It's All About Results

The election closed last night. It was a close race, and the outcome was heavily anticipated, but the winner who emerged was Saenuri's Park Geun-Hye with 51.6 percent. The turn-out for this election was the largest it had been in 15 years, with 75.8 percent of the eligible population voting. After winning, she gave no big, formal speech, but thanked her supporters and acknowledged her opponents.

Park Geun-Hye said that visiting the graves of her parents would be the first thing she would do after winning the election. Following their footsteps, she will soon move into the Blue House. She and her supporters hope to unify Koreans and bring happiness to the people and prosperity to the economy.

Still, as the days lead to her occupying office, there are definite concerns she must deal with:
-the slowing economic growth
-the disappearing middle-class
-relations with North Korea
-welfare for a 'rapidly aging population'

There is a debate on whether she can handle these issues, but her supporters are sure that she is capable. I understand that I am an outsider, and thus have little insight into the matter, but what I wonder is how much of their faith in her is due to her father? An article from The Guardian quotes a woman saying, '"She will save our country. Her father rescued the country."' Can she live up to her father's name? The economy-saving bit only, of course...

Her father aside, will she herself be able to step up to the plate? For the sake of Korea, I hope so.

I understand the bitterness that some supporters of Moon Jae-In must be feeling right now. It's hard to rally behind a president that you did not elect, a president in whom you don't have faith. I hope she earns it. I hope she fulfills the promises she made during her candidacy.

Good luck, Korea! 대한민국 화이팅!

2012 South Korean Presidential Elections

Here in South Korea these days, one can see banners with candidate names and numbers and groups of supporters singing and chanting as the election day draws near. The 18th presidential election will take place December 19, 2012. Under what is now the sixth constitution since the split of the Koreas, the president may only hold a single term of five years.

I've been quite curious about the policies of all running candidates, as well as how the election process itself works. One thing I've seen and fully support is the prominence of multiple parties (more than two), although there are three major parties. And even within the parties the mindsets of the members differ slightly. There are seven names on the ballot- one from each of the major parties, and four independents.

The current/former president, Lee Myung-Bak, is of the Saenuri party. He came to the position with 70% approval, although earlier this year it had fallen to 30% approval. He feels that English education can aid in the road to success. He also supported the South Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement, and was a part of the Jeju-do Naval Base (quite controversial).

Also in the Saenuri party is Park Geun-Hye. Prior to this year, the party was actually called the Grand National Party, but there was a lot of fighting within the party and a few image problems. From what I have read, it seems that several other things in the party have changed since she gained control of the party. With Lee Myung-Bak's ratings, it makes sense that she would want to distance herself from his image. There is much support for her, as her father Park Chung-Hee was a former president (some use 'dictator' instead) and her parents were assassinated, and much distaste for her. The distaste comes from her "secretive ways" and lack of knowledge of working class life. Here is an excerpt I found on a Wiki article about the 2012 election:

"..during another debate on Aug. 8, the moderator asked Park the minimum hourly rate for a part-time worker as of 2012. Park replied “I think it’s over 5,000 won, isn’t it?,” when the legal minimum wage was 4,580 won. In response, The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions responded with a statement in which it said, “It is terribly discouraging when a person who wants to become president does not even know the country’s minimum wage, which is a minimal right for survival and the first step toward a welfare state.”"

Still, she would like to win the trust of the public and serve the people. Her slogan this election is, " A Country Where My Dreams Can Come True / Readied Female President." 

I think the story of her father is interesting, though, so I'm going to talk about that for a bit... Her father seized power with a military coup/revolution in 1961 for the sake of the country (he completely turned around the economy for the better). Her mother was shot in 1974, leaving her to act as the First Lady until her father was assassinated by his chief spy in 1979 (after losing the election, he rewrote the constitution to give himself further ruling). According to an article on channelnewsasia.com, "Many in South Korea acknowledge her father's contributions to the Korean economy, though many also remember a long history of torture and other abuses of power under his rule." 

So that is the story of Saenuri's Park Geun-Hye, a front-runner of this election. Her biggest competition, the other runner at the front, actually used to protest the rule of her father. His name is Moon Jae-In. The former student activist said, "When I was living in poverty, she was living the life of a princess in the Blue House... When I was fighting against dictatorship, she was at the heart of it."

Juicy, isn't it?

Moon Jae-In belongs to the United Democratic Party. He, too, is known by the public as he was Chief of Staff to Roh Moon-Hyun, the president before the current Lee Myung-Bak. Being well-known is great, but Roh Moon-Hyun left a pretty sour position for Moon Jae-In to be in... While Roh was in office, his support fell drastically. He couldn't seem to complete projects, turned on his supporters, and was persecuted by the conservative party. Even after his term ended he was investigated for bribery charges. The ill sentiments once held toward Roh are now being used as spectacles for looking at Moon Jae-In. His slogan this election is, "People come first."

Reports say that the youth (as always, isn't it?) will be the biggest pull in who wins the election. The way it works in Korea is that whoever wins the most votes wins the presidency- they have a first-past-the-post system in place. Park is currently in the lead, but Moon is not far behind.

Great! This is really interesting, but still... What I want to know are their personal policies. The Prime Minister, even if he has to be approved by the National Assembly-the legislature of 299 seats, is still appointed by the president. I'm finding it difficult to find personal stances, but the positions each party general holds is easy to find.

As it is elsewhere, general policies can be aligned with their party. Let's take a look at the three major parties (basically a summary from Daily Kos):

Saenuri- conservative. They favor big business, especially toward family-owned conglomerates such as LG, Samsung, and Hyundai. Many of these companies also have a family member serving as an assembly member. They are anti-North Korea, anti-communism, and pro-America, so they support the SK-US Free Trade Agreement. They desire an export-driven economy, subsidies, and tax breaks. Their popularity is with older generations and southeastern provinces.

Democratic United Party- liberal. They favor greater regulations of these family-owned conglomerates and are against free trade agreements. They support smaller business who get pushed out because of big business, and have ties to more moderate trade unions. They would also like to "thaw" relations with North Korea a bit, and they have mixed feelings concerning the presence of the US military. Their popularity is with younger generations and southwestern provinces.

Unified Progressive Party- progressive. Here we find those who support and are supported by leftist trade unions and often farmers, who are at the mercy of big business and the government, both of which consume their land as the country is small and land is important. Cheap imports also cause trouble to such people. They have pro-North Korea sentiments, and are anti-American -mostly concerning the economy and business.

Socially, there is less of a difference between parties. Abortion is illegal unless it is to save a woman's life and homosexuality is a taboo topic- 30% of the population is Christian, and I'm sure that this is at least a bit of the reason.

I'm sure it would be nice to vote for a candidate based purely on their business and economic policies... Since, you know, that's what their job is. As an outsider, it seems more cut-and-dry than our messy socially-driven elections.

Anyway, that's what I was able to find today. It's not exactly what I was looking for, but I feel more well-informed. And that's never a bad thing.

Here are the links I looked at today in case anyone is curious or wants to know more:

Wiki SK Election 2012 , Roh Moon-Hyun , Sixth Republic , 7 Candidates , Daily Kos , Election News

I'll post again if I find anything else that I feel is relevant, and I definitely want to post about the results!

-Kaitlin

November December

Greetings, everyone!

I write to you from my heated classroom on this cold, snowy day. Today was our third real day of it snowing. Time to travel is increased, and the snow hurts when it gets in your eyes, but hey- that's what umbrellas are for.

It's also quite beautiful outside... I always admire the pre-Christmas snow. After that I would prefer it to go away, but Mother Nature has yet to listen to my requests.

Since the last blog I penned, my birthday, Thanksgiving, and the entrance into a new month have all passed. My birthday was really nice! My friends came over and we drank wine, ate cake, pizza, chicken, apple cobbler, and ice cream... I'm so thankful for the people I've met here!

Speaking of being thankful, a group of us went out to an Indian restaurant for American Thanksgiving. We cooked for the Canadian one, and we'd like to cook for Christmas, so November became break time. PLUS, everyone loves Indian food. (From the country, India.)

With November rolling up nicely, I began my first winter in Korea. It's cold. But it's not too bad... Thankfully I'm used to cold weather! If it keeps getting colder, though, I'm going to look like that poor little brother in A Christmas Story...

..Except that only the classrooms at school are heated. Not the school itself.


Another thing that has begun this month is my Korean class! I'm finally in one... It's at the same school as before, Sogang University in Seoul. Currently, we're learning future tense, how to ask/say if we're able to do something, and describe things and places. It's nice! Some words and sentences still feel like tongue-twisters, but it'll be such a great help if I study!

