Late Summer Updates

(Note:  I completely forgot about this blog post until a week or two ago.  These are random updates from later in the summer in 2013)

Well, I have to admit that I’m writing this retrospectively, because as I was finishing up my blog posts from the first year, I realized there was a significant gap of reporting between the middle of the summer and the end of the summer.  So here is a smattering of updates from that period of time:

-          Every year, Mud Festival is held in a nearby city called Boryeong (which is more widely known as Daecheon Beach).  They started the Mud Festival a number of years ago in order to spread the message of the supposed healing properties of mud.  Eventually, it somehow became a big party weekend for foreigners.  It’s worth noting that it was kind of surreal to look up and down the street at this time, because they were filled with foreigners.  The population of Boryeong for this weekend was probably 75-85% foreigners.  Honestly, it felt like a college spring break party all weekend long. 

For this event, a friend of a friend solidified a pension-style suite for us – 35 of us to be exact.  We all arrived at our pension about the same time, even though we took different transportation to get there.  We split up for dinner.  I went with Kate, JMo, Nicole, Nelson, and Marisol to a seafood restaurant (that’s really the only acceptable option when you eat out in Boryeong).  We were served all-you-can-eat grilled shellfish with all the usual sides. During our dinner, our waitress dropped an oyster onto our friend, Nicole, and the waitress exclaimed something in Korean.  Since Nicole is Korean Canadian and is learned in the language, she understood what the waitress said, and told us while laughing, “She said, ‘Oh, the precious clam!’" Also, while we were eating, the two biggest troublemakers from our orientation, Melody and Kylie, surprised us by running by us squirting water guns at us (we were sitting outside).  It was a drive-by!  After we returned to the pension, the real party started!  We all sat out on the patio on a picnic-style bench and played drinking games.  We also lit sparklers and danced in the streets and the beach.  Hilariously enough, I ran into a Korean guy I met at my gym in Daejeon while in Boryeong.  He had moved away a while ago to get a job in a different city, but we randomly ran into each other on the streets of Boryeong, so he hung out with us for a while that night.  A pleasant surprise!

So, we ended up partying far into the night on Friday night.  On Saturday, we woke up hungover and groggy.  Some of us were still drunk.  Some of us grabbed a bit ‘o the hair of the dog.  After the lot of us was somewhat presentable, we staggered over to the Mud Festival area.  They had mud baths, inflatable slides, inflatable pools, and all other types of things.  The first thing we did was cover ourselves in the cool mud.  We decided to go down one of the slides, but it took forever for us to get through the line, so we were kind of discouraged from doing any more of the amusement type things after that.  We mostly just hung out at the beach and swam in the ocean, while occasionally covering ourselves in mud.  And of course, drinking.  Kate and I took a mid-day break to eat lunch at a seafood restaurant, and had more or less the same meal as we did on Friday night (no complaints there!)  Our server was a Korean university student with near perfect English.  He had been studying at a university in Tennessee and was back in Korea during summer break.  We talked to him for a while.  Seemed like a pretty cool guy!

A fun, but very tiring weekend.  That's for damn sure.

- In the chaos of the end of the first year, our family (Kate, Liz, Daniel, Colin, and I) scheduled one last family trip to Jeonju.  Jeonju is known for two things really, their bibimbap (an extremely common and old Korean dish) and the Hanok Village, which is a traditional village.  I call this trip our "Grumpy Trip to Jeonju", because almost all of us were in a bad mood:  Kate had stayed up all night partying, Daniel had just gotten back from a school trip to Jeju and had had no time to relax, I was pissy because no one else helped me organize our trip and continued to seem disinterested in planning our precious day in Jeonju, and Liz was tired and was having a fight with her long distance boyfriend.  Predictably, Colin was the only one who didn't seem to be in a bad mood.

- We had one last hurrah before everyone left  on the second to last weekend of August. Queenie and Xavier have a friend in Seoul, and his birthday happened to be the night before Queenie and Xavier were planning on leaving Korea.  So, it turned into a birthday party, and a massive going away party for not only Queenie and Xavier, but for a LOT of people.  We started the night off with a rooftop party right next to our favorite party area of Seoul, Hongdae.  Around midnight, everyone left to go to "THE park", which is a big open park right in the middle of Hongdae.  Often, people drink there before going out...or just drink there the entire night. Once we got to the park, we noticed that people were boxing in the middle of the park (I guess this had been a trend all summer long).  They were using gloves, so I guess it was a little safe, but it certainly seemed pretty rowdy.  As there was a boxing match going on, we saw a (what I would presume to be) Korean man climb a tree in nothing but speedos.  From what I recall, he then started yelling in Korean.  We lost track of him for a while, but then we saw a big commotion in the crowd.  What looked like a Korean student was trying to chase the guy in the speedo, but the guy in the speedo was running away.  Later, someone said they saw the guy in the speedo in the bathroom yelling and spitting at the mirror.  I guess that guy has...problems.  One of our friends who lives in Seoul said, "Yea, he comes to the park and acts crazy like that every weekend."

