Korean Age

I was born on November 12, 1986. I'm 25 years old but in Korea, I'm 27. Ugh, it's terrible.

Here's the low down on how I magically lost two years just from landing on this peninsula.

When you are born in Korea, you are one year old. When you are one day old, you are one year old. Then, the following January, you are two years old. From then on, your age changes every January, NOT the day you were born.

This offered a lot of confusion between me and my students at first. Whenever a kid told me it was their birthday, I would ask, "Ohhhh, how old are you now?" with a big expectant smile. American kids love when they get a year older and say their new age with pride and a grin. But Korean kids would just look at me like, "What? Why are you asking me that?" and then go on to say the age they had since January, leaving us both confused.

birthday party at our school

Using me as an example, I was born on November 12, 1986 and on that day I was one year old in Korean age. Then on January 1, 1987, I turned two years old, in Korean age. When my birthday rolled around in November of 1987, I was still two years old in Korean age (even though I was just turning one!). Then in January of 1988 (just a month and a half after my first birthday), I turned three years old Korean age.

When kids start kindergarten at our school, they are either five or six years old, in Korean age. I have a five year old class that I teach every day and they are so cute, very active, and tiny. The school year starts in March and so if their birthday is early in the year, they could be four years old but most of them are probably still three (western age).

Here's some videos of them speaking English after learning English for about a month.



How old do you think they are?

Beauty and Plastic Surgery in Korea

In Korea, it's not considered rude to call someone ugly if it's true. In a class of 12-13 year old students, a girl called a boy ugly and I automatically said, "Don't say that; it's mean." The kids all looked at me with surprised looks and one said, "It's not mean. He knows it!" while the boy just smiled at me sheepishly, seemingly unhurt by these accusations.

double eyelid surgery source

With physical appearance so brusquely out in the open in Korea, the way you look really matters.

So, what is considered beautiful in Korea? There seems to be only one right answer: thin body, big eyes/double eyelid (a crease when your eye is open), a high nose (a bridge), good teeth, and a small face.

“Koreans agree on what constitutes a pretty face. The consensus, now, is a smaller, more sharply defined youthful face — a more or less Westernized look.” (The New York Times)

To get this "Westernized look," more and more Koreans are turning to plastic surgery for help, especially women.

In a CNN interview, reporter Kyung Lah talks to a plastic surgeon at one of the busiest clinics in Seoul. "Dr Kim believes in the global economy, investing in plastic surgery to slightly westernize the face will bring a return on the investment of 100 times, through more confidence, a better job and obtaining a better marital partner."

advertisement for plastic surgery on the subway source

 A New York Times article states,"Doctors say their main patients are young women entering the marriage and job markets. 'As it gets harder to find jobs, they’ve come to believe they must look good to survive,' said Choi Set-byol, a sociologist at Ewha Woman’s University."

It's sad that people resort to expensive surgeries to try and be happier and more successful but what's even sadder is that sometimes, it works. Studies have shown that attractive people make more money "than their less comely colleagues." 

With the promise of a happier and more successful life, plastic surgery doesn't seem like a bad option to many Koreans. In fact, the number of people who are willing to have procedures done has increased from 21.5% in 2007 to 31.5% in 2010 (survey of both men and women). In a survey done by Trend Monitor, "one of every five women in Seoul between the ages of 19 and 49 said they had undergone plastic surgery."

Plastic surgery wasn't always so popular or accepted in Korea. In the past, the bad stigma surrounding plastic surgery would keep people from getting procedures done but even that is starting to wane due to more and more Korean celebrities coming out about going undergoing operations.

“It used to be all hush-hush when mothers brought their daughters in for a face-lift before taking them to match-makers,” said Dr. Park Sang-hoon, head of ID Hospital. “Now young women go plastic surgery shopping around here.” (New York Times)

The place to shop around for plastic surgery in Korea is an area called the "beauty belt" in the Gangnam district in Seoul. Plastic surgery clinics line the streets and advertisements showing before and after photos of successful surgeries are everywhere.  

With plastic surgery so accessible and acceptable, will all of Korea one day be surgically altered?? I don't think so. There are some people who disagree with it and warn of procedures gone badly, dubbed "plastic surgery syndrome," and the possibility of getting addicted to it. There have also been a few posters advocating "Against Plastic Surgery" in the Gangnam area.

However there are far more posters on subway cars, in subway stations, and on billboards showing successful surgeries of smiling "perfect" young women.



