It Finally Happened.

The day arrived that many South Koreans thought couldn't come soon enough. Kim Jong-il is dead. You've probably seen the videos of mass hysteria and mourning in North Korean streets. So, is Seoul different?

Guui, although not a key location of Seoul, but still on the same subway line as City Hall, didn't seem to behave differently Monday. Not sure what I expected. There certainly was no dancing in the streets. I did hear some music as I woke up, but that might've been courtesy of the daily fruit and veggie seller.

Work wasn't any different. The kids still complained about working on their writing skills. They still tried to flatter me for quiz hints. Still amused me with their out-there comments. Dinner at our local gogi restaurant had the usual amount of customers. The men behind us appeared to drink the standard amount of soju (at least 5 bottles between three or four of them). We did get service, free beer, which may or may not have been a result of the news, or the fact that we eat there often. They did play the news while we ate, so we saw coverage including videos from North Korea with the tearful woman announcing the news. It also showed some of the reactions in Seoul - There was a 45% increase in the sale of ramen, and 30-something percent in the sale of water. CNN, however, reported there was no change in sales of food and water. Wednesday I plan to go to the local E-Mart, so perhaps I'll see firsthand what is happening.

My co-workers and I have become extremely comfortable with one another over the past year and half, which has in turn affected our humor. One of the new teachers was at dinner with us, and apparently thought our half serious, half joking conversation about evacuation routes, should they be necessary, were completely serious. For the record, I *might* be the person to follow to find underground shelter due to my unusual luck (although usually this luck is quickly followed by misfortune) and somewhat decent sense of directions.

Leaders are making various, vague statements and comments about the situation, so curious and nervous to see what the results will be. Pray that this can be settled nonviolently, and with good intentions for all of Korea.

Nearly Christmas Already!?

Hello! Apologies for the long absence. It's been a crazy few weeks starting my last term (AHHH!!!) and going about the day-to-day activities. We gained two new teachers as two others left, so it's been strange finding new people in the classrooms across from me.

December is flying by faster than I anticipated. I enjoyed a few half days 2 weeks ago due to more middle school testing. It seems like those kids never stop! Korean students definitely deserve more recognition for their hard work and relentless schedules. But with those testing days, comes the realization that some of these students will not return. Some of the kids I most connected with last term have been the causalities. Breaks my heart when I hear from their friends they're not coming back.

This weekend was a busy one. Friday I had a half day, so I went with two friends to Dongdaemun after dinner for the infamous late night shopping. Friday night, starting around midnight until the subways open again at 6:30am, people are walking the streets looking for good deals on fashion while the workers shift through endless bags of newly arrived material. I was able to find a couple Christmas presents, plus a present for myself - the much needed boots. Last winter was rough not having good traction on shoes, so this year I decided I need to be better prepared. After sleeping in most of Saturday, the evening was our office pre-Christmas dinner. The owner and his wife took our branch out to Outback, which is considered a fancy restaurant in Korea. Following dinner, I saw the new film Tin Tin Adventures. The graphics were amazing!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their buildup to the festivities with friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day! I hope everyone ate ridiculous amounts of delicious food... and for those of you into Black Friday, keep your eye on the prize!!

Nothing exciting happened here, although prior to work some co-workers and I went to Costco. One of them bought a giant pumpkin pie for us to enjoy during dinner at work. I haven't had pumpkin pie since I don't know when, so it was a great treat. Saturday I'm going to a Thanksgiving dinner at a brewery in Gangnam. Looking forward to eating my fill of mashed potatoes and trying some non-Korean beer.

Happy Turkey Coma Friday!

Octoberfest

Hello! Sorry for the long absence. October was a month of busy busy weekends, weekdays, work hours.... yeah lots of excuses, but totally true. It was a good month to make use of the nice weather, changing leaves, and activities around and outside of Seoul.

First weekend was spent at Everland, the amusement park about 2 hours outside of downtown Seoul in Suwon. It's more show than rides like you'd expect at an American park, but the roller coasters they have were still as good as American coasters.

Second weekend was spent in Osan for the day for shopping and dining near one of the U.S. bases.

Third weekend was spent in Busan, the port city closest to Japan, and Okpo Island, an hour or so bus ride from Busan to an abandoned amusement park. A friend of mine had shown me a link about it, so I was able to wrangle some interested co-workers to combine Busan's International Fireworks Festival with the excursion to the island.

This past weekend was spent first at work for iBT level-up practice for new students, Couch Surfers party in Hongdae, and then the Apple Festival in Mungyeong on Sunday.

Now I have lots of great photos and a whole bushel of apples.

Hope November is just as good!! Here are some photos from this month.

