the pursuit of happiness

To make you feel my love.

2012-01-08T20:58:00.001+09:00

And so the countdown begins to when Matt gets back from Qatar.. he'll be gone until at least mid-July. Once again, thank goodness for technology.

Why is he gone, you might ask? He was offered a great job through AIESEC International and it was one of those "not going to come along again" "can't really pass it up" sort of opportunities. We talked about it a lot, but honestly.. when he told me that he had the chance to go, my initial reaction was that he just had to do it because it is something he would enjoy, be great at, and learn so much from. Of course, after I told him I was completely on board, I then cried and said that I would miss him.. but that's to be expected. Life is complicated, but luckily love is not. I don't think I could ever tell him not to do something he would love, and in the grand scheme of things, 6-7 months isn't that long. Will it feel like ages in the interim? You bet! But I know once he is back, we'll wonder where the time went.

What else is new... a lot, really. I am working for the school district through Americorps and it keeps me insanely busy, and I found out that I have officially been accepted to Teach For America (Twin Cities)! Exciting things going on! It seems odd to know that I have job things taken care of until the summer of 2014, but it is a good sort of odd.

Anne is due... well, 4 days ago! Kurk Thomas for a boy, Mara Katheryn for a girl. She and Max will be incredible parents (and I'm not just saying it because it's the thing to say and sounds nice, they really will be. In case you haven't seen my sister around kids, she is the kind of person anyone under 5" globs to immediately). We had a fantastic baby shower for her Thanksgiving weekend (onesie decorating, "gift bingo," tons of delicious eats).

Christmas this year.. WHOA. My parents decided to randomly get me a new computer?! I have not yet ordered it since I am stubborn and want to wait just a bit longer to do more research, give my computer time to use up what little life it has left, and see if some good updates are added to some of my top three choices. My mom and I sang at Christmas Eve mass. It is one of the highlights of my year every year that we do it.

I have midterm training in the WI Dells over the next three days, and although I am a born and raised 'sconnie, I've never done anything but drive past there. I am looking forward to training. I'll pick up a lot of information about tutoring strategies, conflict resolution, how to best serve children coming from chaotic homes, and will become CPR certified.

The other thing that I have been doing since being home is working on getting into shape. On the road trip, Kate and I hiked Mt Beirstadt, a "14er" in Colorado. I was going strong for the first part of the hike, but by the end I seriously felt like sleeping on the mountain and finishing the next day because I was so exhausted. Was the trek to the top worth it? Now that it is not the (sore) morning after.. I can say "YES!" with certainty, but it was really a wake up call that I don't ever want my own body to be a barrier to doing something I would like to do. I completely cut the crap out of my diet (snack foods, sugary cereals, carb overload, pop [I accidentally typed poop at first.. which I don't eat, or at least haven't since I was 2.. but that's a story for a different day...], desserts on lazy days, "health" foods that aren't actually healthy). I also added lots of good things (quinoa, more water, the recommended amount of fruits/veggies/etc in a day) and am eating so I can fuel my body instead of just eating thoughtlessly. The most unhealthy thing I've had this week? Turkey with gravy. I'm not "disallowing" any foods because I know that will make me want them more, but instead am cooking really flavorful foods that more or less make me forget about the junk. Do I still want ice cream with chocolate sauce and caramel? Sometimes, but it doesn't taste as good anymore now that I've thought long and hard about what too much can do to a person. I feel better than I have in years and working out a minimum of 5 days each week has made doing other things less tiresome. I just feel good.

I have been neglecting this blog a lot since I have been back from Korea. I have had times where I felt like I had a lot to say, and others where I felt a bit silly writing about my life when I wasn't sure where my future was headed. I also wanted to avoid writing during the Teach For America application process because I had to sign two separate forms (online and in-person) stating that I wouldn't chatter about the interview process so everyone gets the same shot. I am beyond excited to start teaching this fall and am looking into the TFA-Twin Cities partnership with Hamline since I could get my masters by the end of the year following TFA if I buckle down and go for it :)

Irish vs American Phrases

2011-09-20T10:07:00.008+09:00

I've been doing the annual "pitch and *itch" in my bedroom (at my parents' house) and ran across my list of Irish vs American phrases that I had to come up with for a small class assignment. I was taking a course on Irish Literature, and since it was only offered to foreign students, our professor occasionally gave us small, specific-to-studying-abroad coursework. The list-

Irish---------------------------------------------------American
avail of-------------------------------------------------use
mum----------------------------------------------------mom
nappy--------------------------------------------------diaper
flat------------------------------------------------------apartment
let------------------------------------------------------rent
high usage of "feck"--------------------------------highly discouraged usage of the "f bomb"
burst into sobs---------------------------------------burst into tears
tipped to win------------------------------------------predicted to win
take away---------------------------------------------take out
bedside table----------------------------------------nightstand
pub----------------------------------------------------bar
snog---------------------------------------------------kiss
lovely, grand-----------------------------------------wonderful, great
chips--------------------------------------------------french fries
crisps-------------------------------------------------chips
pissed------------------------------------------------drunk
holiday-----------------------------------------------vacation
"half 8"----------------------------------------------"eight thirty"
a row-------------------------------------------------an argument, a fight
Ireland------------------------------------------------Republic of Ireland
for a time (uncommon)----------------------------for a while
lost his rag------------------------------------------lost his temper
under his thumb-----------------------------------under his influence
solicitor----------------------------------------------attorney
pavement-------------------------------------------sidewalk
fag----------------------------------------------------cig
car park---------------------------------------------parking lot
mobile-----------------------------------------------cell, cell phone
left-handed compliment--------------------------back-handed compliment
obsessed by---------------------------------------obsessed with
full bummed----------------------------------------big butt
squash----------------------------------------------juice
rubbish----------------------------------------------trash
football----------------------------------------------soccer
module----------------------------------------------class
chat up----------------------------------------------hit on
a fair bit---------------------------------------------a fair amount
footballer-------------------------------------------soccer player
living life to the full--------------------------------living life to the fullest
slagging--------------------------------------------making fun of
pinch-----------------------------------------------steal
gutted----------------------------------------------really disappointed or upset
hen night------------------------------------------bachelorette party
ring you--------------------------------------------call you
mad------------------------------------------------crazy, nuts
cheers---------------------------------------------goodbye
lift---------------------------------------------------elevator
unnecessary 'like' at end of sentence-------unnecessary 'like' in the middle of sentences
the letter "u" in many words-------------------lack of "u" in words like color, flavor, etc.
pint-------------------------------------------------beer
thick-----------------------------------------------stupid

Time keeps on slipping..

2011-08-17T12:11:00.000+09:00

What's happened since the last post?

EOS Dinner Party- held to mark the completion of my contract and a successful year teaching.
Busan weekend with Autumn
My mom flew in!
Jeju with my mom!
Traipsing all around Korea with my mom!
Last day of work
The looooooooong flight(s) home
Being home for a week
Seeing my family, friends, and wonderful boyfriend (Matt)
Going to a (winning!) Brewer game in Milwaukee
Packing for the epic 3 week road trip with my sister, Kate

Tonight I am driving to the Cities, will have dinner with my good friend Kate Raddatz (VERY excited!), and will head West tomorrow morning. Lots of exciting things going on!

Also exciting? At this moment, a friend of mine from college, Kevin, is on a flight to Korea for a year of teaching! I have a feeling his stories and pictures will make me feel a bit homesick, but the great part about living and falling in love with a place is that you can always go back.

I still have an endless pile of photos and stories to share from my last few weeks in Korea and still plan on taking care of that.. but spending time with loved ones has taken priority over the blog (as it should). I also accidentally made an entire pot of muffin mix yesterday and ended up baking more muffins in one day than any sane person should. For anyone who doesn't know, my dad is one of 7 kids (and his dad was one of 9), so when making a family recipe for the first time, it's best to double check and make sure it is not a feed-the-whole-family recipe. Lesson learned.

Weather (HA!)

2011-07-21T11:02:00.000+09:00

The 5 or 6 weeks leading up to this one- rain every single day, and more often than not, all day. When it wasn't raining, the humidity was over 90% (even at night) and it felt like a sauna outside. This week, the weather is more bearable- there's sunshine, I got tan lines on my legs from the hour I spent in the outdoor section of the 4th floor, and the humidity is finally below 90%. Back home? 90 degree weather and humid. After weeks of having weather much worse than home (and hearing about how bad it was there), I'm smiling an evil grin at the fact that FINALLY, the weather is better here >:).

My mom gets here SO soon. Less than a week!! Tomorrow I will say goodbye to Pre-Honors 2. My last day of work (August 8) is a Monday, so I will not see any of the TThF kids after tomorrow. Today, I will say goodbye to my prep (Olivia). It's really strange that I will not see these kids anymore after pouring so much time, energy, and thought into teaching them... I just hope whoever gets them next will see what is so special about each of them, motivate them to work really hard, and help them have fun in the classroom.

Tomorrow night, there is another EOS dinner party, and on Saturday morning (6am?), Autumn and I are heading out of Yeongtong to take a train to Busan. There's a great beach, temple, and some other things to see (speaking of which, I need to research that sooner than later). I'm really looking forward to the trip and have a feeling it will make the weekend go incredibly fast. AKA my mom will be here before I know it. So weird (and exciting) to see her after a year of not doing so. I have a feeling it might be even weirder for her!

I have lots of photos and posts to add from the last few (insanely busy) weeks, though I may not complete all of them before I head out of Korea since I simply don't have much time (for good reasons- traveling with Autumn, seeing my mom, traveling with my mom, enjoying my favorite restaurants and meals as much as I can before heading home, etc). I was told not to tell my kindergartners that I am leaving since they will be really upset. Some of their moms know because they asked me about it after PTA (John, Rachel, Elisa). They are worried about my departure since their kids are so attached to me; I started teaching them when some of them were still three years old, so most of them simply don't remember me not being in their life. Rachel's and John's moms are expecially worried since their kids are very sensitive, shy, etc. and have come out of their shells so much since I met them.. but, well, I have to go sooner or later anyway. It's sad to say goodbye, but seeing my actual family, boyfriend, and friends.. figuring out the next step in my life.. those are exciting, inevitable, and important.

The bell just rang so I should head up to class. :)

agreed.

2011-07-11T23:03:00.000+09:00

"The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won't work - if you won't."

it flies.

2011-07-10T21:13:00.000+09:00

One month from today, I'll wake up in the USA for the first time in over a year.

Sad to go, excited to arrive.. mixed emotions all around, but completely confident in the decisions to teach for a year, and to come home at the end of that year instead of extend for another year.

The lack of posts have been the result of an insane work schedule. 61 hours the week before last, 64 or 65 this past week (I came in yesterday for 7 hours). Blowfish PTA is on Tuesday and Stingray PTA is on Wednesday, meaning we have been making tons of lesson plans, extra materials, etc that take lots of time and energy and leave us all exhausted at the end of the day. I can't wait to be done with it! PTA this time around is somehow TONS more work than the last time (back in.. November?), but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel (my mom arriving two weeks later).

That's all. Putting on a movie or something to distract myself from everything going on this week so I can fall asleep at a decent hour.

Blood Type Personality

2011-07-03T21:03:00.003+09:00

Depending on your location, facebook will sometimes ask if you want to change or add things to your profile. When I was in Ireland, I was asked to switch my language settings (so they were not "American English"). When I got to Korea, I was asked if I wanted to change the language to Korean. Lately, facebook has been asking me if I want to add my blood type to the little tab of important information along the top. I then remembered that I have neglected to mention why it's considered especially important in Korea.

At the start of the 20th century, physicians discovered blood groups (the ABO group in 1901; the Rhesus group in 1937). In 1927, a Japanese psychologist reported his beliefs that an individual's blood type is predictive of their "personality, character, and compatibility with others." After a few years, the fad faded since it had no scientific credibility. Masahiko Nomi brought back the trend when he published on the subject in the 1970s, despite it being disproved (and despite his own complete lack of a medical background). I've been asked multiple times about my blood type, but I truly don't know what it is (having never given blood, and since it was not included in my medical check when I got here). On two separate occasions, my Korean friends sat there and discussed what blood type they thought I had based on my personality. More than a little different from back home. I've also seen plenty of blood type keychains, cell phone charms, mugs, etc, including ones that come in a set (for couples).

In case you're interested, here are some cartoons illustrating the (supposed) differences. They are all by Realcrazyman from Cyworld (the popular social networking site over here).

Learning to bite my tongue.

2011-07-01T01:01:00.007+09:00

"It is better to be kind than to be right."

My mom shared this with me tonight, and it's something I am going to be thinking about for.. well, the rest of my life, perhaps. There are certain situations in which I know I need to get better at biting my tongue- even if there's something I'm itching to say, even if I completely disagree with what someone's saying, and even if I'm frustrated by what I'm hearing. It is better to be kind than to be right.

I'm struggling with this. I might do so for a while.

Does a person lose their integrity if they don't call it like they see it? When does a person lose their integrity if they speak their mind?

If you speak up hoping that someone will see the positive side of things, will it always inspire a negative reaction?

When you believe someone is not being mindful of others, does it mean you're not being mindful of the original speaker?

This isn't to say I always think I'm right- the day I think I'm always right is the day I stop learning anything at all from the world. I'm just trying to reconcile the right time to say what's on my mind, even if I have good intentions, with the right time to hold it in, even if I have to bite my tongue til it bleeds. I really need to get better at being cognizant of whether or not the person I'm talking with is even ready to have a conversation about it; will I be talking with them or at them? Right or not, all of the good intentions and logic in the world will not change someone's mind, and will serve only to alienate.

Quizás, Quizás, Quizás

2011-06-27T23:57:00.000+09:00

There are days when I feel perfectly content, calm, and happy with everything going on. There are other days, like today, when I feel ill at ease and have too many thoughts at once.

Which jobs should I apply for? When should I take the GRE? When should I make a definitive list of everything to see with my mom, and when should I book those trips (when required)? Should I live at home for a while when I finish my road trip, or should I head straight to a city with more career and volunteering opportunities? Should I stick around home to substitute teach? What age group should I end up teaching, and will I like teaching in the States better than overseas? Which things should I pitch instead of bring home? Should I knock on my neighbor's door and tell him the dog is awful? Should I ask both my school owner and manager to provide letters of recommendation, or is it better to have letters from totally different places? Why can't I stop thinking? Why do I feel so tired everywhere except for my brain? When should I start pestering my boss to repay me for my return flight? How can I best serve my students in the few weeks I have left? How can I help my replacement feel comfortable so she can hit the ground running and maximize their potential? What if my replacement turns out to be a runner? Is Autumn going to be really lonely when I leave and she still has months to go? Is it going to be hard to readjust to life back in the States? What is it like to walk around and have people not only know you but know you for most of your life? When should I order my bridesmaid dress for Laurie's wedding? Can I fit in seeing Jess before I leave on my roadtrip and she heads off to grad school? Which grad program best suits me? Can I get in? Should I be staying another year so I have more experience on my resume? How should I change my resume for the jobs I will end up applying to? Is typing out all of my questions going to help me fall asleep? Which places should I prioritize now that I only have a month and a half left in Korea? Are some better to visit than others? Why didn't I see more things when I first got here? Will I ever come back to Korea after I leave? If I come back, why will I come back? How quickly will I lose all of the Korean that I've learned? When should I go bungee jumping? When will it finally stop raining so it is easier to figure out weekend plans? When will I fall asleep?

Down side? Well.. I've got far too much on my mind, and at times, it stresses me out quite a bit. Plus side? I'm well aware that we all have a lot going on. Things tend to work out, especially if you're actively trying to make it work. I'm also lucky enough to have a huge support network of people who will quickly tell me that there are even more opportunities available that I am even aware of, and as long as I keep a positive attitude and keep pushing myself to get better, I'll end up doing more than I thought possible.

Getting too corny, so I'm shutting my mouth and (will attempt) going to bed.

Amy's Lovely Korean Wedding

2011-06-25T20:24:00.003+09:00

Today, I went to Amy's wedding! Amy used to be a coworker of mine, but since February she has worked at a different private school (with a focus on the arts, since that is what she studied). She's an absolutely wonderful person and I am so happy to have been invited to the ceremony.

I woke up to my alarm around 10:00- earlier than necessary, but something about the rain lately has made it tough for me to wake up in the morning. I finally rolled out of bed ten or fifteen minutes later, got ready to go, dug out my heels, and headed out the door. I met Autumn at a convenience store on the way to where taxis often stop; Kelli was not there yet, which gave me time to write in the card that Autumn and I bought the night before.

Something very different from home about wedding customs- over here, it is customary to give money, rather than a gift. The parents of Amy and her husband foot the bill for the entire wedding (and they're generally really expensive over here), and that money goes to the parents to help repay the cost of it. Sometimes people will give the money directly to the couple to make sure they get to keep it, but it isn't the standard by any means. If you are really close to them, you can give actual gifts that you know they would like (and the couple will keep them).

A brief list of some other differences: her father did not walk her up the aisle; Amy and her now-husband bowed to each other when they met at the alter; Amy won't change her last name now that she's married; she wore a white dress for the ceremoney, then changed into a traditional hanbok for the luncheon; everyone began eating immediately, rather than waiting for the couple; there were no groomsmen or bridesmaids, and instead the friends of the groom helped take care of seating people and some other things; Amy had a friend in a 'best friend' position, and she would fix her dress and such in the front; there is a photshoot after the ceremony, which is similar to home, but when that is happening, friends of the couple wait and then are told to get on stage and pose for a huge group picture with them so the couple can have a photo with all the friends that were part of their day; there was no dance after the meal; and lastly, it is tradition for the groom to give the mother of the bride a piggyback ride (and then give one to the bride herself) to symbolize that he is accepting his obligations to both of them.

