It is currently 1:00am on December 31st as I write this post. I'm not sleeping because I got 12 hours of sleep last night and am fully awake. I realized sometime earlier in the day that it is the last day of 2010 and have been reflecting on this past year. Today, I was with some friends and we were making our New Year's Eve plans. They asked what I did last year for New Year's and how we could top that. Last years party was amazing and truly the first great New Year's that I had since the awesome dance party for ringing in the millenium (Eem knows what I'm talking about haha :) Anyway, I got to thinking about how last New Year's seemed like it was just a month ago. I can't believe how fast this year has gone and what a year this has been!
Last year at this time, I had just graduated from WMU, was working two jobs and living in Kalamazoo. The idea of coming to Korea was still just an idea. I had no definite plans, no job, and my application was still sitting on my desk. Fast forward 12 months later and I am sitting in my apartment in South Korea with a full-time teaching job and actually living this dream. I will say it again and again, I can't believe I'm here! I am still in shock and awe at myself that I can actually make things like this happen. Yes, I can move to a foreign country, by myself, for a year and make it work. Yes, I do have the guts to venture out and discover myself in another culture. Instead of waiting around for experiences to come to my door, I can go out and find them myself. A year ago, the thought of coming to Korea was exciting, but absolutely terrifying. I wasn't prepared for this 12 months ago and to be honest I wasn't prepared for this 4 months ago when I left, but here I am, making it work.
Tomorrow night, when I am standing on the streets of Seoul with millions of Koreans and foreigners, I will wonder if I can ever top this New Year's Eve. How can any turn of the year be better than the one that I will have in Korea. This is the place that I have and will continue to grow. This is the place that will teach me values and lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This is the place that I am slowly falling in love with. So cheers to 2010! You've been a great year and a year that will always be with me. Happy New Year everyone! I hope your 2011 is filled with happiness, love, and great memories!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Finally, the Holidays are Over!
It seems we say it every year. We dread the approach of the holidays and the madness of it all. When the beautiful day of December 26th finally comes, we breath a sigh of relief. Well that cannot be more true this year. Now, to be fair, I did have a very nice holiday and I made all the attempts I could to have a great Christmas. However, Christmas in Korea will never be better or greater than home. I have realized how ridiculous I've been in the past with frantically buying presents and making mounds of food for Christmas, but all I need at this time it to be with my family. Its sad, but I admit, that it took 6,000 miles and being in Korea to realize that. What has been an absolute blessing is skype! I was able to see my family open their presents from me, talk to my extended family at the Christmas Eve party, and I spent Christmas morning in America (Christmas evening in Korea) with my family infront of the tree. I don't know how I would survive if I couldn't talk to or see my family, even in the cyber world. But the holiday season passing is a great boost for my depressed spirit! All month I have been anticipating the holidays in a sad way, even though they turned out okay.
The Christmas celebrations started on December 23rd when we had our big party for the kindergarten kids. They got to open presents (from their parents), see Santa, and make little snowman from cups. They had so much fun and were so cute! That night my two Chingus (friends) and I went to Home Plus and spent $150 on a Christmas eve feast for 25 people. On Christmas Eve, after work, we started cooking this amazing feast! Everyone showed up to my apartment and we ate, drank, and laughed the night away into Christmas. On Christmas morning, I skyped into my big family Christmas Eve party and talked to my cousins, aunts, and uncles! It was so great to see everyone and I think I need to call the inventor of Skype and personally thank him for this amazing invention haha! After skyping, three of the teachers and I made breakfast and opened our gifts from home infront of our tree :) We had 3:00 reservations at a western restaurant for a huge Christmas buffet. We went with probably every other foreigner in Korea because there was not a single Korean person in the entire restaurant. It was so weird being in a place where I could have an actual conversation with a stranger. Anyway, I have to admit that our homemade Christmas Eve feast was soooo much better than this restaurant, but at least I got to be with friends on Christmas! As much as I complained before about the holidays being a complete bummer, I made the best of the situation. As I said to my parents, with all the sadness I feel at this time of year, I wouldn't trade this experience and the life lessons I am learning for anything. If it means suffering through Christmas in Uijeongbu, South Korea than so be it!
Now that Christmas is over, I get to look forward to an AMAZING New Year's in SEOUL!!! It's going to be the best New Years that I will remember forever! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
The Christmas celebrations started on December 23rd when we had our big party for the kindergarten kids. They got to open presents (from their parents), see Santa, and make little snowman from cups. They had so much fun and were so cute! That night my two Chingus (friends) and I went to Home Plus and spent $150 on a Christmas eve feast for 25 people. On Christmas Eve, after work, we started cooking this amazing feast! Everyone showed up to my apartment and we ate, drank, and laughed the night away into Christmas. On Christmas morning, I skyped into my big family Christmas Eve party and talked to my cousins, aunts, and uncles! It was so great to see everyone and I think I need to call the inventor of Skype and personally thank him for this amazing invention haha! After skyping, three of the teachers and I made breakfast and opened our gifts from home infront of our tree :) We had 3:00 reservations at a western restaurant for a huge Christmas buffet. We went with probably every other foreigner in Korea because there was not a single Korean person in the entire restaurant. It was so weird being in a place where I could have an actual conversation with a stranger. Anyway, I have to admit that our homemade Christmas Eve feast was soooo much better than this restaurant, but at least I got to be with friends on Christmas! As much as I complained before about the holidays being a complete bummer, I made the best of the situation. As I said to my parents, with all the sadness I feel at this time of year, I wouldn't trade this experience and the life lessons I am learning for anything. If it means suffering through Christmas in Uijeongbu, South Korea than so be it!
Now that Christmas is over, I get to look forward to an AMAZING New Year's in SEOUL!!! It's going to be the best New Years that I will remember forever! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Aigoo...Oy...Cucumber
The holidays are just around the corner and I am really enjoying the non-craziness associated with the holidays in Korea. People aren't running at full speed to the malls for that special toy or buying way too many potatoes for the Christmas dinners (yet). It might get nuts, but I am from Michigan. The land where we made the national news because a store clerk was trampled to death on Black Friday. I come from a line of power shoppers, so I am prepared.
Now for an explanation of my title. Aigoo (pronounced "I go") isn't a word, but more of an expression like "oyvey" or "ugh." So when I'm at school and it's getting to be that time of the day when I'm swearing off ever having children, I can't say "aigoo" because it is Korean. So I revert back to the classic "Oy." Come to find out that "oy" in Korean means cucumber. I sat down in my chair, slumped over and went "oy." The kids looked at me, then each other, back at me and go "Teacher, cucumber?" Haha, I had a good laugh at that. Now whenever I am questioning the future of ConCon getting grandkids, I just say "cucumber."
Don't misunderstand me. I love these kids and working with them, but they can be so whiny sometimes! They all come from very wealthy families and are spoiled rotten, but that is no excuse to ask every single question in a whiny voice with your feet stomping. Another thing I don't get is when a student comes up to me and tells me they have to poo. Ummm, do I look like a toilet? Just go poo! I try to remember what it was like to be five years old and if I acted like this. But it must have been hard to judge since my parents spent 90% of my childhood telling me to get out of the street or to stop banging the garden tools against the car.
The best moments in the classroom are 1) when the kids finally understand a concept in our workbooks. My genius student has the most amazing facial expression when the lightbulb in his head goes off. He just stares off into space with his mouth half open/half smiling. And 2) when I walk into the class for the first time of the day and they all jump up and tackle me. "Mallory Teacher, you look so cool! Mallory Teacher, are we doing science today?! Mallory Teacher, I have to poo!" Haha, It makes me smile and I'm so happy there are only eight of them because I couldn't handle any more!
Christmas is looking to be a busy time of festivities. Starting on Friday, Dec. 17th, we are doing a staff Christmas dinner at a delicious foreign buffet. We will be exchanging secret santa gifts and eating ourselves silly. Then, on Dec 23rd we will have the all-day event of the Kindergarten Christmas party. Games, food, making ornaments, etc. On Christmas eve we have the Kindergarten field trip to a ski resort. The kids will get to go sledding and tubing. Then in the afternoon we will have the elementary Christmas party. After school is finish, we are going back to my apartment and making a huge Christmas eve feast with about 15 other teachers. The night will most likely be followed by the Norebang (karaoke rooms). Christmas morning I will wake up and most likely skype with my parents and then in the afternoon we are going to a popular foreign restaurant for a delicious Christmas dinner. Afer typing all this up, I realized that I will be eating myself into a holiday coma! Oh well, that's the Christmas tradition! I want to send out a huge SORRY to my family! No Greek cookies this year, but next year I will go nuts and make double haha! Miss and Love you all! Happy Holidays!
