Saturday and Sunday in Seoul

For my last weekend before flying out and leaving Korea: Travis and I went up to Seoul.

We walked around Myeong-dong and Namdaemun looking at the street markets.  I bought myself a white and blue scarf from a street vendor and admired all the food vendors for their.... variety.

This man is the quickest deep fryer of random weird paste on a stick ever.  I think it's O-deng, but I'm not actually sure.

We also went and saw the show "NANTA".  It is a theater performance that became popular here in Korea.  It now has 3 permanent residences in Seoul, a touring company that travels to 40 different countries, and a show in New York.  The pamphlet describes it thusly:

"In NANTA, Knives and other kitchen utensils are transformed into musical instruments in the hands of the performers.  The haunting and heart-stirring music based upon Korean Samulnori rhythms of Jajinmori, Utdari, Puneori, etc. combined with e fife distinctive characters!  Comic explosion!  NANTA still grows every day to become better production, more entertaining performance.  The only and the best entertaining performance with a high energy, easy-watch experience, infectious rhythm and non-verbal humor that cuts across both age and international barriers.  It’s NANTA."

I'd describe it as charades crossed with Jackie Chan crossed with STOMP! I loved it and was really glad I got to see it before I left Korea.  Completely recommend it to anyone who comes up to Seoul. (Or for most of you... travels to Korea in the first place! lol)

 Never be afraid to look a little 'touristy'! lol

 We had some pretty decent seats too!

We did witness a few people dressed up for Halloween which was a bit surprising, most of them were westerners, but a few Koreans did get into the "holiday?" spirit.  Speaking of holiday spirit - Lotte is already in a festive CHRISTMAS spirit!

 Unbelievable.  The building was lit up in red, green, and white.  These trees carried on for the entire block as well.  Hard to believe that it is coming so soon.

Tomorrow I catch my plane to Canada, hopefully all will go well.  Korea has been a blast, I recommend it to anyone - but for me, it's time to go.

Anneyeongasehyeo Korea.  It's been a slice!

Poker Night

It was my last Friday night in Gunsan.  What better way to spend it that hanging out with friends?

Kim and I made chicken pot pie and sugar cookies, and we ate the cake that my director at my school gave me as a thank-you.

 

We had a few drinks. (While Kenton made a few faces?)

 

played a little poker.  (Look at the stack of chips Joe's got going on!) 

or just generally goofed around.

The good news is that for my last game....

 I cleaned up!!!  :) lol

Kristen the Couch Surfer

Well, the biggest part of leaving Korea is completed.  I have packed up all of my stuff, given away the better part of it, and moved out of my apartment.

The amazing Alex and Kenton have graciously given me their couch to sleep on until Thursday.  I really appreciate their hospitality, especially since Alex just gave birth to her second child 4 weeks ago!

Cutie Miss. Isobel Sofia  (13 months)

Mr Mason Edward (3 weeks at time of picture) with his Mommy Alex.

Aside from living out of a suitcase things have been pretty good.  Still working until Thursday, and haven't really decided what I'm going to do this weekend.  Travis has suggested an early trip up to Seoul and I think he may be on to something.  We shall see!

My weekend in a nutshell...

This is my weekend in a nutshell.  How did it get in this bloody big nutshell?  (and so ends my horribly geeky Austin Powers impression... I thank you.)

I spent Friday over at Kim and Ray's place.   Kim and I did some cooking and hung out, and in the evening a group of 5 of us played a little texas hold'em poker.  I made a lasagna, and Kim made a banana pudding pie with a graham cracker crust.  Both turned out really yummy, and I got to learn a little southern slang.  I learned that the southern name for "Banana pudding pie with a graham cracker crust" is (and I quote) " 'Nan'r Puddin'." Also, it doesn't always require a crust, sometimes it is just on Nilla wafers.  Took me a good 2 minutes to figure out how to type/spell that out, lemme tell you!  Either way it was delicious, and I'm definitely keeping that recipe for lasagna for future reference.  (Ricotta instead of cottage cheese people - it's the wave of the future.  lol)

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/classic-lasagna/Detail.aspx  

(Though I just used extra ground beef, because I couldn't get Italian sausage)

(Before going into the oven.  Then the cheese melted and got a gooey.... nom nom nom. lol)

Saturday was spent organizing, and cleaning Travis' dorm room.  He has to be out of his dorm tomorrow (Monday) so we tried to get as much of his stuff in order as we could.  Saturday evening was spent over at Kim and Ray's again playing video games and laughing at each other.  We also made Vietnamese spring rolls for dinner which were delicious.  No pictures - but yummy!  Chicken, sauteed red pepper and purple onion, carrot, lettuce, peanut sauce and rice paper rollers.