From the park we moved to Thursday Party (the name of a bar), where we spent some time.  It was there that Xavier departed.  He had a very early flight on Sunday morning, which he was clearly going to be intoxicated for...but really, what other way is there to catch your last flight out of Korea?

Around this point is when the waterworks started.  Kate said goodbye to Chubb and started to cry a lot.  Then I hugged her and started to cry a lot.  Eventually we collected ourselves enough to join the rest of the group.  I think after that we just made our way to Taco Bell, which is (unfortunately) our Hongdae tradition.  Then we made the walk back to our hostel.

The next day we went to Craftworks for lunch and had a good, but kind of sad, last meal together (Me, Daniel, Kate, Liz, Colin, Jessica).  After that, we walked together to the subway where I said goodbye to my two little "sisters", Kate and Liz.  There were a lot of tears and long hugs. 

Thoughts on Cultural Differences

As my time in Korea has continued, I’ve noticed more and more that there are some cultural elements that I have trouble understanding or accepting.  I am certainly NOT the type of person that lives in a different country and tries to tell the people of that country how they SHOULD live or how their culture SHOULD be.  I am, however, definitely the type of person that comes to a new country being observant of the manners, mannerisms, daily conduct, psyche, etc. of the people of that particular country, and I try to adapt (within reason) to that as much as possible. 

In other words, I would consider myself a cultural relativist: I don’t think that one culture is “better” than other cultures.  While I might not agree with everything one culture stands for…or what they do…or how they do it, I acknowledge that it’s just different, but not necessarily better.

Obviously, there are some extreme aspects of some cultures that my moral compass doesn’t allow me to accept in any way.  To give an extreme example, I wouldn't be able to stand any culture that practices slavery.

Coming full circle, there are many aspects of Korean culture that I do understand, and I have tried to adapt to.  However, there are some aspects that I’ve had difficulty understanding.  I’ve realized that the latter aspects I’m referring to aren’t merely cultural, but they are also psychological.  To me, I will never FULLY understand these psychological aspects (I guess what one would refer to as the “cultural psyche” of a people) simply because I wasn’t born and raised here. 

I’ve been aware of this for a while, but there was a specific conversation I had with one of my co-teachers in which I became REALLY aware of it.  My co-teacher and I meet twice a week one-on-one so he can practice his conversational English.  I usually bring in an English-language article with some questions about its content.  The article I brought in this particular day was about how there was a study showing that children in the UK were concerned with their body image and diets and things of that sort.  It said something like 59% of the girls and over 50% of boys surveyed reported being overly concerned with their looks.  These were girls and boys under 12 years old from what I recall.  After reading the article, my co-teacher said, “I don’t agree with this opinion,” which made me momentarily irritated.  I mean, this was a SCIENTIFIC STUDY, not an opinion.  Sure, studies can be slanted and biased in certain ways, but there is an absolute canyon of difference between an “opinion” and a “scientific study”.  I explained that as gently as possible.  Then I asked him what he didn’t agree with.  He said, “I don’t think boys really care about their appearance almost as much as girls do.”  Then we got into a discussion in which he said that girls, by nature, should care more about their appearance than boys.  I‘m paraphrasing here, but I said, “Why do you think that is?”  He said, “That’s just the way nature is.”  That got me thinking about a couple things: 1. I think East Asian cultures are really enveloped in binary relationships.  We definitely are in Western countries due in part to Judeo-Christian beliefs and traditions (e.g. “good vs. evil”), but I feel like it’s a more rigidly and strongly believed here.  Though, I may be wrong.  2.  His point of view is something that I think is wrong, but what makes his point of view OBJECTIVELY wrong?  I don’t know.  His interpretation of truth is different than my interpretation of truth.  Truth is interpretation.  3.  I will never understand his “truth”, and on a larger scale, these “truths” as viewed through the lens of the cultural psyche.

Another example is the Confucian hierarchical system.  Whether at work or in family, it is very important to respect hierarchies in Korea, as it is believed that respecting it in practice will create harmony.  However, from my cultural upbringing, there are some illogical parts to this system.  For example, if I need to ask for a day off, I would need to ask my co-teacher, who then would ask the vice-principal.  It would be a big no-no to go directly to the vice-principal to ask.  Why?  Because I wouldn't be respecting the hierarchy.  Which truth is objectively right?  I guess I know just what works for me.  Maybe I don't...who knows?!

