If What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger...

...then I am going to live forever.

I just keep chugging along.  I'm exhausted...but I just keep moving forward.  Mostly because I'm scared if I stop I will never get going again. ^^

Just in case you haven't been paying attention I got pulled from my high school...which I absolutely loved.  In fact, I had more or less decided that as long as I stayed at that school I would be content with my lot here...and would more or less stay indefinitely.

Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

Instead I got bounced to 3...THREE...middle schools.  Two of which I have to take the bus to...one is a heafty walk, but walkable.  So, my week looks like this:

Busy girl!

That is a 24 class schedule...at three schools...with 5 different textbooks.

I was really quite spoiled at high school.

In all honesty, I really do enjoy two of my school.  The students seem at least happy to see me for class, if not thrilled to be learning English.  Eh...the third...I am really just wasting my time with them.  With precious few exceptions, they just don't care.

It's a long way to winter vacation.

Rainy Days and Mondays...

It's only 10 AM (and Tuesday, but appropriately, it is raining) and I am already dangerously close to dehydration from non-stop crying for the last 2 days.  Out of all of this I am impressed with my ability to be heartbreakingly sad and still laugh.  It's strange.

Today is my last day at my current school, Jincheon High School, and starting tomorrow I will be splitting my time between 3 middle schools in the area.  This is the big reason for my "blogger's block" lately.  For the longest time I knew I HAD to leave and would have to take on multiple schools (and honestly, I am not complaining about the workload), but it was constantly held over my head that I might even be sent out of my current area...which would be ridiculous, since I only have 6 months left on the contract.  This has been a huge source of stress for me and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop before I committed to anything else.

And let's be clear: I DON'T want to leave my current school...I feel like I am leaving the job unfinished.  I feel like I am leaving right when students (particularly Grade 3 students preparing for university interviews, many which are English only...yep, even in Korea) will need me the most.  I am trying to make arrangements to still be available to students who want help interviewing, so we'll have to see how that pans out.  I have worked really hard here...objectively harder than a lot of foreign English teachers do (many on the ones here make comments about me making the job harder that I have to).  Yes, I could take the easy way out, but there is something special about the students here (and shouldn't all teachers feel that way?) and I feel like I owe them my best to help them become their best.

But mostly my issue with leaving this school is that I didn't get a vote.  I feel like I am being forced to leave my home and family.  Because more that the desire to not only be "good" at my job, but the "best" at my job (ok, I'm a little competitive), but I have worked really hard to build a life here with these people as friends and (created) family.

None of this is meant to say that I won't love my new schools, co-workers, or students...hopefully I will come to love them just as much.  It is simply the fact I (and not even my school) was not given a choice...it was simply decided by the higher ups and I am being sent away....and I borderline resent that.  I understand issues about budget and staffing...you come to understand that after a few months in food service...but I just feel like a compromise could have been reached to reasonably satisfy everyone.

As it is, I am getting ready for the next stage in my journey and, with any luck, it will be a good one.

Perception

This is a long one, so get comfortable.

I haven't exploited my students' work in a long time.  Not because they haven't done anything noteworthy (because I really am consistently impressed by their work), but because if I did that would be all I posted.

I just wrapped up summer camp...and this time, we learned about different concepts that effect our worldviews (like privilege and perception).  Basically, we were trying out basic cultural relativism.  We also tried applying these by watching The Outsiders movie and then taking a different perspective of the story.  Teaching some things (like privilege) were like beating my head against the wall, but they took to perception fairly well.

After talking about what perception is, each student has one picture by MC Escher (look him up, if you don't know) and to tell me their perception of the drawing.  So, here's what they told me.  I am leaving all their words exactly as they told me.

Long Time, No See...

I really love that phrase...mostly because it is a literal translation here.  It's clear and understandable.  But, I digress...

Admittedly, I have been terrible at keeping up with things on here.  Mostly because there is a lot going on and big changes on the horizon that occupy most of my awake time and brain function.  So, until all that is settled, I can't promise any new blogs with any regularity.  Deepest apologies.

