Sunday, December 26, 2010

Merry Icemas!

top (1): the goodies I contributed to the Christmas party- YUM!
2: the Kinderloca Christmas pageant
3: haha... please read the story then come look at this again (cab driver eating chicken)
4: What's going on here.. looks like a marriage- proceed to read!




I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Mine was…. I guess you could say, jolly… the best part, of course was seeing my family on Christmas morning (USA-Christmas eve). We all enjoyed each others virtual company (Skype is an excellent invention) while opening presents. I sent home a box FULL of Korean goodies for everyone in the family. They really got a kick out of some of the things I sent home… the dried squid snack, the canned silk worm pupa (jokes). I got some lovely presents as well… speaking of, i'm enjoying one of them right now!! Maybe you guessed what it was that I'm drooling over…. yes, I'm currently biting into a buttery, chocolatey, crunchy butterfinger. Ohhh man, no candy beats a butterfinger- thanks mom. If I spoke to any of you, you saw that I was quite the emotional sap this Christmas… the no family thing REALLY got to me. I spent my Christmas with Laura, shopping for our "Drifters Christmas Party". It was a gorgeous day and people were everywhere… I am so used to stores being closed and people being inside, not out and about shopping. Every store in town was open… as you can see, Christmas is not that big of deal here. Laura and I searched far and wide for Christmas decor… or at least some red and green plates, cups, etc. HA… that was a joke, the closest thing we found was a lime green tray and some poinsettias (another plant for Clarence… maybe I'll have better luke with this one). A touch of snow fell from the sky that busy Christmas day… it was so beautiful and yet oh so sad, I felt like I was in a movie haha…just picture it- sunny skies with the faint midst of snow slowly falling… so beautiful as the sun touches it, it looks like glitter… Laura and I painfully walking down the street.. stares from all directions (the stares will never stop on this continent)… boxes, bags, and purses at hand… there I am on a street corner.. kids laughing speaking what sounds like "mskfkjsghsg glgkdhgdghnvnjh dfgkdhg" at me.. I'm trying like hell to hail a cab.. I wave my large lime green tray with hopes that a taxi will come my way! 20 minutes later, backs aching… we are saved! For the rest of the day, I cleaned, I chopped, I boiled, I fried, I sauteed… no baking though (can you tell, I really miss my oven). I made some very delicious goodies for the party: fried/sauteed mini pork burgers with sliced onion, sprouts, velveeta cheese and balsamic mayonnaise- they were a hit! I also made a very savory macaroni salad (mom's recipe). We had all kinds of snacks… it was kind of like a Christmas barbecue. I must say, for all the people who said they were coming and didn't show… you really missed out! We were expecting 15 or so and 6 (including myself) were there. Oh well, the decorations (oh yea, we borrowed a Christmas tree from work) were great, the food was delicious and the company was wonderful… and snow falling all night long was indeed the cherry on top!

Let me back track… I'm good at that! The work week couldn't go by fast enough… a break is much needed among the TNE staff UGH! It didn't help to know that all my friends in America and in Korea were off work for most of the week or at least on Christmas eve. After a chaotic week, I decided to treat myself a little early and head downtown with some friends for Thursday night QUIZ/Trivia. Do you remember me telling you about this before? Well, a foreign bar downtown called Speak Easy holds something called QUIZ every other Thursday evening at 10 pm. Each team puts in $5 and has a sheet of paper where they record answers for every themed round- there are 6 rounds, 10 questions in each. This weeks trivia was themed around Christmas. It was so much fun…everyone was out because most people didn't work the next day. There was so much Christmas spirit… or maybe that was just the alcohol but either way, it was a good time. Out of 11 teams, our team got 2nd place… I was so proud!! The 2nd place prize is that you get your entry money back. The night didn't stop there, we went to celebrate our win at Bubble bar where we enjoyed some Long Island Iced Teas and the company of some very attractive military men. This night was so out of the blue random and crazy… I only wish I could relive it sober! Let me just throw out some fun details…. AJ, one of the military guys told us he was an ordained minister.. so what did he do, he married Laura and Ryan. I was happy to be her bridesmaid that snowy Christmas eve in Korea, wow… she will never forget that! I made best friends with these military cuties (in fact, I'm making my way to the Gunsan military base in a few weeks to visit). Ryan is obsessed with the chicken at the mini mart (I don't even know if it's really chicken) so we went there after Bubble and he bought all they had. Our cab driver couldn't stop talking about the haunting chicken aroma… he couldn't stand it so half way through our ride home, he stole some chicken from Laura and devoured it- so hilarious I almost peed my pants!!!- you know I got a picture!! 5 am we made it home safely and bed time it was. It's not too bad going to bed at 5: 30 am every now and then… especially since I don't have to be at work till 1…. or so I thought!!!!!!

11 am… I'm rolling around in my warm bed, thanking God that I have at most another 1 1/2 hours to sleep until I get a loud, abrupt knock on the door, "EMILIE, WHERE ARE YOU, OPEN UP, LET'S GO, COME ON, EMILIE, EMILIE!" I look at my phone to make sure I'm not late (I'm the most punctual person I know, of course I'm not late)… I ignore the knocks and the pounds and the rings for 5 minutes until I can't take it… did someone die!!!??? I finally yell out, "I'M SLEEPING, GO AWAY"! "EMILIE, IT'S MICHAEL (you know him, my hall mate, the middle man boss, my liaison).. YOU HAVE TO COME TO WORK NOW, WE NEED YOU AT THE KINDERGARDEN CHRISTMAS PAGEANT". No one told me I had to be there so I simply tell him no thanks, I'll see you at 1:00 sharp when work starts… good bye! More pounds, more knocks… Oh my GOSH! REALLY!? "EMILIE, IT DOESN'T MATTER, YOU HAVE TO COME, WE REALLY NEED YOU THERE… THIS IS JUST SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO." I dragged my tired ass out of bed, threw on some clothes, smacked on some makeup and headed down to the Christmas pageant. I was not happy and I made sure Michael knew it. Do you know that I was NOT needed at this pageant. The only reason they wanted me there was to show me off. All the KIndergarden parents were watching… no one looked twice at me.. they were watching their kids- DUH! Okay, okay… the pageant was adorable but I was still pissed off. I mean really, how freaking rude…. the downfall of living in the TNE building! Let me just say, it's a good thing I lock my door because Michael has no problem just barging in (one time he walked in on two of my co-workers in bed together)… that man has got to learn some manners!

I was exhausted that entire day but half of my students didn't come since it was Christmas eve. I didn't have to teach my entire Giza 1 class because no one showed. My night class (5:45- 7:05), 3 out of 7 kids came. It blew my mind that kids were coming to class at all…it's dinner time on Christmas eve (like I said… Christmas just isn't the same here). The most touching part of my day was when I showed "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to all my students…. maybe that was a "no,no" but oh well! None of them have ever heard of Dr. Seuss and no one knew what a "Grinch" was. I explained in detail and proceeded with the original, Dr. Seuss, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". I have never seen a child so in love with a movie in my life. They had smiles bigger than you could imagine.. even my older students (11, 12, 13) were wide eyed with excitement! Even Terry… one of my new students who is a complete punk/bully… he wouldn't smile if you let him spend a week at Disney Land… the kid shows no emotion, until he watched the Grinch! He was laughing and smiling… I was beside myself. Shit, I don't even care if they get mad at me for taking 25 minutes to show a movie instead of teach… I made that kid smile and that made his day and mine!

Well, back to the grind tomorrow morning… our official vacation starts on Wednesday where I will wake up at 5 am to meet the skii crew!! I am soooo nervous to skii/snowboard.. I've got to try it though. My next blog should be interesting!

Korean Facts/ Randomness:

-The Christmas slogan around these parts is: "Merry Icemas"… wonder why? The big thing for Christmas is cakes. Everyone and their dog buys a cake. Baskin Robbins came up with, "Merry Icemas" for their Christmas cake slogan. When I was out shopping Friday and Saturday of this week, everyone had a big cake box at hand… I don't get it.
-Kids call Santa, Grandfather or Grandfather Santa (they think it's so funny that he never ages… he's always a grandfather)- they are very logical… well at times, listen to this…..
-This blows my mind… okay so first, you know that when your born in Korea, your automatically 1 year old, well…. for every new year, you turn another year old. This means that, on January 1st, I will be 25. In America I am 23 but when I came here they add on that extra year (24)… now, all the sudden i'm another year older in a week (25). My friend Soo Yeoung is a aunt as of Friday. That baby is born 1 year old… next week he will be 2 years old. WHAT THE HELL… IS THIS SERIOUS? Your telling me that a baby who was born 1 week ago is 2 years old. Crazy!

