Variety: The Spice of Life

Before coming to Korea, I didn't really have much in the way of experiences with Korean food. Part of the reason being that my mother really doesn't make it due to a bad experience with it in the past and because Korean restaurants aren't that common in the US; sure, there are some here and there, especially near military installations and where there are a lot of them, but, regardless, they are few and far between. So my stay in Korea definitely has been a bit of an adventure on the food front.

A nice thing, though, is that the cafeteria/canteen in the building in which I work serves a very cheap, often filling lunch (3500 won, equivalent to US$3.20 or so). So, while the quality may not be the best, it's a good introduction to decent Korean cuisine for not very much.

Pretty much, here's a rundown of some of the Korean food I've encountered:
kimchi: Fermented cabbage, radish, or cucumber, usually covered in red chilis. In some form or another, expect it to appear at every meal.
rice (bap): Appears also in many different forms, whether white or black (and the black rice is very good).
gochujang: Red pepper paste made from slightly fermented red chilis. Common to top rice. Good gochujang is really nice and not overly spicy, but the most common one they serve tends to be just hot.
naengmyeon: Cold noodle soup, featuring cooked noodles and a frequently spicy broth. Normally also served with vegetables and/or egg.
bibimbap: A mixed rice dish where rice is combined with vegetables and (sometimes) meat or another protein, sometimes topped with egg, and served with gochujang. Comes in lots of different kinds, with a classic one being dolsot bibimbap (where the meal comes in a hot ceramic bown and, if topped with an egg, the egg cooks in front of your eyes).
Korean barbecue: Thinly-sliced meats, like pork rashers and/or beef, and chopped vegetables grilled at your table. By your own hands. Normally served with a sweeter sauce, salt, and lots of soju.
soju: Korean distilled rice liquor, very similar to vodka but with half the alcoholic content. Plentiful and cheap here, so it's the go-to booze when people want to get totally smashed.

Also notable are the numerous written and unwritten conventions when one goes out for food and drinking. For one, unlike in France or Germany where a person going out to eat alone isn't really looked at funnily, eating in Korea is very much a social activity: in most Korean-style restaurants, individual plates aren't prepared for each person. Instead, while each person normally gets their own bowl of rice or noodles, the dishes are set down to be consumed communally; using your chopsticks, you pull bits off the communal plate to your own plate before consuming it. And the normal method of serving seems to be many small dishes in sequence rather than all the dishes for the appetizer, main course, dessert, or whatever coming out simultaneously. So the effect appears as if it's a lot of small, quick courses. For example, when I went to a restaurant with a lot of the people from my lab this past Friday, there was so much food and in so many courses; soups, salads, vegetables of all kinds, meats, fish dishes, and so forth. It's a very different style of eating, one that I'm not completely used to, but it's sorta growing on me. A bit.

Using chopsticks has also turned out to be a bit of an adventure here in Korea. Most meals have two utensils involved: a set of metal chopsticks and a matching metal spoon. Unlike in China and Japan, the spoon is used actually for eating rice, but also used for soups and messy things. Chopsticks are used for most other applications. And living in Korea is the first time I've really had to use chopsticks, so... it's been a learning experience. That said, the border between "chopstick dish" and "spoon dish" is a bit blurry sometimes, so you just look around at what the other Koreans are doing, smile, and continue on with what you were doing. Normally, offense isn't taken if you make a good-faith effort to not be offensive... I think. And the normal things with chopsticks apply here: never leave chopsticks standing upright in a bowl of rice, never position them in a certain way...

Otherwise, things here in Korea seem to be going rather slowly. Might be because of the weather and the humidity: arriving during the monsoon season wasn't, in retrospect, the best idea. But things here are just so different from other places I've lived, both with the sights, sounds, and sensory overload with all the flashing lights. This place really does feel like a melding pot of traditions and cultures; people seem to want to hold on tightly to the traditions like the hierarchy, food, dress (in some cases), and ceremony while wanting to modernize and become powerful and prosperous. Whether or not both can be accomplished at the same time... I dunno.

So, yeah, that's it from here. There may be some pics coming soon, especially with more exploration on the horizon. And, with that, have a good rest of your week.

