The new school semester has started and with it has come a whole new set of challenges, exciting experiences, and funny comments. Today, I'm going to summarize some of my favorites!
Me: "What did you do over winter vacation?"
Students: "I make a sandwich."; "I watch (the movie) Ninja Assassin. Rain (the Korean actor) is world star."; "I fought with my brother";
Me: "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"
Student: "Home"
Me: "What makes you mad? Why?"
Students: "It makes me mad in Chinese characters (a class they have to take), because of the mouse smell"; "It makes me mad when I eat fish because it is not delicious. It smells bad"; "It makes me mad when it rains because the car splashes me" (yes it was raining that day); "Couples make me mad becuase I am lonely" (coming from a middle school student); "It makes me mad when I play games becuase the computer is slow"; "It makes me mad when I play computer games, because my character dies"
Co-teacher: "Did you eat breakfast this morning?"
Me: "Yes"
Co-teacher: "Did you have a sandwich?"
Me: "No, did you?"
Co-teacher: "Well no, but I'm Korean."
I'm not sure why Koreans always think foriegners eat sandwiches.....
It was well into my second week of school before we had a semester schedule. They didn't even make it until after school had started.
I'm teaching 3rd grade (equivalent of 9th grade) three times a week. I'm not sure who will get tired of the other first.
I have some really great 1st graders (equivalent of 7th graders). They will be a blast to teach!
These are my observations so far from my semester! My students seem to always make me laugh :) which makes me job so much fun.
I hope you are all doing well. Love and miss you!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Back in Hwacheon
So, I've returned from 26 days of fun- traveling to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I really enjoyed learning about new cultures, seeing new places, and being a tourist.
I've returned back to the homestay, and have been preparing for a new school semester. I only have four months left of my grant year- and I have such mixed emotions. Truthfully, I'm ready to come home and start teaching ag., but I also want to make the most of my last four months. Here is a list of things I want to do before I leave:
Start WWOOFing (an organization I have joined to work on farms throughout Korea)Attend a pro soccer game
Hike to the top of Mt. Halla (on Jeju Island)
Go white water rafting
Temple stay at a Buddhist temple
Spend time with friends
Hike Mt. Seorak
Visit the East Sea
Go to some festivals including the Strawberry Festival, Bamboo Festival, and the Cherry Blossom Festival
Enjoy a water park in Seoul
(I also need to do a little thing called saving money!)
So you can tell that I have an action packed four months ahead. I know that the time will go so fast. My goal- to enjoy this while it lasts!
I hope you are all doing well- I miss and love you.
I've returned back to the homestay, and have been preparing for a new school semester. I only have four months left of my grant year- and I have such mixed emotions. Truthfully, I'm ready to come home and start teaching ag., but I also want to make the most of my last four months. Here is a list of things I want to do before I leave:
Start WWOOFing (an organization I have joined to work on farms throughout Korea)Attend a pro soccer game
Hike to the top of Mt. Halla (on Jeju Island)
Go white water rafting
Temple stay at a Buddhist temple
Spend time with friends
Hike Mt. Seorak
Visit the East Sea
Go to some festivals including the Strawberry Festival, Bamboo Festival, and the Cherry Blossom Festival
Enjoy a water park in Seoul
(I also need to do a little thing called saving money!)
So you can tell that I have an action packed four months ahead. I know that the time will go so fast. My goal- to enjoy this while it lasts!
I hope you are all doing well- I miss and love you.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival
The past couple weeks in Hwacheon have been fun-filled and action packed. The annual Sancheoneo Festival has started!!! This is festival that takes place in our small town and attracts over 1 million people annually. Here is how it works: They block the river off, so it stops flowing. Then naturally, it freezes (it helps that the temperature is around 15 degrees F. every day). The festival takes place on the frozen river. There is ice fishing, ice skating, ice sledding, ice slides, ice sculptures, snow sculptures, ice 4-wheelers, ice go-carts, and my favorite bare-handed fishing. This is where people stand in a pool of non-heated water, and try to catch fish with their bare hands! The name of the festival is Sancheoneo (which is the Korean word for the type of trout that is famous here). I have participated in the ice fishing, ice sledding, and ice slides, and looked at the ice sculptures, snow sculptures, and bare-handed fishing. It is so amazing to see how many people come to this festival. I walked into town from my apartment, and the traffic was so bad, I was faster walking than the people driving! It has been a really fun festival, that I have gotten to share with great friends :)
This is also my second week of teaching my winter English class. Each day, my students are learning about a different city in the U.S. After they take notes about the city, we then do a cultural enrichment activity. For example, today we studied Houston, and I taught my students to line dance! Then, at the end of the day, they research on the internet, and are making their very own travel guide. Overall, the students are doing a really good job with this (considering that none of them want to be there).
I leave in a week to go to Singapore/Indonesia/Thailand/Vietnam. I can't wait to lay on the beach/explore/learn history and culture of these places! I hope it is a relaxing experience and that I come back refreshed for 4 months of English teaching.
