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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