(Not my picture - and ours didn't look nearly this pretty, but this is a reference picture for those of you who have never made Vietnamese spring rolls.)

When we were heading out for a walk after dinner I noticed that Drake had decided to make my bag home... silly kitty.


Sunday (today) we got all of my stuff organized to get me out of Korea.  I had a "come and steal Kristen's stuff right out from under her nose" party which was a decent success.  Many people came and 'stole' my stuff, but I still feel like I have a lot here that I don't know what to do with.  I have way more luggage than I thought I'd have as well... so I'll have to work that out.  My last day in my apartment is Tuesday, so I'll be couch surfing over at my friends Alex & Kenton's Tuesday and Wednesday night.  They are being wonderful in letting me stay at their place, and it is really nice and convenient, because they live a half block away from my school.  Thursday I'll be moving to Travis' hotel room - and a week from tomorrow (Monday, November 1st) I fly home!!


Should be an interesting busy last week in Korea!

Amazing Story!

As I was cleaning my apartment today I was listening to this radio program on Radiolab.  It's all about language, and how people learn, perceive, and adapt language.

I found it amazingly interesting and just had to share it.


http://www.radiolab.org/2010/aug/09/

It is an hour long though, just FYI.  I highly recommend taking the time to listen to it though!

Hump Day is the Long Day

Wednesday's are my longest day.  By any other working standard (including the hours I held at my previous school) I don't work all that long on Wednesday.  By comparison to the rest of my week?  It is considerably longer.  I teach all the classes that I teach on Mondays, plus an additional five.  I didn't bother taking pictures of all of my elementary classes again.  Been there, done that, posted the picture(s).  (If you missed it, just scroll down).

 These are my advanced middle schoolers.  They are all first year middle school students (grade 7 ~ approx. 13 or 14 years old).  They are super smart, and I see them two days a week.  (Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

Just FYI - she is posing for the picture.  her idea of posing was to hide her face with her hands and pull out her cellphone.  I have no words...  These are my lower level middle school kids.  (minus one girl and one boy who were on a school trip.)

My last class on Wednesday!  I'm so glad that the last class of the day is a fun one.  By that time I'm not sure I'd be any good for a difficult class.  Dude in the green hood didn't want his face shown in the picture.  From what I understand from his jeering classmates - he was embarrassed about his (minimal) acne.  Ah well, his loss.  These guys are my middle level middle school class.  I love teaching them because they are always full of questions.  Not just any questions either - relevant, insightful questions.  Awesome!

Don't you just love how tiny my classrooms are????  :D

Tuesday's Child

Well.... Tuesday's teacher forgot to put the memory card back in her camera.  :S  I've got it in their now, so we'll pick up again with the Wednesday students tomorrow. 

I'll get Tuesday's students next week hopefully. :)

See ya tomorrow!

*BONUS POST* Look at my apartment! (AKA - I had a camera while walking home from work today)

 Welcome to (the outside of) my abode!  My apartment is on the second floor, on the left hand side.  My window is on the left side 3 down from the top (or the one just above the organic milk advert. lol)  I live on top of an office that organizes home delivery of organic farm products, and a Mandu restaurant.  The restaurant sells mandu (like a wonton combined with a perogy crossed with a pot sticker... kinda), kimbab, udon, ramen, and a bunch of other things that the don't have pictures of, and I can't read or don't know the name off.

My door. 

 This is the view immediately out my biggest windows.

 Looking to the right (while hanging out the window).  If you look really closely and squint you can see a few rolling hills in the distance. lol

The view to the left while hanging out my window.  The yellow sign is for the Mandu restaurant downstairs.  That is a mini grocery store that just opened up a few weeks ago across and down the street.  They don't have all of the fresh veggies or meat products like the bigger grocers do, but it's nice to have a closer place to go to when I have to buy water or unexpectedly run out of pepper.