Miss and love you all
Jacque
This is also my second week of teaching my winter English class. Each day, my students are learning about a different city in the U.S. After they take notes about the city, we then do a cultural enrichment activity. For example, today we studied Houston, and I taught my students to line dance! Then, at the end of the day, they research on the internet, and are making their very own travel guide. Overall, the students are doing a really good job with this (considering that none of them want to be there).
I leave in a week to go to Singapore/Indonesia/Thailand/Vietnam. I can't wait to lay on the beach/explore/learn history and culture of these places! I hope it is a relaxing experience and that I come back refreshed for 4 months of English teaching.
Miss and love you all
Jacque
Friday, January 8, 2010
Family Visit
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I hope that your Christmas was truly blessed, and that your New Year has started off great (and that you made and are still keeping your resolutions)
This was my first Christmas away from home. However, I was so lucky to be surrounded by friends AND my family flew into Korea on Christmas evening! This letter will be about our travels around Korea.
On December 24, I headed to Seoul to meet friends. That evening, we went to see the “Broadway” production of “The Wizard of Oz”. Little did we know when we bought the tickets that the production would be in Korean! The stage and props were nice. We then walked around Myeongdong (a shopping area) and it was PACKED! We found out later that at midnight, they shut off the lights, and all of the couples can have a Christmas kiss. (In Korea, Christmas is not a family holiday; it is a couple’s holiday). We had decided to buy gifts for stockings, and exchange stockings. So, on Christmas morning, I went to church, and then we opened our stockings. It was a lot of fun! Then we went across town and checked my family into the hotel we would be staying in and ate a late lunch.
Dongmi’s family wanted to pick up my family at the airport. So later that evening, I met with them, and we drove to the airport. FINALLY, my family arrived!!! It was so great to see them. It was late when we left the airport, and even later when Dongmi’s family left our hotel (~2:30 am).
Seoul
Dec. 26: The next morning, we slept in, and then headed to meet my friends for lunch. It was great to be able to introduce my family to the great people that I have met here. Then, Dongmi’s family picked us up and we drove to Changdeokgung Palace. It is the largest palace in Seoul (in Korea). We left there and headed to Cheongwadae. This is the Office of the President of South Korea, Lee Myung Bak. Then, we drove to Insadong (it is a shopping area) and ate dinner. This was my family’s first traditional dinner- we had bulgogi (a beef dish), makgoli (rice wine), and soju (think vodka x 10). They handled it decently well. Finally, we went to Namsan Tower. We took the cable car up the mountain. Then, we went to the top of the tower. We were very lucky, because it was a very clear night and we could see a long ways.
Dec. 27: Three of us went to English mass at Myeongdong Cathedral. Dongmi’s family picked us up, and we headed to a Korean Traditional Village. It was very interesting to see how people in Korea used to live. It started to snow while we were there, and it took a long time to get back to Seoul. We stopped and ate Samgyeopsal (pork side) for dinner. I think this was my family’s favorite meal the entire time they were here.
Dec. 28: This was a shopping day! We checked out three areas: Myeongdong, Insadong, and Namdaemun Market. Myeongdong is a modern shopping area. Insadong is an area where you can buy traditional Korean gifts/crafts. Namdaemun is the largest outdoor market in Korea. It has everything you can think of: food, clothes, shoes, jewelry, gifts, crafts, etc. We also saw a show called NANTA. It is a drumming show, set in a kitchen. So they use knives and chopping boards, buckets, and pans for the drumming. This was a pretty good show!
Dec. 29: This morning we woke up and headed on a tour to the DMZ. We first went to Imjingak Park. This is where one of the last trains that went to the North is. This is a place where people still come to pray for reunification of Korea. Then we saw a video about the division of Korea. We also got to go into the 3rd infiltration tunnel. This was one of four tunnels dug by North Korea to infiltrate the South. Over 10,000 North Korean soldiers could go through this tunnel in one hour. We then went to Dora Observatory, where we could see the DMZ, as well as North Korea. Finally, we went to Dorasan Station. This is the northern most train station in South Korea. The South built this station in hopes that the two Koreas will eventually reunify. When/if they do, South Korea will then be linked via railroad to the rest of Asia, as well as Europe. On the way back to Seoul, we also went to an amethyst factory. They had really beautiful jewelry there. When we got back to Seoul, we went to the War Memorial Museum of Korea. Korea has been involved in many wars (not just the Korean War). This was a very interesting museum.
Busan
Dec. 30: We got up and went to Seoul Station to get on the train to go to Busan. We took a KTX train to go to Busan. This type of train travels over 300 km/hr. Busan is a major port city in Asia. When we arrived in Busan, we had some time to look around so we went to Busan Tower. From the top of this, you could see all of Busan Harbor. We also went to Jagalchi Fish Market. This is the largest fish market in Korea. That evening, we got on an overnight ferry to Jeju Island. The ship had a restaurant, arcade, pub and sleeping quarters. We luckily had our own room (3 sets of bunk beds). When we woke up the next morning, we were in Jeju!
