What to do on a typhoon-errific day in Korea! AKA it's monsoon season.

Last night I was serenaded to sleep by the music of whistling winds blowing and the pouring rains pounding outside my window.  This is very atypical weather for someone that lives in the central to northern part of California, USA. Here we are used to temperatures ranging in the mid to high 30 and sometime 40 Celsius range!  For those of us Americans not on the same system as the rest of the world, that’s a range in the 90s and 100s Fahrenheit! Ridiculous!  Thankfully we have very dry heat patterns as opposed to the 90+ percent humidity during a summer in northeast Asia.  

This rain storm reminded me of the torrential downpours and rains I experienced in South Korea the past few summers. Strangely, I actually miss the humid rainy days and was calmed by the reminiscent thoughts of Korea’s rains flowing through my head. [Crazy, right? Yeh, I think I miss Korea a lot!] I’m sure most anyone reading this and experiencing Asia’s typhoons and monsoon season for the first time does not agree with my pleasant thoughts and would rather seek ways to avoid this weather pronto. Puddles to your knees, drenched shirts, useless umbrellas, and sticky wet feet – sound familiar anyone?  Right now is Korea’s monsoon (장마 - changma) season. This season usually lasts from late June to mid August!  For anyone from a dry non-humid climate it’s like a hell with rain instead of fire on earth.  You can never escape the moisture. If you shower don’t bother toweling off. You’re going to be sticky 30 seconds later and you’re likely to walk right outside into your second or third shower.

So what if you’re one of those adventure-loving but rain fearing types and have nothing to do on a rainy day in Korea? What are you to do?  First, gear up for the rain! Then, embrace the weather, take a skip through a typhoon blowing by and find something to do!  Need an idea? Here are five things to consider on a rainy day in Korea. Sorry folks, for many of these you’ll have to be traveling through Seoul.

Let’s gear up first!  

1.  Umbrella!  The Number 1 thing you will need if you are to live in Korea during monsoon season is an umbrella! That’s common sense, isn’t it?  Well, of course it is, but for people like me [who thought they were immune to rain but are NOT immune to Korea’s monsoon season] an umbrella seems like a waste of a hand that could be used for holding a cool drink or shopping bag. Koreans insist on holding umbrellas because of the acid rain.  There is a myth (could it be true?) that you will lose your hair because of the acidity of the rain if you do not protect yourself.  I’ve begun to side more with this statement as truth in order to avoid any nervous comments at my lack of umbrella use.  If you forget your umbrella or find a typhoon taking you by surprise you can be sure to find one anywhere in Korea at this time of year. They’re at almost all of the major subway stops or street markets and even cute shops-especially if you are in the cities such as Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, etc. 

gmarket.com

If you're carrying an umbrella you'll have to look out for the umbrella bag stand placed near the entrance of buildings. Because Koreans know this weather so well, they were smart enough to create the bag stand  - a contraption that allows you to place your umbrella in a bag and pull it out covered, ready to enter a building.  Be sure to utilize the bag stand before entering any of the venues you’ll visit. Umbrella bags maintain drier indoor environments by preventing water from dripping everywhere.  

bag stand (minus the bags)

 The other rainy day items are optional and also very common sense. They don’t hurt to have if fashion isn’t your number one priority! Although, the rainy day fashion can be pretty cute-at least on children!  

Cute korean children's rain gear
courtesy of gmarket.com

2.  Raincoat! You can remove it once you enter the store or work place! This is a great addition to an umbrella. With winds blowing the rain east and west, to and fro you’re bound to get soaked without one.  

3.  Rain boots! Puddles to your mid-calf? Rain boots to the rescue. There are lots of trendy colors and styles, too!  Just look at how T-ara wears them!

kpop group, T-ara sporting their trendy rain boots.
en.korea.com (2010)

Now, let’s go! 5 things to do on a rainy day in Korea. 