Now for an explanation of my title. Aigoo (pronounced "I go") isn't a word, but more of an expression like "oyvey" or "ugh." So when I'm at school and it's getting to be that time of the day when I'm swearing off ever having children, I can't say "aigoo" because it is Korean. So I revert back to the classic "Oy." Come to find out that "oy" in Korean means cucumber. I sat down in my chair, slumped over and went "oy." The kids looked at me, then each other, back at me and go "Teacher, cucumber?" Haha, I had a good laugh at that. Now whenever I am questioning the future of ConCon getting grandkids, I just say "cucumber."
Don't misunderstand me. I love these kids and working with them, but they can be so whiny sometimes! They all come from very wealthy families and are spoiled rotten, but that is no excuse to ask every single question in a whiny voice with your feet stomping. Another thing I don't get is when a student comes up to me and tells me they have to poo. Ummm, do I look like a toilet? Just go poo! I try to remember what it was like to be five years old and if I acted like this. But it must have been hard to judge since my parents spent 90% of my childhood telling me to get out of the street or to stop banging the garden tools against the car.
The best moments in the classroom are 1) when the kids finally understand a concept in our workbooks. My genius student has the most amazing facial expression when the lightbulb in his head goes off. He just stares off into space with his mouth half open/half smiling. And 2) when I walk into the class for the first time of the day and they all jump up and tackle me. "Mallory Teacher, you look so cool! Mallory Teacher, are we doing science today?! Mallory Teacher, I have to poo!" Haha, It makes me smile and I'm so happy there are only eight of them because I couldn't handle any more!
Christmas is looking to be a busy time of festivities. Starting on Friday, Dec. 17th, we are doing a staff Christmas dinner at a delicious foreign buffet. We will be exchanging secret santa gifts and eating ourselves silly. Then, on Dec 23rd we will have the all-day event of the Kindergarten Christmas party. Games, food, making ornaments, etc. On Christmas eve we have the Kindergarten field trip to a ski resort. The kids will get to go sledding and tubing. Then in the afternoon we will have the elementary Christmas party. After school is finish, we are going back to my apartment and making a huge Christmas eve feast with about 15 other teachers. The night will most likely be followed by the Norebang (karaoke rooms). Christmas morning I will wake up and most likely skype with my parents and then in the afternoon we are going to a popular foreign restaurant for a delicious Christmas dinner. Afer typing all this up, I realized that I will be eating myself into a holiday coma! Oh well, that's the Christmas tradition! I want to send out a huge SORRY to my family! No Greek cookies this year, but next year I will go nuts and make double haha! Miss and Love you all! Happy Holidays!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Korean Randomness
Over the past 3 and 1/2 months (yes, it's been that long!) I've been taking random photos of hilarious products or posters that I've seen walking through the stores and streets. Korean products try to be cool and have English written on them. Apparently, the companies did not have a foreign or fluent English speaker proof read any of this stuff because it's either mispelled or translates to something funny. Here are a few things I've found :
Dick Stick? I think they meant to say "Dip Stick" but the foreigners can find this amusing at least!
Get Crunk, with the Crunky Bar! Pretty sure this is their attempted at "crunCH."
A1 or Ace+...Same thing :)
I would prefer the Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips from back home, but Kimchi flavored Sun Chips will suffice.
Here we go Michigan. We are "Natural Champions." Not National Champions, but Natural. It seems that Michigan gear is all over here. Not too sure why our state stands out among the 50, but Koreans love sporting the Michigan sweatshirts.
I have many other pictures and more to come! I always carry my camera with me for such discoveries. Hope all is well in Michigan! Keep being Natural Champions as we always are!
Dick Stick? I think they meant to say "Dip Stick" but the foreigners can find this amusing at least!
Get Crunk, with the Crunky Bar! Pretty sure this is their attempted at "crunCH."
A1 or Ace+...Same thing :)
I would prefer the Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips from back home, but Kimchi flavored Sun Chips will suffice.
Here we go Michigan. We are "Natural Champions." Not National Champions, but Natural. It seems that Michigan gear is all over here. Not too sure why our state stands out among the 50, but Koreans love sporting the Michigan sweatshirts.
I have many other pictures and more to come! I always carry my camera with me for such discoveries. Hope all is well in Michigan! Keep being Natural Champions as we always are!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Turkey Day in Korea
It seems I start every post with an apology for taking so long to update. My internet situation at my apartment is unreliable, so I am getting it fixed immediately!
First, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It is the official start of the holiday season. I'm sure most people back home are getting ready, at this time, to hit the stores for the Black Friday shopping day! I think back to last year, when I was working at Kohl's and had to be there for all the shoppers. I can't believe that was already a year ago! That thought makes me feel better about how fast time flies and how soon it will be when I get to come home and see all my fabulous family members and friends!
Thanksgiving in Korea started out as a normal day. I woke up dreading getting out of my bed, as usual. Turned on my electric heater and began my morning routine. I didn't even realize it was Thanksgiving until my parents texted me to tell me that it wasn't the same without me there. Mostly because Jenna helped prepared the Thanksgiving food and I'm pretty sure she put up a fight for tofu-turkey. Anyway, I had no plans for a big meal until I went to school and my two fellow American teachers suggested making a dinner from any food we could scrape up from our apartments. Well, let me tell you all that we made the most amazing meal I have had in very, very long time. We made chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, corn, cooked carrots, pomegranites, salad, bread rolls, and finished with warm brownies, cookies, ice cream and nutella to top it off. Four of the foreign teachers and myself sat around the food and talked, ate, and laughed for hours. It definitely wasn't home, with family and football, but it was my own Korean Thanksgiving.
Now for an update on the past month. I started November by getting the delightful pink eye infection. I went to 3 Korean doctors and all of them looked at me and went "Ohhh so very very bad!" I was taking a pile of antibiotics and putting 4 different eye drops in my eye. The infection lasted for 2 weeks and I was forced by my boss to take a week off work. If there is any job that you cannot afford to take time off of, it's this one. My monthly plan is all confused and I am barely making my deadlines which is not a good thing. I am neurotic (as you all know) about being timely and organized and this is just not ok! Luckily, I have been able to catch up with everything, but I've been spending 10-12 hours a day here for the last two weeks just to make up for my missed time. When I returned, I sarcastically thanked my students for giving me pink eye. They just looked at me confused and go "uh, you're welcome Teacher." Other than that, I am very excited because I have tickets to another K-Pop concert next weekend! This is the biggest concert of the year with about 8 different artists performing! I have suckered my roommate into coming and I'm getting her pumped up for it. I will definitely have pictures of the concert and perhaps me on the floor after fainting. We'll see :)
I need to address the world news that has come out of Korea this past week. As everyone already knows, the North and South are playing tag with their missles and gunfire. As an observer from inside the country, I have to say that I'm not too worried. Why? Because all the Korean teachers and Korean people that I know aren't worried. When they start freaking out, is when I'll start freaking out. Granted, this is the first physical attack since the Korean War, but I am not in harms way! I have contacted the U.S. Embassy and they are in the process of sending me information and an escape route if needed. Right now, we are all going about our lives as usual and keeping an eye on the crazies up North!
Well, back to class. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Love and miss you all!
First, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It is the official start of the holiday season. I'm sure most people back home are getting ready, at this time, to hit the stores for the Black Friday shopping day! I think back to last year, when I was working at Kohl's and had to be there for all the shoppers. I can't believe that was already a year ago! That thought makes me feel better about how fast time flies and how soon it will be when I get to come home and see all my fabulous family members and friends!
Thanksgiving in Korea started out as a normal day. I woke up dreading getting out of my bed, as usual. Turned on my electric heater and began my morning routine. I didn't even realize it was Thanksgiving until my parents texted me to tell me that it wasn't the same without me there. Mostly because Jenna helped prepared the Thanksgiving food and I'm pretty sure she put up a fight for tofu-turkey. Anyway, I had no plans for a big meal until I went to school and my two fellow American teachers suggested making a dinner from any food we could scrape up from our apartments. Well, let me tell you all that we made the most amazing meal I have had in very, very long time. We made chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, corn, cooked carrots, pomegranites, salad, bread rolls, and finished with warm brownies, cookies, ice cream and nutella to top it off. Four of the foreign teachers and myself sat around the food and talked, ate, and laughed for hours. It definitely wasn't home, with family and football, but it was my own Korean Thanksgiving.