Monday's Child

As the poem goes, Monday's child is suppose to be fair of face...  I don't know if my students on Mondays are any cuter (or any less cute) than my students on any other day, plus I actually see these kids 3 days a week.  That would make them fair of face, full of woe, and with far to go (I see them Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays).

This is my first class on Mondays.  One of the boys was missing today - it is usually 4 boys and 2 girls.  Fair of face, I'm not sure - full of personality?  Definitely!  The two boys on the left are brothers.  Mr "I don't want my picture taken" is the class clown, and the two girls are super cute.  This class is a lot of fun to teach, but it is always a fine balance to keep it interesting, but not have it turn into a gong show.  These students are between grades 3 and 4. (9-10)

 This is my second class on Mondays.  Their English is actually surprisingly good.  The boy and girl in the middle were trying to be taller than each other, that's why they are so stretched out.  The littlest girl on the right is the smartest one in the class, and also the youngest.  Because this is private "after-school" lessons, the students are grouped by level, not by age.  She would actually be in the more advanced class (see below) but wanted to be with kids closer to her own age.  (She's still a year younger than everyone else in her class).  Age range 10-12 (Grades 4-6)

These are my most advanced Elementary students.  We just finished studying the solar system, and have just started a unit on constellations.  When I drew a picture of the Big Dipper on the board, one of the students immediately identified it in Korea, and then after a couple of seconds translated it into English. (Big Spoon) - the girl in the center in the  07 bunnyhug/hoodie.   Age range 11-12 (grades 5 and 6)

...in Korea Elementary school runs grades 1-6, Middle school grades 7-9, and High School 10-12. 

 This is the front door of my school.  Plateau Hogwan.

 
This is lounge/waiting area/open area of my school.  The door on the right leads to the teachers lounge.  Straight ahead (and just to the left of the tree) is the directors office.  Down the hall are the 5 classrooms.  It's a small school by western standards, but it is pretty common for a Hagwon (after school academy) here in Korea.

30 Things I learned while in Korea - for 535 days.

In early May of 2009 I wrote a list of the 100 things that I had learned in Korea.  At that time, I had only been in Korea for a week.  Now my time in Korea is winding down, and it was suggested that I should make an updated list.  The following is a new list of 30 things that I learned in Korea.... From April 27th - October 14th (535 days).  It's a bit shorter, but each item has more explanation!

*If you want to see the original list, look at the previous post*

1.  Korea is the country of a million smells.  You can walk past decomposing garbage, a bakery, a fried chicken restaurant, and rotting kimchi in less than a block. I'd love to say that eventually you get used to it.... but that isn't true.  Every time a particularly gross smell hits you, you are extremely aware.

2.  This is what I'd look like if I was an anime character:  (according to the student who drew it and gave it to me.)

3.  "Konglish" is the Korean bastardization of English.  It includes words or phrases such as 'Air-Con' (Air Conditioning), 'Hand Phone' (Cellphone), and 'Finishee' (Finished).  These words sound silly the first few times you hear them... and then you start to use them, all the time.  You won't be able to stop.  It's addicting, and habit forming.  Trust me.

4.  Unlike the smells, you will eventually get used to seeing people drying their laundry on racks outside their homes.

5.  You will also grow accustomed to seeing the Koreans drying Gochu (spicy red peppers) on the sidewalk, or even on the street.  However, watching cars drive down the street swerving to avoid them without a second thought will probably always make you giggle inside.

6.  Korean taxi drivers are some of the most defensive drivers I've ever seen.  ALSO, Korean taxi drivers are some of the most offensive drivers I've ever seen.  In the beginning, driving with them is a bit scary.  This does improve over time.  After 535 days you find yourself thinking things like: "Run the red light already, you can see no one is coming!" and "Why aren't we going 130 km down the freeway?  There isn't anyone in front of you!"

7.  Skype remains a wonderful invention.  It has made being so far away much, much easier.

8.  Living in more than one Korean city reinforces how similar each city is ~ and how hard the Koreans try to explain the differences.

9.  Koreans love to advertise a new opening of a store... they'll draw your attention and get your business by any means necessary.

  (A fire breathing clown outside a new clothing store.)

10.  I will never again take for granted the Canadian prices for the following:  cream cheese, potatoes, carrots, apples, grapes, chicken, or (and especially) beef.

11.  I will never again take for granted my ability to obtain the following: Oatmeal, Cheerios, limes, cheddar cheese, dill pickles, or iceberg lettuce.