Ah! I know that elections back in the States just ended, but the date is approaching here in Korea. Walking the streets you will come upon banners with candidate names, or see people singing for or promoting their preferred candidate. It's interesting. I haven't looked into their policies regarding English education through native speakers or other policies that would affect foreigners living in Korea, but it is something I'd like to do.

One of my third graders already knows who he's going to vote for ;)


Aaaaaaannd, I will indeed be staying for another year. Because my contract ends the day before my next contract begins, I will be visiting the States in January. An awful time, really, as far as the weather goes... But what can ya do? It'll be so great to see my family and friends in the US again. Although, I don't know how I'll feel about being back. I'm quite curious to see. Like I'll be studying myself in an experiment where I am the constant, and my location is the changing variable. How will it feel to understand every conversation I hear? Noisy? Loud? Comforting? ..I don't really think it'll be the last one. I'd be shocked if that were true, honestly. I have a certain idea of how it will feel, but I know that it could turn out to be very different. All I can do is wait and experience it, I guess!

But, man, am I looking forward to sales racks and thrift stores! And cheap fruit. And places that are heated everywhere I go. But, ohhh, the time difference... humbug


I'll write about Christmas later. It's sad not being able to spend it with family... I'll miss the trip to and the time in New York, the tree we put up every year, seeing how many bows I can stick to my head, eating way too much food, and just talking with all of my family. I'll have a good one here, I'm sure, though. So I'll make it through :)


XOXOX

A Weekend in Gyeogju

I have been slacking...seriously slacking. And for that, I do apologize.You know, to this day I still want to spell it 'apollogize'. Auto-correct is the only thing that reminds me it's otherwise. Everyone has one of those words, right?

But. Back to the topic... I went to a little place on the other end of the country from Seoul many moons ago (Oct20). It is called Gyeongju, and it is an area where one can see the traditions of Korea. It's lovely, really... I adore the older style of architecture.

I did write a journal for a bit on this trip, and I'm going to share it whether you like it or not. Since I starting writing quite early, I do believe at least the first half will be entertaining.


And so it begins...

4:30- wake-up, pack, shower, and get ready

6:00- leave for bucheon station (부천역)

Everything on the bus goes creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak...

6:20- get on subway and be surrounded by people in hiking gear

Too early. I saw a ton of tanks and a subway train full of military personnel stopped in oryudong (오류동). I transferred twice and am now sitting on a bus in indeogwon (인덕원) with a name tag. I still don't really care for name tags... It's ten to eight. We'll be leaving in 10, I think.

After getting on the bus, we heard from the lady with the tour group, Cecilia, and then watched a UNESCO video about the cultural and historical aspects of Gyeongju. Ha, I found it pretty amusing when Cecilia's talked turned to how you're supposed to drink soju. 8:15 in the morning and we're talking about how to drink soju! (Careful or you'll get drunk quickly. Also, it's clear so you can pretend its water.) Mind you, I was terribly tired, so that might not have been what she actually said.

Because Gyeongju is a long trip (bottom up, it goes Busan, Ulsan, and then Gyeongju at the bottom of Gyeongbuk Province- if you follow the eastern coastline), we are going to stop halfway there. Which is GREAT because I drank copious amounts of coffee this morning :D

This is going to be a long post. Just pretend like I'm letting you in on my Dear Diary... Or that I'm talking to you personally :)

Lunch in Andong (안동)! We ate salted mackerel and Andong jjimdalk (안동찜닭), which is a local specialty involving chicken and potatoes. It's sooo good! Then, we took a shuttle to Hahoe Folk Village (하회마을) where members of the Ryu clan have lived for a loong time. Beautiful, but we couldn't spend much time there, unfortunately.

Two hours to Gyeongju National Museum. We are set to spend an hour there. Hopefully we're able to be there for the full time. Traffic to Andong was pretty bad...

<Insert> The museum was pretty cool. I bought a book that was a transcribed lecture about Korean paintings. It's so interesting!! In the museum, there were many different Buddhist statues and relics. Of course, there were also tools from the area that were developed over time and later excavated. <End of insert>

Stayed at the Commodore- beautifully lit at night. Buffet breakfast!! Went to a temple- the Buddhas were really cool to see! They were golden with lovely paintings behind them. The incense smelt great, too. Relaxing... Then we moved on to watch a traditional wedding ceremony. We saw the traditional way to make rice cakes, too! (Not the Quaker Oats kind. The sticky pulverized rice kind.) Then we ate bulgogi for lunch. After lunch we watched 'Flying', a mostly non-speaking performance. It was awesome. Like, seriously, watch it if you find the means to. I was laughing so hard!
Now, at 4:30, we're heading home.
Traffic is supposed to be bad again, so we may not get in to indeogwon till 9:30, which means Bucheon at 10:50ish. Ouch.

End


My trip to Gyeongju was a really great experience. I know I've uploaded the pictures to facebook already. Ha, I had to select just a few. I took sosososo many pictures that weekend...

I do wish that I had typed this up after it happened. Maybe my vitamin D is low again? I have vitamins that I don't take. Haven't changed very much there!


Quite a bit has happened since, though... The students here put on an exhibition, in Korean it's called a hak-ye-hwoe (학예회). There was dancing, acting, sign language, singing, and the playing of several instruments such as the tambourine, recorder, violin, and flute. There was a flash-mob style dance from one sixth grade class, and a script including voice-over acting, jump roping, taekwondo, violin, and dancing. The younger grades were so cute to watch! One of the third grade classes danced to 'Hey Mickey'... So, so precious...

I will write another post soon about how my birthday in Korea has been! Promise I won't take a month this time!

I Love Busan

I am back from my trip to Busan! Finishing up the last day in this two-day workweek, I am utterly exhausted. I feel like I shouldn't be, since I was on vacation for 5 days and only worked for two. Flip-flop of the usual. My sinuses did start to hit me the day we left, and are still here. I am just exhausted in every way. BUT. My trip was awesome. ^^

As I mentioned, we left Friday evening. It only ended up taking us 6.5 hours to get to Busan by bus!! Amazing. My friends who left Saturday morning said it took them about 9... The hostel was really nice and in a great location to commute to all of the touristy things we wanted to see. Seomyeon, the area we stayed in, has a transfer subway (where two lines meet and you can get on either). Some things we wanted to see were on one line, and some on the other. Perfect!

On Saturday we went to the Busan Aquarium. I. LOVE. IT. Seriously, I could spend an entire day there. Maybe more. I have so many pictures, and quite a few minutes of video, so I think I'm going to make a separate video for the aquarium. Unfortunately, I am having issues getting a video segment onto my computer... So it may be a bit before I actually get that one up. Anywho, the aquarium is located in Haeundae. There is also a wonderful beach there, which you can be sure we took advantage of! 

We also hit the Busan Museum of Art. It was a fairly modern/contemporary gallery, so if you do go please don't think it is a traditional museum. Those do exist, though. The artwork itself was quite powerful, a lot of the pieces dealing with relatively heavy issues. Still, captivating and well-done. 

After that, we went to a wax gallery, Madame Tussauds, located in Shinsegae (still in Haeundae)! It was totally creepy! But it was also a needed pick-me-up after the weight of the gallery. We took pictures with Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Lady GaGa, Madonna, and more... Oh, Audrey Hepburn. I have to mention her. Breakfast At Tiffany's. You know...

We then went back to the beach. The street that followed the coastline was numbered with musicians, and we sat right behind a duo. They were pretty decent, and it was fun to sing along to the songs I knew. :)

Our second day, Sunday, we caught the other line and headed toward Jongang Station, near to Gukje Markets, the Memorial for the War Dead, Busan Tower, Shanghai Street, and a foreign food street. It's a really cool area... Because we were in the tourist area, and it was our first time, there was so much to do! Although, because it was Chuseok, the city was empty. Even on Saturday in Haeundae, it was EMPTY.

After the sun set we went to Gwangali Beach and saw the Diamond Bridge! It was beautiful!! The buildings on each side were also stunningly lit. We sat around there for a while before we set off to meet up with friends in the Kyeongseong University area.

Monday we took it easy. We sat out on Haeundae beach, went to Vesta Spa (nude) where we could watch the sun set out of the windows... It was phenomenal. You could see Gwangali and Haeundae from the spa!

There was a little sauna room, too, where there was red ginger being heated, and BOY did that clear out my sinuses!

