Time really flies in the ROK. I can't believe that I have been in Korea for four (4!!!!) months! Wow. I feel like there is never enough time during the day, the weekend is over before I know it, and let's not even talk about how fast a month can go by.
I hope the next few months go by just as fast. Why? Because it's really freaking cold. I'm freezing! I'm sitting in the teacher's office but my feet feel like blocks of ice. I hate having to go out into the hall because they're not heated and I can usually see my breath. Not cool, dude.
This weekend was pretty eventful. On Friday, I met MK, AD, and KM in Sinchon to meet with some of KM's friends. We went to Waggle Waggle --> of course. We sang Happy Birthday to KM and ate some delicious cake off of a white chocolate plate (TIK). I think everyone had a good time. Most everyone peaced out but me, KM, and KH decided to keep the party going so we went to a Japanese place. We had a bottle of sake and some of that soju that looks relly girly and tastes like cough syrup. They kicked us out at around 5:30am which meant that we could take the subway home. This meant that I made it home sometime after 6:30am. I stopped in at 7-11 for some breakfast and took foreeeeevvvveeeerrr trying to decide what I wanted. Decisions are so tough at that hour.
KM invited me to see his performance in Hyehwa on Saturday night so I was totally down for that. I really miss watching live music so that was nice. Being a white foreign girl has its advantages because I totally got a song dedicated to me. Score!
Hmmm...speaking of being a white foreign girl. On Friday, I was telling KM and KH how easy it was to talk to K-dudes when one randomly comes up to our table. He introduces himself to me and asked where I was from. He then proceeded to ask for my opinion on the subprime mortgage crisis. Really?! haha That was awesome. I am a sociology major and have read entire books on that topic so I think he didn't know how to handle my answer. He got flustered and sat down but KM&KH were really impressed that people just come up and talk to me. It's rare for strangers to talk to fellow strangers so I was a little surprised by it too.
After the show on Saturday, we went to a place to eat and drink with everyone who performed. It was a nice time. Everyone was really super nice!! I love Koreans. They really know how to take care of this silly American girl. Oh, there was a HUGE dog there which reminded me of 1) how scared I am of dogs and 2) how much I miss little Gary!! Anyway, KM and I called it an early night because we stayed out too late the night before. I was home by midnight! It was a miracle.
On Sunday, I spent a lovely afternoon in Hongdae with MK, AD, and DK. We ate yummy Italian food, creeped on cute k-boys, and found the Hidden cafe. Hidden was pretty cool because they had notebooks and crayons to play with which MK was all about. It was really great to spend the afternoon chillin' with crew. The rest of Sunday was spent straight relaxing. It felt amazing.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sorry Sorry
Sorry for the lack of updates, dear readers! The title of this post comes from one of Korea's many famous boy bands - Super Junior. Or Suju or SJ if you wanna be into the K-pop scene. Super Junior is not a band at all but rather a group. A large group. There are 13 members and they hold the record for largest boy band in the world. I'm not afraid to admit that I love "Sorry Sorry" and I even know part of the dance. The dance mostly consists of rubbing your hands together and...oh just youtube it.
Aren't they...cute? Definitely not one of the best looking groups out there. But trust me that there are some HOTTTT K-Boys out there that I will touch on in another post to come in the near future.
I've been reading tons and tons of blogs from fellow ex-pats in Korea and they've inspired me to try to take care of my little b~log. Plus, it's nearing the end of the semester (already?!?!?!) so my teaching schedule is nonexistent. I still have to plan lessons for winter camp but there is no actual teaching. I'm not going to lie, it feels really nice to have a break. My typical weeks are usually jammed packed and crazy and the weekends are even wilder. As a result, time flies and I have bags under my eyes but I'm loving it.
The longer I stay here, the more that I enjoy Korea. I really really love it here. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely things that perplex or frustrate me on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. I think one thing that would help me enjoy my life in Korea even more would be to learn the language...and get a hobby. So, I'm going to be looking into Korean classes and a possible hobby. I know a few phrases and some words. Korea has two number systems and I know one...kind of. The other one I can count to three. Actually let me make a list of stuff I know how to say.
Hurry
Hurry Up
Let's Go
Thank You
Hello
How much is it?
1-10 in one of the # systems
1-2 in the other # system
Titles for various people
Where is the bathroom?