Would you ever get plastic surgery? What if you were promised a better job and a more successful partner? Would you be tempted even a little? 

Stuck in a Rut

A couple weeks ago, I realized that I brought five cocktail dresses (yes, five...I know, I know...) with me to Korea and have yet to wear one once. I tried them all on in turn and put on the heels I haven't worn either.

I walked (and spun) around the apartment in them relishing in their adorableness. Maybe it's because I hadn't worn dresses in a while since it was winter or maybe it was because I had no reason to ever dress up in Korea but the whole experience just made me sad.

The past few months have been a downer. I was sick for the entire month of March after only being better for two weeks from a previous illness. Actually, I think it's safe to say I was sick all winter.

I haven't been having a very good time, as of late. I feel like it's all work....work, work, work, work, work.
 

from my iPod

To try and turn my frown upside down, I made a plan. I thought it would cheer me up to wear my fanciest dress, make Spencer wear a tie, and go out for drinks at the fanciest hotel in town.

I painted my nails. I wore contacts. I spent a good twenty minutes just doing my eyeshadow when usually it takes me all of ten minutes to put all my make up on. I changed my hairstyle three times before I found one I liked. I put on my beloved red party dress and the gorgeous shimmery coat my mom had just sent me. I wore heels outside for the first time on Korean soil.

We took a taxi to the hotel where the very kind employee told us we couldn't go to the bar that overlooks all the sparkling city lights of our town with the fancy drinks and plush chairs, because there was a wedding reception up there.

I was so disappointed.

We walked around for a while and then went to a restaurant we knew nearby that served cocktails. We salvaged the night and had a good time drinking and chatting while sitting in over-sized chairs listening to techno. We didn't have the view and I was totally overdressed but it was still nice to go out.

Travel Photos: Mission Bay, San Diego

The palms of Mission Bay, taken near the roller coaster.

San Diego is beautiful. The sun shines nearly every day and there are plenty of places to lounge in the sun and enjoy the day. One of the best places to do just that is at Mission Bay. Mission Bay is a man made bay where you can do all sorts of fun things including: wake boarding, stand up paddle boarding, biking on the path surrounding the bay, jet skiing, camping, kayaking, sailing, picnicking, or relaxing next to a bonfire at night.

Mission Bay, San Diego

I have an affinity for climbing trees. :)

A sunset over Mission Bay, taken near Crown Point.

Full of COLOR #FriFotos

Every week on Twitter, people share photos from around the world based on a theme. I've seen other bloggers share pictures in the past, and lately I've been sharing some of my own pics. It's really fun.

This week's theme is "colorful" and since I love color so much, I decided to make an entire post about it. I hope you enjoy and log on Twitter to share your own pictures, too!

fruit stall at a market in Ecuador

hot air ballooning in Napa, California

colorful character--a barman in Germany

Tobacco Caye, Belize

left: Monet's garden in Giverny, France right: sunset on Hawaii's Big Island

lights on my parent's Christmas tree

 

Spencer's ABC's of Travel

Maggie did a great job with her ABC's of Travel so I thought I would give it a go as well. Enjoy!

A: Age you went on your first international trip
23. Maggie and I went to Europe and had an amazing time. We spent time in Amsterdam and Paris before going to England to meet up with my siblings. Then the five of us traveled over to Scotland and spent a week in my father's hometown, Perth. It was an unforgettable experience capped off by a wild three (or four?) days in Ireland with a fantastic Flaming Lips concert in Belfast. I'll never forget it.

B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where
Belikin Beer (Belize's National Beer). The actual beer is nothing special, but in the right circumstance (a hot day, Caye Caulker island, knee deep in the Caribbean water) it is a fantastic experience. They even put picnic tables in the water so you can eat your lunch and drink your beer without ever getting out of the water. How cool is that?!

Caye Caulker, Belize

C: Cuisine (favorite)
It's a tough one, but recently we had some amazing sushi in Japan. I love wasabi!!

D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why
Favorite: Amsterdam. The canals. Everyone rides bikes. The friendly international vibe. The cafes.

Least favorite: Dangriga, Belize. Passing through on our way to San Ignacio. Spent a night in Dangriga. Ended up in a questionable hotel room. Super dirty. Lots of bugs. Yuck.

