Takalbi = Life

Now, you all know my favorite food is tacos.

Tacos will always be my favorite food.

For this reason, living in Korea is a little awkward, as they are seriously lacking in the taco department. 

Don't get me wrong...I like Korean food. Most of it. Some of it. 

...I mean, I tolerate it. x.x

Korean food all seems to consist of the same main ingredients, but in different forms: rice, kimchi, pickled vegetables, and pork. And it's usually accompanied by a bland soup. 

That's why, when I eat out, I generally try to go to Italian, Indian, Chinese, or even American food. I get so tired of the same thing. I mean, I eat it literally every day at school....so when I go out, I need something different!

 (click to enlarge)

^ Korean Indian food                                                          ^ Korean Chinese food

 ^ Korean Japanese food                                                  ^ Korean...American food?

To tell you the truth, when I first got here, I hated Korean food. 

However, then I found the single dish in Korea that changed my mind about Korean food forever....

TAKALBI!!!!!!!

Okay, so it starts off all raw like this:

It's so beautiful!! There is cabbage, chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, and ricecakes with cheese inside of them. And onions. Green ones. 

Then they cook it at your table until it looks like this....

Then they add rice (if you ask nicely...sometimes they don't want to. Koreans are very particular about how to eat things). And they mix it really fast!!

Then it looks like this...

And then you EAT EVERYTHING. 

And then you are full and happy, so you hug Korean boy, who is grumpy because you ate everything. Or because he wanted soju. o.O

Yay, grumpy Korean! 

Yay Takalbi! 

Yay Korea!

...Yay tacos!

My first week in Bucheon.

I've been here almost two months now (geez, time flies!), but in attempt to illustrate my culture shock into Public school life, here are some photos.


First of all, random teachers I didn't even know would pull me into pictures with them. Notice my bewildered expression.

Second, I was regularly kidnapped to go to staff dinners. Sometimes the food was good, but other times it was boiled pork. :(

One day, I somehow ended up sitting next to my vice principle, who kept filling my glass with makali (a very alcoholic rice drink) and saying "One shot! One shot!" >.<

This is actually quite normal behavior for an employer in Korea. Needless to say, I was quite dizzy after that dinner. x.x



Then, at my school, I found the textbooks I was supposed to use. Some of the pages were...puzzling, to say the least.

Then, to make matters even more difficult, I got bit by a random dog. And it HURT. Click to enlarge, if you dig this sorta thing.

                                           Day 1                                                     Day 3


Yeah. So all of this, on top of learning a new job and moving to a new city.

Now you see why I didn't do blog posts for so long?


:P

My school.

Hello all!

 I thought I'd give you a small peek at my school today.

 I don't have many pictures yet just because I've been so busy...but since finals are coming up, I may have a chance to take pictures soon!


 For now, here's the front of my school:

 It's 5 stories high!





 Here is a typical school lunch, which costs me about 2 dollars a day:

 And yes, that's octopus. And gimchi and flavorless soup and some green things. :)





 Here is me with some of my fellow teachers. :)

 And here are some of my boys being...boys.


 

I might sound weird to you in this video...that's my 'teacher' voice. AKA, speaking English slower than normal and using single-word sentences.


It's a pretty nice school...I think I got lucky! The other teachers always complain that our students are too rude...but I think they're hilarious.


...Of course, that's partly because I can't understand what they're saying mostly.

Although I do have one class that decided I looked like Peter Parker on my first day...they make spider man gestures whenever I walk by.

Little jerks. >.<

Gilbert Blythe

Hello, Darcy here.


Most of you have heard by now, but I have a new brother.

Taren left one day saying she would come back with a 'friend.' She said a woman found some kittens and there was a very energetic one.

We were both expecting him to be a bit older (and bigger, so I could fight him), but you know Taren - once she saw him, there was no going back.


So now, I share my house with 7-week-old Gilbert Blythe - a name Taren chose from a book she likes.

Korean boy wanted to name him Heathcliff, but Taren said she didn't need two cats named from books she doesn't even like...whatever that means.


Anyway, Gilbert, or Gil as I call him, is very strange.

For some reason he screams whenever I pin him to the floor and try to clean him.


The first day he wouldn't even come near me, but now we do everything together.

We sleep....

We eat...

And we play all night long!

Taren has been looking tired these past few days. I think it's because she's so happy that we get along and play all night.

Taren says she will do an update soon.

I'll talk to you all later...I have a kitten to bother.

I did something silly....

I have no shame.