Interestingly enough, I came across this article a while ago, which expresses a lot of the same sentiments that I did in this post.  http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/my-so-called-opinion/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&hp&rref=opinion&_r=2

This is something that I've struggled with, and I know that many of my friends have struggled with.  In a world with a plurality of truth, what is objectively true?

Final Note on My Taiwan and Philippines Travels

Overall, I think one of the things I’ll remember most about my time in the Philippines and Taiwan (but especially Taiwan) is just how damn nice people were.  In Korea, people are generally super friendly to foreigners (unfortunately, with the addendum “if you’re white”), but they are also super shy.  Meaning, if a foreigner was lost or needed help, I think most Koreans would have a desire to help them, but they might be held back because they are shy or they don’t think their English is very good. The Taiwanese, on the other hand, were always willing to help, even if they didn’t have the best English.  I was constantly amazed by how friendly they were, even in a metropolis like Taipei.  One vivid memory I have is when I went to see one of my favorite bands, The National, in Taipei.  It was raining and I had brought an umbrella, so I was holding it while watching the band perform.  A Taiwanese girl in front of me turned around and asked if I wanted to set my umbrella down with purses and other things people had set down at the barrier between the crowd and the stage.  I said, "Yes" and she took my umbrella and set it down next to everything else.  After the show, I was waiting while other people picked their stuff up, and the same girl reached down to grab my umbrella and gave it back to me.  So nice!  

Many of the people I interacted with in the Philippines were also super nice.  I can't remember the name of the hostel, but all of the employees of the hostel were incredibly sweet and helpful.  As a traveler, it always helps to feel welcomed when you go to some place new! 

Philippines - Moalboal

In Manila, I was told by one of employees at my hostel that there really isn’t anything to do in Cebu City, so I decided to only stay the night there.  After spending the night in Cebu City, I left the next day to take a bus to Moalboal.  Moalboal is on the other side of Cebu Island.  According to my guidebook, Moalboal was the first place to put diving in the Philippines on the map.  Moalboal is kind of a sleepy coastal town – it was very quiet and relaxing.  As the only budget hostels were sold out, I decided to splurge a bit and I spent a little extra to get myself a private room.  And, by splurge, I mean only $30 or so for a two night stay.

My first day in Moalboal was spent on its White Beach (one of many in the Philippines).  I simply lied on the beach and went swimming.  It was the first time I had seen the ocean since last summer, and it was a welcome sight to behold. 

The next day, I went to Kawasana Waterfalls.  It was only a 30 minute bus ride from Moalboal.  There were two sizeable pools formed by a few waterfalls.  The water was kind of a milky coral blue, and it was so refreshingly cold in the 80 degree weather.  I spent a couple hours just wandering around and chillin’ in the water. 

On the morning of my final day in Moalboal, I went snorkeling.  The snorkeling wasn’t as good as what I have experienced before in Thailand, but it was still nice…until I ran into a school if miniature jellyfish.  That felt like a lot of pin pricks.  Nonetheless, I loved watching the neon blue clown fish scurry away amongst all of the coral and other ocean life. 

My only regret in Moalboal is that I didn't go see the whales.  Some other travelers that I met on the White Beach told me that they took a boat for a couple hours to feed some whales, and it was an incredible experience.  I'm sure I'll have another opportunity to do that at some point in my life!

Moalboal was one of the only times during my trip where I really wanted some company, as I was not staying in a hostel, so I wasn’t in an environment where I could readily meet people.  Despite this, I appreciated the time alone to reflect. 

Philippines - Manila

My hostel in Manila was one of the best I recall staying at (and I have stayed at many).  One thing that made it so great was that every staff member had a larger-than-life personality, which I absolutely love. I would describe most of my close friends as having larger-than-life personalities, so I’ve been assuming that I’m just naturally drawn to people like that. There was a German bartender/techie who (stereotypically) took things a little too seriously, an absolute riot of Kiwi who was a non-stop talker and an encyclopedia of knowledge concerning travel within the Philippines, an English-Iranian who was more than just a little reminiscent of Russell Brand (minus all of the revolutionary and spiritual talk), a seemingly never sober Filipino-Chinese accountant, and finally, the laid back but blunt Floridian owner.

In addition to this cast of characters, the whole hostel had an extremely laid back atmosphere.  Manila isn’t necessarily known as a place to do a lot of touristy stuff.  They have some great food and a great night life, but not much do besides that. Therefore a lot of people would just (quite literally) lay around the hostel sleeping off a hangover or just being lazy during the days.  I did this once or twice, and didn’t even feel guilty! 