(Insert Witty Title)

Happy October! Fall term is halfway over, which means I have about four months until I return home. This was also the first week all the middle schoolers returned from middle school testing - and of course they were beyond thrilled to see us again! I'm sure that's what the silence during class meant. They missed us so much they became speechless. But in all seriousness, they do work very hard at school and I sympathize how much stress they're under at times. I am happy to have them back.

One thing I'm not happy to have back are the mosquitos. The weather is starting to cool here, yet for whatever reason the mosquitos are back in full force, perhaps one last hurrah before it becomes unbearably cold. Either way, they've enjoyed disrupting my sleep for the past week and make my hands swell. I have, however, become a fairly decent mosquito killer via improved reflexes.

This weekend I'm going to the amusement south of Seoul, Everland, with a few co-workers and friends. It's one of the items on my 'must-do' list before I leave, and time is running out, so this weekend is the weekend.

Quick Update

Apologies for not updating recently. The past few weeks have been uber busy. The new term has kept me busy prepping and learning new names. Then we had a lovely long weekend for the Korean holiday, Chuseok. I went to Hong Kong with a friend and her cousin... photos are available on my facebook, but I'll also post some here later.

Now my family is visiting me until the 26th. :) I've been playing host to some of the sights around Seoul. It's definitely different having to show people around versus just me or my coworkers wandering around.

As for work, getting back into the groove following the holiday, although many of my kids will be absent for a few weeks as it's once again dreaded (for them) and cherished (for the teachers) middle school exams.

Survived Week One.

Week one: Fall term went off without too many problems. Most of the kids this term I've had at some point in the past year, so it's been great seeing how some of them have changed... mostly growth spurts. SO TALL. My middle school boys already tower over me, next it'll be the elementary boys. Curse you genes!!!

I'm teaching the same reading class 2 times a day on both Monday and Tuesday, so at least by the 7:00 class Tuesday night I'll know what I want to teach and how. Wednesday and Friday I teach one of the beginning levels of classes, which I was nervous about since I've never taught it before, or trained in it, but with only three kids it's easier to interact with them and see what they know. If it was any larger, and since it's elementary kids, it might've turned into more class management for 3 hours. Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon I teach a middle level listening class with middle school (Wed) and elementary (Thurs) aged kids.

The Wednesday class has quite a few boys, some of them rather snarky, so they'll be sure to keep me on my toes. My Thursday class is mostly boys as well, but they're more enthusiastic in a positive way. Favorite question from that day: "Do you have a daughter or a son?" And then they wanted to know what I, and the other teachers, are doing for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). For the record, I have neither a son or daughter. And I'm going to Hong Kong!!!!

My highest level class Thursday night is also a listening class and is HUGE. Well, huge for the company I work at - twelve kids. It's hard to predict middle school boys' behavior (or middle schoolers in general- gotta love hormones) but everyone exceeded my expectations. Our topic was Animal Research, so we watched a short video clip of chimps in the wild to compare to their treatment in labs. It was hilarious seeing their reactions to the chimps - they were beyond entertained when the chimps would communicate with one another and had so many questions about it. Love it. And then for the end of the class project, they had to create a talk show to discuss animal research. Again, they exceeded my expectations. They really thought out their reasons - and made it entertaining.

Here's hoping a day like Thursday continues for all term. Days like these greatly outweigh the bad days.

New Contract. New Term.

We found out Wednesday what classes we'll teach for Fall Term starting this Monday. Excited to have more reading classes - it's funny because I was initially trained in Listening but I've come to enjoy reading a lot more, especially with the higher level classes. Sometimes Listening is hard to stretch out with the huge amount of time we have, but Reading is easier to stretch out with discussions of the articles and really just talk to the kids.

I am teaching one of the lowest level classes for the first time, so slightly nervous about that only because I was spoiled with speed and large discussions with my high level classes this term. It will be quite an adjustment slowing down my speech, making sure all the young kids are on task, and figuring out how to teach it since I was never trained for this class.

One aspect I'm most looking forward to is having some kids from this term or a previous term again. A lot of my hilarious, witty, and/or sarcastic boys are in one of my many reading classes. Can't wait to practice and use my dry sense of humor, a sense of humor not fully appreciated or understood in Korea unless you've traveled or seen Western humor in films or TV.

Speaking of humor, I saw Bridesmaids Friday as it's finally come to Korea. I expected more focus on all of the bridesmaids, but overall still a very very funny movie. Again, this kind of humor, especially considering some of it is crass, is not always the same kind of humor Koreans generally watch. They laughed, but not as hard or often as four Americans.

Happy One Year!

I did it. I made it in Korea for a year. Cannot believe it.

Gotta love Facebook. Lately it's shown me my old status updates from a year or two ago. It's amusing to see how things have changed. Two years ago I was starting my senior year of college - and not excited for the final rigorous year that is the middle grades cohort. Last year I was nervous and excited to be flying out here. Today my status is about crazy GRE dreams... curious to see where I'll be next year.

