Man of many names
My good friends from grade school call me Bill. That is also what my parents and sister have been calling me all my life. My co-workers and students call me William. Some of my friends back home call me bWill or will.I.am. My good friends here in Korea call me Kill Bill. I prefer Will. This is how I introduce myself. I also have two middle names. Very few people know both, if any.
Thoughts about my first 2 months at the English Village
The English Village is like being in college. Except, we are the teachers, not the students. This doesn’t mean that we aren’t learning. We learn new things everyday. Sometimes teaching can feel like giving presentation after presentation, yet we don’t get grades. Just paychecks.
We live on campus, but we come and go as we please. You can literally roll out of bed at 8:20 AM, throw on some clothes, walk into the staff room 10 minutes later, and start your day. This is not an example of my routine, but there are others that do this on the reg.
Also, there aren’t any feelings of pressure that come with being in college. As long as you show up and stay within the assigned curriculum, you have the freedom to do anything the way you want to. When the work day is over, school is over. No homework means no grading which means no homework for the teachers. And there is plenty of prep time throughout the day for future classes.
Ultimately, I have had a stress-free time here in Korea. I am getting everything accomplished that I have wanted and more. I am the happiest I have been in a long time, and finally, I am in a positive direction of my life. My goals are huge, but step by step, I feel like I am gaining the tools, as well as the knowledge, to achieve them.
All play and no work
After our half day of work on Friday, some of my friends and I went to Seoul for the weekend. This was much needed. The kids during this past week at the camp were from a school that was on the verge of becoming blacklisted here. End of shop talk.
Before we left, my friend Vanessa lent me her video camera. This journey was already starting out to be a promising adventure.
We hopped on a subway from Yongmun to Itaewon, a neighborhood in Seoul that is very foreign friendly and known for its late night partying. I really enjoy not driving and using public transportation. I, especially, like not supporting the overpriced oil industry and the growing pollution of our planet, not directly at least.
First, we had dinner at a great Thai restaurant, Buddha’s Belly. I love Pad Thai with chicken and was in the mood for some noodles. I eat rice basically everyday, so that is what I ordered. Most of friends had the curry and rice, which is something I make at home here, and I was very pleased with my decision. I’d definitely recommend the restaurant. Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten at a restaurant that I haven’t enjoyed since I have been in Korea.
After dinner, the first bar we hit up is arguably the best bar I ever been to, The Bungalow. The drinks are expensive, $10 a drink, but we were also paying for the ambiance, which was amazing. We sat on swings and the floor was covered in sand. It was a good thing that we were there on Friday because we probably would have not been able to get a table with as many people as we had on a Saturday.
On way to the next bar, a few of were stopped by random Koreans. Some of the girls I was with were stopped by some fashion students that liked their style. They took an brief interview and some pictures of them. I was approached by some random drunk ass who muttered some Korean in my face. When I told him I didn’t speak any Korean, he replied that I spoke better Korean than him in English and then stumbled off. That was the first time that has happened to me, but I never felt uncomfortable or threatened. I thought it was hysterical. Most Koreans won’t even give me eye contact, the majority being those much older than me.
Our next destination was a bar I had been to before, Scrooge’s. They have cheap Long Island Iced Teas, $7. Yes, that is cheap. You won’t find cheaper drinks anywhere unless you want to drink the Bud Light or Miller Lite of Korea, Cass or Hite, which would be $4 a pint. Guinness, cider, and Hoegaarden, which is very popular in Korea, are about $8. Also, the pour of the Long Islands at Scrooge’s are very generous. We started off on the balcony. It was a nice, cool evening, we are still in jacket weather, and our group had it to ourselves. But later in the evening, we made our inside to mingle with the other strangers in a strange land.
After we closed down Scrooge’s, we got some street food from a taco truck parked outside the corner of the Hamilton Hotel, Taco de Mayo. Two guys were making tacos and burritos to order for a bunch of hungry, wasted people. The street food here in Korea is excellent and fairly inexpensive. With my video camera in hand, I talked with the guys that prepared our food. They gave me their business card and told me to put the footage on YouTube. I still have yet to look at it, but I’m positive I can oblige them. It was the first time I have had tacos in Korea, but they were bad ass.
The next day, we started off eating brunch a nice, homey restaurant called Craftworks. I had some scrambled eggs, potatoes, and toast with bacon, ham, and chorizo sausage. That really hit the spot being hungover and was the best breakfast I have had here. Some of the girls drank mimosas, but I choose to abstain from alcohol on Saturday.
After brunch, I went and got a cell phone. I bought this crappy flip phone that is straight out of 2004. I still have my iPhone, but I can’t use it in Korea, they have a different network than the states use. Though I can still use everything else on it through wifi. So, it’s official. I am that douche with two phones.
At 3 PM, we went to see a production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’. I have seen some 10 to 12 minutes cuttings of it before, but I had never seen the full production. It was very interesting and creatively done. Most of it was done in English, but there were some Koreans in the cast that performed their monologues in Korean. There was a scrim in the back that translated both the English and Korean portions, so all could enjoy. The only problem was that I was seated on the stage right of the house, and a curtain blocked the beginning of the sentences. We informed the people who organized the production of this at intermission, but the problem was not corrected. It still was a great show. The only thing that was shocking to me was at the end. One of the organizations, after give her thanks to the audience in attendance, shared her story of being sexuality abused by a stranger 15 years ago, which was incredibly raw and heart breaking. But after her ‘monologue’, she asked the women in the audience who had been abused and brave enough to share to stand up. After some people stood, she asked those who stood up to remaining standing. Then proceeded to ask those to stand who knew of someone who had been abused. Most people stood up. She then asked those to stand if they were ones who would do anything to prevent abuse from happening. By this time, everyone was standing. After the show, my friends and I shared with each other which one was our favorite monologue. My friend Kyle enjoyed ‘The Flood’, which was greatly performed by an older Korean woman. My favorite was ‘The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could’, more because of the writing.
After the show, we ate dinner at an Italian restaurant. I can’t remember the name it, though. It was good, but nothing to get excited about. There were some memorable things about it. First, instead of bread to munch on, they served homemade pickle slices. Every Korean restaurant has to serve something pickled, even if it’s not Korean food. Also, my friend Dee ordered a coke. When the waiter came a brought it to her, he presented her with a 6 ounce can and a glass with four straws. Two of my friends ordered pizzas, and pizzas are served with honey. I had a pasta with clams in oil and a white wine sauce. I was satisfied.
We hung around a little bit longer in the city, but then we caught the 8 PM train back to Yongmun. By this time, I was pretty worn out.
All in all, I had a lot of fun in Seoul this weekend. I met some chill new people. Also, I caught up with some that I have met before but don’t live in the same city. I took a lot of video. The guys at the taco stand and seeing ‘The Vagina Monologues’ have inspired me to put the footage to good use. I can’t wait until the end of the month when I get paid, so I can invest in my new camera.
Bartending and teaching: same monkey, different suit