Monday, December 20, 2010

"Korean Tension... A Look at the Conflict!"

Top: North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il with his son, Kim Jong-un.. his soon will be taking over as leader in the near future
Bottom: as you can see, a burning of a North Korean flag- Kim Jong-il isn't really favored around here, as I'm sure he's not in most places


All ya'll (that one was you Ohioans)... I can't imagine what's going through your heads right now. The media has portrayed the tension between the Koreas to be so fearful and unnerving when really.... here's what it's like in my neck of the woods: no one at work cares (trust me.. I'm not working with a bunch of naive idiots either). I'm always asking questions and everyone just tells me not to worry or they laugh in my face when I tell them how freaked out my family is (no offense you guys)... I'm trying not to be a hypochondriac/ not too naive all at the same time... man its tough. I am sure that if things get bad enough the US embassy will get all the Americas out of here. Please, try not to worry. If feel safe and so do all the people I hang out with and work with. I am posting something from CNN... I realize I could link it but I want to have it saved in my blog (after all, this is my electronic journal)

*I have blogged for this week already so be sure to scroll down and check it out :)... "Auntie Em"

Korean tension: A look at the conflict

(CNN) -- A disputed maritime border. Long-standing tensions. And on Monday, South Korea began scheduled live-fire military exercises -- a move the North threatened could ignite a war.

How did the latest hostilities begin?
South Korea said North Korea fired artillery November 23 toward the border between the two nations. The attack killed four people -- two marines and two civilians; 18 soldiers and civilians were wounded.
South Korea had been conducting maritime military drills, which the North called "war maneuvers."
The North accused the South of "reckless military provocation" for firing dozens of shells inside North Korean territory around the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.
Plumes of smoke billowed from the island of 1,300 people but it was not immediately clear how much damage was incurred. Many residents were fleeing to the South Korean port of Incheon.
See more of CNN.com's special coverage of the Koreas

Why did this happen?
Tension has been running particularly high in the Korean peninsula after the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan. The November 23 shelling, however, is one of the most serious that has occurred in recent years.
The hostilities come as North Korea is undergoing transition -- the ailing and reclusive leader Kim Jong Il is believed to be in the process of transferring power to his son Kim Jong Un. Some analysts believe upcoming internal changes have prompted North Korea to flex its military muscle in recent days.
November's violence was also preceded by the revelation of a North Korean uranium enrichment program.

Has this happened before?
Yes, Yeonpyeong Island has come under attack before. Last January, South Korea reported that the North had fired shells that fell in waters north of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean maritime border.
North Korea wants that border redrawn farther south.
Over the past six decades, small-scale skirmishes have flared repeatedly along both land and sea borders as each state aims to reunify the peninsula according to its own terms and system of government. Deadly naval clashes occurred along the demarcation line in 1999, 2002 and 2009.

What is the history of conflict?
After Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea became a divided nation, the capitalist South supported by the United States and its Western allies and the communist North an ally of the Soviet Union.

Cold War tensions erupted into war 1950, devastating the peninsula and taking the lives of as many as 2 million people. The fighting ended with a truce, not a treaty, and settled little.
Technically the two Koreas are still at war.
Besides the border skirmishes, other incidents also have proven provocative. In 1968, North Korea dispatched commandos in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate South Korea's president. In 1983, a bombing linked to Pyongyang killed 17 high-level South Korean officials on a visit to Myanmar. In 1987, the North was accused of bombing a South Korean airliner.
What happened with the Cheonan?
South Korea said a North Korean torpedo last March sent the warship Cheonan to the bottom of the Yellow Sea off the Seoul-controlled island of Baengnyeong. The sinking, also in the border area, killed 46 South Korean sailors.
South Korea was outraged by the incident. North Korea vehemently denied any responsibility, even after an international investigating team blamed North Korea. The United Nations Security Council statement condemned the attack but stopped short of placing blame on the North.

Will the two nations go to war?
South Korea put its military on high alert following November's exchange of fire. But whether that will translate into further military action is impossible to predict.
Events in the past few months suggested a slight thawing of icy relations.
North and South Korea had begun discussions on the possible resumption of reunions of family members separated by the Korean war and North Korea has requested military talks. In early September, the South offered food aid to the impoverished North for the first time in three years.
Given the closed nature of North Korean politics, it is hard to tell what changes the new leadership of Kim Jong Un will entail or whether re-engagement is on the table. Another wild card is the influence of China; some South Koreans fear a Chinese takeover in the event of a North Korean collapse.
Some analysts viewed November 23 exchange as North Korea flexing its military muscle in the light of its leadership transition. Others said it was related to the nuclear issue.

How will nuclear talks be affected?
Washington accuses Pyongyang of running a secret uranium-based nuclear program. The United States, along with the two Koreas, Russia, Japan and China, have been involved in what is called the six party talks.
But those talks have been slow and arduous and in limbo since 2008. And after the recent revelation of the North Korean uranium enrichment facility, the resumption of talks seemed in jeopardy.
Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special envoy on North Korean denuclearization, said recent hostilities will prove a further obstacle.
Choi Jin-wook, senior researcher at the Korea Institute of National Unification, said the North is "frustrated with Washington's response to their uranium program and they think that Washington has almost given up on negotiations with North Korea."
"I think they realize they can't expect anything from Washington or Seoul for several months, so I think they made the provocation," Choi said.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Auntie Em!

Top: My favorite student, Candace! She's 13
Bottom: See what Santa brought... my Christmas goodies! :)


Allow me to begin this weeks blog with some exciting news…several months ago I informed you that my sister Katey was pregnant..hold on, no baby yet… these things take time ya know. She is due in exactly 2 months and I only wish i could see her sweet baby belly in person (Skype doesn't quite cut it). Yes, most of you know all of this… but, what you might not be aware of is that baby number two is in the oven. Not twins- gosh… wait! Colleen, my other sister is pregnant. I am so happy for the Almond Family, congratulations again you guys! I've hardly been able to sit still… this news is just so stirring! I can not believe that when I return to America, there will be babies! Not just any babies, my nephew and ___________ (Colleen and Dave find out the sex of the baby in a couple of weeks)- I'm ecstatic!

So, you know me… I can't be without my paintbrush for too long. I sketched around for a while with my pencils, some colored pencils… hey, I even got happy with some play doh at school until…. one day, I found the hidden stash of water colors tucked behind the P.E. equipment (thank god I'm teaching P.E. now) . I've been borrowing them for a while- shhh! No one was using them… they were yearning to be freed from the dusty shelf in the corner. I finally got off work, ready to paint and realized… I forgot to "borrow" a brush. I searched my apartment for any form of a paintbrush (it was late, stores were closed and I just needed my fix). I resorted to my makeup brushes… isn't it pathetic! They worked great for me, for a while that is (one day). I finally found an art store and bought a few brushes of my own. I've been filling my sketch book with memories from Korea… it's actually turning into a rather spectacular scrapbook of my many Korean adventures (big and small). I would love to give my new nephew and ____________ something bold, bright, happy and beautiful when I come home… I'm currently working on ideas…. sisters and brother-in-laws: throw your ideas my way, I'm waiting!

This week sure was jolly… Santa found me in Korea, can you believe that! That man is something else, I tell ya!! A rather large package arrived at TN English early Tuesday morning. I was thrilled to find many, many wrapped presents, those of which I neatly placed under the Christmas tree (Clarence- poor fella has yet to be adopted). I look forward to opening all of them on Christmas morning with my family via Skype. There were a few unwrapped goodies that I quickly devoured- those double stuffed, peppermint ores were to die for. The snowman peeps had to be shared… kids in Korea don't have peeps! Although… after the very positive reaction I got from my students, I'm thinking I should start a peep business in Korea. You would have thought I gave them each a million dollars- good work mom…. woops, I mean "Santa!"

I can not believe Christmas is in 6 days… A lot of my friends are going on vacation for the holiday but since we have to work the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas… I couldn't go to Malaysia or the Philippines- dammit! Laura, Ryan and I thought it would be nice to throw a little Christmas party at TNE… come one, come all to the "Drifters Christmas Party"- those who are left, come eat, drink and be merry! I am pretty excited because I plan to make some very tasty hors d'oeuvres (I'll tell you all about them in next weeks blog… let's see if anyone likes them… they might not be worth talking about). It should be interesting… like I've said before, no ovens, no microwaves, Korean ingredients. No worries, I've got something up my sleeve!