One night, a large group of people were drinking at the hostel, and we all decided to go dancing at a club called Time, or something like that.  We got a deal on bottle service because there were so many of us, and we danced all night to some great House DJs.  Another night, I went to a pretty ritzy bar and restaurant complex that one actually had to be let into.  At every entrance of the complex were standing guards who apparently wouldn’t let anyone in that looked “poor” or looked like “riff raff” according to the Kiwi from my hostel.  We went to a really good resto-bar called Dillinger’s.  After we paid, two huge bodyguards led us out to the main patio.  I guess they usually do this without asking and the implication is that you must tip them.

In my Lonely Planet guidebook, there is a section that names Manila as “Scam City”.  I had heard that this includes some crooked taxi cab drivers who sometimes don’t turn on the meter.  Luckily, I only got scammed by a taxi cab driver once, but he didn’t even really scam me, he was just a complete asshole.  Instead of taking me to the destination that I had asked, he took me to the other side of the city.  The difference in fares was minimal, because he took the highway. I didn’t even realize it until I asked someone for directions. I hate being dicked around and taken advantage of like that almost more than anything, but I kept my cool and simply got another taxi. 

My time in Manila was short, and that was probably for the best.  I had a good time experiencing the nightlife in Manila, but I don't think I will ever go back there, haha!

Despite this, we did have one wonderful hostel-sponsored trip to an inactive volcano a couple hours away from Manila.  I even hit a golf ball into the middle of the volcano!
 

Philippines - Boracay

I had heard of Boracay for years before finally getting the chance to visit.  It’s a real touristy island, but it’s touristy for a reason – it has one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Three kilometers of nothing but white sand, palm trees, and blue waters. 

My first day was spent entirely at the beach.  Luckily, my hostel had a spot at the beach where we could claim reclining chairs for free. 

I roomed with 6 other people.  There were two Swedes, two Canadians, one Korean, and one other American.  The Swedes were absolutely insane and were bad influences on the rest of us.  Every day, they would essentially wake up and start drinking.  They would often drink one bottle of rum each throughout the day and THEN go out at night.

On the first night, everyone in our room decided to go on the beach and smoke shisha, which is a mostly harmless type of flavored tobacco that originally comes from the Middle East.  As we were relaxing with our shisha and cold beers, we were serenaded with the sounds of a the waves crashing over the beach, as well as the laidback island acoustic jamming going on on the stage close to us.  It was paradise!

On one night, one of the Swedes decided to drink an entire bottle of rum, and then he tried to do a 15 shot challenge.  He made it to about 11, and then from what I was told, basically passed out.  One of the Canadians staying with us had to carry him home.  The next day, the two Swedes, the Canadian, and I went on a boat booze cruise to some cliffs.  We were going to be given free booze the entire day, and a lunch buffet was also included in the same price.

While we were waiting to board the boat inside a bar/restaurant, the Swede that overdrank the night before made a run for the beach.  He puked in the sand and sat outside for a little while.  He came back inside and claimed that he felt better.  Then after we boarded the boat and started hitting the waves, he got up again and moved starboard side to puke again.  From our vantage point, we could see that an employee had offered him a bottle of water, but he refused to take it. 

As he was “recovering”, his friend explained to us, “In Sweden, we have a rule.  If someone offers you a beer, then you have to take it no matter what.  If the person refuses, you ask, ‘Are you SWEDISH?!’, and then they MUST take it.”  After explaining this, he walked out to talk to his puking friend.  When they came back inside, the puking Swede was holding a beer and he forlornly stated, “I hate this rule.”  It was easily the hardest I laughed during the entire month of traveling.

There were about 3 or 4 cliffs that were jumpable: one that was less than 5 meters, one that was 5 meters, one that was 10 meters, and one that was 15 meters.  I jumped off all of them!  I had to have a few beers to gain courage for the 15 meter one, but I still did it!  When I jumped it, it felt like I was in the air forever – as if you were never going to hit water.  Once I did, it made my feet sting slightly.  Fifteen meters is around 50 feet!

We met a lot of people on the booze cruise.  I spent most of the time talking to a Vietnamese/American guy who was traveling with two Japanese girls who were his co-workers at a bank in Japan.  After the booze cruise I met up with them and some other people to watch some fire jugglers, which was quite the show.  I stayed out a little too late and woke up haggard three hours later in order to catch my flight back to Manila!  I had a great time in Boracay, but there is a reason I don’t party like that anymore!

Once I got back to Manila, I went back to the hostel I stayed at there and just laid around the entire day.  I went to the airport to catch my flight at 4:00 a.m. to Taiwan.