This video is just me chatting about today. Clarification- there was fanfare-sounding music before they came down the aisle at the end; however, they didn't go out in the way that I (being from the States) am used to. They paused often to bow to wedding guests.

This is one of three professional shots they had outside the entrance to the wedding hall.
In case you are not familiar with what a Korean hanbok looks like, they're wearing them.

Amy's brother is a professional photographer :). I love this shot he captured of them!

I'm not alone in liking to watch the groom's face when he sees his bride coming up the aisle.

That's Amy's dad joining them for a moment.

As I mentioned earlier, they bowed to each other before the next section of the ceremony began.

I had literally no idea what was going on at this point. I am sure it was important, but everyone in the audience was sort of treating it like a social hour, and no one seemed to mind. Quite different from home.

Amy's parents. Amy looks just like her mom and her brother looks just like their dad.

The cake was on stage for the whole time, and later in the ceremony they went over to it.

This is just before he was instructed to throw his arms up! Afterwards, she threw hers up to declare
"I am an adjumma now!"

His friends decided to embarrass him by having him do a few push ups and show his strength for her heheheh

The kiss! One of two, actually.

A more serious pose with both sets of parents.

This is a close up of Amy and her husband when they posed with extended family. The women
all wore their traditional hanboks and the men were wearing tuxedos.

Group shot

Amy's family. That's her brother in the back.

Women coming back up from the group shot

At this point, all of the family and friends of the couple were called to the stage for a group shot. The women were all on the side behind Amy, and the men were all on the side behind her husband. I thought it was a neat idea! :)

They're such a great couple!

Wedding food! Clockwise from left: pumpkin/sweet potato dish, noodles, sweet pork, slices of fantastic ham (it reminded me of a Korean version of the wonderful ham my dad makes), a stir fry type dish, fried rice, and rice cakes.

Dessert: fruit!

Lychee, my first fresh one. Sooo so good.

Fruit table

Amy and I, after Amy changed into her hanbok

We went to EOS after the ceremony to say hello since King Teacher wanted to catch up with Ellen (she finished her contract in February), and we planned to get dinner with Alice when she finished.

Alice had a two hour facial, so Autumn, Ellen, and I killed time at Twosome Place with fantastic desserts.. well, dessert. I hate any sort of lemon dessert, so I didn't touch the one on the right.

Happy Friday!

2011-06-24T16:19:00.001+09:00

Aditi, Rookey, Rachel, Jenny, Lucy, Elisa, John, and Bernstein. Junny was sick today.

Fridays in Stingray Class are known as "Happy Fridays" or "Sticker Fridays" since it's the last day before the weekend and the day when all of the plus/minus points the kids have been getting all week determine who gets stickers. Unlike in Seahorse Class, it's more of a competition to get stickers. I don't give everyone one at the end of the week, and I don't give them out every day, either. The kids like it a lot since they love to see who has the most, who has the coolest stickers, etc. I like it since there is more of an incentive to be good all the time (instead of just when they can see the stickers in my basket). The frugal part of me likes it since I don't have to buy as many stickers :).

Today went well. I had Stingray for morning circle, Blowfish first block, Stingray for second block and lunch, and finished up with Angelfish. All of the kids were pretty darn good today. Jamie (Angelfish) was really exhausted from a busy week and was having a tough time staying awake all day, despite how excited her classmates were to act out parts of the lesson. She is only 2 years old and is in school from 9:30-2:00 M-F, so it's understandable that some weeks she is just pooped by Friday. Still, she tried really hard to follow along, doing the "head bob" that we all do when we're trying desperately to stay up, and she finally fell asleep... so I just let her sleep since there were only a few minutes left of class anyway. This cute video is at the end of class when it is time for her to change her shoes (to outdoor shoes) and go home. The Angel Teacher for Angelfish Class thought it was just about the cutest thing she had ever seen.

My afternoon was decent, too. I had Pre-Honors 2, Diamond, and Honors 6 (as usual), but today I also taught Honors 9 for the first time. Autumn loves teaching them and has told the girls (there are only two in the class and they are 15) that they would love having me teach them, so I was excited to teach them. I prepared for class (I was scheduled to teach them reading), but unfortunately, their bus was 15 minutes late and Annie (the Korean homeroom teacher) gave me a midterm vocabulary exam for them (with well over 100 words) so we didn't end up getting to the textbook. Perhaps next time..

I'm happy this week went as well as it did. Including lunch periods (when I quickly finish my lunch, give the kids more food and water, nag at John to eat his rice, wash their placemats, wash the tables, help wash their lunchboxes, and make sure no one kills each other during the 5-10 minutes of playtime), I was in the classroom with my students for 43 hours this week, so once you add prep time to that, it was another insane week. Next week (thankfully) looks slightly better. The great thing about not having a summer vacation like the States is that I gain a lot more hours of teaching experience before I come home, but the down side is that it does get tiring and it would be nice to have more time to have relaxed prep time.

I got into a conversation with my mom about it the other night- the things that I love about teaching here (variety of age levels, lots of experience from lots of hours, learning interesting cultural things from all the various events, getting huge hugs from some of my students, etc) and the things that I look forward to when I go home (being able to have long-term planning and goals for my classes, rather than only planning out the schedule a week at a time [for kindergarten] or month at a time [for elementary] since it is the school's policy, being able to do something about it when I am told by my students that their parent or parents are sometimes abusive at home [difference in what is culturally acceptable], getting to talk more honestly and openly with parents during parent-teacher conferences since there will not be a language barrier or filter [if the parents hear something that they don't like, they can say they will just pull the kid from the school, and the school loses a lot of tuition money], a summer break that can be used to plan out the year at a less stressful pace, etc). There's more, but I don't want to turn this post into a long essay on the differences between public American schools and private Korean academies. :)

That being said, I only have 21 working days left over here (not counting weekends or my vacation time), which is really, really weird. Remember back when I blogged about my first day? Me too. I thought I did that last week, but apparently I lost track of time.

Once I was finished with work for the day, Autumn and I got dinner together. We randomly took a different way than usual towards the center of town, and in doing so, passed by a string of restaurants we haven't been to. One of them had absolutely fantastic smells coming out of it so we decided to get dinner there. It was a dak galbi restaurant and somehow, neither of us had it yet even though it's a popular dish in Korea. Marinated chicken, rice cakes, potatoes, onions, slivers of carrots, red pepper paste, and cabbage are added to a hot plate with raised sides and it cooks in front of you (not uncommon in Korea). The side dishes were self service and if you took more than you could finish, you had to pay an extra dollar- something that I think is a pretty good idea when I think back to how much food goes to waste when anything back home is self serve.

While it was cooking some of the sauce splattered a bit, forcing us to realize that the silly-looking aprons other people were wearing were indeed necessary. Eventually, our meal was ready (and we managed not to get anything on our clothes while it cooked) so we loaded up our lettuce leaves with everything that was cooking + some extra pepper paste. It was so delicious. I don't even know how to describe the taste since it doesn't really compare to anything from home. Slightly spicy, a little sweet, perfectly cooked, and strong flavors that go really well together.

Korean restaurants are sometimes labor intensive.

Autumn and I waiting for our meal to finish cooking

Loaded lettuce leaf. That's my finger, not a sausage, poking out.. woops!

After dinner we headed to Twosome Place for dessert, then called it a night. Tomorrow is Amy (Kyungha) Park's wedding and I can't wait to see her! She worked with me at EOS until this past February and is just one of those people that makes you smile right when you see her because she has this cloud of positive energy around her.

Frozen yogurt + almonds at Twosome Place, but not like the frozen yogurt form home. Sooo good.

Never tell a lie!

2011-06-23T16:25:00.005+09:00

Today was a busy but good day.

I was with Blowfish for morning circle (this happens each Thursday while Amy does the conversation check in Stingray) and their behavior was pretty darn good, especially once you consider that there are 11 4 year olds and it's getting towards the end of a busy week.

I helped unload their backpacks, check their mailboxes (Did you brush your teeth? Did you eat breakfast? etc), and distributed their milk. They then pulled up their chairs to practice conversation. This week's conversation theme was 'pets,' so I brought the rabbit puppet to class and used it to entertain them and keep them focused.

Angela, Dana, Ryan, Gemma, Helena, Philip, John, Jun, Jmy

John, Jun, Jmy, Andrew, Jenny

I had my usual Thursday morning break (my only morning break each week) and went home to catch up with Matt and my mom. I thought about napping but figured I would end up more tired afterward, plus I would rather catch up with two important people and sleep later. I had a good talk with both of them and am starting to get really excited about my mom's visit + seeing everyone else when I get home. This isn't to say that I was not excited earlier, but it's starting to hit home that it's coming up really soon.

I went back to work for lunch, taught Stingray and then my full day, then made vocabulary lists and exams for three hours. I had prep with Olivia, after which I made the prep schedule for the month of July. In doing so, I realized that I will only teach her 4 more times- this coming week and the first three Thursdays of July. I have vacation during the last week of July, and my last working day in August is not on a Thursday. It seems like I just started teaching her, despite the fact that I have been her prep teacher since mid-December. Then again, she did go to Canada for a month and a half, which made it go quicker. I just hope that whoever becomes her teacher next will get along with her really well and work hard with her. Luckily, I have great coworkers so it shouldn't be an issue :).

This is from Stingray - John missed practicing for musical so much (it finished towards the end of January) that he brought his script from home and wanted to devote class time to it.

After lunch, John told me all about what happens if you lie. According to John (his mom taught him), your nose will get longer and longer and longer and then an ajumma will come and take you to the police! Too funny. In case you're wondering, it came up because he was asking a few random questions (not English related) and I was intentionally giving him the most off-the-wall responses I could think of just to make him laugh.

Notes From Students and Parents

2011-06-21T22:46:00.002+09:00

The last two days went ridiculously fast. Yesterday (Monday), I had a busy morning of kindergartners from 9:25-3:15 since KT switched the full day schedule for just this week, making it so the native homeroom teachers (Anna and I) for the two full day classes taught yesterday instead of today.

I had Stingray all morning aside from the last block. During morning circle, Philip (Blowfish) and Lucy (Stingray) gave me letters they wrote me over the weekend. Lucy was really proud that she made it all by herself, and Philip was excited that his mom helped him make his note. At left is the note from Philip, which says "KELSEY teacher / I love you / Teacher I am happy that I met you / (주현호 [Joo Hyun-Ho, his Korean name] Philip)"

Too sweet. He told his mom what he wanted it to say, and she wrote it and then had him trace it. Philip picks up on conversation faster than anyone else in Blowfish Class, and it's the same for his Korean. His Korean sounds a lot more grown up than his classmates, which his mom thinks is due to the amount of time he spends with adults around him. She's actually worried that he's sounding so grown up, but Amy T and I let her know what an advantage it is for his English. I would be shocked if he didn't level up into the next-highest group (putting him with the kids who were in Seastar and have had English for a year longer than him) since he is so bright.

Lucy made her note after she got home from visiting the library with her mom. It says "My Day of Library Letter" at the top, and inside the box says "Kelsey Teacher / Wen we was in the library my favorite is riding a bus." She then explained to me that she loves riding the bus with her mom when they go to the library together. A depressing sidenote (sorry!): on Friday during lunch, she had this look of absolute sadness and was telling me that she wishes she could see her dad, but "Teacher, in morning, I don't kiss my daddy or say hello because he is working. I don't see him on the night but I see him on Saturday or on Sunday, but sometimes he is working and I don't see my daddy and then I miss my daddy so much." I tried to put a positive spin on it by asking if she was really proud of how hard he works, which she is, but seeing such a depressing message out of such a sweet kid was tough. I was already aware that she didn't eat dinner with him since he was working, but didn't know that she didn't see much of him during the rest of her time at home, either.. it sort of explains how attached she is to me since by spending so many waking hours with her (18-20 each week), I'm seeing her more than he is. :/

Something totally different about my Monday? Three new students in Stingray! QT decided to level up three Lobster kids, thus placing them in my class. She also decided to move up two Jellyfish kids, thus placing them in Lobster. The reasoning behind it is to level out the number of kids in each class at that age level, but the downside is that the kids who are now in my class are not anywhere close to the level my kids are in conversation, reading comprehension, etc. Previously, I could have a student (who was absent the previous day) finish their makeup work during morning circle with little assistance, but the new students are having a tough time completing it even after we talk about the material, read it together, act it out, and answer questions in class. I'm interested to see how much they progress during the time I will have teaching them (just over a month, since I have vacation time at the end of July and start of August), but have serious concerns over how much they are slowing down all of my other students.. we'll see. They're all sweet kids, though. Jenny was in Blowfish with Rachel and Lucy until this last December (when Rachel and Lucy leveled up), but Rookey and Bernstein are newer students to EOS. Jenny is shy (and not just because she is new to Stingray Class), so it's good that she has two familiar faces. Rookey and Bernstein don't know my other kids, but John is really excited to have more boys in the class :). I am not sure how they will interact with Junny since he has been absent the last two days.

Full day kindergarten was a bit different than usual since Sara is always the one to teach them song, but I was able to this time around since the schedule switched. We worked on "If You're Happy and You Know It," and all of them had the gist of it by the end. I also worked on conversation with them, using their upcoming "phone check" with Sara as a guide.

This afternoon, I taught Diamond, Honors 6, and Honors 5; this has been my Monday afternoon schedule for at least a month (perhaps two). Ann (Diamond) had a nice note attached to her file that her mom sent along :). I have been the only native teacher in Diamond Class for at least 4 months now so the kids have gotten really used to me (and attached to me since they are only around 7 years old). Ann's mom told me a few weeks ago that Ann talks about me all the time and she is happy with the progress she has made, but the note was still really unexpected and kind of her to send along. Honors 6 and Honors 5 were pretty uneventful aside from the fact that Paul (Honors 5)'s pronunciation has gotten markedly better. Autumn is his prep (one-on-one) teacher, so I made sure to let her know that her hard work is paying off. It's been an uphill battle getting him to do his homework regularly, focus in class, etc., but she's getting results, which is fantastic :).

After work last night, I just had take out (mandoo) and struggled to fall asleep. My across-the-alley neighbor recently got a puppy, and I wish I didn't know it, but due to all the barking, I'm well aware. The thing woke me up 11 times that I remember and as I type this I can hear it barking (and it has been for around half an hour). No idea how its owner sleeps at night, but I honestly hope that they aren't sleeping either since their dog is keeping the rest of us awake. Autumn's apartment is a block and a half away from mine and it kept HER up a few nights ago since it was barking so loudly.

Rachel's into calling herself "Rachel Princess" lately, but has a tough time
spelling it. This is the closest she has ever gotten; previously, she was
signing her name "Rachel Prine ass,"despite my many corrections.

Today was .. well, I was tired from my neighbor's dog, so I am not sure if it was tiring or if I am just tired ;). Kindergarten from 9:25-1:50, elementary kids from 3:30-5:00, calling service to kindergartners from 5:05-6ish. I'll have to call some of my kids tomorrow, too, since they were busy when I called.

Yesterday, I wrote short notes in my new students' mail boxes, welcoming them to Stingray and telling their parents to contact me with any questions or comments. Today, Jenny's mom wrote back with a really sweet message about how excited she is that Jenny leveled up and that she mainly just wants Jenny to be happy and loved in school. She is a little worried that Jenny is not totally ready for Stingray Class, which is not unfounded since my kids are extremely high in conversation for their age level (shocker, since they have a teacher who was a notorious blabbermouth in kindergarten and elementary school ;) ), but I reassured her that I include lots of activities for the kids so she shouldn't feel too stressed out or overwhelmed. Bernstein's mom also wrote back to me and said that Bernstein "looked very proud yesterday" when he came home from school, and she is glad that he is happy in Stingray Class so far. She also said that she hopes I will love "her dear Bernstein," which I thought was really sweet. My "old" Stingrays are a bit notorious for having picky parents; it seems like my "new" ones' parents are just excited that their kids are doing well.

Elementary school today: Pre-Honors 2 for two hours, then the calling service to kindergarten. PH2 always goes well. I just love teaching them and always look forward to it. Sara makes their homework sheet, which (unknown to me, since it was in Korean) included a 'comparison' writing exercise for today. Kelly and Cindy both wrote about Sara Teacher and I, and Cindy's homework is the source of the photo at left. The "present" that she is likely referring to is my habit of occasionally bringing treats or random things for them (such as the vampire fangs and temporary tattoos my mom sent a few months ago). I'm fairly certain that the "homework" and "public" are supposed to be two separate ideas, since I am the teacher who always checks their homework, and she only ever sees me out in public.

The phone checks for kindergarten were a little strange today. My "old" Stingrays don't really need practice for the check and can achieve almost all perfect answers (in full sentences) even if we don't practice, but my "new" Stingrays need a lot of practice. As a result, when we worked on conversation in class this morning, we couldn't get through all of the questions before they went home today. The phone checks went really well for the kids I have been teaching the longest, but the others had more difficulty. Sara said either she or Hillary Teacher (their old native teacher from Lobster) will call them on Thursday to check on the conversation pieces that they learned in Lobster over the last two weeks and I am interested to find out how they do.