Other than hours or drunken karaoke, late nights and hungover mornings.. once again, you're a proud parent, aren't you "Santa"?!…. the best thing I've got to tell you about the weekend is… Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Gwangju has an incredible IMAX theater that is attached to a huge mall and bus station. The theater was just recently built and finished before I got to Korea. This movie came out right around Thanksgiving in America but everything is always a few weeks late in Korea. I promised my favorite student Candace that we would go see the movie the week it came out (no way would this fly in America but here.. no biggie). The movie was in English with Korea subtitles. We enjoyed an afternoon of good food and great cinema! Dad, If you haven't seen it yet, you have got to go… it's awesome! I wish I could have gone with you because you're my favorite Harry Potter buddy!

Korean Facts/ Randomness:

-This one is for Katey and Fabian (my sister and brother-in-law): I was told that February is the last month of the tiger… According to the Chinese zodiac (that which Korea follows) the year of the white tiger is especially auspicious as it comes around only once every 60 years. "Local legend has it that there are four guardian gods in Korea," Kim Sang-hoe, a prominent Korean fortune teller explained. "They are the chungryong (blue dragon), hyunmu (turtle-snake), jujak (phoenix) and baekho (white tiger). Unlike the other three creatures, who are fictional, the baekho is the one and only real animal. For that reason, white tigers have been highly respected. In addition, the chance of a white tiger being seen is one in a million, so people in the past saw white tigers as a good sign." Koreans see it as being extremely lucky to have a baby this year and next (before the end of February). Your baby will be strong, respected, powerful and wise.
-Remember me telling you about the Hapkido classes I was going to take. Well, turns out the teacher for that class in my area moved back to America… I'm on the search for some other form of martial arts…. any ideas?
-Korean babies are named by their grandparents, not their parents. Usually grandparents choose a name that has some significance. They don't just choose names because it sounds pretty… I am sure that is a plus but never the main reason.
-When a Korean picks his or her English name/ parents pick names, they try to pick something that sounds like their Korean name (not always but this is common). For example, my friend Dan Bee sort of sounds like Tammy so that her name.
-If a new student comes to your class without an English name, you get to name the student. Crazy huh!!!!? A co-worker of mine had two new students this year without English names… brother and sister. He got to name them, can you guess what he named them, hahahah…. Bonnie and Clyde! What a dork.. I love it!
-When you go to the movie theater, your seats are assigned (I was surprised by this today). I can't decide if I like this idea or not. When going to the movies, most people buy their tickets in advance online. Here, they can choose what exact seats they want to sit in.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Eggnog.... the perfect homesickness remedy!

Top: Katie, Erica, Dominique (host of the holiday party)
Middle: one of my new classes: Kindergarten students during P.E. (Damon, Julien, Jack, Joanne, Ted)
Bottom: It's not a night in Korea without karaoke... Saturday night :)



I've really been enjoying my new, busy schedule. The days goes by even faster than they did before. I've got a few problematic students in my new class but i'm already seeing a lot of progress in their attitude and work ethic since I started teaching this month. I do so many strange and silly things to try and make my students smile and laugh… I really wonder what they say about me outside of class, especially the older ones. I hate that they have to be in class for 2 hours (anyone will agree that 2 hours… even 1 1/2 hours is entirely too long for a 7, 8, 9 or 10 year old to sit and pay attention). If a kid gets tired and puts his head down, it's my ass because the cameras see that a student is tired which means the teacher is not doing a good job. Maybe if we had a bigger classroom and we were allowed to do hands-on activities than students might be more intrigued. I always try and make time for a fun video or a stretch break… something different that will give the kids something to look forward to. I constantly give praise and rewards (stickers and candy) to those students who work hard, try their best and have a good attitude- it makes a HUGE difference even for my 13 year old students.

Most Korean schools have exams (like college- in the middle of the year and at the end). A lot of students don't come for the whole month of December because of their big exam in school and because of the holidays/winter vacation. I had so many students drop out of one class this month that it is now just one girl and myself. The students that do still come in December seem to be a lot lazier because they are supposedly studying for their exams… I'd just assume they not come. I don't blame them anyway… they've got so much else going on and English is an extra curricular.

This weekend was so fun and relaxing. After resting up Friday night and Saturday, I attended a holiday party hosted by my friend Dominique. Dom was more than hospitable… she provided snacks (this included smores… she had been collecting necessities to make these for a few months) homemade egg nog that was out of this world and alcohol. It was so festive… not only was there a plethora or decorations but she had a Christmas card for all of the guests. All my girl friends here are so cute… they made sure to play a few Hanukkah songs just for me- their cashew (Catholic/Jewish friend) buddy. We had a fabulous evening feasting on smores and spiced egg nog. After playing a number of card games, we headed downtown and danced the night away. I probably danced until 5 am…. my legs are still sore today!

I've finalized my plans for winter break. I would hardly call it Christmas break because we don't have Christmas eve or the Monday after Christmas off work (for those of you who aren't aware, Christmas is on a Saturday this year). All my girl friends are going to Malaysia for their break and I would love to go with them but… we don't have the same days off so they are leaving way before my break even begins. You know.. we aren't allowed to take off work… on that note, allow me to digress… one of my co- workers took a day off because he had a head ache and just didn't feel like being at work. A personal day is totally understandable (We only get two days off all together so we should be able to choose when they are). Management threatened to not pay him for the month because he would not bring in a note from the doctor- reallllllyy?!?! I don't understand them… looks like if I want to take a day off I better plan on going to the doctor with a fake illness. My god they are ridiculous! Ok anyway… so sorry…So, an old friend of mine from high school moved to Korea a few months ago with her husband and her precious baby boy. Kelsey is her name by the way… her husband is in the military which is why they moved here. They are so kind to let me visit them during the holidays. Before I visit them, I am going skiing with some of my co-workers. This should be really interesting because I've never skied before. My boss has a big house in the mountains. He invited all of us teachers to join him and his family for a evening of fun and a day of skiiing/snow boarding. I decided this would be a good chance for me to finally try snow skiing… I guess if I'm awful at it, I can at least say I tried!

Korean Facts/ Randomness:

*I don't have any good facts for you this week but I always have good "randomness" …..
- My students can not understand for the life of them why my eyes are so far back in my head hahaha! It's really confusing for them because they don't have any diversity in their country. Seeing a white person is like seeing a naked person in public. Telling them, "we are different" is not good enough. I finally have to just say, "well, why are your eyes so squinty?!"
-I have a student that always questions whether or not my eye lashes are real . He is sure that I am lying to him because you know… his mom takes hers eyelashes off every night so I must too.
- I've noticed that a lot of Korean women all change their style right around the same time/age.. I don't know if it's gradual or what but this is what I've observed: Once women reach a certain age (i'm guessing anywhere from 45-60) they stop wearing high heels (perfectly understandable) they discard the stylish pea coats, dress pants/tight pants and instead wear wind suits and brightly colored vests. It seems that they all cut their hair short and get a perm. I often see these women in groups out on the track walking.. they all look the same. Now, I understand that comfort is important, especially in your old age but I just don't see why dressing the same and getting a perm is so necessary. It's very interesting to me… I wish I knew what was behind all of this.
-Remember Clarence? He's my plant… I know, it's pathetic that I named a plant but whatever. I think my homesickness was rubbing off on him last week… he was flourishing but now, he looks terrible. He is dropping leaves left and right. I water him every Thursday and always open the blinds… I guess the light that comes in through my front window is just not cutting it for old Clarence. Im going to see if one of my friends will adopt him… it's worth a try. Wish him luck! ;)
-Korea really knows how to decorate for Christmas... just when I thought they couldn't do it like us Westerners, they pull out the big stuff! I really feel at home now!! Although... no one here, that I've heard of, has real Christmas trees... that's where we've got them beat!
- I got some great flip flops/slippers to wear inside throughout the day... I am happy to report that my feet and back no longer ache. It's amazing what a difference shoes can make!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Bamboo!

Top: part of the bamboo forest
Middle: Katie's fan-left, my fan- right
Bottom: Thanksgiving... a little late- at this point it's a Hanukkah dinner



Well I finished out the work week with a bang! Even though management screwed up my lessons for all my new classes… I was quickly able to get it all back into order. They think they are doing us a favor by making our lesson plans but they are really just creating extra work and confusion. It's the same story, they want quantity rather than quality… when are they going to get it!