Now for an update on the past month. I started November by getting the delightful pink eye infection. I went to 3 Korean doctors and all of them looked at me and went "Ohhh so very very bad!" I was taking a pile of antibiotics and putting 4 different eye drops in my eye. The infection lasted for 2 weeks and I was forced by my boss to take a week off work. If there is any job that you cannot afford to take time off of, it's this one. My monthly plan is all confused and I am barely making my deadlines which is not a good thing. I am neurotic (as you all know) about being timely and organized and this is just not ok! Luckily, I have been able to catch up with everything, but I've been spending 10-12 hours a day here for the last two weeks just to make up for my missed time. When I returned, I sarcastically thanked my students for giving me pink eye. They just looked at me confused and go "uh, you're welcome Teacher." Other than that, I am very excited because I have tickets to another K-Pop concert next weekend! This is the biggest concert of the year with about 8 different artists performing! I have suckered my roommate into coming and I'm getting her pumped up for it. I will definitely have pictures of the concert and perhaps me on the floor after fainting. We'll see :)
I need to address the world news that has come out of Korea this past week. As everyone already knows, the North and South are playing tag with their missles and gunfire. As an observer from inside the country, I have to say that I'm not too worried. Why? Because all the Korean teachers and Korean people that I know aren't worried. When they start freaking out, is when I'll start freaking out. Granted, this is the first physical attack since the Korean War, but I am not in harms way! I have contacted the U.S. Embassy and they are in the process of sending me information and an escape route if needed. Right now, we are all going about our lives as usual and keeping an eye on the crazies up North!
Well, back to class. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Love and miss you all!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
My Two Lives...On Opposite Ends of the Earth.
Not too many new or exciting things happening in Korea right now. Just working, shopping, meeting cool people, and enjoying my Korean life. We have a workshop at school this Saturday that we have been preparing for all month. The kids have to recite scripts about themselves, sing songs, etc. All the foreign teachers are in the workshop playing various characters and/or apart of the scripts. I have a very interesting role in this workshop. I am dancing in the ballet with the 4 year old children. Funny to think, I flew 6,000 miles to dance onstage with 4 year old Korean children. 15 years of dance lessons and this is where it takes me. Ahh my mother will be so proud! I'll let you all know how the workshop goes and hopefully I have pictures and video of the ballet!
On a serious note, I received news from home about my Grandma Marilyn's passing. I was so sad to hear this and I wish now more than ever to be home with my family. It's times like these that make me nervous about being so far away from home. I feel very disconnected sometimes and wish I could fly to Michigan to be with my family. I am keeping all the Walter's family in my thoughts and prayers at this time. I know now more than ever that family is the most important thing in this world. Love you all so very much!
I will update more after this weekend. I'm sure the stories will be pouring out of me after workshop and Halloween! We have a Halloween party on Friday for the kids and I will definitely be taking pictures of my adorable children!
On a serious note, I received news from home about my Grandma Marilyn's passing. I was so sad to hear this and I wish now more than ever to be home with my family. It's times like these that make me nervous about being so far away from home. I feel very disconnected sometimes and wish I could fly to Michigan to be with my family. I am keeping all the Walter's family in my thoughts and prayers at this time. I know now more than ever that family is the most important thing in this world. Love you all so very much!
I will update more after this weekend. I'm sure the stories will be pouring out of me after workshop and Halloween! We have a Halloween party on Friday for the kids and I will definitely be taking pictures of my adorable children!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Eat Your Heart Out Disney, My Dreams Came True in Korea
Alright everyone, I have accomplished one of my cheesy, non-life changing goals for Korea. I went to a K-Pop show last night and absolutely loved it! For those of you that don't know, I am a huge fan of Korean Pop music. I know, I know, the eye rolls and the "oh my gosh" comments have been heard repeatedly. I just love this music! When I started looking into coming to Korea almost 2 years ago, I started researching the culture and discovered K-Pop. Now don't get me wrong, this music and the cheesyness do not define Korea. However, these K-Pop Idols are plastered everywhere selling things like clothes, phones, pizza, chicken, etc. This music is comparable to American music, but with a twist. The variety ranges from bubblegum pop to hardcore rapping. Anyway, I was so bummed because at the end of September there was a show by an artist named TaeYang ("tay young"). I really wanted to go, but I didn't have anyone who was interested to go with and the tickets were 90,000 won. I hadn't received my first paycheck so funds were a little low. So that show came and went and I was sad :( TaeYang is like a Usher, Neyo, Chris Brown (minus the jerk factor) in a Korean mans body. He's a hearthrob in Korea!
I happened to hear about a festival called the Seoul Soul Festival and a couple of Korean and American artists would be performing. SE7EN who is also a R&B singer in Korea was performing and Musiq Soulchild from the States was to be there too. Then there was a hidden member revealed a week before the festival and it was TAEYANG! I knew I had to go and didn't care the price, time or place! I spent all week asking people from work if they wanted to go and no one did. I decided that it didn't matter and I was going to go alone! Thankfully, my good friend Alida decided to save my dignity and come with me. Tickets were 88,000 won and it was all standing room only. We waited in line for about 1 hour and then they opened the gates and we ran to get a good spot. We were about 15 feet away from the stage and the view was perfect!
SE7EN performed first. He had such a incredible voice and his range was amazing. This artist is definitely a pretty boy though. He was the most perfectly symmetrical face and everyone wants to look like him. I melted and cried when he sang a ballad about finding your way back home after long journeys. Alida and I held each othered and swayed. By the way, all the songs are mostly in Korean with English words thrown in. Except SE7EN sings some songs in English only. After SE7EN, TaeYang took the stage and thats when things got wild! This boy has stage presence and the moves to be famous worldwide! I couldn't believe how much energy he had and he danced/sang his little heart out. I say "little" because he is so much shorter in person! Oh well, I didn't care and was 15 feet away from him! We shared a few moments were I swear he winked or smiled at me haha. I'm hard to miss in a sea of Korean girls.
Throughout the performance, TaeYang kept removing his tops and throwing them into the audience. When he left the stage I made the comment that he can't do an encore because he has no more clothing to give away unless he takes off his pants! Speaking of the word "encore", all the Korean girls (and a few boys) were screaming "Acorn acorn acorn." I could not figure out what they were chanting, maybe something in Korean. Then it hit me that they were saying "encore." Hahaha I chuckled to myself about that one. After the concert, I could have easily died a happy girl haha. I will definitely be going to more K-Pop shows and I have Alida convinced too! She loved it as well and asked when the next one is! Ahhhh there are more people like me in the world hehe :)
I happened to hear about a festival called the Seoul Soul Festival and a couple of Korean and American artists would be performing. SE7EN who is also a R&B singer in Korea was performing and Musiq Soulchild from the States was to be there too. Then there was a hidden member revealed a week before the festival and it was TAEYANG! I knew I had to go and didn't care the price, time or place! I spent all week asking people from work if they wanted to go and no one did. I decided that it didn't matter and I was going to go alone! Thankfully, my good friend Alida decided to save my dignity and come with me. Tickets were 88,000 won and it was all standing room only. We waited in line for about 1 hour and then they opened the gates and we ran to get a good spot. We were about 15 feet away from the stage and the view was perfect!
SE7EN performed first. He had such a incredible voice and his range was amazing. This artist is definitely a pretty boy though. He was the most perfectly symmetrical face and everyone wants to look like him. I melted and cried when he sang a ballad about finding your way back home after long journeys. Alida and I held each othered and swayed. By the way, all the songs are mostly in Korean with English words thrown in. Except SE7EN sings some songs in English only. After SE7EN, TaeYang took the stage and thats when things got wild! This boy has stage presence and the moves to be famous worldwide! I couldn't believe how much energy he had and he danced/sang his little heart out. I say "little" because he is so much shorter in person! Oh well, I didn't care and was 15 feet away from him! We shared a few moments were I swear he winked or smiled at me haha. I'm hard to miss in a sea of Korean girls.
Throughout the performance, TaeYang kept removing his tops and throwing them into the audience. When he left the stage I made the comment that he can't do an encore because he has no more clothing to give away unless he takes off his pants! Speaking of the word "encore", all the Korean girls (and a few boys) were screaming "Acorn acorn acorn." I could not figure out what they were chanting, maybe something in Korean. Then it hit me that they were saying "encore." Hahaha I chuckled to myself about that one. After the concert, I could have easily died a happy girl haha. I will definitely be going to more K-Pop shows and I have Alida convinced too! She loved it as well and asked when the next one is! Ahhhh there are more people like me in the world hehe :)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Unoffical Offical Lists
Hello again,
I know, two updates in one week! I'm on top of my game. I have internet in my room, but it could be cancelled at anytime and then it'll be a week or two before it is back. Therefore, I want to put down all my thoughts as they come to me. There isn't any changes in my life. Just school, sleep, repeat. I am skyping fairly regularly with my parents and that is such a blessing! I get to see their faces, hear about their lives, and watch them interact. I love technology!
For the past six weeks in Korea, I have been experiencing many emotions. At times, I can't decide if I'm in culture shock or so used to the way of life that everything passes by me. Over the past six weeks I have been making an unoffical list in my head of everything that I love in Korea and everything I miss about home. Now is the time to make those lists offical and put them in this blog. I'll start with the sad first to get that out of the way.
Things I miss about home:
-My friends and family. Obvious, but needs to be said.
-My doggies. Poor Lexie and Lucy :( I hope they remember me!
-My car. It's offical, the taurus was sold last weekend.