Jeju
Dec. 31: We took a city bus out of Jeju City and headed towards Hallim Park. This is a park that had botanical gardens, lava caves, bonsai garden, stone garden, a bird zoo, and a traditional village. It was very beautiful. However, they boast a sub-tropical garden, and while we were there it was snowing- haha. My favorite was the lava tubes. They were made from when the volcano that made the island erupted. The cool thing about these caves is that it is one of the only places in the world where there are stalagmites and stalactites inside of a lava cave. This is because above the lava tubes, there is limestone. The limestone has leaked into the lava and has eventually made these structures. We then went on to Seogwipo. We saw the World Cup Stadium, where the 2002 World Cup was held (soccer). Our hotel had a beautiful location- it overlooked the harbor and we could easily see the ocean from our room! However, we were so tired, that none of us made it to midnight for New Years Eve
Jan. 1: First thing this morning, we went on a submarine ride to see fish and coral of the coast. It was very beautiful. Additionally, the weather cleared up and we could see the top of Mt. Halla, the volcano that made Jeju Island. We also saw Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls. These were very calming. Although our stay on Jeju Island was short, it was very beautiful! We took a bus back to Jeju City and got on a ferry to Mokpo (a different port city on the mainland).
Mokpo/Hwacheon
Jan. 2: Today was a traveling day. We woke up to catch a KTX train back to Seoul, then a bus from Seoul to Hwacheon (my hometown). We didn’t arrive until almost 9 pm. Then my host family wanted to take us out to eat. We had dakgalbi- this is a chicken dish, cooked with cabbage, potatoes, rice cakes, and a spicy sauce. My family really liked this as well.
Hwacheon
Jan. 3: A few of us went to church this morning. We also had another surprise. My host cousin was turning one year old. This is a big celebration in Korea. It is supposed to wish them well with their life. Later, we took a boat out of Hwacheon and went to the Peace Dam. This was such a beautiful ride! Years ago, the North built a dam that if filled with water and released, could flood Seoul. So this is the dam that South Korea built in response. It is supposed to catch the water if the North ever decides to try to flood Seoul. My family also got to ring the Peace Bell- which was pretty cool. When we got back to Hwacheon, we saw the snow sculptures and ice sculptures that my town has made in preparation for the Ice Fishing Festival that starts this weekend. They are really beautiful, and so much craftsmanship has gone into all of it! We ate bulgogi for dinner that night.
Seoul
Jan. 4: We traveled back to Seoul. This actually took a lot longer than we thought it would, because on this day, Seoul got the most snow it had ever gotten (since it started recording in the 1930’s). We finally got to our hotel! We ate dinner (at an American food place!), and just got ready for them to leave. Some of us had a little bit of shopping they wanted to do, so we went shopping for a couple of hours.
Jan. 5: We caught the airport bus to head for the airport. Luckily, the roads were a lot better today, and it only took a little longer than normal to reach the airport. Their plane even left Korea early.
This was a brief summary of their visit. It was so fun for me to be able to show them around, and to have them experience a little bit of Korea with me. I am so lucky that they were able to come and spend some time here.
Starting on Monday, I am teaching a two week winter English camp at my school. Korean schools have a long winter break and a short summer break (the opposite of U.S. schools). Then, on Jan. 27, I am leaving with friends to tour Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I am really looking forward to this! Hopefully, it will help me relax and refresh me for four more months of English teaching!
I hope you are all doing well and surviving the bitter cold temperatures that have hit. I miss you and love you!
Jacque
I hope that your Christmas was truly blessed, and that your New Year has started off great (and that you made and are still keeping your resolutions)
This was my first Christmas away from home. However, I was so lucky to be surrounded by friends AND my family flew into Korea on Christmas evening! This letter will be about our travels around Korea.
On December 24, I headed to Seoul to meet friends. That evening, we went to see the “Broadway” production of “The Wizard of Oz”. Little did we know when we bought the tickets that the production would be in Korean! The stage and props were nice. We then walked around Myeongdong (a shopping area) and it was PACKED! We found out later that at midnight, they shut off the lights, and all of the couples can have a Christmas kiss. (In Korea, Christmas is not a family holiday; it is a couple’s holiday). We had decided to buy gifts for stockings, and exchange stockings. So, on Christmas morning, I went to church, and then we opened our stockings. It was a lot of fun! Then we went across town and checked my family into the hotel we would be staying in and ate a late lunch.
Dongmi’s family wanted to pick up my family at the airport. So later that evening, I met with them, and we drove to the airport. FINALLY, my family arrived!!! It was so great to see them. It was late when we left the airport, and even later when Dongmi’s family left our hotel (~2:30 am).
