I’ve been super busy the past couple weeks, so apologies for my neglect on the WTF?! Wednesday front. I’m going to be moving when I return from Bali at the end of August, so Jeewon and I have been lugging our sweaty asses threw dingy shoebox apartment one after another until I finally found a cute little one bedroom to call my own! Praise all that is glorious and holy in this universe! My Vice Principal can finally lay off the overbearing mother role.
Now onto the weird.
This week and next week I have English camp, so that means I get off work at 12:40 everyday. This leaves lots of time to run errands and mosey around town in the sweltering dumpling cooker weather. On Monday I had to visit the US Embassy to add 48 more pages to my passport (!!!!), so I went on a long stroll after I was done with that.
The Embassy is located in my favorite part of Seoul, the Gwanghwamun/Jongno area. As I was just wandering down one of the tiny side streets in search of a naengmyeon restaurant to cool myself down, my eyes caught this awesome menu item.
Yes, would anyone care for some PIG MIDRIFF for dinner? I don’t know about you, but when I think of pig midriff I think of a pig dancing around in a belly shirt circa the Britney Spears hey day era. It also comes by the “slaughter expert’s recommendation”.
So yea, instead of some pork belly, you get a PHAT slab of midriff. I hope it tastes sexy.
I’d like to take a moment and highlight what I believe to be two of the greatest hidden treasures of the glorious Hongdae. For those who aren’t in the know, Hongdae is a very lively part of Seoul with a really great art university, and some of the cutest coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques around. It’s also where a lot of dignity goes to die every Friday and Saturday night at places like Zen 1 & 3, “The Park” and Papa or Mama Gorilla…. if you’re really feeling like making some mistakes.
Of course I love a good solid night of awful 1,500won tequila shooting and dancing to the same songs over and over again, weekend in and weekend out, but I do enjoy a change of pace every now and then. Well, I recently discovered the bar Myoungwolgwan (MWG) which holds a Shindig night once a month, where all they play are tunes from the 50s and 60s. And let me tell you, that tiny little wood paneled bar gets all kinds of dirty dancing up in thurrrr! I don’t think I’ve had more fun during a night out in Hongdae than I have the past two times I’ve gone to Shindig! Hatches new visions of Richard Simmons’ sweatin to the oldies.
The first time I literally stumbled on it because my friend Dustin, who recently came back into town for the summer, had a friend DJ’ing. We went, we sang jovially, and we got way down with our bad selves.
This last one in June was a Tiki/Beach theme (perfect opportunity to rock my dress adorned with palm trees), and was their first foray into live music with a girl group called The Barberettes, and a little Korean man who tried desperately to imitate Johnny Cash. They played some jams to kick off the night, and then the tunes started bumping and the dancing got underway!
For those who are looking for a way to boogie down and can’t get enough oldies in their life, MWG’s Shindig is located just behind Hongdae Park. When you walk out past the bathrooms, keep going straight and pass Exit and it’s just past it with a lotus sign. It’s 8,000~10,000won cover, and that gets you a free beverage as well as lots of burned calories once you start shakin your groove thang.
My other favorite hidden gem of Hongdae is a poppin retro bar called Gopchang Jeongol. Andria, Jee and I started our birthday celebration here earlier this year, since we are ajummas and all. It was only suiting we spent an evening celebrating our long lives to the tune of Korean rock n roll from decades past.
This place has the coolest vibe and is decked out with hundreds of records, photos of old groups, vintage radios and clocks covering the walls. Granted I can’t sing the songs that play because they’re all in Korean, but they still have that awesome oldies retro vibe that I totally crave in my life. But then there’s that glimmering moment when I recognize an American song redone in Korean and belt it out in my own English bubble. Assa!
This last time I went before Shindig with Josh, Andria and a few of Andria’s friends, for an evening of retro. There was this one table of 2 Korean couples who were so out-of-this-world jammin’ along to every song that came on. They were having the best time (and as we found out later, smashed out of their minds!) At some point in the night, they got up and came over to our table, where Josh and I put on our ever-present dancing shoes, and started jumping and awkward dancing and singing right along with them.