-My own bed. I worked hard and spent many moneys to have a comfortable bed and now I'm sleeping on a box spring pretending to be a mattress.
-Riding in car. I love walking and living the city life of subways and taxis, but a car is just so convienent!
-FOOD! Korea has amazing food if it's Korean food, but a girl needs a good cheeseburger now and then!
-Meijer. I miss going into a store and knowing exactly where everything is.
-Talking to anyone I please. Other than saying "hello", "thank you", and "goodbye" speaking to people is pretty limited.
-Carpet! I have not walked on carpet since coming to Korea.
-Traffic signs. People just don't abide by them. I have been close to being hit by a car and I had the walk the sign!
-Not being stared at. Seems flattering at first, but sometimes I want to yell "Yes I have blonde hair and I am foreign! Take a picture, it lasts longer!"
-My Wardrobe. I didn't pack enough clothes and I think about all the things I have at home that I should have brought!
-Clothes Dryer. Not many people have dryers in Korea and just hang-dry everything! Such a pain sometimes!
-T.V. I could get cable if I wished, but would I understand anything? NO.
-An Oven. It's hard to imagine not baking for a year! I'm going to go crazy!
-Baseball :( enough said.
-Showering in an actual shower instead of the middle of the bathroom.
-MICHIGAN...I never realized how special Michigan and America was to me until I came here. I'm not comparing or dissing Korea by any means. But home is home no matter who you are. There will never be a place more beautiful or comforting than my hometown of Belmont, Michigan, USA.
Things I love about Korea:
-First an foremost, the people! I have been treated so kindly by most Korean people. They are so open to teaching foreigners about their country and they appreciate it if you respect their traditions.
-Restaurants. I love sitting on the floor, eating with chopsticks, and cooking my food in front of me.
-Iced Coffee. It's an addiction now.
-The moutains and beautiful countryside. The views are amazing!
-The small cars. I have yet to see an SUV or Astro Van in Korea.
-The cost of living. It's so cheap!
-ECC. I get to go to a job that I love everyday. How awesome is that?
-The Boys :) I don't mean this in a giggly-girly way, but honestly they don't make men like this in America. These boys are BEAutiful! I have found myself with my jaw dropped and standing still in the middle of the street just staring. They all look like rockstars.
-Shopping. Combine the cost of living (cheap) and my deal-finding skills and BAM! A new wardrobe in no time.
-Always something to do. No matter what day it is, there is always a festival or a show going on in Seoul or elsewhere.
-The Subway. So easy and convienent. When I first rode on it, I thought "Oh I'm going to end up in North Korea for sure." But now, I think I got the hang of it.
-The other foreign teachers. We have all been meshing very well and I feel like I have made friends that can help me through the hard times.
-Portion control. I don't just mean food, but everything. My fridge is tiny, but I realized I don't need a big one like back home. My room is tiny, but I live according to my means. That is just the way of life here.
-Korean Children. Always adorable and love staring at foreigners :)
-My students! My first day in Korea I was completely overwhelmed and unsure if I could do this for a year. The second I walked into my classroom, I felt like this is where I belong at this point in my life. I adore my kids and they make me feel so loved and special. I couldn't ask for anything more!
I know, two updates in one week! I'm on top of my game. I have internet in my room, but it could be cancelled at anytime and then it'll be a week or two before it is back. Therefore, I want to put down all my thoughts as they come to me. There isn't any changes in my life. Just school, sleep, repeat. I am skyping fairly regularly with my parents and that is such a blessing! I get to see their faces, hear about their lives, and watch them interact. I love technology!
For the past six weeks in Korea, I have been experiencing many emotions. At times, I can't decide if I'm in culture shock or so used to the way of life that everything passes by me. Over the past six weeks I have been making an unoffical list in my head of everything that I love in Korea and everything I miss about home. Now is the time to make those lists offical and put them in this blog. I'll start with the sad first to get that out of the way.
Things I miss about home:
-My friends and family. Obvious, but needs to be said.
-My doggies. Poor Lexie and Lucy :( I hope they remember me!
-My car. It's offical, the taurus was sold last weekend.
-My own bed. I worked hard and spent many moneys to have a comfortable bed and now I'm sleeping on a box spring pretending to be a mattress.
-Riding in car. I love walking and living the city life of subways and taxis, but a car is just so convienent!
-FOOD! Korea has amazing food if it's Korean food, but a girl needs a good cheeseburger now and then!
-Meijer. I miss going into a store and knowing exactly where everything is.
-Talking to anyone I please. Other than saying "hello", "thank you", and "goodbye" speaking to people is pretty limited.
-Carpet! I have not walked on carpet since coming to Korea.
-Traffic signs. People just don't abide by them. I have been close to being hit by a car and I had the walk the sign!
-Not being stared at. Seems flattering at first, but sometimes I want to yell "Yes I have blonde hair and I am foreign! Take a picture, it lasts longer!"
-My Wardrobe. I didn't pack enough clothes and I think about all the things I have at home that I should have brought!
-Clothes Dryer. Not many people have dryers in Korea and just hang-dry everything! Such a pain sometimes!
-T.V. I could get cable if I wished, but would I understand anything? NO.
-An Oven. It's hard to imagine not baking for a year! I'm going to go crazy!
-Baseball :( enough said.
-Showering in an actual shower instead of the middle of the bathroom.
-MICHIGAN...I never realized how special Michigan and America was to me until I came here. I'm not comparing or dissing Korea by any means. But home is home no matter who you are. There will never be a place more beautiful or comforting than my hometown of Belmont, Michigan, USA.
Things I love about Korea:
-First an foremost, the people! I have been treated so kindly by most Korean people. They are so open to teaching foreigners about their country and they appreciate it if you respect their traditions.
-Restaurants. I love sitting on the floor, eating with chopsticks, and cooking my food in front of me.
-Iced Coffee. It's an addiction now.
-The moutains and beautiful countryside. The views are amazing!
-The small cars. I have yet to see an SUV or Astro Van in Korea.
-The cost of living. It's so cheap!
-ECC. I get to go to a job that I love everyday. How awesome is that?
-The Boys :) I don't mean this in a giggly-girly way, but honestly they don't make men like this in America. These boys are BEAutiful! I have found myself with my jaw dropped and standing still in the middle of the street just staring. They all look like rockstars.
-Shopping. Combine the cost of living (cheap) and my deal-finding skills and BAM! A new wardrobe in no time.
-Always something to do. No matter what day it is, there is always a festival or a show going on in Seoul or elsewhere.
-The Subway. So easy and convienent. When I first rode on it, I thought "Oh I'm going to end up in North Korea for sure." But now, I think I got the hang of it.
-The other foreign teachers. We have all been meshing very well and I feel like I have made friends that can help me through the hard times.
-Portion control. I don't just mean food, but everything. My fridge is tiny, but I realized I don't need a big one like back home. My room is tiny, but I live according to my means. That is just the way of life here.
-Korean Children. Always adorable and love staring at foreigners :)
-My students! My first day in Korea I was completely overwhelmed and unsure if I could do this for a year. The second I walked into my classroom, I felt like this is where I belong at this point in my life. I adore my kids and they make me feel so loved and special. I couldn't ask for anything more!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Finally an Update!
Sorry everyone that it has been so long since my last post! There has been no time to write a meaningful and justified blog. I finally have a moment to breath and am ready to share the last two weeks with you.
School has been busy (as usual). The end of the month is the most hectic time at ECC. We have our phone teaching schedules, evaluation write ups, and testing all the elementary students to take care of. Leaving work before 7pm is not an option! By the time I return home, I am so exhausted that I lay in bed for about an hour and then crawl to the kitchen to feed myself. But with that said, I am still loving this job. Even when I want to pull my hair out from Korean children screaming "Teacher, Teacher!" all day, I still love this job!
I spent my Chuseok vacation with my supervisor and his parents from Canada. We went and saw a few historical places of Korea and just got to know the country even more. We went to Gyeongbokgung Palace first. I loved this place because as I told my supervisor I was looking in the market of buying a palace and this ranked at the top of the list :) The scenery with the mountains and rivers set behind this palace was incredible! We watched the changing of the guards ceremony as we were leaving. The colors of the uniforms and flags were so beautiful and the tradition of the passing of the swords was awesome to see!