After work today, I had dinner at home again, which is noteworthy since I usually don't do that two nights in a row unless it is the weekend (and even then, I generally get dinner with Autumn after we have a Saturday day trip). That's about it for today.. tomorrow is going to be busy once again, but at least the week will be halfway over! :)

(And in case you're wondering, the dog is still barking. Ugh.)

Seodaemun Prison (서대문 형무소) and Independence Park

2011-06-18T22:35:00.003+09:00

I added Seodaemun Prison to my list of "things to see" a while ago, and today Autumn and I made it there.

Some background- the prison was constructed by the Japanese near the start of the 20th century. It opened in 1908 and was first used (during the Japanese occupation) to torture and later execute members of the Korean Independence Movement.

It was horrifying.

Just inside the main gate of Seodaemun

The actual document. It was strange looking at something that has had such lasting effects on the Korean peninsula.

If this map strikes you as a bit "off," it's likely for the same reason it seemed strange to me- it's of Korea pre-division along the 38th parallel, since that's how it was at the time. Very strange. There were a few maps like this in the museum.

"The flag was designed by Young-Hyo Park and first adopted as a symbol by the Kingdom of Korea in 1882. During the colonial era, the flag was banned. The Taegeukgi was used as a symbol of resistance and independence during that time and ownership of it was punishable by execution."

This is the "Hall of Remembrance," which pays tribute to so many who died in the prison.

It was around this time that Autumn started to talk to me about her own family's history during this time period. Her grandfather was forced to work for nothing in Japan, and he told her that when his group was taken, they didn't even know where they were going at first.

From Wiki: "In 1910, as the result of the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, all Korean people became subjects of the Empire of Japan. Koreans claimed that Japanese land and production confiscation initiatives against Korean farmers during the 1910s caused a wave of forced migrants during the 1920s, while Japanese claim that Japanese colonization kick-started Korea's defunct feudal economy and that majority of immigration was due to voluntary immigration seeking better economic opportunities. During World War II, a large number of Koreans were also conscripted by Japan, some of them forced to work in slave-like conditions, especially in a number of unsafe coal mines."

Autumn's grandmother also talked to her about her experiences. She had to study Japanese in school, rather than Korean, and did not formally study Korean until later in her life. As a result, she still refers to some things by their Japanese name because it became habit during that time period.

Again, from Wiki: "Classes focused mostly on teaching the history of the Japanese Empire as well as glorification of the Imperial House of Japan. The history of Korea was not part of the curriculum. As in Japan itself, students were made to worship at the school's Shintō shrine regardless of their religious beliefs, bow before portraits of the Emperor, and copy the Imperial Rescript on Education. As the Japanese administrative policy shifted more strongly towards assimilation from the 1930s (同化政策; dōka seisaku), all classes were taught in Japanese with Korean language becoming an elective. During colonial times, elementary schools were known as "Citizen Schools" (국민학교; 國民學校; gungmin hakgyo) as in Japan, as a means of forming proper "Imperial Citizens" (皇國民; Hwanggungmin) from early childhood. Elementary schools in South Korea today are known by the name chodeung hakgyo (초등학교; 初等學校) (literally "Elementary School") as the term gungmin hakgyo has recently become a politically incorrect term. Although the Japanese education system in Korea was detrimental towards the colony's cultural identity, it helped lay the foundation of future economic growth by improving Korea's human capital. By 1940, 38 percent of school-age Koreans were attending elementary school. Children of elite families were able to advance to higher education, while others were able to attend technical schools, allowing for 'the emergence of a small but important class of well-educated white collar and technical workers... who possessed skills required to run a modern industrial economy.' The Japanese education system ultimately produced hundreds of thousands of educated South Koreans who later became 'the core of the postwar political and economic elite.' "

Here is the video I made in this area. The music and speaking that starts midway through went with a projector that projected some images and words onto the floor in the middle of the room. The woman is thanking all of those who fought for Korean Independence.

"Dead Body Pickup Room" - inside, a noose. Bodies were then dragged out for removal.

There was a small room where you would stand on a silver circle, move to choose "male" or "female," and then have your photo taken from two angles. Next, your face would be stuck on the body of a computer-generated video showing what someone would have gone through.

To lighten the mood, Autumn and I joked that my Korean suddenly got a lot better at the end of the video.

The last part of the video, where the girl/I am raising my hands and shouting is modeled after Yu Gwan-sun.

I didn't get pictures of everything, so some of what I missed: starvation, no toilets, solitary confinement in pitch-black cells that were vented so you could hear the screams of everyone else, a sort of standing cabinet that was shaped like a coffin on the inside (people would be locked inside), sexual abuse against female prisoners,and more.

Hung upside down, water boarded, heads sometimes submerged in water, regained consciousness, and then the whole thing was started again.

This is when I almost threw up. Hands were shackled to the table, then skewers were jammed under the fingernails.

"Man is the cruelest animal." -Nietzsche

Prisoners were locked in the box, and then the box was shaken or rolled so they would be stabbed by all of the nails along the inside.

There was a "letter writing station" of sorts shown, and the inside was mostly covered in curses against the Japanese (by recent visitors to the prison).

One of the prison halls.

Again, visitors had scrawled curse words and insults across the Japanese prison guard mannequin.

I can't find the words to describe the whole experience of visiting the prison. Uncomfortable, disturbing, horribly sad..

There was not enough room for all of the occupants to lie down, so they would have to lie down on the floor in shifts.

Another hallway

On the inside of the cell, there is a wooden "button" of sorts. When pushed down, this long "paetong" would fall on the outside.

The elderly Korean man just ahead of us was opening the slot and saying "What are you doing?!!" in Korean, which is what I am imitating here.

The part that isn't translated- they were brutally tortured for it.

The woman in red shoes, long shorts, and a black t-shirt is someone Autumn recognized from tv. She's a well-known photographer and was taking pictures.

Small memorial

The sign read that this tree was planted around the time of the prison's opening. The brick walls behind it is where prisoners were taken and executed (by hanging). The tree is famous because so many victims frantically clutched it, trying to stop from being hung. Inside the brick walls, there is a smaller wooden building with chairs for viewing, a short flight of stairs (to a second level), and from that second level is where people were hung so those on the first level could see it. Bodies were then dropped down to a basement level through the floor and then dragged out. a side exit of stairs. No photographs were permitted in this area. The feeling of standing on a flight of stairs where bodies were dragged though.. chilling, to say the least.

Discovered, because it was hidden when the Japanese left.

Many bodies were just left in there.

These bricks are specific to the prison. Some of the forced labor included making these bricks. I cannot imagine being forced to make the bricks that would expand the place of my imprisonment.

Yu-Gwan-sun is one of the most famous individuals of the Independence Movement in Korea. She was not even 20 years old when she was tortured and killed, and was most famous for continuing to stand up, raise her arms in her cell, and yell the English equivalent of "Long live Korean independence!" Wiki states, "her final words were, "Japan shall fall... my finger nails may fall off, my nose and ears cut off, my hands and legs broken. I can bear the pain. But the pain of losing my country, I cannot bear. That I only have one life to give for my country, it is my only sadness."

The underground cells, for female prisoners, are where she died. There was video with testimony from a survivor earlier in my tour, and what they had to endure was unspeakable. The woman, still alive today (and nearly 100 years old) said she was in such physical and emotional pain that she begged them to kill her.

Independence Park

I'm laughing because this is just after a random elderly man splashed a bunch of water at me in a sort of "let's see how the foreigner will react!" situation. I politely asked him to stop, and he laughed and repeated me (since I said it in Korean). Sidenote: I love that you can actually dip your feet in over here. I don't think I have ever seen a water feature in the States where it is allowed.

Independence Gate (독립문), modeled after the Arc de Triomphe and completed in 1897. It was built to replace the Yeongeunmun Gate since Korea was no longer a Chinese protectorate.

After we were done walking around Independence Park, Autumn and I hopped on the subway and went towards Myeongdong to get dinner.

We had pork cutlet and some sort of hamburger thing, called a "Hamburg steak," but it tasted nothing like steak or anything I ate when I was in Hamburg, Germany ;). The meal was not really Korean or German (and not really anywhere in between), but still tasted really good.

After we got a bite to eat, we were both pretty tired from walking around so much, having had such a busy work week, etc., but decided to shop around in Myeongdong to see if we could find anything.. which we did!! A store called "Mango" was having a 50% off everything sale, so I tried on a few things and got two dresses (both well-made and work appropriate, one of which I will wear to a friend's wedding next weekend), a nice short-sleeve turtleneck with some nice details, and a much-needed new purse. My current one, though free (intentionally left in my apartment by a previous EOS teacher who couldn't fit everything in her suitcase), gets me by but just doesn't look particularly nice. It sort of looks like a cross between a small gym bag and a purse I might have liked in early highschool. Needless to say, I am pleased with the new one and plan on leaving the old one in Korea when I come home in a few months :)

Autumn also bought the same turtleneck that I did, since we won't wear them at the same time anyway (summer in Korea is too hot and humid for anything made out of non-lightweight material).

We looked at a few other places, had a good time, then caught the bus home. For once, we got to the bus stop at the exact right time- we had just gotten in line when our bus arrived, and there was more than enough room on the bus (shocker, actually) so we didn't have to push and be pushed as everyone scrambled to get on.

On this bus ride home: another thing I wish we had back home! The buses have little chargers for your cell phones (multiple styles of chargers) in case your phone is dying. SO smart.

Gyeonggi-do Provincial Museum (Field Trip)

2011-06-17T19:29:00.030+09:00

Today, EOS had another field trip for our kindergartners! We went to the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Museum for around an hour and a half, came back to EOS for lunch, then talked to the kids about the exhibits.

Before we loaded the buses at 9:50, the kids all drank their morning milk, went to the bathroom, and organized their backpacks. Elisa Kim was very excited to give everyone in the class a little gift from her mom- small pouches with mini staplers, mini staple removers, tape, and a pencil sharpener. The kids felt very grown up with their little supply kit since they only started using pencils for assignments (rather than crayons) during the last few months. The girls were pretending that they were purses and they were going shopping, but I had them put them away (and not take them on the field trip) despite their best efforts to convince me otherwise.

My Stingrays rode the same bus as Swan Class, one of the Korean kindergartens. The KK classes are named after birds (Swan, Dove, Eagle), while (as you may have noticed) the English kindergartens are named after underwater animals- Angelfish, Blowfish, Seahorse, Lobster, Stingray, Salmon, Dolphin, Tuna, and Whale. The Swan kids are the same age as Stingray (Korean age 6, so between the ages of 4 and 5) and a few of them knew each other from riding the same bus to school. Some of the kids were in my full-day kindergarten last year and they were really excited to be on the same bus as me, and Justin (from last year's full day) is still in my full-day kindergarten since he did so well he was leveled up to be in the same class as kids who are older than him.

Once we got to the museum, we had the kids get into the pre-assigned groups for touring the museum (my kids were with Whale again since they are the two classes that can have all information delivered entirely in English without any problems), and of course Autumn and I were happy to get to hang out for the morning. We paired up our kids so they would use the 'buddy system' as we went through the exhibits, having older and younger kids paired together so the older kids could help look after the younger ones. Rachel was a little late since her parents dropped her off at the museum rather than at school, since the museum is in Yongin (where she lives).

This is along the walkway leading into the museum

Whale and Stingray Classes

Kayla (Whale Class) moves magnets around to try to match the shape

Lucy (Stingray Class)

Tim, Rachel, Kayla, Lucy, Christine, Aditi, Alvin, Junny, Jane, Elisa, John, Chris

Jane and Elisa decided to do this pose for a photo

Rachel and Lucy

Aditi

Jane and Elisa started thinking of tons of poses and asked that Autumn and I take pictures of them

They're trying to match the mannequin. Around this point, Elisa was ecstatic to have a "big kid" think she was cool :)

"Marriage pose," as they said

Leaving the museum. There were plenty of exhibits, but I didn't take a lot of pictures since I needed to look after my kids and explain what they were looking at :)

Remember when my kids (back in Seahorse Class) made a video for my family? This is sort of like an updated version. I taught them the names of my parents and sisters (with motions) since they were always asking me about them, and since they know that my best friend is named Matt (they asked for my best friend's name months and months ago) and my sister is having a "blueberry baby," they randomly decided to add both of them to the list! The motions (turning around and shaking their hips for Matt; wiggling their arms for "Blueberry") are entirely their own ideas.

Here's a less-entertaining video in which Elisa shows off her stinky shoes. Lucy thought it was funny until Elisa put the shoes next to her.

Justin, Aditi, and Rachel show their funny faces

Rachel's mom sent some doughnuts for Amy Teacher and I :)

After regular kindergarten classes finished up for the day, I helped Amy T prepare for her observation this afternoon. Amy then went off to full-day kindergarten and I had a break, during which I prepared for elementary classes, had some snacks, and stayed out of sight since we were given specific instructions to do so.

Today, EOS had the once-yearly (as far as I understand) check to make sure that everything is safe, up-to-code, the school's finances are calculated and reported accurately, etc. Last night when I stayed late at work (with the help of an online dictionary, I translated the page-long directions for teachers for our field trip, hung out with Alice at the front desk, read the news, etc), the managers, QT, and KT were busy preparing all of the documentation that the inspectors would need to see, including financial records and building layout information.

Apparently, these inspectors sometimes ask teachers why things are a certain way, and since our managers, KT, and QT didn't want us to be dealing with them at all, they had us steer clear of the first floor entirely until after they were gone. I taught all four blocks of elementary classes, so it didn't really affect my routine, but not being able to be downstairs during the hour before those classes started was strange.

Something different about my afternoon: I taught Honors 7, a class I haven't taught for at least 4 months. They are notorious for having bad pronunciation and lazy attitudes, so I really drilled them on pronunciation (like my music teacher did back in the day, I had them start over if they made a mistake- even if they were on the last word of the page). They got a lot better simply because they were being forced to try really hard, which made me happy.. despite the fact that I might not ever teach them again. I talked to their homeroom teacher (Hillary) about how class went, and she said that she goes pretty easy on them, but she might not continue doing so if they do not start working harder for her.

After work, I got dinner with all of the other native teachers except for Anna since Autumn and I ran into Kelli, Jess, and Hillary on the street when we were trying to decide where to go for dinner. All of us agreed that this week was absolutely exhausting (I spent 44 hours with my students, then add prep time to that) and we were relieved it was the weekend. Autumn and I talked about our trip to the prison we're planning for tomorrow, but the other girls said they don't want to go since they will be sleeping in until 5pm heheh.

Dinner with Kelli, Hillary, Jessica, and Autumn: McDonalds. Kate, I know you're horrified right now. Mom, I know you're wondering what I got- I got a Big Mac and thought of you :).

Why you would want to live in Korea

2011-06-15T14:49:00.009+09:00

The question I'm most often asked by folks from home is "Why Korea?", which always requires a lengthy answer, unless I want to simply say "I love it here." I figured I should sort out my list before coming home so I don't hop back on the next return flight after making it ;)
In no particular order-

1. Korean Restaurants. Going out to eat with friends is anywhere from $2-$10 a person, and rarely exceeds the $10 mark unless you're hunting for Western food. The food is fantastic, comes out quickly (often within 5 minutes), and tipping is neither required nor expected (it's generally even considered a bit rude to tip). On top of all that, your meal will, come with a bunch of little side dishes, and if you want more, you can always ask for a (free) refill. To call them over, many tables (at both restaurants and bars) have a little button at each table. Just push it and someone will quickly come over to see what you need.

Around 9USD per person

2. Public Transportation. Buses, trains, subways, and taxis are more abundant (and cheaper!) than home, so it's possible to get to wherever you would like to go.

3. Medical Care. In the States, you generally avoid a trip to the doctor unless you absolutely have to go. When I got sick during my 4th or 5th week here, my Korean coworkers were shocked I hadn't gone to the doctor yet, and when I gave in and went, I understood why. The doctor's visit and prescription cost me around $12 total (and in case you're curious, the medicine worked just fine if not better than what I've had back home).

4. Korean Ice Cream. Before I came to Korea, I was never a huge fan of ice cream bars, but Korea has some of the best (and best-priced) ice cream I have had in my entire life. Tons of flavor combinations, shapes, packaging details, and more. You know how annoying it is when you buy ice cream on a hot summer day and it starts melting faster than you can eat it, drips down your hand, and makes your whole arm sticky? Enter ingenious packaging that functions like a container for already-opened ice cream. No more drips and "aw maaan"s when a big piece falls off and onto the ground.

source: simplynicky.tumblr.com, since I'm feeling too lazy to take a picture of my own Papico ice cream. Speaking of which, I think it's odd that the English uses the letter P, but the Korean uses the letter B.

5. New Friends. I had that "what if I don't make friends?" concern before I left for college and for study abroad, and while I was a lot more confident about it this time around, I had no idea how close I could get to these new friends in a relatively short amount of time, how much I would learn from them, and how much I already know I'm going to miss them... thank goodness for technology!

6. Students. Walking through the halls at work- especially during kindergarten- always includes students waving, running up to hug me, telling me that they love me, and wanting to get to know me. Seeing these little faces light up when they see me is wonderful, and to them, I'm an adult (and an interesting-looking one), so they see me as somehow possessing infinite knowledge about the world. It reminds me of when I was their age and thought that adults could do anything. It really makes you reevaluate your own perspective.

