Scrooge Days

So I've been less than enthusiastic about the holidays this season, though I am beginning to slowly get more into the festive atmosphere...I even have found myself humming the occasional carol. But, I think it's also just that three month mark coupled with the sense of loneliness that we can't help but feel when we know we'll be away from people we love on a day filled with memories. So here is my sappy post (really, my apologies, I try to only do this once in a blue moon, which is fitting since we'll have one of those on Dec. 31st)...

While my coworkers are gathering lights and decorations and small trees for their rooms, I have been basically pretending that no special days have passed, nor will they, while I am here in Korea. I've been telling myself that if I don't think about the holidays, then they will just go by like any other day, and I won't spend time thinking about the traditions going on without me, or the excitement of seeing people and sharing gifts and meals, etc. But then, yesterday was my sister's birthday, and talking to her on the phone and hearing my nieces and nephew in the background made it all very real. I will not be seeing them in a week, or hear my niece reading a book to me for the first time. I won't get to see how big the baby is, or get pictures to remember them at that age. When I called, one of them said, "Aunt Kendra sounds so far away..." and my sister said, "That's because she is." So now that the inevitable has happened, and I have been forced to think about all of those moments I will be missing, I suppose it's about time I rejoice in the holiday season and start really getting into the spirit of things, since my only other choice is to be a grinch, and no one wants that.

Term Transitions and Thanksgiving Travels

Last week and this week have been busier than usual, so I have a lot of updates!

Last week was our final week of the term. Our terms are 13 weeks, and I came in at week 4 of the previous term. It was hard saying goodbye to my students, because I'd really grown to adore some of my classes. I got every class treats, ranging from candy to pizza, which was fun. On the last day, in my high-beginner class, the Korean staff surprised us by coming into class with pizza - for being the "best class" apparently. I was so excited, because they were a really wonderful group of students (14 kids, which could have been crazy if they hadn't been good students), and I had no idea that we were getting pizza, so it was a fun surprise for everyone!

After work on Friday we went out to dinner as a whole office, which was a lot of fun. I sat next to two of the Korean staff person for the "best class" I had, and I told her how nice it was to be surprised with pizza, and that I'd really miss that class. Then, she told me that when she spoke with my students' parents, they told her that my kids had talked about me at home, and about how much they liked me. Some even said they didn't want to move up to the next class level (most of them passed their level-up tests) because they would miss having me as a teacher. I was so touched, I almost cried right there at the table! I knew from meeting with some parents that a few kids had said nice things, but for my co-worker to tell me that kids were really going to miss me - that was about the best thing I could have asked for. In fact, this week many of my students from that class have come to hang out in my room during their break to say hi and see what I'm doing. It really helped me feel more confident and prepared going into my new classes this week.

The verdict is still out on my new classes. I have the same high-beginner level class, but most of the students are new. I had 26 kids combined from those classes last term, and only 6 of them are still at the same level with me now - which is good, because it means 20 of them improved enough to move up! I also have a listening class at a higher level than last term, but with some of the same students who leveled-up to this class. I teach that level three times a week, and so far it's ok. I'll have to wait to see what happens next week, because many students missed this week for middle-school exams. Today and tomorrow I'll have two new reading classes. I've never taught reading before, so I'm a bit nervous, but I've prepared a lot, so I think things should go well. Besides, unlike listening, in reading class the students can see what we're talking about; in listening I just have to hope they are catching enough from the CD. Overall, though, I think this term will go well, and I am looking forward to the challenges of teaching more classes, and also the greater variety of students each week (listening and reading classes only meet once a week, so I have 5 different classes for those, and 2 different high-beginner classes).

...

On a more fun note, I went on a trip this past weekend to visit my friend Allina from Ithaca College. She lives up north in Pyeongtaek, and we also went to Seoul and met up with another friend from college, Shana.

When I arrived in Pyeongtaek, Allina and her dad took me to explore Camp Humphrey's, the second-largest (soon-to-be largest) US military base in Korea. It was huge and very surreal. I felt like I was in a different country - and technically, I was on US soil. The shops and cafes used US dollars, the people were wearing sporting US-styled clothing, Koreans were in the minority, and I heard almost no Korean spoken. It was the strangest experience, and very interesting to experience. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to see that. It reminded me a little of the base I was at with my grandmother in Virginia last year, and that similarity was almost jarring, knowing that I was in Korea, an ocean away. It also made me really miss my grandparents, since I spent last Thanksgiving with them - which is when I visited the base near them. I wonder what US military installment I'll visit next Thanksgiving!!

Later, at Allina's, we cooked a real Thanksgiving dinner, with some twists. Her family has a real oven, so we baked a delicious zucchini quiche, and had stuffing, gravy, a mushroom-pepper saute, mashed potatoes, and green-bean casserole. It was fantastic, and I stuffed myself until I was pleasantly full and feeling the holiday spirit.

...

The next day we headed to Suwon to meet Shana, and had hoped to check out the UNESCO fortress and Traditional Folk Village there, but it was a cold, rainy day, so we hopped on a train to Seoul instead. We decided to go to COEX, a huge exhibition hall with a giant mall underneath, where one of the largest bookstores in the country is located. I bought a Korean textbook/workbook for myself, as well as a handy phrasebook with more casual Korean to use with my friends at work. After that we headed to Lotte World, the Korean version of Six-Flags - indoors. There is also an outdoor part, but since it was raining we stayed inside. We started out watching a really well-done musical theatre show of Cinderella with acrobatic reindeer and Santa as the fairy godmother. Bizarre? Yes. A good show? Yes. We spent a good portion of our time in Lotte World just oooing and ahhing over the cutest Korean babies and toddlers I've ever seen.

The kids in this picture were having a semi-miserable, yet hilarious time on the mini-drop. If you've ever been on the Giant Drop, you can get the picture - imagine little kids bouncing up and down in a jarring fashion as the bench suddenly goes up and then drops slightly every so often. We were laughing, but it was kind of sad, too - one girl was leaning into her mom's shoulder and bawling on the other one, but they couldn't stop the ride : (

We went on some rides, including the rollercoaster, and I bought the picture of us that they took while we were riding, but I don't have a way to upload it yet, unless I take a picture of the picture. After Lotte World we headed to an Indian restuarant, which made my day. Indian food is my favorite, and it's so hard to find here, so I hadn't had it in three months - since leaving the US! It was pricey, but very worth the cost. I got Palak Paneer with Naan, and it was fabulous. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!

When we got back to Pyeongtaek, Allina and I decided to head to the jimjilbang/sauna near her house. I've been wanting to go to one since arriving, but my friends are more modest than I am, and I've been too nervous to go alone. The jimjilbang is basically a public bath-house with a common area, and sometimes also a restuarant, sleeping rooms for men and women, an exercise room, a norebang room (karaoke), a hair salon, a waxing salon, a PC room, and a TV area. They can be small, with only a few or none of those, or they can be decked out with the whole 9 yards. This one had it all.