Seoul
Dec. 26: The next morning, we slept in, and then headed to meet my friends for lunch. It was great to be able to introduce my family to the great people that I have met here. Then, Dongmi’s family picked us up and we drove to Changdeokgung Palace. It is the largest palace in Seoul (in Korea). We left there and headed to Cheongwadae. This is the Office of the President of South Korea, Lee Myung Bak. Then, we drove to Insadong (it is a shopping area) and ate dinner. This was my family’s first traditional dinner- we had bulgogi (a beef dish), makgoli (rice wine), and soju (think vodka x 10). They handled it decently well. Finally, we went to Namsan Tower. We took the cable car up the mountain. Then, we went to the top of the tower. We were very lucky, because it was a very clear night and we could see a long ways.
Dec. 27: Three of us went to English mass at Myeongdong Cathedral. Dongmi’s family picked us up, and we headed to a Korean Traditional Village. It was very interesting to see how people in Korea used to live. It started to snow while we were there, and it took a long time to get back to Seoul. We stopped and ate Samgyeopsal (pork side) for dinner. I think this was my family’s favorite meal the entire time they were here.
Dec. 28: This was a shopping day! We checked out three areas: Myeongdong, Insadong, and Namdaemun Market. Myeongdong is a modern shopping area. Insadong is an area where you can buy traditional Korean gifts/crafts. Namdaemun is the largest outdoor market in Korea. It has everything you can think of: food, clothes, shoes, jewelry, gifts, crafts, etc. We also saw a show called NANTA. It is a drumming show, set in a kitchen. So they use knives and chopping boards, buckets, and pans for the drumming. This was a pretty good show!
Dec. 29: This morning we woke up and headed on a tour to the DMZ. We first went to Imjingak Park. This is where one of the last trains that went to the North is. This is a place where people still come to pray for reunification of Korea. Then we saw a video about the division of Korea. We also got to go into the 3rd infiltration tunnel. This was one of four tunnels dug by North Korea to infiltrate the South. Over 10,000 North Korean soldiers could go through this tunnel in one hour. We then went to Dora Observatory, where we could see the DMZ, as well as North Korea. Finally, we went to Dorasan Station. This is the northern most train station in South Korea. The South built this station in hopes that the two Koreas will eventually reunify. When/if they do, South Korea will then be linked via railroad to the rest of Asia, as well as Europe. On the way back to Seoul, we also went to an amethyst factory. They had really beautiful jewelry there. When we got back to Seoul, we went to the War Memorial Museum of Korea. Korea has been involved in many wars (not just the Korean War). This was a very interesting museum.
Busan
Dec. 30: We got up and went to Seoul Station to get on the train to go to Busan. We took a KTX train to go to Busan. This type of train travels over 300 km/hr. Busan is a major port city in Asia. When we arrived in Busan, we had some time to look around so we went to Busan Tower. From the top of this, you could see all of Busan Harbor. We also went to Jagalchi Fish Market. This is the largest fish market in Korea. That evening, we got on an overnight ferry to Jeju Island. The ship had a restaurant, arcade, pub and sleeping quarters. We luckily had our own room (3 sets of bunk beds). When we woke up the next morning, we were in Jeju!
Jeju
Dec. 31: We took a city bus out of Jeju City and headed towards Hallim Park. This is a park that had botanical gardens, lava caves, bonsai garden, stone garden, a bird zoo, and a traditional village. It was very beautiful. However, they boast a sub-tropical garden, and while we were there it was snowing- haha. My favorite was the lava tubes. They were made from when the volcano that made the island erupted. The cool thing about these caves is that it is one of the only places in the world where there are stalagmites and stalactites inside of a lava cave. This is because above the lava tubes, there is limestone. The limestone has leaked into the lava and has eventually made these structures. We then went on to Seogwipo. We saw the World Cup Stadium, where the 2002 World Cup was held (soccer). Our hotel had a beautiful location- it overlooked the harbor and we could easily see the ocean from our room! However, we were so tired, that none of us made it to midnight for New Years Eve
Jan. 1: First thing this morning, we went on a submarine ride to see fish and coral of the coast. It was very beautiful. Additionally, the weather cleared up and we could see the top of Mt. Halla, the volcano that made Jeju Island. We also saw Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls. These were very calming. Although our stay on Jeju Island was short, it was very beautiful! We took a bus back to Jeju City and got on a ferry to Mokpo (a different port city on the mainland).
Mokpo/Hwacheon
Jan. 2: Today was a traveling day. We woke up to catch a KTX train back to Seoul, then a bus from Seoul to Hwacheon (my hometown). We didn’t arrive until almost 9 pm. Then my host family wanted to take us out to eat. We had dakgalbi- this is a chicken dish, cooked with cabbage, potatoes, rice cakes, and a spicy sauce. My family really liked this as well.
