Facing the familiar

There were quite a few things I had to get readjusted to after my move back to Toronto. After having spent a year in Seoul, I had become quite used to living my life a certain way. I had even become used to the many quirks that made Korea so alien to me in my first few months there.

Having moved back, I faced a lot of challenges that stemmed from things I took for granted while I lived here. Simple things caught me off guard, or shocked me. Things that should have been refreshing or familiar, scared or frustrated me. That said, I also came to appreciate a few things.

So here's five of my biggest shockers since moving back to Toronto.

5. Understanding what people around me are saying -- After a few weeks in Korea I became used to drowning people out. Most of my co-workers would speak in Korean when in my company, along with my co-teachers and students as well. The chatter became like white noise, and pretty soon all I heard were my own thoughts... and I was OK with that.

When I moved back to Toronto, one one of the first places I visited was a shopping mall. I was passing through the food court with my mum, when I found myself frozen in time and space. There were words spinning all around me, and the fact that I understood what everyone was saying scared the bajeepers out of me. People were talking about their significant others, about dinner plans and movie listings... even about the weather. And I understood all of it!

It was shocking because I realized these were probably the same conversations happening around me in Seoul... but I just never understood what was going on. The moment in the shopping mall felt like absolute chaos for me, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Since then, it's become a lot better. But boy, that first experience was pretty terrifying! It's funny how we take simple things like this for granted.

4. Tipping at restaurants -- I know, I know! This isn't something new or shocking. But one of the first things I learned while in Korea was that no one tipped at restaurants, bars or pubs. No one looked at you the wrong way for leaving a smaller tip, and certainly no one yelled at you if you didn't tip. It just wasn't expected. If you did decide to tip, most servers would graciously accept and thank you for it, regardless of the amount.

I understand the importance of tipping because most servers make minimum wage or less, and rely heavily on their tips. But I can't tell you how much it hurts having to fish through my wallet for change at the end of a meal with friends. I do it, because I know it's expected and it's the right thing to do... but I sure do miss going to a restaurant and only having to worry about my drink and food tally. Sigh. Simple pleasures.

3. Transportation... or lack of it -- I miss the nine subway lines in Seoul. They sure made it really easy to get from one end of the city to the other. Toronto only has two (and a half) subway lines. I always knew Toronto was more spread out than Seoul, but I didn't realize how densely packed Seoul was, until I moved back here.

The T-Money cards in Seoul were awesome as well, because I never had to buy a bus pass or monthly Metro pass. I simply had to top my card up with a certain amount of money, and use it until it was empty. Then I'd go back and top it up with some more as needed. Plus it was great because the card hung off my cellphone, so I never had to worry about losing it. So convenient... such ease. I'll definitely never take transportation for granted again.

2. Not being wired in -- Korea has the best Internet in the world! The speed was amazing and they had wi-fi everywhere. You could take your laptop into any restaurant, coffee shop or store, and chances are you'd be able to access the Internet with ease.

Not to mention the PC rooms which were located pretty much everywhere. I'd say they even outnumbered the many coffee shops throughout the city.

The Internet in Toronto isn't bad by any means... but it isn't fast -- or at least not as fast as Korean standards. I was spoiled for a year, and now I have to adjust to regular speed. Humbug.

1. Dressing... normally -- It's refreshing to be able to walk out of my house in jeans and a sweatshirt, and not have people stare at me. I was always conscious of what I wore in Seoul, because that's pretty much how the community was.

I dress for practicality -- fancy for fancy, casual for every day. But most people in Korea would dress up for simple, day to day tasks. I mean, women would wear mini skirts and stilettos to go hiking!

I remember this one time when I was meeting up with friends for what I thought was a casual lunch, only to show up and be the most under-dressed person there (I was wearing jeans and a black sweater). Everyone else was wearing a dress, or a button-down shirt, with fancy accessories. For lunch. On a Thursday. At a self-serve restaurant.

I can't tell you how awesome it is to be able to dress up or down as I choose, and to have people around me choose comfort over superficiality. This has definitely been one of the best perks of being back.

So there you have it... five things I've had to get readjusted to since moving back to Toronto. Simple stuff really... but I'll never take these things for granted again.

xo
SC

Meal-lag

It happened.

Dear Readers, it's finally come to this. It took me five months to get here, but it happened. Today, I woke up from a spontaneous afternoon siesta and realized it was time for dinner. Upon inspecting the choices for a decent meal in my fridge (eggs, bread, potatoes, tomatoes... Tupperware with questionable surprises), I intentionally opted for the following: scrambled eggs and a potato.

I made breakfast. For dinner. I made breakfast for dinner!

Now I know some of you are wondering what the big deal is... but please, hear me out.

As I sit here eating and typing away at this entry, I feel a delayed sense of satisfaction. I remember my friends in university -- the ones who lived on campus -- eating such meals as a ritual. Every night, the options were take-out, ramen noodles or breakfast.

