EPIK 365 Day 217: Heron

It was rainy all day today, so I didn't go out looking for a 365 today.  However, I did go for a walk the other day and saw this guy hanging out in the marshes.

EPIk 365 Day 216: More Student Art

A little more student art for you…I really do love walking into the classroom and finding it!

Five (well, 6) Things Koreans Say Differently Than Americans

I passed the halfway point of my contract year without much fanfare…honestly, it slipped by me so fast I only just now realized it.  Anyway, 6 months immersed in another culture and language has been wonderful.  While my Korean still actually pretty poor…I haven't had much time to study these days…I have enjoyed some of the linguistic beauty of "Konglish."  Here is my top 5 (well, top 6) phrases that Koreans use differently than Americans.

1) Nice to meet you!
What they mean is: Nice to see you...but to their way of thinking, every time you see some one face to face you are "meeting" them.  Therefore, it is nice to meet someone every time you see them.  Likewise, they will also say "it was nice to meet you (again)" when you are parting ways.

2) Where are you going?
This one is just kinda idle chit-chat....like Americans say "what's up?" or "how's it going?"  I think Koreans still think it is a little funny that I will give them an honest answer, like "I'm going to the bank" or "I'm going home."  Linguistically, this is not uncommon, for example, in some cultures "where are you going?" is not only idle chit-chat, but the asker can also display his or her status over the askee by holding them to the spot until they dismiss the askee by saying "then go."

2.5) A literal answer to "How are you?"
So, this is the next logical step to the last one.  While most younger people understand that this is a cut-chat/small talk thing…and the polite answer is "Fine, thanks and how are you?"  (You have no idea how hard it is to keep a straight face the 20th time you have heard it in one day!)  Occasionally, you will receive the literal answer to "how are you?"

3) That's too bad!
They mean: "I'm sorry to hear that", but for Koreans, and in most Asian linguistics, "I'm sorry" means "It's my fault" and is only used when the speaker feels like something is the result of their actions.  It feels a bit condescending when my co-workers told me "that's too bad" when I had a cold last week, but knowing that "I'm sorry" indicates the feeling of personal responsibility, I can see that they would not consider themselves to be to blame for my cold.

4) I Love You!
I love you is word magic in Korea!  Sure, it means, "I love you," or you know, strongly like you, but a lot of younger Koreans, especially students use it as "hello" or "thank you."  Go on, I dare you to not say "I love you, too" to those earnest young faces!

5) See you again!
This one means "see you later."  These two have the same context and "see you again" is probably the most intuitive of these phrases for foreigners to understand.

EPIK 365 Day 215: These Things are Everywhere!

I don't really know what these are…but they are everywhere.  I know they aren't anything bad…mainly because my students pick them up and terrorize each other with them.  Anyway.  That's a 100 won coin and it is about the size of a US quarter.  So, yeah...

EPIk 365 Day 214: The Weekly Report

Quite a bit of movement on the "Board of Shame" this week.  I actually had several classes "click up" to "Very Good" status.  Likewise, a couple of classes ended up clicking down to "so-so."  And still with the one "Bad" class…the only thing that saves them from "very bad" is that there are about 4 students in the class that really do try.

EPIK 365 Day 213: Lanterns

Took a little walk to the temple below my school…May 6 is Buddha's Birthday and they have put their lanterns up.  So pretty!

EPIK 365 Day 212: Is it Pikachu?

I dunno…but it's cute and a student left it for me today.

EPIK 365 Day 211: Almost Spring

I don't know what these are called, but I like them.  It's getting greener and more colorful here everyday.

EPIK 365 Day 210: More Love

I had a wonderful surprise when I got to school this morning…another love letter from my students!  And that's my name written in hangul.

EPIK 365 Day 209: Fighting!

It doesn't mean "fighting"…for Koreans it's more like "you can do it" or "don't give up."

As a new EPIK teacher, I was "volun-told" to participate in the bi-annual teaching contest.  One of my sweetest and most favorite students brought me a little encouraging note.

EPIK 365 Day 208: Art Work

 Generally, I don't lock my classroom door while I am at school.  For one, I think it is a bad sign for a student to come see me and the door be locked.  For another, I leave my room a good bit so it is a lot of effort to lock and unlock the door every time.  And it's a good thing I don't…because sometimes I will come in and a student will have left me a little drawing.

EPIK 365 Day 207: Classroom Computer

They moved my office computer and brought a printer for my classroom.  Now, I can almost nest into my classroom.  Great because it makes things easier…bad because I lost the extra exercise from all the trips up and down the stairs and all the social time I spent on the route between the classroom and office.

EPIK 365 Day 206: Another Get Well Soon Present

Mrs. Next Door brought some orange juice for me to help me get better.  Lest you think it is one of the cute little baby-sized bottles…that pink cup is my coffee cup.  This is a full-sized bottle of OJ!  So kind!

EPIK 365 Day 205: Cheer Up!

I've been sick all week (hence, I am so far behind in my blog), but I am working on trying to catch you up.

One of my students heard I was sick and brought a present to my office.  She told me to "cheer up" (uh, Koreans say this a lot for several different reasons).  I thought it was so sweet!

