Relationships

As mentioned in my earlier post, I'm going to talk a little about what I've seen and understood about relationships in Korea.

This should be considered as opinion, as I am an American living in Korea, and there's only so much I understand. As always, if you have anything to add, share, or enlighten me about, please leave a comment or shoot me a message :)


So... Anyone who has walked down the streets or watched a Korean drama has probably seen couples in matching clothes. Sometimes it's the same colors, sometimes it's the same shirt and same type of pants. HOWEVER. I have seen couples with the same hair color, shirt, pants, and shoes. No longer a 'we belong to each other' statement, but more of a 'we are each other' statement, haha. When I first came to Korea and saw this, I thought it was absurd. Same type of jacket- okay. Same color- if you must. Same outfit in all of its entirety- WHY?! But now I think it's kind of cute. Not the 'we are each other' couples so much, but the matchy-matchy shirts.

Have I ever donned couple clothes? Nope. Will I ever don couple clothes? I can't imagine it. I think I'd be blushing constantly. I mean, as an American child, my friends and I would mock the old, married couples with their matching patriotic sweaters. How could I become that?! Not to mention that if I ever did wear matchy-matchy clothing, my sister would probably laugh till she cried, and my best friend would be rolling in a fit of laughter. At least their hearts would be happy.

But that's just one thing. Relationships here are less stifled, at least between the couple. American guys have this macho, nacho, tough-guy, bro-knows-no-feelings thing to live up to as the standard, and that doesn't exist here. From what I've seen, even outside of relationships, people here are much more honest with their feelings in general. You won't see someone telling off their boss, but you probably won't end up wondering what your friend is thinking.

This carries over into relationships. They'll get as mushy as they please, and as angry as they please. For me, though, it's a little different. My boyfriend and I do not speak the same language. How can you get your point across if you're yelling angrily? The opposite party won't understand. I mean, it's creepy if you yell slowly. I also tend to turn into a bit of a human dictionary when I'm miffed.

But it's nice, though... This idea and practice of being honest with your feelings.

Another part of dating and relationships is celebrating your time together! Here in Korea, there are many opportunities to do so. Many, many, many opportunities. So many, that I'll make a list. Here we go:

Big Deals:

Feb 14, Valentine's Day: Girl, go get your man and give him some chocolate

Mar 14, White Day: Fellas- If you like her, treat her to something sweet back

Apr 14, Black Day: Don't worry, singles! There's a day for you, too. Go eat noodles in a black sauce with your other single friends. (You gotta admit that it's better than crying and eating way too much ice cream.)

Nov 11, Peppero Day: Buy and give Peppero (Japan makes something similar- pocky)


Not-so-Big Deals:

Jan 14, Diary Day: Exchange planners with all your special days marked inside~

May 14, Rose Day: Give 'em a rose!

Jun 14, Kiss Day: You should be able to kiss those you love.

Jul 14, Silver Day: Couple exchange rings or silver things as a promise

Aug 14, Green Day: Couples play with nature, and singles down soju (the bottle's green)

Sept 14, Photo Day: Let's go someplace romantic and capture it on camera!

Oct 14, Wine Day: October is a good time to drink wine, I think.

Nov 14, Movie Day: Walk hand-in-hand to that cinema and watch something bad/cute/scary?

Dec 14, Hug Day: "Baby, it's cold outside~", so let's hug ^^


And there you have it. The 14th of every month can be a special, fun day for a couple!

Now, if you notice June 14th, you'll see the word, 'ring'. Yes. They buy and wear matching rings, and no, it's not a proposal. This is something I could never imagine happening in an American relationship. Asking a man to wear a matching ring with me would send him running away faster than Wile E chasing Road Runner. But here, it's something cute. It's a promise.

Some couples give these rings on other days, too. Maybe Valentine's day or your 100th day.

In America, we count the months. "Jan! We've been together for SIX MONTHS. We're totally getting married!" (I made my boyfriend come over on our six month-iversary to cook him dinner. No shame.)

But here in Korea they celebrate days. 100 days, 200 days, 300 days, 1000 days... It's a cute way to mark milestones, I think. I guess on your 100 days, people give you 100 won (ten cents?), 200 won on your 200 days... And so on.