Cold
Mummy
Sweet Potatoes
Coffin
Pumpkin
Give me
Blind Date
Beer
Beer + Soju (not to be confused with SuJu)
Beer + Chicken
Friend
Names of foods
Delicious
I love you
Tell me
.....and that's about it. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn.
I also want to try to start cooking more because that desperately needs to happen sometime in this lifetime. Cooking in Korea can be a little bit more difficult as I only have a microwave and a stove top. No actual stove. No toaster oven but I do have a toaster which I use frequently. Not to mention the fact that I have a hard time finding my way around the grocery store thanks to my lack of Korean skillz. Honestly, it's probably not that hard but I never cook and don't know what ingredients to buy or how to transform them into something delicious.
So, what do I eat? Ramen (it's amazing here), eggs, toast, peanut butter sandwich, protein bars for breakfast, and that's about it. Wow. I eat lunch at school which helps supplement my diet. I drink lots of coffee. I get pizza from a place called Pizza School because it's cheap and dank. I get a hotdog and fries from Steff Hotdog.
And that's it. I usually eat with friends on the weekend though and there is usually some time during the week where I have to eat with teachers for some random thing or I meet Malia and AD for dinner. So, as you can tell, I need to learn to cook.
Speaking of food...Libby Teacher is starving! Time to hit up my emergency stash of cashews in my drawer.
Aren't they...cute? Definitely not one of the best looking groups out there. But trust me that there are some HOTTTT K-Boys out there that I will touch on in another post to come in the near future.
I've been reading tons and tons of blogs from fellow ex-pats in Korea and they've inspired me to try to take care of my little b~log. Plus, it's nearing the end of the semester (already?!?!?!) so my teaching schedule is nonexistent. I still have to plan lessons for winter camp but there is no actual teaching. I'm not going to lie, it feels really nice to have a break. My typical weeks are usually jammed packed and crazy and the weekends are even wilder. As a result, time flies and I have bags under my eyes but I'm loving it.
The longer I stay here, the more that I enjoy Korea. I really really love it here. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely things that perplex or frustrate me on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. I think one thing that would help me enjoy my life in Korea even more would be to learn the language...and get a hobby. So, I'm going to be looking into Korean classes and a possible hobby. I know a few phrases and some words. Korea has two number systems and I know one...kind of. The other one I can count to three. Actually let me make a list of stuff I know how to say.
Hurry
Hurry Up
Let's Go
Thank You
Hello
How much is it?
1-10 in one of the # systems
1-2 in the other # system
Titles for various people
Where is the bathroom?
Cold
Mummy
Sweet Potatoes
Coffin
Pumpkin
Give me
Blind Date
Beer
Beer + Soju (not to be confused with SuJu)
Beer + Chicken
Friend
Names of foods
Delicious
I love you
Tell me
.....and that's about it. Needless to say, I have a lot to learn.
I also want to try to start cooking more because that desperately needs to happen sometime in this lifetime. Cooking in Korea can be a little bit more difficult as I only have a microwave and a stove top. No actual stove. No toaster oven but I do have a toaster which I use frequently. Not to mention the fact that I have a hard time finding my way around the grocery store thanks to my lack of Korean skillz. Honestly, it's probably not that hard but I never cook and don't know what ingredients to buy or how to transform them into something delicious.
So, what do I eat? Ramen (it's amazing here), eggs, toast, peanut butter sandwich, protein bars for breakfast, and that's about it. Wow. I eat lunch at school which helps supplement my diet. I drink lots of coffee. I get pizza from a place called Pizza School because it's cheap and dank. I get a hotdog and fries from Steff Hotdog.
And that's it. I usually eat with friends on the weekend though and there is usually some time during the week where I have to eat with teachers for some random thing or I meet Malia and AD for dinner. So, as you can tell, I need to learn to cook.
Speaking of food...Libby Teacher is starving! Time to hit up my emergency stash of cashews in my drawer.
Lotte World + Hongdae = Good Times
So, a number of weeks ago I went to Lotte World. It's is a less cool version of Disneyland. There is a castle, some characters, shows, and attractions. Lotte (World) is an indoor/outdoor theme park but it's a lot more than that. Just wikipedia it and you'll get the picture...
One of my co-teachers (the head English teacher) invited me to go with her and her daughter and another native English teacher. So, early on Saturday morning we meet at my subway station to go to the other side of Seoul. It was about 1.5 hours on the subway but we eventually made it. There were 6 of us in our group and three of the girls were close to my age or a little older.