On the floor above, there is a sauna for each sex. You start in the shower, where you rinse off briefly, so you're clean for the other sections. Then there are sauna rooms - one with dry heat and wood interior and one with humid head and quartz interior, which Koreans think brings good health when you breathe in the wet, hot quartz air. After the sauna, you can choose from the hot tub, the medium tub, or the cold tub (which had strong jets so you could swim against the current even though it was a small). Unfortunately, we went late at night (jimjilbangs are open 24 hours a day - hence the sleeping rooms) and arrived during cleaning time, so after they cleaned the tubs were still filling, and the water was far too hot to sit in. So we went from the sauna to the second set of showers, where you exfloiate. I had to buy a little scrubber when I arrived (1,000won = .80 USD) and you use a special soap to scrub yourself pink - or, in my case, red. The Koreans, Allina included, all have lovely tan skin that only turns a little bit pink. But of course, with my ivory skin, the scrubbing left me as red as a strawberry. The important thing was that I felt great! Refreshed, relaxed, and rejuvinated.

When we left to get changed, I also had a lovely little encounter with a hamoni, an older Korean women, who had kindly smacked me on the leg earlier when she first saw me, laughing as she went. Again, she smacked me in a good-sported manner and apparently told me I was pretty. I said the only thing I knew to be appropriate: komapsumnida (thank you), repeatedly - so she laughed and asked Allina if I knew any other Korean words. I laughed, too, and said, "Meanhamnida, aniyo Hanguk" (which badly translates to 'sorry, no korean'). She laughed and said "good girl" (or so Allina says - she could have called me a cheeky American for all I know.)

Anyway, all in all, it's been a great week, from the end of term, to visiting friends, to coming back to new classes and familiar Busan. It felt amazing to step off the train and feel like I was coming home - back to a familiar subway, names, places, and, of course, my cozy little apartment.

Kimbap with the Kids

When my boss asked me a week ago if I'd come in to work on a Saturday to help with a kimbap party (like sushi, but Korean, so it's better) I said yes because I like to make my boss happy. But I was a little nervous, b/c most kimbap has meat in it, and my boss has, on a number of occasions, encouraged me to start eating meat because it's so delicious - apparently.

Another teacher and I were asked to come in, and when we arrived neither of us were really sure what to expect. I was thrilled to discover that our boss has gotten aprons for us, and that we would be setting up the room into two teams: Kendra's kids versus Daniel's kids. Since it was Daniel's birthday, I told him we might let his team win, but I knew my team was better from the beginning.

I was excited to see some of my kids from class show up - it was a mixed group of students, all of whom were there on a saturday to take a big placement test for middle school or high school, and they wanted to have a fun activity to make the day better for them. The kids from my class who came were very excited to see me chopping radishes and slicing strips of fired egg and tofu.

Once all of the ingredients were set out, we got down to business. To make kimbap, you take a large square of dried seaweed and lay it flat, ideally on a placemat made of sticks to roll it after. Then, you take a handful or two of rice - to your liking - and smooth it over the seaweed so it makes a layer. Next, take a seasame leaf and lay it over the rice, then fill the leaf with some ingredients - tuna, crab, and ham are favorites, but I of course opted for fried tofu. Then you wrap the meat or tofu into the leaf so it's neatly rolled. Add other ingreditents next to the wrapped meat/tofu, such as pickled radish, fried egg, carrots, cucumbers, etc. Then, take the edge of your placemat and press the seaweed as you roll, to make a beautiful cylinder. I was thrilled when I helped some of the students roll theirs when they had trouble, because they thought my rolling was fantastic. One student praised me because it was so clean and perfect. Just like me.... ; )
I was very proud of my first kimbap, as you can see in the picture. I made a small plate of the slices, and you can sort of see the radish, tofu, and egg rolled up in the leaf at the center of the rice. I was thrilled that it worked well, and even my meat-eating friends thought it was yummy! Now I can make it at home, too - and it's so easy!

Near the end, we went to work creating a beautiful platter of each team's kimbap. I took a piece from each student to make ours, and one girl helped me a lot - the same one who thought I...I mean, my kimbap...was clean and perfect. She thought a flower would be nice, and that we could add leaves, and then I helped by arranging it with the leaves underneath, which she thought was very cool. There is no better ego trip than hanging out with adoring children. I was very proud of my team and our blossoming kimbap platter.
Daniel's team thought their's was better - it looked neat and professional, but really, where was the creativity? So in the end, we didn't really declare a winner. I think the truth is that they didn't want to tell Daniel that he'd lost on his birthday...but we clearly were the best : )

Payday No.2 and Musings

Although today was my second payday, it sort of feels like my first, since last month I wasn't here for the full month. Now, my money was deposited directly into my account, and my taxes were taken out (to be returned to me at the end of my sojourn). It feels fantastic.
...
My first class today made want to cry and scream and give up more than once during our three hours together. I have a student who keeps up a running commentary in English, Korean, and nonsense humming. I have a student who can't sit still and insults other children in Korean so I can't catch him doing it until they have retaliated. I have great students who are too shy to speak up unless I call on them directly, and if I call on them when they aren't expecting it, all I get is silence. I have students who call out random answers when it's not their turn to talk. I have two girls and ten boys, and the girls zone out and even start to fall asleep if I'm not constantly trying to pull them in - which is hard when the ten boys are constantly trying to get my attention in negative ways.

But after three hours they left, and my favorite students ambled in for my favorite class. Even with only half of them there, they brightened my mood immediately. Even though the lesson was difficult, they managed to stay focused, have fun, make jokes, ask questions and give answers that were good. They made me feel like my efforts weren't going to waste, and every week I appreciate them for that, and more. Still, it was a draining day at work overall, and I was glad when the final bell rang.
...
A few of us went to the casino to celebrate payday by blowing some of our money, since we're responsible adults and all that...It was fun, even though I lost money, because it felt nice to just be out and not panicking about having enough money right now. I can afford to be irresponsible for one night, and I wanted to experience that, because I never really have allowed myself a moment like that before. For most of my life I've felt guilty for spending money, and for some reason today I just wanted to let myself be stupid and not berate myself for it. It's not a habit I intend to keep up, but it was a nice break for my overworked conscience.
...
I took a cab home and decided to be dropped off a few blocks from my house because I just wanted to walk and be outside, even if it was the middle of the night. By the time I got home, rather than feeling like I'd exerted enough energy, I wanted even more to get out, so I put on my iPod, wrapped my knees, tied up my tennis shoes and headed outside. I wasn't planning on running, since that usually ends with my knee twisted at a strange angle or my lungs exploding from an asthma attack, but tonight I felt calm and self-assured. I started jogging and kept going until my lungs hurt - but not so badly that I couldn't breathe - and slowed to a fast walk. I kept up alternating as I crossed streets, headed up back alleys and ambled over the hill behind my house. I got home just as the Arcade Fire album I'd put on was coming to an end, which felt somehow significant.

As someone who has never been a runner, I've spent many years being jealous of people who could just run until their problems and thoughts and concerns fell away with the thudding of their feet on the pavement. When I swam, I felt the same release, but there are no swimming pools that I know of here. And when I dance I feel that way, but dancing alone in your apartment isn't the same as getting out and dancing until your feet blister, which is the best way to do it when you need to get out of your head. So tonight, for the first time in my life, I decided to chance a knee injury and an asthma attack for that feeling. I know that my knees will feel weaker tomorrow, but today I feel so much stronger than I did before I went jogging.