The new Kindergarten class I teach is so cute. I adore them… they remind me why I love teaching so much. Every Wednesday I teach a cooking class with them. We were talking about growing and how healthy food/diet helps you grow big and strong. I asked them how often they think they grow… I loved their responses… "well Emilie teacher, I am pretty sure I grow on Thursdays"… "yea, me too teacher but, I think I grow every Sunday afternoon… only Sundays though!" So cute… it sure is refreshing to teach little kids again". The best part about it is that their curriculum is a little more flexible in the sense that I can do more hands on things with them. My older students all have to follow a strict, structured curriculum- If I get bored then I know the kids are bored to tears. My college professors would not approve of this strict … no manipulative… no hands-on activities kind of curriculum.

I don't know if I told you this but we are not allowed to sit down while teaching… it looks better on the cameras if we are standing and walking around the whole time (moms and management are constantly watching us teach). I am certainly not a lazy teacher but I really need to sit down every now and then. It doesn't help that we have no support on our feet (can't wear shoes). Now that I have a busier schedule I am standing a lot more. After a few more weeks of doing this… my back is going to be a mess. For those of you who don't know… I had spine/ scoliosis surgery when I was 18 and I have arthritis in my lower spine. I haven't said anything to them yet but once the back pain starts setting in… that's it, I am going to have to sit a little bit while teaching (sometimes it helps the students when I am sitting with them because they don't feel so intimidated) . I don't think I deserve any special treatment but I gotta do what I gotta do… not too much to ask right?!?

So, even though management is screwing up a lot…. I guess they try and redeem themselves at times. This week they gave Laura, Ryan and I 50,000 won each. Why, you might ask… well, a few weeks ago when the three of us went to the engagement/ham for our boss, the brides father gave the ham holder envelopes of money. Well, apparently that money was supposed to be used later that evening for a celebration- a night out on the town. Since my boss was entirely too drunk, we didn't go out. He felt bad so he split up the money between the three of us and Michael. That was my groceries for the next couple weeks- thanks Seth :)

This weekend was great… especially after the homesick week I had. Friday night I went out with two of my favorites… Laura and Ryan (who did I mention are completely and utterly in love… it's very sweet). The best part about Friday night was that I finally learned how to play pool. Why on earth did I not play it till now?- it's probably one of the best games out there… other than soccer and hockey of course! We made some new Korean friends who played with us. I was pretty proud of myself.. I won a game which says a lot because Ryan is pretty good!

On Saturday I got up early and met my friend Katie at the bus station. Have I told you about Katie. She is such a nice girl.. she's 27, from Arizona, beautiful and just as sweet as she can be. We went to a town called Damyang which is about 25 minutes away from Gwangju. The town is known for it's bamboo/ beautiful bamboo forest. Katie and I decided we are a great traveling pair… she's got a great sense of direction (god knows I will always struggle with that) but, she's a little shy.. that's why i'm her other half…i've got the outgoing personality that will talk (attempt to talk/hand motion) to anyone that crosses my path. Katie is 4, almost 5 years older than me so it's like i've got my big sister with me- it's very comforting! After wandering around the tiny town of Damyang, we finally headed to the bamboo forest. WOW… it was so beautiful, i've never seen so much bamboo in my life, and it was so lush! The path was confusing as hell.. probably because we couldn't read the Korean maps haha! We came across a little village… me, being the talkative one decided to try my Korean out on a little man who was outside of his house. Turned out he spoke excellent English! He invited us inside where we took a few shots of rice wine, and watched him paint fans- this was incredible!!!! I can't even begin to describe this experience, it was spiritual, relaxing, inspiring… ahh so many emotions were running through me. He would look at each of us, as if to get some ideas/inspiration and then he could continue to paint. After he finished the first fan he told Katie it was for her then he signed her name and went on to paint one for me. For my fan, he painted the most gorgeous flower. When he was in China during the war he always saw this flower that was just so breathtaking. He said I reminded him of this flower- moran (not to be mistaken for moron). I didn't even know what to say, I was so impressed with his work and flattered by his compliment. Katie and I had goosebumps when we left there, we couldn't believe what we got to see and what we got to take home with us for free. A fan like the beautiful ones he painted would cost between 70,000 and 100,000 won in a store- WHOA! We went to one of the bamboo shops and bought traditional, bamboo fan holders. Now i've got some asian decor in my apartment.

Saturday night I rushed back to my apartment, got ready and scarfed down some dinner. I grabbed a bottle of wine and a nice ribbon at the store and headed off to a friend's house warming party. Remember my friend Jacob… I haven't brought his name up in a while. He was the one that got fired because he dates an older Korean woman (ahhh stupid reasons.. it's still beyond me why they fired him and not the stupid shlep that parents loathe). Anyway, he and his wonderful Korean girlfriend are the ones who hosted the party. It was so much fun. It reminded me of college again. I miss going to house/apartment parties so this was a nice change from downtown.

Still not done… this weekend was eventful! Laura has been wanting to do a Thanksgiving dinner for some time now. She finally found the time to do it tonight… Sunday. She went to the underground grocery store (a small grocery downtown where they have an expensive assortment of American food)… expensive meaning 5 bucks for a can of Campbell's Soup. Even though you can buy what you want there, doesn't mean we can cook it. We don't have an oven so no turkey. Instead of a turkey Laura made some delicious chicken and dumplings. This wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving, it was a do what you can with the food you've got, Korean Thanksgiving. There was Greek salad (it had feta- oh my god cheese- yum), garlic mashed potatoes, fruit salad with vanilla yogurt dressing, home made stuffing, garlic french bread, cranberry relish (I made this… mom, you would be so proud of my it tasted just like yours and everyone loved it) and wine. It was all so yummy! Three of the guys I work with have Korean girlfriends and it was great to see them enjoying some American style dishes. Hats off to chef Laura… she really out did herself!

Korean Facts/ Randomness:

-Korea is the only Asian country that uses metal chopsticks (hence the reason why I got all of you- family metal ones for Christmas) :)
- The schedule has changed so much at our school… not only is it frustrating for the teachers but the parents are so irritated by it that they have pulled their children out of the school- I don't blame them!!!
-I know I said there wasn't a lot of crime here but there is rape. The majority of rape that goes on is between old men and little girls (Korean ones).
Don't worry mom.. my Korean co-workers said they have no interest in American women!
-The holiday spirit is really starting to come out. I keep seeing more and more Christmas decor everywhere I go! Yay... a little more like home :)
-Check out my last blog... I posted a picture of what a a fire escape slide looks like

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Korean Wedding

Top: this is the fire escape slide (most of them are a lot longer... taller buildings)- this was in a small town with short buildings
Middle: There was so many people in this room that people were exploding out of the door and into the next room... seating was first come first serve.




Colleen wanted me to tell you to check out the fish at the top of this page... did you know you could feed them? Simply click in their pond and food will drop- they chase after the food...it's just great. Colleen, you would love this haha!
 
It's been a busy work week and i'm exhausted when I get home at 8:45 every night... sorry I didn't post sooner. Work... ugh, where do I begin. Last week when I came in I was told I had 2 more classes to teach starting in December which is tomorrow (a little nervous). I told you that I was taking over the Leopards 4 class (1st/2nd grade level) , but now I will be taking over the Arch class (Kindergarten) as well. A co-worker of mine used to teach this class but since he's a worthless schlep.... they took the class away from him so that he can just sit around and continue to do nothing. Nothing around here seems logical... ahh! Oh well, I guess I should take it as a compliment! I will admit, I am looking forward to teaching the little ones. I will have them on Monday,(sculpture and reading) Wednesday,(science and cooking) and Friday ( P.E. and reading). The sad thing about my very full teaching schedule is that I will have no time at all to work on the art curriculum... I was really enjoying that! I tutor a little boy every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening (he is the bosses son). He reminds me of myself when I was his age (6)- he's got potential but the material just doesn't click. I am very patient with him and I enjoy helping him but he is extremely exhausted when he comes to my class at 6:10. When management asks me how he is doing I tell them that the biggest problem is that he is too tired (he goes to school 9-3 then has after school activities 4-6)... the child needs a break- DAMN! So, guess what... when my entire schedule got changed around, they changed this student's tutoring hour from 6:10 to 7:10... WHY! If he's falling asleep at 6:10 he's obviously going to be just as tired if not more tired an hour later. FRUSTRATING! I know I complain a lot in my blog but in the office i'm getting pretty good at just brushing it all off my shoulder. This week (Monday and Tuesday) were test days for the month of Novemeber. I promised my Tiger 1 students that if they all got a 90 or above on their tests, i'd give them a pizza party. Yayyy Tigers... I am so proud of them. Looks like I am throwing them a party this week!
 