It can get very crowded so we had to get there early to beat the crowds. Like everything else in Seoul, the theme park made very efficient use of the space. There was a ride or some other attraction everywhere you looked. Most of the rides had lots of detail and some pretty hilarious setups. Most of the rides were like the Blazing Fury at Dollywood...only marginally better. There were some thrill rides though so it wasn't just for little kids. Most of the people that were in Lotte World were people my age.
The Lorry and Lottie are the Mickey and Minnie Mouse of Lotte World. I think they're raccoons. There were many shops and kiosks that sold headbands with various ears or bows on them and EVERYONE was wearing them. It was strange seeing people my age and older wearing those silly headbands. Literally, everyone had a pair.
From September until the end of November, the park was having a "Halloween Party". I don't think it was much different than any other time of year other than a few pumpkins and some characters dressed up in halloween costumes. They did have a parade late in the afternoon that was a special Halloween themed dance/music shindig. I noticed that many of the dancers were not Korean, in fact, they were white! I learned that most of the dancers and entertainers in Lotte World and other theme parks are Russian.
As we walked around, I kept seeing people dressed in crazy costumes. Think: harajuku girls and guys dressed in ridiculous outfits. I even saw "broken dollies". haha I thought maybe they worked at Lotte World and were fitting in with the Halloween theme because I assumed they were Korean. I was quickly informed that they were Japanese and were perhaps at a "conference". Yeah, maybe there was a comic con but I highly doubt it. I think they just wanted to dress like that.
We made it an ALL DAY event at Lotte World. We were there for-evs so I didn't get home until 8'ish. I had planned on going to Hongdae with MK but was afraid that I was too late. Luckily, I was able to throw on a dress and sprint out to meet MK, AD, and her cousins. We ate yummy noodles and then headed out to the coffee shop to get a draaaaank.
I had a whiskey and coke which is my signature drink in America but a rarity here in Seoul. Then we headed to the Road Haus which is a bar that sells a lot of international beers. We met some of Dani's friends and we were having a good time when we were reprimanded for being loud. I'm not sure why that always happens to us.
So, we moved on to our next location. OK, check this out...it was a bar that had dancing downstairs and they only played Korean music from the 80's and early 90's. People were crazy for it. They would raise their drinks in unison and sing the songs. I did not even see them dancing but I heard that it is way more intense. It was the Sassy Anne's of Korea.
We played some fun games and enjoyed being outside. Our beer came from a tea kettle which was neat-o. We decided to move on and we had some hot dogs from a street vendor. Mmmmmm street food when you're drunk is the best. MK and AD peaced out but the rest of us went to a club called Cacoon. It was pretty crazy but we had a blast. I was a little taken aback by how touchy feely some of the Korean dudes were. I was like, "ugh - save me!" and Dani and her friends would save me from Mr. Creepster. We danced until after 4am and decided to call it a night. Cacoon was still hoppin' when we left because clubs don't have to close until 6am. Koreans like to party.
I was exhausted when I got home but I smelled like a cigarette. I was thinking, "Ooooh, I smell like I've been to Sassy's." So, I took a shower and crashed around 5am. Needless to say, it was a looooooooooooooooong day. Lotte World AND Hongdae?? It's almost too much to handle.
One of my co-teachers (the head English teacher) invited me to go with her and her daughter and another native English teacher. So, early on Saturday morning we meet at my subway station to go to the other side of Seoul. It was about 1.5 hours on the subway but we eventually made it. There were 6 of us in our group and three of the girls were close to my age or a little older.
It can get very crowded so we had to get there early to beat the crowds. Like everything else in Seoul, the theme park made very efficient use of the space. There was a ride or some other attraction everywhere you looked. Most of the rides had lots of detail and some pretty hilarious setups. Most of the rides were like the Blazing Fury at Dollywood...only marginally better. There were some thrill rides though so it wasn't just for little kids. Most of the people that were in Lotte World were people my age.
The Lorry and Lottie are the Mickey and Minnie Mouse of Lotte World. I think they're raccoons. There were many shops and kiosks that sold headbands with various ears or bows on them and EVERYONE was wearing them. It was strange seeing people my age and older wearing those silly headbands. Literally, everyone had a pair.
From September until the end of November, the park was having a "Halloween Party". I don't think it was much different than any other time of year other than a few pumpkins and some characters dressed up in halloween costumes. They did have a parade late in the afternoon that was a special Halloween themed dance/music shindig. I noticed that many of the dancers were not Korean, in fact, they were white! I learned that most of the dancers and entertainers in Lotte World and other theme parks are Russian.