But I will try to post what I can when I can...I promise.  In fact, I have a few posts in progress, that I just haven't gotten around to final edits and adding pictures.  If you were wondering, generally, when I am caught up with work I write posts during my free class time but since my personal photos live on my computer at home, I have to wait to add pictures and finalize posts.  But lately, by the time I get home and have free time, I feel completely unmotivated.  I promise I will try to do better.  I will also finally fill everyone in on what is happening once everything has settled and all the dust has cleared.

Until then, please keep checking back...or better yet, sign up for email updates on the right.  As always, a comment every now and then wouldn't hurt either. :)

In Case You Missed It...

North Korea has a shiny new airport.

I have to admit...it looks pretty swanky.  Posh, even.

And like everything in North Korea, it was presented to the world with all due pomp and circumstance.

But who is really going to use the airport?

Generally speaking, North Korea is the Fort Knox of countries...not many people go in or out.  So in the basest of realities it's all for show.

Anyway, take a look here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/north-koreas-stunning-new-airport-puts-many-american-airports-to-shame-2015-7

There's Always Time for Dental Hygiene...Part 2

So, on to the fillings.

These are the first cavities of my life, so I had a lot...A LOT...of anxiety about having them filled and even more about having them filled in a foreign country.  But it had to be done, so I had to get a grip and do it.

So there were two on each side...I opted to do one side at a time.  Because the fillings were expensive...and because I was worried about not being able to eat.  A girl's got to have priorities! :)

Anyway...it actually ended up being a two visit procedure.

Adventures in Laundry...

Well, not so much an adventure, but a new experience nonetheless...which is nice since I've been here almost two years.  It's nice to know there are still new things for me to do.  Anyway, on to the story.

When the weather was shifting from winter to summer...with spring days altering between hot and cold.  The nights are still a bit cool, but I'd finally gotten to pack away all the heavy coats, hats, gloves, sweaters, and long underwear.  The challenge came with putting away my winter blanket...I wanted to put it away clean and fresh (because otherwise, ewww!).  I knew from experience that the blankets (which are more like American-style comforters) will not fit into my apartment's washing machine.  What's a girl to do?

She pulls them off the bed and drags them to the nearest "Self-Laundry"!

Sports Festival

Two posts in one day, aren't you lucky?!?

Today is the first official day of the school's "Sports Festival."  Really, they've been having play-off all week, but today and tomorrow are the official "sports days."  It's a great chance for students to relax and have fun...it's great timing, too...the weather is beautiful and not too hot, so they can enjoy their time.  (Because last year it was postponed and it rained on sports day...so sad!)

Anyway, on to this year.  There's soccer and dodgeball...tug-of-war...races...wrestling...and other things.  The best part is, I get paid to hang out and watch sports for 2 days! ^^

There's Always Time for Dental Hygiene....part 1

Bonus points to you if you know where that quote came from.

If you don't know, it's from Little Shop of Horrors....if you haven't heard of it, go look it up now...I'll wait.

Anyway, on to the story.

It has been some time since I've had a dental check-up.  One, because I hate going, and two, because back home in the States I could never afford it.  But I was having some pain so I thought I should go.

Yeah, so...

I've been gone for a while.  I'm not going to talk about that just now.

Anyway, among other things, I'm finding it too difficult to post a full-length blog every day.  So, I will make you guys (like, both of my readers...lol...) a new promise.  I will post at least 1 full length blog every week.  In between times, I will try to post a mini-blog or two to hold you over.  Deal?

Therefore...you should sign up for the email alerts. :)

One-Year Later...

Ok, so I've been gone a while.  I'm not going to talk about that just yet.  But I wanted to post this article.

One year ago today (April 16, 2014), the Sewol ferry capsized, sank, and killed most of its passengers, who were mostly high school students.  Unbelievable tragedy.  Since then Korea has a a "spit and duct tape" approach to caring for the victim's families and re-evaluating and implementing safety measures.  And yes, on the human side, it is a horrible tragedy.

However, its also indicative of larger-scale problems.