Having never experienced that, save for the times I'd go to a restaurant and knowingly order the 'all day breakfast' special, this feels like a small victory.

I think I get it though. You know, the whole idea of cooking breakfast when in doubt? Breakfast is... easy! We almost always have eggs in the fridge. And eggs can be cooked in more ways than we can count. It makes sense.

In any case. A small triumph for a newbie out on her own in the big, wide world.

Or perhaps, this could be the beginning of bad behaviour? I start off by breaking rules concerning meals, and the next thing I know I'm. . . ahem!

A delayed reaction, no doubt... but a joyous one for now, nonetheless!

xo
SC

Bidding 'adieu' to the Ox

I think I've come up with a list of rules for 2010 and beyond.

A friend and I were trying to figure out what the new decade will be called. We had the Eighties, the Nineties, and most recently, the '00s (or, as the friend called it, 'the Noughties'...). So we wondered about the upcoming decade... 'the Tennies'? Anyone?

Anyway, first on the list is...

LESS use of the word "maybe". Seriously, I am sick of this word, and people who use it on a regular basis. I think the "maybe" option on invites (or, if we're getting with the times, evites) should be eliminated. The "maybe" option on the brink of an important question should also be axed. Remember the days when, if you wrote out a question, the only options were "check YES or NO"? People should be forced to choose one side of the coin or the other. I think the only time a "maybe" should be allowed (around me, anyway) is if it's included with a cheeky grin or a wink... yea, you know what I'm talking about!

Next, I am planning on physically de-cluttering my life. In a wholesome sense. A lot of people may wonder why I'm announcing this on here, but I feel that if I don't acknowledge it in a visual sense, I'll never do it.

MORE endorphins. Seek them, embrace them, allow them, and use them. Endorphins are a wonderful thing.

If and when the universe throws me a sign, I have to do my best to follow it... even if the little devil on my shoulder is telling me otherwise. If by chance I don't... I should try to at least give it some thought before saying "hmmm... I think I'll take the other route!" Less impulsive behaviour is important here.

MORE impulsive behaviour... generally speaking.

Find MORE reasons to write and LESS reasons to think myself in circles.

GO. WITH. THE. FLOW... and let life happen. Acknowledge the bumps and treasure the movement.

Finally (but certainly not last or least on the list), learn to embrace and live in the moment. Things in life do happen for a reason. And if, at the time, the moment doesn't make sense, all I have to do is get through it, because in getting through, I will have learned a lesson. And that's something to be thankful for.

I think that's enough ranting for 2009, don't you agree? It's time to chill the bubbly in anticipation of a fabulous year ahead of us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2010, dearest readers!

I wish you abundant peace and beautiful moments in life, filled with everything your hearts long for. It's been a joy writing for you this year. I promise to keep up in 2010, if you promise to keep visiting.

To readers in the east, enjoy the lunar eclipse on new year's eve. And to my readers out west, have fun under the blue moon!

Cheers!

I found this photo on Google Images by searching "What a wonderful world!"
Appropriate, I think!

xo
SC

Image courtesy of Google Images

En francais... Seoul style

There's something to be said about globalization, isn't there? How lucky are we to live in a world where cultures are now so beautifully woven together, that you can indulge your senses to feasts from opposite sides of the planet, with ease?

I've had two experiences this past week, which sent me into sensory overload.

Le Saint-Ex in Itaewon, Seoul

T came to Seoul for a visit over the weekend, and decided to take me to Sunday brunch at her favourite French restaurant in Itaewon (the foreigner hub in Seoul), called Le Saint-Ex. It was a set menu, that came with an appetizer of soup or salad, an entrée, a dessert, and coffee.

The delicious salmon entrée

The meal itself was fabulous. I was craving a good salmon for months, realizing that I'd completely taken for granted the times when mum would bake me a few slices each week. But what was so amazing about that entire experience, was the fact that we were in Seoul... South Korea... eating brunch... at a French restaurant.

Of all the things I imagined doing here, this wasn't one of them. I can't begin to explain to you how it felt sitting in that restaurant early on Sunday afternoon, nibbling on a freshly baked baguette with REAL butter, while listening to smooth French jazz sailing into the air from the speakers. I could have very well been in the south of France, doing just the same... I never would have known the difference, I think. The bursts of reality only came each time our waiter showed up at the table.

A view of the desert table at Le Saint-Ex. There were about five options

Later this week, another friend and I decided to go in search of twinkly lights and Christmas trees, and found ourselves in Itaewon once again. The rest of the gang had headed over to a restaurant to enjoy an American thanksgiving meal, so the two of us (not being American) decided to have a Commonwealth evening.