At night, Saha is such a quiet, peaceful place. When you get off the main road, the lights are off, the doors are closed, and the people seem to disappear into their apartments. As I walked and ran past closed restaurants and stores, I felt a serenity that I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing in awhile. At one point, I headed up a set of stairs just to see where they would lead, and ended up passing a quiet set of apartments on the hill behind my building. At the end of the row was a fence, and as I stood there looking out across my neighborhood, I was mesmerized. Gray clouds from our rainy day passed across a velvet sky and brushed over the tops of mountains, while lights sparkled across the hills from apartment buildings and scattered neon signs. The wind was whipping against my skin in waves, like standing in the ocean without getting wet. I could have stood there for hours, but I knew it would be sweeter if I left.
...
There are moments here in Korea when I want to be other places. There are moments when my students make me feel frustrated and impatient. There are moments when not understanding the language makes me feel lost and overwhelmed and incompetent. There are moments when my appearance is enough to make me want to stay inside, away from the stares.

But all of that falls away most of the time. All of that can't really compare to how grateful I am to be here, experiencing life with a new perspective, a new location, and a new vocation. I love having my own space to come home to at night. I love cooking for myself and taking care of myself and deciding when to get up and when to go to sleep without anyone around to fuss about it. I love my students. I love getting to know them as individuals and I love learning from them. I love that they make me crazy, even when I hate it, because it's teaching me my limits and helping me learn patience. I love getting to know new people and figuring out who I am here and where I fit in or where I don't. I love deciding to go jogging at 1am and finding stairways and seeing landscapes that take my breath away. I love going out on the weekends to the bars on the beach, where I can get away from the noise and the people and walk across the sand and touch an ocean I'd only dreamed about before. I love this.

My Students - A Poem

I wrote this the other day and posted it for a few people on facebook, but I realized my blog is also a good place for it. It was inspired by my worst class, when I was watching them take their final exams and suddenly was flushed with pity and warmth for them, even though they usually make me want to pull out my own hair and throw it at them. Which I would never do, but it's the best way I can think of to describe the way they typically make me feel. Other adjectives to desrcibe how they often make me feel could include: frustrated, outraged, nonplussed, distraught, and crestfallen. But on this one day - after they almost made one of the Korean staff members cry before she shouted that they made her very angry and slammed the door on the way out, forgetting her clipboard in the process - on this one day I watched them struggle through a test that seemed too hard for them, watched them squirm and wiggle and sigh and roll their eyes. And since I didn't have to try to teach them on that day - since I only had to proctor the test, watching them wish they were anywhere else, I felt, deep down, the need to write. It's not my best work, but it's a short glimpse of what my students bring out in me - in a positive way.

my students

they sit
heads bent
shoulders hunched
as if Confucius
himself were sitting
on their necks,
breaking their
spirits with his
mandates.
their eyes
hold secrets
I can't see
or understand
and they would never tell me
even if they could.
i want to sweep them
into my arms
and wrap them
in quilts
so soft
so they can sleep.
and when they wake
i wish them
just one
timeless
day
to spend as children,
not robots
training
for more workdays
endlessly stretching
in every
direction,
the only way
they've been told to be.

Ulsan

This weekend I headed to Ulsan with two of my friends to stay with our other friend who teaches there. We had a great time getting lost the first night...but seriously, we turned around a bad situation and got to see a lot of a new city, so that was pretty cool. It would have been cooler without all of my stuff and if our friend hadn't been waiting for us for an hour...but it all worked out in the end.

Our friend has an amazing apt. compared to ours. He actually has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. We have two rooms in our apts: a bedroom/kitchen and a small bathroom. Suffice it to say, we were pretty envious of his pad. Since we arrived later than anticipated, we couldn't head out to the beach or the temple, which we'd thought about doing, but we ended up having a very chill evening with some wine, tv, and good conversation, in addition to popping over to check out one of the foreigner bars in Ulsan - and finding that we enjoyed staying at home over staying out with the crowd that was there.

Today we were hoping to go to the beach, but it started to rain so we decided it was a good day to go see a movie. After a beautiful brunch spread made by our fabulous host, we headed out to the movie theatre. The Time Traveler's Wife is finally subtitled and in theatres here, and all of us had either kind of/sort of wanted to see it or really wanted to see it, and it turned out it was set to start at the exact time we were looking to buy tickets. One of the best parts of the day was when we figure out how to use the automated ticket machine that was only in Korean with occasional pictures. I saw it as quite a victory, and it made for a great prelude to the movie. The movie was good. My friends all liked it more than me, but I'd definitely read the book - I think there were just things that irked me that I was guessing were more clear in the novel and didn't translate as well into a screenplay, but I love Rachel McAdams, and the movie was nearly a tearjerker for me - but not quite.

After the movie we headed out in search of a restaurant. We were craving Thai or Indian food, so we went through a few cab drivers across the city in our search. We found a Thai place, finally, but, alas, it was closed. Still, a block away we saw a cute Ristorante Italiano, and we headed there for what turned out to be a fabulous meal with mediocre wine and sparkling conversation. It was great to just sit and chat with people about real life things. We spend so much time talking to children, using limited English and discussing elementary and middle-school topics, so having a free-flowing adult conversation is a real treat, and it was a really great group of people. I'm so glad to have found people I can connect with here, across all of our differences, which are many, and in a country not our own.

Now it's back to the work week. Last week's tests are over, so our regular classes begin again tomorrow, and the last three weeks of term are going to be the most challenging, I'm sure, because after their tests the students lose focus and check out. The tests are what determine whether they move up to the next class level in the next term, so these three weeks are just the purgatory where they wait. It's my job to keep them engaged and working despite that, so I'm going to have to amp up my energy. My first full payday is Tuesday, which is very exciting, so I'll be able to get a gym membership, pay my bills, and start saving up, so I think that in itself will help boost my energy for the students : )

Achievement Tests

This week the students are taking achievement tests to determine if they are ready to move up to the next level or if they need to stay where they are (or even if they need to move back). It means that we proctor for the entire class, which is 3 hours long. At the end, we have had a little time each day for the students to do homework, etc. and I decided to have little competitions for my classes. In my lower level class I asked the students to write about what they did this week and to tell me about their friends. In my middle level class today I asked them to tell me what they did this week and to tell me about themselves.

I loved hearing about the students in their own words. It's truly amazing when they are able to use English to effectively express themselves and particularly when they've gotten to a level of understanding where they can express and appreciate humor. My favorite class has some students who are absolutely hilarious when they want to be, and they know they are being funny- it's not an accident, like it usually is with the lower level class. In the lower level sometimes they end up saying things that are funny, but only because of a grammatical error or mispronounciation that makes the sentence completely different from the way it was intended. But in my higher level classes they can actually manipulate English enough to express their own sense of humor, and some of them do it very well.