So, I, personally, feel extremely safe here...even with North Korea and its "nuclear" weapons just a hop, skip, and a jump away.  Why?  Because South Korea feels very safe and modern.  But, all that "safety" and modernity came to SK so quickly with a healthy dose of Western input means South Korea has not had to develop and  "learn from its mistakes" in an natural, let's say "organic" manner.  For example, industrialization in the US came with huge conflicts, including cost of human lives, and these events lead to some of the health and safety laws in practice today.  Korea maybe hasn't had to learn first-hand from those type of events.  I tend to think of it that Korea has become modern with Western cultures being a "do as I say, not as I do" type example.  Essentially, Korea was told what works, so that is how things needed to be without allowing for it's own "growing pains."

Not to mention that Korea also became a "modern" country in the era of globalization and capitalism.  There is a alot of talk recently about corruption in the Korean government, and arguably, it is understandable that there is.  In globalized capitalism, money doesn't just talk...it screams...and trying to modernize so rapidly when money is the primary goal, well, compromises (ethical, political, health and safety, etc., etc.) are going to be made.  And unfortunately, Korea has a steep learning curve.

My apologizes if this post seems a bit "all over the place" and none to clear at that.  I feel like that too, and I wrote it.  But, there are just too many things to cover in this particular issue that I can fully discuss in a blog post, so I tried to hit the highlights.

The article is here:
http://www.voanews.com/content/one-year-later-korean-ferry-victims-families-want-ship-raised/2718518.html?utm_content=bufferd06e5&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Media Monday: Give Peace a Chance

Wow....just wow!  I think this is just too awesome for words...not that I'm not about to try.

Gloria Steinem (which if you don't know how amazing SHE is, go educate yourself.  I'll wait here while you do a quick Google search.  She's an incredible woman.  Among other things, she is actor Christian Bale's, AKA Batman's, stepmother.) and other notable women are planning to walk across the DMZ as part of a Korean Unification Movement.

I think this is awesome on so many levels.  It's unbelievably fearless.  Let's face it, the action in and of itself is fairly illegal and North Korea is not exactly know for its gender equality and shining human rights record.  But it could also be dangerous and counter-productive to unification efforts.  How responsive can you expect a government to be when you blatantly disregard its laws and culture.  I think this is especially important if a majority of participants are Westerners....NK is already hostile because of Western influences in the South.

There are far too many issues surrounding Korean unification to discuss properly here.  I personally believe that it is possible and would love to see it happen.  However, realistically, the longer the two Koreas remain separated and North Korea remains isolated the more difficult unification is going to be.  I feel like the clock is really ticking on this one and only time will tell.

All that being said, I wish Ms. Steinem and her compatriots good luck!

Read the article here:
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3001860&cloc=joongangdaily%7Chome%7Cnewslist1

Media Monday: Some Good Advertisement!

In case you missed it, (and you probably did if for some unknown and unfathomable reason I am your source for Korean news, and last week my face was hurting too much to write anything) last week the US Ambassador was attacked by a political activist.  Thankfully, his injury was not severe and he is recovering well...which in this article he credits kimchi for his speedy recovery.  Talk about some good publicity for kimchi!

Here's the article, enjoy!
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/03/116_174835.html

It's Nothing You Should See the Other Guys...

Or you would if the other guys were not inanimate objects...namely, my desk, a chair, and the floor.

I just always wanted to say that.

And it explains why I have already deviated from my plan to write here regularly.

Sigh.

So, what happened is, I spent last week "desk warming"...a GET term for showing up at work and not teaching classes.  I actually don't mind too much because I have a lot of time to prepare new materials, repair old ones (like the class Scrabble tiles), and clean and organize my classroom.  So, I don't idly wile away my desk-warming hours...I stay busy doing the things I have to cram on top of my already full teaching schedule.

Tasty Tuesday: Pizza!

So, no lie, I made real, American-style pizza.  I forgot to take pictures during the process, but the next time I make pizza I will.  Like I promised, all the ingredients can be found in Korean stores.  The end product looked like this:

...and it tastes as good as it looks.

Want to know how to make it?  Here we go:

Media Monday: Conan O'Brian Visits a Korean Jjimjibang

I don't get TBS here, obviously, but my mom linked me to this last week.