12.  Korea in general doesn't have a lot of green.  However, they do go to a great effort to create their own green spaces.  I live about a 20 minute walk from Eunpa Park.  It is definitely not a natural green space, but in the Korean way they have groomed it into a beautiful walking area.

                                                                   (Photo by Kim Doerr)

13.  The two weeks in spring when all the cherry blossoms come out is possibly one of the most beautiful and amazing times to be in Korea.

14.  Buses are cheaper, and run more often than trains.  They also travel to more locations.  Never underestimate the trouble you'll go to just so you can ride in comfort on a train instead of taking a bus.

15.  All of the buses look the same, when you are traveling on one, and you get off at a rest stop - memorize the license number!  Otherwise, you'll have no idea what bus you are suppose to get back on.

16.  If they run out of seats on the bus, they will add more in the form of lawn chairs...

17.  There is a swimming "season".  Koreans follow this to the letter.  Beach season ends August 31st.  If August 31st was a Saturday, and September 1st was a Sunday and the entire weekend was suppose to be gorgeous weather, go to the beach on Sunday!!!  Saturday the beach will make you feel like a sardine in a can.  Sunday you won't be able to see another person on the beach in either direction (unless they are another foreigner).  It really does seem like the biggest waste of a nice day.

18.  Unbelievably, you do eventually get used to the constant car honking.  Usually the honking is just an empty cab wanting to pick you up as its next fare.  Ignore it, and it'll go away.

19.  Because of the space limitations, many Koreans live in small homes.  This is why PC rooms, DVD rooms, and Noreybongs are so prevalent as well as popular.  PC rooms are exactly what they sound like - a big room where you can rent a computer by the hour to play a game (Starcraft II anyone?) or just surf the internet.  It is usually 1,000 won an hour.  (about 0.90 cents).  In a DVD room you get to rent a small room with a couch and a big screen tv as well as a movie.  Noreybongs are singing rooms.  You can rent a small room for yourself and your friends to sing your Karaoke dreams away.

20.  Though friends will never replace family, they make living in such a strange and foreign land a lot of fun!

21.  Korea is actually fairly centralized within Asia.  It is quite easy to travel to many different countries during your school vacation cheaply.  Often the part that takes the longest is getting to the Incheon airport.  (From Gunsan it is a 4 hour bus ride.  From Iksan it was a 2 hour train, and 1 hour on the subway.)

22.  The Philippines are gorgeous - even the 'not so touristy' parts.

                                                                 (Not so touristy)   

                                                                    (very touristy)

23.  China has the worst pollution.  It wins the award for the worst air I've ever had to breathe.  However, the Great Wall of China made it worth it.

24.  Japan was beautiful, and I can't wait to see more than just Fukuoka

25.  You can live fairly comfortably in one little room.  However, every so often you unexpectedly get the biggest craving to be able to sit on a couch to watch tv.

26.  Kids are amazing.  Teaching them is always an adventure.  Sometimes you win, sometimes they do - but someone always learns something!

27.  NEVER (ever) underestimate the power of finding a letter in your mailbox.

28.  The summer in Korea is so hot, and soooooo humid that when fall starts you actually get excited.  I never would have thought I would excitedly anticipate the summers end.

29.  The Korean adjummas (little old ladies) have some of the more entertaining clothes/outfits ever, and I will never ever be able to see one without doing a double-take... it might be the hats.

                                                        (photo does not belong to me)

30.  Some American Military folk are pretty great... (hey, I learned it in Korea!)

lookie there.... you got pictures!

100 Things I learned in Korea - in my first 7 days.

My first week in Korea I wrote this list, some of it still applies, some of it has changed ~ but all of it brings back memories and makes me smile.

 Originally Written May 4th, 2009


1.  If you listen to broken English long enough, you start to talk in broken English

2.  20 degrees Celsius is apparently cold, and I should be wearing pants, a jacket, and using two comforters at night

3.  There is a "Chinese Way" of holding chop sticks, and a "Korean Way" of holding chop sticks.  I use the Chinese way... this is wrong

4.  The Korean way of holding chopsticks reminds me of the 'Live long and Prosper' Star Trek hand symbol - and is ridiculously difficult

5.  Sign language is an acceptable form of communication, and works with all ages of Koreans

6.  Saying "Cum sa me da!" (Thank you very much) will get you everything - and out of anything ("Oh, she's a foreigner and she's trying to learn our language - isn't she sweet!")