Today is my 200! Haha :)

There is more to a relationship than this, but it's difficult for me to try and sum up something like how an entire culture is in general. There are good things, bad things, whatever things... But it's your relationship, so make it yours. Celebrate what you want, wear what you want, say what you want.

There's chicken in the other room, so I need to go now. But I'd like to do a part two somewhere down the road.

Till next time~

Don't You Dare, Dragon

"Don't worry! Just watch me twirl!"

Right now we are teaching the song version of the book Don't You Dare, Dragon. It's really cute!

I realize it's been over a month since I've posted. I'm so sorry! ㅠ ㅠ

Since I've posted, quite a bit has happened...

My art class is going well- the number of students who come each week is growing, and the art they make is really cool! I also like them as people, and it's so nice to be able to talk with them without so much of a language barrier (as opposed to my third and sixth graders). :D

May 3rd was Sports Day. Usually there is only a small sports day in the spring, but since the principal wanted to do a talent show in the fall again this year, our Sports Day was a little bigger. It was so much fun to watch! I took pictures of the students and the events. I got some really great ones! I'd love to share them on here, but they're young and I don't want to post pictures of their faces on the internet, especially without consent.

Every grade was split into two, creating the White Team and the Blue Team. Each grade competed in activities and races, winning points for their team. This year, the White Team won! Congrats ;)


May seems to be a big month for special days... May 5th was Children's Day, May 8th was Parent's Day, May 14th was Rose Day, and yesterday, May 15th, was Teacher's Day.

May 14th was also the day of my final exam for the 2A level in Korean at Sogang University. I forgot some things on the written exam, and as always, I totally forgot any answers I wrote down in response to the interview questions during the actual interview. But it seems to have gone well, though! I'll learn the results from both exams next week.

Now, Teacher's Day was super cute! I received quite a few letters, notes, food, and a flower! Some of our students from last year who moved on to middle school came back to visit, too! As well as some students who left this school before I came... It's fun to see how they've changed! Even the third grade students from last year are SO MUCH taller this year, already! It's kind of crazy to watch how quickly children develop.

Today the current third graders are going on a picnic! So, I won't be teaching today~
I will, however, head into Seoul to gander at some turpentine and linseed oil. Because tomorrow is Buddha's birthday, everyone is off from school! (Hahaha, and you thought I listed all of the holidays! Or forgot about Buddha, but that wouldn't happen...) So this weekend is threeeewhooooledays!

A lot of people vacation during this break, but since I want to save up money for summer and winter travels, I'm going to keep it local. :)

Also, today is my 200 days ^^
So, I think it is a good time to write about Korean relationships~
Maybe I'll do that later today ;)


Take care
xox

Threats of North Korea

I've been seeing a fair number of posts on Facebook and I've been asked about the situation by my family, so I thought I would write a little blurb about what's been happening with North Korea.

This won't turn into some advertisement for living in South Korea, nor should it by any means be read like I have a degree in some form of international relations. But because I'm living here in South Korea, and because I've been reading articles posted by Korea, Canada, England, and America I do want to share my thoughts.

The world is not going to end.

South Koreans have become numb and deaf to the threats of the North for the most part. Threats are a preferred strategy for North Korea in order to get other countries into negotiations with them, as they are in constant need of more food and money.

But with the young, new leader, who many think is incompetent and being controlled by men behind the scenes, as well as the types of threats being made, and the form of rhetoric being used, there are some who do worry. Kim Jong-un did not have the training his father had. He wasn't even known to the world until shortly before the death of his father. Will he do something stupid? Will he go too far? Does he want to assert himself as a leader to be taken seriously, or even feared? These are questions that even I myself wonder.

Life here is normal, though. No one is stocking up on food or emptying their bank accounts. People still laugh and go to movies, bars, and shopping malls. I haven't been instructed to locate any shelters near my house. The situation with North Korea has not impacted daily life.

But there is some cause for concern. Not in the vastly out of proportion way you can find  in any American article where fear is a top seller for news, but in a more honest, suspenseful way. As I was talking to my co-teacher about all of this, she pointed out how South Koreans should be more aware of North Korea. That being numb to their threats isn't really such a good thing. To paraphrase her, 'North Korea is the biggest threat to South Korea.' The situation isn't dire and no one is afraid for their life, but if something can hurt South Korea, it's probably the North.