E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”
We were riding bikes in along the country roads outside of Amsterdam. It was the most perfect summer day with amazing farmland and fields to accompany us on a peaceful ride. Then all of the sudden. BAM! I was not paying attention to where I was going, bumped into Maggie, and we both crashed to the ground. I ended up falling right on Maggie's bike and slicing my leg pretty badly on the gear spokes.

After some super ghetto first aid, where we tore the sleeves off of my shirt to wrap around my leg, we started biking back to the city. On the way back, we got super lost and had no idea which direction we needed to go. Seemingly from nowhere, a man on a bike rides up from behind us. He saw that we are having a hard time and asks us where we are going. "Ah, Amsterdam, okay...I am headed that direction. Follow me".

He then preceded to lead us all the way back to the city (maybe a 45 minute ride). He pointed us in the direction of a hospital and then went along his merry way. We made it to an Emergency Room where a nurse (who spoke perfect English) happily cleaned up and bandaged my leg. I didn't have insurance papers or anything with me. "Ah that's no problem", they said. "What is your address in the United States? We will send you a bill. It isn't that expensive".

I think it was at that point that I turned to Maggie and said something along the lines of "Wow. This country and its people are fucking awesome."

F: Favorite mode of transportation
To go long distances: Trains. To explore a city: BICYCLES!

G: Greatest feeling while traveling
When you arrive at a new city late at night and go to sleep knowing all the fascinating things you will get to do the next day. Then the morning arrives and you wake up. I love that initial feeling you get that first morning. The excitement is electric. There is so much to do. So much to see. Showers and breakfast are just stupid boring details you need to get out the way ASAP so you can go out and EXPLORE.

H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to
Coachella in 2007. All day in the blistering, unforgiving heat. It was totally worth it, but hot daaaaamn that weather was crazy. The best feeling ever was sitting on the grass after the sun finally went down, listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers and scarfing down 5 ice cream sandwiches for dinner.

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where
We spent two days at Chaa Creek in one of the Camp Casitas. It is a small tent-cabin campground inside one of the nicest resorts in Belize. We got massages, lounged in a really neat pool while enjoying drinks and snacks, and breakfast and dinner were both included and consisted of amazing home-cooked food in the camp area. I loved every minute of it.

J: Journey that took the longest
The 13 hour plane ride + 5 hour bus ride to get to our current home in Suncheon, South Korea. The end result was a combination of exhaustion and excitement for our new life in Korea. Long plane rides are strange...I thought I would sleep but ended up watching like 4 or 5 movies.

K: Keepsake from your travels
Maggie and I kept a journal when we traveled through Europe in 2008. We took turns writing about our travels and even added pictures/ticket stubs/other mementos from the trip. It was super fun and made for a great souvenir. We are planning to do a similar journal for our adventure through Southeast Asia next year. Maybe we will share the end result with you!

L: Let-down sight, why and where
The biggest let down for me is the sight of your home city after you have been traveling for a while. I don't think I have ever had a "let down sight" while I've been traveling.

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel
When I moved to Korea and took a trip to Hong Kong for a week in July 2011, I realized how ridiculously easy it really is to travel. When people (myself included) tend to think about travel, they build it up in their head and create complications which usually end up holding back or delaying their travels. I overcomplicated things in the past. Now I see the light. This shit ain't that hard. You just gotta go for it!

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in
The night before we flew to Belize for our honeymoon, we decided to splurge and stay at a fancy hotel in San Jose. We stayed at the Cypress Hotel and it was great! We left super early the next morning to catch a flight but I wish we could have stayed at that type of hotel every night on our trip. Everything was so nice and fancy.

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?

• Goofy street art

• Things that involve water (canals, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc)

• Ummm....

• Goofy street art involving water? I guess that would be my ultimate photo op

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?
22. I am a travel rookie compared to Maggie.
The Netherlands, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belize, Guatemala, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where
"The Gum Wall" in San Louis Obispo, California is a bizarre little alley with thousands upon thousands of pieces of gum stuck to the walls. It's pretty silly and awe inspiring to walk through and see the epic amount of gum that was chewed to create this living art project (the pictures don't do it justice). We added our contribution, of course.

San Louis Obispo, California

R: Recommended sight, event or experience
Releasing wish balloons at midnight on New Year's Eve at the Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, Japan. We arrived too late to get a balloon, but still experienced the amazing spectacle when hundreds (maybe thousands) of people welcomed the new year by releasing their balloons into the night's sky.