7. Street Food. Rice cakes, squid, waffles, hot dogs, sausages, roasted corn, sundae, mandoo, sliced fruit.. there's something for everyone, and even familiar-sounding foods have foreign twists. Kate and I are both firm believers in trying out the street food wherever we go, and Korea has (yet again) proven that it's a good rule.

Autumn and I get more of these street waffles than I should admit

8. Korean-style Apartment Bathroom. Did I ever think I would grow to love my all-in-one shower/bathroom/sink area? Sure, it can be a little bothersome to have a wet bathroom floor from my morning shower, but I've grown so used to it and it's a heck of a lot easier to scrub down than any Western-style bathroom.

9. Endless Travel Opportunities. There is always something to see. I'd have to be here a whole lot longer than one year to get a fraction of the list taken care of, and that's just in Korea, not to mention all of the other countries in this corner of the world. If you've at all kept up with the blog, you're well aware that despite the number of people you hear about who travel Korea, there's so much to experience here that it is surprising it isn't a more popular destination.

10. Random Compliments. I'm still surprised when this happens, but it's pleasantly so. I've been complimented (on my hair, eyes, nose, entire face, etc) more times in the last year than perhaps every other year of my life combined. The compliments are most often coming from my kindergartners, elementary students, and random folks on the street or in shops.

11. Convenience Stores. What can I say? They're actually convenient here. There are multiple ones within walking distance of my apartment that are open 24/7, have plenty of decently-priced foods, and always have some sort of deal going on (usually a 'buy two get one free' for coffee, chips, or snacks).

12. The People. Sure, you're bound to get pushed around on busy days on public transportation, but it isn't anything against you. The people, as in any other place in the world I suppose, are more wonderful than not. I've had countless great conversations with my coworkers, friends, bosses, students' parents, and random people (when I am out and about) that affirms my belief that you'll always come across enough great people to make up for the rotten ones.

13. Mild Winters. My Korean friends would disagree, but the winters here are quite mild. Granted, this is in comparison to the Wisconsin and Minnesota winters that I'm used to, but I loved never having my fingers or toes go numb while walking outside. I had already packed away my winter boots when there were still weather advisories back home.

14. Schoolchildren Practicing English. Literally every time I go on a day trip, at least one kid (anywhere from age 4 to 16) comes up to me to say hello and then either 1) stare, or 2) run away. While out to eat one time, a little girl would not stop staring at Kelli and I, and her mom said to her "Just say hello, don't be weird," which I thought was pretty darn funny. When Autumn and I were at the museum in Gyeongju, a mom kept trying to convince her kid to come up to me to practice English. It happens regularly and it's thankfully not gotten annoying :)

15. KPop. From the rhythms to the ridiculous music videos to opportunities for learning new phrases (I learned how to say "I'm sorry" from one of the first songs I liked over here), I reaaally enjoy Korean Pop. I hear it pouring out of shops and cars as I walk down the streets, my students somehow know all the words, and the random English included in the songs is often hilarious.

16. Street Fashion. It's interesting in Yeongtong, but even more interesting in Seoul. People have extremely distinctive senses of styles. At the U of MN, I remember noticing when walking past one person who had a particular way of styling themself, but here, it's essentially everyone. Poofy ballerina skirts, orange hair, Michael Jackson-esque jackets, bright leggings, sequined skirts, man purses, couples clothing, interesting proportions, "cute" style, bows, headbands, layering.. the list is endless, and it's both guys and girls with interesting choices. Speaking of which, when I first arrived, I was amazed at guys' style- it's not a sea of jeans and t-shirts for teens and 20-somethings over here.

17. The Korean Language. The more I pick up, the more I like about it. You speak differently to someone depending on whether or not they are older than you, or have a higher position at work. The direct translations into English are sometimes hilarious (such as the word for a little tummy pooch, which translates directly to "poop belly"). I also like that it's really appreciated when a foreigner tries to use some Korean- far different than the seemingly dominant "speak English, dammit!" attitude in the States.

18. Free Exercise Machines. I surely don't utilize them as much as I should, but it's awesome having different types of exercise machines in parks ready, waiting, and free for anyone who wants to use them at whatever time is convenient. They are not just in one park, either- they are in both parks that are within walking distance of my apartment. I also saw them randomly within the Hwaseong Fortress! Korea is pretty health-conscious, and I suppose it costs less to maintain free exercise equipment in the park than any medical costs stemming from inability to stay in shape. Whatever the reason, it's fantastic.

19. People Watching.Children spitting on the floor in grocery stores, poodles with dyed-pink ears, boys linking arms (no raised eyebrows over here), children whining, 5" high heels on iced over winter streets, people watching you since you are foreign, and the way people interact with someone depending on whether they are the same age, younger, or older.. there's certainly a lot to see. I'm a big fan of people watching anywhere, but especially in Korea.

20. "English" T-Shirts. Shirts with any kind of English on them are ridiculously popular, but the English is often completely incoherent, a string of random letters, an offensive phrase, or has nothing to do with the picture on it. Yesterday, I saw an elderly woman wearing a shirt that said "Play The Field!" Sexy. There's also the ever-popular "Massachubatts" t-shirt, "Bitch, please," "Defiant slut literacy was at its finest," and more.

21. Ondol Floor Heating. This winter, I would walk in the door and turn on the floor. No more midnight bathroom runs across a freezing floor, and drying out wet winter boots has never been easier.

22. National Pride. Nearly every Korean I've talked to has been really curious about whether or not I like the food, weather, sites, and country in general- and every single time, when I have mentioned the things I like best, they are so proud that someone enjoys their country. Korea has a really long history that includes plenty of times during which an outside force controlled things, so it is really no surprise that Koreans are proud of everything that makes their country unique.. there's just something I don't quite know how to put into words that comes across the faces of the older generation when you tell them you like it here. It's really special.

23. Taxes Included. The price you see is the price you pay for groceries, clothing, and everything else. For my fellow Wisconsinites, it's like that nice surprise of paying exactly what you see on a clothing label in Minnesota.. only all the time.

24. Being A Regular. I might not be a permanent resident, but I've been here long enough to figure out my favorite hang out places around town, go there regularly, and see that "ah! a familiar face!" look when I walk in the door. In a place where I'm often stared at for looking so foreign and out of place, it's great to occasionally looked at as someone who belongs. I went to my favorite mandoo place without Autumn a month ago, and the owner wanted to know what my friend was up to :).

I have a feeling this is a list to which I'll keep adding. I'm not going to bother making a "reasons home feels great" list until I am home since it just seems more logical to do it when I am there. "Appreciate where you are while you're there," "be where you are," and all that good stuff.

The first few weeks of study abroad (5.5 months of spring '09), I was completely homesick. The extent of my homesickness seems ridiculous now that I can look back on how much I saw, learned, and loved the country. There's a little part of me that's always going to miss that little part of my life, just like I already know that I'm forever changed by the experiences and people I've met over here. Before I came over and had all the experiences I've been writing about for the last 10.5 months, the shortest reason I could offer was "I just know it's where I need to be"-- and nearly a year later, that answer still holds up.

At that time, of course, I had no idea how at home I would be able to feel in a place that is so foreign. I didn't know there would be moments where I thought "what the heck am I going to eat when I get home??" because I love the food over here so much. When's the last time I had a "Western meal"? February? It was pizza and I remember thinking I wanted oodong noodles instead but was outvoted by the group. I'm excited for sharing all of these experiences in greater detail (impersonations, more detailed descriptions, the hundreds of stories that never made it on here) with everyone I love who's back home, but I'm going to be missing the people with whom I made those memories in the first place.

Now's not the time to get nostalgic over Korea. I'm still here, for pete's sake! :)

...but in case anyone is wondering, I'll be standing in baggage claims in

WAHOO!! Finally!! (Congrats Anne and Max!)

2011-06-13T14:10:00.001+09:00

I have known about this for a month and it has been such a struggle to not spill the beans until Anne and Max gave me the go ahead... but I can officially tell you that I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!

My poor mother wasn't able to tell ANYONE for weeks and weeks, but luckily- since I am on the other side of the world- I could at least talk about it with Autumn so I wouldn't go totally nuts waiting to talk about it. I'll become an aunt sometime in January and could not be more happy for Anne and Max. Stingray Class has also known about it for weeks- they found out when the baby was still "blueberry sized" and have been having tons of fun asking me how big it is, telling me to make sure Anne knows to "eat lots of rice and kimchi" so it will grow, and instructing her to name her baby after one of them. Elisa Kim and Lucy are especially excited; Elisa is a January birthday and Lucy is a February birthday, so both of them are hoping that the baby will arrive on one date or the other.

Here's the video my kids made for them so many weeks ago; it was unlisted (only people with the link could see it) until a second ago.

SO SO SO excited.

And in case you are wondering about how Anne broke the news- I woke up to make an early-morning bathroom run after the EOS Teachers' Day dinner. It was around 6am and I was still pretty much asleep when I saw on facebook that Anne said I should call her. I had a feeling that it could be baby news, but didn't really know for sure since there were lots of other options, too. I called Anne from my computer (I have a subscription to call phones from my skype) and she told me. I was instantly awake and made her tell me another three times to make sure I wasn't sleeping :).

EOS 100 Days Celebration

2011-06-09T19:41:00.077+09:00

The 100 Day marker is a big deal in South Korea. When a child reaches his 100th day of life, a huge, traditional meal is prepared to celebrate the event. I am unsure whether or not I've mentioned this on my blog before, but since I can hardly remember, it's worth mentioning again. The best summary of the reasoning behind the milestone's importance is historical: when the infant mortality rate was higher, the 100 marker was a good sign that his/her life would continue into adulthood (If you want any more information on this, click here or google away). Some couples also celebrate reaching 100 days together

Today marked 100 days of kindergarten for our students, so the school held a celebration for it. Each kid was told to bring in 100 pieces of candy, which all of my students did except for Aditi since her mom either forgot or didn't read the message. The 500 pieces of candies my other kids brought were definitely more than enough, so it didn't really matter to me, but a few of my kids were wondering if they had to share since she had nothing to give them. I explained that it was still important to share (bringing up the example of Aditi sharing her birthday cake last month even though they didn't bring anything). My answer seemed to satisfy them :).

Before passing out the candies, though, the kids filed into the 2nd floor auditorium for various events. We were briefed on everything a few days ago and each group of teachers (Korean teachers for Korean kindergarten; Korean teachers for English kindergarten; Native teachers for English kindergarten) was told to prepare a song. I don't have video of our performance, but we blasted some Lion King (I Just Can't Wait to be King), sang, and danced around. We prepared for it last night, which was a bit frustrating since I had already been at the school until 8:30pm on Tuesday night and I was there until after 9pm last night, but there wasn't anything I could do to change it. Ah, well. The kids enjoyed it, which is what counts.

When the kids filed into the auditorium, they were greeted by Gym Teacher in a Pororo costume. 99% of them absolutely LOVED it (Pororo is to Korea as Winnie the Pooh is to the USA), but some of them were scared crapless and started crying.. an evil part of me thought it was funny >:)

Autumn, Anna, and Sharon were the MCs for the event. It was really nice to sit back and enjoy everything since this is the first event since September or October in which I have not had to be one of the MCs. They all did a really great job, especially Anna (she was hysterical!). Here's Anna holding up the 100 Days sign. Before bringing it out, they guided the kids to count to 100 (in 10s) and checked to see if the kids were paying attention by shouting "WAHOO!! 90 DAYS!! Right, guys??!" The kids always think it's hilarious when their teacher "makes a mistake."

When all of that was over, each class was told to stand up and show off the chant they prepared. There's Blowfish class doing theirs; Stingray class did a chant I made up to the tune of Girls Generation - Gee (Who-o is the be-est, i-in EOS? Stingray, Stingray, baby, baby, baby..)

Next was time for all of the teachers to do their performances, starting with Korean teachers for Korean kindergarten.

Native teachers went next, but I couldn't exactly record myself :P. Last up, Korean teachers for English kindergarten.

Elisa Kim ~~watching~~ judging the magic show

Mina nervously waits to see what the "magician" will have her do.

Stingray Class: Rachel, Elisa, Lucy, John, Junny, Aditi

We brought our kids back to their classrooms to change them into their little aprons. There was a little time to kill, so my kids just talked to me about how excited they were to pass out all of their candy after lunch :).

When we went back to the second floor, I had my kids wash their hands and count slowly to 15 while scrubbing them with soap. Reason behind it? All of the kindergartners were going to make kimbap together and I didn't want any funny business in mine. I made sure my kids knew not to touch anything (their hair, their faces, the wall) and had them wash their hands again if they did. Thankfully, I broke all of my kids of their nose picking habits months ago so I didn't really have to worry about it, but (the horror!) some of the kids making kimbap across from mine were picking their noses. Yes, Kate, I stopped them and told their angel teachers (who were standing right by them) so they could guide them to the bathroom to wash their hands, but the angel teacher I told seemed just slightly grossed out and had them keep making their boogery kimbap. Ew.

The ingredients were radish, egg, ham, rice, seaweed, and a few other things that escape me. Unfortunately, there weren't enough of each ingredient for all of the rolls to have everything inside, but the kids weren't overly bothered. Their favorite part was patting the rice down on the dried seaweed, and there was enough rice to go around.

When all of the rolls were finished, Vivian had all of the kids put their hands in the air so they would stop touching the kimbap, then the gym teacher had the kids do some sort of celebratory dance together. All of the kids then returned to their classrooms to take off their aprons, get ready for lunch, eat, and share candies (not all of them, don't worry!). I made sure that my booger free kimbap would go to my classroom (it did, thank God) and then my angel teacher took care of slicing the kimbap rolls made by Stingray kids.

Posing in the stairwell

Jamie and I. She is TINY and only 2 years old. I teach her twice weekly in Angelfish class.

Lucy and I

Kids and completed kimbap

It was around this point (just before lunch) that Elisa and Rachel started getting hungry, tired, and grumpy.

The kimbap we made (after it was cut)

Lunch: tomatoes, rice cakes, kimbap, and seaweed soup

Huuuge pile of goodies from kids

After lunch, I had the kids pull out their candies. John had laffy taffy, Elisa and Lucy both brought chupa chups (lolly pops), and Junny and Rachel brought choco pies (not the same brand, though). They gave one to each of their friends and wanted to share with some of the other classes, so I let them give them to all the teachers and to some of the classes their friends were in.

Since I teach Blowfish each day, the Blowfish kids wanted to stop in and share their candies with me. Whale also shared their candies with my class and I since my kids did so with them, and then some of the other teachers had their kids do the same as Stingray (going to the classes to share their treats with the teachers), resulting in a huge pile of candy reminiscent of a successful Halloween. I gave most of those candies away to my full day and elementary kids since I didn't care to eat the pile myself.

I taught Tiffany how to do the monkey face that my oldest sister, Kate, taught me when I was younger. She stopped by to share her candy with me. I forgot to take my apron off from serving the kids lunch/washing their trays.

Chris and Denny (from my full day)

When kindergarten was just about over, the kids were instructed (by Vivian, HABA teacher who has been at the school for ages) to put their candies away in the cabinet since they would slowly be distributed over the next few weeks.

I then had 20 minutes to drink some coffee and get ready for full day kindergarten. Thankfully, the kids were all pretty well behaved despite the excitement of an event day. They were happy to tell me that they saw me during the event (when the other native teachers and I danced around to I Just Can't Wait to be King) and that they enjoyed the whole thing.

Chris, one of the most well-behaved kids in my full day), shyly called me over to give me a few candies and a button she prepared for me :). Her mom picks her up from school every day, and one day I ran into the two of them at the convenience store by my school. Her mom told me that she was happy to meet me since Chris talks about me "all the time" and she is "proud to have [me] has her teacher." It was a really nice thing of her mom to say :). Her mom also said that Chris always tells her mom to come in and say hi to me on the days that I teach full day, but she never does since she knows that I am really busy (Chris looked pretty embarrassed at this point heheh).

Chris brought me a few candies and a button from her trip over the long weekend. In case you're wondering what the Korean says, it is just my name spelled out :)

Tomorrow morning, I have observation with Stingray Class.. really nervous about it, but all of my materials have been completed for two or three days so there isn't anything more I can do in terms of preparation right now. I'm just telling myself not to stress out so I don't appear nervous or unprepared when it's time for KT and QT to come into the classroom (for the full hour). Wish me luck!

briefest of life summaries.

2011-06-09T00:30:00.004+09:00

I figured making this chart would be a lot easier than going into details.

Gyeongju National Museum

2011-06-05T23:04:00.002+09:00

"Rest Area"

"Precious Animal-Shaped Pottry. Earthenware, 5th C, King Michu District, Gyeongju"

"Shoes, 5th C"

"Eggs and Horizontal Jar, 6th C, Cheongmachong, Gyeongju"

"Long necked jar with figurines, Stoneware, 5th-6th C, Gyeongju"

Had to get the picture of the dragon since I am a "dragon baby"

"Mirrors, Han Dynasty, China, Bronze, 1st C BC"

More ancient shoes

The caption literally said "Pillow." Ouch. "Steatite/Unified Silla, Gyeongju"

I got pictures of this replica since I saw the original yesterday in Seokguram Grotto. :) The original that I saw is from the 8th C, and we weren't allowed to take pictures.

Pretty much what I look like on Monday mornings.

Another replica of one of the figures I saw at Seokguram yesterday :)

Model of Gyeongju!