1.  Lotte World! Lotte World is the world’s largest indoor theme park located in the Jamsil (east side) region of Seoul.  On a rainy day could you find anything better to do than go for spin on the indoor ice rink or a roller coaster ride through the indoor park?  Lotte World is open year around and is home to museums such as the Folk Museum and delicious international cuisines. When it’s not raining you can enjoy its outdoor park themed “Magic Island” and on the gloomy wet days you can enjoy the indoor “Adventure” park.  You can access Lotte World from Line 2 and 8 of the subway system. 

www.destination360.com

2.  Jimjilbang/Sauna! (찜질방/사우나) Aren’t you trying to escape the wet humidity?  Going to a sauna or jimjilbang may defeat the purpose of staying dry-at least you’ll be out of the acid rain and wind!  At a bathhouse you can enjoy a warm shower, a nice sweat in a hot room, a chill in a cold room and partake in the singing or game rooms with friends. Not to mention there’s always some refreshing shikhye (rice drink) or maeshil (plum drink) commonly sipped on in a Korean sauna.  You can also enjoy some ramyon (라면) and boiled eggs with your friends. You can find a bathhouse in any town in Korea, but the biggest ones are in Seoul. My favorite sauna is Siloam at Seoul Station Line 1.  The most famous sauna is Dragon Hill Spa at Yongsan Station off of Line 1 or Line 4. It's large and beautiful with many facilities! You can check out my post on jimjilbangs and saunas answering a few questions for first-timers here.

3.  Noraebang (노래방- translated -> singing room) Noraebangs, private karaoke rooms to be enjoyed with friends or alone, are extremely popular in Korea! The noraebang experience is one of the most well-known pastimes almost all Koreans enjoy!  Once you’ve found a nice room filled with fun friends and luscious couches you’re sure to pass the rainy day and sometimes even the whole night away! In the room you will find a book full of songs to choose from.  Don’t worry there are even some English, Japanese and Chinese selections! You’ll grab a remote, follow the directions on the screen and enter your selections. Once you get the words up on the screen, take a microphone and start singing your heart away! You’ll be pretty famous among the locals if you find a kpop favorite of the year and try to learn that too! If anything, learn to dance to a song and you’ll be loved forever.  Many Koreans have good voices (they get enough practice in noreabangs!) but for those of us with subpar voices you’re likely to make a little fool of yourself! Even with a great voice there’s always a lot of crazy to go around inside the walls of a singing room. So don’t worry! Have fun!

4.  Fun at COEX Mall in Seoul! Korea is full of shopping malls from the sky scrapers such as Migliore (in Dongdaemun and Myeongdong shopping districts) or Shinsegae Department store to the large shopping centers acting as a one- stop shops for cosmetics, food, and designer fashion such as the I’Park Mall in Yongsan!  They’re all known for something different and will keep you busy on a bad weather day!  However, COEX, the largest underground shopping mall in all of Asia, is a “one-stop shop” for everything and more! If you’re traveling through Seoul, you’ll have to set aside a few hours (maybe even days) to fully partake in all of the available attractions. It is located in Gangnam at Samsung station (Green Line 2 of the subway). 

tripadvisor.com

COEX attractions:: 

a.     The Kimchi Field Museum- Here you’ll learn about Korea’s staple food item, kimchi. The museum contains several different exhibits that explain and display the history of kimchi as well as the process of kimchi making.

b.    COEX Aquarium- The only theme-based aquarium in Korea, the COEX Aquarium, holds several hundred species and approximately 40,000 fish swimming around the tanks! It’s a very beautiful sight to see.

c.    Megabox Cineplex Tired of all the walking and shopping?  Take a nice break and kick back for a movie at COEX’s Megabox Theater.

d.    International Cuisine- After sightseeing, shopping and a movie you're probably getting hungry!  The COEX food court is home to endless options such as Burger King and McDonalds or T.G.I Fridays and On The Border. Seafood lovers have the option of dining at Todai Restaurant while others with more specific tastes can choose from Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines. Already eaten and want something a little lighter? Options such as Pascucci, Coffee Bean, and Dunkin Donuts are just a few of the coffee shops you can enjoy.

5.   Museums- This may be the last resort for some, but if you’re in Korea to learn about the culture and its history, visiting a museum or two will be very informative!  There are several museums throughout the major cities of Korea – each with a different focus.  I would suggest visiting the largest museum in Korea, the National Museum of Korea, a museum of art and history located in the Yongsan region of Seoul. There are six exhibition galleries as well as special exhibition halls and a children’s museum. After the rains let up move outside to enjoy the interesting sculptures and outdoor exhibits. Admission? Free!  A  day of culture, history, and sightseeing for free! Sign me up!

