Field Notes

• Mopeds and motorcycles have free range of the streets - and sidewalks. Helmets, license plates, speed limits, turn signals, and even shoes are not required. Upon hearing an excellerating moter from behind, I have abandoned the attempts to try and dodge the speedy little whatnots, and now simply flinch with the hopes they veer around me.

• I have, however, gotten impressively good at dodging loogies. Maybe its due to the amount of pollution in the air, but everyone has an unlimited amount of phlem to hack up, and really no concern as to where or when they dispose of it. The other day my shoe almost fell victim while coming down a flight of stairs, but a nifty little double sidestep avoided the whole possibility.
  

• The Korean equivalency of the F word is pronounced she-par, which is rather helpful to know before you give a lesson involving the phrase "sheep are"........

• Also helpful, is knowing the word for "toilet" (pyun-ki) rather than "bathroom" as the latter will quite possibly lead you to a public bathhouse full of those in their altogether.

• "In their altogether" doesn't seem like an appropriate term for naked; when naked it seems as though something is definitely not together.......
  

• There is so much seafood here that nearly every restaurant houses numerous tanks full of carp, tuna, octopus, squid, eel, codfish, pollack, and mollusks, still swimming around happily - until you order it and the cook comes from out back with a net and scoops it's little life right onto the burner and then your plate. I used to feel bad about the lobsters in the tank at Schnucks, but not here really.

• I think much of my English is being compromised just in desperate needs to get my point across. I recently caught myself saying, "I no go" and "me home".
  

• The Korean I know is rarely useful in the situations I find myself in. Funny enough, a good number of Koreans actually have faith that just because you're American or foreign, doesn't mean you're not quite knowledgeable when it comes to their language. I had an entire conversation with a little old lady waiting for the subway yesterday, not knowing what in the world either one of us said.

• The butcher does pull-ups while us girls sit at the tables outside the convenient mart across the street.

• It's against the law here for a doctor to reveal the sex of an unborn child.
  

• Eric is 4 years old and just started English lessons for the first time back in March. He knew no English, but was really good at repeating after you. Example: Eric, say good morning. "Ewic, say goon moning." No, just good morning. "No, just goon moning." How are you, Eric? "How all you, Ewic?" The other week, after 2 1/2 months of this, I asked, how are you Eric? and with a shrug he replied, "I'm fine, thanks."

• All washing machines eat socks; I never have two of the same.