I was surprised we were allowed to touch it since it is the original.

"Buddhist Gong, Bronze, From Guibulsa Temple site, Gyeongju, 1183 CE."

In my head, "DOWN STD!!! STD DOWN!!!"

A delicious last meal in Gyeongju before heading back to collect our things at the hotel.

The spiciest, most delicious bean curd soup I've had.

The best pork cutlet I have had in Korea. sooooo good.

View of the mountains on the way home

Sunset as we headed closer to Suwon

Note the lack of stars. The sky is never that dark over here, and I haven't seen stars since I was in the USA.

Sea of Japan, Gameunsa, Bamboo Forest

2011-06-05T14:35:00.056+09:00

To start off day two, Autumn and I were up by 8am. The time sounds awful, given that it is a mini-vacation, but there is so much to see in Gyeong-ju that it was totally necessary. The area is famous for having so many areas, buildings, etc of historical and cultural importance; we wanted to see as much of everything as possible before heading home! :)

We caught a city bus to the coast. The bus ride took around 45 minutes, despite someone telling us (the previous day) that it would take around two hours. We were really excited that the time was so much shorter than their estimate since it meant more time to see other things.

Main notable occurrance on the bus ride? Autumn and I were talking about random things and noticed a female Buddhist monk listening in on our conversation. We didn't think much of it. The kid sitting in front of me dropped his hat, and without thinking I picked it up and handed it to him. The monk gave me this really sweet, approving smile for my action. Autumn and I kept on talking, and then out of nowhere, the monk struck up a conversation with us. Initially, I was excited to hear her perspective on the area, but the monk essentially wanted to talk about how much authority she has where she works, how important she is, etc. She literally told us "I am there only a few years but my job is important, and I own it! If you come stay with me, you can see that I have a hiiiigh power!"

She continued talking like this for ages, gave us her name card (these are pretty popular over here. They are like business cards, but even if you do not have a business or a job that would necessitate a business card back home, people carry them). Before I came to Korea, I read that it is important to look over the card and show genuine interest in it in order to show the proper level of respect, and since the monk was .. well, a monk, and on top of that she was much older than me, I did just that... she also instructed us to "Call me EVERY night. I have to practice my English. If I do not answer, call again, leave a message..."

Hrm.

After the 10 or 15 minute awkward bragging session, we arrived at our destination- and the monk got off at the same stop! She didn't notice it at first so we scooted along towards the beach to avoid prolonging the conversation.

The beach was lovely. You'll know it as the Sea of Japan, but (not surprisingly) South Korea calls it the East Sea (North Korea calls it the East Sea of Korea). It's an ongoing point of contention and apparently, SK occasionally brings up their qualms with the UN.

As usual, from Wiki: "Many of the arguments revolve around determining when the name Sea of Japan became the common name. South Korea argues that historically the more common name was East Sea, Sea of Korea, or another similar variant. South Korea further argues that the name Sea of Japan did not become common until Korea was under Japanese rule, at which time it had no ability to influence international affairs. Japan argues that the name Sea of Japan has been the most common international name since at least the beginning of the 19th century, long before its occupation of Korea. Both sides have conducted studies of antiquarian maps, but the two countries have produced divergent research results."

Anyway, onto the trip photos!

pre-sunburn.

Autumn

Later in this post, you can see photos from Gameunsa.

The tomb is in that rocky area. Apparently, it is the only undersea tomb in the entire world.

It was around this point that the water splashed up and soaked my butt.

I got over it.

That's squid and seaweed drying behind me.

You may have missed the earlier post with a photo of a spiffy toilet (with built-in bidet) proving that they're not all squatters, but along the beach they were. Yikes! Thank God I didn't have to pee. No toilet paper in sight and the entire bathroom building reeked of piss. (Pardon my language, I just don't think the world "pee" captures how awful it was). Perhaps this is one of the original reasons it's customary to take off shoes indoors....

There was also no soap or sink in sight.

Gameunsa!

I was a bit surprised by the lack of other foreigners in this area, but it was also not included on the little handout I received on Saturday morning (at Seokguram) listing places of interest.

After exploring this area for a while, Autumn and I had around half an hour to kill before the next city bus would drive by. When we had first arrived at Gameunsa, I noticed a small Buddha statue up the hill; I suggested that we go up that way to see what was there. We came across a small temple, behind which was a beautiful bamboo forest. You may recall from a post from yesterday that I saw some bamboo in more central parts of Gyeongju, but this bamboo had a larger diameter, there was a lot more of it, and it was in a secluded area. It just made for a really special and unexpected part of my day.

The resulting video is my favorite from the trip.

In case you're curious, the bamboo was all ridiculously sturdy.

The hill leading to the small temple.

Produce growing in front of the temple

Fields of rice across from the bus stop

Anapji, Daereungwon Tombs Park

2011-06-04T22:01:00.059+09:00

It was around this point in our trip that Jamie, Ellen, and Sara called the bus terminal to figure out how they would get home that night. Ellen and Sara figured out that they could take a bus later in the evening (around midnight) to get home, but Jamie was a bit startled to find out that she had to leave at that moment to catch a bus to where she needed to go. She gave us a quick hug and a goodbye, borrowed the key to our hotel room, and said she could leave it at the front desk with our names so we could get back into it later on. Unfortunately, she missed her bus and had to catch a different one early in the morning. She still made it back in time for her plans; however, she missed out on the last few things we fit into our day.

Speaking of which, we headed to Anapji next.

Wikipedia to the rescue! "Anapji, or Anap Pond is an artificial pond in Gyeongju National Park, South Korea. It was part of the palace complex of ancient Silla (57 BCE - 935 CE). It was constructed by order of King Munmu in 674 CE. The pond is situated at the northeast edge of the Banwolseong palace site, in central Gyeongju. It is an oval shape; 200m from east to west and 180m from north to south. It contains three small islands."

During the dredging and excavation of the site in the 70s, over 33,000 pieces of historic relics were pulled from the pond; Autumn and I saw many (according to Wiki, 730) of them at the Gyeong-ju National Museum the following day. The buildings on the site were rebuilt, which is important to note so you don't think I am standing in front of 2000 year old buildings instead of ones rebuilt in the 70s ;). Not all of the buildings were rebuilt, of course, since the government chose to leave many of the sites "in their natural form."

Speaking of stuff pulled from the pond, it was shocking to all of us how intricately detailed the floor tiles, roof tiles, pottery, etc were. When I saw the re-made versions at Anapji, I didn't think that the originals could have been so detailed, but as you will see in my Gyeongju National Museum post, they certainly were. Turns out the ancient Silla Dynasty was known for technological advances and great artistic output (among other things).

The video is a little shaky at the start since I was walking (sorry!), but gets better in later sections.

Autumn and Sara looking over the pond just seemed like a great vacation-y photo :)

The layout of the large pond is such that you cannot see the entire thing from anywhere on the ground.

Posing in one of the buildings. This particular one had many replicas of artifacts found in the pond during a dig; most of them were in remarkable condition given their age and complete lack of care. You can see another of the three main buildings behind me.

Example of some of the artifacts. A few of them were the real deal, but the majority of the real artifacts I saw the following day when Autumn and I visited the Gyeong-ju Museum.

Autumn and I

Since it was edging closer to night, the weather was absolutely perfect for walking around.

Close up of the roof detail

All three main buildings visible. With this particular one, we could not go inside.

Sara, Autumn, and I

Autumn and I on the other side of the grounds. The lillipads reminded me of so many summers in Moose Lake, MN with my mom's side of the family. Each year, the younger cousins swim in the mucky, lillipad-covered, leech-infested, shallow area in front of the dock, and often have muck fights. My mom said she did the same thing when she was younger :). I no longer participate in the muck fights, though :).

Another note on Moose Lake as long as I am thinking of it- my mom told my sisters and I at a young age to always dump table salt on leeches if they ever attached. One year, Anne (my sister) had one attached and ran to get pepper, too "to make them sneeze!"

There was a bunch of bamboo growing off to the side. Needless to say, I was excited!

We were walking to the next part of our adventure when we came across a bunch of these flowers, which all of you back home have also seen a thousand times before :). Funny finding them on the other side of the world.

Little dirt and rock paths went through the vegitation-laden ponds

It screamed for a photo op :)

Front to back: Ellen, Sara, Me

The area is famous for a specific kind of bread, so I snapped a quick photo of one of the specialty stores selling it. There's a picture in it in the previous post; it looks a bit like a small pancake, and has red bean curd smeared between the layers. It might sound disgusting when I describe it but is actually fantastic for anyone who loves red bean curd. :)

In the first part of this video, you can see the burial mounds by night, including the sounds of the frogs and some of the music that was quietly playing over speakers (the frog sounds were not coming from speakers). Of course, hearing frogs made me think of my mom, who is notorious for driving down North Lake Drive, stopping the car on the side of the road, calling out "FROOOOGS!!!", and rolling down the windows to sit and listen for a while :).

In the second part of the video, I walk into the excavated mound; however, I was not able to show the artifacts (behind glass) within, or the example of what one of the burial chambers would look like since there was a sign instructing visitors to take no photos or video. A couple inside took a photo with flash (yikes) and I was surprised by their action. Isn't flash the part that is harmful to 1,000+ year old stuff? I am not sure.. will have to google it later.

Ellen and I

Sara posing by some flowers.

Dinner: chicken wings! Delicious! By the way, delivery in South Korea is likely faster than any other country in the world. If you order, I wouldn't even suggest taking a shower, going to the bathroom, etc- they'll be there within ten or fifteen minutes, tops, food piping hot and fantastic.

You know you're in a Love Motel when... there's weird black mirrors on the ceiling.

Autumn, Jamie, and I stayed the night; Ellen and Sara had to go back late that night since they had church the following morning. The girls insisted we strike some sort of "sexy or cute" pose for the photo, and since I don't actually have one, they told me to just blow a kiss. This dorky pose is the result.

Cheomseongdae (첨성대), Royal Tomb of King Naemul, Seokbinggo (경주석빙고), Banwolseong Ruins (반월성)

2011-06-04T18:33:00.003+09:00

Near the Cheongseongdae Observatory, there were some fenced-in places for only a few families. Ellen explained it to me something like this: Each one of those places are for burials of clan members that have been around here for hundreds of years. They are locked to other visitors; only family members can go to pay their respects so they remain places of burial and respect, rather than a place for tourists to visit like the royal tombs.

In front of Cheomseongdae

Ellen, Sara, Jamie, Kelsey

Autumn and I

Ellen and I!

Sara :)

The "rolling hills" behind me are actually royal tombs.

All of the brown signs are for culturally and historically important areas. Gyeong-ju has so many that in some places, like here, all of the signs are brown.

Toham Mountain and Mt. Tohamsan are the same- aka I hiked up the mountain where King Naemul placed the scarecrows to trick the Japanese.

Just in front of the royal tomb of King Naemul

The full group: Sara, Kelsey, Autumn, Jamie, Ellen

A fortress once stood in this area, but the only evidence remaining is the large open area, some ruins, and a 300-year-old ice storage.

There was no English on the monument to help me figure out what I was looking at..

Seokbinggo

Interior of the ice storage.

Sara was unaware of our planned pose heheh

I just thought this would be a lovely photo.

Hidden amongst the leaves

Outside of the main part of the Banwolseong ruins

This video is of the fish in the little pond behind me in the above photo.

Seokguram Grotto (석굴암)

2011-06-04T16:29:00.003+09:00

The next stop on our trip: Seokguram Grotto, a hermitage near the top of Mount Tohamsan. During the Silla Dynasty (57 BC – 935 AD), Mt Tohamsan was considered a guardian mountain of the country so major rituals were held there.

The first step was simply getting there. From Bulguksa Temple, we hiked another 4 kilometers up Tohamsan. It was fairly steep in most parts, exceedingly steep in others, and there were a few blessed areas with only a slight incline. The first kilometer or two was lined with different messages to students that must have had a recent field trip in the area. Eventually, all the messages stopped. As we got closer to the top, our ears began to pop since we were so high above sea level (750 meters/about 2500 feet). We could see large parts of Gyeong-ju as well as the East Sea, as it is called in Korea, but you may know it as the Sea of Japan. The hike was beautiful, serene, and tiring ;). To be totally honest, we didn't really mean to go hiking, it just sort of happened.

From Wikipedia: "The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa temple complex. It lies four kilometers east of the temple on Mt. Tohamsan, in Gyeongju, South Korea. It is classified as National Treasure No. 24 by the South Korean government and is located at 994, Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsanbuk-do. . . In 1962, it was designated the 24th national treasure of Korea. In 1995, Seokguram was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Bulguksa Temple. It exemplifies some of the best Buddhist sculptures in the world.

It is said to have been built by Gim Daeseong and originally called Seokbulsa (석불사, Stone Buddha Temple). Construction began in 742 when Gim Daeseong resigned his position in the king's court or in 751, the 10th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla. This time period was the cultural peak of Unified Silla. The grotto was completed by the Silla court in 774, shortly after Gim's death. An old legend stated that Gim was reincarnated for his filial acts in his previous life. The legend relates that the Bulguksa Temple was dedicated to Gim’s parents in his present life while the Seokguram Grotto was dedicated to Gim's parents from a previous life.

It is now one of the best known cultural destinations in South Korea."

We saw this towards the start of our accidental hike but didn't think anything of it at the time.The title (along the top) tells you that the sign is about how many calories you will burn, and that outdoor activities are good for your diet and health.

This picture is from one of the first chances we had to look out over Gyeong-ju and the mountains behind it.

There were steps in some areas. It was really beautiful.

The Korean version of Smokey the Bear made a guest appearance.

We made it! Some spring water from the mountain for visitors.

You could also wash your hands in a separate area. The water was ice cold.

Standing in front of the building housing the main Buddha.

These stones are actually seats for the monks to use for prayer.

That's Autumn talking in the background about some of the stones being remnants from when they were making the interior of the grotto, and they can now be used as an area for prayer. When she says "Sara is terrible!" we are talking about Sara's ability to take the most unflattering photos of people you've ever seen heheheh :). The drive at the end is the last part of our taxi ride. We were riding past fields of rice paddies.

Here, I am standing just in front of the main building. Mountains are visible in the distance, as well as the East Sea.

The main Buddha. We were not allowed to take photos (and there was a monk near the exit making sure no one did) since it is still used for prayer and is a holy place for Buddhists. Buddhists making a visit and bringing items could place them on a table outside of this main area, and later a monk would take those items and place them at the alter you can see in this photo.

As great as this photo is, it doesn't quite do it justice. The Buddha is made of stone, but however they carved it, it somehow looked smooth and soft. I don't quite know how to describe it..

From Wiki: "
The main Buddha is a highly regarded piece of Buddhist art. It is 3.5 meters in height and sits on a 1.34 meter tall lotus pedestal. The Buddha is realistic in form and probably represents the Seokgamoni Buddha, the historic Buddha at the moment of enlightenment. The position of the Buddha's hands symbolizes witnessing the enlightenment. The Buddha has an usnisa, a symbol of the wisdom of the Buddha. The drapery on the Buddha, such as the fan-shaped folds at the crossed-legs of the Buddha, exemplifies Korean interpretations of Indian prototypes. Unlike other Buddhas that have a halo attached to the back of the head, the Buddha at Seokguram creates the illusion of a halo by placing a granite roundel carved with lotus petals at the back wall of the rotunda. The pedestal is made of three parts; the top and bottom are carved with lotus petals while the central shaft consists of eight pillars.
Accompanying the main Buddha, in relief, are three bodhisattvas, ten disciples, and two Hindu gods along the wall of the rotunda. Ten statues of bodhisattvas, saints, and the faithful are located in niches above the bas-reliefs. The ten disciples were disciples of Seokgamoni and are lined five on each side of the Avalokitesvara. Their features suggest a Greek influence. The two bodhisattvas are of Manjusri and Samantabhadra. The two Hindu gods are Brahma and Indra.

The Four Heavenly Kings guard the corridor. There are also images of Vajrapanis, which are guardian figures and they are on the walls of the entrance to the corridor, in the antechamber. Eight Guardian Deities adorn the antechamber.

Another notable figure is the Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. It is on the back wall of the rotunda and stands 2.18 meters in height. This figure is the only one of the bas-reliefs facing forward, the others face the side. The Avalokitesvara wears a crown, is dressed in robes and jewelry and holds a vase containing a lotus blossom.

Two statues from the niches and a marble pagoda that was believed to have stood in front of the Avalokitesvara are missing from the grotto and are believed to have been looted by the Japanese."

Just outside the building housing the Buddha. You can tell from this photo that the Buddha was built inside a cave.

A cute couple outside the main building.

There was another building nearby and I was allowed to take pictures of it! :)

Close up of the miniature Buddhas along the back wall

Lanterns below

We walked down towards the building and I got a quick photo with the lanterns. I was not expecting to see them since Buddha's birthday was nearly a month ago.

Brightly colored lanterns, though not as many as the temples near Seoul on Buddha's birthday.

View of part of the mountain

Sara, Kelsey, Autumn

Main entrance to Seokguram

Large bell inside the structure near the exit

SPEAKING of the exit.
After you finish climbing 4 kilometers from the temple to Seokguram Grotto, you come to a parking lot. If you weren't aware of it previously, this is when you discover that you could have avoided all the hiking if you went to the other side of the mountain and caught a taxi. Woops. Sara and Jamie were especially shocked to find this out since they were really tired from the hike. Thankfully, my Bitney genes saved me from feeling exhausted. :)

Luckily, the hike was beautiful, good exercise, and a great experience overall, so I am happy that we hiked to the grotto rather than rode a taxi. We did choose to take a taxi down, though, since Sara, Jamie, and Ellen could not do any more traveling on Sunday, so it was important for them to maximize their time in Gyeong-ju.