More reflections later... time to go celebrate via trick illusions museum. Ha!

New Contract

It's done. It's official. This past Friday I signed my contract to re-sign for six more months. Nothing big. Nothing fancy. Just a quick signature after seeing what was different this contract.

Last week my branch manager asked if I could stay nine months instead of six perhaps as a way to save the branch money in lieu of hiring a new teacher, but also to raise my salary more. As much as I love the idea of more money, the money is not worth the extra time. By the end of February I will undoubtedly be ready to return home for good.

Perks

I don't normally talk about work on here since it's generally very repetitive day in and day out, but this term might be one of my favorites, even though my 4:00 lower level class on Tuesdays and Thursdays causes me unnecessary headaches. It seems to me I always claim _________ term is my favorite, but I'm serious about this one... for now. Ha

This term I've been lucky enough to have more higher level classes, which can make interaction with students far more enjoyable. It's easier to talk with them about a broader range of subjects, and come to better see and understand their likes / dislikes. Of course, personalities also depend on this level of interaction as some of my higher level classes have really quiet kids who seem to rather be anywhere but in the room with the teacher with the lame, cheesy jokes.

Although we do manage to get our work completed, discussions of the sometimes dull topics become way more entertaining when we go slightly off-topic or create off the wall examples. I think it helps both the students and myself to get through the long 3 hours of class.

Some of my classes have very small numbers, such as my Monday night class with 2 kids, so it feels more like we're hanging out and enjoying each other's company, or at least I enjoy their company. Any chance I can learn more about them and discuss movies, their hopes/dreams of the future, their lives outside CDI, etc. makes me enjoy my job more.

This feels like a lot of rambling (sorry) but basically loving the kids, both elementary and middle school (especially middle school since that is my background), and the ways they keep me amused. There are some kids I will really truly miss when I do finally return to the U.S.

July 4 Photos

Or perhaps... just our pre-Harry Potter party. Again, we had to pretend.

Here are a few photos from our impromptu celebration by the Han River:



I love this photo so much, mostly because the background of the bridge across the Han River is amazing.

And then begins the fun and our inner children coming out to play...

Blue Skies Again

At last, "rainy season" is over, or it appears to be over. It has been rainy and gloomy for the past 3 weeks, if not longer.

That means I've had to wear shoes that cover my toes for 3 weeks.... I love kicking off my shoes and being barefoot (especially in the car when I was a child), but alas no such thing til now. Well, even now I can't really be barefoot on the streets of Seoul, but I can at least wear flip flops again.

By now Harry Potter has been released in the U.S. Hope y'all are loving it. We went to the fancy theater in CoEx shopping center because there's better A/C and seats. We were also surprised to see that the lobby had a gallery of set and movie photos from Harry Potter since the beginning. Crazy seeing how much the actors have grown, which is silly because I'm the same age. Now, the only way to complete this Harry Potter journey is to go to Harry Potter World in Universal... who's with me!?!?

Harry Potter Harry Potter!!!

In the U.S. Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows part 2 does not come until the midnight showings late Thursdays, but Korea is finally becoming lucky and getting it Wednesday morning... add in the time zones, and we'll get it about 2-3 days ahead of the U.S.

This is a hugeee step above the first part. South Korea was *literally* the LAST country to get Harry Potter - on December 16, one month after the first release date. At the time, the U.S. and South Korea didn't have their trade agreement, or were in the process of amending it.

Originally we heard whispers of not getting it until December again, which would've been utterly terrible because at that point it'd probably be available on DVD in the U.S. Then it changed to July 15, then July 14, and now finally July 13, a lucky find while searching the theater times on Sunday.

CANNOT WAIT!!!! But also slightly disappointed knowing a large chunk of childhood is about to be over. I can remember my mom bringing home the first book from the library and her reading it to my sister and me in my bedroom. And then watching the first movie during Thanksgiving vacation in Destin, FL that rainy weekend.

Stay tuned for thoughts and other ramblings...

Mini American Vaca

This weekend I went with a small group of co-workers to the Army base outside of Seoul in Pyeongtaek to stay with my co-worker's sister and brother-in-law. I think this might've been my first time on a base, but it was a great relaxing weekend.

We rode up Saturday morning to Osan near the Air Force base to meet them and their young daughters for lunch and shopping. Osan is known for their cheap knock-off but totally legit looking designer purses and wallets. I bought a Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis purple wallet (yes, I had to look this up because I know nothing about designer wear).

After shopping, we went onto the Air Force base to eat lunch at Chili's -- my first time there in at least a year. I had a hard time choosing from the large menu, but made sure to get a side Caesar salad. (good) Caesar dressing, I have missed you!!!