Whenever I have a great class, like my second class today, I feel elated. It's such an unbelievable feeling to connect with a class. Some of my students make it clear that they are being forced to attend extra classes, and hate school, but every so often you get an entire class of students who either want to be there, or are at least willing to be engaged while they're there, even if they'd rather be someplace else. That's what this second class is like. They have fun, legitimately. Maybe not all of the time, but they make teaching more fun, and they tease each other in funny ways, not mean ways like some other students do. They have playful rivalries between the sexes when I let them pick their own groups, which is amusing and thought provoking to watch. They make jokes, they participate even when they don't know the answer - they are always trying, striving for praise and hoping to be right. I feel so grateful to have a class that makes me come alive, which makes me certain I'm in the right place this year. Now if only all of my classes were like that...


PS - I've been debating whether or not I feel comfortable putting pictures of my students up on my blog, and also whether I'm comfortable with quoting some of my favorite work from them. For now, I don't think I will, because I want to honor their privacy and their intellectual property. But if people are particularly interested, I'd be happy to send private emails with more details and pictures. : )

Connected

After two months in Korea I finally have my Alien Registration Card, a bank account and a phone. Getting them was quite the adventure, though!

My ARC was lost in translation for a month. I initially gave the address of my company's headquarters rather than the branch where I work. Then it was sent there, but no one there told us they'd received it. When I finally went in to immigration last week to see if it was still there or if it was lost, etc, they told me it had been delivered to someone I knew at HQ. So, one of the staff called him and they delievered it the next day, along with my passport, which they needed for the processing. It was such a relief to hold my ARC and passport, and to feel like I was officially a legitimate presence in South Korea. Whew.

The next day I went with my Korean friend Kelly to get a phone, thinking it would be a short and sweet process. We cleared it with our manager that Kelly would be a little late for work since she was helping me. Things started off smoothly. Kelly wouldn't let them sell me the crappy phone that most of the teachers got and that she herself had, so I chose a maroon one with a camera, which I'm endlessly excited by (I've already taken about 50 pictures in 2 days, haha). I started the paperwork, and signed everything, but then when it came time to pay they wanted a bank account number. Well, I'd decided to get the phone before the bank account, thinking that the bank would want my phone number, and I paid for the phone with my credit card anyway, because I didn't have cash on me, so I figured that should be good enough for them.

Well, it wasn't. So they advised me to get an account at the bank across the street. But I didn't want that bank, I wanted Citibank, since my college loans are through Citi, and it was right down the street. We told them we could walk there, get the account, and come right back, but that wasn't enough. So they decided to have one of the guys drive us over to the bank. My two coworkers and I piled into his car and drove a block and a half to the bank, and then we all walked in together to get my account set up. By then, my coworkers really had to leave to get to work, Kelly was pretty late by then, and Daniel had to get there for class. So I stayed, with the phone guy and the bank people. When they finished setting up my account, they handed the info right to the phone guy so that he could finish setting up my account by phone. Then he drove me back to the store to get my phone (where the other Korean phone guys all flocked around to speak a little but of English with me, including offering themselves up as potential boyfriends and telling me I could have my pick, which was actually more funny than creepy, and they were laughing, so it was ok). I thought that would be farewell, but then he gestured for me to get in the car again so he could drive me right to work! He couldn't speak much English, so after a few minutes of silence in the car, he asked, "Music?" to which I replied, "Ne." (yes) and we listened to G-Dragon and both sort of sang along hesitantly for the rest of the ride. When we got to my office, he got out of the car, shook my hand, hugged me, and then bowed repeatedly until he got back to his door. It was all very sweet and amusing, and was a fascinating end to a bizarre day.

So now I have a phone and a bank account, and a funny story to top things off.

...

Halloween isn't celebrated here in Korea, so for the second half of the week I went through the lessons faster to leave time at the end to teach the kids a bit about my favorite holiday. We talked about what they already knew ("Teacher - candy!!") and I showed them pictures of jack-o-lanterns and haunted houses, etc. They drew pictures of the costumes they would wear, and I gave them handouts I made with word searches, crosswords, and blank pumpkins to draw their own jack-o-lanterns. And, of course, I gave them candy : )

For Halloween we teachers went to a house party and later to a University area with a lot of bars and live music where there were Halloween parties going on. I was dressed as an ajima, which is a middle-aged and older Korean woman, specifically who wears a big visor, goes mountain climbing, and picks up trash on the public beaches. She is a common figure here, and stands out because of her visor and her clashing clothes. Every person I met knew I was an ajima. Some younger Koreans wanted to take pictures with me, which was funny. I don't actually have any pictures of myself, b/c my camera died, and the camera on my phone was too dark, but hopefully my friends will upload their pictures soon.

We had a pretty good night, but I've had some amazing Halloweens in the past, including on State Street in Madison, which is actually listed on Wikipedia as being famous for it's party - I showed my students. But being in Korea definitely made it a unique Halloween, and it was fun to see all of the costumes people had. I was def. the best ajima I saw - a number of guys did the visor thing, and one girl almost beat me, b/c she got the walking stick, too, which I didn't want to pay for. But in the end, pretty much everyone I talked to agreed mine was the most all-out convincing ajima outfit. I had a pink and silver visor, a darker pink and black paisley polyester/spandex 3/4 length shirt, a purple and black mountain climbing vest, teal and black mountain climbing/trash picking gloves, bright pink pants with bright yellow flowers on them, and grey and orange hiking shoes. And I teased my hair. The only ways I could have made it better would have been to get a black/grey wig and a walking stick. But I think I did pretty well considering : )

New Adventures

Last weekend (the one before Halloween), my college friend, Allina, came to visit me. She lives about 4 hours north of me in Korea, with her parents. Her dad came with her as well, and the two of them took me out to various places around Busan that I've been meaning to go to, and we had a fantastic time.

When they arrived, we went to the Busan Aquarium, which is right next to one of the biggest beaches, Haeundae. The aquarium is built underground and has three levels, so when you walk through you go progressively deeper underground. They had a diver go into the tank with the sting rays and they swarmed around her and she fed them right from her hands. You couldn't pay me enough to get that close to those guys - and it was the same deal in the shark tank. Seeing someone else doing that was very cool, though. It was really a very relaxing visit - there's something about being surrounded by water and beautiful underwater creatures that just feels peaceful. It also made me really want a fish tank in my apartment.

After the aquarium we went out for dinner at the fish market nearby. I tried a tiny bit of the fish in the spicy soup and a tiny bit of squid, too. The restaurant brought a ton of side dishes, more than I've gotten almost anywhere else, and they were delicious. Next, I took them to Gwangan-li, the beach where the Fireworks Festival was held, where there is a beautiful, lit bridge over the cove. We meandered along the strip and the beach, got some coffee, and sat down for a beer with a view of the ocean. It was a really great day and night, and I got a great night's sleep for the first time in awhile, too!

The next day we headed to the UN Memorial Park and Cemetary, where soldiers from all of the countries who contributed troops to the Korean War are buried or memorialized on a Wall of Rememberance. It's the only UN cemetary in the world, because it's one of the only times when the un sanctioned a decalred war, and only because Kruschev banged his shoe on the table in fury, and left the room, boycotting the vote because Taiwan was being recognized as the legitimate government of China. This meant that democratic Taiwan was voting for China, and the USSR was out of the vote. Without the two communist countries voting that would have had veto power, the Security Council was almost unanimous in it's backing of the South against the Northern invasion. When the North failed to move back to the 38th parallel as requested in a UN resolution, the UN decided to put together forces from different countries to assist the south.

