I've been pretty lazy at keeping up this blog. Shoulda been more diligent. Anyways...
The past month has been crazy. In 2 weeks I got the chance to visit places that have:
1. Made me realize that Korea has much more to see that can be seen in these 6 months.
2. Realize that Korea has a ton of culture, that I am stoked to discover more of.
3. Korea makes smashing tea.
After being taken on a Cultural Trip to Jeju for 3 days, flight and accommodation paid for courtesy of the Office of Education, Linds and I decided to stay for an extra 2 days for the weekend. Needless to say, paying for the flight home was well worth it. Had the chance to tour around Jeju on our own and it was amazing. Although it rained,the weather didn't hamper much of the adventure. Waterfalls at night, waterfalls in the rain, and brunch at a seaside cafe in a small out-of-the-way town. The only major downer was getting to the ferry terminal to Udo and then seeing that it was closed due to the weather. Jeju was basically telling me that I had to come back eventually if I ever wanted to bike around Udo. Which is exactly what I'm planning to do. Eventually. The hostel we stayed at was pretty awesome as well. New hostel which was pretty much a hotel. Cheap as hell, only 17,000W per night, and best of all, the owners were awesome. Not only did they provide us with free food, but at the end of the night, they provided free alcohol. Maekolli Parties ftw. Although we were surprised they couldn't handle more than one drinking game at a time. Hah.
Surprisingly, leaving Jeju was actually pretty difficult. It seemed like it's own little world, and odd enough, it actually felt like home. I know if I had stayed in Jeju for maybe 2 weeks, I probably would've been over it. Given that there was still so much to explore in Jeju, it's probably why I was feeling a tad heartbroken. Yes, I was heartbroken. Getting on the bus headed to the airport (for a flight we just barely made) made me really sad. But it got me thinking, if leaving Jeju was that hard, I can't imagine the day when I have to leave Korea. Being 4 months in, I know it's coming eventually. Some people are talking about tickets, booking flights, asking when their last days are, while some people are extending. Bastards. My only comfort is knowing that one day, I will be back in Korea, hopefully on at least a year contract.
Back to the awesome 2 weeks, as Jeju was only part 1. 3 days of work, and I booked it to Jeonju to celebrate the coming 5 day weekend. T'was awesome. Good night of drinks and dancing, all the way till 5am. Post-hangover, we made it to the Festival Hopping part of the weekend. It was a blast, and once again bad weather tried to kill the mood. Too bad the festivals were tea festivals. Take that cold. Had many teachers at Boseong, a soap master, a tea master, then got interviewed. Yay, being waygook. On top of that, even though the tea making part was over, they looked for us on the festival grounds just to tell us that they wanted us to have the chance to make the tea. Waygook points +2. Even though it took a while, and we felt kind of bad that they all stuck around to wait for us to dry our leaves properly, it was amazing anyways. I wish they'd let us pay tho. They told us that since we're foreigners, we didn't need to pay. Waygook points +3. Felt bad tho, I really wanted to pay since it was such an inconvenience.
Post Boseong, we ate at Jangheung and met a really cool Korean, who cooked our food for us. Random? Yes, but quite Korean. She ended up giving us picture holders as a gift, even though we only met her once. Pretty dope. After Jangheung, headed to Namwon for the Chunhyang Festival. Korean love story, very famous, had to watch the drama of course. Pretty awesome, ended up having dinner at a Cafe Mulgogi-esque restaurant. So spicy though, wish we had the non-spicy. Post-dinner, was a night of drinks. What better way to celebrate the greatest Korean love story than with drinks?! Post Namwon, we headed for Hadong. After a couple of detours, like Gurye for some smashing bibimnaengmyeon, we eventually made it. Although it was a bit rushed because we had missed our stop and then needed to catch the last bus to Busan, it was still worth the trip. Boseong + Hadong was a major haul in green teas. Too many, but it has to last me 2 years before I can taste it again.
Busan was once again, awesome. Although it rained, (I swear Vancouver weather is following me) it was still pretty good. Shopping, and a rainy Burgers and Beach session. Followed by a great night at a fancy lounge. Pricey drinks, but so worth it. Ended the night, once again, with dancing till the early hours of the morning. Oh Canada, how boring you will be.
Jeju, Boseong, Namwon, Hadong, Busan. 2 weeks with great company and of great times.
I hope the remainder of my stay here in Korea is like this. I have two years to survive on these memories before I can come back. Brutal.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Cultural Difference or Sheer incompetence?
So my wonderful landlady knocks on my door and kindly points me to another door and says, "Move?"
Now I knew that I eventually had to move, but I (and my mentor teacher) was expecting notice before the fact. So upon receiving said notice, I told the landlady that it was not going to be possible to move by tonight, nor was it possible to go by Sunday. My mentor teacher had to get the movers to move appliances and stuff over to the new place, and because of the lack of notice, it could not be done by Sunday. Well thats fine and dandy, but more good news! I checked out the new place, and it is small. MUCH smaller than the landlady and my mentor teacher had me believe. The time I asked to check it out, the landlady told me that I could not. So looking into my new place, what did I see?
No room for a washing machine, no room for a fridge. All the appliances that I had bought plus the bed and closet could not fit into the small ass room. When I told my mentor teacher, she said, "I don't think its possible for you to bring everything in to your new room!" Well no shit. What am I supposed to do with a washing machine and fridge that I cant even fit into my room? Better yet, What am I supposed to do with the food that I buy and the clothes that need washing? There are no laundromats here, how the hell did the previous tenants fit their shit? Oh, and the demon sink from hell has followed me. In my current apartment, if the heating is on, the sink runs an electric current that is pretty strong. I discovered this when washing the dishes then all of the sudden arm went numb. Needless to say, I thought that I would not have to deal with said demon sink in the new place. Well the new demon sink is more demonic. If the power is on in the entire room, the sink is charged. I discovered this when I was putting my pots and pans in the new sink and had the light on. Fack.