This past week was Thanksgiving and a sad one at that. Instead of enjoying a lovely meal with my family, I went to Outback with my co-worker Alicia. Outback is always delicious so no complaints there but... it was no American Thanksgiving. Alicia and I met some very nice American men who were here on business. We enjoyed drinks and dancing at the Skyy Lounge in the Ramada hotel. It turned out to be a nicer evening than expected. I took one of the guys to the park Friday morning for what ended up being an intense jog. I found out he was a marathon trainer so he kicked my ass into shape. Thanks to him i've been killin it on the track this week!
 
So... remember I told you my friends and I were singing a song at our bosses wedding.... welll... it turned out sounding awful. We practiced all day Saturday which was a complete waste of time. I felt bad for the 4 Koreans singing with us. Most of them can't speak English that well so singing/memorizing an English song couldn't have been easy. By the way, we sang "Love" by Nat King Cole.... "L is for the way you look tonight". The wedding was a very interesting experience. It was very similar to an American style wedding except for a few things. When we came in we immediately went into a room where we took pictures with the bride. She was on display in a little room, for everyone to see...The wedding hall was decorated beautifully. There was a table set up outside the wedding room that had candles and pictures of the bride and groom.. it was a little strange because the bride wore several different wedding dresses in the pictures- all of which were different than the one she wore on the actual day. This whole set up reminded me of a memorial. When we left the wedding hall to go to the dining room, there were pictures of another couple already in place. Prior to the ceremony, the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride walked down the isle and lit special candles that resembled everlasting love. Once the bride and groom were married they stood to the side and watched while a friend of theirs sang and while we sang our terrible rendition of "Love"- Jessicas and Seth (bride and groom) seemed to enjoy it... part of me thinks that they thought it was a joke. Whatever, they looked happy and thats all that matters. After we sang, Jessica and Seth lit candles in front of the cake. I was really confused why they didn't cut the cake. In fact, the cake was never cut... it was basically just there for display. After all of this, people gave money,(a Korean wedding tradition) and were escorted into the dining room where we enjoyed a variety of different food… buffet style. The dining room was not decorated and there were no events, music, or any other types of wedding traditions. People simply ate and left. Well, the bride and groom did change into their traditional hanboks and walked around saying hello to people. At one point I saw them each cheers a pitcher of beer…and down it- WOW… I wonder if this is another Korean tradition?

The wedding (ceremony, reception… everything) took 1 1/2 hours. This was nice because it left my Sunday afternoon open. I enjoyed a day of shopping in shinae (downtown) with my friend Katie. I was amazed at all the shopping downtown had. Ya know, it's hard to tell when your going in and out of bars on the weekend nights.

I realize some of you are still a little bit worried because of the conflict with North and South Korea. I've been watching/reading the news avidly. It seems that the people of South Korea are just not pleased with the way in which their government is handling things. President Lee of South Korea says that he will defend his people…. this war will continue. Hmmm.. it makes me nervous. It definitely adds on to my learning experience in Korea. If it makes you feel better… I am registered with the USA embassy. If there is any kind of emergency they will contact me immediately via email and they will fly me home.

Korean Facts/ Randomness:

-My friend/co-worker and I are going to take a class called Hapkido (is a dynamic and eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs join locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as common primitive attacks. There is also the use of traditional weapons, including a sword, rope, nunchaku cane, short stick, and staff which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined). I am pretty excited.. I will definitely let you know how it goes :)
- In Korea, don't be fooled by what looks like string cheese. Last week, one of my students brought me what I thought was string cheese. I knew it was too good to be true so I let him eat his first. I looked at his and smelled it.. ahh yes, sure enough I was right. Those little chunks were fish and that awful smell was fish- gross
- The majority of people in Korea are buddhist… a somewhat decent amount of them are christian. There is Christmas here, but the holiday spirit is not the same as it is in America.. I miss it!!!! I think i'll bust out my Christmas music and draw a picture of a Christmas tree and a menorah of course to hang on my refrigerator.
-The Korean flower is a hibiscus… it's called the mugunghwa which means Rose of Sharon. This flower comes in several different colors. Women use the red petals to stain their fingernails. They place the petals on top of their nails and then wrap up their hands with bandages and keep them there over night. I often see girls in my classes with stained nails- it looks orange.
- When you order food from a restaurant and they deliver, they bring it to you on/in real plates/bowls. After you finish, you rinse them off and set them right outside your door. The restaurant comes back later that day and gets the dishes- they don't charge you any delivery fee and no tip. I told you… people don't steal here. If we did this in America, those restaurants would never seen their plates, bowls and silverware again haha.
-I keep seeing these giant slides that extend out of windows on high floors of buildings. They aren't just any slides, they look like something you would see at an amusement park. I recently found out that these slides are not for fun, they are fire escapes.

** A special Happy Birthday to my momma and my brother-in-law Dave. It's not December 1st in America but since I live 14 hours in the future, it is your birthday here!! Have a great day
** To all my fellow jews... as you know, Hanukkah starts on Wednesday evening. Enjoy lighting your menorahs for the 8 crazzzzzy nights.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Back up North Korea... we aint afraid of YOU!

As most of you know, North Korea just bombed a small island right off our coast, near Seoul. If you're concerned about my safety... don't be! I am perfectly safe in Gwangju. All the Koreans around here just brush it off and act as if it's no big deal. After all, North Korea keeps doing this bullshit. It is the 2nd or 3rd time this year.. right!?- oh, it's hard to keep track! I do realize they have nuclear power but, and I hate to say this because I have friends in Seoul but... if North Korea is going to bomb a city in South Korea, it will most likely be Seoul. This is all very unlikely so sit tight- i'll be home in 10 months :)

If it makes you feel better- mom.. i've been reading up on necessary precautions to take if something bad does happen (you know me- I got the mom gene). I will make sure to find a shelter or i'll dig a hole, take all my food and hang out there for 7 to 8 days until the radiation has dispersed out of the air! I love you and I appreciate your concern :)

Happy Thanksgiving all my fellow Americans... eat some turkey and green beans for me- god knows i'm not going to find any here!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Leatherface is in Korea... ;)

Saturday night in sequential order: 1- leatherface/squid face, 2- smashing the ham over the the wooden bowl, 3-brides mother opening the ham of gifts



Hello lovely Americans.. Germans (I think that is the extent of people in different countries reading this blog)! I hope you have all had a nice week.. mine has been just swell.

Work has been good… no crazy drama this week, just new schedules in the making. The way the classes work at my school are so confusing. The Kindergarten program is the only level that sticks with the same teacher/peers for one full year- their session begins in March (this is when the school year technically begins). The majority of books we use are all 6 month books. Because of this, we have a 6 month program. After a student is level tested, they are placed in their appropriate level (example: I've got a 3rd grade level class: Giza 1, with one 9 year old-typical age for 3rd grader and two middle school students-13 years old)- keep in mind that this is their second language so their English level is not always going to be the same as their Korean grade level. Also… do you remember me telling you that when Koreans are born they are already 1- that creates some confusion as well. Anyway… I was saying that we have a 6 month program. This means students will move up, if they are ready, come March (new school year). So we have these 6 month programs, but depending on the class load each teacher has, a class might get a different teacher at the beginning of a month. I know, I know… why am I telling you all of this- i've got a point… I've got a new class starting in December. Brian, one of our teachers… has got a very full load so I am taking a class off his hands. He teaches a Leopards 2 class (they are on a first/second grade level). Most of them are between the ages 7 and 9. Apparently this is a rather rambunctious group so I am anxious to get to know them and whip 'em into shape.

Are you wondering about my little Tiger 1 student Alice? Well I am very happy to report that this week has gone just swimmingly. I've got that class wrapped around my finger now- they don't even make a peep without raising their hands. Sounds like hell huh… don't worry, we still have a lot of fun. I mean after all… these kids never get a break from school, they never get a chance to be kids and play. I make sure to have a good time with them!