The Land of the Morning Something

Note: For one of the first times since I turned 18, I'm actually travelling with someone else on this trip. This is why I use "we" and "our" a lot.

Well, I'm now in South Korea. And it was quite an interesting experience getting here. And getting over jet-lag has been... interesting. As have been a lot of other things, so here are some bits from the past five days of our adventure here.

Anyways, the original plan was to leave from Cleveland-Hopkins Airport early (at around 8) on the morning of the 11th, have a reasonable 3-hour layover in Detroit, and then take a thirteen-hour flight from there into Seoul-Incheon, arriving at a reasonable hour on the 12th. We did arrive at a reasonable hour on the 12th, but...

The initial CLE-DTW flight got cancelled. Not cool. And it automatically rebooked us on a flight that would leave from Cleveland at 6 in the evening and put us into Seoul at 4 in the morning on the 13th. Even less cool. After talking with the Delta agent, what we were able to get was a flight that left from Cleveland an hour later than the original flight and went into LaGuardia Airport in New York and, from there, we'd need to take a taxi from LaGuardia to JFK Airport for a flight that would leave for Seoul about 3 hours later. Long story short, the traffic in NYC was reasonably painless and we made it to JFK with plenty of time to spare, got checked in rather quickly, and were through security and waiting on our flight in no time.

The flight was, in fact, long. Thirteen hours on Korean Air. The service seemed somewhat disturbingly attentive, though: two meal services, two snack services, beverage services throughout the flight, and several duty-free carts coming and going through the plane. So we were at least sorta taken care of for when we landed at a very foggy Incheon Airport. Immigration was painless (though it involved being fingerprinted and photographed) and Customs was likewise straightforward and, two hours later, we were at our destination and checked in to the place we'll be staying for the month. It's a very small accommodation: the shower, toilet, and sink are all together in one "cabinet", and there's not much space at all. But it'll work.

Saturday and Sunday were designated for exploring, getting acclimated to Suwon (the city in which we're staying), and popping into Seoul, including a trip to the Money Museum at the Bank of Korea. Now that the week's started as normal, we're starting some of the science; in particular, we're getting to know the people we're working with (all very nice) and the equipment. So hopefully there'll be some good results to be brought back to the US with us.

As for the food... well, I'm quickly learning how to use chopsticks, and that's an adventure... especially since the Koreans like using flat metal chopsticks that are sorta kinda hard to grab things with. At least rice is customarily consumed with a spoon, so that's not too hard. And Koreans love red chilis: practically every main dish is flavored with them in varying quantities. Getting used to that level of spiciness is taking a bit, but it's coming along.

So, yeah, more to come soon. With that, have a good rest of your weeks.

Four Countries, Four Very Different Experiences

France is the fourth different country that I've lived in. Living in a place, naturally, gives you a very different view and experience compared to visiting as a tourist, and thinking about how that experience differs from those in your home country or other places you've lived can be, at minimum, somewhat different.

Not to mention that, since I don't have much longer in France, I wanted to review some of the pluses from each country that I lived in on this stay in Europe.

Germany

• Germany's public transport system is peerless in many regards: it runs on time and has very, very good coverage. Not to mention that long-distance express trains are fairly reasonably priced.
• If you don't understand something, many Germans seem more than willing to help you to understand. Or speak in English if possible. Speaking of that...
• Germans, in general, have a fairly decent level of English. It's not like in Denmark or Sweden where everybody speaks it, but finding an English speaker isn't too daunting or impossible of a task.
• Shops are generally open continuously until 8 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Granted, they are almost all closed on Sundays, but that's workable. In comparison, shops in France normally close at 7 and sometimes close on other days, like Mondays (or Monday mornings).
• German bakeries are excellent. As are German meats. And candies. And food in general, truth be told.
• Food in Germany, generally, is quite a bit cheaper in comparison with France. Especially if you eat out. The fact that both France and Germany use the same currency make this even more visible.
• German bureaucracy, while it can be tiresome at times, generally runs efficiently and, in addition, assures that you will have an answer if you have a question. And that said answer will be correct. And it's easier to navigate than the French.