Once finished with lunch, we drove for about 15 minutes to the Army base, which was located far in the country near several rice fields. The family housing is very similar to residence halls in college, until you open the door to their home. Once inside, it looks more like a US-style home: large kitchen / living room area, small office, several bedrooms, couple of bathrooms, and a small balcony.

I missed TV, watching movies on screens larger than my netbook, normal looking bathrooms, large spacious living, and perhaps most of all - Wii!!! We played many many rounds of Mario Kart Racing, and for a person who hasn't touched a Wii in close to a year, I did fairly well, much to others' chagrin. muwhaha

We left Sunday afternoon, but not before we got a tour of the base (their military planes and vehicles are SO cool!) and eating lunch in the food court.

After being away from things for so long, and adapting to these new surroundings, it's great to return to things reminiscent of home, even if for a short while.

Happy Post July 4th

Hope everyone had a cheerful July 4th, despite the rain I hear some people had in their areas.

Despite being away from the festivities, some co-workers and I managed to celebrate in our own way. Saturday afternoon I made my long-desired hash browns while some other friends made breakfast burritos for a delicious "American" brunch. Sunday we had intended to feast on meat meat meat at a Brazilian restaurant, but the non-stop rain resulted in my friend and I not waking up until 2pm. So, instead we hid away from the rain until dinnertime, met up with other co-workers for Korean gogi. Seriously, if there's one thing I'm going to miss when I eventually leave Korea, it will be their beyond amazing barbeque.

Monday we all had to work from 4pm - 10pm, but our branch is one of the few branches that provides light dinner... and I suppose in honor of our holiday, they gave us hot dogs with the fixings.

After work, we went home, changed, and met up for fried chicken, watermelon, and Cass (Korean beer -- basically an extremely watered down Bud Light). Prior to dinner, some of us stopped by Diaso, similar to Dollar Tree but with several floor levels, and bought the cheap firework sets. The good news is they sell them year-round, so....

After eating, we stopped by one of the many 7-11s to purchase snacks, drinks, ice cream, etc. before walking our dinner off over to the river. By this time it was close to midnight so we knew many people would not be near the river.

And then the firework show began. Clearly we are still children at heart. I lost count of how many fireworks we set off, though they weren't giant, but enough to satisfy our firework tastes and honor "Amurica". And certainly last longer than most Fourth of July shows.

We shot off Roman candles (and OF COURSE had to pretend we were in Harry Potter as red and green lights shot from the end). Spinning little UFO-like fireworks kept us highly amused, as did the ones that made noise as they flew around (possibly dangerous). The fountains were cool for 10 seconds... and begged for one of the boys to jump over it, which they naturally did. Boys. -_-

And sparklers. Safe and minimal danger for a klutzy person like me! :D And I discovered I have good aim with the poppers. Must be from my practice of darts.

One of my co-workers took photos, so perhaps at some point once he uploads them to Facebook, I can add them to the blog.

Cheers! Happy Fourth!

Summer Adventures

Apologies for not updating in almost 3 weeks. Oops.

It's been a busy few weeks getting further into the summer term, spending more time outdoors during the daytime, and simply procrastinating writing on the blog.

Last time I posted, I was about to go to Busan. Below are a few photos from that trip. Finally took the time to upload photos, but alas my camera battery has died. Must recharge so I can take more photos this summer.

This weekend I was supposed to go to Busan again for a pre-July 4 weekend with some coworkers, but plans didn't work out. As July 4 is my favorite holiday, hope to find something else to do, if the weather will hold out.

It's now summer, which means monsoon season is here... which means humidity humidity humidity. And frizzy beyond belief hair. And gross moist apartments that the A/C can't really destroy. I miss US A/Cs. They do a better job of regulating a large area, not that my apartment is large but that just goes to show... too much rain is also making me go slightly insane. I can't stand being cooped up or without sun for too long. It leads to me singing songs... but since I have the tendency to only get a line (or less) of a song stuck in my head, well, I'm just a record on repeat. Yes, the most recent song being 'Bilbo Baggins' by Leonard Nimoy in case you're wondering. Yep, completely random songs.

Random observation: This term has reduced the number of female teachers to 3. It's funny, in the cohort there was 18 girls and 2 boys. Now it's switched here! I've enjoyed becoming closer with the other 2 ladies. We have lots of fun day adventures as we have now deemed any such outing. 'day adventures'. 'food adventures'. etc.

TOEFL

Tonight I taught my first TOEFL Jr. class. I was supposed to begin teaching it last week during the first week of the summer term, but we didn't not have any students signed up for it other than my branch manager's son, which felt strange since I kept imagining him watching his son in class through the CCTV.