I know I told you before but i'll tell ya again.. i'm really enjoying the free time I have to myself… like after work and here and there on the weekends. Being that I am an American… teaching in Korea, my students are always asking me about America- where things are, what places look like, etc.Not only this but they want to know everything about me. The biggest topic we've discussed is geography- where I have traveled in the world. In class we are always looking at maps.. seeing what countries are where, what climates are like in certain areas, what nationality people are in different countries, etc. I have further researched this information at home… it's incredible… understanding geography has helped me to understand so much more that is going on in the world. I love having extra knowledge to share with my students.

Speaking of other countries, I am really hoping I will get the chance to travel outside of Korea while I am here. There has been talk about Japan for Christmas break and Thailand or Malaysia for the Korean New Year (end of January). Before coming here I thought I was going to be able to take time off to travel.. hence the reason I made my blog name: "Emilie's Asian Adventures". It's looking pretty iffy.. even if I was to take a day off for personal reasons, one/several of my colleagues would have to cover my classes (unpaid). We aren't very happy when one of us takes a personal day… that's why we just don't do it. SUCKS!!!

The most eventful experience I had this week was my bosses engagement party. All along I thought my boss was already married but I just found out he's been engaged for the past couple years and the kids he has are from his previous marriage. On Saturday a group of us went out to the country for this very traditional engagement celebration. I had no idea what was going to happen… I was just told that what we were doing was an old Korean tradition and it's rare that people still do it. Saturday, around 4 a group of girls (bride included) and I got in a van (the men were all in a different car)… after traveling up a mountain on a skinny, winding road, only hearing Korean and almost getting in a terrible accident (crazy Korean drivers) we finally made it to our destination- the bride's parent's house. We came in and immediately helped the bride get ready. She wore a traditional Korean Hanbok dress (the same dresses women wear for Chuseok). After getting her all ready we ate dinner and and had several shots of rice wine. Ohhhhh rice wine… you make me nauseous! I've told you about it before… when an elder fills up your bowl of this white, curling milky rice wine, it's bottoms up or else! I think "or else" is just you being rude.. i'm not sure because somehow, i've always managed to finish mine. After eating dinner everyone (except for the bride) went outside to the top of the long driveway and waited for the men to arrive. When we reached the top of the driveway.. or should I say, street.. we heard them shouting: "Hamsaseyo!"-"Buy this box!" With them they had red and blue lanterns, a giant box (this is called the ham (pronounced h-ah-m): a large, silk wrapped box containing a matrimonial epistle and some presents) and of course the groom who was also in a handbook- the male version (… he might as well have been wearing a dress like his fiance because his outfit was hot pink and lavender silk). Let me tell you a little more about the box-ham and the man carrying it…it was strange. The man who is carrying the ham is the Hamjinabi- the males good friend/ groomsmen. Not only is he carrying this huge, heavy box on his back but he also has a mask on. The mask is a dried squid that has holes punched through it to see. To all the Koreans the mask was extremely funny but to me, not so much! Being out in the dark street in this old country town with a full moon in the sky already made me feel like I was in a 1970's horror film.. this squid mask that resembled Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) didn't really help this feeling. Now, for the next 40 minutes or so we watched (I watched because I don't speak much Korean) the brides father and friends try to persuade the Hamjinabi to come inside. After only a few steps forward the women came out with food, shots of rice wine and soju…. briberey- "come inside, taste this wonderful food and alcohol he have to offer".. a few more steps and a face full of kimchee, the Hamjinabi and the men holding lanterns were making their way down the street. They were still pretty far from the house and that's when money became part of the equation. The brides father had white envelopes that had about 20,000 won each in them. He placed them on the ground and the Hamjinabi had to step on them as he walked forward (so the whole point here is: the bride's family is offering a party and giving money to the groom for his efforts in bringing/providing the ham. The ham full of gifts represents a variety of traditions as well as an everlasting marriage). So, once the Hamjinabi reaches the door, he smashes a large wooden bowl with the ham and places the ham over a medal box that is filled with Bongch' i Doek (red bean rice cake- always served during a celebration). Everyone comes inside and eats again… but not together, the girls all at one table and the boys at another. It was interesting how easily this small living room became a dinning room fit for 30. Being that that we sit on the floor and we don't each have our own place setting made it easy. The only beverage that was offered was.. take a guess… yes, rice wine. Near the end of the meal they brought out beer, that was a nice change but my stomach couldn't take it. I just washed everything down with several, juicy clementines.

Allow me to digress for a minute… so, i'm sitting in my kitchen, it's about 1:30 am and all I've been hearing for the past 45 minutes is barking dogs. I'm a little confused because not many people have dogs… you do know that they eat dogs here. Maybe i'm being dramatic, but is it possible that there is a slaughtering going on right now? I heard this same intense barking about a month ago…. hmmm… something to think about.. or cry about! Oh Lord!

After dinner everyone gathered around the bride's mother as she opened up the ham. You wouldn't believe these gifts.. heres a few things that were inside: a mink jacket, a beautiful wooden jewelry box filled with assorted jewelry- diamonds, gold, peals, silk pajamas, a burberry wallet and purse, etc.

Okay so…. all the barking just completely stopped… odd! Hmmmmm……

Anyway, sorry… the brides mother was so overjoyed, she was crying. After stuffing our faces with red bean rice cake (not my favorite), we hit the road. The ride home was rather nauseating… I could feel the rice wine curdling in my stomach as we headed down the winding mountain. Ohhhh… i'm still burping it today- gross!

The wedding is next Sunday and somehow, I was talked into singing at it (why the hell am I doing this???)- should be another interesting story… i'll be in touch soon!

Korean Facts/ Randomness:

-Remember I told you that people live with their parents until they are 30 well…. if you are a male and you have moved out, don't worry… you will still get all the same mommy treatment… up until you have a wife that is. Like I have told you before, men are extremely babied. My Korean friend told us that her 35 year old brother still comes home to get his laundry done. She was blown away when she heard that the boys around here (at TNE) do their own laundry and cook for themselves.
-I was with my friends X and Y at the pharmacy the other day and they were trying to ask the pharmacist for lubricant… he nodded and said, "ahhh yes, love jelly"- we have that! Gotta love the names they have for things.
-When you go to the grocery store, the Koreans are always looking in your cart to see what you buy. It's ridiculous how nosy they are.
- I miss carpet! Even though the floors are heated…I still miss the way carpet feels on your feet. There is no carpet anywhere… I barely see rugs, just hardwood floors.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Don't Mess with Emilie Teacher!

Top: Alicia's 30th Birthday Party- 80's themed... Cheers :)
Bottom: Pepero Day- pepero sticks


I think I had a pretty successful work week. A few screaming children here and there but over all it went really well! Management really loved the Kindergarten art curriculum that I just completed so now, for the next couple months I will be creating the art curriculum for 1st and 2nd grade as well.

Remember the problematic class I told you about… my Tiger 1 class? Well, I had some issues this week with one in particular Tiger girl. Her name is Alice and she's quite the sassy little know it all. Ya know, I try to be a nice teacher… I let a lot of things slide, I give prizes and candy almost every day, I bring snacks and I allow my students to watch funny videos from youtube (age appropriate of course). Now i'm certainly not trying to bribe my students but I do feel they deserve to be rewarded for their hard work and effort. Back to Alice…after a number of notes home to her mother and warning after warning, she still continued to act defiant, rude and disrespectful. Every day she would test me a little more. Oh boy did she have it comin… on Friday I really let her have it. After sassing me and writing extremely rude notes on her test paper about me, I told her to get out of my class and go sit in Alicia's class (noone wants to do that…it's like the principals office). Of course Alice didn't move she just sat there, arms crossed and cried out "no, no, no!". I got the teacher in the next room to watch my class and I escorted Alice out of it. She wouldn't even walk cooperatively, I had to pull her along by the arm. Once we got downstairs she held onto the rail with all her mite, I couldn't break her away … thats when we had it out. I reprimanded her like I never thought I could… I didn't know I had it in me but I was not going to allow an 8 year old to make a fool out of me. I know this sounds bad but I was glad to see her bawling her eyes out- she needed to know who was boss (plus, I'm not stupid… half of those tears were fake). I told her that she wasn't welcome back into my class until she gave me a sincere apology. She talked with Alicia for a few minutes while I continued to teach my class. She came back to class a changed child. Not only did she apologize but she was respectful and compliant… maybe even a little scared in a way that she knew she better not mess with Emilie Teacher again!