OH, it was such a lovely trip! We took the regular train on the way back, getting off right as the train entered Seoul. The entire trip from Busan to Seoul that way took about 6 hours. I would love to go back and see more of Busan! I actually wouldn't mind teaching around there... But with EPIK you cannot choose where you want to be. You can have preferences, but there is no guarantee you will be placed in that city. Also, even if I am fortunate enough to end up in Busan, I could be in the middle of nowhere and hours away from the sights I've talked about. Still, change of pace. 

I will find out next month if my school will have the budget to keep me on for another year. I hope they do, as I really like working here! But I've started to think about options in case they can't. But that's all a different topic.

I will post the videos when I get them done!

Take care everyone!!

:)

PS- if you have any questions, please post them!

Happy Chuseok

Happy Chuseok, everyone! 메리 추석 여리분! 저는 내일 부천에서 부산까지 갈 거예요... ^^ Tomorrow I am leaving Bucheon to go to Busan... :) This will be my first trip there, and I'm so excited!

I would like to write a blog post about my adventures, but for the sake of not making the post terribly long (and satiating my current desire to write), I am going to write about the pre-trip everythings right now :)

I can't take much credit for the planning, though. My friend that I am travelling with handled it all. I'm so lucky! And inherently lazy. So I'm really lucky...

(Transportation)
But! Down to business. We are leaving from Sopoong Bus Terminal (소풍터미널) tomorrow at 5:50 pm. It's fortunate that we have a big terminal so close, because the only other terminal I am currently aware of is in Gangnam, which is to the northeast of Bucheon (ohhhh, backtracking). We just need to go down for what everyone is saying will be around 8-9 hours. It's great living so near to Seoul, but because everyone else thinks that too, it means that everyone else will also be travelling south to visit their families this weekend.

No, it isn't always that long of a trip. The traffic lengthens the bus ride, but there is also an express train, the KTX, that can get you from Seoul to Busan in three or four hours. Why didn't we choose that? It sells out pretty quickly around Chuseok, it seems. The bus is quite a bit cheaper, though. Each way costs less than 30,000 won ($28.00, maybe?). I believe the KTX runs about 60,000 won each way...

Yeah, buses! Another awesome thing about Sopoong is that it is attached to a huge shopping center, theater, and grocery store, not to mention the coffee shops running along the outside of the building. Delightful <3. So I'm probably going to swing into Kim's Club (food) to get things for the road. No coffee. No tea. No soda. Only one bathroom break. And I ALWAYS have to pee as soon as we start driving. Like clockwork, baby.

(Accommodation)
But once we get there we have a really cool hostel to stay at. And I mean, like, phenomenal. At least that's what I've heard :). It's called Zen Backpackers and is located in Seomyeon (서면), Busan. All of the reviews are more than positive, loving both the hostel and its owner. He offers tarot card reading, hand acupuncture, and a super groovy living space. If you want to check out the website for this hostel, please click here. It costs either 30,000 won or 22,000 won per night depending on the type of room you choose. There is complementary breakfast, a kitchen area with a microwave, stove, oven, rice cooker, and dishwasher, along with a good-sized plasma TV with a selection of movies to watch. He also offers acoustic guitar lessons and a few other things. I'll let you read them on the site if you're interested.

He has such a good reputation, though, because he gets involved with those who stay in his hostel. If he is free, I've heard that he'll go around and show you (or just tell you) all of the places you need to see. And the location of this hostel is another perk. It's a ten minute walk away from the subway, and right by a great neighborhood to go out in (day and night)!

(Activities)
So what are we going to do once we get there? ...I don't know, actually. Hahaha, there is so much to do! And so much to see! But this is a vacation, so I'd rather have a few things in mind and then just see what we feel like doing at the time. Reelaaaaax a bit. There are some helpful websites to look at if you ever want to go yourself.

Here are links:
Top10 and Then Some
Oh, the Places to Go
BestBest

I liked picking through those links, and I hope they will prove useful and interesting for others, as well. Ha, for the link names I just pictured my parents trying to remember which link went to which site and having to say my link titles over and over. "No, click 'BestBest'!" Haha. I am a wonderful daughter.

A wonderful daughter who is about to go on a wonderful trip.
Take care and have a great Chuseok! Or just a good weekend for those of you who aren't Korean or in Korea, and won't be practicing Korean Thanksgiving.

:)

Transportation Observations

So I've been watching for a while, now. It's easy to do, really, when you're in a foreign country that speaks a language you don't... But after six months of observing, I find it's time to share.

First: The Bus.
Buses don't like to stop. Hold on tight. Also, I've found that some of the passengers that I ride with every morning have preferences regarding which side of the bus they sit on. Sounds strange? Maybe it is. But I do understand. You see, the sun shines in really brightly from the right side of the bus in the morning. So the left side is better then. On the way home, it's the opposite. There's one woman who is usually on the bus with me, and one morning I sat next to her (left side). It was in one of the back seats. Halfway through our journey, she got up and sat two rows in front of me. I was taken aback! At first, my thoughts were, "Is she offended that I'm a foreigner? Do I smell? Is my iPod up too loud?" But this morning, she did it again. She was sitting one row in front of me (right side) and got up to move up one row (left side). My philosophy on that is that it's the morning, and I would like to move as little as possible in the morning. Apparently she and others on my bus don't share my anti-morning sentiments.

Also, when I first arrived in Korea, there was a woman I would see walking almost every morning. She has rather sharp features, really. I hadn't seen her for a few months until this morning. I saw her again! It was strangely comforting... Haha (I'm totally not creepy or anything.)

Another thing to note about public transportation is that you don't really raise your voice above a soft indoor voice. Unless you're young and with a bunch of your friends. It's best to take up as little space as possible, too. Common courtesy for those about to sit next to you. :)


Second: The Subway
Not really much different from the bus, except for the fact that it's a really smooth ride. If you stand in line with the direction of the train, you probably won't almost fall. And by that, I mean having one side of your body pointing toward the direction the train is heading, and the other pointed toward the direction the train is leaving. Don't stand facing the direction the train is going. You will end up looking like you're dancing as you try to catch your balance.

The elderly get seats before the young folks, as it should be. Most of the subway rides I've taken I end up standing. I don't really mind, though. Public transportation is like a good lullaby here. If I sit down, I will want to sleep. The subways are clean, and it's not unlikely that there will be someone walking through trying to sell something. Sometimes they're useful items, sometimes they boggle my mind.

Subways are also really fun to watch people fall asleep. Most people are absorbed into their smartphone, but sometimes you get awesome faces on the people who've passed out.


Public transportation here is quite effective. Sure, driving a car yourself or taking a taxi would be the quickest way to get anywhere, but the public transit is cheap and reliable. One thing I do hope I pick up while I'm here, though, is the ability to fall asleep and wake up right before my stop. Like clockwork. I've seen it so many times, and boy am I jealous.


That's it for this post! A bit strange, but I wanted to write something and I don't have anything fun or interesting going on until next weekend when I take a little trip to Busan :)

Bye-Bye

ReverseReverse

I've been having songs from the 80's and 90's running through my head like mad lately (and I raaaaan, I ran so far awaaaaay)...

This post is more of an update than anything :)

I did decide to drop my course at Sogang University. As I mentioned in the previous post, they only offer part A in the fall and spring semesters for their evening classes. Unfortunately, I need part B. It's a bummer that my level doesn't fit in with their schedule, but I will continue to study independently for now. I am considering starting to learn at a hagwon (private school) next month, though.

For more exciting news... I will be dying my hair tomorrow! Yeah!!!!!!! And yeah, still Korean hair dye. Hahaa I'm going to mix a box of what I used last time (a good friend of mine picked up a box for me, and this one ISN'T expired!) with a box of something dark. Half and half. Save the other half for the next time I need to dye my hair. I am quite curious to see if this will work or not... Oh well. At least I teach elementary school, where the kids have purple, red, and green hair (I like to think I started the trend on that last one).

We have a new principal at school, and she decided to change the greeting that students say to teachers from the usual "Hello!" (안녕하세요) to "I love you!" (사랑합니다)! She said people will laugh and be happy if they greet others like this. Well, it's true! It's really funny. And my kids are such tarts, too, that some of my sixth graders just keep on going! "Teacher! I love you! You're so beautiful!" Warms my heart. <3 

Especially considering that the boy I was seeing and I have split. He has no time right now, and really, I have no patience. It sucks and it hurts more than I thought it could, but what can I do? Relationships are all about timing. What will come of us? Who knows. But! But:

At least, I want to be.

Hahaha, I love this song in every language. I'm sure those of you who know me well can only imagine the number of songs flying through my head from this situation. Most of them also from the 80's and 90's. I just can't escape it (and I raaaaan, I ran so far awaaaaay)...