I wasn't kidding when I said Jamie and Sara were wiped out. This is on the 20 minute taxi ride towards town heheh :)

We chose to get a late lunch here since our taxi driver recommended it.

I feel bad for the person who has to wash dishes. The meal included some foods not typical of Gyeonggi-do (the province in which I live). They include a white type of kimchi (the same one I had at the kimchi museum), these little delicious pancake-looking things with red bean curd, bean curd soup (including curd and soy sauce, rather than separating the soy sauce), great samgyeopsal (meat) that's available by me but not as famous for my region, pumpkin leaves for the meat, and some type of porridge made from bean curd.

On the way out, I got a quick cup of coffee from the free coffee machine in the restaurant. I think these things are genius and made a movie instead of trying to explain it to you :).

Bulguksa Temple (불국사)

2011-06-04T14:19:00.065+09:00

The five of us (Ellen, Sara, Jamie, Autumn, and I) were out the door by 10:30 or 11 so we could enjoy as much of Gyeong-ju as possible. We originally planned to hop on a tour bus to see the sights, but since all of the buses were booked, we took city buses instead. The first stop on our tour? Bulguksa Temple.

From Wikipedia: "Bulguksa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in the North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is home to seven National treasures of South Korea, including Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo (Blue Cloud Bridge), and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha. The temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. 1 by the South Korean government. In 1995, Bulguksa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Seokguram Grotto, which lies four kilometers to the east.

The temple is considered as a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom. It is currently the head temple of the 11th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

The earliest woodblock print in world, a version of the Dharani sutra dated between AD 704 and 751 was found there in 1966. Its Buddhist text was printed on a 8-×-630 cm (3.1-×-250 in) mulberry paper scroll."

Getting to the temple required a short hike, but the weather was beautiful so it wasn't bad at all :). Along the way, there were many little umbrella'd stalls with sausages, water, hats, necklaces, bracelets, figurines, and other little trinkets. I didn't buy anything, but Sara, Autumn, and Jamie purchased hats. I nearly bought a wide-brimmed blue hat to keep the sun out of my face, but wasn't sure when I would wear it outside of this weekend. Sara and Autumn decided they liked it so much they got it! (Autumn chose the blue hat, Sara chose the same hat in white)

To make things easier, I combined the 5 shorter clips into one longer one (if less than 2 minutes can be considered long). It includes fish under the bridge on the way in, a small waterfall in that same area, the 4 divas (and a few loud birds), walking towards the main area, a view of the main building with the 33 steps, the two stone pagodas, and video of a Buddist woman praying to the Buddha of Enlightenment (National Treasure #26). The last section of the video seems random, but it is a view of children's art that was hanging up in the area for the day.

Not stated on this sign- many known cultural treasures disappeared during the "Colonial Korea" (Japanese rule of Korea from 1910-1945, the end of WWII) and have not yet been returned. It's a sore subject for many Koreans.

Keeping the sun out of my face for a picture on the bridge. This area had a lovely pond, trees, and some flowers.

A few yards away, there was a natural spring coming from the top of the mountain. The water was fantastic and getting water so close to the source reminded me of the artesian well near my parents' house. I neglected to photograph it.

This is the main building at Bulgoksa. The first set of stairs is known as the "Blue Cloud Bridge" and the second set is the "White Cloud Bridge." Each step is carved with lotus flowers, but treading across them is now prohibited since it's causing the lotus flowers to fade away. There are 33 steps total, each one corresponding to one of the 33 heavens of Buddhism. Buddhists believe that going up these steps and the Anyang Mun ("peace enhancing gate") leads to Guknak Jongdo (Pure Land of Supreme Bliss).

Standing in front of one of the two stone pagodas, built in 751.

This building houses National Treasure #26, the "Buddha of Enlightenment." It dates to the late 700s or early 800s.

The main square inside the temple, with one of the stone pagodas behind me, and the building housing the Buddha of Enlightenment next to me.

Autumn and I at the main entrance. This entrance was different than other temples I have seen since it had four large, carved, wooden statues of the 4 divas. The other temples I have seen had paintings, smaller figures, or carvings.

The sign accompanying the main gate in the previous picture

Walking out with Ellen

This is clearly BEFORE I hiked 3 or 4 kilometers to Seokguram ;)

Friday Classes + The Ride to Gyeong-ju + Love Motel

2011-06-03T23:59:00.115+09:00

Top (member of Big Bang) and Kelli

Today went quickly.

Morning circle with Stingrays (conversation), first block with Blowfish (phonics game, conversation, booklet page about pets), second block with Stingray (Storytown book, conversation game, song), lunch with Stingray, and last kinder block with Angelfish (conversation, two booklet pages).

Memorable moment of the morning: I asked Stingray if they remembered Julie Teacher, their Korean homeroom teacher from Seahorse. Everyone but John had already forgotten her (she has been gone since the end of February). Elisa claimed to remember her, but when I asked what she looked like, Elisa thought she had blonde hair like me. John seemed surprised that he was the only one to remember her. Lucy promised me that she will remember me. I told her that it's a sweet thought, but she is very young, and after all, Julie was forgotten. Lucy's explanation was adorable. "I have TWO hearts, Kelsey Teacher. One big heart and one little heart. Julie teacher was in my little heart, so I forgot her, but I love you sooo so so much and you are in my big heart and I will remember you forever!." Too sweet.

Just before our afternoon classes started, King Teacher called all the native teachers over to discuss observation (it starts next week). He reminded us that it is not a competition, but just an evaluation of our skills- what we are good at, what needs work, etc. He also handed out a form for us to fill out about the lesson- what materials we will use, lesson goals, how much time we are planning for each activity, etc. We were told on Wednesday that we would be using no textbooks at all and instead just show the kinds of activities we do, but he said that we would actually be using the textbooks during observation. For teachers being observed on Tuesday, the form was due by the end of the day. Yikes! There are a lot of things that I enjoy about my school, but lack of communication is not one of them. An hour or two later, he came back and informed all of us that they changed their minds once again and they wanted us to use only materials and no textbooks. Since it was nearly the end of the day, they didn't change the guidelines again.. if you could call them guidelines. "Use materials" was the only direction that we were given. When Autumn handed in her lesson plan, it was rejected since they didn't totally understand the activities she planned for her kids and was told that she should make all her own materials, rather than use ones EOS has on hand, since some of the other teachers are doing so and it is a competition. This was really bothersome to me, too, since she had two activities planned and I had told her one of them since it is something I do with my own class. Although she came to me for ideas and I told her plenty of activities I do with my kids to help her out, I felt like I did just the opposite since KT and QT decided that they want us to use materials we are using for just that lesson.

Am I making sense here?

A more concise summary so I don't forget anything:
-We were told to not use a textbook at all, then to use one, then not to use one.
-We were at the first meeting (two weeks ago) that it was a competition and we would know who got the best and worst scores, then were told at the second meeting that it was not a competition, were reassured of this today, and then Autumn was told point-blank that it is a competition. None of us like the idea of competing with our coworkers. We're all educators, we're all at the same school, we're on all the same team with the same goals: do the best we can to help our students do the best they can.
-We were told at both meetings that it was just a normal observation so they can see what we usually do in class, since that is the best way to see what our teaching style is. We were then told not to do what we usually do in class, making it impossible for them to actually observe a typical day.
-We were told to use the materials we would normally use, then were told to make all of our own materials to be used just for that class period.
-We were told to make the lesson plan at the last second before a long weekend.
-We didn't receive any guidelines other than those that I just listed (and they kept changing), but coworkers had plans rejected since they weren't what KT and QT were looking for.. but we have no idea what they are looking for since they didn't tell us.

It's just incredibly frustrating for all of us and for Kelli and I, it's bringing back the same feelings we had around PTA- tons of work that had to be redone because it didn't fit nonexistent guidelines, having KT and QT in our classroom to see what it is like (but the kids behave differently when they are in the room; they could simply watch from the cameras in each room to see what it is truly like), having our students afraid of getting yelled at, etc. Moments like this make me happy to be done in 2 months.

Moving on.

This afternoon during the full day break, I made a card for Kelli since it was her birthday (that's the picture above). Autumn and I went in on a Big Bang cup for her gift, and she loved both the gift and the card. Our coworkers also got a kick out of it, and it was fun to make :).

Elementary classes: Diamond, Pre-Honors 2, Honors 6. All of them were pretty good. I got a lot of work done during my break, which was nice since I didn't want to stick around too late after work.

When it was time to head out, I asked Autumn what time I should meet her the following morning to go on our trip to the Eastern side of Korea. She texted Ellen to ask about the specific time our train was leaving, and we found out (to our shock) that Ellen didn't book the tickets yet even though she said she was planning on booking no later than Monday. Autumn and I quickly went to the computer lab to see if any tickets were available for the early train we planned on taking, but none were left... on that train or on any other heading out on Saturday. We were incredibly disappointed and trying not to feel any anger over it. To make sure we could still go someplace (we have Monday off and didn't want to waste a three-day weekend), we looked for tickets to other places that were farther away than just a day trip and would have lots for us to do on Saturday and Sunday. We found tickets to Gyeong-ju and literally while we were looking at the screen the bus available that night (there were no Saturday tickets left) were disappearing. Autumn was waiting for Ellen and Jamie's response as to whether they could go that night, and the second they said they could, we had Sara book the tickets (neither Autumn nor I could book them since we can't get credit cards here). The rest of the evening was a mad dash to get home, pack, go to Seoul, navigate the busiest subway I have ever seen, eat dinner, and get on our bus. Sara went to Seoul before we did since her house is there; Jamie had finished work earlier and also met us there; Ellen was still at work and planned to meet us there.

I packed faster than I ever have and got out of Yeongtong in a hurry.When we arrived in Seoul, we needed to take Line 2 for just one stop, and I have never seen the subway so busy. Even Autumn said that she has only seen it that busy once before. Everyone had to push their way to get on the subway, and once we were all on, it was so crowded that it seemed as though if I picked my feet up off the ground, I would be held up by all of the people packed shoulder-to-shoulder around me. My backpack, loaded with things for the weekend, somehow got pulled down, making me lean back. I tried to straighten out (it was uncomfortable to stand like that), but the subway was so crowded that it was impossible. When the subway jerked to a stop at the next station, no one even moved since we were packed so tightly. It was a surreal experience.

To get off the subway, we had to push our way out at the same time as other people were pushing their way on, desperate to get to wherever they were going. We had one more subway ride to get to the bus terminal and while it was crowded, it was no where near as bad as that first ride. We made it to the bus terminal by 10:30 (our bus was leaving at 11:10), giving us time to get a quick bite to eat. Sara and Jamie showed up at around 11, and Ellen called to say that she was running 10 minutes late and we should see if the bus driver could wait for her; however, he could not (not a surprise) since he needed to stick to the schedule since another bus would pull in to load passengers once he pulled away. Sara ran to refund Ellen's ticket and we got on the bus without her (it left at almost exactly the moment the bus's digital clock changed to 11:10).

Korean rest area

Ellen luckily got the last seat on a bus leaving 40 minutes after ours, so we planned to meet her in Gyeong-ju. The ride was around 3.5 hours long since it was an express bus, and that time was broken up by a 15 minute stop at a rest area. Rest areas are a bit different over here. It was around 1am, but there were still multiple restaurants open, stalls of random things for purchase, the biggest rest stop bathroom I have ever seen, and dozens of buses. We went in to stretch our legs and get some water, then headed back on the bus.

When we finally arrived in Gyeong-ju, we found a cheap hotel to get a bit of sleep (the others got some shut eye on the bus, but I couldn't fall asleep). We stayed in what is called a "love motel" over here, and in case you're not familiar with the term, love motels are essentially hotels frequented by both travelers and people hoping to get away for the night (or for a few hours), whether for sleep or otherwise. They sometimes get a bad rap, but they're a lot cheaper than hotels designed for tourists, and they also often are nicer, too. We chose a room where we just slept on the floor on mats, which wasn't too bad. There was a decent bathroom with a tub (the first tub I have seen since.. December?), shampoo, conditioner, body wash, towels, blow dryer, big tv, and a lot of what you would expect to see in a decent hotel back home. The unexpected? Little cards with phone numbers and pictures of naked girls (littering the steps on the way in) and free condoms in the rooms. Mom and dad- don't worry, our room was spotlessly clean and we were even able to look at it before we paid to stay there.

We were all pretty much ready for bed when Ellen got into town, meaning we didn't get to sleep until 4 or 4:30. Yikes! Still, I was happy to have the trip worked out and to sleep a bit in the morning (until 10:00) instead of getting up at 5am as I would have had our original travel plans worked out.

Pictures I found of myself on the EOS computer :)

2011-06-03T17:52:00.001+09:00

This is an assortment of photos ranging from last month to way back in October. Britt- I put up the two I found of you. If you want me to dig through and see if there are any more, let me know!

Also, a quick but important note: Memorial Day in Korea is this Monday, so I have off of work. I am leaving on a trip in just a few moments and will not be back until Sunday or Monday. Thus, I will not respond to any blog comments, facebook messages, or emails until that time. Don't think that I died! :)

I will add captions to the photos when I have more time. Figuring out this trip has been a whirlwind experience (was planning on leaving early in the AM but found out that Ellen forgot to book the tickets and they were totally sold out, have to go now instead but don't mind as long as we make the train!). Excited to share everything when I am back!

-K

catholic confession app?

2011-06-02T23:14:00.006+09:00

source: littleiapps

I ran across this a while ago, bookmarked it, and forgot to share it. Introducing... the Roman Catholic Confession App for iPhone.

So weird.

My first reaction was that it is absolutely ridiculous, and then I found out that the Vatican issued a statement saying that it is fine as long as you don't use it to replace confession but rather to help you keep track of your daily sinful actions, which (in my opinion) could help curb their frequency. Sort of like how writing down everything you eat suddenly puts less on your plate.

The app asks you a series of questions centered around various types of sinful thoughts and actions, as well viewpoints more specific to the Catholic Church ("Have I killed someone today?" "Have I taken birth control today?"). It then "displays a written act of contrition" and even tells you when to say amen.

Again, I find this really, really weird.

Then again, "Pope Benedict said that if used creatively and correctly new computer technologies can help people meet the human longing to connect with others and share the search for goodness, beauty and truth." On top of that, he asked that we bring the witness of [our] faith to the digital world.

Here's looking at you, kid?

Four-Year-Old Flasher

2011-06-01T23:15:00.001+09:00

edit: The title refers to a quick story that appears mid-post, but I am adding this sentence since it seemed awkward to have the below sentence appear next to the title. Hrm.

Today was another great day.

I spent morning circle with Stingray. Each Wednesday, they have a weekly spelling check of 7-10 words. There are only 7 words scheduled for the day, but I generally add three to the list from previous weeks to see how well they are retaining information. The words this week: frog, plump, tuck, wing, ring, and 5 others that are escaping my memory at the moment. John spelled them all perfectly (as usual), 4 others received 8/10, and one student had 5/10. The 5/10 was a lower-than-average score compared to previous weeks, but I assume that it was just nerves over some of the newly-introduced diphthongs in a few of the words.

At 10:10, I headed into Blowfish to work on math, conversation, and a booklet page about pets. There is a large felt board in the room to be used with velcro-backed letters, numbers, and fruits, which I employed for the activity. I counted out a few fruits and then stuck the correct number next to them, then had the kids come up individually to count out different sets of fruits and select the correct number (making sure that they could both count in English and recognize the written number). They did really well, so I had them work on some simple adding activities as well, which Gemma and John understood immediately. This activity flowed into the conversation topic, since I had the kids come up and select their favorite fruit, then we counted how many kids liked each fruit. They seemed pretty excited about knowing the words "favorite" and "like" since they hadn't been formally introduced yet. The kids next were paired up to come in front of the class and ask each other questions about the fruits ("Do you like _____?" "Yes, I do! / No, I don't!"; "What is your favorite"? "_________!"). I pulled out the big bucket of plastic food to extend this for the kids who hadn't yet mastered the conversation piece; by the end, they were all fine with it and also understood that it could be applied for more than just food ("Do you like (color / class name / stickers / etc). They were then more than happy to ask me a never-ending string of questions about what I do and don't like, especially since they loved my reactions to certain words, namely celery ("NOOO!!! I don't like celery!") and cake ("I LOVE CAKE!! More cake please!" while pretending to eat it and patting my stomach).

The booklet pages were fairly simple- identifying a hamster (or as most of them said, ham-sa-ter) and bird, coloring them, and tracing the letters. When the bell rang, I said goodbye to them and they ran to hug me and tell me to stay, which was really sweet. I heard Philip off to the side saying "I love you teacher! Bye byyyeeee!" and turned my head towards and it went sort of like this: "See you tomorr-- PHILIP!! Go back in the bathroom and pull your pants up!!" since he had waddled out of the bathroom, pants around his ankles, to say goodbye. He thought my reaction was hilarious so he proceeded to pull his underwear down, thrust his hips forward, and creepily chant "Kelsey Teachaaaa! I love you bye byeeee" while Angel Teacher ran over to pull them back up again. The whole ordeal only lasted a moment, but I was laughing about it later.