This TOEFL class has far more material to prep than my other classes at CDI, or it seems that way after teaching a specific method for the past 10 months. We're focusing on grammar, reading, and listening skills, and their strategies to help the students do well on their first TOEFL exam. I haven't had to teach such intense grammar skills since my senior teaching placement in a 5th grade classroom.

I'm looking forward to this weekend - I'm visiting a friend from training in the city of Daegu, which is about 2 hours south of Seoul if I take the fast train, KTX. I'm going to spend Saturday exploring Daegu, and then Sunday we're going to take a day trip to Busan, the port city that faces Japan. Will definitely have to post photos... as well as those from the baseball game I have yet had time to upload.

Summer Term

Sorry for the long absence! My Internet was out again. Oh the joys of the 21st century.

This past Monday started Summer Term, which means my year anniversary will approach sooner than I know it! My branch manager told me today that if I want to re-sign, I need to go through the apostille process again to renew my ARC. Basically, I need to find my diploma here, send it back to the great state of Georgia, wait for them to stamp it, and then show it to either my manager or the Seoul Immigration office to extend my stay. The apostille process was beyond a pain last summer, so not looking forward to finding that information again.

This term I am teaching mostly high level classes, which so far I'm enjoying, although that means more time necessary to prep.

Last weekend I went to a Korean baseball game, so when I find the time I'll post photos. The team we cheered for, LG Twins, won against the Lotte Bears. The environment in a US stadium and Korean stadium is surprisingly different -- I'd say the Koreans have more excitement and cheer than we do!!

Long Awaited Photos

Hello! The trip home was wonderful and flew by more quickly than I would have liked, but I was able to cram in a lot of activities in the days that I was home. The wedding was beautiful and I very much enjoyed seeing my roomies and college friends again. :)

I now have a camera once again, so here are those loooonnnggg promised photos of my "new" apartment. I suppose it's not so new anymore, but better late than never.

Seven Days!

Now begins that obnoxious countdown.

Middle school testing is over so I have my first full day at work today in a week. I enjoyed getting out at 7pm. I was able to eat dinner at a normal time, go do things...

Next week is iBT testing, so the first 3 days of the week that I work will just be practice. Basically I'll be sitting there, pushing buttons, making sure the kids are answering all of the questions. This Saturday we have to come in and do a workshop of sorts for the kids who have not successfully leveled up to the next class a couple of times, or are new to CDI. My coworkers had a good time yesterday poking fun at me because our Head Instructor called me Angie in the message. NO ONE calls me that... and I actually do not like that nickname. haha So random. Perhaps it was faster to type out... ??

Anyway... SEVEN DAYS!!!! Looking forward to see family and friends. :) Really excited for a possible mini cohort reunion dinner!!! Will let y'all know details very soon. I think it's gonna end up being in Atlanta rather than Milly, so if you can still come, please do!! Miss y'all.

TEN DAYS

... until I return home for a week! Just enough time for me to... not get over my jet lag. Information my coworkers keep telling me, and that has me, you know, only mildly concerned. I like to say that normally jet lag and time differences generally don't affect me, but this is only on one week or two week vacations, never living somewhere for over 8 months. Sooo this shall be fun. Hopefully I'll blow everyone's mind and not be affected as well. Please? Sleep or not sleep, I'm way excited for the movies on the plane. Gotta love Korean Air!!


I have 10 days to decide what to pack. Or to contemplate packing. It's common knowledge I hate packing, and will put it off for as long as possible. My goal is to NOT do that this time around, especially since there's really only a few days I need to pack for. It's not like before where I had to pack for a year in 2 suitcases plus a carry-on. Only bringing one giant suitcase home this time around..... so that I can bring back to Korea snacks, snacks, snacks and other goods I can only find in the US. OK, maybe really not so many snacks, but overall things I miss, as well as items coworkers would like me to bring back too.

Cannot wait!!! Also mildly terrified I will not wake up in time to head out to the airport. Ha, that's my biggest fear: missing the flight. Must set a million alarms to calm my fears...

CB Photos

My Internet miraculously cured itself. As promised, photos.

I Love Technology

Yes, that is a reference to Napoleon Dynamite. I'm typing this post via my iPod since my computer doesn't seem to recognize my Internet at the moment. Lameeeee. So it will be a miracle if there are no typos... And completely autocorrect's if there are. Not mine. Nope.

This week I have half days every day because of middle school testing, as I've mentioned before. I love getting out early and being able to do things, such as trying restaurants at normal hours. Tomorrow I'm going to Coex, the giant indoor mall near their world trade center, for dinner and a movie. In the morning I'm going hiking now that the weather is starting to warm up, though no where near what it is in Georgia. Cannot wait to be home in 2 weeks!!

Finally saw some cherry blossoms this past weekend in different areas of Seoul. There are photos on my Facebook, but will try uploading some of them later if my internet works again. Also without a camera so apologies in advance for the phone-quality photos.