Take care, everybody! :)

Studying Korean

I think I may review what I learn on here, in order to further my practice and overall learning. Also, that way everyone can study with me!! FUN, RIGHT?! ;) Yes.

So today. TODAY! This is my first day at Sogang University. I am signed up for their evening classes which take place three days a week (MonTuesThurs) for two hours each session. The course runs 10 weeks for a total of 60 hours. It is different from what I would expect out of an evening class, though. Unlike my assumption, the evening course is not accelerated. You learn half the material that the regular class does. Yes, you only meet for half the time, so it seems fair, but it means you will need to be in school longer if you plan on taking Korean courses for a while. At Sogang, the regular courses learn book A in the first half of the semester, and book B in the second half. The evening courses only learn book A in the fall and spring courses. To learn book B, you need to enroll in the winter or summer semesters.

Still, though, when you sit back and think about it from a logical point of view, there is a day job to do. People only take evening classes (another assumption) because they have work or other things during the day. So it's good that it's not accelerated, because otherwise the students might not be able to keep up...

Anywho. Today... I have not bought my book or paid my tuition. I know the building my class will be held in, but I do not know the room number or the floor. I am going straight to the university after work today to try and get all of that sorted. They are prompt with their responses, but I felt that I needed to make sure to contact them with the question first. Like, "How do I pay my tuition?" Then, I received an email with a box of options to choose one from. Their program is supposed to be quite outstanding, though. While other schools focus on grammar, and what I would consider test-oriented nuances, Sogang focuses on speaking and communication (instead of it only being 25% of the curriculum). It is why I chose Sogang University.

But let's have a look, shall we?
Which schools offer Korean language courses? Where are they located? How often and for how long do they meet? What does it cost? Here are the stats for two universities in Seoul:

( For more locations, please click here. There is a list of universities that offer Korean courses throughout Korea, including Incheon, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan, Gwanju, and alllll of those other places! Prices outside of Seoul are cheaper, although class sizes may be larger.)
*Example: Kyungbook National University in Daegu offers a class that meets during the same days, for the same hours, but it costs 1,200,000 won. The average class size only jumps to 15.


Sogang University (서강대학교)
- Located in Seoul between line 2 (Sinchon or Ewha Women's Uni stops) and line 6 (Daeheung stop).
- Exact address: 35 Baekbeom-ro Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Evening course fee: 640,000 won
- Classes meet three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6.50pm to 8.40pm and continue for ten weeks (60 hours total)
- Regular course fee: 1,515,000 won
- Classes meet five days a week from Monday to Friday, and run from 9.00am to 1.00pm (200 hours total)
- Average class size: 12 students
 *Sogang does have other course options. Please visit their website to learn more.

Yonsei University (연세대학교)
- Located in Seoul by line 2 (Sinchon stop)
- Exact address: 134 Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
- Evening course fee: 750,000 won
- Classes meet three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6.30pm to 9.00pm and continue for ten weeks (90 hours total)
- Regular course fee: 1,616,000 won
- Classes meet five days a week from Monday to Friday, and run from 9.00am to 1.00pm (200 hours total)
- Average class size: 12
 *Yonsei does have other course options. Please visit their website to learn more.

A third university in Seoul that I must mention is Seoul National University. The stats are essentially the same. I'm sure you could guess just by looking at the above two. But. Here is their link!


So look around if you're interested! Regular course programs are also grounds for a VISA, so if you just want to study and get away from wherever you are for a while, then maybe this is for you!

I'm off!
Take care, everyone!

FastFastFast

Time is flying by!
With summer camp over, school is back in session. The kids came back as cute as ever, with new haircuts and a renewed anti-work sentiment (just my sixth graders, really, for that one).

I figured today would be a good time to write a blog- it's been quite a while. Also, I have a bit of free time because the students are at home today. For those somehow unfamiliar with the situation, the biggest typhoon in decades is due to hit Seoul around 3:00 pm today (I've heard there's a hurricane headed for the US, too! Be Safe!). Pictures are up on Korean news sites, and my co-teacher and I have been checking out the damage that has occurred in southern Korea already... You can find windows blown-in, broken, and even a HomePlus missing a chunk of its siding. But not here!

The clouds here are moving rather quickly. I know right now most of my teacher friends are scattered around Bucheon, with a few in other locations. I work up toward the top of Bucheon, in Ojeong-gu. (Note: the typhoon is coming from Japan, and then working its way up Korea toward China.) Aside from racing clouds and dancing crops, it really looks like it could just be a bad storm. But it's not raining very hard, so the clouds and lack of sunshine make it feel rather ominous. And then there's the fact that it's looked like this since morning.

Makes for a productive day, though! I've planned my after school lesson for tomorrow, and typed up a schedule for the remainder of the semester. We also watched Leap Year (프로포즈 데이), the romantic comedy with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, who still looks reaaal good ;). It was cute, but entirely predictable. From the box in the beginning being earrings and not an engagement ring, to knowing she would fall for the bartender the second she walked into the bar even before knowing it was Matthew Goode playing him. Then it was certain. Her character was also terribly annoying. Between the portrayal of Americans in Love Actually and this film, I feel like I should start acting more risque, bothersome, and materialistic. I'm just not living up to the standard!

Quite frankly, I'm okay with that, though.

In news related to furthering myself from the ignorant standard, I had my speaking test/interview with Sogang University this past week. Haha, I was so nervous! I completely blanked. I wrote out a list of talking points and potential topics (because I knew I would blank) after coming to terms with the fact that I'm a bit anal retentive, but they didn't even pop up. The way she asked questions was also different than the way I'm used to them being said, but that's okay. I don't think I showcased all that I really know... The course is supposed to be challenging, but hopefully I placed at a level where I will still need to push myself a bit. Still, I'm sooooo excited to be able to study the Korean language. It's getting to the point where it's frustrating to no ends to not be able to communicate with people. It really hit me during summer camp when parents would call in for their kids. I understood what they were saying, but I didn't know where to begin for a reply. This will change from now on, though! I will study hard. I'll put up a post detailing the different Korean language programs at the various schools in Seoul. Which school you should study at depends on what you want, because the programs are quite different. I may even do it today.


Aiya. So it's a bit after 1:00... Two hours till the typhoon will hit us the way we've been waiting for (I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED), and four hours until the farewell dinner for the principal. That's right- it's still on! TyphoonShmyphoon. Let's eat! And drink. Good thing I wore my rain boots today. Also, I really think that rain boots should be one word, not two. Look: rainboots. ..Beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful, it is already September next month. I will be wearing sweaters and dancing in the leaves soon. Time is a funny little concept.


Take care, everyone <3

Summer.

As the summer season began and hit its peak, I wondered how in the world such weather was possible. Where I come from, we do in fact have four seasons, but minus the 78% humidity I see too much here... And so in my thoughts I discovered the truth.

"Once upon a time, there was a land with an unpredictable climate. In the sky hung Sun whose size doubled and halved as he inhaled and exhaled. The temperature shifted drastically from day to day, causing sickness and a loss of crops and livestock. So the people of Korealand prayed to Sun. 'Sun,' they cried, 'please stop playing with the weather as if it doesn't affect us!' Sun, being a rather magnanimous pain, said, 'Fine. I will hold my breath for three months after fully inhaling and exhaling, but in return you must allow Water to enter the air.' And so the people of Korealand saw three months with their Sun twice as big, and called it summer. As time passed, they saw three months with their Sun twice as small and called it winter. And so they developed a cycle where crops and livestock could live and flourish, beginning the healthy prosperity of Korealand."


This is the only way I can understand the weather right now. It's been hitting 95 degrees along with the high humidity. As I said to a few of my friends, you could take a picture of me at any given point of the day or night and I would probably make a good sports drink advertisement. I am sweating constantly and woke up at 5:40 this morning because of how thirsty I was! So of course I messaged my sister.

Hahaha... Aside from thinking up stories on the bus and bothering Kyleigh with delirious ramblings, I am about 3/4 of the way through my English summer camp. The kids have just been divided into their groups/bands, and have picked out songs they would like to perform. I'm really excited to see the cuteness I'm expecting! They will perform on Monday, so I've been showing kids videos for their songs so they can learn the dance moves, and been helping them sing the melodies. Most of them are doing pretty well, but I feel like some of them just want a normal summer break. They're antsy and LOVVVVVE break time. ..I can't say I blame them. They're elementary kids and this is their break! But as long as they listen during class time, I'm okay with them running around during break. Maybe I baby them too much, haha.