This weekend was so much fun! Alicia's 30th birthday is today (Sunday the 14th) and she had a big party last night to celebrate. The party was 80's themed which wasn't hard for me.. I already had all the attire. I wore an off the shoulder shirt that had a neon pattern, a cut off jean jacket, leggings with cut off jean shorts over top, tall bunched socks under my gray high-top converses, neon orange netted armbands (these are the only things I don't own, I promise) tacky makeup and of course a side pony tail. Alicia followed through with her mexican traditions… they are supposed to pay/make dinner, drinks, etc. and your just supposed to bring a nice gift (we got her an awesome one)! Being that she is mexican, she cooked some amazing authentic, mexican food. I can't even describe to you how delicious it was. She even got her sister to send some pepper jack cheese and charizo (spicy sausage) from the states.She made more than enough food and there were at least 20 plus people eating… drunk people! She went above and beyond. She made 5 gallons of margarita, 3 gallons of sangria, and there were endless shots of tequila. She ordered blow up guitars for everyone, netted arm bands, michael jackson sequence gloves, and 80's style sunglasses. We partied at her apartment till midnight and then headed downtown. This certainly isn't something to be proud of but…I promised my friends I would try to make it till the bars closed…you do remember, the bars stay open till 7! - oh mom, I know your proud of your youngest daughter! Ahhh Korea… gotta experience it all!

So, it's 9 pm and i've yet to make it out of the house… after this, i'm heading out for a nice, long jog. I think i'll sweat some of this alcohol off. Have a beautiful week- yours can't be as beautiful as mine cause fall in South Korea is just breathtaking ;)


Korean Facts/Korean Randomness:

- On Wednesday (11/11) Korea has a holiday: Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day. It is named after the Korean snack, Pepero and held on November 11, since the date "11/11" resembles four sticks of Pepero. The holiday is observed mostly by young people and couples, who exchange Pepero sticks, other candies, and romantic gifts.
Some of my students brought me pepero sticks- tasty :)
-Korea doesn't have day light savings which means I now live 14 hours in the future instead of 13. when I explained day light savings to my students they all looked at my like I was nuts (why do we have day light savings anyway?)
-This is cool and I am sure all of you know this if you watch the news…. the G20 summit was held in Seoul (capital of South Korea) this year/this past Friday.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Beautiful Fall!

Top: Walking along the fortress... Dominique and I sitting on a beautiful fall tree
Middle: I love the fall trees... this was on the grounds near the arboretum
Bottom: In the middle of our long hike through the forests near the fortress... we stopped to take a picture on this old bridge




I can't believe it's November.. although i've been getting a little homesick (people have been telling me it usually sets in for a little while around the third month.. it's been 2 months and 3 weeks) time is still continuing to fly. The work week zooms right by because we are so busy all day long. I can't get enough of the weekends so obviously, they go by pretty fast as well.

This week was a little hectic at work. I am almost done with the art curriculum but supposedly management says that I do not work fast enough… excuse me for teaching class all week long, grading, making tests, making lesson plans and writing evaluations. I've been working hard to create this great, year long, Kindergarten, weekly themed art curriculum. I tried to explain to them that with my busy schedule, I need a little more than 2 1/2 weeks to create a year long curriculum… nothing is ever good enough for them- quality work does take time ya know. On a lighter note in that area, management has looked at a good portion of the curriculum and they just love my work. They might even try to sell it to other schools… shouldn't I get a chunk of that?!?! I have really enjoyed working on this… it's right up my alley!

So… I have this one class where every student is just a mess. I still love them but man… it's rough sometimes. One of the little girls has got to be bipolar (one minute she is so sweet and the next, she is talking back and throwing things at me). One of the little boys is sooo incredibly smart but he has this weird hand fetish. If he isn't coloring his fingernails with his pencil (I often take it away for this reason) then he is eating his hands or his cuticles (I am telling you, he literally chews on his palms). My god child, your going to get worms if you don't stop that… I tell him this but it doesn't seem to make a difference. There is only 4 students in this class… one of the little boys quit this month for personal reasons (I think he knows he failed his last test and he is afraid to look me in the eye again). Teaching the older kids is still a new learning experience for me (I am really glad I have them but like I have said before, I miss my babies). When I did student teaching in college, the oldest class I taught was 3rd grade and it was only for 3 different science lessons so I haven't really had a lot of experience with older students (3rd, 4th or 5th). I feel pretty lucky to be getting this experience here before I go back to teach in America. I think I forgot how conniving older students can be. I really tried to be nice for a while but after this past week, I decided that I wasn't going to take any more of their bullshit. I came in today (Monday) and laid it all out.. I had a new set of rules and I was ready to enforce them. Can you believe that I was nervous? It ended up going really well. They still acted silly but I am okay with a little silliness as long as I feel I am getting the respect I deserve and we are getting our work done. I think things will be looking up in this class!

So let me tell you another why my academy embarrasses the hell out of me. You know I work across the street from the Gwangju convention center (Kim Dae Jung Convention Center). Well, some very sophisticated, middle aged, Korean women came in a few weeks ago and asked if we taught any business classes. Of course, management told them yes (No.. we are a freaking Elementary school with a few middle school students… come on TN). Not only did they tell them yes but they also went out of their way to tell them we had an entire business curriculum set up. If that isn't enough bullshit for ya, listen to this… this past Monday the women came in ready for their scheduled class time. You know management wasn't prepared, they probably even forgot the women were coming. Who the hell was going to teach this made up class? Luckily, Ryan wasn't teaching at the time.. he was just busy making tests, lesson plans, etc. so they told him he had 30 minutes to come up with a lesson for a 2 hour class… poor Ryan- he is a graphic design graduate, he really doesn't know much about business (haaa.. nor do I). He found some random stuff on the internet and went and taught it. After a week of teaching, Ryan told me the class was going well. He really loves the women but he still feels a little unqualified to teach the class. It's kind of sad that these women pay 2,000 won a month (equal to about 2,000 dollars) for a course that doesn't even have a set up curriculum. Like I said… it's embarrassing!

The best thing about this past week at work was what one of my students brought me. After class ended last Tuesday I walked downstairs ready to go home and make dinner but to my surprise, Annie's parents had brought me an entire pizza, a steak and potatoes, and a lobster with fresh veggies. Oh my gosh… thank you!!!!!!! I made sure to write them a thank you note (of course, they won't be able to read it so Annie will have to translate). Apparently Annie's dad owns an American-stye restaurant… I hope to visit there in the future because the food was delicious!

I had the best weekend… back tracking…I met a really nice girl when I went to the Daejeon Rock Festival last month. I found out she lived in Gwangju and knew some people I worked with so we exchanged numbers. This past weekend she invited me to go with her and some of her friends to a really beautiful, historic town called Gongju. It's fun to meet new people over here… it's like college- meeting people from all over the U.S… over here your meeting people from all over the world.The people in our group are from: America (Arizona, Minnesota Pennsylvania and North Carolina of course) and Canada (Ontario). Saturday morning we took a bus to Deajeon and had lunch. Because Gongju is such a small town, we couldn't go straight there from Gwangju. After arriving in Gongju, we went to a neat museum where we learned all about the Songsan-ri Burial Mounds. We later went outside into the beautiful, crisp fall weather for a short hike to visit some of the actual tombs. One of the most well known tombs we saw was that of King Muryeong. The tombs were mostly hidden… I have to say, the best part about the tombs was the scenic hike along the way. Although, it was a neat feeling to be surrounded by so much history….these tombs have been around since 523 AD. After visiting the tombs, a lot of our day was over because the sun was going down. We found a motel (yes… another love motel, what else- this one wasn't nearly as nice as the one we stayed at in Daejeon but it was still a cozy place to sleep). We ditched our bags and went out for a tasty dinner and a night doing what… can you guess… karaoke!!! I have learned to LOVE karaoke- mom, I think I need a karaoke machine but I doubt I will be able to find friends so sing with me haha. After a really fun night with all my new friends we tried to head home early so we could begin day two in Gongju somewhat early.

After having a delicious breakfast at the bus station we walked along the Geumgang river and to the beautiful fortress of Gongsanseong. The fortress was incredible… we walked/hiked for hours along the fortress, exploring the ancient mysteries of a 1,500 year old kingdom (Baekje). I could not get over how beautiful the trees looked and how wonderful the weather felt- we picked the best weekend to travel to such a beautiful place. After a nice long hike we took a taxi over to the arboretum and it's beautiful scenic grounds. We walked around admiring all the beauty and learning about the different plants, trees and flowers of this ancient town/country. The trip was amazing and exhausting at the same time… not knowing what to pack.. I made the mistake of packing too much. I didn't realize we would be walking/hiking all day long with our things. I could have easily just throw in an extra shirt and underwear but I didn't really know what we were going to be doing. Oh well… my fault… I guess I got twice the workout as everyone else because my book bag was like carrying a small child. The bus rides back to Gwangju were so relaxing… I finally finished my book (The Last Lecture.. I recommend it- very moving and inspiring) and took a nice nap!