Again, ya gotta love technology. It's a blessing and a curse.

Cherry Blossom Festival at the Joo!

Festival? check. Joo aka the zoo? check. Cherry blossoms? uhh... TBD.

Went to the Seoul zoo this afternoon with a friend and her friends, but we didn't really see any CBs, despite advertisements in the subway... lies!! Guess we'll have to research other festivals.. and make sure the flowers have actually bloomed before we travel anywhere far. Although we didn't find CBs, we did find a few flowers at the botanical garden inside the zoo:





Saturday I went to Hongik University, or the area known as Hongdae with a coworker to check out their arts open market. Lots of cool jewelry and arts & crafts for decent prices. Bought a ring; will try to post a photo later.

Speaking of photos, my camera has decided to revolt against me. If anyone knows anything about cameras, help would be much appreciated. I can view my pictures, but not take them. An error message pops up instead and the lens keep going in and out. The magic of Google suggests there's something wrong with the lens and/or something in them (perhaps dirt), but the tips they suggest to clean has done nothing. It's a 4-year-old camera, so perhaps it's a hint I need to upgrade... ??

Devil's in the Jukebox

Thanks iTunes and Ray LaMontagne for putting me in the mood for Georgia and warm weather. Good song.

Slowly but surely it's warming up here. I actually went out and about during the day multiple times this week with only a cardigan or hoodie. *GASP* It's putting me in the mood for good tunes and making me more and more excited to fly home. Ready to see flowers and greenery rather than sidewalks, buildings, and gray / smoggy skies.

April begins the Cherry Blossom Festivals throughout Korea. Hoping to go to one at the Seoul Zoo in a few weeks as it continues to warm up, hopefully giving the flowers more time to blossom.

Now near the middle of the Spring Term. Holy cow does it fly by!!! Middle school exams are approaching at the public schools so I'll have a few half days in the next weeks due to the kids taking time off to study. Looking forward to the breaks, even if it means less $$. Such is life.

Had an interesting, and slightly out of my control, complaints from the kids. One girl told my manager, or perhaps it was her mother, she wanted more tests from me and to be called on more. I already call on her a lot; she's a very active participant, so that was an interesting convo with my manager. "Let me get this straight... she wants MORE tests... ???" Never had kids complain about that before. Second complainer was a new boy who didn't like that the class only has 2 or 3 other boys, who are younger than him, thus less mature. Unfortunately I cannot change their age, and as hard as I try to keep them in line, boys will be boys. And find it funny to hide girls' rulers in the boys bathrooms.

On the plus side, some female coworkers and I are starting a book club. Yay reading. First on our list, Water for Elephants. I've always wanted to read it, but never got around to it, and now that there's a movie coming here in May... no better time than the present.

Quick Update: Part 10000

Hola, amigos! Happy Spring! Too bad my boss told us tonight there's a chance it's gonna snow tomorrow (Thursday). Yayyyyyyyy... NOT. I'm so very ready for warm weather. Seoul environment keeps playing tricks on you. It's nice one weekend, frigid the next. Warm during the day, freezing at night. The spring season will only last a few weeks anyway, then move on to Yellow Dust and Monsoons. Should I ever record an indie album, that's gonna be my album title. Fact.

Updates:

- children have the ability to hurt my head for 2 hours, then magically make me laugh the last hour. They also have the magical ability to completely change my opinion about them, usually in a good way.

- nothing very exciting is happening in Seoul other than work, pay bills, work, watch some movies, work, do laundry, grocery shop, and work.

- speaking of movies, I've now seen 2 Oscar-nominated films: The Fighter and The King's Speech. both excellent.

- I've also seen a movie that surely will never be nominated for anything other than MTV Movie Awards: Beastly. Hey, every now and then you gotta balance the smart, well-acted movies with the cheesy but entertaining teen flicks. Next on the to-see list: Red Riding Hood.

Harsh Feelings towards Japan

I don't know the specific dates, but before Korea became independent and then later split during the Korean War, it was a territory of Japan. The Japanese were not always fair to the Koreans, and because of that there is still much Anti-Japan sentiments among the people, which I sometimes catch a glimpse of with the students.

I was curious to know their feelings about the earthquake and tsunami from this weekend. Just as I predicted, some students did not have kind words for those suffering in Japan. I wonder how much is actually their opinion, rather than the words placed in their mouths by parents and other adults. This reminds me of cohort where we discussed how at this age range, children are beginning to form their own opinions and ideologies while also battling and questioning those opinions given to them. As an educator you want them to see both sides and form their own conclusion, but what if it's the "wrong" one?

One of our vocabulary words for the day related to the reading topic was 'funding', and while discussing the meaning / examples, some students said they would not give funding to Japan, or acted as though the natural disaster was karma for past treatments towards Korea. It's unfortunate such feelings are encouraged to foster in people so young.