Here we are all happy-faced out with our new friends of 15 minutes, before the girl in black irked Josh out and fell off her chair. Oopsie daisies!
We have tried to find this place a few other times, and Josh and I always got lost. But, should you chose to navigate Hongdae and treat yourself to a feel-good evening (which you totally should), here’s how to orient your internal compass. Go out exit 4 of Hongik Station and walk towards the main street. Turn left down the street and make your first left. Keep going to the end of the road and take a left and walk until you come to a roundabout. Take the first right, and keep walking down that street until you almost come to the end of the road. It’ll be on your left down a little staircase. You have to order some food too, along with your drinks, but that’s pretty standard for most Korean bars/hofs.
I seriously hope you go, boogie down and enjoy both as much as I do!
I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but my luck has GREATLY increased over the past few weeks. Why? You ask? Well, because according to Korean thought, if one lands on the island of Dokdo, you are a very lucky person. And well, I am of the less than 1% of the Korean population to have stepped foot on the sacred and prized and heavily disputed over island of Dokdo in the East Sea or Sea of Japan. It’s all relative depending on your location in the east, or the map you chose to peruse, I suppose.
SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education ~ my employer) was generous enough to take 36 of the almost 700 native English teachers in Seoul, on an all-inclusive 4 day 3 night trip to Samcheok, Ulleungdo, and the mighty Dokdo. Dokdo is comprised of 2 islands that have been in heavy dispute with Japan for many years over who’s territory it actually is. So, we knew that in signing up for this trip we were in for a weekend fueled by propaganda and many a botched map to take many ganders at. And it was and we did.
I actually didn’t know much about Dokdo prior to my trip to Japan back in September, when Josh decided to jokingly shout “TAKESHIMI TAKESHIMI” everywhere we went. TakeshimA is actually the Japanese name for Dokdo, so of course this was a controversial stance for a giant white man to make whilst being employed by the Korean government! 😉 Both Joshua and I, and our friend Art, ended up being part of the lucky (highly weird) few to go on this trip, so I was very happy to be in extra FUN company on a long weekend to Takeshimi. 🙂
Our first stop on the trip was Samcheok, where we struggled to listen to the translation of the first propaganda lecture regarding “the correct understanding of Dokdo for peace in East Asia”. We ogled at some artifacts from the Joseon remains and General Isabu’s time, and took a walking tour down by the water, which was really beautiful. I felt like I wasn’t in Korea which was amazing on my peepers and lungs. Being stuck in a concrete jungle can really wear on you. We also visited a temple which is said to be the coolest (in temperature) place in Samcheok. Many people would come here to pray before traveling to Dokdo because they didn’t know if they would return to the mainland alive due to the roughness of the water. Many also used to walk through this rock in hopes of being impregnated with a son, so I took the liberty of forging my way through (without falling) said rock.
Looks like I’m having a boy guys!
When we finally checked into our pension for the night, we were shafted to the one next door to the “nice” hotel we were originally scheduled for. This place gave me and one other interesting fella bed bug bites for days! I also got cursed with a ridiculously bitchy roommate who got an overdose spoonful of the “Schaeff’s-not-listening-to-you-sideways-up turned-head-tilt”.
Bright and early the next morning, we had Korean breakfast of gamjatang, AKA pork spine soup, and kimchi. My breakfast therefore consisted of rice and the few bits of kimchi I struggled to shove into my mouth that early in the morning. With an awful taste in our mouths, we were off to the Sunflower 2, our ferry over to the beautiful island of Ulleungdo. This journey was about 3.5 hours.