Next we went to Namsangol Village, which is a traditional Korean village that you can actually tour and participate in Korean festivities. Most of the houses were authentic and hundreds of years old just restored to their rightful state. It was so great to go see these places during Chuseok because a ton of people were in hanboks. A hanbok is a beautiful outfit that is made of beautiful colors and beading. The women have these gorgeous gowns and the men have Korean suits. The village was educational and a great stop on my list of Korean touristy things :)
On our last day of school before Chuseok vacation, all the children wore their hanboks to school for our Chuseok party. I was really confused when we started playing on the floor and cooking Korean treats with their hanboks on. For a childrens hanbok, they are priced anywhere from 49,00 to 100,000 won ($49-$100). These are expensive things to own and if my child came home with dirt or rice cakes on their hanbok I would have a fit! But luckily we didn't have any mishaps. We ended up taking all 100 of the kindergarteners to the park and played Korean games. It was so much fun and they all looked adorable, but it was so hot that day and my poor students were dripping sweat. These hanboks are not made of breathable material and I ended up fanning the students the entire walk to and from the park. The kept saying "Teacher I so hot" or "Teacher, water please." :( I felt so bad, but we made it back to the school without anyone fainting and supplied enough water to rehydrate them!
Overall, this has been a great two weeks! I am starting to feel the true pressures from this job, but the good is outweighing the bad. I miss my home, family, friends, and everything so much, but I am still in awe of this experience. I want to thank everyone for sending such kind emails and messages to me. Even the simplest message makes my day and I feel your love and support on the other side of the world! I can't believe I have been here for 5 weeks already! Love you all <3
School has been busy (as usual). The end of the month is the most hectic time at ECC. We have our phone teaching schedules, evaluation write ups, and testing all the elementary students to take care of. Leaving work before 7pm is not an option! By the time I return home, I am so exhausted that I lay in bed for about an hour and then crawl to the kitchen to feed myself. But with that said, I am still loving this job. Even when I want to pull my hair out from Korean children screaming "Teacher, Teacher!" all day, I still love this job!
I spent my Chuseok vacation with my supervisor and his parents from Canada. We went and saw a few historical places of Korea and just got to know the country even more. We went to Gyeongbokgung Palace first. I loved this place because as I told my supervisor I was looking in the market of buying a palace and this ranked at the top of the list :) The scenery with the mountains and rivers set behind this palace was incredible! We watched the changing of the guards ceremony as we were leaving. The colors of the uniforms and flags were so beautiful and the tradition of the passing of the swords was awesome to see!
Next we went to Namsangol Village, which is a traditional Korean village that you can actually tour and participate in Korean festivities. Most of the houses were authentic and hundreds of years old just restored to their rightful state. It was so great to go see these places during Chuseok because a ton of people were in hanboks. A hanbok is a beautiful outfit that is made of beautiful colors and beading. The women have these gorgeous gowns and the men have Korean suits. The village was educational and a great stop on my list of Korean touristy things :)
On our last day of school before Chuseok vacation, all the children wore their hanboks to school for our Chuseok party. I was really confused when we started playing on the floor and cooking Korean treats with their hanboks on. For a childrens hanbok, they are priced anywhere from 49,00 to 100,000 won ($49-$100). These are expensive things to own and if my child came home with dirt or rice cakes on their hanbok I would have a fit! But luckily we didn't have any mishaps. We ended up taking all 100 of the kindergarteners to the park and played Korean games. It was so much fun and they all looked adorable, but it was so hot that day and my poor students were dripping sweat. These hanboks are not made of breathable material and I ended up fanning the students the entire walk to and from the park. The kept saying "Teacher I so hot" or "Teacher, water please." :( I felt so bad, but we made it back to the school without anyone fainting and supplied enough water to rehydrate them!
Overall, this has been a great two weeks! I am starting to feel the true pressures from this job, but the good is outweighing the bad. I miss my home, family, friends, and everything so much, but I am still in awe of this experience. I want to thank everyone for sending such kind emails and messages to me. Even the simplest message makes my day and I feel your love and support on the other side of the world! I can't believe I have been here for 5 weeks already! Love you all <3
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Hot Dae..oh I mean Hongdae :)
Well the weekend plans of Hongdae were an absolute success. After a stressful week of school and working 60 hours in 5 days, it was time for a fun night out! We came home from work at about 8pm and began getting ready for Hongdae. My roommates, Alida and Karen, had me so pumped for Hongdae that I wanted to leave immediately. They told me that if we got there too early no one would be at the clubs and we would have to wait in an empty club. In Korean bars, there is no closing time. The club/bar will be open until the sun comes up and thereafter. People don't show up then until about midnight. So I compromised with the roommates and we left our apartment at 9:30. No one told me, but we had an hour train ride to Hongdae. I thought it was only going to be about 20 or 30 minutes, so I sat on the train like a little kid just bouncing around and asking "Are we there yet!?"
When we finally arrived, a group of us 6 foreign teachers, walked off the train and onto the streets of Hongdae. It was like walking onto a red carpet. Everyone was dressed to the nine's with their high heels, hot outfits, perfect hair, and the attitudes to match. I must have looked ridiculous with my flipflops (I had heels to change into at the club) and my mouth hanging open. It was still early when we arrived so we went to a "quiet" bar (Alida's word, not mine) to have a drink before the club. We walk into a foreigner haven. Everyone was white and only the staff and a few others were Korean. We ended up ordering a drink and watching these two Korean guys have a dance off. Before I continue, I have to say that Koreans have the most incredible style of dancing that I haven't seen anywhere else. They somehow combine the robot with fluid, hip-hop movements and add these crazy head bops in. It is so cool!
After our drink, I informed the other teachers that I can't wait any longer and we must get to the club asap. I was so excited because Alida had been talking about Hongdae and the dance clubs all week and I was just ready to see it for myself and dance my heart out! We arrive at this club called Tin Pan and from the outside it looked so boring and I thought I was going to be let down. When we walked down the stairs and I layed my eyes on the dance floor, I could not have been more wrong. This place was pumping! There were people (men and women) dancing on the bar, dancing on the tables, dancing everywhere! And it's not the ridiculous side to side motion like back at home. People were full-out dancing like they had choreographed their moves prior to coming out. I was so ready to get out there, but we had to check our bags first. Another thing I love about Korea is that there are lockers everywhere. I hate going somewhere like a dance club and have to hold my purse the entire time.
Once I got out on the dance floor the time just flew. We got to the club at 11:30 and before I knew it, it was 3am. I told Alida and Karen, that I was ready to go whenever they were and they looked at me like I was crazy. First of all, the club was apparently just starting to get really busy and second of all, the subway was closed and we would have to wait until 6am to leave! I was stunned and unprepared for this adventure so I decided to take a break from the dancing and sit by myself at a table. Big MISTAKE! The Korean boys just flocked to me from every direction. Mind you, I was looking hagard at this point from dancing and sweating, but apparently that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that I was a foreigner. Some of them spoke decent English, others could only say about 5 words, yet they still attempted a conversation :)
Finally, it was time to get on the train, but first we stopped at a street vendor and I devoured the most delicious ham, cheese, egg, and sprouts sandwich ever made. We got onto the train and I just passed out on my roommates shoulder. I woke up to a Korean family snickering at us and turned over and went back to sleep. My roommate then shakes me awake and goes "hurry, this is our stop!" We leap off the train, walk back home, and fall into our beds at 7:30am.
As exhausted as I was the next day, I loved Hongdae and just dancing away any stress from work. I loved it so much that I already have plans to go back this coming weekend! This past week of work was horrible with the parents coming to the school. The students were difficult to get focused because we had spent the past week practicing and preparing for the presentations for the parents. I am just so ready for this Chuseok Holiday (6 day vacation!), siteseeing with my supervisor and his family, and some more Hongdae please!
When we finally arrived, a group of us 6 foreign teachers, walked off the train and onto the streets of Hongdae. It was like walking onto a red carpet. Everyone was dressed to the nine's with their high heels, hot outfits, perfect hair, and the attitudes to match. I must have looked ridiculous with my flipflops (I had heels to change into at the club) and my mouth hanging open. It was still early when we arrived so we went to a "quiet" bar (Alida's word, not mine) to have a drink before the club. We walk into a foreigner haven. Everyone was white and only the staff and a few others were Korean. We ended up ordering a drink and watching these two Korean guys have a dance off. Before I continue, I have to say that Koreans have the most incredible style of dancing that I haven't seen anywhere else. They somehow combine the robot with fluid, hip-hop movements and add these crazy head bops in. It is so cool!
After our drink, I informed the other teachers that I can't wait any longer and we must get to the club asap. I was so excited because Alida had been talking about Hongdae and the dance clubs all week and I was just ready to see it for myself and dance my heart out! We arrive at this club called Tin Pan and from the outside it looked so boring and I thought I was going to be let down. When we walked down the stairs and I layed my eyes on the dance floor, I could not have been more wrong. This place was pumping! There were people (men and women) dancing on the bar, dancing on the tables, dancing everywhere! And it's not the ridiculous side to side motion like back at home. People were full-out dancing like they had choreographed their moves prior to coming out. I was so ready to get out there, but we had to check our bags first. Another thing I love about Korea is that there are lockers everywhere. I hate going somewhere like a dance club and have to hold my purse the entire time.
