Well, hi!

April 13th, 2024

If you haven’t heard from me in a while, or if you are unsure of which country I am in even in right now, I admit I have not been the best communicator in that regard. However, since so many wonderful people have poured into me and invested in my life journey thus far, I wanted to give a brief update to those interested about what my life has looked like lately.

To start, three weeks ago, I began a new chapter of my life when I arrived in Pohang, South Korea to work as an elementary teacher. Located on the southeastern coast of the peninsula, Pohang is a city of 500,000 people - small by Korean standards. In exchange for the bustle and crowds I found in Seoul, Pohang offers a quieter, more peaceful side of South Korea, though it is far from the middle of nowhere. In Pohang, I have discovered a city with endless ocean views, and with enough cafes and restaurants to satisfy foodies and coffee-lovers alike. The famous local dish here is called 물회 (mul-hwae), a spicy raw-fish soup served cold. However, my personal local favorite has been 해물칼국수 (hae-mul kalguksu), which is a seafood soup served with handmade noodles.

Though the ocean here may remind me of Florida, the weather certainly does not. When I first arrived, temperatures ranged between 40 to 50° F (~5-10° C), with 20+ mph wind gusts to help pierce through each layer of clothing I had. However, as time went on, the weather became more kind (somewhat), and the cherry blossoms began to bloom two weeks ago - a spectacular arrival gift, and something Florida’s endless summers can’t seem to rival.

As for my day-to-day, the students welcomed me warmly at my new school. They were shocked when I told them stories of Florida being a land where alligators and snakes freely roam the streets (some slight exaggeration may have been added). The students also loved seeing videos of my cat, Sagwa (which means “apple” in Korean), and would ask me, “How is Apple?” So far, these students are smart, kind, and full of energy, and I am excited to see what lies ahead for us as a class.

Overall, after brushing up on my (rusty) Korean and putting some IKEA furniture in my apartment, I am starting to feel more and more adjusted to my new life in Pohang. I hope to provide more updates as time goes one, but in the meantime, please feel free keep in touch!

Until next time~

Holly

Scenes from a Korean Restaurant

June 1st, 2024

It’s Friday evening, and I am relieved that the weekend has come after a busy week of teaching. I get off at the bus stop, and walk down the block toward my apartment. I’m hungry for dinner, but I haven’t decided - do I take an evening stroll down the beach to McDonald’s, or do I go down the block to the mom-and-pop 맛집 (mat-jib) that I visited a month ago? The noodle soup there is good, but I’m not even sure they take credit cards.

But as I approach the street corner, the crosswalk signal turns green. I take it as a sign to go to the Korean restaurant. After taking a shortcut through some back alleys, I find the 맛집, and am greeted by an ajeossi at the doorway.

“Hello,” he greets in English, gesturing for me to come inside. “Annyeonghaseyo,” I return. I bow to him as I enter the 맛집.

The restaurant is a tiny room with four tables. Like the last time I came here, there is a group of men and women sitting in the corner with reddened faces, drinking off the past work week over some 삼겹살 (grilled pork belly). I bow and greet everyone, noticing the bemusement on some of their faces. With some hesitation, the store owner gets up from the group and asks me what I want to order.

I try to think of the soup I ordered last time. 비빔국수 (bibim-guksu) - wasn’t that what it was called? I order that.

In Korean, the group jokes that I look like a K-pop idol, which I strongly deny. They ask about my occupation, and I manage to get out that I work at a school nearby. Their conversation eventually wanders its way into other topics, only bits and pieces of which I can decipher through their Gyeongsang dialect. One lady discusses a dainty tattoo of a butterfly on her wrist.

After only a short time, the store owner places my food in front of me. The dish is an entirely different dish than what I thought I had ordered, but I guess this is my dinner now. Telling the store owner my order was wrong would be near illegal.

The 비빔국수 is a refreshing cold noodle dish topped with fresh vegetables and tossed in a sauce made with pepper paste. Though my spice tolerance has increased over the past two months, my non-Korean DNA still betrays me more often than not.

“Mae-woh?” the store owner asks.

“Aniyo,” I reassure her. But noticing the tears in my eyes, the ajeossi brings me water.

If my spice tolerance betrays me, my stomach betrays me more. Never one to each much, halfway through my dinner, I start to feel full. I breathe deep and power through. If I leave too much behind, the store owner will think I didn’t like her cooking.

Noticing that I finished my dinner, the ajeossi who greeted me approaches and gives me a business card. It is to a raw seafood restaurant he owns nearby. I thank him and take a minute to carefully observe the card. As I stand up to pay, he takes out his wallet and offers to pay instead. As custom, I refuse - one, two, three times before finally accepting with profound thanks for his generosity. But I know his generosity didn’t exactly come for free.

I guess I’ll be eating seafood next week.

Holly

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Contact: hollyinpohang@gmail.com