If you’re looking for something a little softer on the eyes head over to N Seoul Tower for the Teddy Bear Museum!  Although this museum will cost a couple of won, it is a unique way to see Seoul’s past, present, and future creatively exhibited with cute little teddy bears adorned in Korea's traditional wear! 

www.visitkorea.co.kr

I hope this gives you a bigger taste of Korea and a few ideas of things you can do on a typhoon-errific kind of a day!  Now go frolic in some puddles! 

"Ice Flower" theme song for drama "Kiss and Cry" by Kim Yuna and IU released today

The new theme song produced by Lee Min Soo for SBS's drama Kiss and Cry called "Ice Flower" featuring Kim Yuna (Korea's skating Queen) and IU was released today (June 21, 2011)! An excerpt of the song was previewed on the June 19th episode of the show before its full release June 21st. Surprisingly it was was recorded less than 10 days prior to its first preview.
The song delivers a message of hope challenging everyone to overcome his or her obstacles. Although it is a metaphor to the obstacles and hardships that figure skaters, like Yuna herself, face during training I believe it's of great encouragement to the average person!  We all face struggles in our daily lives.  Even though we may fall on the ice and get a little hurt, we figuratively speaking, get back up on the ice and skate again!

The profits from the purchase of this song will serve to help train figure skaters and improve training practices for figure skaters in Korea. Figure skaters in Korea do not have their own ice rinks and therefore have to share with hockey players. You may support the cause by purchasing here.

Check out the video!  Kim Yuna has many talents!  She's a spectacular ice skater of sorts, but almost as equally captivating is her voice and her personality!

Warmth on a cool walk through Ewha

Life in a small town in California is much different from that of the busy lifestyle in South Korea.  Although I have been busy here my life does not seem the same. I have reminisced much about my days in Korea. 

Last year, February 2010, I visited Ewha Women's University campus with my Japanese friend.  The one memory I have of the inside of the buildings was how starkly clear and clean they appeared to be. With large windows, white walls, and open hallways one could only feel welcomed in. On a nice deceivingly (because it was so cold) sunny winter's day, walking down the halls I felt warmth seep in from the sun that shone through.  At the same time the bright white and starkly clean walls of the women's university felt somewhat cold only magnifying the outdoor freezing temperatures on my inner being.  I cannot conclude whether or not it was truly warm or cold. However, I can say that the hallways and rooms were well-lit.  Natural light is very important for my well-being as well as proper study habits.  The campus is fitting for women. Very pristine.  Ewha is a beautiful campus. I recommend taking a stroll on a fall or spring day when you happen to be in the Idae/Shinchon areas of Seoul.

Here are a few pics of the inside. You'll have to go there for a view of the outdoor scenery.  What do you think? 

bright quiet hallway

Japanese friend modeling in the open hallway

Children's Day 어린이날

It's almost that time of year again where kids flock the streets and celebrations bring the little ones together.  May 5th in Korea is a national holiday known as Children's Day.  (어린이날) It is a day to celebrate the people of Korea's future. Parents adorn their kids with gifts and fun activities.

Korea's Children's Day was founded by Pang Chung-Hwan, a children's author, in 1923 as a way to show love, care, and respect to children. In a culture where parents and elders command respect, Pang thought children deserved the same respect and dignity. By instilling a sense of independence and pride in the children at a young age, they would be better able to serve their nation in the future. For children are the future of a nation.  If they grow up with respect and pride they will be able to exude that same respect and pride for their nation as they grow older.  

This day is also a great day to honor parents that have raised good kids and an excuse for the family to come together and have fun. Amusement parks, national parks, and zoos are open for lots of family fun.

Last year I visited Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan for some Children's Day events. This year I'm in America a little ways away from the action, but I recommend that expatriates in Korea find local parks or recreation centers and check out some of the events. You may get some ice cream and a free balloon. If nothing else, you can remember your childhood and have a little fun living vicariously through your students or children's adventures. Nevertheless, it is a great learning experience.

Even Hilary Clinton on behalf of the United States is wishing Korea a Happy Children's Day.  She stated that there is a lot of promise in the future of Korea through Korean's children.

If you are in Busan you could always head to this Children's Day event at Busan's Natural History Museum . There will be lots of fun activities including balloon art and a magic show. Later in the day you could head to the beach and enjoy some lovely Spring weather!