Once I got out on the dance floor the time just flew. We got to the club at 11:30 and before I knew it, it was 3am. I told Alida and Karen, that I was ready to go whenever they were and they looked at me like I was crazy. First of all, the club was apparently just starting to get really busy and second of all, the subway was closed and we would have to wait until 6am to leave! I was stunned and unprepared for this adventure so I decided to take a break from the dancing and sit by myself at a table. Big MISTAKE! The Korean boys just flocked to me from every direction. Mind you, I was looking hagard at this point from dancing and sweating, but apparently that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that I was a foreigner. Some of them spoke decent English, others could only say about 5 words, yet they still attempted a conversation :)
Finally, it was time to get on the train, but first we stopped at a street vendor and I devoured the most delicious ham, cheese, egg, and sprouts sandwich ever made. We got onto the train and I just passed out on my roommates shoulder. I woke up to a Korean family snickering at us and turned over and went back to sleep. My roommate then shakes me awake and goes "hurry, this is our stop!" We leap off the train, walk back home, and fall into our beds at 7:30am.
As exhausted as I was the next day, I loved Hongdae and just dancing away any stress from work. I loved it so much that I already have plans to go back this coming weekend! This past week of work was horrible with the parents coming to the school. The students were difficult to get focused because we had spent the past week practicing and preparing for the presentations for the parents. I am just so ready for this Chuseok Holiday (6 day vacation!), siteseeing with my supervisor and his family, and some more Hongdae please!
Friday, September 10, 2010
"Ee She She" aka ECC in Korean
Well it is a rainy Saturday morning and I am at ECC waiting for school to start. Yes, school on Saturday. The reason is we have Monday-Thursday off in two weeks for the Chuseok holiday. Chuseok is the Korean version of Thanksgiving. It's a time to celebrate the harvest and family. Many people will most likely travel around Korea and visit with their loved ones. My supervisor's family is coming into town from Canada and he asked if I'd like to join them for all the touristy things around Seoul. I am very excited about that because I still feel like a tourist here! It hasn't sunk in yet that I am actually living here!
As for the rain, it has been raining for 48 hours straight. I enjoy a good thunderstorm now and then. Perhaps falling asleep to the rain and enjoying the pitter-patter on my window. But this is a different type of rain. It's the "someone-is-throwing-rocks-at-my-window-and-I-can't-sleep" rain. Or the "there-is-a-massive-waterfall-outside-my-apartment-and-I-have-to-pee-every-ten-minutes" rain. Not very enjoyable to say the least.
"Ee She She" is just a funny joke with the foreign teachers. Whenever we get into a cab or tell Koreans where we work, we pronounce it as "ee she she." If we say ECC, they have no idea what we are talking about. I've found that the more you imitate them, perhaps even mock their accent, you communicate better with the Koreans. Some people can really surprise you though and speak amazing English. We went to this new restaurant last night and everyone there spoke English very well! They were very excited to have foreigners in their restaurant. Many members of the staff came and talked to us in order to practice their English. They also gave us a bunch of freebies, which is just a perk of being a foreigner in an extremely hospitable country.
I do not have any great stories about new adventures as of now. I have been working 12 hour days all week and getting ready for a very important parents day at ECC. The entire school depends on impressing the parents so my lessons and teaching have taken a backseat in order to prepare for next week Monday and Wednesday. Tonight, we are going into Hongdae which is considered a "college town" of Seoul. I am sure that I will have a story or two to share after tonight! And after the week we've had, us teachers could use a night on the town!
As for the rain, it has been raining for 48 hours straight. I enjoy a good thunderstorm now and then. Perhaps falling asleep to the rain and enjoying the pitter-patter on my window. But this is a different type of rain. It's the "someone-is-throwing-rocks-at-my-window-and-I-can't-sleep" rain. Or the "there-is-a-massive-waterfall-outside-my-apartment-and-I-have-to-pee-every-ten-minutes" rain. Not very enjoyable to say the least.
"Ee She She" is just a funny joke with the foreign teachers. Whenever we get into a cab or tell Koreans where we work, we pronounce it as "ee she she." If we say ECC, they have no idea what we are talking about. I've found that the more you imitate them, perhaps even mock their accent, you communicate better with the Koreans. Some people can really surprise you though and speak amazing English. We went to this new restaurant last night and everyone there spoke English very well! They were very excited to have foreigners in their restaurant. Many members of the staff came and talked to us in order to practice their English. They also gave us a bunch of freebies, which is just a perk of being a foreigner in an extremely hospitable country.
I do not have any great stories about new adventures as of now. I have been working 12 hour days all week and getting ready for a very important parents day at ECC. The entire school depends on impressing the parents so my lessons and teaching have taken a backseat in order to prepare for next week Monday and Wednesday. Tonight, we are going into Hongdae which is considered a "college town" of Seoul. I am sure that I will have a story or two to share after tonight! And after the week we've had, us teachers could use a night on the town!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Experience the Norebang (Nor-a-bong)
I had my first full week of teaching and finished the week feeling exhausted, yet so happy with this job. I feel so much joy, excitment, and fulfillment working with these kids. I wake up everyday and can't wait to get to work! On Friday, I was a little worried of where the weekend might take me because my first weekend in Korea was very boring. I was so secluded from everyone at the temporary apartment. However, during the week I had moved into my official apartment with two other girls (both very cool) and set up my room and made this place my home for the next year.
Friday after work, we went and had Galbi again (still delicious) and then went to a quiet bar and drank and talked for a bit. We then decided to go the Norebang. I had no idea what this was but everyone seemed estatic about it so I tagged along. Apparently, the Norebang translates to "song room" and it is a place where you go and rent a private room for you and your friends and you sing Karaoke. You can sing any song you wish, whether it is Korean, Japanaese, or English. A fellow teacher who is a skinny, white boy from Canada got up and sang Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." It was very hilarious, but I was honestly quite impressed with his rapping skills. I wanted to just watch and observe the Norebang festivities, but that was just unacceptable with the other teachers. So I got up and sang my go-to song "Sweet Child O'Mine" by Guns N Roses :) It really was a ton of fun. Once you get over the fact that you are in a room with your friends and singing to yourselves, it's not so bad haha :). The Norebang was pretty busy because Koreans love Karaoke!
After the Norebang, we wondered home and I drifted off into dreamland very quickly. It was a tiring week and the weekend was off to a great start!
Friday after work, we went and had Galbi again (still delicious) and then went to a quiet bar and drank and talked for a bit. We then decided to go the Norebang. I had no idea what this was but everyone seemed estatic about it so I tagged along. Apparently, the Norebang translates to "song room" and it is a place where you go and rent a private room for you and your friends and you sing Karaoke. You can sing any song you wish, whether it is Korean, Japanaese, or English. A fellow teacher who is a skinny, white boy from Canada got up and sang Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." It was very hilarious, but I was honestly quite impressed with his rapping skills. I wanted to just watch and observe the Norebang festivities, but that was just unacceptable with the other teachers. So I got up and sang my go-to song "Sweet Child O'Mine" by Guns N Roses :) It really was a ton of fun. Once you get over the fact that you are in a room with your friends and singing to yourselves, it's not so bad haha :). The Norebang was pretty busy because Koreans love Karaoke!
After the Norebang, we wondered home and I drifted off into dreamland very quickly. It was a tiring week and the weekend was off to a great start!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Home Plus a.k.a. Walmart on Steroids
On my first Saturday (or second day) in Korea, I went to Home Plus with Vince. He is my neighbor and fellow teacher at ECC. He has a car because he's been living in Korea for so long, which is good because Home Plus was a 15 minute drive. Home Plus is this overwhelming store that has anything you could possibly want. It is 5 stories tall and carries toys, shoes, dress clothes, perfume, food, electronics, car accessories, furniture, etc. Not only was the place overwhelming, but it was just packed with people! I have to first say before I continue, that this was my first experience out in public like this. I had yet to go to a store or any place with a lot of people. No matter where I went in Home Plus or what I did, people would completely stop and stare at me. Children were pointing at me and asking their parents about me and people would attempt to speak English to me. I was looking at a bag of Korean Sun Chips and this older man walks by and goes "Sun! Sun!" I just smiled and nodded my head. Korean people love showing Westerners their English skills even if it is just one word. Sometimes they are shy, but it has become a typical thing to have random English words yelled at you as you walk by.
When I was checking out at the register, I had my first true celebrity moment haha! This is what all the Westerners call it when Korean people gawk at you. I was at the register and Vince taps my shoulder and points to my right. I look down and this little girl about 8 or 9 year old is just staring at me with her mouth wide open. I smile and say "Hello" and she jumps and runs away. She starts saying in Korean "Mom, mom, look! Amerian girl!" Her mom just laughs and bows to me and they walk away. It was very weird, but Vince said that she was just fascinated with my blonde hair and big eyes. He said I better get used to that because it'll happen everytime I go out in public. I'm not offended or creeped out by that attention. For many Korean children who don't attend English school, they rarely see Westerners in person. They are just shocked by anyone who doesn't have black hair and Asian eyes. I find that I am somewhat of an educational piece haha :)
After Home Plus, I returned to my apartment with my new pillow (it's an herb pillow! Whatever that means. It was on sale!) and took the most fulfilling nap. I then ate my Korean Sun Chips and sat on the roof and overlooked Uijeongbu for hours.