Spring, Where art Thou?

Spring term has begun... and it's still cold. Definitely ready for some spring weather, even if it's only for a few days before it becomes hotter. The spring season here is apparently rather short. If only the winter and spring periods were switched...

Wednesday was my 23rd birthday. Had to work of course until 10pm, but I had a nice dinner with my co-workers afterwards. They surprised me with a cake and some of the guys put photos of TOP over their faces as they sang happy birthday to me. Andddd then my co-worker pulled one of the confetti poppers at my face, not reading the directions to avoid doing so. Fantastic moment caught on video as the force / shock knocked me off the stool at the restaurant. HAHA

Some of y'all have probably seen the news today about the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan. All is fine in Korea. It struck near Tokyo, which is on the opposite side of Korea. Pray for those affected!

BIGBANG is Back

Yep. Embracing the Korean music culture. Suppose it makes sense music is one of the first things I'm drawn to. Great concert. Loved seeing TOP again. haha They even made their way near our seats on a moving section of the stage. Some photos from Sunday:


The leader of the group, G-Dragon floating near us. He came closer as well. Was surprised / impressed he wasn't actually harnessed in.


Left to right: G-Dragon, TOP, Daesung, Taeyang, and Seungri.



Their new CD came out last week before their concert so they performed popular older songs, some of their new singles, as well as their solo or duo songs. Their latest CD, Tonight, is available on iTunes. I recommend "Intro", "What is Right", "Tonight", and "Cafe".

Happy 6 Months...

This past week marked 6 months here in Seoul. This Friday was also the last day of the Winter Term. Spring Term begins on Monday. We received our new schedules at a meeting Friday afternoon and found out about some class changes the company headquarters has decided to try out. Review Tests will no longer been done in class, but online. I'm hesitant about this as it took up the first 30 minutes of class, so now we'll have to find new ways to pass the time.

The past two terms I had 27 hours a week, yet this term due to low enrollment I'll only have 24 hours, as will a few other co-workers. Hopefully this won't alter my paychecks too drastically.

This Thursday I purchased my plane tickets home for May. Cannot wait to see family and friends again for Erica and Tommy's wedding. :) :)

Tomorrow is the Big Bang comeback concert. Yes!!! I can only imagine how much teasing I'll get Monday from my co-workers who know of my thing for TOP. hahaha It lets me return to my middle school NSYNC-lovin' days.

Quick Update

Hello. Apologies to the long absence. The past few weeks have been busy as the term winds down and the kids find out their level-up results this week. I hate that they find out the week before the final week because then the last week is pure mayhem. The kids no longer care because they leveled up or are disappointed/annoyed they have to repeat, but we still have to get through one or two 3-hour long classes. Not pleasant for anyone.

Last Friday I moved into my new apartment. I like it more than my old place, mostly because the bathroom is actually decent. Photos and/or video eventually once I unpack and organize... which means this could be awhile since I detest unpacking, but I shall try my best to be productive.

Lunar New Year Photos

Some quick photos of the Great Wall, Water Cube, Bird's Nest, and the Forbidden City. More later. Probably not until this weekend after I finish movin apartments.

Beijing Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year!

What a fun way to experience Chinese New Year. We ate lots of delicious food (probably full of MSG... yayyyy... ), saw some famous sites, hung out with Greg's friend who is currently studying and living in Beijing, and saw non-stop fireworks. Seriously, from the moment our plane neared the Beijing airport, to the night before we left, there were fireworks everywhere. I normally love fireworks, but if I don't see any for awhile I'll be A-OK.

The first full day we went to The Forbidden City and the sites of the 2008 Olympics. The second day we took a tour to the Great Wall, an area of the Ming Tombs, and forcefully attended a jade, silk, and tea museums aka "lets hope the foreigners buy these Chinese goods". The third day we went to the Summer Palace and went to dinner for Greg's birthday with his friend again.

As we were on the trip we actually missed Seoul, which was somewhat surprising. Clearly we've grown accustomed to getting around Seoul at this point. Beijing is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Seoul is a great place to live, but has less sight-seeing activities.

Eventually I'll put up some photos and videos.

DMZ photos

Outside one of the discovered North Korean tunnels in South Korea


Bridge of No Return


View of North Korea and one of their model villages


North Korean building and soldiers


ROK soldier

Weekend of Champions

OK, maybe not really, but it was a good weekend. Saturday I got up the earliest I've gotten up in a long while... 5:30am... to go to the DMZ with 3 coworkers. Photos will be up in the next few days. It was pretty amazing! Freezing like no other, but North Korea is surprisingly beautiful with the mountains... and their ridiculously tall flag pole to out-do the South Korean flag pole. Ohhh egos.