The North has cut the military hotline that runs between North and South Korea, but it's not the first time. And the line for air-traffic between the two Koreas is still open, so not ALL communication has been cut-off. However, just this week the North has blocked South Korean entrance into the Kaesong complex, a joint industrial zone (this happened before in 2009). Still, I think this is a bit of a bigger deal because this zone makes so much money for the North. How much further will it escalate?

Hopefully not much more.

China is telling everyone to calm down. Russia is sending warnings. America is on stand-by waiting to "defend its ally". But still, I think this is a war no one wants, and that the hope is that it doesn't happen. If Korea went to war, there would be casualties- mostly Korean. And, after it ended, Kim Jong-un would likely lose everything. Is that something he would risk? I really don't think so.
(However, it has been pointed out that if the Koreas ever did reconcile, that the natural resources, products made, and work ethics here, when combined, would make Korea into quite a wealthy country. But who wants to lose power right now?)

So, everyone... Yes. There are threats. And, yes, North Korea is able to inflict a bit of damage if it decides to do so. But the consensus on this matter seems to be that it's unlikely. There is a bit of uneasiness when I think about the situation, but I'm not afraid. A little worried and anxious for the outcome, but I think I worried more about what score I was going to get back from my final exam at Sogang University last semester.

If you want to follow news on North Korea with BBC, here is the link, but please don't fret too much. If the situation becomes dire, the embassies will contact all of the foreigners here. Although, there are many reasons I hope that phone call never comes. I don't want to leave yet, and I don't want my Korean friends to be in danger or dragged into a war. But, again, it's unlikely.

Kim Jong-un, whatcha gonna do~?


I don't know if this helped, or will help, but this is how I feel. I can't put you at ease, and it's nonsensical to hype you up. But I can tell you not to freak out. Seriously, don't. All anyone can do now is wait and see what happens.

Have any thoughts? Comment or let me know :)

AAAHHHHHHH...hooray?

Good afternoon. Morning. Night. Evening.

Hello. :)

The weather is finally started to get nicer! It was beautiful for a while, but then the cold kicked in. In Korea, this pre-spring cold is called '꽃샘추위' (ggoht-saem-chu-oui). So basically, here's the story:

As spring begins to come to Korea, the weather gets jealous (샘) of the beautiful flowers (꽃) that start to appear and because of this jealousy, the weather turns cold (추위) to smite the beautiful flowers.

Interesting, yeah?

From what I've seen and heard, it looks like the weather has been jealous of more countries than just Korea! I noticed that Detroit has been having just about the same weather as us... (See, it's kind of like we're still together!)

And so, March comes to a cold end. Will April be different? I sure hope so. I've been wearing the same friggin' coat since November.

Speaking of April, April 1st is a Monday... Should I message my friends and say that we don't have to go in to work that day? Maybe say I saw an article or got a call from my co-teacher? That might be mean, though... And I'd feel terrible if they actually skipped because of me. Not that any of my friends would believe me, anyway.

Right now my co-teacher is actually in Gyeongju. I went there a little while ago... It was nice! I even wrote a blog on it. ;) But, she's there with all ~120some sixth graders, so I don't know how it's really going. The nice thing is that I have no classes tomorrow! I still have to go in to work, but I don't teach since Fridays are when we teach sixth grade.

I won't just be desk warming, though! I've taken on an after-school position at a high school in Bucheon (my city). Wednesday and Friday evenings I'll be teaching art!! HOORAAAAYYYYYY!! :D So, tomorrow will be spent making demos and powerpoints for as far ahead as I am capable of doing. With Monday mornings dedicated to teaching the school different songs, I also need to prep for that...

Busy, busy.

And Korean is starting to become difficult, too. Man, I really hate grammar. Hate. Why do you use so many different attachments in one sentence, Koreans?! One or two, okay. Three or four, I've lost. I can understand it, but I seriously feel like I'll never be able to just make a sentence like that. 아이고. But it's still the beginning! Keep on truckin'.

Ha, I hate trucks more than I hate grammar.