Things are still going really well, though. I am looking forward to fall more than I ever have in my life, which is incredible because fall is the only season I ever want. Ever. (evaevaeva) I also want popsicles on a daily basis, although I don't know if that's much of a shift, either. Basically, my usual sentiments are just multiplied a bit. Like my desire for it to be Christmas. ( ! ) I will probably start listening to Christmas music next month.


But I think that's enough of my heat-melted mind for one blog entry, so stay tuned for the next one! ;)

Boryeong Mud Festival

Woooo! WooWooo!

We did not turn into "woo" girls, but we did have a blast!

The Boryeong Mud Festival happens on 7.14-7.15 and 7.21-7.22 and draws a massive crowd, of mostly foreigners, to its shore. There are a lot of events you can participate in, such as mud wrestling, mud slides, mud fights, mud painting, and even a mud prison. If you get too dirty, there are showers and a bath they provide on site, but who wants to get into a tub of dirty water that waaaay too many other people have been in? Thankfully, there is also the sea. If you remove the copious amounts of alcohol that some people consume, it's actually a pretty cleansing festival (externally).

The festival started because of the supposed health benefits of the mud (which is quite clay-like, in my opinion, and I do know that is good for skin), and if you lather yourself up, let it dry, and rinse off in the salt water, I'd say you're doing your skin a favor. I like to think my skin is smoother... :)

Unfortunately, it was a little cold, overcast, and rainy this past weekend, but that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves! Or from getting sunburned. There are three things I would recommend bringing regardless of the weather: insect repellent, sun screen, and a mud-proof/water-proof bag that you can put your camera in. I really wish I could have taken pictures of everything! But I didn't want to risk my camera getting ruined. There were those who had no qualms about grabbing a stranger's face and smearing it with mud!

So how did we get there? Where did we stay? We went with a group called Seoulite, and for 65,000 won (64 USD, appx.) you were provided with a bus there and back, as well as a place to stay that was a really short walk from the beach. I would say that it was good for a first time trip because we didn't know where we were going, if we could get a room, or if there were even other ways to get there. If I go again next year, I think I would take the KORAIL (the regular train) down and back. That would be about 14,000 won if you could get standing tickets. Even if motels and hotels are charging more because of peak season, a love motel between myself and a friend would still be less than 50,000 won each. It would be a cheaper route, but also a bit more risky route. Who knows if you could get a room? But if you do, you will have a bed. A BED! The pension we stayed at had a terribly hard floor and only provided thin blankets; they didn't have any of the thicker mats that the other places I've stayed have had. So there's that. You may even have a bath tub!

Oh- one more random recommendation: Don't wear mascara.


Here is the video I put together from our journey to the festival! Thanks to Anna for letting me use her photos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aEDLOzb3I&feature=youtu.be



Tata~

Korean Hair Dye

..I did it.
I'm the girl who went against all of the logical reasons to not use Korean hair dye on western hair. How did it work? (Do tell, do tell!) I'll tell you, but first- a prologue.

I was standing there in Home Plus looking over the very short hair dye section, checking expiration dates and the color it would turn my hair (the problem with this is that dark brown and black were the only starting colors). Most of the dye was also expired. The dye I ended up going with, a dark blonde Loreal Paris number, expired in February. But, because there was English on the box, the ingredients had to be listed. The only other language that offered their ingredients was Chinese because, for some reason or another, Korean laws don't require packages to list all ingredients (at least that's what I've read and come to understand). The ingredients are important, though! I just wanted to darken my hair a tiny bit and get rid of the brassiness that always seems to develop, but even the dark dyes had hydrogen peroxide 6% (a lightener) in them. So, when I bought this dark blonde, I didn't think it would darken my hair at all because of the peroxide, but I was hoping that it would get rid of the brass.

And, boy, did it. And my hair is quite a bit darker than it should be. Considering that the box was DARK BLONDE and that I am now mid-light brown, something happened. Oh, I am also tinted green, a bit. Hahaha I always say that I've been every color but green, but now I can say that I've been them all!
What I really want to know is which will fade first: the brown or the green? Hmm... I'm hoping for the sake of my professionalism that it's the green.

Honestly, though, I did do a strand test this time. I have never bothered about it back home, but considering that I was dealing with expired dye meant for a completely different type of hair, I thought it wise. I did not notice the green. I didn't notice the green until one of my 6th graders pointed it out, actually. Ha.

Gotta love that honesty. Without him, I never would have known that I have finally been every hair color.

So the prologue turned into the whole story... But. To summarize this experience, I would say that using Korean hair dye, if you're a western person, is risky and unpredictable. But, my dye was also expired, so I can't say for certain. Although if you're really particular about your hair color, don't use box dye. That is the advice I give you. Go to a salon. Your hair probably won't feel like you've just bleached it, either.



All this being said, if I weren't a teacher, I would probably enjoy having slightly (it's really only very slightly) green hair.


Rock on, loved ones.
I will post another blog after the Boryeong Mud Festival that is happening this weekend :)

Busy Little Bee

Good morning, everyone!

This is usually how I greet my first class of the day. If your thoughts responded, "Good morning, teacher!" you are an excellent student.

I feel like I've been really busy lately. I blew my power on Sunday and had management come up on Monday to show me that the bizarre boat picture in my kitchen actually houses the switchboard for my apartment. So at least I have power again and now I know. Because I will probably do it one more time at some point in the future.

Yesterday I also went on a rain boot hunt. The U-PLEX at Hyundai had a lot of cute boots, and the pair I got are a little shorter than I wanted and way more expensive than I wanted, but they are SO CUTE. I had to get them. They go with everything I own. Even 60% of my other shoes.

I typed up plans for my summer camp last week. It is a full three weeks, leaving me with five or so days of break before the new term starts. I wish I had a few more days, but this way I have a lot more time in the winter. I have a few places I really want to go in the winter!

Not this past weekend, but the one prior, I went on a trip with the teachers at my school. We went to Nami Island, which is actually quite famous because the Korean drama "Winter Sonata" was filmed there, and around the border of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province. We also visited a lovely little place called Jade Garden. It had several different types of gardens hidden along its paths, and was really quite beautiful.

Because it's been so long, here are some pictures :)

Nami Island (the famous road!)

Jade Garden

So pretty!

Expect another blog in two weeks! The Mud Festival is the 14th of July, and I'm sure it will be a lot of fun :)


Stay tuned,
Kaitlin

You Need To Know, Man!

I still haven't purchased a replacement charger for my computer. I am debating whether I should buy a new charger and battery, or just wait until my trip home where I would buy a new computer. At home, I also have an external hard drive. As much of a pain as it is to not have a computer at home, parts are expensive here and it's not like I really need my computer. Although, I can't study my Korean software... But that's a bit of a different topic.

So, after taking a while to get to the point, this is my first blog in a bit. Quite a bit has gone on and passed, like our trip to Sokcho/Seoraksan, which is located on the East Sea in Gangwon Province and is where we climbed Ulsanbawi and slack lined (thank you, Kyle!), and rested out on the beach, my Grandparents' Anniversary (CONGRATULATIONS!!!!), a pride festival in Seoul, and my third graders screaming upon seeing me after not having done so for a while. Everything feels monumental here. I guess it's because I'm on a contract, and my time in this country depends on how long I decide to stay. But I never knew a year could feel so short. I really don't think I'll be ready to leave at the end of this contract. There's still so much more in Korea that I need to see, learn, and understand. Not to mention the places outside of Korea that I'm dying to travel to. We'll just have to see :)

One thing, though, that does get old is writing in retrospect. Therefore, I've decided that I'm not going to write about what's happened in between my blog posts. I know that for those of you who read this and aren't friends with me on facebook, it's a bit that you're missing out on- mostly pictures. But while hiking in Seoraksan, I realized this push and pull between what I see and experience, and what I capture and share. There were some scenes that were so beautiful, I just had to take a picture. But, in that same breath, there were some things that were too beautiful, too real, to ruin with a camera. And so I'm going to keep these past experiences in the photographs I took and in the memories of those who were there.

Haha, this is turning into some heartfelt blog when all I wanted to do was give a list of words that I felt like people coming to Korea should actually learn. A lot of phrase books are still pretty thick, and I have come to realize a few key expressions that come in handy during the first chunk of time here. Even though it's going to make this post longer than I intended, I'm still going to give the list. Beneath the Hangul is how to phonetically say it, and my opinion- that is all. So here we gooo:

When in a restaurant or a store:
How much (is this)?

(이것은) 얼마예요?

(ee-geos-eun) eol-ma-ye-yo?