Also saw The Green Hornet, which just came to Korea this weekend. Jay Chou, aka Kato, is uber famous across Asia. The movie far exceeded my expectations and Jay Chou might be cooler than Chuck Norris.

This week is a short work week and then I leave for Beijing Wednesday evening. Packing is on my to-do list, but of course it'll probably be the last thing I do. I hate packing. :P Not expecting many kids to come to class Wednesday, or perhaps even Tuesday, so this week shall be interesting.

TOP

aka the man I want to marry. hahahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQUpXndMeEE

I'm in love with this song. and his voice. love his voice so much. very unique. of course in this song it's autotuned like crazy, but still fun.

Big Bang is having another concert -- their 'comeback' concert -- at the end of February. Lucky me with great friends is going. When I looked, tickets were sold out, but seats opened up so a friend was able to get us tickets. Yesss. Second Big Bang concert within 2 months? That's not unusual or obsessed...

English lyrics to Oh Mom:

How could this happen to me
But even worse, how could this happen to you
It began with a letter and was the beginning of pain
I'm a tell it to you straight
Hey look
Every breathless day frantically passes
At some point, meeting you became a precious bond
All of the universe appeared beautiful
I came to like what you liked
Within our perfectly stable days
Sharing our inner most feelings
I've been taken ill, There's no reply
Sorry I'm sorry bye TOP

Oh mom, What should I do mom
A selfishness hotter than a fire torments me, Oh my God
Oh mom, I promise mom, What can I do
Now, I now, Oh my God, Oh my God

A desolate day, I receive a letter
Your circumstances make me tear
If my voice brightens your world
Farther and farther, I'll shout
Nananana Nananana Do you hear my heavy heart
Friend wipe your tears, I think you're prettier when you smile
Sorry I'm sorry, Oh my God

Oh mom, What should I do mom
A selfishness hotter than a fire torments me, Oh my God
Oh mom, I promise mom, What can I do
Now, I now, Oh my God, Oh my God

Baby don't cry, You stand vacantly alone
Don't worry, It may be lonely but you're not the only one
Look beside you, you're not alone
Don't cry, You stand vacantly alone
Don't worry, It may be lonely but you're not the only one
Look beside you, you're not alone

Life is funny, It's a delicate play with fire
Playful obstacles are life's restraints, Everything is for your heart's resolution so
Keep your head up

Baby don't cry, You stand vacantly alone
Don't worry, It may be lonely but you're not the only one
Look beside you, you're not alone
Don't cry, You stand vacantly alone
Don't worry, It may be lonely but you're not the only one
Look beside you, you're not alone

Oh mom, Oh mom

Leggo my Bundigie

Lesson of the Day: when at a hof and you have to order food to go with the beer others are going to drink, choosing the cheapest item is not always your best option.

The lady might give your friend a strange look, repeat it, and when he says 'nay' (yes in Korean) thennnn you just might be greeted with this beauty:




The infamous Korean silkworm larvae speciality, in this case presented as a stew. I was not brave enough to try it as it looked too much like cockroaches in soup, but John had to eat some of it since he ordered it. Jenn and Greg tried one each and their expressions were fantastic. If the smell doesn't overtake you first, then the 'popping' sensation (when one bites into it) followed by the egg yolk-like fluid will.

Definitely provided some good laughs. Only a few days ago we had been talking about the vomit-inducing smell of this dish. Most younger people do not eat silkworms, but just follow the smell at an open market or park and you'll be sure to find other people enjoying it.

China Update

Miracles do exist!!! We were able to change our flight to 6pm for only about $25 a person. No idea how that happened since previous calls told us it'd be $300+. And we have our visas, so now we're all set!!! Just gotta wait a month. Ha

This month is going to be very very busy as we are now doing intensives, or workshops the kids can attend while they are on winter holiday. I'm teaching a reading class to a handful of young boys early in the morning. Most are very eager to talk, which is good, but not necessarily about what's on topic, or in Korean, so it's been quite tiring. I teach the intensives Monday Wednesday Friday 10am-1pm and then teach regular classes 4pm-10pm, except now my second Monday/Friday class is combined with another teacher's so I actually get to go home earlier. Yay! But Wednesday is a longggg day. I also had to teach this Saturday morning, or well, more like proctor, as students retook some tests to help raise their averages. Sooo ready for a day just to sleeeeep.

Oh, and this week I happened to open one of the windows to cool off the room only to see one of the MIA pencil cases chillin in the snow. Tempted to hold it for ransom... speaking of the said pencil cases, this week the reading class had to create their own fantasy lit-inspired movie plot. Kyle and Mark made themselves the heroes (of course) and I was their dragon they could summon to help them save all pencil cases of the world. Great.

Hope everyone's first week of the New Year went well!