Now I understand that yea, my old place is way too big, and that my new place is small. I have no qualms with that. But why the hell did they let me buy such big things when they knew it would not fit? Why wouldn't they show me the new room? Why did they lie and say my new room was "A bit bigger than the biggest room in your 2 room place?" Is this just a cultural thing? Or are the people I'm dealing with just incompetent.
Now I like my mentor teacher. She has been nothing but great in most of what she's done. She's really helpful, and despite the fact that she wasn't too sure of what she needed to do, she still tried her best. But really, c'mon. Some things are just common sense. If the shit won't fit, dont buy it. If she knew the stuff I was buying was not gonna fit, why did she let me buy it? Considering she was the only one that saw the room, and I was not allowed to see the bloody room.
I can put up with shit and incompetence at work, but when I have to LIVE in incompetence, that's where I have a problem. Gimme a room with the basics please, because this is fucking ridiculous. It's 1 month in and I would like to have settled in. Not still be debating and negotiating shit about an apartment that should have been settled the day I left the orientation venue.
Now I knew that I eventually had to move, but I (and my mentor teacher) was expecting notice before the fact. So upon receiving said notice, I told the landlady that it was not going to be possible to move by tonight, nor was it possible to go by Sunday. My mentor teacher had to get the movers to move appliances and stuff over to the new place, and because of the lack of notice, it could not be done by Sunday. Well thats fine and dandy, but more good news! I checked out the new place, and it is small. MUCH smaller than the landlady and my mentor teacher had me believe. The time I asked to check it out, the landlady told me that I could not. So looking into my new place, what did I see?
No room for a washing machine, no room for a fridge. All the appliances that I had bought plus the bed and closet could not fit into the small ass room. When I told my mentor teacher, she said, "I don't think its possible for you to bring everything in to your new room!" Well no shit. What am I supposed to do with a washing machine and fridge that I cant even fit into my room? Better yet, What am I supposed to do with the food that I buy and the clothes that need washing? There are no laundromats here, how the hell did the previous tenants fit their shit? Oh, and the demon sink from hell has followed me. In my current apartment, if the heating is on, the sink runs an electric current that is pretty strong. I discovered this when washing the dishes then all of the sudden arm went numb. Needless to say, I thought that I would not have to deal with said demon sink in the new place. Well the new demon sink is more demonic. If the power is on in the entire room, the sink is charged. I discovered this when I was putting my pots and pans in the new sink and had the light on. Fack.
Now I understand that yea, my old place is way too big, and that my new place is small. I have no qualms with that. But why the hell did they let me buy such big things when they knew it would not fit? Why wouldn't they show me the new room? Why did they lie and say my new room was "A bit bigger than the biggest room in your 2 room place?" Is this just a cultural thing? Or are the people I'm dealing with just incompetent.
Now I like my mentor teacher. She has been nothing but great in most of what she's done. She's really helpful, and despite the fact that she wasn't too sure of what she needed to do, she still tried her best. But really, c'mon. Some things are just common sense. If the shit won't fit, dont buy it. If she knew the stuff I was buying was not gonna fit, why did she let me buy it? Considering she was the only one that saw the room, and I was not allowed to see the bloody room.
I can put up with shit and incompetence at work, but when I have to LIVE in incompetence, that's where I have a problem. Gimme a room with the basics please, because this is fucking ridiculous. It's 1 month in and I would like to have settled in. Not still be debating and negotiating shit about an apartment that should have been settled the day I left the orientation venue.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Two Month Mark
Time here in Korea is flying by. It's almost close to the 2 month mark of my 6 month stay in Korea, and it I have yet to truly explore what this country has to offer. Waiting on that paycheque so I don't have to scrimp on the trips. There is a DMZ trip that I have my eye on, and I can't wait to finally book the ticket. It's a good thing there will be festivals galore in the coming months, and I'm excited to hit as many of them up as possible. I feel kind of bad though, I have yet to spend a weekend here in Muju. Being in the country is definetly something I'm not used to, so I need my dose of the city every week. Luckily, I have awesome friends in Jeonju who make my trips to the city incredibly worthwhile.
March has been a pretty good month. Aside from the bumps at the beginning dealing with housing and everything, it's been a real smooth time. Finally started to teach, and there is quite a range of students. My grade 1's and 2's are awesome. Although I have to find a way to spruce up learning about the alphabet. I've been doing A-H for a week now, and they still haven't gotten used to matching the sounds to the letter. They can sing the ABC song, but thats about it. I'm hoping to find a way to make it more interesting. My other class of grade 2's and 3's...are...boring. They look like they don't wanna be there, and participate to a bare-minimum. Even with the use of candy and stickers, they seem very unenthusiastic. Once again, hope to find a way to make them more interested in the language. Cause I'm bored as hell trying to teach 10 inanimate bags of flesh. My grade 4/5's are awesome. They are probably the most interactive bunch of students I have. Made paper cranes today, and they kept swarming me to make some for them. I like how they are never late. One kid, Minhyeok, sits in the beginner classes and helps them, even though his class doesn't start for another hour. Awesome lil' guy. As for my grade 6's...I'm not sure how I feel about them yet. I've only had them for one class, since the last week, they all went to the International Centre, which I did not mind in the least! It gave me 2 hour work days and 2 hour breaks. Aweesome. Now they will be regularly coming to class, but again, I have to see the differences in levels so I can plan accordingly. Most of them have a pretty good grasp of English, so I really do have a wide range of students to cater to. Makes it really difficult to switch from total newb to someone who can carry conversations in English.
