January 22, 2014
The woman running my hostel in Chiang Mai, Thailand recommended Tiger Kingdom. According to the brochures, the tigers were wide awake and treated well.
She arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to bring me there and back.
When I arrived at Tiger Kingdom, I waited in line to choose what I wanted to see. I could see the biggest tigers, the medium-sized tigers, or the baby tigers. I wanted to see the big ones, but I was told that because it's the most popular option, the wait could be one to two hours. I chose to see the medium-sized tigers, which cost 420 Baht ($11 USD). My wait time was only 30 minutes.
There were signs posted everywhere, stating explicitly that the tigers were not drugged. I was informed that the reason they weren't active is because tigers rest during the day. There were also signs explaining how to and not to approach and touch the tigers. These signs made me feel like this was a legitimate place that I could trust. It seemed to be like any other zoo, aside from the lack of other animals.
Because you're not allowed to enter the enclosure alone, I was paired up with a guy from France who was also alone. Then another guy was paired up with us, who happened to also be from France.
We took pictures of each other posing with four different tigers. I laid my head on the belly of one when he decided to yawn and stretch. My startled expression was captured in a photo.
I was so excited to show everybody the photos of me petting a real live tiger. The reaction of my friends and family, however, filled me with regret. I was basically accused of promoting the captivity and drugging of innocent wild animals. I felt so guilty and ashamed that I deleted the pictures from Facebook.
If you are planning to visit Thailand, and are interested in seeing wildlife, be sure to do as much research as possible before giving your money to anyone. I, for the record, believe that wild animals like tigers deserve to be protected and unharmed.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Hotels in Vietnam
I booked a real hotel in Ho Chi Minh as opposed to a hostel for three reasons. I was scheduled to arrive after midnight, and unlike hostels, hotels usually have a 24/7 reception desk. I planned on only staying two nights, which meant I didn't need to be cheap. For the following 12 days I would be staying in dorms, so I wanted to treat myself to a nice private room.
After getting my visa, I exited the airport. After what happened to me in Thailand, I promised myself I wouldn't get scammed again. And that's the first thing that happened to me in Vietnam.
A taxi driver approached me and asked where I was going, so I showed him the map and address on my hotel itinerary. He said his rate for that distance was $10, which seemed reasonable. His taxi was a black van, which seemed suspicious, but I didn't see any "normal" cabs.
In order to leave the parking lot, we had to go through a toll bridge, which cost $10. He refused to take me any further if I didn't pay, so my taxi ride cost a total of $20. To give you a perspective of how big of a rip-off this was, my 6 hour bus ride from Vietnam to Cambodia cost me $11.
When I arrived at my hotel, it was closed. I knocked on the door, and a woman answered. She said there were no rooms available. I said I booked my room for February 15th instead of the 14th because I arrived after midnight. She said I should have booked it for the 14th because the earliest check-in time is 8 a.m.
What was I supposed to do for 7 hours?
I asked if I could sleep on the couch in the lobby. She said that's where she sleeps.
Her solution was to have another employee escort me down the road to another hotel. That hotel was more expensive and didn't have hot water.
While eating Pho for the millionth time at the same restaurant down the road from my hotel, I overheard a woman telling her server about getting robbed. Curious, I sat down with her and asked to hear her story. She was from Israel and in her early thirties. She said she left all her things locked in her private single hotel room, and when she returned after a long day of sightseeing, all her cash was gone. She now had to travel to the Israeli Embassy, which was far north of us.
I loved Vietnam, and I would go back. But I recommend doing a lot of research on your hotel and the local scams before going to Vietnam. And, if possible, try to arrive during the day.
After getting my visa, I exited the airport. After what happened to me in Thailand, I promised myself I wouldn't get scammed again. And that's the first thing that happened to me in Vietnam.
A taxi driver approached me and asked where I was going, so I showed him the map and address on my hotel itinerary. He said his rate for that distance was $10, which seemed reasonable. His taxi was a black van, which seemed suspicious, but I didn't see any "normal" cabs.
In order to leave the parking lot, we had to go through a toll bridge, which cost $10. He refused to take me any further if I didn't pay, so my taxi ride cost a total of $20. To give you a perspective of how big of a rip-off this was, my 6 hour bus ride from Vietnam to Cambodia cost me $11.
When I arrived at my hotel, it was closed. I knocked on the door, and a woman answered. She said there were no rooms available. I said I booked my room for February 15th instead of the 14th because I arrived after midnight. She said I should have booked it for the 14th because the earliest check-in time is 8 a.m.
What was I supposed to do for 7 hours?
I asked if I could sleep on the couch in the lobby. She said that's where she sleeps.
Her solution was to have another employee escort me down the road to another hotel. That hotel was more expensive and didn't have hot water.