The memorial was really somber and thought-provoking, and I'm so glad we were able to go. Our visit happened to coincide with UN Day, so there were special flowers and decorations, and I arrived just after they'd had a ceremony with a motorcade of motorcycles, too. The Memorial Park/Cemetary is pretty huge, and beautifully laid out. There is the cemetary, a memorial to the unknown soldiers, a Hall of memorobilia, two reflecting pools in honor of the unknown soldiers, a Wall of Rememberance with a fountain and an everlasting flame, with a wall where all of the names of the dead are listed, a number of walkways and green space, an island with Thai plants in honor of Thai-Korean friendship, and a sculpture garden with sculptures donated from the various countries who were part of the UN forces. We spent quite awhile there, and it was really memorable.

All in all, it was a really great weekend and I'm so glad she and her dad were able to make the trip down, and I'm looking forward to traveling up north to see them soon and to visit a new part of Korea!

Settling In

Last week it really started to sink in that I live here now. I kept meaning to update my blog, but I was running around a lot and didn't have the patience to sit down and record things as they were happening. So, instead, here's a play-by-play (though as a person who's never watched sports, I'm not entirely sure I'm applying this term correctly ; )) of the events of the past week.

Oct 8-15th was the 14th Pusan International Film Festival. Until about 2000, the romanization of the Korean language used different letters - p instead of b, k instead of g. Now Pusan is Busan and Kwangan-li Beach-i is Gwangan-li Beach-i. But since the film festival existed as PIFF before the name change, PIFF it is.

I got my first paycheck last Monday, so I couldn't really see any films over the weekend or the week before. Once I had money in hand, though, I was ready to attend my first International Film Festival - and I was willing to wake up early to do it.

I ended up seeing three films over three days - each one was only 5,000 Won, or about $3.50 - I know; unbelievable. The first day we went to a Peruvian film about a woman whose mother was raped and tortured by the Shining Path, while pregnant with her. Now a young woman, her mother dies and leaves her to face the world alone and afraid of all men after the horror stories her mother told her. She's disturbed, and people who lived through the Shining Path say she has an illness called the Milk of Sorrow, because it was passed on to her through her mother's milk and she is scarred by it forever. The visuals were amazing, and there were some wonderful, haunting, lyrical songs that she sang.

Then we went to work to teach English for 6 hours. Talk about a change in mood.

The next day we headed across town - woke up at 9am to do it, which was difficult considering that, most days, I wake up about an hour or two before I have to be at work, and we work from 4pm-10:30pm. We got there an hour early b/c the film we wanted to see won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, but it had sold out as soon as they'd opened that morning.

Instead, we decided to go to the World's Largest Department Store, and bought real, juicy, delicious sandwiches - a rare treat here. It had real cheese, great dressing, and ciabatta bread. Yum. We also found a bookstore that sells foreign books, which is also hard to find here, so that was exciting. I only brought 5 books with me, because they're so heavy, so I'm relieved to know that I will not go book hungry.

That afternoon I didn't have work for the first 3 hours, so I went to an afternoon film on my own. It was Hungarian, and shot with amateur actors, some improv work, and a lot of close-shot camera work, and I thought an experimental film sounded like a fascinating choice. It started with a short film of preschool kids having conversations, which doens't sound entrancing, but it was. We were all laughing and I might have liked it more than the full length film that followed. The short was called I Will Not Be Your Friend, and the long one was called I'm Not Your Friend. It was about a group of friends who are all in bad relationships - with one another. It was weird, but I'm glad I went, b/c it was a great solo outing.

I haven't really explored Busan a lot, because without a cell phone I haven't wanted to end up lost or late without a way to reach people, and without a pay check I hadn't wanted to spend money. Besides, sleeping all day doesn't really bode well for outings. Still, being out in the 70 degree sunny weather last week was pretty great, so I guess I'll have to make more of an effort now.

The last film we saw was called The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveras, from the Philippines. It was about a 12 year olf gay boy whose family is into crime, and he gets a crush on the new cop who moves into the neighborhood, and troubles ensue. The writing and acting left much to be desired, but the girtty shots of life in the Filippino city where they lived made the movie worthwhile. I got the feeling that many of the people in the film were just people, not actors, and they were just living. I'd never really known anything about life in the Philippines, never really thought about it, and now I'm very interested in educating myself.

That night, Wednesday, I hosted dinner for a few friends, and we made crepes filled with sauteed veggies: zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onion, scallions, and peppers with spices. It turned out pretty well, thankfully. I'd never really made crepes before, but it was easy, and since then I've made them a few more times b/c it's a nice alternative to rice or noodles. It can be difficult to be creative when you don't have an oven. For dessert someone brought a cake, which was amazing - and really exciting since we can't bake in our own apts. It was very light and fluffy and had fresh fruit on top with a light creamy topping. I'm not sure if it was really that amazing, or if eating cake when baked goods are uncommon was just a mouth-watering experience. I think a bit of both.

On Thursday, I had two new students added to my younger class - the one which usually causes me problems - but the new students changed the vibe a little, or maybe my troublemakers are just tired of trouble, and class seemed to go quite well. On Friday I had two new students in my older class, which, until then, had only had one student. It's weird to incorporate people in the middle of the semester, but they've caught on pretty quickly and it's nice to be teaching more than one student - on the one hand she was getting private tutoring for the cost of a group class, but on the other hand she had all the pressure on her to answer every question. I think she's pretty glad to have the company, and they're all middle-school girls, which helps. There can be issues when you have to make girls and boys work together here, or when you put together older and younger students, because there is a strong history of traditional hierarchy here, and throwing off those traditions can make students really uncomfortable - and when they're uncomfortable they're generally less productive and attentive. Anyway, classes are generally going well, and I'm learning things every day - and I think my students are, too!

On Saturday they held the 4th or 5th annual Busan Fireworks Festival at Gwangan-li Beach-i. It's a gorgeous beach with a bridge spanning the cove and lots of small bars and cafes lining the strip. It was predicted that the fireworks would draw at least 1.5million people, and I'm fairly certian they did. It was like having the entire city of Milwaukee out on a beach, except at least 95% of the people were Korean. We got a spot in front of one of the most popular foreigner/young Korean bars, which was much closer than we expected to get, because we got there pretty close to the start. They had events going on starting at 3pm, but the fireworks didn't start until 8pm, and we arrived at about 7:15/7:30pm. I took lots of pictures and videos, and I'm hoping they captured a bit of the majesty of the show.

Having been to the DC Fourth of July fireworks last year, I thought I'd been witness already to a pretty fantastic disply - but those hardly can compare to what I saw on the beach this weekend. They had at least 4 large fireworks going at a time, all synchronized with music, and all with the landscape of the lit up, multicolored bridge across the beach. They had a laser display and pyrotechnics, and there were fireworks that were designed to fall like waterfalls from the sides of the bridge. Plus, being around so many excited people is infectious, and you can't help but get caught up in the moment.