Aside from teaching, life in Muju is quiet. I've been hitting the gym regularly, the person manning the desk always says hi to me in English. Other that that, I've been abusing the speed of Korean internet. Have caught up to Big Bang Theory and quite a few movies. Weekends on the other hand...
Have yet to have a completely alcohol-free weekend since my first week. It's great. haha. I'm glad other scholars in Jeonju enjoy dancing to the late/early hours as well. 4 am pool is a great way to simmer down. I have to admit, the music is getting boring. I swear all the DJ's share the same playlist and mixes. On top of that, Jeonju clubs have breaks. Actual breaks where the dancefloor clears and everyone sits down to drink or...take a break. It gets lame, especially when you only wanna dance the night away! Can't help it I guess, aside from yelling at the DJ to hurry up and play music. Or just dancing on floor sans music anyways. Pretty sure both options make me look like a foreign douchebag. Good thing I'm not the only one though. teehee. Last weekend was especially great. Kaisha's birthday celebration ended up being a weekend celebration. Stayed there for 2 days, and enjoyed my time throughly sobering up in a multi-bang/pc-bang. Saturday was a rough day.
Next week? SEOUL. This has been a weekend in the making. First payday, and it will be epiccc. Gonna head down right after work, look around the city for a while, then it's Namdaemun Market. Which I'm hoping will put Richmond Night Market to shame. After shopping till 3am, head to Hongdae to sleep, then resume the shopping at Dongdaemun! I think it's the mall where Cinderella Man (The K-drama, not movie) was located. So yayyyy. Then gonna celebrate a birthday and dance the night away at Gangnam. Will be blogging about that later, but all this Hump Day could not have come any faster. I've been feeling really drained this week...maybe sleeping at 6am for 3 nights straight isn't doing my sleep patterns any help. But here I am, awake at 3am...again. Thank goodness I don't work till 2 on Wednesdays.
Thank you payday, for allowing me to book tickets. And finally start touring this country. :)
March has been a pretty good month. Aside from the bumps at the beginning dealing with housing and everything, it's been a real smooth time. Finally started to teach, and there is quite a range of students. My grade 1's and 2's are awesome. Although I have to find a way to spruce up learning about the alphabet. I've been doing A-H for a week now, and they still haven't gotten used to matching the sounds to the letter. They can sing the ABC song, but thats about it. I'm hoping to find a way to make it more interesting. My other class of grade 2's and 3's...are...boring. They look like they don't wanna be there, and participate to a bare-minimum. Even with the use of candy and stickers, they seem very unenthusiastic. Once again, hope to find a way to make them more interested in the language. Cause I'm bored as hell trying to teach 10 inanimate bags of flesh. My grade 4/5's are awesome. They are probably the most interactive bunch of students I have. Made paper cranes today, and they kept swarming me to make some for them. I like how they are never late. One kid, Minhyeok, sits in the beginner classes and helps them, even though his class doesn't start for another hour. Awesome lil' guy. As for my grade 6's...I'm not sure how I feel about them yet. I've only had them for one class, since the last week, they all went to the International Centre, which I did not mind in the least! It gave me 2 hour work days and 2 hour breaks. Aweesome. Now they will be regularly coming to class, but again, I have to see the differences in levels so I can plan accordingly. Most of them have a pretty good grasp of English, so I really do have a wide range of students to cater to. Makes it really difficult to switch from total newb to someone who can carry conversations in English.
Aside from teaching, life in Muju is quiet. I've been hitting the gym regularly, the person manning the desk always says hi to me in English. Other that that, I've been abusing the speed of Korean internet. Have caught up to Big Bang Theory and quite a few movies. Weekends on the other hand...
Have yet to have a completely alcohol-free weekend since my first week. It's great. haha. I'm glad other scholars in Jeonju enjoy dancing to the late/early hours as well. 4 am pool is a great way to simmer down. I have to admit, the music is getting boring. I swear all the DJ's share the same playlist and mixes. On top of that, Jeonju clubs have breaks. Actual breaks where the dancefloor clears and everyone sits down to drink or...take a break. It gets lame, especially when you only wanna dance the night away! Can't help it I guess, aside from yelling at the DJ to hurry up and play music. Or just dancing on floor sans music anyways. Pretty sure both options make me look like a foreign douchebag. Good thing I'm not the only one though. teehee. Last weekend was especially great. Kaisha's birthday celebration ended up being a weekend celebration. Stayed there for 2 days, and enjoyed my time throughly sobering up in a multi-bang/pc-bang. Saturday was a rough day.
Next week? SEOUL. This has been a weekend in the making. First payday, and it will be epiccc. Gonna head down right after work, look around the city for a while, then it's Namdaemun Market. Which I'm hoping will put Richmond Night Market to shame. After shopping till 3am, head to Hongdae to sleep, then resume the shopping at Dongdaemun! I think it's the mall where Cinderella Man (The K-drama, not movie) was located. So yayyyy. Then gonna celebrate a birthday and dance the night away at Gangnam. Will be blogging about that later, but all this Hump Day could not have come any faster. I've been feeling really drained this week...maybe sleeping at 6am for 3 nights straight isn't doing my sleep patterns any help. But here I am, awake at 3am...again. Thank goodness I don't work till 2 on Wednesdays.
Thank you payday, for allowing me to book tickets. And finally start touring this country. :)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Time
Living in Muju, far far away from everyone, leaves me with a lot of time on my hands. A lot...of time...For the past week, I've bummed around at home, watching movies and dramas. Except for that one exception where I actually went out.