7.  Corn water is an acceptable replacement to tap water - but when drinking it, you feel like you are consuming liquid popcorn

8.  Closets are not common in Korean houses, and when you ask Koreans about them, they look at you funny, and have no idea what you are taking about.

9.  You should leave a pair of flip flops in the bathroom, and put them on every time you enter the bathroom, so that your feet never touch a bathroom floor

10.  Bathrooms should always be sunken at least 4 inches lower than the rest of the house

11.  Shower curtains do not exist, and this is why there is a drain in the middle of all bathroom floors - and why you where flip flops

12.  Toilets have heated seats, and a remote control that offer bidet services, a fan, and a scary arrange of other things that do not come with pictures and are written in Korean

13.  Windows should only be open in a room if you are IN the room.  It doesn't matter if the room is stifling after being closed all day with the sun shining in - this is unacceptable.

14.  The only forks Koreans own are "Fruit Forks" which resemble lobster forks. (The tiny little ones.)  When you are judged inept at chopsticks - you are given one of these

15.  It IS possible to eat an entire meal while still answering every time you her "What this?" with someone expecting you to identify whatever it is by the English name.

16.  It is NOT possible to eat a meal without rice.

17.  If the food is not mixed with rice, and then wrapped in a lettuce leaf - you are doing it wrong.

18.  Sesame leafs are both edible AND delicious

19.  If you don't drink coffee, they look at you funny

20.  If you like green tea, they look at you funny

21.  If you speak to them in English they look at you funny

22.  If you try and speak to them in Korean, they laugh at you - and then look at you funny

23.  Having blue eyes apparently makes me amazingly beautiful

24.  Being told you have beautiful eyes 15 times a day is really good for the ego.

25.  High School boys enjoy yelling "I LOVE YOU" across fields, parking lots, and classrooms (always at a safe distance!) and then running away with their friends laughing

26.  Korean girls giggle a lot

27.  Korean girls are shy

28.  Korean girls pretend to be shy, and then when you least expect it, surround you en mass and want to take pictures with you.

29.  After you have your picture taken with a Korean High School girl, they giggle, and run off as fast as possible.

30.  Korean girls do not like to smile for pictures, they like to "pose" - this includes (but is not limited to): The peace sign, making a heart with your arms, making a heart with your fingers, covering the side of your face with your hand, hiding your face behind a fan, or giving yourself cat eyes with your fingers.

31.  You are expected to pose for these pictures also

32.  Never underestimate how silly you feel holding up the peace sign for a picture

33.  Never underestimate how quickly you get over feeling silly for "Posing" for pictures - after all, everyone else looks ridiculous as well!

34.  You can bus from the top of Korea to the bottom in 11 hours - yet most Korean are surprised that you are willing to travel 4 hours just for the weekend.  (That much travelling should apparently warrant a longer vacation)

35.  Just because you buy a bus ticket for a bus, does not mean that you get a seat on the bus

36.  If you see that the bus is out of seats, but pretend that you don't understand the bus driver who is telling you this (after all you are just the "stupid American") then they let you stay on the bus

37.  If a bus is full, you can put lawn chairs in the aisles for extra seating

38.  All buses travelling for 2 hours or more stop at a rest stop for 15 minutes

39.  All buses look the same - remember to memorize the license plate of your bus before getting off at a rest stop.

40.  5,000 won (~$5) is the difference between a seriously skeezy motel, and a generally decent motel

41.  You can get a decent motel room for 30,000 won (~$30) a night

42.  The TV has a porn channel that you don't pay extra for, and when flipping channels you may come across it

43.  There is no such thing as a fitted sheet in Korea - their closest equivalent looks like a mattress pad that just lays on top of the mattress

44.  There is no such thing as a top sheet in Korea - you have comforters and/or duvets only

45.  comforters are extremely warm, but sleeping without one is extremely cold.  ...It is hard to find a comfortable balance when you know a top sheet would solve all your problems

46.  mattresses come in three varieties. 1 - Hardish, 2 - Hard 3 - Extremely hard, resembling plywood.

47.  If another English teacher lends you a book, you don't read the back and decide if you would like it or not - you thank your lucky stars it is written in English, and damn well read it!