So, all in all, it was a whirlwind of a week, and I'm ready to rest for a few days. I'm hoping my Alien Registration Card comes soon - I accidentally gave immigration the address of or headquarters, not my school branch, so it's delivery has been delayed. I'm trying not to get nervous, but if it's not here in a day or two I'll have to investigate further. I need a phone, a bank account, and a hair cut. OK, so the haircut I don't need my ARC for, but still...I'll breathe easier when it's in my hands.

Well, that's all for now! Next time I'll write sooner, to avoid these essay-length posts!

Payday, PIFF, and Phones

Today was my first payday in Korea! I only worked two weeks in September, so it's not a full paycheck, but it still feels great : )

This week is PIFF - Pusan International Film Festival. I didn't go to any films last weekend because I was low on funding, but I'm hoping to see at least 3 films in the next few days. Tickets are only around 5,000-10,000 won, which is about $4-8, so that's great - unless I've been lied to. There are some great films in the lineup, from Korea and around the world, so I'm pretty psyched to check out the festival - in part just for the experience of going!

Getting my paycheck also means that I'll be able to get a phone later this week, when my ARC card arrives. I need it to prove I'm a registered Alien when I sign the phone contract and set up my bank account, two things I've been looking forward to with great anticipation. Let's hope everything goes smoothly, and I'll be connected again shortly!

All of this news means I'll have to start working on getting to sleep earlier and waking up earlier, but that can only be a good thing - I could definitely use more time in the Busan sun (not that it seems to be going anywhere). It's amazing to be in a city where it is still in the 70s during the day - though it's getting pretty chilly at night, maybe even hitting 45 - hahahaha. It's glorious. For those of you in Ithaca and Wisconsin, my condolences go out to you, since I'm sure the weather is not being so kind to all of you. Good luck with those winter coats, snow flurries, and harsh frosts! I'm off to the beach tomorrow ; )

Dinner and Thoughts

There are four of us from the branch who live in my apt. building, and we have another friend, who works at a nearby branch for younger students, who lives nearby. Not only is this great for sharing cabs back from the beach at odd hours of the night on the weekends, but it's also fantastic for cooking dinner together. Two of us are vegetarians (though she eats chicken) and a third used to be veg. so we're all happy, or at least pretty happy, with veg. meals.

So far we've made the following: stir fry; pasta with sauteed veggies and tomato-eggplant sauce; veg. chili with chocolate pudding for dessert; and, tonight we made veg. lomo saltado, a Peruvian dish. All fantastic, and all made even better with good company.

...

I came to Korea for a lot of reasons. One was to meet other ex-pats and see why they were here, what we had in common, etc. So far, it's been a mixed bag, but I've been lucky with the five who live closest to me. Proximity helps, I'm sure, but on the whole, they're just good people. When we go out, we run into a lot of foreigners, some nice, some crazy, and some downright obnoxious and rude. But the people I work with are, on the whole, people I want to be around.

I realized, over the last few days, that I've barely read the news from around the world. When I do, it seems far away, and it feels untouchable. What's the point in getting worked up over sanctions on Iran when that's been happening for years, and when I'm trying to figure out how to get an Alien Registration Card in a country where I speak almost no Korean and the people who I need help from speak almost no English? Priorities change. I'm glad that I care more about trying to communicate effectively with the women in the supermarket than I do about things happening miles away. It also has made me realize how much I miss music and performing and that whole world. I can't quite describe it. I think when I was in Ithaca I still felt close to the music school and close to music, as if I could change my mind about my goals, but now I feel so far away from those choices.

I'm living now. Just living. Maybe for the first time in a long time I'm not planning for the future or trying to understand how what I'm doing now fits into the larger picture. I'm just teaching, talking, and exploring a new city, and it consumes all of my time - and I love it. I love not thinking about what I'll do next year. I love finding out a new word in Korean. I love seeing the lightbulb look on my students' faces when they understand how to convey their ideas in a different language than their own, and I envy their ability to speak so well in two languages. I want to spend my time at the beach, watching the ocean and the people and the mountains. I want to stay up late cooking and talking with other people who are far from the familiar, but who are also making a life here. I'm learning what it feels like to just be. While I still have anxieties, and I still think about the future, I'm less concerned with preparing for it, because I know that I'd miss too much of what's right in front of me, and so far, what's in front of me is my priority; I hope it stays that way.

Chuseok

Yesterday - and this weekend, really - was Chuseok, which is basically the most imporant holiday in Korea - but we had classes anyway. Only a few kids showed up, and we had class in the morning because they had public school off for the long weekend. Some parents prioritize learning English over holidays, I guess. Most of the kids were going to see their grandparents later in the day. Traditionally, Chuseok is a day to give respect to your elders, and to your ancestors. There is a bowing ritual done before grandparents, etc. and your give gifts to people. Grandparents give money to children, and other people can give gifts as well to repected people and the like. I actually got two Chuseok gifts from a coupld of students. I was given handmade soaps from one student, which is a popular Chuseok gift, and I was given a pair of earrings and a charm for my yet-to-be-purchased phone. They were the highlights of my week : )

Since our classes ended at 3:30pm, instead of starting around that time, some of the teachers and staff decided to go to Bennigans for a Western dinner to celebrate having the night off from work, and for Chuseok! It was nice, but getting sit-down Western food is so much more expensive, and it's a good thing we only do it occasionally. Tonight some of us are going to just cook together, which we did the other night and it was probably my favorite night here so far. I like spending time with people, but going out to see everyone can get so exhausting and I'd rather just hang out and chill than go out to different parts of town.

I still haven't gone to get my Alien Registration Card, which I need to get a bank account, phone, etc. I need to figure out a good sleeping/waking schedule, because it's bizarre to work at 4pm every day, and not get done until 10:30pm. You end up making dinner at midnight, and staying up til at least 2am. I've been completely flipped around, waking up about an hour before work, and falling asleep as the sun comes up over the mountain out my window. Yesterday helped, I think, since we had to be up for work at 9am. I even got up early and went for a walk around the neighborhood to get breakfast and get exercise. I'm looking forward to payday so that I can start getting things in order, like finding a gym, finishing setting up my place - I need 2 small desk/dresser drawer things. I think today or tomorrow I'll finish putting up my posters and paintings on the walls - it's still very bare, because I've been trying to decide if I'll get in trouble for using tacks - so I'll probably just use wall-tack stuff, and hope it keeps everything in place.

I need to head out to get some groceries, and I'm hoping someplace is still open to buy a pillow - my head and neck as starting to hurt all the time because I've been using my neck pillow from the airplane, since I didn't know where to get a pillow near my place, only a far subway rid away. But, a friend told me where she got one nearby, but it's after 5 now, so I might be out of luck until tomorrow. Oh well, what's one more night in the grand scheme of things?