So, jjimjibang is kinda a public bath-house/spa type deal.  To be perfectly honest, I haven't done it yet...mostly because from what I have heard Conan's experience is pretty authentic.  Anyway, it;s funny...and I doubt I could make the experience any more humorous.

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k70xBg8en-4&list=PLVL8S3lUHf0TT2SGhaJy5FREpv2rUx2i3&index=44

Sorry

Dear Readers,

Just a quick note to apologize for my unplanned hiatus.  I've had a lot on my mind these last couple of weeks.

It's the end of the Korean school year, which means co-workers leaving and new ones coming in, students graduating, new students, spring cleaning (for me anyway) and MY FIRST TOOTH CAVITY.

Really, the last one has upset me more than anything.  I have gone 33 years without one and now I have 4! :(  Bummer!  I'll have a post about my experience with my Korean dentist soon.

Anyway, I plan to be back on schedule soon.  Until then!

Thursday Trivia: Van Gogh: 10 Years Exhibition

I went to the Van Gogh exhibit at the War Memorial of Korea.

It was a fantastic exhibit that takes Van Gogh's work, digitized them and then added movement to them.  It sounds strange, but it's beautiful.  I've always loved Van Gogh's work...the color and emotion...the fact that he made something beautiful out of a very dark time in his life.

The exhibit has left...but I took some video of the pictures.  They're stunning, really...and popped then into a little video for you.

I would also recommend you check out the War Memorial, too.  It's really interesting and quite moving in itself...Korea really does museums well.  The easiest way to get there is to take either line 4 (light blue line) or 6 (brown line) to Samgakji station (it's a transfer station) and take exit 12.  Walk straight...don't cross the street...follow the curve of the sidewalk to the left and you are right there.

The video I made is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8h9K9SL6xA

Tasty Tuesday: Dubu Jorim

So...this is one of my favorite things here: Dubu Jorim, or braised tofu.

I did not grow up in a pro-tofu world...but once I tried it, I thought that it wasn't bad...even if it wasn't something I thought I would ever crave.  I stand corrected.  I really love this dish!  It's great as a side dish (which it usually it), but sometimes I make it as a main dish.  It's low fat, high in protein, and a good source of calcium and iron so it's really quite healthy.

So, a little Googling and a little trial and error and I think I have it.  Here's how I make it:

Media Monday: Korean English Program Follow-Up

So, I ran across this...and felt like this was a nice follow-up on some of the things that I've been talking about on the Korean (specifically) English Education.

To me, this article says Korean students (middle and high school level) feel like they do not get anything out of their public school English education.  They feel they don't learn much from their Korean English teachers....that they focus on receptive skills (reading and listening) and grammar and not productive skills (writing and speaking).

I absolutely agree.

So, this here's the thing.  Ok, 2 things....here's 2 things about this:

The English education system has to...HAS TO...be reevaluated and readjusted to more practical acquisition and evaluation of the student's English ability.  It's not what students want or need to feel comfortable with their use of English.  I help a lot of my students analyze their exam answers, and in honestly, I feel like some of the questions do not evaluate the student's English ability level at all.  A lot of questions are subjective (as opposed to objective) and really are more for linguistic measure than language competence.

If, according to this article, if Korean English teachers are not able to and/or are not comfortable with teaching the things students want (like writing and speaking) then it is illogical and not practical to be reducing the number of Foreign English teachers country-wide.  If the Foreign English Teachers are the ones that build actual competence in English (or at least in my class...we focus a lot on speaking and writing), then the number of Foreign English Teachers, if anything, needs to be increased.

Again, I think that the education system, at least for English and other foreign language learning, needs to be reevaluated and modified to system that strongly encourages communicative skills.

Here's the link to the article I am referring to:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/01/116_171702.html

Thursday Trivia: Fairy Tales Get Korean Makeover...

...and they are FABULOUS!

Really, just gorgeous!  I would love to see some of these made into proper movies (animated or live action) just for the costuming!

Take a look:
http://www.boredpanda.com/asian-korean-fairytale-remake-illustration-na-young-wu/

Tasty Tueday: The Ramyeon Diaries: Shin Ramyeon

Shin Ramyeon is one of the most popular brands in Korea....and it's kinda easy to see why.