As we walked around, I kept seeing people dressed in crazy costumes. Think: harajuku girls and guys dressed in ridiculous outfits. I even saw "broken dollies". haha I thought maybe they worked at Lotte World and were fitting in with the Halloween theme because I assumed they were Korean. I was quickly informed that they were Japanese and were perhaps at a "conference". Yeah, maybe there was a comic con but I highly doubt it. I think they just wanted to dress like that.
We made it an ALL DAY event at Lotte World. We were there for-evs so I didn't get home until 8'ish. I had planned on going to Hongdae with MK but was afraid that I was too late. Luckily, I was able to throw on a dress and sprint out to meet MK, AD, and her cousins. We ate yummy noodles and then headed out to the coffee shop to get a draaaaank.
I had a whiskey and coke which is my signature drink in America but a rarity here in Seoul. Then we headed to the Road Haus which is a bar that sells a lot of international beers. We met some of Dani's friends and we were having a good time when we were reprimanded for being loud. I'm not sure why that always happens to us.
So, we moved on to our next location. OK, check this out...it was a bar that had dancing downstairs and they only played Korean music from the 80's and early 90's. People were crazy for it. They would raise their drinks in unison and sing the songs. I did not even see them dancing but I heard that it is way more intense. It was the Sassy Anne's of Korea.
We played some fun games and enjoyed being outside. Our beer came from a tea kettle which was neat-o. We decided to move on and we had some hot dogs from a street vendor. Mmmmmm street food when you're drunk is the best. MK and AD peaced out but the rest of us went to a club called Cacoon. It was pretty crazy but we had a blast. I was a little taken aback by how touchy feely some of the Korean dudes were. I was like, "ugh - save me!" and Dani and her friends would save me from Mr. Creepster. We danced until after 4am and decided to call it a night. Cacoon was still hoppin' when we left because clubs don't have to close until 6am. Koreans like to party.
I was exhausted when I got home but I smelled like a cigarette. I was thinking, "Ooooh, I smell like I've been to Sassy's." So, I took a shower and crashed around 5am. Needless to say, it was a looooooooooooooooong day. Lotte World AND Hongdae?? It's almost too much to handle.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Weekend Festivities
I officially have the internet in my apartment! Wooohoooooooo. I have been dreaming about web surfing for AGES and now I can skype with confidence. Like everything else in my apartment, my internet setup falls a little on the janky side. SK Telecom had to run the cable in from the outside of my door so it's a tad wonky-looking. Good connection though so I'm not complaining too loudly.
I have so many things to write about but I will start with this weekend's adventure because it was awesome. Dani (Malia's cousin) was a coordinator for an international student camp 2 years ago. Her group was placed in a certain "camp" and she had to develop a program. The "camp" is actually a small village in a rural area of South Korea. It's about a 2+ hour bus ride plus some hitchhiking to get there. I can't remember the name of the town but it has not been Americanized like Seoul has that's for sure.
First of all, it's in a rural setting which was fantastic. I think we (me, MK, and AD) were all excited to be getting out of the city for the day. There were mountains, trees, and fresh air and I was loving it. Secondly, the village was just oozing traditional Korean culture which was also refreshing.
So, here is the breakdown of the day.
I woke up around 7am and took a shower to be ready to leave for the subway station at 8am. I grabbed some orange juice, water, and crackers at "Buy the Way" and then I was on my way. I had to do 2 transfers but finally made it to Nambu station 15 minutes early. I headed to the bus terminal and bought a breakfast sandwich from Dunkin Donuts and then I got a call from Dani. Apparently, there is more than one subway station for a bus terminal and I had gone to the wrong one. So, I hopped back on the train to backtrack a couple of stops. No biggie, but then I could not find my way out of the subway to the correct exit so that took a while to figure out. Anyway, I finally met up with our group that included myself, MK, AD, Dani, and two of Dani's friends.
We bought our bus tickets and I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were on the pimpest bus I had ever been on. The seats were uber comfortable and there was lots of leg room. We were on that bus for about 2'ish hours and then we got off to wait for another bus. The next bus we were waiting for only comes by once an hour so that was kind of a BK. There was a girl sitting who had already been waiting for 20 minutes so at least we knew that we wouldn't be waiting for the whole hour. After not such a long period of time, we got on that bus and we headed for a rural area. We were on backroads and many of the bus stops were in the middle of nowwhere...literally. Finally, we get off the bus because it's the last stop and we get some lunch a small resturant.