When I was checking out at the register, I had my first true celebrity moment haha! This is what all the Westerners call it when Korean people gawk at you. I was at the register and Vince taps my shoulder and points to my right. I look down and this little girl about 8 or 9 year old is just staring at me with her mouth wide open. I smile and say "Hello" and she jumps and runs away. She starts saying in Korean "Mom, mom, look! Amerian girl!" Her mom just laughs and bows to me and they walk away. It was very weird, but Vince said that she was just fascinated with my blonde hair and big eyes. He said I better get used to that because it'll happen everytime I go out in public. I'm not offended or creeped out by that attention. For many Korean children who don't attend English school, they rarely see Westerners in person. They are just shocked by anyone who doesn't have black hair and Asian eyes. I find that I am somewhat of an educational piece haha :)
After Home Plus, I returned to my apartment with my new pillow (it's an herb pillow! Whatever that means. It was on sale!) and took the most fulfilling nap. I then ate my Korean Sun Chips and sat on the roof and overlooked Uijeongbu for hours.
Ahhh the Night Life
After school, a big group of foreign teachers were meeting at the Galbi house to celebrate a teacher's birthday. They really wanted me to come to get to know everyone and despite my jetlag, I joined them. This restaurant looked like a fish market where everything was open and you could see them preparing and cutting up your food before they brought it to your table. We sat on the floor (again haha) and in the middle of the table is a grill that they get started once you sit down and are ready to eat. They brought out raw meat, which we placed on the grill, vegetables, rice, salad, and soup. It was so amazing and I have a new love for meat (ahhhh!) I met so many teachers from all over the world who have been here anywhere from 4 months to 2 years.
After our meal, which included all the beer and Soju you could drink for only $15 a person, we went to the party strip in Uijeongbu. Lets just say that in Uijeongbu the bars are typical American bars. Loud music, smokey atmosphere, dirty guys, and expensive drinks. In spite of that, we ended up laughing, dancing, drinking, and walking around unitl 3am. I met some American G.I.'s and we high-fived about America (haha so random) and also met some Koreans who wanted to practice their English skills. Then it was time for me to go home to my one room apartment and pass out. Even though I was beyond tired, I am so happy I went out with everyone. I met some really cool people and had an absolute blast!
After our meal, which included all the beer and Soju you could drink for only $15 a person, we went to the party strip in Uijeongbu. Lets just say that in Uijeongbu the bars are typical American bars. Loud music, smokey atmosphere, dirty guys, and expensive drinks. In spite of that, we ended up laughing, dancing, drinking, and walking around unitl 3am. I met some American G.I.'s and we high-fived about America (haha so random) and also met some Koreans who wanted to practice their English skills. Then it was time for me to go home to my one room apartment and pass out. Even though I was beyond tired, I am so happy I went out with everyone. I met some really cool people and had an absolute blast!
Back to School, Back to School...:)
Mr. Chung (one of Mr. Yu's many workers) picked me up from my temporary apartment and took me to school on my first official day in Korea. When I arrived at school, Mr. Yu warmly greeted me and took me into ECC or English Children's Center. ECC is a prominent, private school in Uijeongbu where only English is spoken, but all subjects are taught. Parents pay a boat load of money for their children to go here. The ability to speak English fluently is kind of like getting a college degree in America. You must be able to speak/get a degree to get a good job.
When I walked into the school, I was blown away. First, it is a building that sits on a busy road in Uijeonbu and has 3 floors. The classrooms are small because there are only 8-10 students per class. The rooms are made up of only English material. The school is referred to as an "English only zone" and if we hear any of the students speaking Korean we must reprimand them. I met the foreign teacher supervisor and began my three days of training. I can honestly say that within the first 10 minutes of observing a class with these adorable 5 year olds, I was estatic! I knew that all the saddness of leaving home and the long hours of travelling was worth the joy of getting to work with these kids. They automatically love you, talk to you, show affection towards you, and respect you. There are too many stories of my first school day to share, but here are my two favorite:
It was a break time in between periods (there are 7 periods for kindergarten) and the students were lined up at the bathroom. A little boy, about 6 or 7 years old says "Where you from!?" I say "I'm from America." His entire face lights up like a kid at Toys R Us. He starts yelling "You from America! We love America!" I laughed at that one all day :)
This other story is embarassing but very memorable. I was watching this class and the teacher goes "Everyone we have a new teacher and we are going to let her tell us her name and where she's from." This adorable girl in pigtails goes "Her name is pretty teacher!" And all the kids start going "Yeah! yeah! Pretty teacher!" After they calmed down and I told them my name was Mallory Teacher they laughed even harder because they couldn't say "Mallory." It comes out Mary, Money, or Malbery. The students must say "teacher" at the end of your name . It shows respect and if they don't say teacher you must punish them. We have foreign teachers and Korean teachers at ECC. The Korean teachers are very strict and all the students are scared of them haha. If a Korean teacher hears a student say just your name and not teacher at the end, they will be severly punished by the Korean teacher. The would pull them out of class, yell at them in Korean, call their parents and let them deal with the disrespect issue. It is that severe!
Aside from having an amazing first day at ECC with the students, the other foreign teachers are all awesome as well. They are mostly from Cananda, one from South Africa, a couple from the UK and two of us from America. They are all so welcoming, nice and helpful. They all have opened there arms to me and immediately took me into the group. It is so wonderful to have an expat community to turn to in difficult times!
When I walked into the school, I was blown away. First, it is a building that sits on a busy road in Uijeonbu and has 3 floors. The classrooms are small because there are only 8-10 students per class. The rooms are made up of only English material. The school is referred to as an "English only zone" and if we hear any of the students speaking Korean we must reprimand them. I met the foreign teacher supervisor and began my three days of training. I can honestly say that within the first 10 minutes of observing a class with these adorable 5 year olds, I was estatic! I knew that all the saddness of leaving home and the long hours of travelling was worth the joy of getting to work with these kids. They automatically love you, talk to you, show affection towards you, and respect you. There are too many stories of my first school day to share, but here are my two favorite:
It was a break time in between periods (there are 7 periods for kindergarten) and the students were lined up at the bathroom. A little boy, about 6 or 7 years old says "Where you from!?" I say "I'm from America." His entire face lights up like a kid at Toys R Us. He starts yelling "You from America! We love America!" I laughed at that one all day :)
This other story is embarassing but very memorable. I was watching this class and the teacher goes "Everyone we have a new teacher and we are going to let her tell us her name and where she's from." This adorable girl in pigtails goes "Her name is pretty teacher!" And all the kids start going "Yeah! yeah! Pretty teacher!" After they calmed down and I told them my name was Mallory Teacher they laughed even harder because they couldn't say "Mallory." It comes out Mary, Money, or Malbery. The students must say "teacher" at the end of your name . It shows respect and if they don't say teacher you must punish them. We have foreign teachers and Korean teachers at ECC. The Korean teachers are very strict and all the students are scared of them haha. If a Korean teacher hears a student say just your name and not teacher at the end, they will be severly punished by the Korean teacher. The would pull them out of class, yell at them in Korean, call their parents and let them deal with the disrespect issue. It is that severe!
Aside from having an amazing first day at ECC with the students, the other foreign teachers are all awesome as well. They are mostly from Cananda, one from South Africa, a couple from the UK and two of us from America. They are all so welcoming, nice and helpful. They all have opened there arms to me and immediately took me into the group. It is so wonderful to have an expat community to turn to in difficult times!
My First Night in Korea
After being picked up by Mr. Yu, the director of my school, we started the drive from Seoul to Uijeongbu. A side not for all, never drive in Korea! It is comparable to driving in New York City rush hour, with New York City cab drivers going down the highway at 80 mph. But anyway, on the 40 minute death ride, Mr. Yu informed me that I was going to a temporary apartment. The real apartment that I was suppose to move into right away was still being lived in by the teacher I was replacing. Her contract ended on Aug. 31 and mine started on Sept. 1. So there was an overlap of living situations. He takes me to this building that he owns in the Uijeongbu. Aside from being the director of 2 Academys, Mr, Yu owns several buildings and offices in Uijeongbu. He is a very prominent figure in this city. If he says jump, they say how high sort of thing :) The building I lived in for the first week was 6 floors. The top two floors were apartments and the other floors were offices and restaurants.