My first thought after landing on Ulleungdo was that it was so strikingly lush and gorgeous. The abundance of green had me feeling like I was in Jurassic Park. We were taken on a tour of the entire island and heard many age-old myths about the different rock formations, the volcanic origin and the people who call the island their home. Currently, less than 7,500 people live on Ulleungdo, and it houses 3 (if I remember correctly) elementary schools, 1 high school and oddly enough, 3 universities. It’s special delicacies include dried squid (sold in Dokdo packaging), and a sweet pumpkin type bread and pumpkin candy similar to taffy. Brought some of that goodness back for my Principal and Vice Principal.
Here’s me, Josh and Art Turtle Rocking out. This rock is said to have many tiny formations that look like little turtles climbing all over it.
The walk up to our pension overlooking the ocean. Seriously beautiful and nothin’ but fresh air for days!
We went to this temple where we heard an old Korean myth about a young boy and girl who were left behind by their families. They never came back for them and both ended up dying here. Or so the tale goes.
And we walked along these massive cliffs overlooking the sea. Super gorge!
The next day was the BIG day! After all the praying we were told to do, we guzzled down our seasickness drugs, filled out our tickets and hopped aboard our righteous boat to the beloved Dokdo! We took one of the 45 journeys per year that the boat makes, and got inducted into the tribe of the lucky.
Here’s an aerial shot of the islands that make up Dokdo. The eastern island is where we went, and the western island is home to the two people who actually call Dokdo their home.
2.5 hours and no seasickness later, we made the arrival of a lifetime. We were ushered off the boat and told we had 30 minutes to take pictures with the Liancourt Rocks, signs and guards that protect the land. I’m not quite sure why our stay on the island is so short, but let me tell you, Josh and I with our “DOKDO IS OUR LAND” signs made fantastic use of it! If two grown adults could run around an island like kids in a candy store, that is what we looked like.
We gained some enemies along the way when Joshy “bali bali’d” an old Korean woman to hurry up and take her photo in this exact place.
We also acquired a fan club of Korean women who wanted to hop in every photo with us. Here is the sign mandating that this here is Korean territory. We saw nothing indicating it was otherwise Japan’s. Questionable I tell ya!
These are the guards who live on Dokdo. The only time they have other human interaction is when a boat reaches Dokdo. So, any of the less than 45 days a year the boat actually docks. You can also see stairs behind us which we weren’t allowed to climb up. I’m not sure what is on the other side, maybe something Japanese?
And with that we were off, but not without bidding some fond farewells.
The 3 of us were the last ones to get back on the boat, as we kept getting whistles blown on us to hurry up! Round trip, the entire journey consisted of 9 hours spent on a bus, 7 hours on a ferry and 5 hours on a boat, so we definitely make that 30 minutes count! That night we met up with our groups to think up a speech to give on our final day. Josh and I must have been sipping happy water, because when we told our group members that we had so much fun on Dokdo, they looked at us like we were crazy faces from another planet. Sour puss foreigner freaks.
Later we celebrated our new found fortune by noraebanging our hearts out. We bonded with a few others on the trip and shoved ourselves into a massive VIP room for what seemed like 3 hours. I broke a glass, there was table dancing, and no shortage of mic hogging on my part, per the usual.
The next day we were forced to eat fish and tofu soup for breakfast (awful to begin with, more awful when you’re hungover), and then were given a tour of a South Korean Coast Guard ship where we learned that they do not skimp on their entertainment, event whilst at sea protecting Korea’s oceans. This ship was fully equipped with a jjimjilbang (sauna) and a noraebang (karaoke room).
Our last stop was to a little ocean side town. We stopped to look at some more historical Isabu sites, but we opted to check out the ocean view and vibrant murals instead. I really find myself appreciating how beautiful Korea is whenever I get out of Seoul and visit places so tranquil and remote like this. I don’t know why I don’t do it more often.
