Snow, Shoes, Showers... and snowshowers. But not snowshoes.

But really, I don't have much to say today, so this'll be quick. I'm just trying to start that all-important regular posting thing, so that you'll get in the habit of coming here on a daily basis and bolster my self esteem.

First, it freaking snowed here today. I realize it's still technically winter, and I live in a climate that is roughly equal to Marion, Illinois, but for some reason I didn't expect that. I think the weekend of 50 degree sunny spring-like days threw me off. Of course, it's pretty common for Americans who move to another country to abandon common sense while at the same time taking on a set of wholly unrealistic and romantic expectations, but goddamn did that suck when I walked outside. I feel like a girl saying this, but I even had the wrong shoes on. What's up with that?

Second, and yes, I did just think of this, but apparently my feet are on the very upper end of the normal (read: commercially available) range here. Yup, I wear a 280. 280 what? I have no idea... millimeters? Hertz? Joules? I mean, come on... I'm no expert, but my feet don't look like two hundred and eighty anythings to me. But Korean shoes don't come any bigger than that. I mean, I'm sure you can find bigger shoes, you just have to do some searching, and probably find a western shop near an army base or something. For a reference point, all Koreans' feet are <= an American 10.5. Just thought you'd like to know. I haven't tried to buy any Korean pants yet, but I'm guessing based on my completely non-scientific research that it would be a stretch. Ha, get it? Stretch.

Third, the gym. It's a nice gym, it's got all the machines and free weights and cardio thingamajigs you could want. The treadmills even have TV's on them. Not the bikes or ellipticals or stair machines, but the treadmills do. They've got several squash courts, even. I've never played squash, but it looks awfully similar to racquetball, except it's played by Korean people and not pretentious white guys in headbands. Anyway, the one thing this gym is sorely lacking is a non-creepy shower situation. I'm not a big fan of being naked in front of people... well, scratch that. I'm not a big fan of being naked in front of random dudes. The locker room is just a small room with a door to the outside on one end and a door to the showers on the other. With naked guys walking around. This, how do I put this, is the highlight of the experience. The shower room looks just like prison. And I'm talking Shawshank-style, Andy-Dufresne-goin-nuts-with-a-rake, spend-a-month-in-the-hole prison. No walls, no screens, no curtains, no partitions of any kind. Just a narrow room with shower heads along each wall. Maybe I'm a prude, but that shower isn't nearly urgent enough, no matter how badly I might reek, that it can't wait for 20 minutes and the privacy of my own bathroom. I'm just sayin.

Today, Sean is an overwhelmed Korean

Today is my second day here in lovely Janghowon, South Korea. Here are some things I like about it:

• The food. It's freaking amazing. My co-teacher Boil took me out for galbi last night, and jesus tapdancing christ was it good. Beef shortribs, cooked right at our table over a little wood fire; about 15 side dishes... grilled pumpkin, mushrooms, onions, garlic cloves, several kinds of kimchi (fermented cabbage with vegetables and chili paste, it tastes a million times better than it sounds), pickled hot peppers, and some other things that we couldn't figure out the names for in English. You cook the steak, wrap it in lettuce with the toppings, and cram the whole shebang in your mouth all at once. It's fun, but messy. Well, I was messy. Boil was doing just fine. According to him, I need technique. Also according to him, I need to lose weight. So ... yeah. Oh -- I also tried soju, a delicious Korean rice liquor. Enjoyed, would try again...
• The showers. Actually, that term is a little generous. Korean bathrooms don't have tubs, or shower curtains, or any way to actually separate the "shower" from the rest of the room. Get it? Restroom... ha. Yeah, anyway. So you just tile the whole damn thing, put a drain in the middle, and go to town. I can watch TV from my shower. What's up now?
• The kids I'm teaching. Well, I'm not actually going to be teaching the kids at my school. Obviously... what were you thinking? So at my school, the I Whang elementary school, to be precise, they have started the Global Experiential Learning Center, which is really cool. 5th and 6th grade kids from all over the province come here to learn about things like traditional Korean arts (tea making, music), global etiquette, and English, which is where I come in. From what I've been told, I will be pretty much doing the same thing every day, which sounds both easy and boring. But, on the bright side, it's easy. On the other hand, it's boring. And it comes with a free frozen yogurt... which is also cursed. Apparently, I can make some extra money teaching classes after school to the kids that actually, you know, go here. So I'm about to be rolling in Won... hell yeah. That's money, by the way, not Korean for "children."
• The people. They're awesome. Kind, generous, polite. And about a quarter of them (that would the quarter representing the women between 18 and 50) are hot. I had heard this, but it doesn't really hit home until you're seeing it... everywhere you look, all the time. It's good. And, what's the word, efficient. These people are efficient! I went to the hospital today to get x-rayed, do a drug test, and blood tests, oh, and get an eye exam and routine physical. This whole process, including paying, took about 30 minutes. Yeah. I was blown away. I mean, it was a dirty little shithole of a place, bugs everywhere, but whatcha gonna do, right...
• Their humor. Well, actually no. They don't get my jokes, but you do, right? See previous bullet point to find out.

I think that's enough for now. I'm off in 5 minutes, back to my lovely hotel. Pictures will be posted at my picasa page... which I think is here *UPDATE* (which is now fixed!!!) aaand the winner is... me! That's the one. If I get better at blogging then I'll start posting them here. But for now, go there. Do it, and like it.

Dinner is served -- at least, I think. More later.