Monday has come and gone and I can't wait till this weekend. Alicia (the lead teacher and my friend) is turning 30 on Friday- she is having an 80's themed party… I am looking forward to it! Talk to ya soon :)

Korean Facts/Randomness:

-A lot of Korean woman are pregnant right now because they all want to have their babies in the spring… it is believed that if you have a spring baby, he/she will be born with a lot of strength, power and courage.
-The way Koreans use heat is via the floor (the heats comes though the floor)… it's pretty nice since you have to walk about without your shoes one
-Most Korean children wear glasses (no exaggeration- out of the 18 students that I only teach, 12 of them wear glasses)- one time the girls in my Giza class were alll trying each others glasses on so I tried them on too… they don't even need them!!!!! I found out that the reason they all wear them is because it's a preventative strategy.
-My students were telling me how much they dislike spring… how could you not like spring it's such a happy time I thought- well… in Korea, during spring time they experience sandy winds from China (yellow dust). They said that a lot of people wear masks when they go outside. I am anxious to experience this yellow dust. Being that the Koreans exaggerate a lot, I am imagining its somewhat like pollen.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!!

Original Jack and Sally (we look similar right?)
Tomb Stone: this was in the graveyard at the haunted house
Superman: James (one of the Kindergarten students) at the party
Jack Skellington (John) and Sally (ME) from, The Nightmare Before Christmas
























Happy belated Halloween all my fellow Americans. For those of you who were wondering, Halloween is not a Korea holiday. A lot of Koreans celebrate and many, many foreigners celebrate but it's not big like it is in America. You can't go to the store and find Halloween decorations/candy/costumes (you have to buy it off line).

My school has been preparing for the last few weeks for Halloween. We had insane amounts of decorations all over the school and a big Halloween party on Saturday. Even though our school made us buy our own costumes and made us work 5 hours on a Saturday without getting paid… it was a pretty fun/interesting day. The best part was seeing all the students in their costumes and of course scaring the crap out of them in the haunted house. Laura, Ryan, Alicia and I stayed late on Wednesday and Friday (i'm talking 12 am) to decorate the school and make the haunted house as awesome and scary as could be! After staying up late on Friday night decorating, we all got some rest for the party. The party went from 1 to 5 with NO breaks (thanks TN for shoving me back into the face painting room when I just wanted to snap a few pictures). We all had our jobs… they made Ryan and I (the artists) do face painting.. other activities were: mummy wrapping race, learn the thriller, guess what's in the box, cooking mummy fingers, haunted house, TNE market place-shop with earned stickers and Halloween photo booth with friends. I saw all my students there and a lot of them were dressed up but a lot weren't (some of them are a lot older so I guess they've grown out of that). The TNE school from Cheongju came to help us out (sooo nice of them to come 2 hours on a Saturday). This was the school I was supposed to go to in the very beginning. The staff was really nice… I love Gwangju but after having met them, I know I would have loved working at their TNE and living in Cheongju. From what they say, it seems like their school is better but our town and living accommodations are a lot nicer (I will have to visit Cheongju sometime and check it out for myself).

After the Halloween party my boss had his own party for all of us… he had great food and alcohol but most of all, this was a shit show (for the Korean staff that is). I have never seen some of the Korean staff/managers so drunk, it was hilarious!!! Work should be interesting on Monday haha!!!

Today (Sunday) some friends and I went to a big art festival called the Gwangju Biennale. Here's a little information about it: Founded in 1995 in memory of spirits of civil uprising of the 1980 repression of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, the Gwangju Biennale is Asia's oldest and most prestigious biennial of contemporary art. Centered on the Biennale Hall in Gwangju’s Jungoui Park, the presence has elevated the city of 1.4 million to become a cultural hub of East Asia. Like I have mentioned before… Gwangju is home to some of the best-preserved cultural relics in the nation, and is known locally as the “City of Art, Cuisine and Culture.” The biennale has 5 separate galleries that branch off to reflect themes recurring throughout the exhibition. Gallery 1- works that deal with photographic representation, posing, and the construction of the self through images. Gallery 2- explores mechanics of vision through illusions and para-scientific imaginaries. Gallery 3- brings together works that deal with the representation of heroes and martyrs, exploring the ways images are used to create myths, preserve the memory of victims, or bear witness to war and oppression. Although I liked all the galleries, I think I liked this one the best because I learned the most from it. Although, it was rather graphic, I really enjoyed reading about each piece (everything was in English as well as Korean). Gallery 4- looks at religious figures and idols, fetishes and dolls… this one was somewhat creepy but really neat at the same time. Gallery 5- strikes an irreverent tone, presenting idiosyncratic perspectives on the structures of cinema and television. This was not like a lot of art shows I have been to in the past. It gave me a whole different perspective on art… it was fascinating to see so many aspects of history from all over the world being portrayed through random works of art…photography/sculpture/film.. etc. This art allowed me to feel so many different emotions.. not like the art that I create (hmm… i'm inspired in a whole new way).

In the middle of this blog, I skipped with my mom. She informed me that i'm drinking too much over in Korea, chin chay (reallllly?) come on. So.. I'm sorry for those of you who think i'm an alcohol (like my mother……) but, i'm not. I drink once a week… twice at the most (on the weekends when I am out with friends). Mom- the most exciting days that I usually blog about are the weekends and there is usually alcohol on those days, especially in Korea. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of eventful things happening on days that i'm not drinking but those days consist of work, work, work!!! Mom, I love you but you've got to let it go!!! Sorry for that interruption.. carrying on...

Speaking oh alcohol… here is comes mom, Thursday night… so, I think we have found one of our new favorite thing do to every other Thursday downtown at Speak Easy (a foreign bar)- QUIZ. Quiz is a trivia came that Speak Easy hosts every other Thursday night at 10 o'clock. You have to have at least 2 people to a team, 5 max. Everyone puts 5,000 won in to play. There is 8 rounds, 10 questions in each. Every group grabs a table and has a sheet of paper to write answers as the questions are being asked. The team with the best/most creative team name won a pitcher of beer… that was us with the most ridiculous name that John thought of: My Couch Pulls Out But I Don't… pretty funny! Whichever team got all 10 questions right in a round got a free round of shots… we got that too, thanks to Ryan. For that round the topic was: comic book heroes… Ryan is an insane comic book buff so of course we got all the questions right. The game was really fun and really difficult at the same time. We got third place (with no prize). First place gets the pot of money, second gets their money back and sorry to third place but better luck next time. We will have to try again in a couple weeks. After QUIZ we went to German Bar where Mr. Song (the owner) promised us a free dinner… he's such a nice man! It was a really late dinner so you can imagine how starved we all were. Mr. Song lived in Germany for 13 years so he picked up a lot of the German recipes. He made us one of the most delicious meals (curry rice, sausages, chicken and a really tasty salad).

Let me share with you some excitement from the work front… if you remember, I was asked to create the art curriculum for the Kindergarten students (did you know that their kindergarten starts at age 3 and goes to age 5.. WHOA). Anyway, i've been racking my brain and actually using a lot of my knowledge from college to create this curriculum. It's been so much fun and I think that it is going to be a great and incredibly beneficial program for their school. In the middle of the week my managers asked to take a look at my work thus far. I was ecstatic when all they could give back to me was positive feedback! Yay me! :) … It was so nice to finally get some praise from my managers- things are looking up!

Korean Facts/Randomness:

-Like I have said before, there is A LOT of plastic surgery in this country. The most done plastic/ cosmetic surgery is: double eye lids (like we have). It's crazy to me that they want to get something that a lot of older people try to get rid of. It's funny because now that I know about it, I notice women with it all around.
-It is getting SOOOOO cold here. I have already been wearing my down jacket, hat, gloves and scarf. Most of the reason it is so cold is because of the wind… Korea gets the siberian winds from Russia… BRRRR!
-In America, when you take a picture… people say "Cheese" (god I miss good cheese) but over here when you take a picture, people say "kimchee"
-Not a lot of people dive cars over here (it's the city life) but if you do, you get the privilege of having a special sticker in your car that guarantees you a free ice-cream at Mc Donalds every time you go (stupid I know but still interesting)