The trip was really wonderful, and I’m extremely grateful that SMOE was so generous in offering such an opportunity to a group of us foreigners. I know we look at the island of Dokdo much differently and with less seriousness than Koreans do, and mostly viewed this as a chance to A) get out of teaching for 2 days, B) take a free trip out of Seoul to a couple islands that we probably would never seek out on our own, and C) a weekend filled with propaganda. However, seeing as so few Koreans actually have the chance to make this journey, I’m very grateful to say that during my time in Korea I got to check off such a huge cultural experience from my list. As far as who’s territory it actually is, I don’t know. I think there has to be something more than fishing rights and lines being drawn on a map, but I think Koreans are so passionate about it because the Japanese have been so awful to them. So, they want the right to that land. Or there’s oil. Who knows.
Here’s a video that Jon Pak, the SMOE head coordinator, made of the trip. See if you can spot me for the smattering of nanoseconds that I make an appearance.
And just for good measure so you can see how serious Koreans are about this island, and because who doesn’t love a flash mob set to the Dokdo song.
Hi everyone! This is a day late on my clock, but according to the rest of the Western world it’s still WTF?! Wednesday!
I had an old friend, Robyn, and her new husband stop into Seoul on a layover on their return home from honeymooning in Thailand, so we went to dinner and ice cream and I showed them around my favorite area of Seoul, Jongno.
So, my (I think) 12th and 13th visitors to Seoul are my excuse for being tardy!
Now onto the weird!
Earlier this week I went to Namdaemun Market looking for a travel pack backback for my upcoming trip to Bali in August. Namdaemun is a very traditional Korean market where you can buy souvenirs and trinkets, and pretty much anything, and bargain bargain bargain (if you have cash).
Well, I didn’t find a pack I liked, but I did find this gypsy drag fella/heShe selling scarves with a new twist. This is SO bizarre for Korea, and I just started cracking up when I saw him standing in the middle of massive piles of scarves shaking her hips and groping his breasts. I stopped to take the photo, he posed, and asked me where I was from. All I could slam back was “Where are YOU from?!”
HI guys! Another week, another WTF?! Wednesday! It totally crept up on me this week because my weekend all blended together. I was chosen to go on a 4 day trip with the Seoul Office of Education to the island of Dokdo along with 35 other native English teachers, so the weekend and the week have flown! That being said, a post about Dokdo will be coming shortly because that is a very special island to the people of Korea, so you’ll want to hear a little bit about it. You’ll also want to know why I’ve since acquired a new sense of good luck now that I’ve been there.
ANYWAYS, for this week’s WTF?! Wednesday I’m presenting you with something phallic. I think it’s absolutely odd that Korea has parks and sculptures enshrined all over the country dedicated to the male member, when anything related to sex is so taboo. Many Koreans when asked don’t even know the scientific words for penis or vagina. It’s BIZARRO.
While in Samcheok this weekend, we were walking up to the top of a mountain to pray (for the millionth time) for good weather so that we’d be able to reach Dokdo’s holy soil. As we were walking, we passed this row of glorified penises. The boys I was with walked right past them at first, but I of course caught wind of them and lept at the photographic opportunity.
HI guys! It’s Wednesday today so that means I get to share something weird, wacky, silly, horribly written or just plain ridiculous with you, per the usual here in the Koko. Anything that makes me utter a WTF?!
It’s spring now, which means that the weather in Korea is becoming muggy and completely and utterly clammy. Basically, I’m one uncomfortable human being 95% of the time. Between my school keeping the AC under lock and key because “WE MUST SAVE ENERGY”, and the subway and bus Gods taking the liberty to turn the AC on and off whenever they feel like suffocating us in a confined space, my skin is constantly sticky and in desperate need of a bath.
However, one of the splendiferous perks of spring and summertime in Korea is the patbingsoo. This my friends is heaven in a bowl. It’s made of shaved ice, condensed milk, mixed fruits, ice cream, sometimes red bean which I prefer it without, and any other assortment of cereals or nuts. It is usually served in a big bowl so you can share with a few people and cool yourself down from the inside.