S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling
Saving time. I will gladly pay a little more for a 3 hour bullet train instead of an 8 hour bus ride. This definitely applies more when you only have a short amount of time for your vacation. If you are slow traveling through Asia (like we plan on doing in 2013) then there is nothing wrong with taking your time and saving your money.

T: Touristy thing you’ve done
I visited Washington D.C. when I was in 8th grade on a school trip. While this is obviously "touristy", it was an event that occurred on the trip that sticks with me as a total bonehead tourist move. We were given about an hour to explore the National Mall. Some friends and I spent too much time walking around the reflecting pool and I suddenly realized that we didn't have much time to go see the Lincoln Memorial. Being the dumb 8th grader that I was I just ran up the steps and snapped a quick photo of the Lincoln statue without even really looking at it.

"Okay, now I've seen it," I thought. "Let's go back to the bus."

 I never really saw it. I never appreciated it's symbolism or power. I never got the true experience because I was in a hurry and I thought a photo would do. I am still bummed about not taking my time. Things like that are much more powerful when you take your time and experience them with the camera in your pocket.

U: Unforgettable travel memory
I have two. The first was Raggamuffin Tours' sailing adventure in Belize: 3 days on a sailboat. Snorkeling, fishing, and island hopping with a dozen rowdy adventurers. It was truly unforgettable.

The second is Yosemite. Everything about Yosemite is majestic. I will never forget walking around Yosemite Valley for the first time. One of the greatest places on earth.

V: Visas, how many and for where?
Just one! South Korea (my current home)

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?
I have no idea. Never pay much attention to wine.

X: eXcellent view and from where?
I have to agree with Maggie. The view on top of Victoria's Peak in Hong Kong is unbelievable.

Victoria's Peak, Hong Kong

Y: Years spent traveling?
2011 and 2012 are my first "true" travel years. Hopefully that number will continue to climb!

Z: Zealous sports fans and where?                  
I love sports. But I have yet to have a great travel moment involving sports and/or zealous fans.


So I will leave this up to our audience. Help me out with the last question! Tell me your amazing/silly/wacky sports fan story.


Best story wins a lifetime supply of high fives, redeemable anytime!

The Best Time to Visit Yosemite Valley

Tunnel View - El Capitain on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right and Half Dome in the distant center.

Yosemite National Park is a world renowned place with spectacular views but there is one downside. When a place is this beautiful and famous, there will always be heaps of people wanting to see it and 3.7 million people visit the park every year to gawk at how amazing nature can be.

When you go to see one of the most breathtaking places nature has to offer, you want to see it with as few people as possible. For me, large crowds tend to interfere with that whole connecting-with-nature thing. 

Merced River

To avoid the crowds, the best time to visit Yosemite is early-mid spring and here's why: schools aren't out for the summer yet and people still think it's too cold to visit. Once schools close for the summer, family vacations begin and the park gets more busy. Also, the warmer weather in June, July, and August attracts people.

Here's what you can expect when visiting in the spring:

On the trail to Upper Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Valley will be mostly clear of snow but you'll still be able to see snow on the surrounding mountains. There's something about snow capped mountains that I just love.

Left: Vernal Falls Right: Upper Yosemite Falls

The waterfalls in the valley will be raging full force from all that snow melting in the warm spring sunshine. Yay! Waterfalls make me happy. :)

Carrying our extra layers at the top of the mountain, almost to Upper Yosemite Falls.

The combination of hiking and that same warm spring sun will make exploring the miles of trails enjoyable and not too hot/not too cold. It will be chilly in the morning and at night so bring layers but be prepared to peel them off as the day warms up and you get your body moving.

An empty trail in Yosemite Valley

  Most places and trails will be open (although not all, including Half Dome, check Yosemite's website for more details). There will be a fraction of the people on the trails meaning that you will be able to enjoy them without 100 other people flitting about trying to get a picture that looks like no one is around them.

Free Transportation within Yosemite Valley (photo source)

 There won't be traffic in the valley but the eco-friendly shuttle bus system will still be running to help you get around. Best part? It's FREE!
 

our tent cabin

There are a variety of places to sleep, from camping to a five star hotel, that are open year round. We car camped one year and stayed in a non-heated tent cabin another year. The tent cabin was an adequate mix of camping and comfort and you can get a heated one. (tip: Bring an extra sleeping bag if you can. There were plenty of blankets to keep warm but the sleeping bag was more comfortable.)

just playing in the valley

Have you ever been to Yosemite National Park? When did you go and what did you think? Share your story with us!