France

• Contrary to the stereotypes, the French (I've dealt with) are friendly and polite. Not rude. And they're delighted to hear a foreigner speaking French.
• There's a lot more of a regional identity in France: especially in Auvergne, where I currently live, people are proud to be Auvergnat and promote local products and culture to a very great degree.
• Public transit may not be as good between cities or once you get outside the city center, but it's workable and generally cheaper within the cities. (ex. €2.40 for a single ticket in Frankfurt am Main compared to €1.70 for one in Paris and €1.60-ish in Lyon). In any event, it's still much cheaper than Copenhagen.
• France has excellent bakeries and lots of delicious things.
• By and large, the French seem to prefer smaller shops a lot more to the larger ones. It's much easier to find farmers' markets here and, really, they're held with a lot more frequency.
• Where I live, temperatures are quite moderate and rarely ever horribly cold. Granted, it's not very warm right now, but that's minor.
• Local trains are nice and spacious... a bit more pleasant than the ones in Germany.

I mean, though, the experiences I've had are quite different from a social aspect: as my French is much better than my German, I'm able to (and willing to) communicate a lot more without needing to ask "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" (or "Parlez-vous anglais?") all the time. And I hate having to ask others to speak English, so it's a great asset to be able to communicate more easily here.

But, all in all, it's hard to say what I like more. I grew up in Germany, yeah, but I'm living on my own here in France and doing a job that I really love. So is the experience better here in France? In a way, probably. And yet asking me to choose which I like better is like asking if I like cake or pie more. I like them each in their own way, but I can't say I like one more than the other.

Ah, whatever. Anyways, I'm off to do a bit more exploring and wandering; without much time left before the 1st of May, I've quite a bit more I want to do. And that's part of why I want to return next year... really, why I'd prefer to do that rather than immediately heading off to grad school.

Coming soon (maybe): French election stuff! Yes, it's going on right now, and comparing it to the US Election allows for interesting comparisons to be made. It's great to discuss it with my students.

French Schools and French Students

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. In fact, I completely forgot to post about my UK trip. So maybe I'll just add some pictures instead and let them describe the trip. In short, it was exactly what I needed; it gave me a chance to relax, recharge my batteries, and get lots and lots of stuff food-wise.

London and the Tower Bridge

The Palace of Westminster, where Parliament assembles

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

Cardiff Castle

Anyways, with the end of the most recent trimester (French schools operate on a trimester system, interestingly enough), I got to attend a conseil de classe for each of the seconde (10th grade) classes I work with. The conseil de classe isn't something that exists in the US system, though: as the students are generally sorted into groups and stick together in said groups for all their classes throughout their stay at a collège or lycée, they have a common group of teachers in a year. For example, at my collège, there are six groups of quatrième (eighth grade); each group remains together and has the same weekly schedule. The only time they might be split up for classes is with the second foreign language, where some will take Portuguese and others might choose German or Spanish, but, otherwise, they're stuck with each other. At the end of the marking period, all of the teachers for the group meet with an administrator, either the head of the institution or one of the assistants; two representatives of the parents; and two representatives of the students to discuss the performance of the class over the past marking period and, in the case of the seconde classes, to discuss the placement of the students for the following year. This is because, in France, after seconde, one is sorted into either a baccalauréat for university track or one for technical fields. (Vocational and professional schools are a different subject altogether.)

One of the striking things I noted, though, is the difference in behavioral expectations. The belief in France is that a student should be sage: that is, seen and not heard. They should remain quiet, take notes, and not ask questions or otherwise speak in class. And, in a way, that's an obstacle to my job as a teaching assistant and trying to get the students to speak.

Now, let's be honest: a well-behaved class, one which isn't violent and which listens, is always a plus (and an expectation on both sides of the pond). But the difference I notice largely comes in the participation expectations: in the US, most of the classes I was in expected students to contribute and participate actively to discussions, and I really don't see that here in France. In fact, a good number of the students that have the really good marks in my classes (or overall, for that matter) are students who don't speak at all! This is due to the fact that, in France, the written aspects are more emphasized than the spoken; while this should change in a few years, from what I hear about some of the changes being made to the baccalauréat, the emphasis will still likely remain on the pen and paper rather than opening the students' mouths and getting them to talk. There is some overlap between good marks and participatory students, but there isn't really much. One student in particular worries me a bit: he's brilliant at English and other languages, but his marks in other areas are likely to put him in a technical track. And the problem with technical tracks here in France is that the language aspect isn't emphasized. I've seen one of the LV Techno classes, a class which tries to teach a foreign language for the purposes of use in technical fields, and I really fear that, if said student is put on a technical track, he won't get the support that he should get with respect to languages and the such.