Do you have ____ ?
____ 있으세요?
____  iss-euh-seyo?

Do you need a bag?
봉투 필요하세요?
bohng-too pil-yo-ha-seyo?

May I have a bag?
봉투 주세요.
bohng-too joo-seyo.

Give me one.
하나 주세요. or 한개 주세요.
ha-nah joo-seyo. han-gae joo-seyo.

Give me two.
두개 주세요.
doo-gae joo-seyo.
 *different objects have different "counters" sometimes, but "gae" goes for a lot of them.


When travelling:
This stop is ____ .

이 정류장은 ____ . (followed by "입니다" or "이다" = is, but just listen for this stop and next stop)

ee jeong-ryu-jang-eun ____ . 

Next stop is ____ .

다음 정류장은 ____ .

dah-eum jeong-ryu-jang-eun ____ .

Do you go to ____ ?
____ 가고?
____ gah-go?

Where is ____ ?
____ 어디 있어요?
____ eodi isseoyo?

Station
역
yeok


Random, but helpful:
Hello
안녕하세요
ahn-yeong-ha-say-o, ( but say it all at once- not spaced out)

Thank you
감사합니다
kahm-sahm-nee-dah

Good-bye (to person staying)
안녕히가세요
ahn-yeonghi-gah-say-o

Good-bye (to person leaving)
안녕히계세요
ahn-yeonghi-gye-say-o

With
하고
hago, (like "Ha! Go.")

Time
시간
shigan

Hour(s) (uses hana, tul, set, net, ta-sot...)
시 (4시)
shi (neh-shi)

Minute(s) (uses il, i, sam, sa, o...)
분 (8분)
boon (pal-boon)

Foreigner

외국인

waygookin

Floor (as in, "What floor is the library on?") (uses il, i, sam, sa, o...)
층 (3층)
cheung (sam-cheung)


Money (uses il, i, sam, sa, o...):
Money
돈
tohn, (typically this would be romanized as "ton", but it uses the long "o" sound, so I used "tohn")

Won
원
weon, (short "o", like in "come")

100 won
백원
baek-weon

1000 won
천원
cheon-eon (the "w" sound is usually dropped or mumbled when spoken)

10000 won
만원
mahn-eon (again, "w" dropped)


Advice- learn how to read Hangul. You'll be able to read signs, and you'll know how to pronounce words. I hate being given romanized Korean because the sounds I associate with the Western alphabet are often not consistent with how the word is really supposed to be pronounced. And sometimes the romanization isn't even correct.

There are a lot of useful books, sites, videos, and programs out there for learning Korean. Rosetta Stone is good if you actually want to learn the language, but not if you're looking for a crash course in how to get around and survive in the country for a little bit. And even if you do want to learn the language, I would still use Rosetta in conjunction with a book that gives you phrases you are likely to need and to use more quickly and more frequently. Talk To Me In Korean does podcasts and videos that are really great. And if you look at the YouTube user sweetandtasty's videos, she also has really helpful skits for learning Korean.

Hello!

I haven't updated this blog in a while! But I have pretty decent excuses. First, the cord on my computer charger isn't really attached anymore. Second, my computer needs a new battery because it does not charge with a cord that isn't defective. Third, I have actually been really busy at school. I made a bomb game from scratch! I am quite proud of that. For those of you who don't know what a bomb game is, it's a PowerPoint game where certain questions offer various points or bombs (which make you lose your points). It wouldn't be very difficult if you didn't have to connect the pages together and figure out how to time the entrance of your images and questions... But you do for it to look cool. And the kids really love them when they look cool.

So aside from my new, savvy ppt skills, I have learned a few other things lately. The most important: red ginseng is a life-saver, and that when you have to stand on bus rides, never lock your knees. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and be ready for quick stops and starts. I learned this coming home on the 1300, which is what you can take from Bucheon to get to Hongdae. And Costco, although you need to take the 7612 or walk (it's not a great distance by any means) after the 1300 for Costco.

I also went to a clothing market called Platoon. It happens in Gangnam on the first Saturday of every month. There are a bunch of individual retailers selling their used or made items for really cheap, along with drinks and a dj to make your experience wonderful. But it's a really neat place, so I want to write a separate blog on it later.

Oh! I almost forgot. This weekend, starting tomorrow, is going to be amazing. There are birthdays, potlucks, cake, the launching of a new company, and a lantern festival to celebrate Buddha's birthday. I can't wait! And I'm well enough to not be having coughing fits on the bus ride (more comfortable for myself and those around me), so I should be able to enjoy the festivities fully :)

Interesting fact: my advanced class students love saltines as much as I do. They're starving by the time they get to my class, so I've been giving them the crackers. The downside is that I no longer have any crackers. Because, I mean, they LOVE saltines.

But I'm typing all of this out on my phone, and my thumbs are sore. Haha, write to you later!

Unions

I wanted to write a blog about my weekend in Gangneung and the orientation I attended Monday through Wednesday, but I checked my email first. In talking to Michelle I summed up everything that I had really wanted to say about each of them, sooo here is the excerpt (because I'm lazy and it doesn't make sense to write the same things twice):



"Over the weekend I went to the east side of Korea for a wedding. It was beautiful! It was right on the east sea, and there was an entire street along the shore of coffee shops! The air was clean, you could actually see into the distance... And all of the cherry blossoms and other flowers are in bloom right now. Even the city is beautiful. I had just met the bride that day- she went to school in Australia with my friend Sio. She and her now husband were so accommodating! After the ceremonies and a little nap, they spent more of the day with us. They took such good care of us! They are lovely people and definitely new good friends. She made me want to become someone like her, who could just so easily make others feel welcome. 
"I was only back in Bucheon for a night before I left again Monday morning to go to orientation. It, too, was out of the city. Although, this place was in a valley. We listened to many lectures, some of which were absolutely hilarious! One speaker was an Australian and in his introduction he hit every stereotype of the attendees. Oh, I was laughing so hard that I was crying! And then when talking to a girl from England, he mentioned how every British person always seems to apologize in their manners or way of speaking when they meet an Australian. Hahaha, he offered her the microphone and said, "Colonize this." I was crying again. I met a few other teachers there and learned a few different methods I would like to put into my classes. I just got back into Bucheon today."

The orientation was helpful! In spite of all the complaints that it should have happened sooner, I don't think it will be too difficult to integrate the new methods, videos, and general knowledge into the curriculum. We stayed at Hanhwa Resort in Yangpyeon. It was pretty nice. The food was awesome! Oh, I love food. In the class we attended on motivating your students by using what motivates us, I came to terms with the fact that food is a definite motivator for me. But regarding my students, I think I'll stick to my other types of motivation. I would say that the orientation was helpful and worthwhile.


I do really want to go back to Gangneung, though. It was absolutely beautiful! The trip isn't too bad, either. It's about a 3.5 hour bus ride, but we stop halfway to use the restrooms and get snacks. :)



I have pictures from each place on my phone, and I will add them in sometime soon!




Ta ta~

Cute Students and New Adventures

Hahaha, okay. Before I begin, I would like to tell a quick story about what happened a moment ago. I was walking back from lunch with a group of 6th grade boys when one of them says, "Kaitlin teacher is cute." I would like to note that I look like one of my third graders today, so I considered that fair play. Another one goes, "Beautiful woman!" after all of the ooh-ing from the rest of them. Here comes the reason why I'm telling this story. Then they begin to hum Ave Maria. Haha, I almost died! Since when did 6th grade boys know Ave Maria? And when was it related to beauty? :)

Today has been wonderful. My third graders were putting their hands up to mine and then interlocking their fingers, so I said, "high-five!" so that we could move away from this cosmic palm-touching and onto something more active and fun. Ha, but then again I also like high-fives as much as they do, so I'm sure that is the real reason.

I guess you could say that this has been a pretty good week! I went to a piano concert with a friend on Wednesday in Seoul. Her performance was fantastic. I always find myself being pulled into the music, and then into my own head, when I listen to something that really moves me. I think of an idea or two for paintings, and do a little soul-searching. It was like listening to a few of A Silver Mt. Zion's songs, except that this was live and not only could you listen to the music and think, Ah, I know that feeling, but you could also see her facial expressions as she played. It was truly inspiring.

Yesterday I went to 노량진 (Noryangjin) with the 6th grade teachers. It houses a famed fresh fish market with more fish and funny-looking things than I had ever seen in one place before then. They picked out three types of fish that were cut sashimi style (raw, about 1/4" thick, 1" in width, and 1 1/2"-3" long) as well as some shrimp (head and everything). We went upstairs to enjoy the food we had picked out. The raw fish was wonderful! I even liked the shrimp, which was cooked. I was surprised, though, that it didn't bother me to take off its head. We ate the fish with soy sauce and wasabi. I would love to do it again! We then moseyed to a bar that had cream beer. It was delightful! It almost tasted like cream soda... That is something that I would definitely want to have again.