We had no means of transportation from the resturant to where we were going so we just had to hoof it. We tried hitchhiking whenever a truck passed but we didn't have any luck for a while. So, we just enjoyed the scenery and the fresh air which was awesome. I read "On The Road" this summer so I was stoked about the idea of hitchhiking and was sad that we wouldn't be able to. But then, we struck gold and a truck stopped for us so my dream came true! We were on the road.
We arrived at our destination and kicked around for about an hour. We picked up some chestnuts and surveyed the area. Then things started getting interesting. We saw some traditional Korean clothes/music/dance to celebrate their community / Chuseok...ok, I'm not sure exactly. (fyi: Chuseok = Korean Thanksgiving). It was really cool to watch.
After that, we went into the auditorium to watch a performance. Even though I don't understand a word of Korean, I still enjoyed the performance. The performers were really talented and had a lot of energy so it was fun. At the end of the performance they were pulling people from the audience to play drums and dance and AD was one of the lucky ones to be given a drum. haha
After the performance, we went outside to be seated at very low tables. We had food and a traditional Korean alcohol - makkoli. Makkoli is a type of rice wine but this was a special kind because it was homemade and made from dark rice instead of white rice. Also, it was made with no extra sweetener which is different from the type you usually get in the city. It was delicious.
We met some very interesting people that included:
Some of Dani's friends that she knew in the village. One of them serenaded me in front of everyone.
William - the cutest Korean child ever. I want to adopt him.
A Buddhist monk.
A teenager who did not go to high school but instead travels and learns what he wants.
A funny and sweet man who sold me a crocheted dish cloth. I think he was very interested in us.
After we finished our many drinks, we decided to stumble back to the bus station and hope that we would find a ride back to Seoul. There is only ONE bus that goes by the village and it only happens once a day and we had no idea what time. It must have been our lucky day because that ONE bus came barrelling down the road and we jumped out in front of it. We were in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere but the driver picked us up anyway. By this point, we were all about to pee on ourselves but we had to hold it until we got to the bus station. It.was.tortue. but we made it to the station, peed for hours, and got tickets back to the city.
So, Saturday was awesome. It was a very unique experience that few foreigners get to experience.
Now, for some photos...
I have so many things to write about but I will start with this weekend's adventure because it was awesome. Dani (Malia's cousin) was a coordinator for an international student camp 2 years ago. Her group was placed in a certain "camp" and she had to develop a program. The "camp" is actually a small village in a rural area of South Korea. It's about a 2+ hour bus ride plus some hitchhiking to get there. I can't remember the name of the town but it has not been Americanized like Seoul has that's for sure.
First of all, it's in a rural setting which was fantastic. I think we (me, MK, and AD) were all excited to be getting out of the city for the day. There were mountains, trees, and fresh air and I was loving it. Secondly, the village was just oozing traditional Korean culture which was also refreshing.
So, here is the breakdown of the day.
I woke up around 7am and took a shower to be ready to leave for the subway station at 8am. I grabbed some orange juice, water, and crackers at "Buy the Way" and then I was on my way. I had to do 2 transfers but finally made it to Nambu station 15 minutes early. I headed to the bus terminal and bought a breakfast sandwich from Dunkin Donuts and then I got a call from Dani. Apparently, there is more than one subway station for a bus terminal and I had gone to the wrong one. So, I hopped back on the train to backtrack a couple of stops. No biggie, but then I could not find my way out of the subway to the correct exit so that took a while to figure out. Anyway, I finally met up with our group that included myself, MK, AD, Dani, and two of Dani's friends.
We bought our bus tickets and I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were on the pimpest bus I had ever been on. The seats were uber comfortable and there was lots of leg room. We were on that bus for about 2'ish hours and then we got off to wait for another bus. The next bus we were waiting for only comes by once an hour so that was kind of a BK. There was a girl sitting who had already been waiting for 20 minutes so at least we knew that we wouldn't be waiting for the whole hour. After not such a long period of time, we got on that bus and we headed for a rural area. We were on backroads and many of the bus stops were in the middle of nowwhere...literally. Finally, we get off the bus because it's the last stop and we get some lunch a small resturant.