I think I'm at a loss as to what to do with all that time. I can think of a couple key things I should be hunkering down and doing with all the free time.
1. Learn Korean. I definitely want to be able to speak at least basic Korean once I'm done this program. At least enough, so when I come back I won't be a total n00b.
2. Work out! Aside from the bet I made with my brother, the amount of time I have, plus the cheapness of the gym (1,100 won! Which is about a dollar) and the closeness of the gym leaves me no excuse to slack.
3. Write? I've been meaning to get back into poetry. Albeit, not very good poetry, but I do want to start again!
4. Draw. And lo and behold I left my sketch book at home. FAIL. Must buy one soon, but the lined paper works out pretty well.
I think those 4 should keep me occupied. Although I need to find motivation...somewhere. The most I've done is binge eat because I'm so bored, eating was the only thing to do. Damn you ramyeon and cheap pastries at Paris Baguette. Damn you.
PS: I cannot wait for my paycheque. I've been eyeing a couple jackets and shirts for ages, and they will be mine.
In other daily activities, I've been cooking for myself lately. (go figure) and it turns out, it's actually way cheaper to eat out than make your own food. It would cost me roughly 6 or 7 dollars to buy the ingredients I need at the local Full-Mart, but it would cost me 4 dollars for 3 meals if I chose to eat nothing but kim-bap. Not such a bad trade-off as kimbap is delicious here.
Also, interviewed more kids today. Almost all the grade 1-2's know nothing about English. Anything they do know is scripted.
Jose: Hi, How are you.
Student: It is sunny.
Jose: ...Good job. You can take a seat now...
It should be interesting (I will regret this later) to teach them. My co-teacher suggested cutting the grade 1 and 2's who don't know ABC's in order to make room for grade 3 and 4s who also, don't speak a word of English. We shall see...
The grade 3 and 4's are also on the same boat. I already see some characters and cheeky buggers who I predict will both make my classes entertaining, and a living hell. I've got my eye on you, student #1 who I interviewed today...
Tomorrow will be the grade 5 and 6's. Hopefully, they will know more than just basic. Then we can have conversations, about Starcraft.
That is all. Did I mention I have a bed now? It is glorious. I'm sure I could use more editing in terms of my blogging. It's pretty much all over the place, but as of now, I'm just recording everything that came to mind, in no particular order. But hey, it's on my to do list of things to improve. It'll get there...
I think I'm at a loss as to what to do with all that time. I can think of a couple key things I should be hunkering down and doing with all the free time.
1. Learn Korean. I definitely want to be able to speak at least basic Korean once I'm done this program. At least enough, so when I come back I won't be a total n00b.
2. Work out! Aside from the bet I made with my brother, the amount of time I have, plus the cheapness of the gym (1,100 won! Which is about a dollar) and the closeness of the gym leaves me no excuse to slack.
3. Write? I've been meaning to get back into poetry. Albeit, not very good poetry, but I do want to start again!
4. Draw. And lo and behold I left my sketch book at home. FAIL. Must buy one soon, but the lined paper works out pretty well.
I think those 4 should keep me occupied. Although I need to find motivation...somewhere. The most I've done is binge eat because I'm so bored, eating was the only thing to do. Damn you ramyeon and cheap pastries at Paris Baguette. Damn you.
PS: I cannot wait for my paycheque. I've been eyeing a couple jackets and shirts for ages, and they will be mine.
In other daily activities, I've been cooking for myself lately. (go figure) and it turns out, it's actually way cheaper to eat out than make your own food. It would cost me roughly 6 or 7 dollars to buy the ingredients I need at the local Full-Mart, but it would cost me 4 dollars for 3 meals if I chose to eat nothing but kim-bap. Not such a bad trade-off as kimbap is delicious here.
Also, interviewed more kids today. Almost all the grade 1-2's know nothing about English. Anything they do know is scripted.
Jose: Hi, How are you.
Student: It is sunny.
Jose: ...Good job. You can take a seat now...
It should be interesting (I will regret this later) to teach them. My co-teacher suggested cutting the grade 1 and 2's who don't know ABC's in order to make room for grade 3 and 4s who also, don't speak a word of English. We shall see...
The grade 3 and 4's are also on the same boat. I already see some characters and cheeky buggers who I predict will both make my classes entertaining, and a living hell. I've got my eye on you, student #1 who I interviewed today...
Tomorrow will be the grade 5 and 6's. Hopefully, they will know more than just basic. Then we can have conversations, about Starcraft.
That is all. Did I mention I have a bed now? It is glorious. I'm sure I could use more editing in terms of my blogging. It's pretty much all over the place, but as of now, I'm just recording everything that came to mind, in no particular order. But hey, it's on my to do list of things to improve. It'll get there...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Internet is Amazing
Why is internet so amazing?
1. Living in a small town like Muju, it provides an endless resource for entertainment! Entertainment in the form of Secret Garden, Dream High, and a whole plethora of Dramas and Movies that I have yet to encounter.
2. Living in a small town like Muju, it provides me a way to talk to other TaLK teachers who, sadly, are 2 hours away.
3. the most random connections are made. For example, I found another person's blog on the internet, (where all blogs are found) and he lives in Muju! Ended up going to the bar, playing pool, and over all just having a great night.
It's crazy how I ended up meeting other foreigners through the internet, and am glad for it! Hopefully now, I won't dread the week and will actually enjoy myself, up through the weekends. Where I know I'll be in a city. :)
Also, interviewed some kids today. Half of my grade 1 and 2's know English. Half don't. Will have to find some way to jazz up the ABC's and 123's. On to grade 4's and 5's tomorrow! Hopefully will have more luck.