Two Thursdays ago was Memorial Day in Korea, which meant we had the day off of school. My friend Veny and I went down to the Han River and got our couple on by sharing a tandem bike ride along the river. After we biked around for an hour, we wandered for something sweet. We ended up choosing a cafe that wasn’t too packed except for this little Panda man sitting outside at his own table havin’ a cuppa joe. Strange yet inviting we thought.
We were really confused at first because we didn’t know if it was someone’s table and they just brought their cute lil friend along for a treat. We finally figured it wasn’t being occupied, and pulled up a couple chairs to sit with the Panda and his joe while we enjoyed our delicious patbingsoo. I do LOVE Pandas afterall.
If we were going to join Panda, we might as well include him. Here he is trying a taste of our treat.
Well, it appears that I have been served up a second serving of him, and it tastes just as foul as I remember. My school A) doesn’t care about the English its students are learning and B) travels to planet Moron to retrieve specimens of idiot to throw into a classroom with me and see how well I can tolerate their just.standing.there.doing.nothing. I AM NOT HAPPY. Especially when I had finally been graced with a young, lovely, SMART, new co-teacher who had a strong enough grasp of the English language and a spectacular eagerness to learn more. Hong-Eon was my new little dream boat and she was snatched away before I could even say “Thank you”. Good thing I didn’t get a chance to.
A homeroom teacher in the 3rd grade had to go and get pregnant (the nerve!!!….totally jk) and the school decided that since Hong-Eon is young and new she could be moved easily, so that’s what they did. The Vice Principal actually asked her if she knew anyone looking for a job and could fill in for a month and a half, regardless of their ability to speak English, just so they could finish out the semester, and a new English co-teacher would be hired at the new semester in September. She and I were both severely annoyed by that. The school ended up posting the job opening somewhere, and that’s where they got this guy. Thankfully he’s only here for a month and a half, but still.
When I met him, my principal actually told me (thru Jin), to learn Korean so that I can help him out since his English is really poor. Excuse me, but I am here to teach English to the students, not do my job AND his job for him. During the upcoming year I’ll probably finally get my ass into gear and take some Korean classes, but I’m definitely not going to say anything to the school, especially after they said this. I was so irritated by that comment. What nerve! Hire someone who is qualified for the job they are applying to work, not just to have a body fill a space.
I know I have come into this situation with preconceived notions about the whole arrangement, but so far it’s shaping up just as it did last year with Mr. Jang… Me leading all of my 3rd and 6th grade classes with a man who literally stands in front of the classroom leaning against the white board not paying attention to the lesson or the kids in the class. Not picking up on cues to their lack of understanding and need of translation. Him not disciplining them at all, even while he’s standing directly in front of them and they have not responded to my scolding in English. And me jumping around like a monkey between touchscreen and handing out points because he doesn’t help out AT ALL, even after I’ve asked him to multiple times. Worthless!!!
I have also picked up on some of his mannerisms at lunch, and I just think he hates kids. He makes weird faces whenever they’re messing around and doing things kids do with each other, and it annoys me. Maybe that’s just one of my weird neuroses, but it does.
I’m trying to breathe and bare with the fact that I only have about a month-ish left with him. I’m just crossing my heart and hope to die that my school pulls through and hires someone like Hong-Eon or Jin for the coming semester. It makes a world of difference teaching with someone you have a rapport with, and someone who even if they can’t speak perfect English, they are willing and eager to learn from you and work together.
Hi guys!! Quick lil thang first off! I’ve decided to make an ever-so-slight change to my Wednesday weekly posting and will now be calling it WTF?! Wednesday.
Since Korea is a dream boat for all things weird and WTF, this will give me free reign to show you all the great Engrish fails PLUS all the other amazingly ridiculous things this country has come up with. It’s absolutely fascinating.
SO, for today’s WTF?! Wednesday, I’m treating you to one of my personal faves. This photo just goes to show that anything goes and zero f*cks (or many, according to this young lady’s head piece) are given over here in the name of fashion. In this girl’s case I wouldn’t really qualify a bucket hat as fashionable, but that’s neither here nor there.