It hit me yesterday just how much I miss my friends, and how strange it is to think that I've probably met most of the people who I'll be friends with for the next year. I'm not used to having just one group of friends. I like everyone, but I realized that I'm starting to feel lonely anyway, because without a cell I'm completely dependent on the friends I have to invite me places, to move from one place to another when we're out an about, etc. I'm used to being so independent, and I'm used to spending time with different people on different days. I like them all a lot, but it's just weird having immediate friends who are based mostly on proximity - but not entirely, because already I'm closer to some people than to others. Anyway, I miss my friends, and I wish they could all come to Korea - too bad it's not just an overnight car ride away, or I know I'd have a few visitors ; )

Beach Bums

Yesterday my CDI friends and I headed to Hyundae Beach on the other side of town. First, we grabbed some veggie burgers (great find!) and cheese fries (not as exciting, unfortunately). It's off season now, even though the day we went the sun was shining and it was probably in the upper 70s/low 80s and perfect for a day on the beach. We went swimming for about an hour, until my friend and I saw a jellyfish...and then another...and we ran, shouting, out of the water. The area was beautiful, with clean sand, clear water, the mountains and some islets in the distance, and the strip of stores and restaurants lining the water. It was perfect. I was so blissfully happy.

It got even better, too, when we went for a walk along a trail that snakes through the hills nearby along the coast. It was dusk, so we didn't walk too far, but we stopped at a lookout point where you could see the mountains and the rocky coast on one side, and the lights of the strip lining the beach on the other. It was stunning. We stayed until darkness fell, mostly in silence, all of us lost in our thoughts. It's a good group of people I've got around me, and they're all relatively new - 1-3months here - so we're in it together for the long haul.

Afterwards we went to another beach to meet up with one of my co-worker's friends for a birthday celebration on the beach. We went to a bar with a lot of foreigners and met a ton of new people. A few of us decided to go night swimming, and it was great to just dive in the surf, and ride the waves in. We had a small fire on the beach, and people were mulling about, and it felt like a scene out of movie. I had to stop on a number of occasions just to take in the fact that I was really there, on this beach in Busan, in Korea, where I live. I live here. It's crazy when I stop and think about it - crazy and fantastic.

The night hit it's peak there, and things got a bit rocky after that. One of my co-workers fractured her ankle on the street where the ground wasn't level. We split up, and a few of them headed back, but the rest of us stayed out. I hadn't seen the area at all and wanted to see what it had to offer. In the end, I wished I'd just gone back with them, because, like in any city, anywhere in the world, the later it gets the more rude drunks guys you have to avoid, and that can put a damper on things.

Still, the day on the whole was amazing, and I'm very excited about finding more great places to explore in the coming months, and I'm glad I've got a good group of people to do that with!

One Week Down

Well I passed training, and headed down to Busan last Friday. Today I have my last two classes of the week, and so far I really like it here. My apt. is a slightly different story, but the school is unquestionably a good place for me.

I teach three different classes, with students between the ages of about 7 and 14. I teach in the evenings, from 4:30-10:30pm, which works nicely. I like the kids a lot, and my fellow teachers are very nice and I'm getting to know them better bit by bit. The branch (the school I'm working for is a franchise with branches across the country) I'm working at is nice, the facilities and resources are great, and it's a 30 second (yes, under a minute) walk from my apt. building.

My apt. is nice, but the guy before me smoked, so I've spent a good part of my week cleaning, re-cleaning, and spraying air freshener, including spraying the walls completely with the anti-cigarette spray stuff. Now that I'm cleaned obsessively for a week, things are starting to look up, and I'm beginning to make it my own space.

In general, I'm happy, I'm doing well, and I'm looking forward to settling in more and getting my life set up in terms of internet at home, phone service, TV, bank account, gym membership...all the things that I'm hoping to have in place after a couple months! Then I'll feel like I'm really living here, rather than just spending time here.

That's all for now, because I have to get down to business, but I wanted to post a quick update!

Training Week

I have now been in Korea for one week, and I'm still very glad to be here! It's been a busy week with training, but I'm enjoying myself even with the stress of training, and I've had some great experiences so far - in fact, looking back, I can't believe how much has happened in a week! I'll try to keep it short- 3 bullet points for each, as we say in Model UN (though we rarely stick to it, haha).

Friday (9/11)

• Training orientation and skills tests - I passed, and I like the other people I'm training with
• Went shopping for food to keep in the hotel fridge, since otherwise I'm living on Bibim Bap for every meal, since it's the one vegetarian meal I'm sure I can pronounce and eat!

Saturday - A Fantastic Day (9/12)

• Went to the park nearby and climbed the mountain overlooking Seocho-gu, Seoul. I sat on a bench and read Slumdog Millionaire. It was the most relaxed I've been been in ages.
• Walked to the Seoul Arts Center, where I wandered through the Seoul International Print and Photo Fair for about 3 hours. I saw some amazing artwork, talked to some very friendly and helpful curators, and enjoyed an afternoon completely on my time, in a setting I love: an art museum!
• In the evening, I joined another IC grad who teaches just outside Seoul, and we headed to the FC Seoul game against Jeonbuk-Hyundai. Another IC grad who teaches in Seoul joined us there, and we had a great time with the most hardcore Seoul fans in the loudest cheering section - and Seoul won, 2-1!
• After the game, the 3 IC grads headed to Hongdae, a university area known for its nightlife. The trains stopped running at midnight, and since it was my only chance to experience Seoul nightlife, we decided to stay out until the trains started running again - at 5:30am! I thought I'd be too tired, but we had a nice time, and I got to meet some of their Korean friends, and some foreigners, too. It was a very dynamic area, with so much to see and do, so I was glad I took the time to explore, even though I was tired the next day!

Sunday (9/13)

• Mostly I just relaxed at the hotel and enjoyed my last day before our intense training week, which was a nice contrast with my busy Saturday.

Monday (9/14)

• First day of training. It was overwhelming, but I'm glad this whole week has been so thorough.
• I found out I'll be teaching Listening and Speaking class to middle school students (approx.) and a fundamental English kind of class for slightly younger students/ older elemenatry kids.
• I popped my knee out after lunch, which put a damper in my step, literally. I've been icing it, putting Tigers Balm (like icy/hot) on it, and trying to stay off of it as much as possible - it's much better now, luckily.

Tuesday (9/15)

• Training went well - my trainer gave me mostly positive feedback, and good constructive criticism, so I've been able to improve each day in my mock teaching, which is great.
• Note: A big shout out to MTTP - thank you so much for more than adequately preparing me for this intense EFL environment, because without your training this week would be completely overwhelming!

Today (9/16)

• I accidentally bit into a piece of ham in my potato breakfast pastry, which ruined my morning. I was totally preoccupied with how weirded out I was, which made for a strange morning training section. Luckily, I didn't get sick, and I ate boring food the rest of the day instead of going out to eat just in case.
• Training is getting really intense, and tomorrow we're being assessed. I'm feeling okay about everything, but some of the other trainees don't have the experience (again, thank you MTTP!) in how to teach EFL, so they are really stressing out. It's making for an interesting and occasionally uncomfortable group dynamic, but overall we're all still getting along - it's just tough to be stressed out with strangers in a small space.
• I received word that my train to Busan leaves Seoul Friday at 6pm, so I'm pretty excited for that (assuming the next two days of training don't put me thorugh the ringer)! I can't wait to settle into my own apartment in my new neighborhood, and to meet the people I'll be spending the next year with. It's kind of hard to think about leaving the other trainees, since I like them and I'd like to stay in touch with them, but I'm so glad I'll be settled and I'm very excited about where I'll be living.