We had no means of transportation from the resturant to where we were going so we just had to hoof it. We tried hitchhiking whenever a truck passed but we didn't have any luck for a while. So, we just enjoyed the scenery and the fresh air which was awesome. I read "On The Road" this summer so I was stoked about the idea of hitchhiking and was sad that we wouldn't be able to. But then, we struck gold and a truck stopped for us so my dream came true! We were on the road.
We arrived at our destination and kicked around for about an hour. We picked up some chestnuts and surveyed the area. Then things started getting interesting. We saw some traditional Korean clothes/music/dance to celebrate their community / Chuseok...ok, I'm not sure exactly. (fyi: Chuseok = Korean Thanksgiving). It was really cool to watch.
After that, we went into the auditorium to watch a performance. Even though I don't understand a word of Korean, I still enjoyed the performance. The performers were really talented and had a lot of energy so it was fun. At the end of the performance they were pulling people from the audience to play drums and dance and AD was one of the lucky ones to be given a drum. haha
After the performance, we went outside to be seated at very low tables. We had food and a traditional Korean alcohol - makkoli. Makkoli is a type of rice wine but this was a special kind because it was homemade and made from dark rice instead of white rice. Also, it was made with no extra sweetener which is different from the type you usually get in the city. It was delicious.
We met some very interesting people that included:
Some of Dani's friends that she knew in the village. One of them serenaded me in front of everyone.
William - the cutest Korean child ever. I want to adopt him.
A Buddhist monk.
A teenager who did not go to high school but instead travels and learns what he wants.
A funny and sweet man who sold me a crocheted dish cloth. I think he was very interested in us.
After we finished our many drinks, we decided to stumble back to the bus station and hope that we would find a ride back to Seoul. There is only ONE bus that goes by the village and it only happens once a day and we had no idea what time. It must have been our lucky day because that ONE bus came barrelling down the road and we jumped out in front of it. We were in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere but the driver picked us up anyway. By this point, we were all about to pee on ourselves but we had to hold it until we got to the bus station. It.was.tortue. but we made it to the station, peed for hours, and got tickets back to the city.
So, Saturday was awesome. It was a very unique experience that few foreigners get to experience.
Now, for some photos...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
One Month...Already?!
My first month in South Korea has come and gone. I can't believe that it has already been an entire month. Time as gone by soooooo fast. Weekdays fly by and the weekends go even faster. That's always the case with weekends though, isn't it?
I HATE that I haven't been updating my blog. It's not completely my fault though - I promise! I am still Internet-less in my apartment so it makes it hard to update via the interwebz. Imagine that. I have a huge number of posts to make though so stay tuned for insight into surviving Seoul.
This will be my first week in teaching my entire schedule which consists of:
22 hours during regular school hours
7:40AM-8:30AM class on Mondays
3:20PM-5:00PM classes on Tuesdays and Fridays
This means I'm teaching anywehere from 4-7 classes a day and have to plan 5 lessons a week. It's not too terrible. I get paid "overtime" for my extra classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. These extra classes will add about $500 dollars to my paycheck every month so that's nice.
I should get back to planning my lessons now...
Be sure to check back for some riveting (not really) posts!
I HATE that I haven't been updating my blog. It's not completely my fault though - I promise! I am still Internet-less in my apartment so it makes it hard to update via the interwebz. Imagine that. I have a huge number of posts to make though so stay tuned for insight into surviving Seoul.
This will be my first week in teaching my entire schedule which consists of:
22 hours during regular school hours
7:40AM-8:30AM class on Mondays
3:20PM-5:00PM classes on Tuesdays and Fridays
This means I'm teaching anywehere from 4-7 classes a day and have to plan 5 lessons a week. It's not too terrible. I get paid "overtime" for my extra classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. These extra classes will add about $500 dollars to my paycheck every month so that's nice.
I should get back to planning my lessons now...
Be sure to check back for some riveting (not really) posts!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Happenings
I just finished introducing myself to another 3rd grade class. They were clearly not advanced students. I also think it depends on who your co-teacher is. I was with another new English teacher (She's Korean) and it takes the students a while to warm up to new teachers even the Korean ones. It is going to be like pulling teeth to get these students to speak English. They are just so shy and do not want to make any mistakes. Ah well.
Judy just informed me that on Monday we will go to the immigration office to apply for my ARC card. Sweeet! Having my ARC card means internet, cell phone, and getting a multi-entrance visa! Woot. Judy also told me that we will do some more shopping. Shopping is always fun.