So, it looks like this:

Shin...from the Chinese xin...meaning lucky...so lucky noodles.  Nice marketing right there.  That also means that xin is also one of the few Chinese hanzi (Chinese characters) that my students recognize on sight.  Not that it matters in my line of work that students recognize Chinese characters, but it makes the Native Chinese Speaker at school happy.

It comes with a pack of dried scallions, too.  500 mL of water and 4.5 minutes later you get:

Hmmm....like I said, it's easy to see why this one is so popular.  The noodles aren't anything to write home about...standard ramyeon noodles...and again slightly thicker than the American versions.  The broth is slightly spicy...not unpleasantly so, and has the slightest "after burn."  Most Koreans add an egg to it, and I can see how an egg might smooth out the spiciness just a touch...and add a little protein.  Overall, I like it.

Media Monday: Korean Education System

So, this made it to my Facebook feed a month or so back.  It's a video made by a Korean-American student...he's young...maybe middle-school aged....and he (rather harshly) criticized the Korean education system.  Of course, this went viral with all the foreign teachers I know, because they all seem to think that this kid is spot-on.  So, some things he mentions are absolutely correct...the girl that only gets 4 hours of sleep a night is definitely being abused.  But, to say that Korean students have all individualism and creativity squashed out of them, is not entirely correct.  This is a point a lot of foreign teachers seem to agree on, but I am in the minority on this one.  I feel (in my case at any rate) that my students are extremely clever and creative....they don't have quite the individualism that us Westerners are used to, which, in my opinion, leads to the misconception that Korean students are not creative and individuals, but robots churned out by the Korean education system.  I think that this is entirely an ethnocentric perspective on what "creativity" and "individualism" are supposed to be.

Friday Fives: My Five Winter Wear Items

Winter is NOT coming...winter is here...and to this Southern girl winter has been here since October...and winter is not going!  If you don't get the picture...I am COLD and I have been cold...and I am starting to think I will never be warm again.  (Logically, I know that's not true, but I am just the teeniest bit dramatic when it comes to cold...as my middle nephew used to say: "I do not like it...no!")

And the cold walk to school (uphill in the snow, no less) wouldn't be so bad except, the English-Only classroom (AKA, the room I spend all day in) is freezing cold and even with the heat on only tops out in the low 60s on a sunny day.  On top of these winter wear items, I typically curl up under blankets and hoodies at my desk, too!

Needless to say, I "weather" the summers here much better...in fact, all I heard about was hot hot summers are, but when it came, there were really only just a few days that I felt "hot."  I mean, some days were uncomfortable, but there were only a few days (and I mean literally, only like 3-4 days) that I felt hot and miserable.  But I digress.

So, here's my top 5 winter wear:

Thursday Trivia: Garden of Morning Calm

For my birthday in October, I took a trip to Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong to see some of the pretty fall colors before they were gone.  Last year, before I arrived, my students had gone to the Garden of Morning Calm for their school trip and I had heard much about it.  So, I was looking forward to this trip a lot.

For starters, if you are starting out from Seoul you are lucky, it's a day trip.  Otherwise, you need to plan for at least overnight...maybe two.  Since this was also my birthday trip I went wild and planned for a two night stay.  I wanted to stay at one of the numerous pension hotels in Gapyeong, but since I was travelling alone this trip it was an extravagant expense I could not afford.  Instead, I settled for staying overnight the night before in Seoul.

Word Wednesday: Under Construction

So....I will get back on track with Word Wednesday soon...hopefully.  I debating doing this in video format in the future.  So, you should let me know if you would like that.

Until then...this section is "under construction".

Tasty Tuesday: The Ramyeon Diaries: Taste Testing

Ramyeon...pronounced "rahm-yon", if you are here in Korea...try to pronounce it this way or you just get strange looks...it's everywhere.  And Koreans love it...my students explained that it is because it is so fast and easy and there are so many varieties.  And there ARE dozens of varieties...in fact, most grocery stores have a whole aisle dedicated to it.