Cue Tartine - another hidden gem in the back alleys of Itaewon -- a cozy cafe with a few tables, serving some of the best pies and 'drinking chocolate' in.... well, anywhere!

Tartine, in Itaewon, Seoul

B and I stumbled across this place on purpose. She'd read about it somewhere, and since we'd already had dinner at home, it was the perfect way to end our night -- with tarts, pies, and something called 'drinking chocolate' ... too tempting to pass up.

Our drinks arrived with instructions: "You have to keep stirring, otherwise it will clot," said the young Korean man, smartly dressed in a black French beret, clean uniform and white apron. B informed me that he might have also been the chef. For all I knew, I could have been sitting in a quaint French café in Paris, again. The only thing missing were the accents.

The infamous 'Drinking Chocolate'

B and I were in heaven. We each ordered a pie, split a cookie and indulged in our 'drinking chocolates', which, incidentally, tasted like... chocolatey nectar from the Gods. And boy did we ever keep stirring, not letting a drop of it go to waste... just to our waists!

The mixed berry pie and cookie, with beautiful plate decor

You'd think these two experiences would have left me confused about my actual location on this planet. But there's really such beauty in it, isn't there? When, in time gone by, would we have ever been able to say, "I ate Indian food in Toronto, Canada," or "One of my best memories of South Korea was when I indulged in pies at a French patisserie in Seoul"...?

Bizarre saying it, but definitely fortunate to have experienced it.

My Korean coworkers have often said I'm lucky. Not because they think I walk around with a lucky penny, or because they feel I win things wherever I go... neither of which is true.

They say so, because of, as they put it, my 'international background.'

I was born in India, raised in Canada, and now I'm living in Korea, experiencing the wonders of the east and west, in a city that's both traditional, and driving head first into the modern era.

If anyone is out there reading this, please listen... This is a good time to let yourself live. To let yourself feel alive!

xo
SC

Fin?
Aneyo!
Not by a long shot!

SPAMsgiving

It's almost Chuseok weekend here in Korea. Which means families across the country are getting ready to celebrate their thanksgiving by preparing hearty, homemade meals and practicing centuries-old traditions.

One of the traditions, I've learned, is that families give each other gifts of food during Chuseok. These gifts are either homemade or purchased at local stores... and they come in a variety of styles and packages.

Last week I was wandering around E-Mart... which, for those of you who don't know, can be compared to Wal-Mart.... except that in Korea, E-Mart has much higher prices. Department stores here are pretty popular and, if you're not careful, they can be quite expensive.

C and I were looking for some wine, when she pointed out a bunch of young Korean women dressed in traditional hanboks, standing around a giant display of what looked like gift sets.

Question is.... what kind of gift sets are worthy enough to give to families over the holidays?

These kinds of gift sets:

The SPAM gift set
A lifetime supply of mystery meat... or the best present ever?

The Tuna Fish gift set
Tuna is used in a lot of delicious Korean snacks, like Kimbap.

These gifts are pretty practical if you really think about it, I suppose. They range from anywhere between 25,000 wons to 65,000 wons... depending on how big the packs are. The sets even come as vinegar packs and Canola oil packs.

Wonder why the west hasn't thought of this yet... ... ...

xo
SC

Photos courtesy of Journals at WorldNomads and Zen Kimchi

A block around my Seoul

Well, I've officially been in the Land of Morning Calm for two weeks. Can you believe that? I can't! It seems like so much longer, but in many ways, it feels as though I just stepped onto that plane at Pearson International.

My first solo, international flight. I never thought I'd see the day. It wasn't so bad though... I lucked out and got the most direct flight across the world to my home for at least the next one year.

My 10-day orientation is officially over and I'm inching on the one-week mark of living at my new home.

I should probably give you all a visual of what my friends have come to know as my "Livable Manolo Shoebox".

Yes, I think my apartment for the next year defines the notion that South Korea is shy on space and is a mostly vertical-neighbourhoods community.

I live in a teeny-tiny apartment... but it has everything I need. If you imagine a shoe box and place all the amenities, a bed, a study table, a shelf, a closet, a window and a bathroom in it, you'll pretty much be able to visualize it.

Here's a photo if you need some help. What you don't see is the washroom (I'm taking the photo from there) and the front door, which is to the left of my fridge, at the bottom left of this photo. It may be small, but I'm thankful to have a space that I can call my own.

I live in a brand new apartment building in Anam district. Directly to the north of me, Korea University (a private university) shows off it's large buildings and brilliant architecture. It's quite parallel to my neighbourhood, which is just across the street.

For all my fellow Torontonians, I suppose you could say I live in what we know as The Annex. It's the cool place to be for young, hip university students. It's loud at night, and the neon lights never stop shinning through my window. Actually, now that I think of it, I don't think any of the stores in South Korea turn their neon signs off at any point.