I was just talking to the new co-teacher I just had class with and she gave me some insights to the Korean classroom. She thinks that the students do not speak in class easily because they are so accustomed to just listening, taking notes, and not giving their opinions. Addtionally, they are not given the opportunity to speak English outside of class. The teacher also told me that the students can understand me but they just have a really hard time producing the language.
Did I mention that I still haven't completely unpacked? :-/ ← I heart emoticons.
Judy just informed me that on Monday we will go to the immigration office to apply for my ARC card. Sweeet! Having my ARC card means internet, cell phone, and getting a multi-entrance visa! Woot. Judy also told me that we will do some more shopping. Shopping is always fun.
I was just talking to the new co-teacher I just had class with and she gave me some insights to the Korean classroom. She thinks that the students do not speak in class easily because they are so accustomed to just listening, taking notes, and not giving their opinions. Addtionally, they are not given the opportunity to speak English outside of class. The teacher also told me that the students can understand me but they just have a really hard time producing the language.
Did I mention that I still haven't completely unpacked? :-/ ← I heart emoticons.
Differences
So, I think I am going to list some cultural differences between Korea and America. The 3rd grade class is doing a section on cultural differences so I may mention some of these during my lesson.
1)Squat toilets. Yes, squat toilets. It is basically a hole in the floor where you squat down to take care of business. The handle is on the floor and the toilet paper holder is lower too. I finally broke down and used the squat toilets today at school. The ladies restroom has one western style toilet and about 5 of these squat toilets. I'm not sure why there are so many of these in Korea. Maybe they use less water?
2)Hand Holding. I noticed that all of the girls hold hands with their girlfriends. I even saw some guys getting in on the hand holding action. When I was out walking in the city, I saw two ladies holding hands and I wondered if they were lovers or just friends. I'm assuming just friends. While this is not too strange, it is very different from America where most hand holding is between members of the opposite sex.
3)Living with your parents until your married. Even if you're 30. I had heard MK talk about this from visiting her cousin last summer but actually meeting people who are in their 30's and still living with their parents is so much more true life. This is not a bad cultural difference at all but it is very different than what I am used to. The ladies that I have talked to that most women live with their parents until they're married. Many of the women that I work with are not married and live at home with the 'rents even though they are much older than me.
4)The shoe thing. Yes, Koreans always take off their shoes when they go into their homes. Yadaa yadda yadda. Not surprising. I asked my co-teacher what the dress code was and if I needed to wear a certain type of shoe. She said that teachers can wear their outdoor or indoor shoes in the school. It doesn't matter. However, many of them wear their outdoor shoes to school and then once inside they put on their comfortable shoes which are usually some type of ugly (but comfy) sandal. I found it absurd that women wear these insane stilettos up the freakin' mountain and all over town only to change into their comfortable shoes when they are inside sitting down.
5)Oral Health. When you walk into the bathroom at school, there is a shelf where teachers can place things there. What do these shelves hold? Oral hygeine products. All of the teachers seem to be obsessed with oral care. However, I think it is less about healthy teeth and more about not wanting to have bad breath because Korean food is spicy and can make your breath smell ranky. There are sooo many cups in the bathroom filled with toothbrushes and toothpaste. I find myself brushing my teeth after lunch and breakfast too because I don't want to be the only teacher to have funky breath.
6)Koreans are all about Korea! Judy is always talking about how great Korea/Korean goods are. For example, we bought the pillows that were made in Korea because they were much better than the ones made in China. She said, “Even though the ones made in China are cheaper, we will get the Korean ones because they are better quality. The ones in Korea are more expensive but they are much better. Plus, she is always talking about how healthy the Korean food is. I wouldn't be surprised if Judy claimed that kimchi can cure AIDS. No joke. Judy said, “Do you remember SARS? Every country in Asia had SARS except for Korea. Koreans did not get SARS because we eat kimchi. This was scientifically proven. The scientists said 'Koreans did not get SARS because they eat lots of kimchi.'”. She also claims that the Korean food is very low in calorie and that I should eat everything on my plate because it is very nutritous and will not make me gain weight. Yeah, ok, I highly doubt that but whatevs. Even though these are strange claims, I think that it is a good thing that Koreans take such great pride in their culture.