It was a really nice day. We got off in 여의도 (Yeouido), where the cherry blossom festival was held last week, before grabbing a taxi to the fish market and the trees were in bloom! The first time I saw these trees made me realize how much I really do love Korea. When I told my co-teacher at dinner last night that I could see myself here for another year, she said that I should renew my contract with the school, then. Which really meant a lot! And I am terribly fond of the students and teachers I have been lucky enough to get to know. It seriously feels like every day is a reminder of how fortunate I am with my location. When we were eating the shrimp, I was being really meticulous and slow about peeling them and so one of the teachers peeled one for me. It's not a huge gesture and the others say that she is the most motherly of them, but it still made me feel really good. :)

And the feeling won't stop, I'm sure, at least any time soon. This weekend I am going east into the country with a friend for a wedding. A woman she knew growing up is Korean and is marrying a Korean man, so they are getting married here. I'm really excited to watch/be a part of it! But again, this is something I'm sure I will write about in retrospect.



Thank you all for reading. It means a lot to me!

안녕~

So here we are again, haha.

This past weekend I ventured into Seoul with thousands of others to see the cherry blossoms. Sadly, the weather has held onto its last bit of winter air for longer than normal so the flowers haven't really bloomed. We saw several trees that were showing half of their blossoms, but a great deal of trees have yet to bloom. The general consensus is that they will be here in another week or so. I thought it was a rather romantic trait, though, that spring here comes with the flowers... And not just the cherry blossoms! Small yellow ones that I cannot remember the name of right now, and trees that give large white or purple/pink flowers. And then there are always the ones planted into the soil in gardens to see, too!

Before the flower festival in Yeouido, a friend and I went to the Seoul Museum of Art around City Hall in Seoul. Their 2011 acquisitions were really great! I was drawn into some of the paintings to the point of leaning as far as I could over those little lines on the floor that you're supposed to stand behind. It felt wonderful to be there. I don't think that I could properly articulate the sense of self and satisfaction, along with the inspiration, that that museum was able to give to me. There were also a lot of great installations on the second and third floors. I regret not taking down the names of the artists, but I was just so enamored that I forgot I had pen and paper, haha.

For a change of pace... This blog has largely become past-tense since my coming to Korea, but I will be going to a wedding with a friend this weekend! It is out in the country so we'll stay there for the whole weekend. I'm so excited! I can't wait to take a bunch of photographs. I have really been jonesing for some woodland inspiration. I need backdrops for these drawings in my head. I haven't done any on the toned paper I bought yet, but I've done a few sketches...

I am also going to a fish market to eat raw fish with some of my co-workers on Wednesday! That should be interesting... :) I'm also really excited for that. So much is happening this week! Tomorrow, too, I am going to a show with a friend that I am expecting to be beautiful. I know this is all a bit vague, but I'm getting good at past-tense, and I'm sure I'll want to fill in the details once it happens.


Last note- COSTCO. It exists and it is wonderful. Unlike the dull, sullen Costco stores in North America, the Costco stores here sell cheese you can find nowhere else, have carts that take two people to push, offer samples of dumdum suckers and mentos, and sell booze. And then everything else is basically the same. But it still almost feels like Christmas.


Till next time :)

Weekend Update

Good afternoon to everyone in my time zone! I'm sure the rest of you are sleeping, about to sleep, or somewhere around there :)

Yesterday I went out to Seoul with the Bucheon girls for the Korvia welcoming party, which was in Itaewon. Before heading over to Itaewon, we swung into Hongdae for a little shopping and walking. The number of shoes I was tempted to buy was absurd! I walked away with two rings- a Vivienne Westwood (yesyesyes!) knock-off and a simple vine-like one. I'm quite pleased! Not to mention that the total for both was W8000 (a little over $7).

There was also a puppy store we went into after grabbing a bite at Dos Tacos (I wasn't hungry so I didn't eat, but the others gave it rave reviews! I'll have to eat next time!). I seriously thought my heart was going to make its way out of its place because of how adorable the puppies were! One little guy kept pressing its face into the corner of the glass and trying to eat my finger! They were so precious.

We went over to Itaewon a little early to hit a cellphone store, Olleh (Yeah, it's 'Hello' backwards!). I had originally just wanted to look at the phones and plans, but after watching a girl not from our group get a phone, and Sio get a phone, I got a phone. Haha it was really nice being at that store in Itaewon because the woman spoke wonderful English. That's one of the reasons I wanted to go to a store while we were there, but after hearing all the details I figured I should just purchase one now. I ended up going with a black iPhone 4S.

The way it works here is that the cost of the phone is divided up between each month of your contract (a 2 year contract is mandatory), and added to the bill. Unlimited data, 300 minutes, and 300 texts is the iValue Plan and costs W54000/month. Insurance is optional, but costs W4700/month. Here, the iPhone 4S is worth W814000, so insurance is definitely worth it! You do get a discount on the phone with the contract, though. I know I'm only paying about W600000 for the phone (which is still terribly expensive compared to the States!) But with the cost split up between each month, it's not that bad at all. My phone bill will end up being about W70000/month ($70ish) and that I know is cheaper than others with smart phones in the States on their own plans. So you could say that the phone is more expensive, but the service is cheaper.

My phone will be activated on Monday (tomorrow), so I've just been putting all of my contacts into it and customizing it. I did buy a case because, really, this is my first smart phone and I'm terrified of anything happening to it. I don't know if I have to talk to the woman tomorrow via my other phone, or if it's something she can do without being in contact with me... I hope it's the latter, because I will definitely be teaching during the time frame she gave me for the activation.

After getting our phones we went to the Korvia party and got to meet our recruiters! Jessie Kim (my recruiter) is probably one of the nicest and most adorable people I have ever seen. I'm so glad I got to meet her in person! We also met a few other people from Bucheon and other locations in Seoul. It was a good night!


Please feel free to comment, email, or message me if you have any further questions about cellphones, recruiters, or anything!

Till next time~

Fate and a Bank Account

Hello all!

I know I promised that it wouldn't be so long in between updates, but here we are! I have a lot to say, too! So put those reading glasses on ;)

One thing I wanted to say before getting into my current happenings, is to comment on the play of Fate in my life. I have never felt more sure of something than I am of my moving to Korea. I wrote about it on an earlier post, so new readers may not know, but I was originally an EPIK applicant who managed to fail the interview. I read all over about how hard it was to fail the interviews, but I'm a girl that did it. Ha, I can't blame my interviewer for it though- I forgot how to describe even myself. And don't even get me started on what happened when he asked me about what I knew about Korea. I don't think I formed a full sentence once. Ahh, it's really sad... I was so nervous! But. These days I have come to realize that I was abnormally nervous so that I could fail the interview. I wasn't supposed to be there, but here. The people I've met, how I've met them, even the perfect timing of the buses, subway, and buses again on my way to apply for my ARC, have all been absurdly wonderful by chance. I absolutely (still) adore my co-workers and my students, too! We (other teachers and I, not students) get together outside of school, and have plans to keep doing so. I feel so blessed to be so welcomed.

Funny fact- when getting passport photos taken in South Korea, they will airbrush and remove all flaws within 5 minutes. I went to a small place just off the subway in Incheon where I had to apply for my ARC. He was super fast, and my face has never looked so good- which is awesome, because that's the picture they put on my ARC.

(There are several of documents you need for your ARC. Two of them are filled out there while waiting, one of them is provided by your school, and the others are your passport with valid Visa, medical exam results, and two passport photos.)

My co-teacher is on an extended field trip with the 6th graders and their homeroom teachers, so I have been teaching with the 4th/5th grade English teacher. She is close with my co-teacher, so we've talked quite a bit before this. She is another lovely person! I'm really glad that I get to meet the other grades. Ahaha, they're so cute! And their love of hangman is admirable. I want to take the amount of passion they put toward hangman into every aspect of my life...

So that's what I'm doing for the rest of this week. I left school early today to open a bank account. With my co-teacher gone, I had to do it alone! It was kind of nervous-making, but the teller I worked with was nice. Really, you just pull a number like any building with a row of help desks, and wait for a teller/secretary to display your number (the hospital I went to was the same). Then, he asked me if I wanted a Check Card and had me sign a few different papers and my bankbook. It was super painless! But I still feel proud of myself. I have heard that KEB is the most foreigner-friendly bank, but I decided to go with Woori because of the perks on their Expat Check Card, which I can get once I have an account with them. They are also a major bank and so I can find them anywhere I need. As far as documents go, you only need your ARC (Alien Registration Card) to open a bank account. When you go to apply for a credit card, you need your ARC, passport, proof of work/salary, and a valid Visa.

