Bottoms and Keiko sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

I guess it is inevitable that when you adopt a baby cat into a house with a dog, the cat is going to pick up on some canine-like behaviour. The other night after I had dinner, I retired to my bed to lay down, watch some Korean TV, and cuddle with my kitten. She climbed up onto my neck and commenced on licking my entire face with her rough, sandpaper-like tongue. It really started to hurt as she got to sensitive areas like my upper lip, but I didn't stop her because it was soooo cute and dog-like of her. Even Keiko doesn't lick faces anymore.

When she wants to be all energetic, she'll mount Keiko (the way Mimzy does) and bite her everywhere she can reach. She'll bite her bum and her back, but mostly she enjoys going after the paws and legs. She'll dig her claws into Keiko's fur, so even if Keiko stands up or re-adjusts positions, the cat is still clinging to her like some weird black growth. I don't think Keiko can feel anything because she just sits there looking at me in this sad pathetic dog-look way. It is ever so cute.

***
The animal situation here is one of the saddest things to see, making it one of the hardest things I had to adjust to. My first week here, I took Keiko for a walk and it was clear to me that I would be the only dog owner walking her dog. Dogs we met on the way really just shattered my heart. They were filthy, anorexic-ly thin, and chained up, tethered to a tree or a dog house. The chains are normally a meter long, some are shorter. The dogs have nowhere to move, except stand up, take two steps, shit, and lay back down. These dogs eat watery rice and its a rarity to find water for them anywhere in sight. These images were the only time when I thought I would hate it here and I missed home. But not to be dramatic, I'm pretty over it now. Well, I avoid going to see these animals for sure. Keiko also gets nervous around them, they don't give off the happy energy she is used to.

I guess I cant judge them. Koreans aren't used to having animals as pets to care for, especially out in the country where I am. Its a shame really. I should bring my kitten into class and show the students that they are harmless and can be domesticated with the right attention and nurturing. And the kids here just need the right knowledge. I do think things are looking up though, and hopefully progression will turn this into an animal loving country in the future.

The experience has also made me a lot less judgemental when I see video clips of babies hanging around tigers in Indian homes, or when the late Steve Irwin dangles his baby in front of an ancient crocodile.

People here react to tiny dogs that way, like they are hundred pound beasts, but its only because they don't know any better. Maybe education is the first step to changing animal rights.

Suwon, soju, and a US weapons inspector.

The real journey of discovery is not in seeing new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes. -Marcel Proust

This past weekend, I braved the three hour commute to Suwon city, the capital of Gyeonggi province and second largest city in S.Korea, to visit good ole Lil'Tween. I must say, I commend the transit system, it is actually quite reliable, with colour-coated Lines, numbered stops, comfy seats (except for the bare metal ones in some of the trains...makes me slippy and slidey). Most importantly, it does not use a silly token/ticket/monthly pass crap that the TTC still employs aimed to screw everyone over. I have been keeping up with my homegrown city news and it makes me laugh that the TTC is not only upping the fare, but trying to prevent everyone from hoarding tokens. I wish I had used a lot more counterfeit tickets back when I went to high school.

Anyway, got a little sidetracked.

The Seoul metropolitan transit system is very user oriented. It is very modern, very easy to use, and does the trick in transporting a friggin huge number of Koreans around on a daily basis. They use refillable chips, called T-Money. You can get these in many different forms: a card for your wallet, a cell phone charm-dangly thing, watches, or key chains. I have a key chain add-on, and its light pick and looks like a genetically modified bean. Its tiny, cute, and very Asian. You fill it up in the convenience store and presto! Scan when you board and scan when you leave the train. No mess. No service people. NO TOKENS! I don't know why Toronto is lagging behind, but it seems their current system sucks.

So, the three hour ride wasn't that horrible, but it got so crammed as I neared the centre of Seoul and Suwon that I had to stand for the last hour and a half going there and back. But, lucky and smart me, I got there safe. At Tween's, I learned a lot about Kpop (Korean Pop) and shocked my students the following class with my knowledge of all their beloved singers. I was throwing names down like 2.pm, 21, Brown Eyed Girls, Rainism, et. I think they were impressed. LOL

So My weekend events

First Soju Experience:
So I looked in the classifieds to find a pet sitter. Luckily, I found one not very far from my place, Tiffany and Whitney, who are also teachers and also Canadians and also have a cute little pooch named Sushi Roll. I dropped Keiko and Beatrice off and then went to the "rooftop", a cute bar where English teachers congregate. There I had my first sip of that clear water-like substance that gets everyone all drrrrrrrrrunk. I was trying to save My First Soju Experience for Suwon, but I'm glad I did not. Or else I would have been doubly pukey.
Anywho. Weeks previously, I inquired about it from teachers in my school, Korean friends back home, and I must say, everyone lied to me about how it tastes. It does not taste like a. vodka, b. sake, c. wine. It takes like water with a tiny hint of sweet something, like raw unprocessed maple syrup sap. Someone at the rooftop said it wasn't real alcohol but fake oil stuff. That comment just about made up my mind about soju...YUK-O.
It did give me a headache next morning when I woke up to miss my hiking trip. (GRRR)

Side note, pint of beer cost 2.50 :) :) :)

First Suwon Experience
Lil'Tween and her co-workers took me to a bar called Crazy Duck where foreigners go. Not before long, three white guys come in. One was tall and dark and claimed to teach adults English. Guy number 2 looked daft, but had arms the size of an elephant. Muscles. Guy number 3 was short, fat, ugly, rude, dumb, and a true, by the book redneck. Annoying as hell too. Anyways, he passed out at the end of the night and I poured Budweiser into his hat. It gave me great pleasure.
The tall dark guy pulls me over, "I don't want to lie to you. I'm not an English teacher. I work for the US government. I am a weapons inspector. If you've got time, I can take you inside to see the jet."
"Can you fly the jet?"
"Um, no, but I can give you a tour."
Just so you Mr. US Weapons Inspector Tour Guide Man, army men are not hot. Pilots are pretty hot.
I had lots of fun that night. We went to a club afterwards playing clubby English songs. I had fun sitting at the bar drinking water. The club owner's brother made me take a shot of Jagermeiser with him. 30 minutes later, PUKE, PUKE, PUKE.

All in all, I believe that was the gist of my weekend. I enjoyed it, although I wish I made it to the hike and I wish I didn't puke.