Of course, had an amazing weekend. 5th Gen TaLK scholars are fantastic people. Their hospitality and general friendliness is awesome. Probably the fastest time I've ever felt comfortable around a group of people. 6th gens are cool too, but we already knew that.
1. Living in a small town like Muju, it provides an endless resource for entertainment! Entertainment in the form of Secret Garden, Dream High, and a whole plethora of Dramas and Movies that I have yet to encounter.
2. Living in a small town like Muju, it provides me a way to talk to other TaLK teachers who, sadly, are 2 hours away.
3. the most random connections are made. For example, I found another person's blog on the internet, (where all blogs are found) and he lives in Muju! Ended up going to the bar, playing pool, and over all just having a great night.
It's crazy how I ended up meeting other foreigners through the internet, and am glad for it! Hopefully now, I won't dread the week and will actually enjoy myself, up through the weekends. Where I know I'll be in a city. :)
Also, interviewed some kids today. Half of my grade 1 and 2's know English. Half don't. Will have to find some way to jazz up the ABC's and 123's. On to grade 4's and 5's tomorrow! Hopefully will have more luck.
Of course, had an amazing weekend. 5th Gen TaLK scholars are fantastic people. Their hospitality and general friendliness is awesome. Probably the fastest time I've ever felt comfortable around a group of people. 6th gens are cool too, but we already knew that.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
First Impressions aren't always right.
"I don't mind living in a rural town. I understand that TaLK is meant for rural schools, and I have no problem with that."
-Naive TaLK Applicant, October 2010.
Welcome to Muju. Where Paris Baguette (Like a Cobs Bread, but way way better) is where all the hip young adults hang out to drink coffee. Ok, maybe its too early to say that, but I've walked around at night for the past 3 days, and that place was the busiest I've seen anywhere in town.
It's very different from the Korea I fell in love with. Or rather, different from the metropolitan cities of Korea that I fell in love with. I must admit though, it is unfair to compare Muju to Seoul. But I've lived a month in cities here in Korea, and maybe this is the culture shock that Orientation was talking about. There should have been a lecture on dealing with small towns. Not mind-mapping. This part of Korea would be the hard loving. The love that is the nitty-gritty where you realize that everything isn't perfect. Seoul would be the superficial love. I loved the night-life. I loved the busy-ness of it. And now, I have to learn to love the quiet. In any case, Muju is a place that I have to get used to. After all, I'm spending another 5 months here. (possibly 10...)
First impressions? Frustrating might be too harsh of a word for the first few days. Shocking? Uncomfortable? Maybe. It was a shock when I came to Muju and my housing had not been finalized. It was a shock when I realized that I couldn't even settle in to a place since I would be moving out at the end of the month again. It was a bigger shock when I realized that I would have no appliances. It was both shocking and uncomfortable when I realized that I would be sleeping on a mat till...my school orders my bed.
On a lighter note, It was a relief when my mentor teacher told me that this was what she experienced coming out of Teacher's College at Jeonju University. Not in the sadistic way of "Ha ha, you suffered!" But more of, this is a rough step that some teachers are both lucky and unlucky enough to endure. I've gotta give props to my mentor teacher though. This is her first time with TaLK, and she's been nothing but helpful. She tries to get the other teachers to hang out with me, although they are more afraid of the language barrier between us than my mentor teacher. She likes to share her experiences with teaching with me, and she's incredible. She told me when she had to hike a mountain just to get to the bus stop since there was no highway connecting this town before. While she was pregnant. Mad dedication to teaching there.
Although the past couple of days have been a bit rough, there is nothing like writing to put things into perspective. It's not as bad as I make it out to be. I have to stop bitching via Facebook status updates. It's only the first 3 days. So while I've been able to catch up on some dramas that I've been meaning to watch, there is still tons of time for me to meet more of the locals, see more of the town, and experience this place as much as I can. I did sign up for this, I knew what I was getting into, and in all honesty: It was my own arrogance that I believed that everything would go perfectly right away. I haven't even started to teach yet!
Mujujungang. :)
Sidenote: "All By Myself" is playing in the background as I finish up this blog. Way to tell me what I already know, iTunes. Thanks.
-Naive TaLK Applicant, October 2010.
Welcome to Muju. Where Paris Baguette (Like a Cobs Bread, but way way better) is where all the hip young adults hang out to drink coffee. Ok, maybe its too early to say that, but I've walked around at night for the past 3 days, and that place was the busiest I've seen anywhere in town.
It's very different from the Korea I fell in love with. Or rather, different from the metropolitan cities of Korea that I fell in love with. I must admit though, it is unfair to compare Muju to Seoul. But I've lived a month in cities here in Korea, and maybe this is the culture shock that Orientation was talking about. There should have been a lecture on dealing with small towns. Not mind-mapping. This part of Korea would be the hard loving. The love that is the nitty-gritty where you realize that everything isn't perfect. Seoul would be the superficial love. I loved the night-life. I loved the busy-ness of it. And now, I have to learn to love the quiet. In any case, Muju is a place that I have to get used to. After all, I'm spending another 5 months here. (possibly 10...)
First impressions? Frustrating might be too harsh of a word for the first few days. Shocking? Uncomfortable? Maybe. It was a shock when I came to Muju and my housing had not been finalized. It was a shock when I realized that I couldn't even settle in to a place since I would be moving out at the end of the month again. It was a bigger shock when I realized that I would have no appliances. It was both shocking and uncomfortable when I realized that I would be sleeping on a mat till...my school orders my bed.