Now I can get paid!!! Wahoo!


I do realize that not posting may cause some worry, and for that I apologize. From now on I will try to write at least once a week, even if it's about the NEW FUZZY BLACK SWEATER I BOUGHT YESTERDAY. It's wonderful, but vintage enough to warrant a 'do they still sell that?' from my co-worker.


Take care, everyone, everywhere.
All is well :)

In Korea

Well, hello there! It's been a while! Especially since I've been in Korea for the past 5 days without a single update.

I think I've been waiting until I feel settled. I really need hangers. I have a lot of sweaters (which become not so many sweaters after all of the necessary layering I pull off) and light jackets sitting on my desk. I went to Homeplus, which basically has everything, and bought a few groceries, some indoor shoes to wear at school, and the softest dish towel ever... But I totally forgot the hangers! I'm blaming it on the store being packed and my decision to not push my way through groups of Koreans who actually knew what they were looking for, as well as my cowardice and inability to speak at appropriate times. Haha, it's not as bad as it may seem, really. I just totally blanked on the one sentence I wanted to remember. I wrote all of my items in Korean so I could find them more easily, but that didn't help very much because I completely underestimated the massive size of this multi-floor shopping center.

Aside from my brief shopping stint that had me traveling to the third floor in order to look at cute clothing so I could feel better about my experience, everything has been lovely. My taxi driver from the airport was incredibly nice, and my absolutely wonderful co-teacher was waiting for me at my apartment. She explained the electronics and heating system to me, and then took me out for my first meal, followed by coffee. <3 Wonderful. She is also very helpful in class, and we share the time we teach. I didn't know if it would just be me and the students or not, so having her there is a godsend. We teach third and sixth graders, 4 classes each, and there is another Korean woman who teaches English to fourth and fifth graders. This Friday, all of the teachers will be staying behind to share a meal and welcome the new teachers. I'm excited! I have been enjoying the meals at school... I'm pretty sure it was octopus the other day. It's good!

One thing I'm not so excited about is the medical exam I need to do tomorrow. I'm not allowed to eat anything after 9pm tonight, or to drink anything after 6am tomorrow morning. No coffee for Kaitlin! Oh boy... And we're teaching sixth graders tomorrow, haha! I'll be okay, though. My co-teacher will be there with me, and it's probably about time I got over my obvious dislike for hospitals.

As for my apartment, it has a little loft where my bed is and some storage up with it. The kitchen is narrow, but I really like it's layout. The main room is a perfect size, too! I'll be taking a video tour of it once I get those hangers... Then everyone will be able to see for themselves! :) It's well-equipped and I am quite pleased with it.

I met a few other girls who are teaching English here, as well, and they are wonderful! I'm glad I was able to get in-touch with them, as I can only imagine how difficult it would be to not have any English-speaking contacts at first.

Speaking of friendship, I have also fallen in love. The heated blanket I found in one of the cabinets is nothing short of a modern miracle and is one of my favorite things right now. I recommend them. Strongly.


Well, I am going to sign-off. I'll try to have less time in-between posts. I think it's easier to read when I'm not typing off short novels.


a bientot~

YESSS

This post is more for people who I am not friends with on Facebook, but who do follow this blog.

Today my passport came back, Korean Visa and all! :D And under 'Entries' I have a beautiful 'M'. You can either have a S or a M, with S standing for Single and M standing for Multiple. This means that on breaks I can leave Korea and visit Japan, Thailand, wherever, and still get back into the country. If I had a single entry visa, I would not be able to leave if I wanted to come back without applying for a whole new visa.

What's really great is that I thought I would need to apply for a multiple entry visa once I got into Korea, and pay an additional amount. I didn't request a multiple entry visa, but since I wanted one, I am really glad I have one!

And so here I am, less than a week away from leaving the States for South Korea. I am packed, going to sleep at seven in the morning (next week it will be eight!), and as prepared as I think I can be right now. All I am waiting on is my Form 8802 response, which just exempts me from paying Korean taxes because I will be paying taxes on my earnings in the States. They sent me a letter stating they received my request early January and that within 30 days from February 21 I would get the letter that I actually need to bring to Korea. I hope it gets here before I leave. If it doesn't, I will have to have it sent to my address in Korea. Thankfully I just need to bring it to my school within the first month. I don't understand why it is taking so long, though, because the maximum time they said it should take for a response is 45 days. Ah, oh well...

I'm really excited, and in a really good place, mentally. I absolutely cannot wait for this new chapter in my life :) Things are looking good!

I'm about to have my dad weigh my suitcase. It's wider than our scale, and I don't want to try to lift it while standing on the scale. So here we go. Wish me luck!


**UPDATE** We believe the suitcase weighs 49.5 lbs. Also, this is the most helpful website I have come across in a long time: WAYGOOK.ORG has forums with people who sincerely know what they are talking about, and offer help and answers on topics ranging from life in Korea to vacation time at your school.

Oh Boy

With 13 days left until my departure date I am no longer able to avoid thinking about packing... :(

Yesterday I went out with my momma and got a suitcase. It's purple! And is right at the 62 linear inches mark, so I hope that they don't come up with some larger number if they measure it by hand. It's a hardcover suitcase, so it's completely open and free to fill on both sides. Which is awesome for all of my clothes and shoes, but totally terrible for my weight limit! ..I am also a professional clothes-roller. I have managed to fit almost everything that I would like to take with me, and after some swapping between my carry-on I think I've worked it out so that I'm just within the weight limit.

Going through my shoes was so difficult! I felt like a real girl last night as I was picking through them all, weeping. (Not really. But almost.) I have too many pairs! I kept thinking, "Man, Kyleigh and I really are sisters."

But before packing I researched what others who've made the same trip had brought, and combed through lists my recruiter was kind enough to give me. It's really interesting what they tell you to bring and what they tell you to leave behind. Deodorant, for example, is somewhat difficult to find in South Korea and terribly expensive compared to what we're used to paying. I've heard that half the size is twice the price. Woah! And for all of you ladies, if you will ever want to wear tampons you should bring them. Also, if you wear a size C or larger, bring enough bras to last you, because you won't be able to find any. (So I've heard. If I find it to be otherwise, I'll try to inconspicuously mention it in a future post.)


Here is a list of what I recommend bringing:
1. Reese's. -for eating, sharing, and saving for later.
2. Deodorant!! -shampoo/conditioner/razors are readily found, so don't worry about it unless you want to pack a little in your carry-on (minus the razor) like I'm doing :)
3. Towel(s) -towels in Korea aren't as large as what we're accustomed to. So if having a smaller towel won't bother you, then you won't have to waste luggage space :)
4. Sheet set(s) -Korea uses a slightly different type of bedding.
5. Coats for winter and monsoon season.
6. Comfy shoes, dressy shoes, and monsoon shoes. -I don't know what the largest size available is, but I'm fairly certain that if you wear larger than an 8 (women, I don't know about men), you will not have much luck in purchasing any.
7. Enough sweaters to not need to heat your house into oblivion in colder months.
8a. Clothes for your body type -having never been there, I don't know the largest/smallest sizes available, or what their average inseams are.
8b. Clothing for teaching, going out with friends/co-teachers, exercising, sleeping, and bumming around the house.
9. Your favorite vitamins, pain killers, and any medication you need.
10. Mac n' cheese, taco seasoning, any sauce packets or snacks you may miss. -this is one I've seen on a lot of lists!
11. Multiple things to do on the airplane.
12. Photographs -for your living space and your students.
13. A little gift for the director of your school and the co-teacher -it lets them know that you appreciate the opportunity to work with and for them, and is a simple and polite gesture that will help set you off on the right foot :)

**A side note, I would recommend arriving at least with the ability to read the Korean alphabet, Hangul, with an open and adventurous spirit, and with enough of certain articles so that the fact that you do not have access to a dryer for your clothes doesn't affect you.


It feels kind of strange, though, to be packing for a year in advance. It puts all of this into perspective. I know it's going to be tough at times to be so far from my friends and family. Your support means so much to me, and I am incredibly thankful for everyone who has been a part of this journey with me, even though it hasn't really begun yet. I'll make sure to keep everything updated!

As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments. If there is anything you would add to the list, let me know!

:)