EPIK 365 Day 204: Gift from Jincheon

At the Opening Ceremony and dinner Jincheon County gave us GETs a small gift for being here and being an investment for their children.  It's not much, but I thought it was sweet…and they are actually quite nice pens.

EPIK 365 Day 203: Dinner

My presence was requested…ok, I was "volun-told" to be there, in a it's mandatory, but not mandatory kind of way…and the opening ceremony of the Jincheon Native Teachers' Excursion Program.   It's part of Jincheon's initiative to become a city next year by helping connect foreigners with the Youth Program and the new community center.  It's a great idea and I am looking forward to getting some genuine cultural experiences.

EPIK 365 Day 202: Yellow Dust

There is not a cloud in the sky.  There is, however, a crap-ton of Yellow Dust from China in the air.  It's fine dust blowing over from the Gobi Desert and mixed with industrial pollution from the cities.  It is terrible for those with respiratory problems…deadly even for the elderly and young children.  Way to go, China…I say with heavy sarcasm as I type this on my MacBook about a picture I took on my iPhone.  I am not throwing stones…I am part of the problem...

EPIK 365 Day 201: Love Letters

Ok, so grading papers…and I mean, grading A LOT of papers…I have close to 500 students and I read EVERYTHING they write for me…grading papers would be a lot less appealing if my students did not leave me little surprises like this.

EPIK 365 Day 200: White Pie

So, I really hoped that this would be yummy….sadly, no.  I wanted it to be a vanilla version or, even better, a white chocolate version of a Choco-Pie…but no.  It is this weird, spongy tteokk-like thing that is glazed over with…something…anyway, not my thing.

EPIK 365 Day 199: Public Shaming

In the great scheme of things, even my worst classes are not "bad" classes.  Even my worst behaved kids are better than some of the best at other schools.  However, since the standard is so high at my school it upsets me that much more when my kids do misbehave.  So, I've come up with a new system of publicly shaming my students into good behavior.  Overall, my students are very competitive, which is great because then sometimes the prize can be just to say they are the best, so it works when I "rank" students and classes over traditional grading and punishments.

EPIK 365 Day 198: Ready for Planting

The fields surrounding my school are getting tilled up and ready for spring planting!

EPIK 365 Day 197: Arirang

Arirang is a traditional Korean song…quite beautiful and a little sad.  One of my co-teachers is trying to  help me get in touch with traditional Korean culture and brought me the music to this song.

For your listening pleasure:

EPIK 365 Day 196: Mint

I got a free mint plant with my Kyobo Book purchase…now my sweet potato has a friend! :)

EPIK 365 Day 195: To Kill a Mockingbird

Yesterday's trip to Seoul also included a trip to the giant Kyobo Books store in Gangnam (ok, everyone please do the dance now and get it out of your system).  The store has a fantastic selection of English books and even ESL textbooks…which I desperately needed for one of my classes.  But, of course, I can never go to a bookstore without spending a ridiculous amount of money…

I picked up two copies of To Kill a Mockingbird.  It is my most favorite book in the world and I have read it a few dozen times in my lifetime.  I was really regretting that I had not brought my copy with me from America and was thrilled to find it here.  Anyway, I thought it might help with my language acquisition if I read both the English and Korean translation this time around.

Take Green Line 2 to Gangnam station use Exit 6, turn 180 degrees and it is in the tall tower on the right….or use Exit 10 and walk straight about 3.5 (long) blocks and it will be on the left.

EPIK 365 Day 194: Dongdaemun Market

An impromptu trip to Seoul saw me at the Dongdaemun market…or better known as heaven on earth!  Literally, anything and everything that you could want for handcrafts is there.  Buttons, zippers, lace, materials, yarn, bedding, handcrafts….it is all here.

Take Blue Line 4 to Dongdaemun station (NOT Dongdaemun Culture and History Park) or Dark Blue Line 1, take exit 9 to the street.  You will cross a little crosswalk for a parking garage and the building is immediately on the left.  Four floors of crafting heaven!

EPIK 365 Day 193: Spring Outside My Window

Spring at the temple!  Beautiful and I am stuck in the classroom all day.  I never thought I would be so busy!  I have 471 students, 18 classes, 2 clubs, and all I want to do is lay in the sun! :(  Whaaaa…first world problems….

EPIK 365 Day 192: Flowers

One of my sweet students brought me flowers today.  :)  I mean, I know they are pulled from another bouquet (there was even a wire in the stem of one), but it's the thought that counts…and she was so proud to bring them to me.

EPIK 365 Day 191: Selfie

Was having a "pretty" day Monday thanks to my sweetest and best class…I wore an above-the-knee skirt and my kids flipped out!  Apparently, Korean students like for female teachers to look "feminine" (yes, the quote are intentional).  They were VERY complementary…boys AND girls.  I took a rare selfie to mark the occasion and forgot to post it.

EPIK 365 Day 190: Model House

So, that mystery building?  My co-teacher said it is a "model house" for a new condominium complex that is going to be built.  The model house will be used to show potential tenets what the building and rooms are going to look like.

EPIK 365 Day 189: Cherry Blossoms

Yes, I have a mild obsession with cherry blossoms…and it is driving me crazy that they are peaking here this week while I have to be stuck in school.  Boo!  Maybe they will still be pretty enough this weekend when I can go see them.