On a lighter note, It was a relief when my mentor teacher told me that this was what she experienced coming out of Teacher's College at Jeonju University. Not in the sadistic way of "Ha ha, you suffered!" But more of, this is a rough step that some teachers are both lucky and unlucky enough to endure. I've gotta give props to my mentor teacher though. This is her first time with TaLK, and she's been nothing but helpful. She tries to get the other teachers to hang out with me, although they are more afraid of the language barrier between us than my mentor teacher. She likes to share her experiences with teaching with me, and she's incredible. She told me when she had to hike a mountain just to get to the bus stop since there was no highway connecting this town before. While she was pregnant. Mad dedication to teaching there.
Although the past couple of days have been a bit rough, there is nothing like writing to put things into perspective. It's not as bad as I make it out to be. I have to stop bitching via Facebook status updates. It's only the first 3 days. So while I've been able to catch up on some dramas that I've been meaning to watch, there is still tons of time for me to meet more of the locals, see more of the town, and experience this place as much as I can. I did sign up for this, I knew what I was getting into, and in all honesty: It was my own arrogance that I believed that everything would go perfectly right away. I haven't even started to teach yet!
Mujujungang. :)
Sidenote: "All By Myself" is playing in the background as I finish up this blog. Way to tell me what I already know, iTunes. Thanks.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Sick in my first 2 weeks of Seoul. Not surprised. Missed the last day of full lectures. Bittersweet? Not really. Lectures were pretty boring for the most part.
Korea so far...Hm. Not much has happened. I guess it is what you make of it. Orientation is really a trial. I dunno if I want to start teaching because I'm excited to teach, or am excited to get out of Orientation! I'm trying to figure out what to make of this experience. The massive group is daunting. I revert back to the meek silent Jose, which seems to be prevalent throughout most of my life. I'm a little angry at myself for not being more outgoing. I feel like I've missed out on the opportunity to meet many different people. However, (as much as this sounds like an excuse) personally, I can't help but think that I should stop beating myself up over it. I understand I'm an introvert, so...should I really be angry at myself for being...who I am? I've made good friends being who I am so far. I've met many people, without changing myself. Why is it that whenever I'm confronted with a massive group of people, I feel the need to change myself in order to more aptly fit in? Maybe I should be less concerned about meeting as many people as possible, and focus on being more open to those I have met.
If being in a foreign place and being surrounded by foreign people has taught me anything thus far, it's that in order to survive, you have to be confident in yourself.
Anyways, back to Korea...
Sickly, and procrastinating. Yet again. Only have to finish this paper then I can leave the course behind till April! Woot. 1500 words on Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'? I will rock you.
Will have to laundry soon, and I'm a little sad my paycheque doesn't come till the end of March. I want to shop. I have a feeling once my pay does come in, I will be spending a weekend in Seoul...to spend.
I also have a feeling my first haircut in Korea is coming up. It's pretty entertaining how the simplest things have become more exciting simply because they take place in a foreign place.
Lo and behold, K-drama prevents me from doing my paper. Some things really don't change.
Korea so far...Hm. Not much has happened. I guess it is what you make of it. Orientation is really a trial. I dunno if I want to start teaching because I'm excited to teach, or am excited to get out of Orientation! I'm trying to figure out what to make of this experience. The massive group is daunting. I revert back to the meek silent Jose, which seems to be prevalent throughout most of my life. I'm a little angry at myself for not being more outgoing. I feel like I've missed out on the opportunity to meet many different people. However, (as much as this sounds like an excuse) personally, I can't help but think that I should stop beating myself up over it. I understand I'm an introvert, so...should I really be angry at myself for being...who I am? I've made good friends being who I am so far. I've met many people, without changing myself. Why is it that whenever I'm confronted with a massive group of people, I feel the need to change myself in order to more aptly fit in? Maybe I should be less concerned about meeting as many people as possible, and focus on being more open to those I have met.
If being in a foreign place and being surrounded by foreign people has taught me anything thus far, it's that in order to survive, you have to be confident in yourself.
Anyways, back to Korea...
Sickly, and procrastinating. Yet again. Only have to finish this paper then I can leave the course behind till April! Woot. 1500 words on Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'? I will rock you.
Will have to laundry soon, and I'm a little sad my paycheque doesn't come till the end of March. I want to shop. I have a feeling once my pay does come in, I will be spending a weekend in Seoul...to spend.
I also have a feeling my first haircut in Korea is coming up. It's pretty entertaining how the simplest things have become more exciting simply because they take place in a foreign place.
Lo and behold, K-drama prevents me from doing my paper. Some things really don't change.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Noise Basement and Mindmaps
Seoul Trip x3
Third Seoul trip. Ended up going to Myeongdong, a shopping street with not so cheap stuff. Even their street clothing (for guys) was upwards of 25 bucks. Tried to haggle with some lady, but even she wouldn't go beneath Canadian prices. Lady, if I can buy the same sweater in Canada for cheaper, I won't be spending my money at your shop. So please, continue to swear at me in Korean.
The nightlife in Seoul, is once again, amazing. Aside from the lights and the walk down hooker alley (or something that closely remembers it), the club we went to was pretty awesome. Good music, drinks weren't half bad. The downside? Guys outnumbered girls, like 5-1. Result? Guys dancing awkwardly around each other to avoid dancing with other guys, and girls being surrounded by creeps x5. The place was mega-crowded, but otherwise awesome. Still don't have much of a voice.
Noise Basement
The lectures at Orientation are very...interesting. There seems to be no middle ground in terms of quality. Either, it is very good. Or very very bad. Teaching us how to keep kids engaged and showing us different teaching strategies? Good. 2 hours on creating a mind map? Very, very, bad.