Among other reasons, this stay in France is definitely rewarding and proving to be very beneficial. I've gotten to experience a completely different education system and learn more about the inner workings of this country. Is it better than the US? Maybe, maybe not. I like to see the positive in most things, so there are definitely pluses on both ends (and, of course, drawbacks as well, like the formidable French bureaucracy). And I hope to come back next year.

But, on the other hand, regarding my job, it's a bit disheartening sometimes to see the students who want to learn being overshadowed or pushed aside by either the administration or the students who really don't care and want to be disruptive. I have a good number of really good students who I want to see more of and who I want the best for in terms of languages and the such: after all, having a second language under my belt is how I was able to come to France. In the end, though, languages aren't seen as important here, so... just like in the US with the subjects seen as less important, they're bound to suffer.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

The month of December has arrived, and with it come all the fun things that Christmas in France entails. All throughout Clermont-Ferrand, once can see workers busily setting up lights galore, a pretty Christmas tree, a Ferris Wheel, a Christmas Market near the Place de la Victoire... the season officially starts on 3 December, so there'll probably be some pictures then. Also, over in Lyon, the Fête des Lumières will be next weekend (note to self: avoid Lyon on those days. Go earlier in the week, maybe next Wednesday, or right before I head up to Paris). Students are getting eager and anxious to go on vacation.

And I'm getting ready to head back to the US for the break... which means I have a few more things to do. Like book my return ticket to France... oh, wait, I have! I fly back to France on the 31st of December and back to North Carolina on the 1st of May, but plans are subject to change. At the very least, though, my stay in the US has the added benefit of allowing me to go on a bit of a shopping spree and acquire some things both the teachers and the students might like. So that's definitely a bonus.

However, today also marks the day when I'm now a French resident! Or at least until 1 May. After 56 days of headaches, waiting around, teeth gnashing, and lots of phone calls, I was able to run to the OFII (Office Français de l'Intégration et de l'Immigration) here in Clermont-Ferrand, give them my medical certificate and a few other papers, and walk out of the préfecture building with a nice, shiny sticker to validate my visa and allow me to stay in France until the 1st of May. I might be able to get permission to stay a bit longer, but, right now, that's the date I'm working with.

In all, work is generally going very well here. Other than the one class I have who doesn't seem to talk, either out of fear, volition, or a dislike for the assistant (hopefully not the last of them), all of my classes are great. Of course, there are always the students who don't seem to want to talk, but one group seems to be opening up a lot more and I'm now getting everyone to talk, whether it be in French mixed with English, English mixed with French, or English outright. That makes me really happy. And, of course, the teachers are also great, especially the ones at the collège: there are fewer of them, but they're almost all very friendly and very willing to put up with me butchering the French language.

So, with that, have a good rest of your week and a good start to your Christmas/holiday season.

Look and Move Along

Like Germans, Frenchmen have their own quirks regarding clothes, fashion, and the such as well as stores, where things are sold, opening hours, and the such. And it's always fun to make all sorts of observations about their habits.