Keep on groovin'. I like grooving.


Keep on groovin', everyone! Don't let the cold or grammar keep you down! ;)

Back to the Yellow Sand

"It's happening," I thought.

The yellow dust, and the beginning of a new year in the same place. As I was perched at a table on the second floor of the McDonald's, I looked out the window and saw a man carrying out two ice creams.

"YESSSSSSSSS!" Haha, inside I was so happy. Finally it's getting warm enough that I can go eat ice cream with my friends again! This McDonald's was our meeting spot for so much of the first part of last year. But, then I remembered and it finally hit me- they're gone. The girls I used to meet at that McDonald's have all gone home. 

I wished, then, that maybe I had also moved to Seoul, as a few of my friends who are staying have done. At least then I would be somewhere new. Seoul also has a large expat community, and with all of the activities going on it would be so much easier to make new friends... And they probably would have been in Korea for at least a year, if not more, by now. Ha, I think Seoul seems to suck people in.

But this is the life of an expat, I think. You come, you go. Friends come, friends go. It's kind of a sad and lonely thought, really... This lack of permanence.

Hmm.

But as my title says, I want to talk a little bit about the yellow sand. Yellow dust. Not bright yellow, or anything radioactive-looking... You won't become a superhero if you inhale it (bummer, right?). But these little brownish yellow particles... Are they harmful? Is the dust noticeable?

While the sky was beautiful this past weekend, a few of the preceding days weren't as lovely. The air was dirty, and, yes, you could tell. 

It's around this time of year where the yellow sand from China finds its way over to Korea. It floats in the air, gets into your lungs, and sits on the cars and benches. But this is sounding a bit worse than it actually is. Last year wasn't so bad. Some people have nose/throat/lung issues because of this period, but it's not constant. Really, only some days are bad... Most days are fine!

Still, it's something to know about! Out and about, you may happen to see people wearing the face masks that you see either at the dentist or when people have a cold. If you're already sick or are easily susceptible to getting sick, then ensuring you don't breathe in any of this sand-dust will only do you some good. And, hey, you could even pick up a stylized one and pretend it's just a fashion statement.

Even after a year of living here, I still wasn't exactly sure what this yellow sand-dust was, and why it's considered such a big deal. Soooo, I did some research :) (.. by opening a few web pages)

There was a great Q&A posted on expats4korea, and so I am just going to quickly reiterate some of the points.

**A friend told me the links don't work, so maybe it's only desktop-friendly.
But! There are apps you can download. 
I only know from my iPhone, but if you type "황사"  (yellow dust) into the search section in Apps, you will find several options. If you type "yellow dust" you will only get one option and it doesn't look as good.



Yellow Dust Facts and Recommendations:

• Why the dust is bad: Recently, mixed in with the dust, toxic waste and oxides such as aluminum, iron, and silicon are also floating over in the storms. So, the chances of having skin and/or respiratory reactions has increased. And, if the storm is bad enough, visibility is decreased and the dust can irritate your soft tissues (eyes, nose, mouth) and even pinkeye can be a common result.

• When it happens: March, April, and May. Of course, because of wind and weather patterns, some days are bad, and some days aren't. Thankfully, because it takes two or three days for a storm to reach Korea, the news can warn people in advance about when the storm is likely to hit.

• The warning system: There is a three-tiered warning system. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has a website where you can monitor the dust levels in correspondence with the tiers. Some cellphone companies also provide a messaging system that will send a text if dust levels are dangerous (in Korean).
• Level 1- low health concerns, no health alerts. Those with respiratory issues should be careful and avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Level 2- moderate health concerns, health advisories. The young, elderly, and those with respiratory issues should stay inside, and people in general should not partake in strenuous outdoor activity.
• Level 3- high health concerns, health warnings. The young, elderly, and those with respiratory issues MUST stay indoors, and people in general are also advised to stay inside. If you do go out, wear protective glasses, masks, and clothing.
• What to do:
• Wear a mask (황사마스그)
• Partake in nose-washing
• Use yellow earth (황토) paste packs to help your skin
• Seal windows and doors (some strips are made for this)
• Keep windows and doors closed
• Avoid outdoor activities
• Wear glasses instead of contacts
• Brush your teeth and wash your hands when you come back inside
• Drink plenty of water
• Wash food that was exposed to the air
• Don't burn candles or smoke inside
• When the storm passes, wash objects that may have been exposed

So there it is, everyone! Let's be safe and healthy this season.