The result of learning about mindmaps for 2 hours? Owning at Monopoly.
Third Seoul trip. Ended up going to Myeongdong, a shopping street with not so cheap stuff. Even their street clothing (for guys) was upwards of 25 bucks. Tried to haggle with some lady, but even she wouldn't go beneath Canadian prices. Lady, if I can buy the same sweater in Canada for cheaper, I won't be spending my money at your shop. So please, continue to swear at me in Korean.
The nightlife in Seoul, is once again, amazing. Aside from the lights and the walk down hooker alley (or something that closely remembers it), the club we went to was pretty awesome. Good music, drinks weren't half bad. The downside? Guys outnumbered girls, like 5-1. Result? Guys dancing awkwardly around each other to avoid dancing with other guys, and girls being surrounded by creeps x5. The place was mega-crowded, but otherwise awesome. Still don't have much of a voice.
Noise Basement
The lectures at Orientation are very...interesting. There seems to be no middle ground in terms of quality. Either, it is very good. Or very very bad. Teaching us how to keep kids engaged and showing us different teaching strategies? Good. 2 hours on creating a mind map? Very, very, bad.
The result of learning about mindmaps for 2 hours? Owning at Monopoly.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Day 1-3
It's been around 3 days since I've arrived in Seoul, and yes, I've been been horrible at keeping at this blog. But the 3 days in Seoul have felt like I've been here for a while now. Orientation officially started today, and while it was awesome in general, I couldn't help but have a not-so great start to the day. I've always had a problem getting to know people quickly. Being fairly introverted, it's been tough to put myself out there. After a morning of being a hermit, and some praying with Chris Tomlin in the background, I guess I reminded myself about how I got to Korea in the first place. And that after so much preparation, am I really gonna get myself down in the dumps after such a long time preparing, and stressing out over applications?
No. It's a weakness that I'm aware of, so I guess the first month of orientation will help me with that.
Anyways, the rest of the day was great. As the official start to Orientation, the TaLK group headed down to Seoul at the Korea University Campus. It's a beautiful campus. The orientation was fairly interesting. There was some government officials from the Ministry of Education, which was interesting. What was more interesting was hearing them speak about the program, and how important and seriously they take English learning. I couldn't help but remember my research paper on the topic of English Education in Korea and how, despite the large investment and initiatives from the Korean government for English learning, English proficiency has yet to show any large improvements.
Back to Orientation...After the officials, there was this show of a bunch of kids singing, the Rainbow Choir, and it was pretty cute. Some other Korean entertainment, but unfortunately, no KPOP Stars were there to entertain us foreigners.
Afterwards, we had a field trip to Seoul and had to do a scavenger hunt. Aside from going the wrong way, then going too far, it was a pretty awesome time around Seoul. Got to see Insadong! But it was so short. Sadly. I will have to return there to see each awesome shop. And how convenient that we have a weekend free this weekend. :D
After wandering around in the freezing city, it made me love Seoul even more. The city is amazing. I'm still jaded of course, being a foreigner and all, and probably blind of all the negative aspects of the city (i.e friggin cars. No hesitation to hit you.) The impression the city left on me for the first two visits was a good one.
Who wouldn't wanna go home from work with a view like this?
Still working on Blog names...
No. It's a weakness that I'm aware of, so I guess the first month of orientation will help me with that.
Anyways, the rest of the day was great. As the official start to Orientation, the TaLK group headed down to Seoul at the Korea University Campus. It's a beautiful campus. The orientation was fairly interesting. There was some government officials from the Ministry of Education, which was interesting. What was more interesting was hearing them speak about the program, and how important and seriously they take English learning. I couldn't help but remember my research paper on the topic of English Education in Korea and how, despite the large investment and initiatives from the Korean government for English learning, English proficiency has yet to show any large improvements.
Back to Orientation...After the officials, there was this show of a bunch of kids singing, the Rainbow Choir, and it was pretty cute. Some other Korean entertainment, but unfortunately, no KPOP Stars were there to entertain us foreigners.
Afterwards, we had a field trip to Seoul and had to do a scavenger hunt. Aside from going the wrong way, then going too far, it was a pretty awesome time around Seoul. Got to see Insadong! But it was so short. Sadly. I will have to return there to see each awesome shop. And how convenient that we have a weekend free this weekend. :D
After wandering around in the freezing city, it made me love Seoul even more. The city is amazing. I'm still jaded of course, being a foreigner and all, and probably blind of all the negative aspects of the city (i.e friggin cars. No hesitation to hit you.) The impression the city left on me for the first two visits was a good one.
Who wouldn't wanna go home from work with a view like this?
Still working on Blog names...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
0
After 6 months of waiting and waiting, I finally have my ass planted at the Timmy-ho's at YVR. It's gonna be a while before I can have another Timmy's Honey Cruller, or their soup and bagel combo. Lots of things, I guess, which I won't see for a while. But the more I think about the 6 months I'll be gone, the realization that these 6 months will fly by is more clear. I've waited for this for a while, and to finally arrive at this place is a bit surreal. Do I want this to end? Not really. And it hasn't even started.
Sometimes, people say that the journey to get somewhere is the best part. Well my journey to get here wasn't always pretty, but the ending (so far) has only been good times.
Goals for the trip? If anything, this will test the passion that I have to teach as a career. I signed on to re-motivate myself after these continuous months of school. So I hope the experience will only motivate me more. (To come back again of course)
I'm thinking way ahead though. Like I said, It hasn't even started yet. I guess this is the point where I stop wanting days to pass and want days to slow down to a reasonable crawl.
