Summer in Korea is a
different experience than I have ever had anywhere else. For one thing it is always humid. Not just a little humid but on average around
ninety percent humidity. The average
temperature in the heat of summer (from about June to mid-August) was pretty
much a steady ninety degrees Fahrenheit.
That isn’t that hot compared to Arizona, but throw in the ninety percent
humidity and then it is pretty bad. Plus
air conditioning in South Korea isn’t constantly on everywhere you go. The air conditioners here aren’t all central,
but instead it is usually wall mounted air conditioners. At school how it usually works is that during
the morning no air conditioners are supposed to be turned on. After lunch the air conditioners are allowed
to be turned on. The reasoning behind
this is they are trying to save power. I
don’t know if anyone is familiar but Korea usually does do rolling blackouts to
save energy. This is especially true
this year because some nuclear plants that produce the power have gone off
line. I am not sure exactly why they are
no longer working but either way it has been said that there is possibility of
rolling blackouts. They are trying to
avoid the whole country from losing power at once. There haven’t been any blackouts yet, but it
wouldn’t surprise me if there were some in the future.
So over summer camp it was
pretty warm. Luckily I am out by the
beach (can see it from my window now) and so that means it is a little bit
cooler compared to in town. During summer
camp I did have the windows open and hoping for a breeze. With no air conditioning in the morning
sometimes the students do complain that they don’t want to learn. I see their argument, but I am always visible
hotter even if it isn’t the case. This
is because I sweat a lot easier than Koreans.
This is true for anybody from the West.
I have heard the argument that Koreans don’t have as many sweat glands
as people from the West. I don’t know
how true that is but no matter what us foreigners always look hotter because of
the sweat. I am enjoying the summer
weather because it isn’t too bad and bearable.
I know that the winter time will be a lot harsher to handle.
Another interesting thing
about summer in Korea is the constant noise.
In summer time there is a bug known as Cicadas. These bugs could possibly live other places,
but this is the first time I have heard them.
They are a bug that comes out in the summer to mate. They are only out during the warmest
months. I have never seen the bug because
they are high up in the trees and don’t bug people like a mosquito or fly
would. They simply make noise all day
long (usually stop at night around 9:00p.m.).
Someone told me they live underground the rest of their lives and when
they are making the noise they will die by the end of the summer. If that is true that means it is the old male
(females don’t make noise) Cicadas that are the soundtrack of summer in
Korea. I read somewhere that some
grocery stores play the noise in their music loop that way people will buy
watermelon and other summer related items.
It is actually starting to
cool down already. In the morning it is
pretty nice. By lunch time it is kind of
warm, but then they kick the air conditioning on. Fall supposedly happens around the mid to end
of September. Plus fall is a really
short season and then it kicks into the bone chilling winter. Last week was orientation. Basically we were locked down on this campus
and went to classes from about seven in the morning to eight at night. There wasn’t that good of information on
teaching, but I was able to meet some more foreigners. This week is my first full week back at
school with regular classes. This
weekend there is a going away party in another city for a friend I plan to
attend. Plus the weekend of the 6th
of September there is a 5K color run up near Seoul. Basically it is a 5K race but you need to
wear white because people on the side will be throwing color stuff all over
us. Now it is off to play some football
(a.k.a. soccer). I will write later
next week sometime.
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