If you have any comments, tips, questions, or stories of your own please feel free to share or tell me :)

~~~

AH. 아 참! I said I would write about the Buchies Award night, but then never did... I'm thankful it's getting sunny outside because I have been seriously lethargic and slacking on those vitamins. So I'll just write something super quick (sorry, it won't do it justice)...

Cathy made an absolutely wonderful powerpoint of our meetings and adventures. It was shown at The Park bar where we've spent a lot of our time (bar time, not time in general) and where we hosted the awards night. Then, we went on the the awards! There were a lot of great awards handed out- Best Dressed, Most Likely to Not Know Where We're Going, Worst Subway Mishap, Most Likely to Stay Forever, etc... And then we ate our cakes!!

I went with Erin, Anna, and Heejae to a little decorate-it-yourself cake shop near Bucheon station early that day. The cakes were deliciousss!

But it was a fun last night with everyone. (Come back, guys! I miss youuuuu)

Aaand, just in case you're wondering... I won Most Likely to Marry a Korean and Master of the Korean Language. ㅎㅎ 

;)

Till next time~ xox

A Year Later

..almost!

This past Tuesday our school held it's graduation ceremony. It was really neat to see the parents of my students (some look JUST like mom or dad, some a good combination of both), as well as their dreams! As each student had their named called by their homeroom teacher, their picture, dream job, hobbies, and such were displayed on the screen behind them.

I'm going to miss them. I really will. They better come visit! Haha

But in March we will have new sixth graders. New third graders, too! The new third graders are going to be adorable~ I can't wait!!

The end of the year means one more thing for me: the extension of my sojourn for my VISA/ARC. I only set it up to last for one year when I first requested my ARC (Alien Registration Card)... But the process is super easy! I got to the Incheon Immigration Office early and no one was there so I was able to be helped right away.

If you need help with your VISA, or any other such questions, I recommend www.hikorea.go.kr because it has an English option and is very useful! You can actually log on to this site (to make a profile you need your ARC first) and make a reservation just in case they are busy. It guarantees you a time. It also states everything that you must bring to renew.

Let me quickly list it here:
A signed copy of the new contract (signed by you and the school)
Your school's certificate (the school will provide this)
Your passport
Your ARC
An application (can be printed from the site or filled out at the office)
30,000won
 - AND, if you made a reservation, print a copy of the reservation page

 * The 30,000won will be used to purchase stamps, which can be found in the lounge down the hall. It is best to have the stamps ready and your application filled out because then all you have to do is hand everything to them, have them check that everything is there, stamp new dates on the back of your ARC, and then you are done. You are free to leave.

It is one of the simplest processes I have ever come upon.

Getting there is simple, too. However, the 1601 is not something I would recommend for the return trip. I waited for 20 minutes at the stop as TWO 1601 buses sat 50 yards away and the board constantly showed the bus being eight minutes away. Nonsense. I ended up going back the same way I came.

Because I had just missed the 1601 on my way to the immigration office, I took the subway to Incheon City Hall and then took bus 33. Exits 7 and 8 are closed until summer of next year, so you can take exit 6 and walk to the bus stop for the 33 (near exit 8) or catch the 45 (exit 2, I believe). From there it's about 30 minutes.


ALSO... I sent money home today :D! I hate student loans! :D
I also learned today that you should still have your passport on hand even if it's not your first time sending money home. Even more important, it seems, is that you have the receipt from the first/previous time with you, too. Each time you send money home, they give you a receipt. KEEP IT. Thankfully, I had the old bankbook with me, and I found the transaction record.

It was quite a trip. I didn't speak the appropriate Korean for this, and they didn't speak enough English to communicate with me completely so we worked through a telephone language service and broken Konglish. But everyone was smiling and laughing (myself included) by the time I left, so it wasn't too bad!


Ooh, that reminds me. I just took my first exam at Sogang University. I didn't arrive to the exam room until two minutes till the exam started through some hilarious turn of events (and solid smoothie results), so I was a little flustered. I've learned (again! wow.) that I am a bit anal retentive and I need to be in the exam room to chill out several minutes before the exam will take place. The written portion was easy, but I'm not sure how I did on the interview. Man, I am really awesome at botching interviews.