While eating Pho for the millionth time at the same restaurant down the road from my hotel, I overheard a woman telling her server about getting robbed. Curious, I sat down with her and asked to hear her story. She was from Israel and in her early thirties. She said she left all her things locked in her private single hotel room, and when she returned after a long day of sightseeing, all her cash was gone. She now had to travel to the Israeli Embassy, which was far north of us.
I loved Vietnam, and I would go back. But I recommend doing a lot of research on your hotel and the local scams before going to Vietnam. And, if possible, try to arrive during the day.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Spring Break 2014
My first vacation as a teacher in Korea was for a week in August. I spent that time on Jeju Island, which I highly recommend. If you go, you'll see why it is called the Hawaii of Korea.
My second vacation was for 10 days in January, which I spent in Thailand. I also highly recommend visiting there.
Although the contract clearly stated that there was only two vacation periods, summer and winter, I made the mistake of booking myself another vacation when my co-teacher told me that the final two weeks of February is Spring Break.
I booked a flight to Ho Chi Minh, and my return flight from Siem Reap. My vacation consisted of two days in Vietnam and twelve days in Cambodia.
The day before my flight, my co-teacher said, "You know that Spring Break is just for the students, right?"
I answered him with the details of my non-refundable flights.
According to my contract, even though there were no classes for those two weeks, I had to show up to school anyway. Not to work. Just to be present.
My co-teacher said the vice principal would have to give me permission.
I assumed we would go to the VP together so he could translate since the VP didn't know any English. But my co-teacher said he was too afraid to speak to the VP because he's so scary. This didn't make the prospect of me speaking to him alone any less intimidating.
The next day I went into the vice principal's office. I explained my side of the story and then left. I only spoke English. He only responded, very confused, in Korean. I didn't understand him. He didn't understand me.
When I returned after the break, my co-teacher said the VP was very upset that I didn't show up to "work" for two weeks. He covered for me by lying that I was severely ill.
This miscommunication could have resulted in me paying hundreds of dollars to cancel my flights and accommodations. It could have resulted in me getting fired. Instead, I had an amazing vacation, and just had to play along with my co-teacher's story.
My second vacation was for 10 days in January, which I spent in Thailand. I also highly recommend visiting there.
Although the contract clearly stated that there was only two vacation periods, summer and winter, I made the mistake of booking myself another vacation when my co-teacher told me that the final two weeks of February is Spring Break.
I booked a flight to Ho Chi Minh, and my return flight from Siem Reap. My vacation consisted of two days in Vietnam and twelve days in Cambodia.
The day before my flight, my co-teacher said, "You know that Spring Break is just for the students, right?"
I answered him with the details of my non-refundable flights.
According to my contract, even though there were no classes for those two weeks, I had to show up to school anyway. Not to work. Just to be present.
My co-teacher said the vice principal would have to give me permission.
I assumed we would go to the VP together so he could translate since the VP didn't know any English. But my co-teacher said he was too afraid to speak to the VP because he's so scary. This didn't make the prospect of me speaking to him alone any less intimidating.
The next day I went into the vice principal's office. I explained my side of the story and then left. I only spoke English. He only responded, very confused, in Korean. I didn't understand him. He didn't understand me.
When I returned after the break, my co-teacher said the VP was very upset that I didn't show up to "work" for two weeks. He covered for me by lying that I was severely ill.
This miscommunication could have resulted in me paying hundreds of dollars to cancel my flights and accommodations. It could have resulted in me getting fired. Instead, I had an amazing vacation, and just had to play along with my co-teacher's story.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Naked Korea
During my first trip to Seoul, I spent the night at a 찜질방 (Korean sauna) in Gangnam--yes, as in the song "Gangnam Style"--with the other American teacher from my hagwon (private school). He had been to one of these before, but it was all new to me.
We paid for our one-night stay at the front desk, which was 5,000 Won. Then we were given a small locker for our shoes. At the end of the hallway was a bigger room with taller lockers for our clothes and backpacks. ALL of our clothes. The adjoining room was what you might call a bath house. Shower heads lined the left wall. There were two hot tubs in the middle of the room, and a small cold pool in the back. Oh, and all the men were naked. But not just men--males of all ages.
This was a prime example of culture shock. I had entered a world where nudity was the norm. Nobody paid any attention to anybody else. I felt invisible.
I sat in one of the hot tubs with my American friend and a few Korean men. Once the shock washed away, it was quite relaxing.
The sleeping situation, however, was awful.
Everybody slept in one room with a ceiling that was about 4 feet high, so the average person couldn't even stand up. Everybody slept on a plastic mat with a single thin sheet and a plastic cube for a pillow. There was no air-conditioning or fans, so it was very hot and stuffy. I didn't sleep.
My second experience with this was in a different district of Seoul a few months later. I was traveling across the country by myself. When I checked in, it was so late at night that the sauna room was almost completely vacant. That was nice, but again the sleeping situation was awful. This time the beds were made of marble. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw men sleeping on them. There were no blankets or pillows, so I just had to curl up with a towel on the wooden floor against a corner of the room. Once again, I didn't sleep.