48.  Norey Bong (sp?) is a favorite pass time in Korea

49.  Norey Bong is the Korean version of Karaoke

50.  Norey Bong is so popular, it is available on provincial buses for students (or other riders) to sing while they are travelling

51.  It is Korea tradition to make the new girl sing the first song in Norey Bong.  (and embarrass the HELL out of her in the process!)

52.  Koreans generally know how to sing quite well.

53.  Hanging out in the American bars with your English friends tends to make you forget you are in Asia

54.  Soju (Rice alcohol) tastes like apple juice

55.  If at first you can't find what you are looking for - look up.  Remember, South Korea ran out of space years ago - now they build UP

56.  The honking of a car horn can mean "Move out of the way"

57.  The honking of a car horn can mean "Hello"

58.  The honking of a car horn can mean "Coming up on your left and I'm speeding, don't move into my lane"

59.  The honking of a car horn can mean "Do you need a taxi?"

60.  The honking of a car horn is not considered rude, and is heard so often that people completely ignore it.

61.  Taxi's are cheap - sometimes cheaper than the Subway

62.  Korean food is cheap

63.  American food is NOT cheap

64.  The beach in Busan is gorgeous

65.  The ocean at the beach in Busan in May is freaking COLD!

66.  If you are in the American Military and are stationed in Korea, but you get leave time and decide to travel you grow facial hair and when someone asks you what you do, you lie and say you teach.  You get less scorn from the locals this way.  (To be fair, I learned this one by association.)

67.  Koreans don't like the American Military in the their bars because they have the reputation for starting fights

68.  You can fake your way through a game of cricket darts and come out the other side without looking TOO bad

69.  Digital reading dart boards mean that you don't have to learn how to add up a score in darts

70.  If a bar is small, and they don't have room for a real pool table, they can supply you with a "Pocket Pool Table" which is approx. 1/4 the size, with the pool balls resembling golf balls without the pocks.

71.  Pool is always free

72.  Darts are free, Digital read Darts are not

73.  Saying "Pop" instead of "Soda" annoys the Americans in Korea

74.  Lotte Department stores are HUGE, and can be 9 stories high and carry everything from food, to clothes, to dishwashers and TVs

75.  If you can't get your taxi driver to understand where you want to go, you can text the name into your phone and just show him.

76.  Koreans can read English much better than they can understand/comprehend the spoken English word

77.  Busan in the evening looks like Vegas in the evening (but with signs that you can't read)

78.  Managing to get from Busan to Iksan, and Iksan to Guemma by yourself is an oddly ego boosting experience

79.  Koreans pronouce Guemma as Kooma (Kuma)

80.  Guemma is so small, that even Koreans at the Iksan bus terminal have never heard of it

81.  Guemmas is so small, they do not have open apartments for rent

82.  Living with the principal of your school does have benefits

83.  You don't call the principal of the school "Mr. Yue" - you call him Principal-Sir

84.  Samsung and LG are South Korean brands - and they are very proud of them

85.  SK is the abriviation of South Korea that Koreans use - however it is strangely comforting to see for someone who grew up in Saskatchewan :)

86.  Skype is a wonderful invention

87.  MSN Messanger is pretty good too

88.  You can talk on the phone from Busan, South Korea to Saskatoon, SK for 154 minutes on a 10,000 won international calling card. (approx. $10)

89.  You must have a cellphone if you are in Korea

90.  You can`t get a cellphone in Korea without a bank account

91.  You can`t get a bank account in Korea without an ID card or Alien Registration certificate

92.  It takes 7-10 business days to get an ID card or alien Registration certificate

93.  Green means go (to be fair, I knew this before I got here, but it helps the next few points)

94.  Yellow means speed up

95.  Red means stop, look around to see if cars are coming, or if pedestrians are coming - and if they are not, you may continue through

96.  You can go as fast as you want on any road that you want, and the only reason to go slower than breakneck speed is if the car in front of you is slowing you down.

97.  As dangerous as the driving seems to be in Korea, the drivers seem amazingly good.

98.  Korean bus drivers can u-turn a bus, and back it up into an extremely tight spot (landing on a dime)without even a second glance

99.  Koreans don`t use dryers, and have no qualms about flashing their unmentionable all over the neighborhood while they dry on the stands on the front lawn.

100.  Writing 100 things that I`ve learned in Korea was actually not as difficult as I thought it would be!