I was sitting across from this girl on the subway, and when I looked up from my phone I had to do a double take and reread because I thought my eyes were fooling me. They weren’t, and BOY what a statement she chose to make!
The hat really is a masterpiece.
Your eyes are not deceiving you. It does in fact say “FUCK IT” around the entire bucket and rim.
Perhaps her boyfriend broke up with her the day she made the purchase? Or she just liked the style? Or she’s never listened to rap music? Or foreign movies? I’m at a loss.
Whatever the reason, she gave zero fucks that day and it definitely made my day!
I was sitting with Jeewon, Tim and Andria Friday night at a failed evening of watching Reservoir Dogs on the rooftop at Platoon in Gangnam, and somehow my still (almost 2 months later) sprained ankle came up. Then I got to pondering all my epic falls since coming to Korea. I mean, if anyone knows me you know I’m a klutz, but ever since coming to this country I seem to have forgotten how to put one foot in front of the other. It’s a bit absurd, I’m the first to admit.
Well, I made a tiny list of some of my goodies so they’ll never ever be forgotten once the bones heal and the bruises fade.
1 – ~6: Winter 2011
While still learning how to walk on snow and ice, I had quite a few tumbles that first winter. Many of them were in the Family Mart right by my school. And many came back to back, as in right after I got up I fell back down again, and took down a few bags of chips with me. Actually, I could probably tack on a few more falls to that number up there, but we’ll just keep it at ~6 for my own sanity.
Remarkably, this past winter I don’t recall falling in the snow. Job well done, me.
Note: Don’t wear Uggs in the snow.
7. Japanese Karaoke Room during a typhoon
During a typhooning evening in Kyoto, Japan, 30 bottles of sake took over a karaoke room. Somewhere between not all of it making it into the appropriate glasses, and my own sheer excitement over singing the next Celine Dion or Disney tune, I collided with a puddle of sake on the ground and nearly broke my hand. It didn’t feel right for a good month afterwards, but somehow it healed itself, and Japan will go down as how I came to be Noraebang obsessed.
8. 80s Roller Derby
This is easy. I hadn’t legit roller skated in a really long time and someone had extra WD40’d those roller skates because were really slippery. It was a given that I was going to plummet either face first or tuchous first. Thank heavens I’ve been blessed with a padded posterior.
9. 90s Dance Off for Namibia
The floor was slippery, I was in tap shoes. It was a recipe for disaster. At least I can say I tapped my ass off and we WON. Let’s relive it again, shall we? It gets good at 2:26. And really good at 2:34.
10. I FELL OFF A BUS
2 weekends ago was Buddha’s Birthday so we had a 3 day weekend. Andria and I decided we wanted to breathe some fresh air, so we headed out of Seoul and up to Paju, about 45 minutes away by bus, and about a hop, skip and a jump from the North Korean barbed wire border. Despite the locale, it’s a really cute little town with lots of coffee shops and random little art and chatchky galleries that we were excited to take advantage of.
But that’s besides my point right now.
Before I even stepped foot in Hyeri, the area of Paju that we were going to, my fun had already begun!
As I was swiping my T-Money card to get off the bus, I somehow missed the middle step in my footing, and in a nanosecond my whole body went repelling downwards. I was caught somewhere between a lunge and a split from the top to the bottom step, and GOD BLESS my cat like reflexes, because if I hadn’t jut my arms all the way up and back to grab those metal bars I surely would have eaten that pavement and my teeth straight off the bus. My wallet went flying back and all I could scream to Andria was “SWIPE MY CARD!” Heaven forbid I get charged an extra 2,000won on the return having not swiped out on this journey!
