, so I was a bit disappointed considering I couldn’t walk very far.  I’d driven about 120 miles to get here, so now what to do?

I plugged the address for Sherburne NWR into Jack-in-the-Box, and found out it was a further 54 miles down the road.  What the heck!  I’d come this far, so I might as well drive another hour to see what this refuge had to offer.

I’m very glad I did.  There’s a seven mile wildlife drive on this refuge, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Even though it’s not that far as the crow flies from Tamarac, the habitat is quite a bit different.

This refuge is all about wetlands, not the big lakes that Tamarac has.  They do have a few things in common though.

Bald eagles and trumpeter swans nest here just as they do at Tamarac.  This young bald eagle was occasionally screeching, as it waited for its parents to come feed it.  It’s about ready to be out on its own very soon.

It took me a couple of hours to do that seven mile wildlife drive.  It was the middle of the day, and not the best time to see wildlife, but I enjoyed my tour non the less. 

There is a lot more native prairie land on this refuge, and the blooming prairie flowers were vibrant.  I could just envision the first settlers coming to this area and being in awe of the beauty.

I was surprised by the number of overlooks provided for visitors.  I’m guessing there’s an overlook for almost every mile of the wildlife drive.  I probably encountered about a half a dozen other vehicles along the route.  It was good to see people out taking advantage of this peaceful drive.

Since it’s almost August, many of the wildflowers are sending their seeds out for the next generation.  Life marches on.  It’s all a grand circle, isn’t it?

As I headed back north, I stopped in Little Falls and had another little adventure.  I’ll save what happened there for tomorrow’s post.  Sometimes being a tourist and going with the flow works out just right.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Philippine Waterfall Rappelling Video

Remember how we went to the Philippines in June? And you know how good bloggers usually get all of their posts about a vacation done in a timely manner? Well that's not me. But I'm ok with that because that just means that I get to reminisce about old vacations for a very.long.time. Jeremy has been working like crazy to get the videos from the vacation done and I always love how they turn out. Yes, it's great to look through pictures, but there is something about having a video from your vacation that captures more of the feeling of the destination. Below is our adventures in waterfall rappelling. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Waterfall Repelling from Lost.in.Travels on Vimeo.

The next video that he's working on is the whale sharks! Stay tuned!

Linking up with  Carissa, Rachel, Logan, Leann, Molly

First tomato

It’s been kind of chilly since I returned to Tamarac.  Highs in the 60’s during the day, and I’ve used the furnace each morning.  There have been rather brisk winds as well.  Some storms moved through the day after I got back, which afforded me another chance to exercise the generator as we lost electricity for a number of hours.

This morning dawned bright but cool, so I headed out for the farmer’s market in Detroit Lakes.

Most of the local venders had to hang onto their canopies so they wouldn’t blow away.  Just about everyone was bundled up.  Seems a little early for such cool temperatures.  I got in line to wait for my rustic Italian loaf of bread from the Breadsmith booth.  I think it’s the most popular booth here.

I got there pretty early, so I was able to snatch up a small basket of home grown tomatoes.  They were pretty small, but so delicious.  I’ve been waiting a year for that wonderful taste.  Raspberries are now in season, but I had bought a pint at a stand on my way back from Rochester the other day.  I got them for a much better price too. 

After a few other errands in town, I headed to Frazee, MN, for Turkey Days.  That’s the town where I got that picture of the World’s Largest Turkey in May.  Well, as far as small town festivals go, I’d say this one wasn’t worth stopping for, so I didn’t.    As I slowly drove through town, it seemed that it mostly consisted of craft booths.  Not my cup of tea, so I headed back home.

I took the round about way home through the refuge, and spotted a nice bunch of wildflowers.   I haven’t got the desire to identify them right now since it took me hours to figure out how to get my pictures uploaded to Picasa 3.  I said in the last post that I was liking Windows 8, but today’s experience almost had me tearing my hair out. 

At one point, all 19,000 of my pictures disappeared again, and I ended up calling Daniel several times.  Of course, he told me it had to be user error (which didn’t help my disposition at all!).  Eventually we (he) figured it out, and my pictures were back.  The last time I called, he told me I had reached my limit of help calls for the day.    I then reminded him, that if it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be here!    I just hope I can remember the convoluted method he showed me for getting pictures uploaded tomorrow.

If the weather is good in the morning, my plan is to visit a couple of interesting places in Little Falls, MN.  Think Charles Lindberg, fishing, and a crane meadow….

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Make My Switzerland Phone App

When the makers of Make My Switzerland first approached me about a new phone app they had designed, I'll admit, I was a little skeptical. I've never even been to Switzerland (despite my desire to). But once I took a further look at it, I knew it was something that I had to get behind.

When we travel, the most important question on our minds is what will we do?! Not only do we want to cover all of the major attractions, the things we can find in all of the guide books, but we also want to experience what everyday life is like in that country. What do all the locals like to do, where do they go to eat, what do they do for fun? Why do they like living in that city? That's where Make My Switzerland takes over. They have created a new free phone app that matches your mood to inspiring,
surprising and unexpected experiences around seven cities in Switzerland; each with two local ambassadors that give the scoop on the best things to do around town.