My building, which is still under construction, is off an alleyway. It's gated and has a coded entry, but once past the gate, I come face to face with the back ends of overpriced coffee houses (or caffés) and restaurants.

When I walk along the street to the east of my building, I sometimes feel as though brand-chains came by and threw up two of each on the street.

Examples? Well, I have two 7-eleven's warring across one another, a Starbucks, a 24-hour McDonald's, a Dunkin' Donut's, a Holly's Caffé (which ended up being my kryptonite during the days without Internet)... and the list goes on.

On the same street there's also a handful of PC-bangs (Internet cafes) and about six coffee shops, each filled to the brink with cool and trendy university students. Oh, and I also lost count of all the Italian restaurants. True story.

Flip to the street on the west side of my building. It's kind of scary because of all the bars and open patios that are filled with students and older Korean men, alike. I think this part gets excessively loud at night, but I've begun to drown them out.

All the neon signs in my area have had me walking around in circles a lot. Everything tends to look the same after a while. I've started to look for landmarks to remind me where I am. It's pretty interesting, though, because if I walk through the alleys and side streets between the large neon signs and brand powered chains, I find cute older Korean women selling fruit and items in stores at a much lesser price than the ones that cater specifically to Waegooks (foreigners).

I've also begun to become immune to the three (yes, THREE) billiard halls that I can see directly out my window. I'm on the 5th floor of a six-storey building, so I'm at eye-level with these rooms, which exist on top of cafés and restaurants.

I walk to and from school. It's about a 20-minute walk each way, but I don't mind it. I think overall I lucked out with a pretty good area in the sense of proximity.

I'll have more on my first two weeks in Seoul in upcoming posts.

Till then, thank you for reading!

xo
SC

Seoul far

Wow!

I never imagined losing a whole day on a flight across the world would take such a toll on my system. I've been in a haze... a constant state of complacence... I've been agreeing and nodding my head to every instruction thrown in my direction. My mom would be proud!

I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, wired and wide awake. I meant to wake up at 7 a.m. to go get my medical exam done at the hospital for 8. I guess the jet lag is taking it's toll. It was also boiling in my room at night - the AC was turned off automatically in the middle of the night, across the building. A good way to save energy... if it's not boiling in the building already. But I also think that's the jet lag talking.

I have a roommate, and we're staying in the dorms at the NIIED in Seoul. I'll be here for about nine days before heading out with my co-teacher to the apartment they've got lined up for me.

Entering Seoul was a bizarre experience. There's something to be said about being in a place where you don't recognize any of the signs... save for the little woman on the door, telling you it's the ladies room.

I bought a calling card while at the airport, and had to teach myself to use the payphone. Who knew that I had to hit the 'emergency' button on the phone, in order to use my calling card?

As I waited for the bus at the airport, I noticed a lot of young American guys mulling around the gate. Every so often an army guy would come in and yell for them to get on a bus. He would refer to them by their numbers. I guess they were all serving time on the American army base in Incheon.

The bus ride into Seoul from Incheon was interesting. It didn't feel like I was on the other side of the world... until I'd look out the window and see fields, water, and traffic that's somewhere in between the chaos of Goa and the organized mess in Toronto.

Generally speaking, people have been very nice and open. I've already had two people ask me if my naturally curly hair is a perm. I also think I bonded with one of the program workers, who was mock-timing me while I struggled to give them a urine sample at the hospital, this morning. Hey! I hadn't had anything to eat or drink in 12 hours. Give a girl a break.

Anyway, all in (less than) a day's work. I will have a post with photos soon. Until then, lots of love, from Seoul!

xo
SC

p.s. For all those of you wondering, Yes, I am loving the scenery at the NIIED dorms. :)

52 Blog Entries Later....

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
to StraightFromTheCurls!!!

One Year... Wow... I can't believe I've managed to keep up with this thing for so long.
This means, I've averaged at an entry a week.... hmm... not too bad! :)

I want to thank everyone who reads this source of daily/weekly ramblings. It really means a lot. Whether you're reading it because I made you... or because you accidentally stumbled across it... or because you're an amazing person and have the blog bookmarked and it's part of your daily log-in series (e-mail, facebook, lavalife, simi's blog...) [ ;) ]... Thank you!

I appreciate all the comments and food for thought. Here's hoping I'll be able to pull off another year, with thoughts that have a bit more flavour! :)

xo
SC


P.s. Click "first" under labels, if you want to read the very first post. :o)

Tester or Teaser?

... I'm back at it. This time I plan to stick around for longer than 3 months. I realize I have a lot to say and need a place to say it without sounding absolutely ridiculous! So, my blog... my thoughts... my space? So, I guess it's like talking to a wall that won't talk back... except not, because you're reading it... and will probably comment on it. But then again, I want comments. So, stay tuned for more random, odd, fresh, strange, awesome, tragic, illustrious banter!
- SC