Friday, August 31, 2012

There's no such a thing as Culture-shock

Or maybe there is.

But being at the other side of the world have to bring you some stuff that's totally different from the one you are used to. Small little shit making your life worth living.

Culture shock is the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, or to a move between social environments also a simple travel to another type of life.1
 
I wish I had one. I mean negative one. Because I have positive one: I am very happy there's a lot of stuff totally different from Europe. It's kinda funny, it's making usual stuff unusual. 

Let's say toilets: in Europe one comes to toilet [pissoir], make his fun, after comes automatic splash and game over, clean your hands! In here, splash comes first. And off course water tap works another way, you need to make down movement to make it give you some water.

Hey, but not everywhere, some places are just the same as in Europe.

And btw, now I also know why girls are always going 2 to toilet. One holds their stuff, other one does the thing. Man, this took some time to learn. Aye!

Music. K-pop, everywhere.

I actually just came back from concert. Somewhere. There was some k-pop...




Well, they been singing in Korean, and then like "Oh my God" in English. Funny thing to hear. And another song, with also English chorus "I love you". And some more, hard to say whether boy- or girl-band, becoming kinda everything-sounds-the-same.




Something like this. Cute kids enjoy it ;P

Then there was something for older people: mix of Winnetou, Slovak Repete and some gypsy sounds also. And some more k-pop at the end.

Not my style, but fireworks at the end saved the thing.

I should also talk about girls, food, school, fun, aclohol and more also, but proly next time.

Anyway, I am happy that weekend is here,today [it's about 2 at night here] we might to to amusement park! And such ;]

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Man, he's famous!

Today we gonna continue in "Man, X's xxx!" series.

It's Saturday, we are planning somethin, so we go somewhere. I really can't say where, but here is how it worked:

Zuzana got Korean flatmate so she is taking us to some kind of Temple. Buddhism one, I would say.  We take 2 buses, somewhere out of Daegu, some hill, mountain, I really don't know.

I know it seems stupid, but I somehow do not find it important to remember such a stuff. So let's pretend we are at last Bus stop.

No, I am not at picture.

Temple is pretty much pretty. Stuff and so. You know what I mean.




And this guy?
 

Man, he's famous! 

So we going somewhere around and I hear like "Slovakia?". And I see some random monk talking with Zuzana. Picture, right? We talk and shit and he's like "Hey folks, I invite you to have a tea with me" so we say "Yep, sure thing."

One does not simply drink tea with random Buddhist monk.

He did not speak English very good, but we got like 3 Korean speaking people so np. We got inside his kinda "house"  and he start to prepare his stuff for tea. There's a whole procedure about it, but you'd better google it, I don't remember. It was interesting anyway. You know how in Europe we let tea be made in 5-10 minutes? In here it's like 2 seconds and tea is ready.

He got 2 other monks in there. They got PC in there, so I am little bit surprised, but hey, look, we are at Korea, right?

Anyway, why not?

So he teach us some stuff about Buddhism, we talk about ourselves, drink tea [Chinese and Korean] and it's so awesome. I can't even say how much. The best I ever experience I've had in here. Definitely made my day.

And then there comes the moment when he says pics ain't problem.




Anyway, what do you think: how old is he? 

After some time, when he has to leave for his service, we say good-bye and slowly leave, taking away his presents (English book about Buddhism). We promise him to learn more Korean and come to see him again. And I'll tell you one think: I really wanna see him again.

With those monks, you feel there is something, something you can't really write down in this simple language. Something like those feelings you don't really believe in, but when they come, they feel so real, they got you unprotected.   

Then we keep on moving and seeing stuff around - some Buddha statue (fucking big) and museum, ready to leave to dorm after.








The monk is some kind of teacher whatever. It was awesome when we saw his pics in that museum. Man! 

The museum is under that Buddha statue. The fucking big one. Kinda nice, one can see old books, and as Martina says, they are far more older than Gutenberg. Amazing. There was like whole procedure of making those books showed and its unbelievable. Books are amazing. 



Look at that. And they were doing it with this



Some more interesting stuff had happened but I'll just add band like pic as ending ;]




And btw, the monk is 49!!!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Man, she's humid!

When you travel, you need to expect some kind of troubles. At least when I am, and it's what will make you remember the trip.

Being here for 3-4 days [kinda hard to say], I have to admit that going to Korea was mostly trouble-less: starting with meeting at Presov, ending with arrival to Daegu.

Budapest: no problem, only a bit of worrying about baggage. And letting them do "Last call" for us. It's funny when you hear them trying to pronounce your last name. One need good hearing to catch he/she's about to miss the flight. 

Warsaw: I think nothing interesting happened in there. Let me know if I'm wrong.



Beijing: got more interesting in here. When we got off plane, there was a girl [airport stuff] with some 3 numbers [it was Zuzana, Martin and myself traveling together] waiting for some 3 people. So Marting asked her about who is she waiting for, that we are going to Korea. But she kinda said: not you. So we went on. But like after 3 minutes she came to us and asked us for our tickets. And asked us like we were not talking to her some minute ago: "why didn't you talked to me before, I was waiting for you". Then she was like crazy about getting us to our gate asap, because we are so for sure gonna be late. So we skipped everyone in lines and took airport car to get to our flight. And then waited more than hour inside the airplane. But our gate was pretty much far away, so good that we didn't need to walk. The airport stuff also checked my hand-luggage, they didn't like something they've seen with scanner, but no big troubles about it.

And that's how we got to Asia. Little disappointment about not experiencing anything interesting, but... Better no troubles than being sent back home for  sth stupid, right?

And my first opinion/feeling/whatever? 

Man, she's humid!



Thursday, August 16, 2012

What's up with Asia? Pt. 2

Not much. 

Anyway, look at this:

Hypnosis, 1904, Sascha Schneider 

Let's say I am gonna be hypnotized by Korean education system. 

So now we know where I am going and what I am going to do. And I can say it officially, because I got visa.

There's a picture of program I am about to join somwhere, but who knows where. I am lazy to search for it, so let's pretend I am gonna write about it later.

But you know, there's a thing about it: I can't really imagine what's life in Asia can be like. So I don't wanna write about it, before I am actually there. Sure I have some expectations, but they are general: have some fun time, like anywhere else.

And problems, damn lot problems, making life interesting. 

What would you expect? 


    



Wednesday, August 8, 2012

What's up with Asia? Pt. 1

Here it comes, my journey to Asia starts! ... soon ;]

After many not successful tries to get to Asia, here comes the successful one.

And guess what, when they say "you can get it, if you really want", they are totally right: you must try, try and try and try and...

First time I tried to get to Asia like 4 years ago?! I don't remember exactly, but it was Taiwan. There was some TW Gov scholarship to go and study there. And let's be honest: studying in Slovakia is not kind of fun you are looking for, except you keep drinking all time, or spent your time with international students.

Oh, Taiwan, how many times I tried?  Well, I would say 4 times. And that-damned-4th-time I was so close!

[

 It was calm night (not so calm after some beers and wine), close to KD International Dorms, Doswell, VA, USA - I guess like August, 20th -  and I received call from some WTF-is-this-number-from? number.   

"Is sounds-like-my-surname there?"
"Yes?"  
"This is that Miss from that school, that you applied for. Your application was successful, you are to be given scholarship. Will you join our University? Check your email! "  

Yea, you guess my heartbeat raised - I was like -  fuck that shit, I am going to Asia <3 ! 
 
Or something close enough to that.... And yea again, You bet I did check my email. But my happiness was not longing very long. Damn, I hate realizations of something being fucked up. And I tell you I realized there are some troubles about it right away: I got like 2 weeks to be actually located in TW and I need visa and shit (tickets and so). 

And what does one need for Visa? X-rays, HIV test and stuff. 
And how expensive is that? USA - expensive, Slovakia - kinda cheap.

So I wrote to both TW embassies in Slovakia and USA, and I had to decide: go back home, or make stuff here? 

I counted my money (after getting sober) and I found out I ain't got enough for neither option (visa stuff, tickets, and (the mostly important) like 3 years of fun in TW) - so I was like - fuck that shit, I am not going to Asia </3 !

At the end, maybe I was not so-damned-close. 

Anyway, the moral of this short story is : Money sucks.**

 

So how about other times?  Money again (I am poor student, right?), they didn't pick me, or I somehow changed my mind (Erasmus first, baby!).   

But anyway, look here: every-time I was closer and closer, so next time it's gonna work, right?  

Yes.

But I decided I wont try TW anymore. It's like: dude, you tried, it wasn't working, give up. On TW, not on Asia of course ;] Didn't matter what country anyway. It's just I had some experience with TW people and I really like them. You know, being with people with different culture is (the most of time) fun.

In the end, it's just like with any other life-related-crap: do not make plans, they ain't working. Well, I was not exactly making plans, but I wanted to go Asia for quite some time. And I did stuff to achieve it. But sometimes is better just let it go and let troubles solve by themselves.  I don't know how to express myself, so I'll say: just not giving a fuck

What I mean? The day*** I stopped trying to get to Asia, opportunity showed up by itself, I only needed to grab it!



** actually, I do suck: knowing that I can go TW 3 months earlier, I could save money, just by not drinking so much beer ;]  but what else can one do at KD dorms?
*** yep, it was some weeks/months, but day sounds pretty dramatic ;] we love drama



 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Hello World!

So after very long thinking I've decided to start a blog:



I finished University, quit my job, moved out and I am going to ... Asia ;] 

Blog is (gonna be) in English, pretending to improve my English-writing-skills.
Or maybe not. (Sem tam aj Slovenčina abo dáky iný jazyk)

So, I'll be so happy if I get some comments! (Ones like fuck you! are welcome too, I really don't mind ;] I guess you know that already.) Or let me know when my grammar gets to much ridiculous.

So, what's up with Asia?

I love Asia! I mean: Wait for next post, I need to go get some beer right now!

čonta