Weekend in the Countryside

Since my dad came with me to Seoul, we have been doing nothing but meeting relatives and eating. This weekend, my dad and I left the bustling city of Seoul to the Korean countryside with 10 other relatives to visit some hot springs. This weekend was a weekend of many firsts. It was the first time I saw my 7-year-old cousin, Jun-ho. On my last visit to Korea, he was still in the womb, and now he's a chatterbox. We called him 고추가루 (red pepper powder) because even though he's tiny, he still has a punch. He's learning English, so we "communicated" a bit in English. (Communication required his whispering to his older sister, her translating his Korean statements in English and whispering back to him, then his actual talking to me in English.) It was hilarious when Jun-ho criticized my uncle's English pronunciation, then looked away and remained silent when my uncle questioned his English. He's adorable, and even more so when he fed me food. He asked his mom if we could take some Korean bbq and rice back with us to the US (I don't know what the kid thinks Koreans in the US eat, but apparently anything but Korean food). It was also the first time I went to a public showering place, which was a shock to me. Men and women are separated, and you bathe naked with people all around you. Even though I'm a 20-year-old adult, my aunts all scrubbed me until I was red (but clean!). It must have been a funny sight to the other women: 3 women scrubbing another adult, who refused to let go of the towel. While I was being scrubbed till my skin turned red, a little girl was in the bathing pool and swimming. Like moving her arms and kicking her legs swimming, which was a welcome distraction to me. Anyways, I probably won't go to another public showering place ever again. It was also the first time I drank baek-sae-ju (alcohol), which was so much better than soju (I'm not a huge fan of soju). Korea has a strong drinking culture, and drinking with your relatives is natural and expected. It was also the first time I had some traditional Korean meals; it's too bad I don't remember any of the names. Anyways, this weekend was fun and I'm glad that I got to meet Red Pepper Powder and spend some time in the countryside.

In Seoul, I also tutor little kids but the kids are much different than the little terrors in Madrid. (They're actually not that bad, and I kind of miss crazy Bea and Mariana. Kind of.) I tutor rich elementary students whose parents are concerned for their kids' English education and want a native English speaker for their children's tutor. They are expecting me to turn their kids into native English speakers, which is unrealistic since I only have 2 months here. The kids, though, are very cute and really obedient (no screaming and climbing on my back).

There are some Japanese tourists next to me in Starbucks. I love how big Korean Starbucks are (this one is 3 stories tall) and how all the non-Koreans seem to gather in Starbucks. Hooray for wireless in Starbucks and its omnipresence in Seoul.

Susan