Before going to my temporary apartment, Mr. Yu took me to a restaurant on the first floor of the building. We walked in and had to remove our shoes at the door and then sit on the floor to eat at this small table with a burner in the middle of it. I just loved this because it is so Korean and that is why I came here, for the cultural experience :)! Anyway, the server brought us this big pot of broth and placed it on the burner. Then they brought out an array of vegetables (most I couldn't recognize) and thinly sliced rolls of beef. All this was placed into the boiling broth. This type of meal is called "Shabu Shabu." While we waited for this to cook, we ate our rice, soup, and the most delicious salad ever! It wasn't lettuce, but cabbage and sprouts with cherry tomatoes and this amazing spicy ginger dressing. We started to eat the broth stew and Mr. Yu kept feeding me and refilling my bowl. It is very important in Korea to make sure that other people are fed and do not go hungry. I wanted to tell Mr. Yu to stop, but that would have been extremely rude and he would have been greatly offended. I just kept eating and even though I was miserable with fullness, Mr. Yu didn't notice because he was so occupied eating like I have never seen anyone eat in my life! He kept stuffing his mouth and slurping so loudly. Apparently, this is good to do in Korea. Loud eating shows the host that you are enjoying the food. It is impolite to not slurp, so I joined in with Mr. Yu :). I'll have to remember to not do that when I go back to the States haha! While we were eating, the server was curious about me so she came and talked to Mr. Yu for a while. They were speaking Korean, but they kept looking at me and pointing at me. They laughed when he told her that the only words I know in Korean are "hello" and "thank you." I wanted to say that I can actually understand enough Korean to know when someone is talking about me, but talk about being rude! It is always best to be polite as a foreigner in Korea. It could make or break your stay :).
After dinner, which by the way only cost $14 or 14,000 won (pronounced WAHN) and Mr. Yu paid, we went to my temporaryy apartment. Lets just say that my first impression of my apartment can be compared to my first impression of my dorm room at Western. The thought "I have to sleep here!" crossed my mind haha. But after I unpacked, made up my bed and got used to the place, it started to grow on me. Before Mr. Yu left at around 11pm, he introduced me to another teacher who works at the other ECC school, not my school. He lived on the floor above me and his name was Vince. He is a "bloke" from England who has been teaching in Korea for 10 years. He was so nice and helpful for my first week in Korea. He showed me how to use the shower (aaahhh!), washer, and air conditioning (it didn't work anyway!). Then he showed me the roof of the building which had the most amazing view of Uijeongbu. I sat up there for a while just thinking of how lucky I am to be doing this. I can't believe how my life and all my journeys have taken me here. I count my blessings everyday for my parents who have supported me in everything I do and for providing me with such courage and opportunities to see the world. Thanks Mom and Dad!
The first night I actually slept for about four hours. It was about 85 degrees and 90% humidity, but I made it work! I woke up the next morning, still exhausted and got ready for my first day of school in the unusual bathroom (pics to come)!
Before going to my temporary apartment, Mr. Yu took me to a restaurant on the first floor of the building. We walked in and had to remove our shoes at the door and then sit on the floor to eat at this small table with a burner in the middle of it. I just loved this because it is so Korean and that is why I came here, for the cultural experience :)! Anyway, the server brought us this big pot of broth and placed it on the burner. Then they brought out an array of vegetables (most I couldn't recognize) and thinly sliced rolls of beef. All this was placed into the boiling broth. This type of meal is called "Shabu Shabu." While we waited for this to cook, we ate our rice, soup, and the most delicious salad ever! It wasn't lettuce, but cabbage and sprouts with cherry tomatoes and this amazing spicy ginger dressing. We started to eat the broth stew and Mr. Yu kept feeding me and refilling my bowl. It is very important in Korea to make sure that other people are fed and do not go hungry. I wanted to tell Mr. Yu to stop, but that would have been extremely rude and he would have been greatly offended. I just kept eating and even though I was miserable with fullness, Mr. Yu didn't notice because he was so occupied eating like I have never seen anyone eat in my life! He kept stuffing his mouth and slurping so loudly. Apparently, this is good to do in Korea. Loud eating shows the host that you are enjoying the food. It is impolite to not slurp, so I joined in with Mr. Yu :). I'll have to remember to not do that when I go back to the States haha! While we were eating, the server was curious about me so she came and talked to Mr. Yu for a while. They were speaking Korean, but they kept looking at me and pointing at me. They laughed when he told her that the only words I know in Korean are "hello" and "thank you." I wanted to say that I can actually understand enough Korean to know when someone is talking about me, but talk about being rude! It is always best to be polite as a foreigner in Korea. It could make or break your stay :).
After dinner, which by the way only cost $14 or 14,000 won (pronounced WAHN) and Mr. Yu paid, we went to my temporaryy apartment. Lets just say that my first impression of my apartment can be compared to my first impression of my dorm room at Western. The thought "I have to sleep here!" crossed my mind haha. But after I unpacked, made up my bed and got used to the place, it started to grow on me. Before Mr. Yu left at around 11pm, he introduced me to another teacher who works at the other ECC school, not my school. He lived on the floor above me and his name was Vince. He is a "bloke" from England who has been teaching in Korea for 10 years. He was so nice and helpful for my first week in Korea. He showed me how to use the shower (aaahhh!), washer, and air conditioning (it didn't work anyway!). Then he showed me the roof of the building which had the most amazing view of Uijeongbu. I sat up there for a while just thinking of how lucky I am to be doing this. I can't believe how my life and all my journeys have taken me here. I count my blessings everyday for my parents who have supported me in everything I do and for providing me with such courage and opportunities to see the world. Thanks Mom and Dad!
The first night I actually slept for about four hours. It was about 85 degrees and 90% humidity, but I made it work! I woke up the next morning, still exhausted and got ready for my first day of school in the unusual bathroom (pics to come)!
The Trip to Korea
Well ladies and gentlemen, I am finally here! This experience has already been unforgettable! I apologize for such a delay in postings, but I do not have a reliable source of internet and will not have my own internet connection until the end of the month. I will start from the beginning of my adventure and try to catch up to this point!
The trip started out on a very sad note. I had to say goodbye to my parents at the airport. Walking away from them was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. My mom tried to bribe me to stay by offering to pay for Grad School. Thanks Mom! That information would have probably worked a month or a week before I left. Not an hour before :) I cried on the entire plane ride from Grand Rapids to Chicago. Poor woman sitting next to me! She started humming to drown out my sobbing! When I landed in Chicago and was waiting to board the plane to LA, it truly hit me that this was actually happening. I began crying again in O'Hare and cried off and on from Chicago to LAX. When I arrived in LA, I met an American from South Carolina who was on all of my previous flights and she was going to Korea to teach too! She helped calm me down because this was her second time teaching in Korea. She just loved it so much! She also told me the horror stories of how she got stranded at the airport and had to find a hotel by herself in Seoul. I was so nervous about that, but I'll get to that in a minute. The flight from LAX to Incheon Airport was so long! I would fall asleep, wake up, think 3 hours had past and then find out it was only 20 minutes! I did that over and over so the flight felt like 2days, not 12 hours. The good news is, despite my new friends horror stories, I got my bags with no problem, went through customs with no problem, and found my director who was picking me up with no problem. I could not have asked for a better transition to Korea!
The trip started out on a very sad note. I had to say goodbye to my parents at the airport. Walking away from them was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. My mom tried to bribe me to stay by offering to pay for Grad School. Thanks Mom! That information would have probably worked a month or a week before I left. Not an hour before :) I cried on the entire plane ride from Grand Rapids to Chicago. Poor woman sitting next to me! She started humming to drown out my sobbing! When I landed in Chicago and was waiting to board the plane to LA, it truly hit me that this was actually happening. I began crying again in O'Hare and cried off and on from Chicago to LAX. When I arrived in LA, I met an American from South Carolina who was on all of my previous flights and she was going to Korea to teach too! She helped calm me down because this was her second time teaching in Korea. She just loved it so much! She also told me the horror stories of how she got stranded at the airport and had to find a hotel by herself in Seoul. I was so nervous about that, but I'll get to that in a minute. The flight from LAX to Incheon Airport was so long! I would fall asleep, wake up, think 3 hours had past and then find out it was only 20 minutes! I did that over and over so the flight felt like 2days, not 12 hours. The good news is, despite my new friends horror stories, I got my bags with no problem, went through customs with no problem, and found my director who was picking me up with no problem. I could not have asked for a better transition to Korea!
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Welcoming Post
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! As many of you know, I will be leaving for South Korea very soon and this blog will be a way for me to share my experience and stay connected with friends and family. First, let me say that this blog will be forever changing. Don't be alarmed if the next time you sign on, the page is completely different. I am working on customizing my blog, but it is a slow process. I don't really have the time or patience right now to deal with custom headers and fonts. However, once I take a few pictures in Korea I will add them to my blog and make it my own. I will try my hardest to update my blog at least twice a week, but who knows how busy I will be once I get to Korea! Thanks for checking out my blog and I can't wait to start sharing my experience in Korea!
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