Shockingly, the whole bus of Koreans let out gasps of horror, which is quite unusual, as people are so mum here and usually have nothing to do with people when something horrific or embarrassing happens on any mode of public transport. Anyways, I hoisted my lame body up and *gracefully* moved out of the way of the bus, let out a few cryscreams at the side of the rode as I held my aching knees, and checked to see if my tights had ripped (they hadn’t). Then I let out the heartiest laugh. OF COURSE I FELL OFF A BUS.
This is what my left leg looked like the next day. BATTLE WOUNDS.
Fallin’ all over the world since this epic fall at the Colosseum of Rome in 2006.
I think most people who call themselves animal people have probably been animal people for the majority of their lives. They probably grew up with a dog or a cat and that was how that came to be. Well, I was pretty much scarred of at least household pets from the get-go. I can pin point the exact moment I became scared of dogs and how it stuck with me for most of my life.
I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, over at Kyla Reef’s neighbor’s house, who happened to have a dalmatian. Having just seen 101 Dalmatians, I was SO excited to see one of those adorable little pooches with my own two eyeballs and pet with my own fingertips. Well, that sentiment lasted for oh, a whole nanosecond, when that massive black and white spotted, hyperactive dog came charging directly toward me and chased me through this complete stranger’s house! I just remember screaming and crying and hiding behind a couch and under a wooden hallway table because I didn’t know what to do and I was so insanely freaked out.
Cue hatred of dalmatians and kind of being scared of dogs for most of my life….
Until Jacquie got these beautiful little babes that stole my heart forever and officially made me a dog person for the remainder of my life.
Which brings me to the point of my tale today. Last night I had so much fun, and helped raise $806.00 in a few hours for some foster animals in Korea! As most things go here on the peninsula, soju sells. And when paired with a good cause, it really outdoes itself!
My friend Andria and two other girls, Kathy and Caroline, had the idea to have a fundraiser selling shots of Korean melon, aloe and jalapeno infused soju to drunk foreigners. So, we took to the street at Haebangchon’s Music Fest, filled with an overabundance of the intoxicated waygookin willing to support the cause, minus the select cheap douche bags that I had a few choice words with. My mouth can be intolerant and sometimes gets the best of me. Can’t help it. Needless to say, it was a tremendous success, and me, Andria and Jee want to do another go at it since we had such a fun time and felt awesome doing something to help the animals!
Andria is super involved in Animal Rescue Korea, and is currently fostering a 3 legged terrier named Lola that has lived most of her life on the street. She’s been taking care of her for the past several months ~ paying her countless medical bills and just being all around patient with her as she tries to adjust to her new life in a home where she’s being cared for. When Andria leaves Korea in September, she is bringing Lola back to the States in hopes of finding her a loving home so she has a chance at a fresh start. So, a good chunk of the cash monies that we raised last night will go towards paying for her airplane ticket to America and other miscellaneous expenses towards getting her back on those 3 footsies of her’s.
Coming from a country where pets are unquestionably a part of the family, it’s really heartbreaking to see the amount of stray cats and dogs that run around aimlessly here in Korea. Koreans have a mentality where unless something is cute or perfect or young they don’t want it. That doesn’t leave much to run with for a dog with only three legs. So more often than not, when a pet has outgrown its “cute” stage, it’s just discarded. Additionally, as I just found out last night, the city shelters kill after 10 days. So, if your pet goes missing and a shelter has it, you only have 10 days to hopefully find and rescue it.
I really would love to help foster a dog, or have any dog for that matter! I want one so badly! However, I know what a humungous responsibility taking care of a dog is, and I just don’t think I can devote myself entirely to one right now at this point in my life. As much as I would LOVE to. I actually met Lola for the first time yesterday, and she sat under the table in the corner the entire time shaking because she was so scared. I know that’s not how all rescue dogs are, but on the off chance, I just don’t know if that’s how I want my first “my own dog” experience to be right now.
In any event, I’m glad I can at least help out in the little way I am able. It’s really inspiring to know that there are people out there who care so much about animals that they will bend over backwards for these little babes.
seoul | tapperilla 