(I posted this picture last year of the ramyeon aisle in the closest market to my apartment.)

It costs a little more than you are used to paying in the states (here it hovers in the 70 cents to a dollar range for a bag single....bowl singles and multi-packs, obviously, cost a little more) and let's be honest...it's better tasting.

In all honesty...when I first arrived I was intimidated by the ramyeon aisle...it was overwhelming when you think about the 30 cents a pack same general flavor (salty) from back home.  So, I decided that I was going to start taste-testing them...starting with the single packets.  So, I went out and bought one of every packet in the store.

I will start off my taste test with this one:


To be honest...I couldn't decide which one was the name/brand/etc. of this one.  But, I digress.

It starts with 550mL of water...that's just a splash over 2 cups for you Americans...bring the water to a boil and then dump all the stuff in.

That is: the noodles, the flavor pack, and the pack of dried scallions (no lie..it's in the pack) and boil/simmer for 4 and half minutes.  At this point most Koreans would add something else...meat, egg, vegetables, etc...but since I was testing the ramyeon itself at this point I stopped cooking and sat down to eat.

The noodles were just that ramyeon noodles.  A little chewier than the ones back home (they are the slightest...and I mean slightest...bit thicker), but they taste just like ramyeon noodles.  The soup was nice...slightly beefy (I think that was the intent...based on the picture on the package) and probably half as salty as the type back home and the flavor was not a strong.  Think...if you used half of the flavor pack in a beef ramen from back home.  And the scallions made a nice addition....not over-powering, but just enough to add to the flavor.  Koreans probably think this one is bland since it is not the least bit spicy and probably add a bunch of stuff to it

My overall verdict?  I like it...and I like it for its mildness.  This may be my go-to ramyeon for the days I would just like something not spicy or just want noodles.

Media Monday: Margaret Cho and Kim Jong-Un

Unless you have been living under a rock....there's this little movie called "The Interview" in which, apparently, someone tries to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un....and this pissed NoKo off.  I have to admit, ok, I get that.  I would be pissed if a movie portrayed the killing of an American president as COMEDY.

But let's also point out that this is a shitty Seth Rogan movie (I'm sorry, I'm just not that big a fan).  It's really not worth bringing the US and NK to war-like talk.  Let's just say it was done and it was in poor taste, but it was not intended to be malicious so stop clogging everyone's Facebook feed.

There is also this actress named Margaret Cho...she's Korean-American...and she made a "Korean dictator" appearance at some awards show (Oscars? Emmy?...sorry...I honestly don't watch awards shows or pageants of any sort, so I honestly don't know the difference between them) and was called racist for it.

Let's look at this...she's Korean....or at least Asian...that's not racism.  If a white actor/actress did the same skit, yeah, THAT's racist.  (Don't think so? think about a white actor in black-face)  White-washing an obviously Asian character by casting a white actor/actress...also a little racist...and contributes to the problem that truly talented Asian and Asian-American entertainers face a lack of outlets for their talents (I'm looking at you Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia)!  So, that leaves Asian and Asian-American entertainers in to shtick-y and stereotypical roles...yep, a little bit racist.  That does not mean that the actor/actress is racist.  It means that if they want to pursue their dreams of being an entertainer then they are forced to take the few available roles that contribute to stereotyping.  Which makes it ridiculous that an Asian actor/actress forced to take one of the few available (albeit, stereotypical) roles made available to them.

So, again, Cho's skit...in poor taste?  Yeah, a little.  Racist?  No.

And Cho herself makes some valid....and comical...responses to the situation.

For everyone just here for the link...Here's a link for you:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/golden-globes-margaret-cho-fires-763194

Hello?

I'm not sure that anyone (aside from my parents) actually reads this.

However, despite being extremely discouraged with the thought that I am just sending my words out into the ether...I have decided to "give it (another) go," as the British say.  That being said, I plan to start writing here again starting next week.

Also, a comment or two would not be remiss....help me think I'm not just wasting my time here, please!


PS...I'm thinking about starting incorporate video...specifically, for Word Wednesday or Tasty Tuesday...let me know what you think.