The biggest change for me since arriving has been learning to broaden my tastes and explore the local cuisine. I try to avoid most things that still have eyes or resemble some insectoid creature, which has worked out quite well so far.
One of my favourites is bulgogi (pronounced bool-go-gee), which is a delightful concoction of onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and the revered Jeju pork. Most Koreans find the pork here on Jeju to be particularly delicious, possibly because of the natural environment of the island which is void of factory or industrial pollution. The pigs here on Jeju are also different from their mainland counterparts as they are black pigs, covered in black hair.
Another delicious (not-so local, but still a Korean favourite) dish is curry, which in like most places...tastes like curry. Mixed in with veggies and chicken and served on a bed of rice, it is a familiar and refreshing taste for me.
After speaking with one of my fellow teachers (who speaks good English and is Korean), I learned that since moving from Kentucky to work in Korea ten years ago, he still has troubles with the food here...which doesn't bode well for me.
In spite of this, I am still going to try my best to taste new dishes when presented with the opportunity. He also mentioned a few of his favourites, which turned out to be two of my favourites: Pasta and Hawaiian pizza. So with this in mind we conspired, or rather discussed, with our fellow teachers to order some pizza for lunch this afternoon...
Another cultural specific problem that I, and many foreign teachers, have to deal with is the lack of English conversation/content you can find. Mostly I have been sticking with what I have easy access to; Television and the internet. There is plenty of English movies and TV shows on including, but not exclusive to: CSI (Las Vegas, Miami, and New York), House, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Law and Order, Supernatural and Without a Trace. There is really only two television stations that carry these programs and they are "OCN" and "Super Action". Occasionally you can catch the odd NHL/NBA/NFL game on one of the sports networks and I usually stop to watch whatever it is.
Recently I have discovered some local English programming: one from the radio, the other on television. Celebrating its 5th year of broadcast on Jeju island, Arirang Radio (whose name is taken from the most well known Korean folk song) has round the hour English commentary on local, national, and international content and despite the fact that it is the only English station on the island, it is quite good. I often tune-in in the mornings and it has been interesting learning about this new community that I am now a part of...it has definitely helped to give me a welcoming sense to the island.
The other local English programming is the KCTV English news, which broadcasts daily at 8:00 am, 7:30 pm, and 11:30 pm. It's mostly like any news you will find on TV, but it helps that it is in English and contains some information about local and national concerns. In fact, it informed me of the Jeju Documentary Film Festival that is taking place just a five minute bike ride away, underneath the Jeju World Cup Stadium. After hearing about this, I immediately asked one of the staff members at my school if they would call the theatres to find out the price and time of the films for me. They were gracious enough to do so, and I went to the first screening yesterday.
The first film of the festival was a behind the scenes look at five guys trying to make it in the stuntman/action movie business. Directed by Jeong Byeong-gil, "We Are Action Movie Stars" (2008) is filled with everything that a good film should contain: action, comedy, drama, and sorrow.
The cast includes a wide range of professions and talents: one is a failed boxer, another a dance instructor, one is an egotistic macho bad boy (whom I am assuming is only in the movie for his comedic qualities), another is a skilled martial artist (but very shy and proper), and the last is a somewhat slightly above average skilled fellow who has the strangest looking ears...
The all have their trials and tribulations in trying to make it big as action movie stars, and eventually find their own place in the complex and crowded world that is action movies. The one guy with strange ears gets an operation, the boxer breaks his wrists and shins in a mission impossiblesque wire routine, the bad boy remains the same, and they all form a bond in the end. From wire routines to horseback riding, to car crashes and sword fights, this film has it all in terms of stuntman roles and action.
I thought the film was a bit too long for a documentary, and even though it was completely in Korean with no subtitles, I still found I could connect with several scenes including one in which one of the stuntmen talks about his favourite actress, Winona Ryder, and even goes as far as re-enacting a scene from "Edward Scissorhands" (1990).
Tonight's film was a bit more easy to understand since it comprised mostly of shots with silence or filled with music (which was very well done in my opinion). Directed by Hwang Yoon, "One Day on the Road" (2006), is a film about the countless animal deaths caused by "roadkill" and raises concerns about these accidents and how they are reflected by the location of roads and their grids within South Korea.
It seems to be a problem no matter where you go, but the filmmakers are trying to understand how it is that so many of these animals are getting hit by cars and trucks within such a specific section of highway in South Korea. The filmmakers outline some of the major problems with animals deaths: night time driving, roadside blocks or obstructions, and the location of these roadways within the animals' natural habitats.
The smartest animals when it comes to crossing the road (or at least not getting hit by cars) are turtles and crows. When you think of a turtle, you very much doubt that it even has the capability to cross the road, but they can motor across pretty fast when they want or need to. Crows are among the smartest birds and can even tell the difference between traffic lights as to when its clear to swoop down and collect their treasure; whether that be a smashed nut or remnants of another creature (I recently saw this program on discovery channel about crows).
The filmmakers attempt a new method to discover why it is these animals are getting killed within this specific section of highway. They setup roadside traps and begin to tag animals with collars in order to discover their routes and the places they go along the highway. Which leads them to find that the roads are directly in the middle of their habitats, and so that is why so many of them are getting killed.
Overall the film was pretty enlightening for me into something that I never really considered before and that's always a good thing in my opinion. The Film Festival, which started yesterday, is taking place throughout this weekend, but it also happens to coincide with another festival: The Jeju Mandarin Festival.
As I was getting on my bike yesterday to go to the film I was surprised by the sudden explosion of fireworks...
When I asked around at school, one of my students was kind enough to point out that this weekend was also the Jeju Mandarin Festival, which also sounds like it would be worth checking out. The fireworks were part of the opening ceremonies for the festival and was taking place just outside the Jeju World Cup Stadium. So hopefully this weekend I'll get the chance to partake in some more local events and do myself a favour by trying to embrace the culture that is Jeju island.
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