The seven cities currently available on the app include:

Bern- a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thanks to its 6 kilometres of arcades - the locals refer to them as 'Lauben' - boasts one of the longest weather-sheltered shopping promenades in Europe.

 Lausanne- the second-largest city on Lake Geneva, combines a dynamic commercial town with the locality of a holiday resort.

 Lucerne- the gateway to central Switzerland, sited on Lake Lucerne, is embedded within an impressive mountainous panorama.

 Geneva- with its humanitarian tradition and cosmopolitan flair, the European seat of the UNO and headquarters of the Red Cross is known as the “capital of peace”.

 Zurich- as a “metropolis of experiences” by the water, with a magnificent view of the snowcapped Alps on the horizon, Zürich offers a unique mixture of attractions – over 50 museums and more than 100 art galleries, international fashion labels and Zürich designs, and the most flamboyant and lively nightlife in Switzerland.

 Basel- among the most important cultural centres of Switzerland. It's 40 museums, can easily be reached on foot, mostly by strolling through romantic lanes and alleys in the old town.

 Lugano- the largest town in the holiday region of Ticino, is not only Switzerland's third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business hub, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings.

The directions are easy:

1. Tell the app what your mood is like today. Simply turn the cross to match your mood from the interactive display. If you can’t decide, why not just spin it and see where it lands!

Out for Iphone and Android, 1st July

2. The app displays video and advertorial content for each city that fits with your mood. By clicking on it you will be given a reward to collect, and redeem, if you visit on of the cities.

3. The app will let you watch or read about the ‘experience that matches your mood’ The videos/advertorials will feature inspiring and unexpected content from across all of the cities. You can share via twitter, Facebook etc

4. The app will then display the activity and reward relevant to your chosen city, along with other similar experience that are geographically close. By clicking on the experience it adds the rewards to their personal trip itinerary.

Users are invited to share/like the content on their social networks to get increased incentives. (e.g. 20% discount at the Renaissance Zurich Hotel, but you get 30% if you like or share on across their social networks (Facebook/Twitter). And as an added bonus, if you use this app while you are in Switzerland, you will be automatically entered in your chance to win the cost of your holiday back!

This is such a simple and easy way to find unique things to do and see in a new city. My only hope is that they expand this to offer more countries and cities!

So tell me...would you use it?

this is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own

Windows 8, first impression

I thought when I fell into my bed last night, I’d be so comfortable that I’d instantly be asleep.  That was not to happen.  I tossed and turned until after 3:00 in the morning before I finally succumbed.  By the time I woke up at 7:30, my plans to get back on the job and start mowing had flown out the window.  I just couldn’t do it.  I guess recuperation takes longer the older you get, and my birthday on Monday just added another notch to the stick.

I fiddled with the new computer for a while, and came up with this collage of pictures that my daughter Robyn took on Saturday afternoon.  It was a hot day, and when one of those ice cream trucks with the incessant song ringing came by, she treated everyone to a refreshing snack. 

I haven’t heard one of those trucks in a long time.  When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, a guy on a bicycle might pedal through the neighborhood ringing his bell.  The front of his bike had a big metal cooler on it with the sweet frozen treats inside.  It sure was more exciting to me than hearing the Rags-A-Lion man shouting with his horse and wagon as he made his way down the alleys in the city!

I suggested to Dan that everyone eat their treats outside, and he agreed.  All colors of ice cream and sherbet were squishing through those little fingers as the sun and heat helped melt everything.    Robyn didn’t get pictures of everyone, but the five grandkids are represented.  Had I not been ill, I would have been clicking away myself.

Anyway, I digress.  This post is supposed to be about Windows 8.  When Dan and I were looking into a new laptop to order for me on Sunday night, he assured me that that any hesitations I had about using Windows 8 were not grounded in reality, but were all opinions I had heard in the blogosphere.  You know, sometimes we mature folks speak one language, and our children speak another.  However, I took his advice and ordered a new Dell 17.3” screen laptop with Windows 8.  He knows about all those numbers about RAM and such that are a mystery to me, so I relied upon him to not lead me astray.

Often, when he is trying to teach me something technical about my computer, we both become very frustrated.  That’s where the different language stuff comes into play.  He can’t understand why I’m not getting what he’s saying, and I can’t understand why he doesn’t understand my repeated questions.  I don’t think I’m stupid, you know.

After all that I’ve said, here’s my first impression of Windows 8… I like it!  I like those big squares with things I can click on once.  I’ve eliminated those I’ll never use, and added my favorites like Live Writer and Picasa, and if you click on the ‘desktop’ you get right to a screen that’s familiar like Windows 7.  Yes, there’s a learning curve, but then I had someone to take me (a little tersely at times) through the basics.  Repeated prompts by Daniel helped a lot, but I was on my own once I left a few hours later.  I think it’s working out, and I’m sure anyone with questions about it would get a calm reply from Rick. 

I did have to call Dan once today though, because try as I might, I couldn’t figure out how to shut the dang computer down correctly since there wasn’t that familiar start button (that also included a shut down/restart option).  It took him less than 30 seconds to walk me through that procedure.  Perhaps now I’ve left the 90’s and entered the new millennium??  Time will tell…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy