10 Things I Learned About Traveling with Parents in Asia
10. Not everyone is an adventurous eater. My mom loves ethnic food, but to my surprise, unidentified fish in spicy fermented sauce was just a little too much for her to handle.
9. Be prepared to constantly be saying, "I don't know, that's just the way it is." There are many things in Asia that you just have to accept as "different."
8. Sharing an apartment with your parents for several days is a valuable bonding experience. Watching "Dancing with the Stars" together on your laptop will only enhance that bond.
7. Anytime something goes wrong, just play it off as a "cultural experience." Whether the food is too fishy, you're stuck in the world's busiest subway station, or the only available toilet is a hole in the ground, you can explain that it's all part of the cultural experience.
6. When traveling from Korea to Japan, make sure your parents understand the exchange rate. In Korea, 10,000 is worth $10 but in Japan its worth $100. Although Japanese cab drivers don't usually take tips, they might not refuse a hundred bucks.
5. Beware of the allure of chanting monks. You may find that your mother is drawn to the beautiful sound of chanting monks. If you hear any monk music while hiking in the woods, be sure to keep a close eye on your mother, or before you know it she may run off and join the monkhood.
4. Adult Diapers may be required. When traveling in places with more exotic food such as Korea, you may find that your parents (in my case Dad's) stomache don't agree with the food. Rather than go on a tour of all of the public restrooms in town, you may just want to bring along some absorbant undies. ;)
3. BYOTP- While you may find toilet paper in classrooms, subway stations, or even hanging outside on the exteriors of buildings, you probably won't find any in the bathroom. It's essential to BYOTP, especially if you've already forgotten the adult diapers.
2. Beer breaks are essential. Schedule at least 3 beer breaks daily to refuel and reenergize your parents.
1. And finally, I learned that when your parents come to visit you can give your bank account a rest!! Be like a kid again and let the rents pick up the dinner, hotels, train tickets, heck even have them buy you socks on the street! Thanks Mom and Dad!!
OK, that was all in good fun. If it sounds like we had quite an adventure, then you're right, we did. After eagerly waiting for weeks for my parents to arrive, and even fearing that everything would be ruined due to swine flu taking over the world, I finally went to the airport last friday to pick them up. They arrived looking tired but happy to see me and excited to begin the adventure. I brought them to my apartment where they would be staying for the week and Dad immediately hopped on the bed, ready to pass out for the night. This was unacceptable to Mom and me, as we really wanted to go out have the first taste of Korean food. Fortunately, Dad was a trooper and got up. We met my friend Alexis and then set out to a korean bbq restaurant where we grilled delicious beef, sampled kimchi and drank aged soju, until finally calling it a night.
The first weekend was filled with sightseeing around my city, Busan. Our first stop was Jagalchi Fish Market, which is a rather shocking and exciting introduction to Korea, as you get to see the people, food and customs all in one, busy and fishy-smelling place. For lunch we had a delicious meal of fried red snapper, soup and vegetable dishes, cooked for us right on the main street of the market. We then headed to Busan Tower where we got a glimpse of the city from a birds-eye view. We headed back to my place around 5pm to refuel before going to a temple, but Dad was completely drained and decided to call it a night. Talk about the early bird special! So, Mom and I headed to beautiful Beomosa temple for Buddha's birthday celebration, where we witnesses thousands of worshippers and monks hanging beautiful, bright lanterns all over the temple grounds. It was a truly unique experience that only occurs once a year, so we were both really excited. The following day, we took a ferry ride around Busan and went to another beautiful temple on the cliffs.
On Monday, I went to work from 9 am to noon and my school was nice enough to let me leave as soon as my classes were finished. We had Tuesday off for a Children's Day, a national holiday in Korea, so we were taking a trip to Gyongju, the historical city which was Korea's capital during the Silla Dynasty. We hopped on a one-hour bus ride to Gyongju and made our way to the charming traditional Korean guesthouse where we would be staying. For grand total of $30, we slept on the floor of a tiny, one-room Korean cottage. Though it may have been a little shocking at first, Mom and Dad ended up loving the place. That day we visited many natural and historicals sights around Gyongju, and to my delight they loved everything. Dad was especially fascinated by the architecture of the massive palace temples, and Mom was of course into all of the Buddhist history. That night we had dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant where we were served many, many small plates as well as Korean milky rice wine infused with Ginseng. Dad and I loved it, and although Mom wasn't in to the strange tastes, it was still quite a good cultural experience. The next day we did more temple sightseeing, and went to the top of a mountain to see a buddhist statue in a cave. It was a great little trip that we all really enjoyed.
We got back to Busan on Tuesday night, and I was anxious and excited for school on Wednesday because Mom and Dad would be coming with me. After a brief introduction ceremony in my Principal's office, Mom and Dad came up to my classroom where I was teaching 5th graders a lesson on "Welcoming a Tourist." They greeted Mom and Dad with a loud and enthusiastic, "Welcome to Gumjung Elementary!" It was really cute. The class was fun and I think both parents and students had a great time, so I was satisfied. For lunch we had the best meal possible, bibimbap! It's a favorite korean dish, of mixed rice, vegetables, meat and sauce, so I was really glad they got to try that. It was a fun-filled day, and I was really happy that I was able to show them what my day to day life is like in Korea. We spent the next day and a half trying restaurants, shopping and hiking and then it was finally off to Japan on Friday! More on that next week!
Pics are up!!! http://picasaweb.google.com/lcurrie711
No comments:
Post a Comment