7)Koreans will sleep anywhere. When I was at orientation I noticed that there were many people who would just lay down on the nearest bench and take a nap. They're not homeless...just sleepsies. Even at school, Hee-Yuon will lay her head down and take a nap. I've seen other teachers fall asleep in their chairs and everyone falls asleep on the subway.
8)Dress code. The students at our school must wear uniforms. They are not allowed to wear earrings and their nails must be short with NO nail polish on them. The students are also not allowed to have perms or do anything fancy to their hair. They are also not allowed to wear make-up. The teachers can wear whatever they want. Many teachers wear shorts or even jeans. Oh, and Korean teachers can hit their students but most don't.
Hmmmm, that's all that I can think of at the moment. I will be sure to keep you posted as more strange things happen.
1)Squat toilets. Yes, squat toilets. It is basically a hole in the floor where you squat down to take care of business. The handle is on the floor and the toilet paper holder is lower too. I finally broke down and used the squat toilets today at school. The ladies restroom has one western style toilet and about 5 of these squat toilets. I'm not sure why there are so many of these in Korea. Maybe they use less water?
2)Hand Holding. I noticed that all of the girls hold hands with their girlfriends. I even saw some guys getting in on the hand holding action. When I was out walking in the city, I saw two ladies holding hands and I wondered if they were lovers or just friends. I'm assuming just friends. While this is not too strange, it is very different from America where most hand holding is between members of the opposite sex.
3)Living with your parents until your married. Even if you're 30. I had heard MK talk about this from visiting her cousin last summer but actually meeting people who are in their 30's and still living with their parents is so much more true life. This is not a bad cultural difference at all but it is very different than what I am used to. The ladies that I have talked to that most women live with their parents until they're married. Many of the women that I work with are not married and live at home with the 'rents even though they are much older than me.
4)The shoe thing. Yes, Koreans always take off their shoes when they go into their homes. Yadaa yadda yadda. Not surprising. I asked my co-teacher what the dress code was and if I needed to wear a certain type of shoe. She said that teachers can wear their outdoor or indoor shoes in the school. It doesn't matter. However, many of them wear their outdoor shoes to school and then once inside they put on their comfortable shoes which are usually some type of ugly (but comfy) sandal. I found it absurd that women wear these insane stilettos up the freakin' mountain and all over town only to change into their comfortable shoes when they are inside sitting down.
5)Oral Health. When you walk into the bathroom at school, there is a shelf where teachers can place things there. What do these shelves hold? Oral hygeine products. All of the teachers seem to be obsessed with oral care. However, I think it is less about healthy teeth and more about not wanting to have bad breath because Korean food is spicy and can make your breath smell ranky. There are sooo many cups in the bathroom filled with toothbrushes and toothpaste. I find myself brushing my teeth after lunch and breakfast too because I don't want to be the only teacher to have funky breath.
6)Koreans are all about Korea! Judy is always talking about how great Korea/Korean goods are. For example, we bought the pillows that were made in Korea because they were much better than the ones made in China. She said, “Even though the ones made in China are cheaper, we will get the Korean ones because they are better quality. The ones in Korea are more expensive but they are much better. Plus, she is always talking about how healthy the Korean food is. I wouldn't be surprised if Judy claimed that kimchi can cure AIDS. No joke. Judy said, “Do you remember SARS? Every country in Asia had SARS except for Korea. Koreans did not get SARS because we eat kimchi. This was scientifically proven. The scientists said 'Koreans did not get SARS because they eat lots of kimchi.'”. She also claims that the Korean food is very low in calorie and that I should eat everything on my plate because it is very nutritous and will not make me gain weight. Yeah, ok, I highly doubt that but whatevs. Even though these are strange claims, I think that it is a good thing that Koreans take such great pride in their culture.
7)Koreans will sleep anywhere. When I was at orientation I noticed that there were many people who would just lay down on the nearest bench and take a nap. They're not homeless...just sleepsies. Even at school, Hee-Yuon will lay her head down and take a nap. I've seen other teachers fall asleep in their chairs and everyone falls asleep on the subway.
8)Dress code. The students at our school must wear uniforms. They are not allowed to wear earrings and their nails must be short with NO nail polish on them. The students are also not allowed to have perms or do anything fancy to their hair. They are also not allowed to wear make-up. The teachers can wear whatever they want. Many teachers wear shorts or even jeans. Oh, and Korean teachers can hit their students but most don't.
Hmmmm, that's all that I can think of at the moment. I will be sure to keep you posted as more strange things happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