Please feel free to share your experience in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading, and safe travels!
I sat in one of the hot tubs with my American friend and a few Korean men. Once the shock washed away, it was quite relaxing.
The sleeping situation, however, was awful.
Everybody slept in one room with a ceiling that was about 4 feet high, so the average person couldn't even stand up. Everybody slept on a plastic mat with a single thin sheet and a plastic cube for a pillow. There was no air-conditioning or fans, so it was very hot and stuffy. I didn't sleep.
My second experience with this was in a different district of Seoul a few months later. I was traveling across the country by myself. When I checked in, it was so late at night that the sauna room was almost completely vacant. That was nice, but again the sleeping situation was awful. This time the beds were made of marble. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw men sleeping on them. There were no blankets or pillows, so I just had to curl up with a towel on the wooden floor against a corner of the room. Once again, I didn't sleep.
Please feel free to share your experience in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading, and safe travels!
Monday, September 7, 2015
TMI ROK
One aspect of Korean culture that may surprise many Americans is how open they are about sharing personal information. The main reason for this is that it clashes with our image of Asian society, where people bow to each other, revere the elderly, and have politeness built into their language.
Bowing seems like a greeting specially reserved for royalty, but it's how everybody is greeted in South Korea. Unlike western culture, in Korea, being older is like being of a higher rank. In the US, "yo" is urban slag for hello. In Korea, "yo" is added to the end of certain words to make them formal. For example, "Anyang" is a casual hello, but "Anyanghaseyo" is a formal hello.
In America, we reserve "I love you" for only family, close friends, and spouses. In Korea, it is thrown around very loosely. My students said it to me. Random people passing me on the street said it to me. I never felt comfortable saying back to anyone due to its inherent romantic connotation. After saying goodbye to one of my classes on my last day, a boy stood up and said, "I love you," then to recover from an awkward pause, added "But not in a gay way."
Some Americans take astrology very seriously. In Korea, rather than believe your personality is determined by when you were born, they believe it is determined by your blood type. "What is your blood type" is a common question to ask when getting to know someone, whether it be a friend, co-worker, or date.
One of the first things you must do in Korea is get a physical. After my examination, I was informed that I would get the results later. For some reason my co-teacher decided to return to the hospital without me and retrieve my medical reports. Instead of giving me an envelope that had been sealed for doctor-patient confidentiality, he simply walked into our classroom and said, "You have lung disease." It should also be noted that he had a habit of making things dramatic.
Finally, in the US it would be rude to publicly announce your specific bathroom needs. We simply say, "I need to use the restroom."
In my classroom a girl once asked to use the toilet. I told her to hurry, as class was about to begin. She then squatted, made grunting sounds, and drew a pile of poop on the white board. Another time a boy in my class asked me co-teacher if he could be excused in Korean. In English, my co-teacher asked him "How big?" The student held his hands two feet apart like he was describing the size of the fish he caught. Confused, I asked "How big is what?" I immediately regretted my question. He said, "Feces."
Fire Drill
While public schools in South Korea differ in many ways from public schools in the US, one thing they have in common is that they both have fire drills. I can't speak for all public high schools in Korea, but the way mine conducted its fire drill was rather unorthodox.
I was sitting in my classroom one afternoon with my co-teacher, grading exams, when the fire alarm went off. Students stampeded out of their classrooms and down the hallway in panicked chaos. There was some order, however, after exiting the building and forming single-file lines on the soccer field in front of the school.
During the student stampede, I peered out of my classroom window to see thick clouds of smoke pouring out of another window at the far end of the building. Suddenly an ambulance and fire truck showed up on the scene.
Out of all my years as a student, a fire drill had never been anything more than a drill.
And as it turned out, this was also just a drill. A teacher explained to me that the best way to practice for a real fire is to make the fake one feel as real as possible. As soon as my heart beat returned to a normal pace, I agreed.
To take it a step further, the fire-fighters demonstrated how to use a fire extinguisher, and even let some students try.
It was very cool.
I was sitting in my classroom one afternoon with my co-teacher, grading exams, when the fire alarm went off. Students stampeded out of their classrooms and down the hallway in panicked chaos. There was some order, however, after exiting the building and forming single-file lines on the soccer field in front of the school.
During the student stampede, I peered out of my classroom window to see thick clouds of smoke pouring out of another window at the far end of the building. Suddenly an ambulance and fire truck showed up on the scene.
Out of all my years as a student, a fire drill had never been anything more than a drill.
And as it turned out, this was also just a drill. A teacher explained to me that the best way to practice for a real fire is to make the fake one feel as real as possible. As soon as my heart beat returned to a normal pace, I agreed.
To take it a step further, the fire-fighters demonstrated how to use a fire extinguisher, and even let some students try.
It was very cool.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)