Hwacheon
Jan. 3: A few of us went to church this morning. We also had another surprise. My host cousin was turning one year old. This is a big celebration in Korea. It is supposed to wish them well with their life. Later, we took a boat out of Hwacheon and went to the Peace Dam. This was such a beautiful ride! Years ago, the North built a dam that if filled with water and released, could flood Seoul. So this is the dam that South Korea built in response. It is supposed to catch the water if the North ever decides to try to flood Seoul. My family also got to ring the Peace Bell- which was pretty cool. When we got back to Hwacheon, we saw the snow sculptures and ice sculptures that my town has made in preparation for the Ice Fishing Festival that starts this weekend. They are really beautiful, and so much craftsmanship has gone into all of it! We ate bulgogi for dinner that night.
Seoul
Jan. 4: We traveled back to Seoul. This actually took a lot longer than we thought it would, because on this day, Seoul got the most snow it had ever gotten (since it started recording in the 1930’s). We finally got to our hotel! We ate dinner (at an American food place!), and just got ready for them to leave. Some of us had a little bit of shopping they wanted to do, so we went shopping for a couple of hours.
Jan. 5: We caught the airport bus to head for the airport. Luckily, the roads were a lot better today, and it only took a little longer than normal to reach the airport. Their plane even left Korea early.
This was a brief summary of their visit. It was so fun for me to be able to show them around, and to have them experience a little bit of Korea with me. I am so lucky that they were able to come and spend some time here.
Starting on Monday, I am teaching a two week winter English camp at my school. Korean schools have a long winter break and a short summer break (the opposite of U.S. schools). Then, on Jan. 27, I am leaving with friends to tour Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I am really looking forward to this! Hopefully, it will help me relax and refresh me for four more months of English teaching!
I hope you are all doing well and surviving the bitter cold temperatures that have hit. I miss you and love you!
Jacque
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope it is blessed with time spent with family and friends.
This will be my last post before the holidays, and the last post before my family arrives in Korea! It still seems surreal that they will be here in three days!
Last week, Hwacheon county took us on a "cultural experience". In truth, it was more like vacation! First, we drove to Hongcheon to a ski resort. Although the resort was kind of small (they had a total of 6 slopes), it was still a lot of fun. It was also man-made snow, so it reminded me a lot of going skiing in Weston. In the afternoon, we headed to an indoor waterpark. It was all part of the same resort. This was an interesting experience. First, we all had to wear the swim caps (like pro swimmers wear)- I guess they didn't want any foriegn hair in their pools :) Second, the water park was also part jimjilbang. So, much to our surprise, when we went to the shower/locker room, there were many naked Koreans walking around. This is okay if you are expecting it, but a whole different story if it just happens to you! Anyways, the water park was fun- there were a couple of slides, and jet pools. They also had hot tubs- which were located outside, so picture a full on sprint between the doors and the water (temperatures were around 24 degrees Farhenheit).
That night we drove almost an hour to eat. However, in Korea, they don't want you to get bored with driving (hence, it is ok to have mini t.v.'s in the front half of the car), so on the bus back to the hotel, we all sang karaoke (called noraebang in Korean). That night, we stayed in a pretty nice hotel. In it, there was bumper cars, bowling, ping pong, billiards, and a carousel. We (19 foriegn teachers) played bumper cars and bowling- lots of fun!
The next day, we learned taekwondo in the morning, and salmunori in the afternoon. Taekwondo was cool because we had middle and high school students helping us (they are black belts). Salmunori is Korea's traditional drumming. It was interesting, but not really my thing. When we went to learn salmunori, we went to a middle/high school. This school is a missionary school for "maladjusted students." The cool thing was they had so many "alternative" classes. So they have classes of band, rock band, salmunori, cooking, art, and gardening. These classes are very rare in Korean schools, and it was great that a school for "maladjusted" students sees the value in these classes.
The last week of school has been very stressful for me. I have been trying to finish our book project (which we finished today!), keep pen pals going over my lunch hour, finalize plans for winter break for my family and myself, and work on plans for my winter English camp (which no students want to go to b/c it is during their break- who can blame them?).
I have prepared gifts for my host family and for the teachers at school. We were told at orientation that gift giving is a huge culture here. However, I have not seen this. When I give gifts, it makes an awkward situation, because then the receiver feels like they should have gotten me something, but they didn't, so now everything is weird. This has happened for birthdays and for Christmas both.
Today was my last day at school for the semester! I really can't believe that my grant year is basically half over. Reflecting on the semester, it has really gone fast (although while I was living it, I thought time was crawling by!).
In three days my family and Darrell will be here- YAY! They will stay until January 5. Then from Jan. 11-22, I am teaching an English Camp at my school. Then from Jan. 27-Feb. 22 I will be traveling with friends to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam!
I will start back teaching on March 2nd, and only have 4 1/2 months left. I know it will go so fast.
Please have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love you
This will be my last post before the holidays, and the last post before my family arrives in Korea! It still seems surreal that they will be here in three days!
Last week, Hwacheon county took us on a "cultural experience". In truth, it was more like vacation! First, we drove to Hongcheon to a ski resort. Although the resort was kind of small (they had a total of 6 slopes), it was still a lot of fun. It was also man-made snow, so it reminded me a lot of going skiing in Weston. In the afternoon, we headed to an indoor waterpark. It was all part of the same resort. This was an interesting experience. First, we all had to wear the swim caps (like pro swimmers wear)- I guess they didn't want any foriegn hair in their pools :) Second, the water park was also part jimjilbang. So, much to our surprise, when we went to the shower/locker room, there were many naked Koreans walking around. This is okay if you are expecting it, but a whole different story if it just happens to you! Anyways, the water park was fun- there were a couple of slides, and jet pools. They also had hot tubs- which were located outside, so picture a full on sprint between the doors and the water (temperatures were around 24 degrees Farhenheit).
That night we drove almost an hour to eat. However, in Korea, they don't want you to get bored with driving (hence, it is ok to have mini t.v.'s in the front half of the car), so on the bus back to the hotel, we all sang karaoke (called noraebang in Korean). That night, we stayed in a pretty nice hotel. In it, there was bumper cars, bowling, ping pong, billiards, and a carousel. We (19 foriegn teachers) played bumper cars and bowling- lots of fun!
The next day, we learned taekwondo in the morning, and salmunori in the afternoon. Taekwondo was cool because we had middle and high school students helping us (they are black belts). Salmunori is Korea's traditional drumming. It was interesting, but not really my thing. When we went to learn salmunori, we went to a middle/high school. This school is a missionary school for "maladjusted students." The cool thing was they had so many "alternative" classes. So they have classes of band, rock band, salmunori, cooking, art, and gardening. These classes are very rare in Korean schools, and it was great that a school for "maladjusted" students sees the value in these classes.
The last week of school has been very stressful for me. I have been trying to finish our book project (which we finished today!), keep pen pals going over my lunch hour, finalize plans for winter break for my family and myself, and work on plans for my winter English camp (which no students want to go to b/c it is during their break- who can blame them?).
I have prepared gifts for my host family and for the teachers at school. We were told at orientation that gift giving is a huge culture here. However, I have not seen this. When I give gifts, it makes an awkward situation, because then the receiver feels like they should have gotten me something, but they didn't, so now everything is weird. This has happened for birthdays and for Christmas both.
Today was my last day at school for the semester! I really can't believe that my grant year is basically half over. Reflecting on the semester, it has really gone fast (although while I was living it, I thought time was crawling by!).
In three days my family and Darrell will be here- YAY! They will stay until January 5. Then from Jan. 11-22, I am teaching an English Camp at my school. Then from Jan. 27-Feb. 22 I will be traveling with friends to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam!
I will start back teaching on March 2nd, and only have 4 1/2 months left. I know it will go so fast.
Please have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love you
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Counting down....
This week, I have been counting down to many things.
First and foremost I'm counting down to winter break. I am burned out teaching English- out of ideas of what to teach and out of patience with both my co-teachers and students. I am SO looking forward to seeing my family and traveling over winter break.
Second, I'm counting down the the end of my after school program. While this program has been great (I've really enjoyed working with the students), it's has made for really long days. I get to school at 8:15 and don't leave until after 7:15. Although I did the same thing when I student taught at Centre, it was very different because I enjoyed what I was teaching.
Third, waiting patiently for ag. ed. jobs to start opening up in Kansas. I think about where I was at this time last year- I was getting ready to start student teaching- and job searching was the last thing on my mind. Now, I am already starting to get antsy. It doesn't help that educational funding in Kansas was cut big time this month. I know that usually the first things to go are the "extra" classes, therefore the "extra" teachers.
Last weekend, I spent the weekend in Seoul. My friend and I saw the New York Harlem singers at the Seoul Arts Center. They were very good! The first half was traditional soulful songs. The second half of their show was Christmas music. It was so great to hear both kinds of songs. My friend and I also got a lot of Christmas shopping done! We even found a Costco (finally, on our second try!), so that was awesome.
I had no school on Monday, so I went to the Vietnam Embasssy to get a visa. I am planning on visiting Vietnam over winter break. The worker at the embassy was a jerk, and got me to tears. It was a really bad experience (I'll spare you the details), and if I hadn't already bought my plane tickets I wouldn't be going to Vietnam. They had to keep my passport, and I got it in the mail on Friday.... along with a receipt. The worker that I dealt with ripped me off 60,000 won (about $55). Because I didn't get a receipt of how much I paid when I was at the embassy (and of course it was in cash), there is no way to prove that he ripped me off. I am still upset by it- the ambassador will be receiving a letter from me, and I will be paying this particular worker a visit. The only good thing is that I received my passport back.
Teaching this week was very strange. The first and second graders were testing. So Monday, no school. Tuesday, I was supposed to teach 3rd graders (they aren't testing), but I ended up only having a half day. Wednesday, I was supposed to come in for the afternoon classes. When I got to school, the English teachers were like, "Why are you here?" so I told them that I had a class and they were like "No, all of the classes have been cancelled for the afternoon." I replied, "Oh, no one told me. No one called or texted me." I still don't know why they didn't think to call me- it would have been really considerate of them. Thursday and Friday were regular days for me. The English department at our school just bought 20 new movies (English movies with Korean subtitles), to use in class. So, I had planned to use one of these. However, I got told that I could not show movies in my class, and that I needed to come up with something else. I don't understand why the English department bought all of these DVD's, if no one gets to use them.
My students wrote their first pen pal letters this week. They are so incredibly excited to be making friends in the U.S. It makes it a lot of fun for me :) I even had to convince one boy NOT to write "I love you" at the end of his letter- haha. It is such a great thing for these students to be able to "experience" a new culture.
Tomorrow, Hwacheon County is again taking us on a cultural experience of Korea. All of the foreign teachers in Hwacheon County will go. First, we will go to a ski resort and go skiing- YAY! Then, at the same resort, they have an indoor water park, so we will go swimming for the afternoon. On Tuesday, we will learn taekwondo (martial art) and salmunori (traditional drumming). I am really looking forward to these- it should be a lot of fun. When I get back, I only have 5 days of teaching left!!!
I hope you are doing well. Much love.
First and foremost I'm counting down to winter break. I am burned out teaching English- out of ideas of what to teach and out of patience with both my co-teachers and students. I am SO looking forward to seeing my family and traveling over winter break.
Second, I'm counting down the the end of my after school program. While this program has been great (I've really enjoyed working with the students), it's has made for really long days. I get to school at 8:15 and don't leave until after 7:15. Although I did the same thing when I student taught at Centre, it was very different because I enjoyed what I was teaching.
Third, waiting patiently for ag. ed. jobs to start opening up in Kansas. I think about where I was at this time last year- I was getting ready to start student teaching- and job searching was the last thing on my mind. Now, I am already starting to get antsy. It doesn't help that educational funding in Kansas was cut big time this month. I know that usually the first things to go are the "extra" classes, therefore the "extra" teachers.
Last weekend, I spent the weekend in Seoul. My friend and I saw the New York Harlem singers at the Seoul Arts Center. They were very good! The first half was traditional soulful songs. The second half of their show was Christmas music. It was so great to hear both kinds of songs. My friend and I also got a lot of Christmas shopping done! We even found a Costco (finally, on our second try!), so that was awesome.
I had no school on Monday, so I went to the Vietnam Embasssy to get a visa. I am planning on visiting Vietnam over winter break. The worker at the embassy was a jerk, and got me to tears. It was a really bad experience (I'll spare you the details), and if I hadn't already bought my plane tickets I wouldn't be going to Vietnam. They had to keep my passport, and I got it in the mail on Friday.... along with a receipt. The worker that I dealt with ripped me off 60,000 won (about $55). Because I didn't get a receipt of how much I paid when I was at the embassy (and of course it was in cash), there is no way to prove that he ripped me off. I am still upset by it- the ambassador will be receiving a letter from me, and I will be paying this particular worker a visit. The only good thing is that I received my passport back.
Teaching this week was very strange. The first and second graders were testing. So Monday, no school. Tuesday, I was supposed to teach 3rd graders (they aren't testing), but I ended up only having a half day. Wednesday, I was supposed to come in for the afternoon classes. When I got to school, the English teachers were like, "Why are you here?" so I told them that I had a class and they were like "No, all of the classes have been cancelled for the afternoon." I replied, "Oh, no one told me. No one called or texted me." I still don't know why they didn't think to call me- it would have been really considerate of them. Thursday and Friday were regular days for me. The English department at our school just bought 20 new movies (English movies with Korean subtitles), to use in class. So, I had planned to use one of these. However, I got told that I could not show movies in my class, and that I needed to come up with something else. I don't understand why the English department bought all of these DVD's, if no one gets to use them.
My students wrote their first pen pal letters this week. They are so incredibly excited to be making friends in the U.S. It makes it a lot of fun for me :) I even had to convince one boy NOT to write "I love you" at the end of his letter- haha. It is such a great thing for these students to be able to "experience" a new culture.
Tomorrow, Hwacheon County is again taking us on a cultural experience of Korea. All of the foreign teachers in Hwacheon County will go. First, we will go to a ski resort and go skiing- YAY! Then, at the same resort, they have an indoor water park, so we will go swimming for the afternoon. On Tuesday, we will learn taekwondo (martial art) and salmunori (traditional drumming). I am really looking forward to these- it should be a lot of fun. When I get back, I only have 5 days of teaching left!!!
I hope you are doing well. Much love.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thanksgiving!
Hello everyone!
I hope that this blog finds you STILL recovering from an AMAZING Thanksgiving, filled with lots of family, friends, and of course food!
I had never thought about NOT being able to spend Thanksgiving or holidays with family, and it has made me that much more thankful for what I have.