Once I got to Angelfish, I taught more math, conversation, and a booklet page. The math was easier than the pages done in Blowfish, but they're all having a tough time matching the spoken and written numbers. They'll get it eventually. Conversation was not technically scheduled, but I made sure to put as much of what they were saying into English if I knew how to translate it ("Look at me!" "I am sitting." "Please help me." "I'm finished." "May I go to the bathroom?" "I'm hot!"). Here's Helen doing three of the first phrases any EOS student learns: I love you! Be quiet! Sit down!! ;)

Lunch was pretty good today since there was the spicy tofu that I enjoy :). The soup had some hidden mini shrimp at the bottom, so I avoided it entirely. I think that they've been trying to up the quality of the food lately by adding more seafood to it, but it means that there are more hidden surprises that I don't like... luckily, there's always at least something that I enjoy, though.

I stayed with Stingray after lunch and we worked on conversation the entire time :). I made the list of questions for next week's phone conversation check, so I had the kids start practicing for it early.

At 2:00, we (native teachers) had our weekly meeting with Sharon, the manager for native teachers, and King Teacher. He went over the observation schedule for the next two weeks since he and QT will be watching and grading our classes. He said not to feel stressed about it, but all of us can't help it since we are being graded and the majority of us agree that having them watch through CCTV (the cameras in each room) would be a better representation of how our classes actually function, for better or for worse. As teachers, we would feel less nervous, and since they would not be in the classrooms, our kids would act how they normally do (rather than better/worse, louder/quieter due to having the principal and CEO in the room). During the meeting, we were also told that we'll have a 100 days celebration next week (celebrating reaching the 100 day mark for kindergarten), which I have been looking forward to since I first arrived in Korea and saw the pictures from two months before I arrived.

Afternoon today: Diamond, Rainbow, and Honors 6. I had a lot of fun in all of them. I particularly loved the progress I've seen in Diamond and Honors 6 since I started teaching them regularly (I teach both of them MWF) back in January. The main things that stand out are the ability of the Diamond girls to make complete sentences (they were previously unable to do so and would instead just gesture and use a few nouns to try to explain) and the pronunciation of all of the kids in Honors 6 (it used to be so bad that if I looked away from the book to write something on the board while they were reading, they would often get stuck on a word and have such a tough time with it that I had absolutely no idea what they were saying. Their behavior is also much better than it used to be, their homework is easier to correct (it also used to be nearly impossible to understand the point of a few of their essays), and they are genuinely happy to see me come in the door to teach them.

I checked homework and did prep work for an hour before gathering my things and heading home. I was about to walk out the door when Amy T and Vivian T let me know that Aditi, her parents, and her sister were at the school to take care of her tuition bill. I chit chatted with them for a while, and after they were out of sight, Vivian smiled and laughed while doing the international "dead" symbol (flat hand across the throat) since she doesn't like dealing with them since they are very picky and very, very chatty.

I know Memorial Day was this past Monday in the USA, but in Korea it is this coming Monday, so I have been planning a two-day trip with Sara, Ellen, Autumn, and Jamie (aka "musical teacher" to the kids). I'm really looking forward to it and plan on leaving Friday after work, which is why I mention it now (in the event that I forget to say it later). Family & Matt- if I don't respond, don't worry- I am enjoying a different part of Korea and will not have my computer.

When you grow up, you get golden hair!

2011-06-01T00:02:00.001+09:00

"I can wear that short clothes!"
"And what else? What will happen when you grow?"
"I will have gooooolden haaair! Not black.."
"Why?"
"Golden.. because I am growing up like this!"
"Really? And when you grow you get gold hair?

"Yes."
"How do you know? (pause) How do you know?"
(She comes up to show me her proof: my own hair.)
"...goodbye!"

Anna of Angelfish Class randomly started talking to me in the middle of class about how she can't wait to grow up, and I got the tail end of it on video. I stopped it when she got out of her chair since I didn't want all of them to stand up, too. How the conversation somehow started:

"When I grow, I will have shoes like this--" (points to my shoes) "--and clothes like this--" (points to my clothes) "--and I will be so happy!"

She also decided that when you grow up, you of course get "goooolden haaair," based on my example. She's stoked. I'll have to let her down gently.

Roaring, like this: RAAAAAAAAAAARR! - Hi, King Teacher!

2011-05-31T23:18:00.003+09:00

.Ignore everything I stuck in small font in case you want to ignore the vent. It's not really necessary to read it anyway, and was just me getting it off my chest :). I don't mind and actually encourage avoiding it heheh.

I'll admit it. Every Tuesday, I dread heading into work

It isn't that I get the Monday blues a day late, but my schedule on Tuesdays is just a headache. Brief prep time from 9:10-9:25, head up to the classroom, and not have another break until 2:00 (at which time I prep for my full-day kindergarten and afternoon classes as fast as I possibly can, then head upstairs at 2:20). After full day, head straight into two hours of elementary classes, not getting a chance to sit on my butt and do nothing until just after 5.

Yes, it's only 8 hours. But it's 8 straight hours of teaching and prep, and the prep is only 35 minutes. Do I get everything done that I need to get done? Absolutely. Is that a busy schedule without much time to breathe, especially considering I spend 5 hours with no one over the age of 5, and the last two hours with 7 year olds?

Seasoned teachers, parents, and day care providers of the world: I salute you. Speaking of which, I'm currently extremely envious of the months "off" that teachers get back home. To have that much time to breathe and prep for the upcoming year.. envious. Very envious. Anyone who thinks that teachers back home are overpaid deserves a kick in the butt.

Anyway.

My morning started off pretty well. I woke up a few minutes early so I would have time to make myself a big cup of coffee, and although I didn't have time to eat breakfast, I didn't get too hungry around lunch anyway. Morning circle with Stingray was a lot of fun. I brought in a little tin bucket full of scrabble tiles, divided the kids into two teams, and had them pick out tiles and tell me a word with that beginning sound. No words could be reused. They had a lot of fun with it and Junny could confidently complete the activity despite the fact that he is at a much lower speaking and conversation level than the other kids; since it was not making grammatically-correct sentences and was instead just saying single words, he didn't have that look of fear that crosses his face at times when he knows it is going to be difficult for him.

During the first block, I had Stingray again. We worked on their Storytown practice book as well as conversation. They have come remarkably far from when I got here back in August. Previously, they couldn't really do a simple phonics page individually and would call out for help. Now, they are reading sentences and filling in the words from the word back. I'm impressed with their ability to do these kinds of tasks; only half of them are 5 years old, and the rest of them won't turn 5 for months. Before coming here, I would never have believed that kids so young could achieve so much.

Second block was Blowfish and they were really well-behaved compared to usual. They have gotten a lot better lately, and I think it has to do with both them getting used to the pace of class and having a 100% rule with them- unless 100% of them are listening and participating, I will not start the next activity, even if the majority of them are anxious to start. It makes them police each other and make the stragglers want to pay attention- if it is their friends anxious to start, rather than a teacher anxious to get them to pay attention to an already-started activity, they have a lot more interest in seeing what's going on. We worked on Pp sound and number identification. Nearly all of them had the 8 or 9 Pp words memorized by the end of class, making them proud and me really pleased. I'll have to review it with them tomorrow to make sure it stays in their heads. They loved p-p-peanut the best because they accidentally said "pen" a few times and I dramatically said "PEN??!! REALLY??!!" and pretended to eat mine while they all shouted "Teacher, NOOOooo! p-p-peanut!!!" :)

Lunch- back to Stingray as usual. Lunch was pretty dismal, so when I went upstairs I asked if I could have some red pepper paste to go on my rice. I LOVE that stuff. A little too much, perhaps, since I am basically known to the cooks as that crazy white girl who likes hot sauce.

After lunch, I had Stingray and we worked on math (write in the missing number) and song. The math was ridiculously easy for them since I had already done some games with them last week based around the concept, so they were all finished in 5 minutes tops. We worked on Mikey the Monkey the rest of class; by the end of the week, I hope to make a video to show you. They're pretty cute when they do it, and the song includes a section about the monkey scratching his fleas. Yes, I made them do motions >:)

Full day today? Awesome. Not kidding. I usually dread it, but this makes it the third time in a row in which they have all been pretty darn well behaved, focused, and excited about the activities and materials. We did their vocabulary check (a bit of a nightmare to coordinate) and it went really quickly compared to a few weeks ago. I am also ecstatic to report that Justin, a ridiculously smart kid in my full day this year and who was also in my full day last year, is finally moving into English kindergarten! I have been telling Sara to tell his parents to move him for weeks now, and they finally agreed that he is really smart and it is a bit of a waste to not have him in the program.

After full day: two hours of Pre Honors 2, my favorite elementary class. The first block was reading and reading comprehension. We worked on a short play about a lion who catches a rabbit and is about to eat it when the rabbit directs the lion to look in a well to see another lion. That second lion is his reflection, but the lion is too stupid to figure it out, gets angry at the second lion threatening his territory, and jumps in the well to try to attack it. There's also the voice parts of 'narrator' and 'echo.' We reviewed key vocab first, but it was still tough for them to understand what was going on, so I (over)acted out the whole thing for them, using my reflection on the kinder cubbies as the well, and occasionally pretending to be the scared but smart rabbit. "Look over in the well! Another lion" -- "And the lion stomps over like THIS--" STOMP STOMP STOMP "--sees his reflection but thinks it is a NEW lion, so he starts roaring like this: ROAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!"

I was in the middle of pretending to be the lion angry at his reflection when my boss, aka King Teacher, walked by to look in the windows of the classrooms and see how things were going.. he seemed to find the whole thing pretty funny, so I just waved and kept going. No idea how long he had been watching. The kids understood everything well by the end of the hour and could answer questions about the story, so I'm happy, despite the fact that I semi-wanted to disappear when I saw him in the little window. Woops!

Second hour with them was discussing vowel pairs, moving on to their English Time textbook, and working on a practice dialogue. It went as quickly as the first hour and was over before I knew it. Despite how exhausted I felt just after full day ended, I got my wind back before these two hours and had a blast teaching them. Overall, today was just one of those days where you end it thinking "You know what? I am really good at this." - and shouldn't we all have days like that? (Especially on the busier ones)

Sidenote: I don't mean this in any sort of narcissistic way.. more in a "if you're planning on doing this with your life, you should- and will- have busy but wonderful days that make you think you are doing what you are supposed to be doing" sort of way :)

I did my daily report as usual, ran to 711 with Autumn to get a snack, made the conversation questions for next week's phone check, and headed home by 6:30 :). Now I am going to pop on a movie and hopefully fall asleep within the next hour.

Oooouch! We're having a baby!

2011-05-30T23:01:00.002+09:00

Moral of the story: Rachel, Elisa, and Lucy are nuts early in the morning.

She works haaard for the money..

2011-05-29T18:57:00.000+09:00

...now if only these bills were 10,000 USD instead of 10,000 ₩...

서울타워 - Seoul Tower

2011-05-28T23:29:00.074+09:00

Today, I finally got around to making a trip to Seoul Tower. Quick background on Seoul Tower- built in 1969, sits atop Namsan Mountain, 777 feet tall, tops out at 1,574 feet above sea level, and my ears definitely popped in the elevator as we went up to the top. As you can see in my pictures, you can see most of Seoul from the top of the tower. It was a really lovely view and I will likely take my mom there when she visits, but perhaps to see a night view to see Seoul lit up (it's up to her).

I managed to wake up before my alarm today, which is a rare occurrence after a busy week. I used that extra time to check email, eat breakfast, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready at a more relaxed pace. Autumn knocked on my door just before 1pm, at which point we headed to the bus stop. The line to get on the bus wasn't too long, but the buses were so full that they kept driving past us. After ten or fifteen minutes of this (not bad!), we finally got on a bus. From Myeongdong, we took the subway towards Namsan, then took a bus up the mountain.

Typical view from the back of the bus: sleeping passengers, people attached to their phones, and the occasional girl doing her makeup. And of course black hair. ;)

Autumn and I, on the bus and excited to see the tower.

A lovely park in Namsan. We saw it when we started walking the wrong way to catch a bus, but I am happy that we came across it. I want to plan an intentional trip here sometime.

After riding the bus up a steep mountain, we were nearly there! The railings had tons of messages from visitors, and I happened to have a "name pen" (aka permanent marker) in my purse so I could add my own signature.

There was a little caterpillar strolling along the railing, so I snapped a picture.

Writing our names, homes, and date of visit. Autumn is writing on the left; mine is in the center.

Starting the stroll up the mountain. It ended up being pretty steep.

Posing by a ridiculous statue, with Seoul Tower in the background. The tents in the background had various things for sale, including shoes, squid, clothes, paintings.. a whole lot of random, really.

View of Seoul

There were literally thousands of locks attached to the railings along this long walkway/lookout area. At first, I thought it was just a short section, but as I rounded a corner, it kept going. The locks are left by couples hoping that their love will last forever. Autumn's closest friend, Hegen, left a lock there shortly before she was married.

Closer view of all the locks. There were bicycle locks, plastic locks, locks with photos, custom-engraved locks.. a great variety.

Behind me, you can see that the path continues for a while.

We purchased our tickets to go to the top of the tower. It was 9,000W since we did not opt for the audio tour tapes. This snapshot is near the "shockin elevator" we rode to the top. In case you're curious, no, it was not shocking.

Video that was projected on the wall by the elevator

At the top, we looked up and noticed mirrors along the outside edge of the ceiling.

I zoomed in on an area with identical buildings since this is the best opportunity I've had to photograph them. In Korea, most people live in apartment buildings. The newer buildings are often identical to many others built in a row.

Thousands of kilometers from home.. neat to see the name of a city I've been to.

Another view.

10,332 kilometers closer to North Korea than home. Weird.

There was a neat floor in front of this wall display. The floor looked like a bunch of floor tiles made from television screens, and when you stomped across them, it would look like it was breaking. An elderly man walked by this area and was tapping it with his cane rather than stomping.

View of the round viewing room at the top


"Dear Everyone, What you give is what you get. -Stan" This was my favorite message on a long wall where you could write your own message on a little wooden tile. It was around 10USD for a tile, so I opted not to get one.

Fun hallway of mirrors

Zooming in on the top of one of the buildings below

The lower observation deck

There was a fake wedding of sorts happening at the base of Seoul Tower. Autumn and I saw everything set up for it before we went up; by the time we came down, it had already started. It was an example of a traditional Korean wedding, and there were tons of onlookers (both Korean and foreign). These women were performing when we walked up to it.

Quite possibly the coolest part- the women dancing with drums. They were incredibly in unison.

The performer balancing the plate.

The end of the show

If you look closely, you can see the disk he tossed. He was doing many tricks with it- tossing it quite high, catching it, balancing it on a stick (as it rotated), etc.

The "bride and groom" looking on

Back inside, on the ground level, there was a wall of ceramic tiles. Similar to the wooden blocks, you could buy one and write your message before attaching it. There were TONS of blocks with messages and pictures of couples. There were also some jerks who stuck there tile on top of someone else's! Lame.

I'm just above the "S." Just after taking this picture, I was asked to take a photo for a guy (posing by the locks listed earlier). I of course said it was no problem, but after he got the camera back, he wanted to know my life story, take a picture with me, find out my email address, etc... all the while, I was telling him I really couldn't chat since my friend was waiting for me. Hrm.

This guy was playing "God Bless America" when we first walked towards him. Something about an elderly Korean gentleman playing the "my home sweet hoooome" section made me laugh.

In the video from the previous blog entry, I talk about Autumn taking a photo for a group of guys and then asking them to take a photo for us. This is that picture. In case you missed it- the guy taking the picture counted to three in Korean, his friend poked fun at him and said he needed to count in English because of the foreigner, I told him it was okay, but since I said it in Korean, they were all blown away.. despite the fact that "It's okay" is one of the easiest and first phrases I learned. The joys of being foreign.. that sort of thing is something I admit I'll miss when I go home.

Autumn told me that you can add your own stone to a pile like this and make a wish.

Electric bus charging up!! Very cool. This is the type of bus Autumn and I rode to get towards the top of the mountain.

I realize this looks positively foul in a photo, but it is sooo delicious. Dinner at School Food in Myeongdong with Autumn. Some sort of garlic/cream/soy sauce with rice cakes, mushrooms, onions, and noodles.

heheheheheh. We shopped around in Myeongdong for a while. I laughed when I came across this... and was happy to see Wisconsin on a shirt! Not too common over here. The next store is the one where I bought the "bat clothes" I mention in my video (previous blog post) where the woman stared me down with wide eyes and exclaimed that I was beautiful. I think if I had a paper bag over my head and cut a hole so my blonde ponytail would stick out, I'd still be called beautiful over here.

On the bus home at the end of the day. Something TOTALLY different about riding the bus here? It is a total rat race. I don't know how to make you picture it unless you have experienced it. To catch any bus, you have to basically run partially into the street to hop on, and for busy bus lines, you have to run and push your way on since there's a limited number of seats. Have you ever seen a video of animals pushing their way into or out of a corral? Similar to this. Because the bus was so, so crowded, three buses drove by without stopping since they had no available seats. Autumn and I weren't able to get on the next two buses that stopped since there were no seats left by the time we got towards the front of the line. We finally made it onto a bus, and then when the bus stopped at the next stop and only one person could get on, a older gentleman stomped onto the bus to curse out the bus driver about the lack of seats. They were arguing back and forth for a few minutes, then the bus driver literally turned the bus off, told him that he wasn't going to drive, and went outside to have a cigarette. The cursing man finally got off the bus and we were on our way.