"When is your birthday?"
 - " 21/20"


Fuuuu~ We'll see! I should get the results via email sometime next week. Here's to hoping that the woman giving the interview somehow knows I don't usually believe there are 21 months. And that I am actually capable of stringing together basic sentences. In Korean, of course ;)

So, yes. Now I am resting. Resting and preparing myself for the next year of adventures I will take.

On Monday, the new teachers will come and we will all go to dinner. We will say good-bye to those leaving, and hello to those coming. I'm sad to see them go... This next year will be quite different, I think!


**Saturday is the FIRST ever Buchies (Bucheon Awards), and I will surely post on that as it is one of the last get-togethers with some awesome people who are leaving ever so soon... D:


I hope that you have all been well and will continue to stay that way.
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing in this adventure with me!
<3

Well, it's been a long time, long time, now

Hello, my dear readers!

I must apologize (one 'L') for the complete lack of attention to this blog recently. January has been a pretty busy month for me... Really, it can be divided in half. The first half I had my winter camp, and the second half I visited the States!

+The winter camp went really well! I wanted to do a Harry Potter theme, so I did. :3
Every day I taught the students something different. We talked about mythical creatures, "herbology", quidditch, patronuses (spirit animals aligned with personality traits), how to describe people (mostly their faces), and recipe words to go along with potions. I had review games every two or three days to keep the vocab words fresh in their minds. The review game would take up the first session.

This time, I decided to divide the camp period into three sessions. Each period I taught was 90 minutes, so I would teach for 30, give a 5 minute break, show a HP movie clip relevant to what we were learning that day for 20, give another 5 minute break, and then teach on a different topic for 30. It was so much easier to keep their attention this way. Especially because each 30 minute session, I would teach and have an activity. They were never really stuck sitting for long.

Each game and activity awarded points. This also helped participation, because who doesn't want to win? Their competitive nature is something I've come to rely on a bit... :)

I had a lot of fun!! And I know they did, too.


+Two days after camp ended, though, I was on a plane home to America. I had a middle seat. But it wasn't terrible. My knees pressed up against the seat in front of me, somehow... Have I grown? I'm really okay with my legs not getting any longer. If I do grow, it MUST happen in my torso region. Must.

But, hey, a little less than 13 hours later, I was hugging my parents deliriously and staring at everything to try to figure out how I felt about being back. And honestly, it didn't feel any different. I was expecting something monumental. A revelation of some sort, regardless of whether it was good or bad. But that revelation never came. It didn't feel like I had been gone for a year at all... Time is seeming like a fleeting, insignificant thing.

I did have a really nice time, though! I was able to meet up with some friends and just hang out with my family (I love you guys!). My grandparents drove in from New York, and my sister flew in from Colorado. I feel so blessed! It was absolutely wonderful to see and spend time with those that I could. But I do look forward to seeing everyone else next time I return!

The only difference I noted, was that I got headaches more easily. I guess I was no longer used to processing every little thing someone said. I could understand everything! But again, no violent reaction or a freak-out of any sort. Just a headache now and again.


Still... I was really glad to come back to Korea. I really do love living here. Now, my grandpa posed a great question... Is it Bucheon that I love, or Korea? I have no idea. I've never lived anywhere else in Korea. If I do stay a third year (I just signed the contract for my second year, so it's a big IF), I will probably avoid jobs in Bucheon. Gotta mooove on and see a different place :)


+Thankfully, upon my return, I was able to pass out that Wednesday, wake up and have most of Thursday to buy new food and whatever before my Korean class. Today I am in school, but I'm not teaching classes. Sooo, I'm looking for new KPOP Slam games! They are helpful and fun, and give me an excuse to shamelessly watch KPOP music videos in an effort to find songs they could guess if the lyrics were translated to English :)


It's good to be back.
In Korea, and on this blog.

Take care, everyone!
And, as always, feel free to email, message, or comment with anything you'd like to say <3