In your eyes

Korea is well known for its trendiness in fashion. Whatever is new and popular elsewhere in the world, odds are it’s already caught on here. This gives me an interesting opportunity to dabble in an area that has never really interested me until now.

In this post, I’ll focus on the three biggest trends in eyes, and my experiences with them.

1. Fake glasses. I have excellent vision, but always envied people with glasses. My big sister had them since middle school, and of course I wanted to be just like her. In movies, the “big reveal” was when a girl took off her glasses to show, hey!, she was pretty all along (She’s All That?). Of course I’m now aware that that’s an overused movie trope, but I didn’t at the time.

Anyway, it came rushing back to me when I saw the overabundance of fake glasses on the streets of Korea. In a ton of different styles, some with plain glass and others with no glass at all, and usually less than 10,000 won ($10). At first, I gravitated towards the giant frames, as that’s what’s most trendy here right now, but they didn’t look right on my face.

Doesn't mean I didn't buy any! I've got thick rainbow frames with no lens (which my students LOVE), but I was still searching for ones that fit my face a bit better. I later came across two more and now I wear them often enough that my students think they’re real. That's right, I have three pairs of fake glasses. That I actually wear. In public. Come at me bro.

2. Contact lenses. Before I moved to Korea, I’d only seen colored contact lenses worn by cosplayers. Here, it’s normal to alter your eye color as often as your hair color (another thing regularly changed). Within colored contacts, there are a few choices. You can get natural colors that stay over your existing iris, looking no different than anyone else’s natural eye shape. You can get circle lenses, which are larger colored lenses that widen your iris by a few millimeters, giving them impression of larger eyes without getting the surgery*. Lastly, you can also get either of those options in any variety of colors. And I mean any variety. Purple, yellow, pink, black, white, or red, to name a few that are color only. Then you can get into patterns. I’ve seen some with tiny flowers printed on the side!

These are usually quite cheap too, and there are stores on every major street. As I said in another blog, I’ve always wanted green eyes, so I figured now’s the time! I went into a store with a couple of friends, hoping they’d help me pick out some good ones. The amount of options were a bit overwhelming, but we finally settled on one pair of natural green, and one pair of smaller brown circle lenses (I think the large circle lenses are super creepy personally. These just fit on the outside of my iris).

The green ones were 40,000 won, and the brown ones were 25,000 won ($65 together). They provided cases, contact solution, and eyedrops with the purchase. It took me entirely too long to get them on the first time, but when I did, I loved the green ones and am still getting used to the brown ones. Because they’re still a hassle for me to put on, I don’t wear them very often. For now, they’ll be saved for special occasions.

3. Eyelash extensions. This is something popular in the US too, but I’m honestly not sure where it started. Women have been using fake eyelashes for a long time, but eyelash extensions are a semi-permanent solution rather than needing to put them on and take them off every day. In this process, individual lashes (made from plastic or mink, depending on preference and price) are adhered to the base of your existing lashes. The amount and thickness of the lashes applied is up to you. If you want eyelashes that could create a windstorm, a full set is going to cost you significantly more than an ‘enhanced natural look’ half set.

Looking online, most salons that do this in the US charge at least $200 for even a half set, whereas a half set will cost you about 50,000won in Korea. Lasting between 4-8 weeks, it requires you to ‘refill’ the lashes when they fall out. I’m still debating if this is something I want to do myself, and I’ve heard lots of arguments both for and against. The most appealing reason is that the half set is still natural looking, and I wouldn’t need to use any eye makeup for my day to day. At night, I can dress it up, but let’s be real. I don’t need to dress up for pizza and Netflix. The most obvious downside is cost. To maintain the look, I’d need to refill the lashes every 6 weeks or so, which means paying at least $50 every six weeks. As someone who lives between the rock and hard place that are convenience and budget, this is the biggest obstacle for me.

So what do you think? Would you get any of these? Leave a comment!

안녕!

*yes, there is an operation that will widen your eyes, and yes it’s very popular here. However, I don’t have any personal experience, or know anyone that I’d feel comfortable asking about it, so you’ll have to do your own research for that one!

Lord of the Eggs

Last month was our winter vacation, and for English teachers in Korean public schools, that means English Camp. My situation is unique in that my school collaborates with 4 other nearby schools to share teachers. All five teachers teach 2 lessons over 2 days (5 classes of each lesson) at every school, 10 days in total. Sounds complicated but it isn't. This year I wanted to do something more active and less lecture-y than normal. I opted to do an Egg Drop.

Lesson 1 consists of 20 minutes introducing vocabulary, explaining that we're going to be dropping eggs out of windows, and the difference between an egg cracking, breaking, and being safe. The last 20 minutes the students get into groups and design their 'egg house', what they will build around their egg to keep it safe after a 10 meter fall.

The next day, for lesson 2, students reform their groups, are given materials, and have 20 minutes to construct their egg safehouse. It's a frenzy of activity, and every student is engaged in the action. Next, we show off the final product and try to predict whose eggs will survive. And lastly, the drop. Moments of pure anticipation to see these creations of paper and tape try to oppose gravity, to little or no success.