Anyways, before my laptop drains and I have nothing to do on the 12 hour flight, I shall end it here with the classy return of the crappy pun:
Time to do some Seoul searching.
..and I'll try to find a more creative title for these blogs
Sometimes, people say that the journey to get somewhere is the best part. Well my journey to get here wasn't always pretty, but the ending (so far) has only been good times.
Goals for the trip? If anything, this will test the passion that I have to teach as a career. I signed on to re-motivate myself after these continuous months of school. So I hope the experience will only motivate me more. (To come back again of course)
I'm thinking way ahead though. Like I said, It hasn't even started yet. I guess this is the point where I stop wanting days to pass and want days to slow down to a reasonable crawl.
Anyways, before my laptop drains and I have nothing to do on the 12 hour flight, I shall end it here with the classy return of the crappy pun:
Time to do some Seoul searching.
..and I'll try to find a more creative title for these blogs
Monday, January 31, 2011
4
I figure I should get into the habit of keeping on schedule with this blog. Perhaps I shall rename this "Giddy rantings of a excited TaLK teacher" up until the point where I arrive in Korea. Maybe not.
4 days! Cliché countdown? But oh so excited.
Got everything, except my meds. Bags packed. Books bought.
Working the rest of the week. At least I'll have a paycheque coming in. I'll think of it as random money filling my bank account when it arrives. Hoorah.
Thing I'm most looking forward to? Probably the glimpse of what I'll be doing in the future. Out on my own, teaching a class. It's been one of my dreams to be teaching my own class and living independently. Doing it in my undergrad just makes me oh so happy. Plus I get to see what it's like in rural Korea. Maybe I'll end up loving it enough to stay the 2 years.
Gotta let the anxiety settle though. Or maybe I'll just leave them at the airport.
4 days! Cliché countdown? But oh so excited.
Got everything, except my meds. Bags packed. Books bought.
Working the rest of the week. At least I'll have a paycheque coming in. I'll think of it as random money filling my bank account when it arrives. Hoorah.
Thing I'm most looking forward to? Probably the glimpse of what I'll be doing in the future. Out on my own, teaching a class. It's been one of my dreams to be teaching my own class and living independently. Doing it in my undergrad just makes me oh so happy. Plus I get to see what it's like in rural Korea. Maybe I'll end up loving it enough to stay the 2 years.
Gotta let the anxiety settle though. Or maybe I'll just leave them at the airport.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Seoul Seoul Seoul
So Central Seoul!
Got back from the Consulate today, met up with the other TaLK scholars. Found out that many of us are on the same flight as well! So excited to go now. Especially after finding out that Orientation will actually end up being in Seoul! I was under the impression that it was some city a bit of a ways away from Seoul, so this is good news. Lotte World and all that good stuff! Feb will be a glorious month.
10 days left!
Got back from the Consulate today, met up with the other TaLK scholars. Found out that many of us are on the same flight as well! So excited to go now. Especially after finding out that Orientation will actually end up being in Seoul! I was under the impression that it was some city a bit of a ways away from Seoul, so this is good news. Lotte World and all that good stuff! Feb will be a glorious month.
10 days left!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Looking back, oh and I have my ticket.
It's been a crazy couple months to say the least. To start this flashback in a very cliché manner...
Even though it was a couple months ago, I remember it as if it were yesterday...
In all honesty tho, I do remember it pretty clearly. The impatience I had waiting for applications to open. The rush and stress of getting all my documents together so I could meet the early-registration date. Hassling my Prof for that LAST reference letter to complete said application was definitely a highlight. That, compounded on top of school.
I must say though, the timing for everything was impeccable. Finally ended the job hunt and saved enough for Korea, right as I got accepted into the TaLK program. American Eagle was an experience, but just the fact that it forced me to go out of my comfort level of talking to random people, even though they, on frequent occasion, ignore me (sales associates are people too!=[) was a blessing in itself. I really do feel that God was preparing me for many of the challenges I might face in Korea.
Short flashback? Yes. But it's been an amazing couple of months. Now, the wait is almost over! Received my plane ticket (all in Korean I might add, so it took some random clicking to get the actual ticket), and now just have to do some more waiting for the flight! I would love to fly out now, but then again. With the perfect timing on everything, It's clear to me that God was definitely keeping me on track with His schedule. Why ruin a good thing?
It's been crazy, hectic, stressful, and amazing all rolled into one. But it's only going to get a bit crazier. Except it will be done in Korean. And with soju. Lots and lots of soju.
Even though it was a couple months ago, I remember it as if it were yesterday...
In all honesty tho, I do remember it pretty clearly. The impatience I had waiting for applications to open. The rush and stress of getting all my documents together so I could meet the early-registration date. Hassling my Prof for that LAST reference letter to complete said application was definitely a highlight. That, compounded on top of school.
I must say though, the timing for everything was impeccable. Finally ended the job hunt and saved enough for Korea, right as I got accepted into the TaLK program. American Eagle was an experience, but just the fact that it forced me to go out of my comfort level of talking to random people, even though they, on frequent occasion, ignore me (sales associates are people too!=[) was a blessing in itself. I really do feel that God was preparing me for many of the challenges I might face in Korea.
Short flashback? Yes. But it's been an amazing couple of months. Now, the wait is almost over! Received my plane ticket (all in Korean I might add, so it took some random clicking to get the actual ticket), and now just have to do some more waiting for the flight! I would love to fly out now, but then again. With the perfect timing on everything, It's clear to me that God was definitely keeping me on track with His schedule. Why ruin a good thing?
It's been crazy, hectic, stressful, and amazing all rolled into one. But it's only going to get a bit crazier. Except it will be done in Korean. And with soju. Lots and lots of soju.
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