Happy Children's Day Korea!

Living with a disability in Korea

I read this article last week about KBS hiring a disabled person as an anchor .  KBS is a broadcasting system for Korea and it recently stated that it hired one of its first disabled news anchors.  In America something like this would never make news unless it was a famous person or had some significant meaning to the public.  There are  laws to protect individuals from discrimination of race, gender, and even disability when it comes to finding work. This does not mean an employer may not subconsciously be judging or choose another candidate over one that "appears" not to be able to complete the task as well as another. This would cause a lot of frustration among people I know if this were how things were run in America.

One of the interesting things about Korea is that most people with disabilities are rarely seen in society.  A lot of elderly and people with disabilities live in the shigol/countryside because many of the cities cannot entirely accommodate people with major disabilities. If such people do exist in the cities, they probably remain at home.
I hope that what this article says is true and that it will encourage other companies to in the future hire more people with visible differences whether or not they may be physical disabilities.  A physical disability does not constitute a mental disability. Plenty of elderly people lose control of their bodies before their minds.  (Although quite a bit do lose their minds before their bodies.)  People with muscular diseases may have trouble walking or speaking, but can perform with IQs much greater than the average person. For example,look at Stephen Hawking, and English physicist who lived with ALS, a motor neuron disease. He is a very well known scientist that  served as a professor in some of the best universities as well as traveled the world speaking about his work.

I want to see more accommodation and awareness for people with disabilities.  I don't want my friends, brothers, and sisters to be hidden from society because of a disability.  

It's runch time

Are you an English teacher in Korea? Do you eat lunch in your school?  Here is a very typical conversation you will come across at your school. Although this may be offensive to Koreans, it is hilarious because it is so true.  Anyone else know how this feels?

Happy Black Day - April 14th

Are you a lonely single?  Well, then today is your day!  It's the 14th of April, which means it is Black Day (블랙데이). The 14th day of every month is a special romantic day observed to express love for couples or drown in loneliness for singles.  Not all of the days such August 14th-Green Day, a day for couples to seek nature and relax while singles drink soju (it is a green bottle) to drown in sorrow, are as well-known or openly celebrated as Valentine's Day, White and Black Day.

Black Day, coined solely by Koreans to "celebrate" singleness, is marked by dressing in dark colors and together with friends eating jajangmyeon (자장면) or noodles with a black bean sauce.  Black Day is a day for those that did not have a date or love interest to exchange chocolates with on Valentine's Day or White Day. On Valentine's Day in Korea, girls give guys gifts such as chocolate while on White Day, a day that started in Japan and rapidly picked up attention in South Korea, men return the gift of chocolate more often giving candies and gifts to the women they received chocolates from on Valentine's Day.  Koreans eat noodles covered in black bean sauce or other dark colored foods on Black Day to represent their sorrows of single-hood.

About Jajanmyeon 

Pronounced with a hard j like jjajangmyeon 짜장면, but spelled 자장면

jajang (자장) - fried sauce, myeon (면)- noodle.

The jajangmyeon that Koreans traditionally eat on Black Day is a Korean-Chinese dish that originated in Incheon, South Korea from Chinese immigrants to Korea.  It was believed to be founded in 1905 in a Chinese restaurant called Gonghwachun (공화춘)  It is made of noodles known as sutamyeon ( 수타면) that are traditionally hand-made with white flour instead of potato starch that other noodles like japchae are usually made of.  The specifically hand-made noodles are an essential for good jjajangmyeon.  Due to its long history, jajangmyeon is considered a special "national" food of Korea.

In making black bean noodles, after noodles are quickly boiled, sauce is added to the mix. The sauce consists of pork and vegetables cooked in a pan. To make the sauce- pork, veggies, and seafood are stirred in a frying pan.  The black bean sauce made of chunchang (춘장) is added to the cooked goods. A stock is added to cut the saltiness and cornstarch added to thicken the sauce.  Mix it up a little with some chop sticks and the dish is ready to eat.

Are you sad to be single?  Put on your dark clothes, grab a few friends and commiserate with each other over a bowl of jajangmyeon. They say misery loves company.  If you're lucky, you may just end up finding another charming single out there. Who knows, by May 14th (Rose Day) you may be exchanging roses with someone.  Smile and have a happy Black Day.