For the 80 or so drops I did over 10 days, more than half were safe, and therefore could be used again. Great news! Proud kids and no mess, but one dilemma for me. See, I underestimated their abilities, and bought enough eggs for every group to have their own, plus some extra in case one broke during construction. Because of the high number of safe drops, I now have about 40 eggs sitting in my apartment.

And so we move to the second part of this blog: things to do with eggs! I was challenged by a fellow camp teacher (whose super awesome blog you can check out here). She actually challenged me to do more because I was bragging about the awesomeness of eggs. I think they're more versatile than shrimp, but I couldn't go full-Bubba. I was stumped at 12.

1. Scrambled Eggs. It’s tough to beat a classic.

2. Egg Salad. To be eaten as a sandwich or with a spoon, egg salad is pretty straightforward if you want it to be. If you'd rather experiment, you can add any number of things. I like to add relish and some chopped black olives to mine.

3. Fried Egg Sandwich. A regular occurrence in our family. Lightly scrambled egg reformed into a patty, melted cheese, ketchup, and toast. You can add ham if you wanna get real crazy.

4. Fried Rice. Excellent with frozen veggie medley (peas, corn, and carrots), but whatever fresh ingredients you want to add are also great. Cook it up with soy sauce and a little sesame oil, and you're good to go.

5. Drain and paint the shells for an arts n crafts project. Teachers are always looking for fun activities to do with younger students, and I think my first graders will like the change to paint some clean shells (if they don't break them first).

6. Cheese n’ onion omelet. Or any other fillings you want to add, but simple is enough for me!

7. Deviled eggs for a dinner party. Before I leave, I'm expecting to have a lot of time with friends, and no one can turn down a delicious deviled egg.

8. French Toast. With some cinnamon and vanilla? Yes please!

9. Egg drop experiment. Hey, it worked once! Might as well try it with some of my other students.

10.  Rice cooker frittata. Never again will I underestimate a rice cooker. Among its plentiful uses, I found a favorite recipe to make a quick and easy vegetable fritatta.

11. Eggs Benedict. I've never made a successful one myself, but I've watched plenty of chefs do it in real life and on TV. I'll have to make an attempt next week.

12. (On top of) Bibimbap. Many restaurants will crack a raw egg on top, to stir in and cook with the hot rice. Personally, I fry the egg separately and add it in with the yolk runny. Delicious!


What is your favorite thing to do with eggs? Do you scoff at my paltry suggestions? Let me know!

안녕!

10 Things to do Before Leaving Korea

Now that my time in Korea is coming to a close, I've been thinking about which things to prioritize. For this list, I've been asked by a friend to share my personal 10 things to do before I leave.

[These are in no particular order]

1. Go to SpaLand in Busan. Jjimjilbangs are one of those strictly Asian things (I'd say Korean, but the Japanese onsen is very similar). Getting naked and scrubbing and soaking til you're utterly relaxed is one of my favorite things to do, and the best place for it is SpaLand.

2. Eat everything. Jjimdalk, bibimbap, samgyeopsal, hoddoek, japchae, mandu, bossam (and those are just my favorites). This could easily be a whole separate list, but I've talked enough about my love for Korean food. I plan to eat nothing but Korean food for the next 6 weeks.

3. Go ice skating/roller skating. Something I can also do at home, but in Korea it's relatively cheap and therefore easy to convince my friends to join. The fact that my favorite skating rink is next to a beautiful historical bridge certainly doesn't hurt!

4. Go to noraebang. Ah, noraebang: the experience of singing til you're hoarse and looking like an idiot in front of your friends. Drunken or sober, it's a great night of fun that I will feel so very empty without.

5. Buy cosmetics and skincare. For myself, or as gifts for friends and family, it's going to be hard to leave the diverse set of cosmetics stores and products. I'm absolutely sending some scrubs and creams ahead via post.

6. Get color contacts. Why not? I think I'd look great with green eyes. Given how popular they are, they're definitely cheaper than I could get them in the US.

7. Look longingly at hanbok shops. As beautiful as they are, I can't quite convince myself to buy one. The cost for a high quality hanbok outweighs the rare occasions I'd be able to wear it. I can, however, stare through the shop windows and mentally design my own.

8. Take a million pictures with my students. Well duh.

9. Visit a board game cafe. Such a great idea, and I really hope it catches on (or maybe it has already? It's been two years, what do I know?) in the US. Getting together with a group of friends and playing any of the dozens of games available always spells out a great evening. Games that demand hours of intense strategy and concentration, or 5 minutes of Jenga, a good time is had by all.

10. Learn how to cook. This one is contingent on my ability to sweet-talk my coteachers to teach me. We've discussed it for the last two years, but now that the clock is ticking, it's time to make my move. Some ingredients will be difficult to find, but I'm hoping that learning the basics will help me to find appropriate substitutes when available. Japchae and jjimdalk are at the top of my list!


And there you have it! Is there anything I missed? Want more info? Leave a comment or send me a message!

Til next time!
안녕!