In school, I taught Thanksgiving to my students. We watched a Simpson's episode, watched a clip of football, and a video clip of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade and football were/are so foriegn to my students. They really enjoyed seeing how other cultures celebrate a holiday. Then, we made turkeys. They wrote four things that they were thankful for on the feathers, cut them out, colored them, and pasted them to the turkey. Although they thought that this was kind of silly, they enjoyed getting to do an art project. Because of their curriculum, students very rarely get to take an art class in school.
Thanksgiving Day was very difficult for me. I was in school, teaching about the holiday, and missing my family and friends very much. The most difficult was when I was showing pictures of my family eating, and knowing what I was missing out on. However, I know how extremely lucky I am to be in Korea, and that in the long run of things, missing one Thanksgiving isn't that big of a deal.
On Friday, all of the ETA's in Korea, were invited to the U.S. embassy for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. How many times in your life do you get the chance to spend a holiday at a U.S. embass, with the U.S. ambassador and the head of your program? Additionally, all of my friends were there. We ate an amazing meal! Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes w/ gravy (the first gravy I've had since being in Korea), salad, fruit, two kinds of cheesecake, pumpkin pie. The whole experience was really great.
I spent the rest of the weekend in Seoul. It was so good to catch up with friends that I hadn't seen in over a month! Additionally, I checked out the National Museum of Korea. It was HUGE!!! There were so many cool artifacts from throughout Korea, as well as Japan, China, and even Vietnam. Soon, they are going to have a travelling exhibit about the Incan Indians from Peru. I hope to be able to check this out!
This weekend, I again traveling to Seoul. I am meeting a friend and we are going Christmas shopping. We might even try to go ice skating!
This week I received a box from home and a letter from Darrell. I have enjoyed wearing the boots that my family sent me- they are so warm!
Our after school program started on November 23. I have really enjoyed working with these students. We are making a book about Korean culture and history. Additionally, they are going to enter a photography contest with pictures taken from their cell phones. I feel like having the students use English to write a book, is far more useful, than having the students sit and memorize grammar structures. However, their parents don't think so. We started out with a group of 20, and are now down to 11 students on a regular basis. The parents are pulling out the students to go to hagwon instead. It is very disappointing to see this. I know that this will also be ab obstacle I face with my agriculture students when I return to the U.S.
This has been a relatively good week. I hope you are all doing well.
Love and miss you
I hope that this blog finds you STILL recovering from an AMAZING Thanksgiving, filled with lots of family, friends, and of course food!
I had never thought about NOT being able to spend Thanksgiving or holidays with family, and it has made me that much more thankful for what I have.
In school, I taught Thanksgiving to my students. We watched a Simpson's episode, watched a clip of football, and a video clip of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade and football were/are so foriegn to my students. They really enjoyed seeing how other cultures celebrate a holiday. Then, we made turkeys. They wrote four things that they were thankful for on the feathers, cut them out, colored them, and pasted them to the turkey. Although they thought that this was kind of silly, they enjoyed getting to do an art project. Because of their curriculum, students very rarely get to take an art class in school.
Thanksgiving Day was very difficult for me. I was in school, teaching about the holiday, and missing my family and friends very much. The most difficult was when I was showing pictures of my family eating, and knowing what I was missing out on. However, I know how extremely lucky I am to be in Korea, and that in the long run of things, missing one Thanksgiving isn't that big of a deal.
On Friday, all of the ETA's in Korea, were invited to the U.S. embassy for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. How many times in your life do you get the chance to spend a holiday at a U.S. embass, with the U.S. ambassador and the head of your program? Additionally, all of my friends were there. We ate an amazing meal! Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes w/ gravy (the first gravy I've had since being in Korea), salad, fruit, two kinds of cheesecake, pumpkin pie. The whole experience was really great.
I spent the rest of the weekend in Seoul. It was so good to catch up with friends that I hadn't seen in over a month! Additionally, I checked out the National Museum of Korea. It was HUGE!!! There were so many cool artifacts from throughout Korea, as well as Japan, China, and even Vietnam. Soon, they are going to have a travelling exhibit about the Incan Indians from Peru. I hope to be able to check this out!
This weekend, I again traveling to Seoul. I am meeting a friend and we are going Christmas shopping. We might even try to go ice skating!
This week I received a box from home and a letter from Darrell. I have enjoyed wearing the boots that my family sent me- they are so warm!
Our after school program started on November 23. I have really enjoyed working with these students. We are making a book about Korean culture and history. Additionally, they are going to enter a photography contest with pictures taken from their cell phones. I feel like having the students use English to write a book, is far more useful, than having the students sit and memorize grammar structures. However, their parents don't think so. We started out with a group of 20, and are now down to 11 students on a regular basis. The parents are pulling out the students to go to hagwon instead. It is very disappointing to see this. I know that this will also be ab obstacle I face with my agriculture students when I return to the U.S.
This has been a relatively good week. I hope you are all doing well.
Love and miss you
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