So let's see...it's been pretty dang hot here lately. According to my computer weather icon it is currently 90 degrees out there. I believe it. It doesn't take much for me to start sweating like crazy. And since i'm so white, the redness in my face is doubly noticeable so i get a lot of people laughing at me or getting concerned about me, or both. Hey, at least i got a free iced coffee out of it today.
I've been doing a lot of shopping on my weekends in Myeongdong, the shopping district of Seoul. H&M is my home base on these trips. I've gotten a lot of cute (and even, Gasp! trendy) clothes. Today i'm actaully wearing a dress. Maybe i am going native afterall.
Korea is a country that loves its coffee. Which is something i am very pleased about and enjoy immensely. One popular coffee drink though is this instant coffee stuff that you mix with hot water. It's tasty, but really sweet. So the other day the assistant teacher at work offered me some and i took it. I asked Hannah if this stuff had much caffeine in it, because really that's all i cared about at the moment.
She looked at me as if i were a stupid foreigner and said 'no i don't think so, most coffee doesn't have caffeine'.
I was incredulous. What do you mean 'most coffee'? 'No caffeine'?
She said that Koreans believe caffeine is very bad for you so usually coffee doesn't contain it. (there's a big health and 'well being' trend in food here. Plus i think it's an Asian cultural trait to have a lot of beliefs about the healthfulness or unhealthy quality of food).
So i said, let me get this straight. When i go to Dunkin Donuts and get an Americano, it doesn't have caffeine in it? And she said no, probably not.
I said, then what's the POINT??? 'for the taste'(stupid foreigner)was her response.
I couldn't believe it. There's no way. So she asked the assistant teacher(who doesn't speak english) and she agreed.
My world has been turned upside down. Sure i like the taste of coffee but really that's not why i drink it. The taste is an added bonus. The caffeine is the purpose of coffee. Especially the morning coffee. Duh.
I explained to her the prevalence of caffeine and caffeine addiction in American society. She was probably equally as horrified by this as i was by the lack of caffeine in Korea.
I can't believe it has taken me this long to learn about this travesty. At least now i can start saving money on my morning americano.
In other news...well, my TKD masters seem to fully expect me to take my blackbelt test in August. The kindergarten teacher will probably do it with me (the cute master's secret girlfriend, who offered me ddokbokki the other day and talked to me and i'm starting to like in spite of myself) and they told Hannah that if she comes back now she can go too. But i'm not sure she'll get around to it. Although it would be fun to have her there(if only so she can be my interpreter!). We have another test this Friday. I'm not sure, it might be for me to get my poom di belt (red/black stripe) which is the next one before black. But i'm not sure how it works to get that belt. We shall see. Either way i need to practice the poomse a lot this summer (the forms, i guess you could call them 'choreographed'?) if i want to be successful at my black belt. Which obviously i do.
It's hard to believe that my first year here is coming to an end. And yes, i plan to stay another year. Although the specifics of that second year haven't been finalized yet...it's complicated. I'll tell you about it someday, maybe. but i don't anticipate any problems in my staying another year so that is the plan. And I'm hoping that i'll make it back to MN for Christmas so i can see everyone. Again i don't anticipate any problems with that happening either, so everyone mark your calendars! ha ha.
Anyway that's about it for now. Got some fun things planned in the coming weeks but i'll save talk of those for future blogs.
Meantime be sure to let me know if you have any questions about Korea or anything! In some ways things here are no different than back home, because of course people are people wherever you go...but in other ways everything is completely different. It's really quite interesting.
Here are a boat and jetski on the Han River...definitely my goal this summer to get out there at least once! I just have to figure out how...
Here are some pics of the kindy kids and me. Thought you'd enjoy the cuteness.
3 comments:
T - Heard from Big C that you had posted a new blog. Very nice blog, BTW! I loved the pictures of you with the kids. You definetly look very happy! I'm surprised that you are drinking coffee now! After all the speeches you gave me about my morning caffine! HA! So now you know! love Mom
What? I've liked coffee since high school. I just don't NEED it EVERY DAY to function.
but when i do feel the need for it i'd like it to be caffeinated!
I would say coffee in Korea has caffine and they just don't know it. Just talked with your Mother. She told me of your new job in Sept. Glad you were able to get what you wanted. She told me of your room mate being dismissed. Anxious to see pictures of your rafting. Did you know you were at Paul's bopalooza?
Post a Comment