Saturday, July 25, 2009

And the Winner is...

A few weeks ago I put up an experiment, where I asked you to listen to my students singing a song. I really appreciate the responses. So here is what they are actually saying:

I like oranges,
I like grapes,
I like colors,
I like shapes,
I like hats,
I like capes,
I like you very much.

So, obviously, Jarrod is the closest, based on a very scientific formula that I can't divulge for fear the internet would collapse.

Jarrod has won a luxurious all expenses paid* stay in a quaint, one bedroom apartment on the lower east side of Seoul.

*Transportation and most expenses not included. You also must share the apartment with me. I will make you cereal in the morning, and Arosh in the evening.


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A Trim and a Shave

One of the great things about a new country is experiencing something that back home would be routine. Such as grocery shopping, seeing a movie or eating out. Today I went to a barbershop.

My hair had been getting decently long and I had let my beard grow unkempt, as I am prone to do. My friends and coworkers had all warned me about Korean barbers. Sara wanted a trim and they cut eight inches off. Ben got a haircut, and explicitly said he wanted to keep his sideburns and they shaved them up to his temple. But I was prepared to deal with any mistakes. Hair grows back and all pictures are digital, so I can manipulate them to my heart's content.

I asked my boss, Jenny, to write a note I could deliver to the barber telling him I wanted a trim and a shave. Don't take more than 3 cm off, and please, for the love of God, let me keep my sideburns. I think I have had sideburns since the 9th grade and I have no idea what my face would look like with out them. She drove me to a barber that her father-in-law frequents, which is four blocks from my apartment.

I entered the building and wandered around, trying to recognize the characters for "Barbershop." It was tucked away behind a half-dozen dry-cleaners in the south-east corner of the first floor. I walked in and found a husband and wife, flashed them my handmade sign and shared a laugh as they sat me in the chair.

I was the only customer in the small, corner store. I filled one of the two available chairs. It looked like it could've been from Valley City, ND in the 1950's. There were doilies hanging on the wall, Korean cross-stitch and trinkets that their grandchildren had given them.. Collections of seashells they collected on trips to the coast were stacked in corner shelves around the room.

The haircut proved uneventful, which is a great adjective for a haircut. The chair was set up pretty high and there wasn't a foot pedal to raise or lower me and it didn't swivel around. In front of me was the sink, a big, wide sink that belonged in the back room of an upscale hardware store, one where they used porcelain instead of plastic. On top of the sink was a made-to-fit cushion, which was where I rested my legs when I reclined and prepared for the shave. They also provided a mattress underneath my body to help me be comfortable.

At this point the woman took over. This couple performed a well rehearsed duet, both spinning around each other, knowing where they had to be, which towels to warm, which elixirs to set out. She covered my entire face in a medium consistency gel, and topped that with a warm towel. I could hear her mixing the cream in a metal cup; the wooden handle of the brush banging against the tin. It wasn't a labored or rushed process. The preparation was just as important as the job.

She used a thick steel blade and shaved every part of my face: my nose, forehead, neck and ears, besides the parts that actually needed it. It was such a calming, careful situation that I fell asleep more than once. It was a strange sensation of waking back up, almost startled, but being aware of some distant my brain catching my body before it could jerk out of place and send the blade into my jugular.

When she was done, she covered my face in thin slices of cucumber, and I sat for about 10 minutes, drifting back asleep. When she pulled them off, my face felt wonderful. She sat me up and handed my head back to her husband.. like a grocer handing eggs to a customer.

He proceeded to stick my head under a cold tap and washed my hair and face with the vigor one scrubs freshly dug potatoes. He tipped my head back and started to dry my hair and his wife surprised me by jamming Q-Tips in my ears. There were no more than a handful of words shared between them the entire time I was there, but they knew exactly what was next.

I spent about an hour and twenty minutes in that barbershop. When I finished they handed me a Korean yoghurt, which is kind of like a thick juice, and had me sit down while I looked in the mirror. They seemed very proud, too. The entire process cost KRW 12,000 which is right about $10. It was one of the most enjoyable things I have done in recent memory. It was such a great feeling to be that taken care of.

So, if anyone is planning on visiting me, start growing your beard now. It will be worth the wait.

Monday, July 13, 2009

An Experiment


I have my iPhone with me at all times, even though I have no service in South Korea. They use the same CDMA technology that Verizon and Alltel use, so my very convenient, jailbroken GSM phone is of no use here. Decently frustrating, but what it does give me is a a camera, audio recorder, subway map, gaming system, and all around conversation starter, because even though the iPhone is not sold here, every Korean wants to have one.

So I usually have it in class. I recorded some of the kids singing a song they learned. It is short and cute. The person you can hear the clearest is Jennet. She is short and cute also. So, my experiment involves you: try to understand what they are saying, and post your results in the comments. Thanks.




PS - The song is called "I Like." That should help a lot.
PPS - If you can understand it, I taught it to them... if you can't, this song is actually from the lesson before I started teaching... so I will blame their previous teacher...
PPPS - I found Houndbite to host this audio file.. I was just going to put it into YouTube, but I can't upload from Korea. They have laws in place protecting the public.