• I'm sleeping, you're eating: Here in France, dinner/supper time is much, much later than I'm used to, but lunches are, likewise, normally longer. Lunch here in France is often from 12-ish to 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon. Accordingly, many restaurants close by three and don't re-open normally until 7. This is in contrast to most other countries I've visited in recent memory, but a part of it also arises from lunch being a much larger meal here than dinner. In any event, if I want to go out to a non-fast food place to eat, my options are a bit limited unless I wait until late in the evening, the time when I'm normally in using my computer, playing video games, or otherwise. It's not like Spain, though, where dinner usually starts at 9 in the evening... so that's a plus.
• Metal galore: While some Germans, it seemed, had an affinity for piercings galore, the French also do, though it seems like more French men have piercings than German men. The ears and eyebrows seem rather popular. But I don't think I've seen anyone here with particularly wild hairstyles... seems a bit like the French prefer to blend in a bit more.
• Clothing makes the Frenchman: The sense of style here in France (and also in Germany) is quite a bit different from in the US. Trousers/pants, for example, rarely ride low, scarves are very popular accessories, and darker colors seem to be the norm, particularly with jackets. Also, I've very rarely, at least in France, seen any of the rather... daring things many younger women in the US seem to be fond of as of late. While clothing, in general, seems to be a bit slimmer and closer-fitting, it's very rarely revealing.
• Sorry, no smokes here: In Germany, cigarettes were available everywhere- vending machines, convenience stores, grocery stores, and the such. In France, however, that's not the case! You can only purchase cigarettes and tobacco products at a tobacconist (tabac). Tobacconists are very much like newsstands in Germany, as they often sell things such as lottery tickets, post cards, magazines, candies, newspapers, and important things called timbres fiscaux, stamps which are used to pay taxes, fines, fees for French bureaucracy, and the such. But that still doesn't seem to stop people here from smoking (a lot), even though cigarettes are about 50% more expensive than in Germany... (must avoid rant)

So, yeah, that's about it for the "observations of France" part of this post.

In interesting news, I think I may have found a more permanent place to live! It's not open until next week (the 6th), but I'll see if I can sign the rent agreement tomorrow or at some point this week. It's about average price-wise and more expensive (in all) than what I had in Germany, but the fact that it'd be my own place in the city center is all worth it. So, fingers are crossed...

Also, hopefully at the end of the break, I'll be able to get the paperwork for validating my visa going. Due to the schools being closed until the 2nd, I'm unable to check my mail, so I'm hoping that the OFII paperwork's waiting for me. As well as the last paperwork to close out my stay in Germany...

And, with that, have a good weekend.

Copenhagen and Chemistry

Wow, it's been a month or so since my last update. Meaning a lot's happened.

First up, the Denmark trip that I had been planning for long time finally happened about two weeks ago: I left on the 30th by night train to Copenhagen and spent three days there. And Copenhagen's really nice, I must say. It's very easy to get around, there's a lot of pretty sights and things to do, and the weather was extremely cooperative. However, there was a major downside: Copenhagen's really expensive, sometimes moreso than Switzerland (shocking).

Remember how I mentioned a 1½ litre bottle of soda was about CHF 2 (then, about €2/$2.50)? In Denmark, you're lucky if it's less than 20 Danish kroner (€3, $4), not including the deposit of 3 kroner. McDonald's is surprisingly cheaper than in Switzerland, but still pretty high at about 55 kroner (€8/$11) for a meal. Public transport ticket... well, the basic ticket is a one-hour pass for 24 kroner (€3.50/$5), but you can buy a one-day ticket valid for the Greater Copenhagen area (a lot, trust me, and it comes in handy for a trip to Elsinore, home of the castle featured in Hamlet) for 130 kroner (€18/$26). A part of it is due to the 25% VAT on pretty much everything, the highest VAT in all of the EU (and the only VAT that comes in a single rate) and the high wages paid to the average Danish worker. But, fortunately, I was able to minimize the damage, and I had an awesome time.

Also, when one's in Copenhagen, there's another country just 30 minutes away (Sweden). So I went there too, namely to a little city called Malmö. It's a rather cute little city, marked by a lot of charming buildings and streets, plenty of trees, and the highest density of restaurants in Sweden. But it was a good few hours for roaming in the area.

Other excursions, of course, have occurred. Namely a trip to the Wurstfest in Bad Dürkheim. If you've been to a German Fest, though, you know that these are not the run-of-the-mill fairs that you find in the US: these are rather massive events, with beer tents, rather extreme rides, Bratwurst galore, and lots of different types of alcohol (and not just beer). They're pretty impressive, all in all, and this one was sufficiently large. It made me happy.

And the science is getting done as well. It's not too much different from the usual, just running some tests and generating the graphs, but I hope to do some cooler stuff before I leave... no explosions, mind you.

In any event, it's a bit surreal that I leave for France in... two and a half weeks. And this comes at the point when I'm falling madly in love with this region of Germany. People assure me that I'll love Auvergne, and I don't doubt it either, but I just don't want to leave Germany right now.

In any event, have a good remainder of your week. Or something vaguely approaching such.