May 28 Chit Chat (Video)

2011-05-28T22:35:00.003+09:00

Just a quick update talking about Seoul Tower, Myeongdong, figuring out a flight home, etc.
I figured it would be nice for my family to see my face for the first time in a while :)

Students, friends, and flights.

2011-05-27T23:55:00.059+09:00

When I arrived at work today, I had a coffee and a sweet note waiting for me from Amy, my co-homeroom teacher for Stingray Class :). It was a great way to start off a busy day.

The day went really quickly. During morning circle, I worked on conversation topics with my kids. Towards the end, we played a noun picture game. I introduced the difference between nouns and verbs yesterday, and even though most of my students are 4, they somehow immediately grasped the concept. The game was pretty simple- I would ask them (one at a time) to tell me a noun that they wanted me to draw, and they had to describe it. I drew it behind my head, which sounds strange but was actually really great. They all wanted to give as many details as possible because the more complicated it was, the more bizarre and funny my drawing appeared to them. It was a great way to get them talking, and every once in a while, I miraculously produced a decent looking drawing (which is the story behind the cartoon bunny).

After morning circle, I scooted off to Blowfish Class. Something worth mentioning about that class is that they always behave a lot better during the class periods before lunch. They were pretty darn focused today, especially considering it is the end of a long week, there are 12 kids in the class (11 today since Dana is in Belgium with her family for a week), and all but two of them are 3 years old. We talked about 4 different letters of the alphabet (letter recognition, matching the capital and lowercase letters) and colors. They had to color all of each letter a different color, and every single one of them did it really well. I taught them some conversation pieces before I headed back to Stingray Class ("Do you like ____? "Yes, I do!"/"No, I don't!"). There are some kitchen toys and plastic food items in the class for playtime, so I used the foods for props and made it all about food ("Do you like pizza?" "YES, I DO!!" "Do you like peas?" "No, I do- I don't! I don't, teacher!").

Stingray was great as usual. Storytown practice book, Storytown book, and conversation. Junny is slowly but surely getting better at his speaking/listening skills, but he is still very far behind the rest of the class. He understands a lot more of what is going on in class- this is leaps and bounds better than three months ago- but has a ways to go.

Lunch today was interesting. John was just starting to eat when he began to cry. I rushed over to figure out what was going on, but he just put his head on my shoulder, hugged me, and didn't want to talk about it. None of the other kids had any idea what was going on, and after a minute or two of this, John explained to me that he started thinking about how much he was going to miss me on Saturday. It was really, really sweet, but also really, really over the top. He's only 4 and is a really sensitive kid, but I still have to encourage him to think positively and not be so emotional in class.. both because it can take away from actual class time, is really tough to see such a sweet little kid upset, and because Queen Teacher doesn't like it when the kids get so attached to their teachers. Because native teachers are only under a one-year teaching contract, it can cause problems for the school if a student is extremely attached to their teacher, the teacher finishes their contract and leaves, and then the student doesn't want to attend that hagwon (private school) anymore. Regardless, I got John to calm down and think about the fun things he would do with his mom over the weekend.

After lunch, I taught Angelfish phonics (Hh) and conversation (same as in Blowfish). It was pretty uneventful aside from Sunny sneezing and having so much snot come out in every direction that she looked like she'd been hit with a snot-filled water balloon. Disgusting.

I got my Stingrays ready to go home and loaded them onto their buses. I was getting a little prep work done on one of the front desk computers when Sara (my co-homeroom teacher for full-day kindergarten) asked if I would be able to run up to full day and watch the kids when the bell rang; she was in the middle of getting a few things done that needed to get done at that moment. I said it was no problem, went upstairs, and when class was supposed to start, I started doing a phonics game with the kids. Sara still hadn't finished up her work so KT asked me if I could just teach full day during that block. I didn't mind it since it would count towards my hours, I was having fun with the kids, and I was helping out a coworker. Another bonus? Next week on Thursday I won't have to teach full day :).

The kids were quite possibly the best behaved they have ever been. I really enjoyed teaching them today despite the fact that I generally dread that class period since there are 12 of them and they are all at very different levels (so different that some of them work on 2 lower-level worksheets and some of them work on 2 higher-level worksheets).

After full day, I scooted downstairs to get ready for my afternoon classes. Today was the "Vocabulary King" day, meaning all of the elementary kids had huge vocab exams and the best 2 would get a medal and a small cash prize. Three of my Pre-Honors 2 kids got perfect scores, and two of the Diamond girls got perfect scores. Although we (teachers) were not told to prepare anything for after the exam, I assumed it would not take the whole time and prepared a writing exercise. Pre-Honors 2 wrote about their hobbies (and drew a picture), and Diamond wrote about their favorite thing to do with their moms (and drew a picture). I finally had an actual break at 5:05, at which point I went downstairs.

There are elementary parent teacher conferences going on right now. Even though the Korean teachers meet with the parents rather than native teachers (a lot of the parents cannot speak English), I was briefly pulled into a few meetings. The rest of the time, I was making comments for the Kindergarten TOEOS (on 6 sections: listening, speaking, reading, writing, phonics, and general comments about their behavior in class). I found out at around 5:10 that QT wanted the comments done by tomorrow, but she said Monday would be okay. I was actually pretty irritated since I hate to hear about things like that at the last second when it can easily be avoided.

When the bell rang, I went up to go over the vocabulary exam with Honors 6. They were so relieved to be finished with it that they were misbehaving and chatting a lot out of turn, so after they got three strikes, I gave them an additional homework assignment.

After all classes were finished, I went downstairs to do my daily report and finish the kindergarten TOEOS comments. Paolo (Pre-Honors 2) and Emily (Honors 6) are siblings, and their mom had just finished her meeting with Sara at that time. Their mom thanked me for all of my hard work teaching her kids since she has noticed a big change in their attitudes and skill levels. It was really rewarding to hear, particularly at the end of such a long, busy day. She went so far as to make a half-silly, half-serious comment that since Paolo talks about me so much she worries "that he will love his teacher more than [his mom]", but of course that's impossible. It was still a sweet thing to say, though.

Around 8 or 8:30 I finally finished all of my TOEOS comments. Sara was nearly done with her meetings, so Autumn, Alice, and I waited for her to finish so we could get dinner together. We went to a great Chinese restaurant I hadn't been to before in an area of Yeongtong with which I am not familiar. We had that same black noodle dish that I mentioned in a previous post, a really delicious pork dish, and a spicy seafood and noodle dish that I didn't touch. The noodles in the black noodle dish were homemade and some of the best that I have had since I've been here, and of course, hanging out with Autumn, Alice, and Sara was really great. They're some of my favorite people in South Korea and my experience here would really not be the same without them.

Sara and Alice had to catch buses to go back to their homes so they went home right after we left the restaurant, but Autumn and I hung out some more at A Twosome Place to get frozen yogurt with almonds. Soooo so good over here. I really don't think anywhere else in the world makes frozen desserts better.

We finished up the frozen yogurt and went to the park around 11pm to exercise. It sounds really strange to anyone not over here, but we really weren't the only ones there. There's all that exercise equipment that's completely free to use and there's a decent variety of it, too: some sort of swinging thing (for abs), a rotating round thing you stand on and swivel back and forth on (also for abs), an elliptical, pull up bars, some strange, huge thing for your shoulders, a biceps sort of thing.. and more. If I knew their actual names I would write them instead of writing lengthy descriptions :)

I got home around 12:15, checked my email, and saw that my mom found more details on flights. We ended up getting everything ironed out so I will officially see my mom again in just under 2 months' time! I am very excited since it will be days short of the one year mark since the last time I saw her.. it's exciting to think about seeing my family again. We also worked out my flight home for August and booked it so my mom and I can be on the same return flight :). Very strange to have that ticket booked. I remember when I got here and the teacher I replaced (Jill) had her last day on one of my first days, and it was so strange to see her at the end of her year-long journey over here when I was just starting my own.

Just before heading off to bed, I was able to get in contact with Matt! He lost his phone a week ago and had finals the week preceding that, so we hadn't had any opportunities to catch up in a while. I chatted with him for 45 minutes, laughed nearly the entire time, and am just.. happy :). He's excited to have an official date for when we'll see each other again, and we are both excited that the year is going as quickly and smoothly as it has been as far as "we" are concerned.

I am going to Seoul tomorrow to see Seoul Tower with Autumn, so I really need to get some shut eye. Until next time!

"Seoul Time Lapse 2011"

2011-05-26T22:16:00.000+09:00

Seoul Time Lapse 2011 from Oh Choong Young on Vimeo.

My friend, Jeff, shared this with me and I thought it was really special; I'm passing it along to you. I've always been fond of time lapses, and this one seemed especially neat since it's Seoul.

Speaking of which, lately I have been remembering that I live in Asia. That statement might sound ridiculous to you, but after being here 10 months, I don't step back and remember that I am on the other side of the world, in a country that (when I was younger) I never imagined seeing let alone living and working in for an extended period of time, and that when I go home, I'll suddenly be surrounded by English again, and when I look up at night, there will actually be stars. It's going to be both foreign and familiar at the same time..

Anyway, hope you enjoy the little video :). It's a nice taste of Seoul- lights, traffic, buildings, temples, people, smog, and a lot more.

easiest day ever?

2011-05-26T21:40:00.001+09:00

Today was one of the easiest work days I've had, all things considered. Morning circle was spent with Blowfish Class (ages 3-barely 4) since Amy T was doing the weekly conversation check with Stingray. I worked on conversation with Blowfish and they maintained their focus pretty well. Just before I left class, Philip got really irritated at Andrew (the resident class stinker) and I had Andrew apologize to him. I had to stop myself from laughing when Philip crossed his arms and said "It's NOT okay!!"

After morning circle, I had two blocks off (adding up to roughly two hours), during which I went home, ate breakfast, read the news, and just relaxed. I went back to EOS for a lunch of spicy rice cakes. My kids were very excited to tell me about it when I walked in the door since they know that I really like that lunch. During lunch, my kids decided to make "rabbit hats" out of some of their toys (Lucy's modeling one at left) and show me their "rabbit musical." :) It was really sweet.

After lunch, I taught Stingray and then my full-day kindergarten class. Full day was interesting today. I promised the kids that we would do some art together if they buckled down and got all of their work done, so they were basically policing each other.

After full day, I had two hours off before teaching Olivia, my prep. I went to the small park behind the school with Autumn, did some light exercising on the equipment, chatted, and had an afternoon snack. When I went back to the school an hour or so later, Patric told me that Olivia canceled prep for the week (likely because of the big school project she had the following day). I was essentially done for the day, other than working on the monthly prep schedule for June (how is it coming up so fast?!), my daily report, and calling Elisa Kim for the phone conversation check (this should have happened on Tuesday but she was at a friend's house). I went to the larger park near the school with Kelli and it was really nice to hang out with her one-on-one since it's been quite a while since we've had any conversation with just us. We talked about what she wants to do after she is finished with EOS in September, what I plan on doing once I get back to the States, etc. I went back to the school, made my call to Elisa, and headed home. Just before getting off the phone, Elisa wanted to know what I would eat for dinner and how I would get home. When I told her I would walk home, she seemed pretty surprised since she had assumed I lived farther away that just walking distance. She also wanted to talk on and on about her every thought, but I needed to get off the phone (and her mom told me at the start of the call that they were going to have dinner soon) so I told her that I would see her tomorrow and headed out :).

A very relaxing day.. fantastic and very much needed since the past three days were hectic, and tomorrow is going to be busy, too. :)

Not sure why..

2011-05-25T23:26:00.002+09:00

..but I keep dreaming of home. Perhaps it is because I have been trying to figure out flight stuff, or because my students have been asking for more details on what it is like to live in the States, but I've got home on the brain (at least when I am sleeping). I'm happy here- my friends, coworkers, the food, the sights, ease of travel, my students, the smell of flowers that's been filling the air the last two days- but home has been entering my mind much more (sidenote: I'm about to start my 11th month here).

It definitely isn't homesickness, in case you're worried or wondering, but I don't have a word for it, either. 2.5 months from now, I'll be on American soil for the first time in over a year. It blows my mind. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. I know I've made the right decision for both myself and the most important people in my life by heading home at the end of my one-year teaching contract with my school (despite my boss's persistent, but kind, attempts to convince me to stay "continuously"), but there's also that looming question mark of what on earth I will do with myself when I get home. Teaching certification? Masters degree? Education-related position with requirements that I meet? Joint decision with Matt that could mean going overseas again, but together this time? Joining the pool of countless college graduates unable to find degree-related jobs due to the economy? I'll find out eventually, but I would be lying if I said it didn't bring about some nerves.

As usual, I'm thinking about things at far too late an hour during a weeknight and should get my mind onto something else so I can fall asleep soon.

Speaking of other things- my cousin, Jill, is going to have her second kid tomorrow! I am so excited for her! Her first, Bailey, is quite possibly the cutest child I have ever seen, so I am certain that "Bailey 2.0," as we're calling her for now, will be just as adorable. The date is also significant for my family since my grandfather and multiple cousins have a May 26 birthday. :) If you think of it, send warm thoughts her way for an easy delivery!

Edit: I also remembered- May 26 is also the day I graduated high school, 5 years ago tomorrow. Amazing how much can change in a few short years. Since I am over here, I'll be missing the 5 year reunion planned for the end of July, but I am not too concerned since I have seen almost all members of my tiny graduating class in the last few years. There's always the next one :).

Makeup, lipgloss.. necessary vocabulary.

2011-05-23T21:58:00.000+09:00

Junny, one of my Stingrays. You might not instantly recognize him since he is the newest member of my class. All of my other students have been at EOS since I arrived back in August.

The story behind this ridiculous handout? There were not enough pages on the schedule for Diamond Class today, so I made a phonics handout during my break. There are only three girls in the class and they often want to try to talk to me about the kinds of things on this page, but they just didn't know the English words so they could really talk about them. They were really excited that I took the time to make it for them, especially Ann, whose uncle is the Korean equivalent of Tim Gunn. The reason the class name and kids' names (here, Jinny's paper is shown) look all curly and girly is because they really loved it when I wrote their names like that on their new textbooks.

Yeongtong At Night

2011-05-22T10:09:00.000+09:00

Yeongtong (Suwon-si, South Korea) at night, because a still photo doesn't really do all of the flashing lights justice. As you walk closer to the main drag, you can hear the music pouring out of various establishments.

Shopping in Sinsadong (신사동, 가로수길)

2011-05-21T23:40:00.003+09:00

Yesterday, Alice, Autumn, and I planned out a small adventure today to Sinsadong, a popular shopping area in Seoul. Alice had to work until late afternoon so I was able to sleep in a bit, chit chat with my parents on skype, and have a cup of coffee before heading out. I met the two of them outside my apartment and we traveled together.

The day started great! We went to a few shops, including an excellent beauty store called Too Cool For School. It sounds really lame, I realize, but had a lot of great products. I didn't end up buying anything simply because I don't technically need anything at the moment, but it is always fun to peruse the shelves and feel sorry for the few boyfriends that were dragged in to reassure their girlfriend that yes, the slightly tinted chapstick made a huge difference.

We checked out a lot of other types of stores, too, including shoe stores, clothing stores, a stationary type store, and a store of handmade hats- the most expensive I've tried on. I didn't realize they were handmade and extremely expensive until I tried one on that I liked and saw that it cost around $100. Yikes! I'd rather attempt to sew my own darn hat. ;)

For dinner, we went to School Food (accidental theme for names of shops we visited?) and it was delicious. The kimbap was not quite as good as the School Food in Myeongdong, but the two other dishes we split between the three of us were really great. Some sort of garlic/cream sauce/soy sauce rice cake + noodle + mushroom + onion dish that sounds totally weird when I try to describe it, and a dish with sweet potatoes, honey, fried rice, and rice cake. Sooo good. The garlicy dish was my favorite and I plan to get it again.

Eventually, it was time to head out since it was starting to get late and we didn't want to miss the last bus heading back to Suwon. It was just a really pleasant, relaxed day. I especially loved hanging out with Alice outside of Yeongtong, since this is only the second time we've been able to do so.

On to some photos from the day-

The birdcages and blindfolds really helped me picture the clothes as part of my daily life.

Wall behind us in School Food

Autumn and I

Where is our food?

We're dying!

X_X

"Cajun Mari" - kimbab with spiced chicken, radish, lettuce, and tomato.

Fabulous garlic/cream/soy sauce/rice cake/etc dish. Soooooo so good.

Dessert-style rice cakes. Delicious.

Strange figurines by the entrance

I realize I am posting a photo of a toilet in my blog. This is because the stereotype of toilets in Korea seems to be squatters.. and while I have seen my fair share of them, there's everything from squatters to toilets with built-in multi-setting bidets. By multi-setting, I mean some of them you can program to wash towards the back or towards your hoo hoo. Craziness. I've no idea what any of the buttons say so I'm frightened to try it.

Another random photo, but totally necessary for any germaphobes out there (*cough* Kate, that means you). In case you are worried about the sick nasty germs of the other people who have been on the bus, you can rotate the handle and it will be disinfected when it goes through that green box. Genius.

Autumn and I with the fake beards we show our kindergartners. Bus on the way back to Yeongtong