So, in sum, all is well here in Korea, and I'm looking forward to the adventures in the weeks to come as I start teaching and adjusting to life on the coast!

An Amazing Start

Well Day 1 was great! There were moments where I felt very frustrated by not being able to speak Korean, but on the whole it was a really enjoyable day. I didn't venture out into the city until after 3pm even though I woke up a bit before noon, because I was pretty nervous about taking a solo adventure into the largest city I've ever seen.

I wrote cheat sheets of Korean phrases to help me, and they did. I was able to get vegetarian bibim bap next door to my hotel, and it tasted amazing - in part because I was feeling famished by 3pm!

I'd decided before leaving that I wanted to try to meet up with the Seoul Veggie Club for a Temple food and a traditional dance/music performance. It was perfect timing, since I won't actually be living in Seoul. Temple food is, according to strangers on the internet, always vegetarian because the Buddhist monks are. I have not fact checked this tidbit, but I'm planning to survive as a veg on the assumption that it is true. It certainly was this evening!

I was lucky because the subway stop for the restaurant was on the same line as my hotel, though it was 13 stops away. It was a fast trip, though, and I was there 20 minutes early to meet people. I had a lovely moment of foreigner stupidity when I tried to wave my card for the subway. At first, I went too quickly, so it didn't work. Then I was afraid that mybe the single pass couldn't just be waved over, but I didn't see a slot to send it through. Since I knew I couldn't communicate this in simple English, and since none of the Seoulites seemed interested in a silly blonde who was staring dumbly at the place where you wave your passes, I proceded to watch everone walk through, my ticket held out in my hand as if I were giving it away, and my face screwed up into a confused grimace. I must have looked brilliant. After about a minute, realized you have to hold your tickt over the place where I tried to wave it - and I made it through. Then I realized I wasn't sure which direction I was headed. I knew I wanted to go north, but I'd gotten through the little terminal and realized the maps were back on the other side. Ha. So again, I stood dumbly, watching people pass me going down the stairs, and finally decided to go down and hope there was a map near the train, or try to ask people. There was a map, and luckily I'd guessed correctly about my direction.

I'd left at 6pm because I was afraid of being late, but arrived at 6:45 and realized I'd left my book in the room. So I sat on a bench, next to a white guy who was listening to his iPod, and proceeded to people watch for half an hour. Since I hadn't said hello right away to the guy next to me, because I'd gotten so used to not talking to anyone on my excursion, I felt silly about introducing myself once we'd both been there awhile, even though I was fairly certain that the only reason for white people to be congregating right there was for the Club. So, we sat in silence for half an hour, until a Korean woman came up to us and introduced herself (having assumed, as I did, that the white people were vegetarians, not weirdos who hung around subway stops for the fun of it). What was oddly coincidental was that, once introduced, the guy and I both turned out to be from Wisconsin - ha! So we got along well, and it turns out he did Peace Corps in Ukraine, which was where I would have been teaching if I hadn't chosen Korea. Then we found out that we both love Verka Serdjuchka, a Ukrainian pop star who is also a drag queen. It is truly a small world. The other people were very nice, too, and most of them were surprised that it was my first day - and that I'd decided to come for dinner anyway. I don't feel like I have jet lag, though, and I'm so glad I left my room and got to have a great dinner with great people.

The food was delicious, and then they had an amazing performance on a stage in the center of the restaurant. The performers were wonderful. My camera battery started to die right in the middle of the performance, but I was able to take some video and some pictures, which I'll post tomorrow. I was particularly impressed with the female drummer. Her drum was attached to her outfit and it was played on both ends, with thin sticks. She was also dancing, in the beautifully fluid, precise manner that all of the dancers brought to their art. I was thoroughly impressed, and thrilled that I was there on my first day! After the performance, they asked customers to come up and dance and drum as well. I volunteered to go up with another veg woman, who didn't look nearly as excited as I did about the opportunity. Anyone who knows me, though, knows that secretly I was hoping all along that they'd ask us to participate! We were both given the large, colorful fans to wave, standing back to back in a square with two other women. We were in the center of the stage while the dancers and drummers walked around s in a circle. At first, with so many amateurs, the noise of the drums and gongs was just that - noise. But after a little while the noise became music, and it was so dynamic and fun to be up on stage with foreigners, Koreans, and the Korean performers, all spontaenously creating a musical event. It was the perfect end to a wonderful first day in Korea.

Hello Seoul

I arrived safe and sound last night in Seoul, and since I stayed up for the whole flight over, I already feel pretty good about being in a new time zone. I fell asleep around 1am, and I'm feelinf great! I'm about to venture out in Seoul for the first time, in search of vegetarian food. I found an Indian restaurant in my guide book that looks like it's in the same area as my hotel, and I'm just trying to get down some cheat sheets in Korea to use while I'm walking around.

Despite having a wattage converter, my laptop must suck power because the converter and my battery both started to heat up a lot and I got nervous, so I'm trying to use my laptop sparingly on battery. I guess I'll try charging it in just 15 minute intervals, to give the converter a break. Hopefully once training starts on Friday I'll be able to talk to people and see about getting a better quality one for my laptop specifically, or something like that.

I'll write more later, but my hunger is gnawing at me, so I'm off to explore this insanely large city!

Farewell

Warning: this is a sappy entry - I promise I will bring back the comedic relief next time!

So I'm flip-flopping between being thrilled about this trip and being torn about leaving when this has been such a wonderful summer. It's always amazing to reconnect with family and friends, and it's hard to be as far away as I already am from the people who surrounded and supported me for the last four or five years. So in the brief moments of sadness and anxiety, I think of all of those amazing people and how much I will miss them. Almost instantaneously, though, I am also overcome by excitement at knowing that those people all believe in me, and do things like drive across the country to tell me that (thank you M and D). They know as well or better than I do that going abroad is the right decision. In the end, as I'm counting down the hours until I leave this country, I'm flooded with gratitude for the supportive and caring people in my life. Thank you all for loving me even though I keep leaving. I already miss you all.

"Drove to Chicago..."

Yet another visit to Chicago that didn't go as I'd hoped, but turned out to be well worth the trip.

Last night I finished packing my life into luggage. This morning I rearranged for weight. Twice. I was prepared to get to Chicago, have the consulate say, "Why yes, your visa is ready early!", call my travel agent to book an immediate flight, say a teary goodbye to my parents, and depart for my new home in Korea. As my travel agent told me the night before: "You're trying to do the impossible." I was hoping the world would somehow be in sync with me and that everything would work out.

I stayed up all night, thinking that I could sleep during the 14 hour flight. I rode in the car filled with anticipation and adrenaline. I called the consulate as we were arriving in Chicago to see if my visa was ready early, because they told me it might be. My visa was not ready early.

So the deal is this: I need to arrive on a Wednesday to start my training for work. No flights after 3pm would get me to Korea on Wednesday. Instead, I need to wait a week and fly out next Monday to arrive in Korea by that Wednesday. Thus, I am in Madison for 6 more days.

On the not-so-bright side: my life is all packed away and I'll be living out of my suitcases for a week, only to have to repack them; worse, this means one more week of my kids having a substitute teacher and me not bonding with them.

On the bright side: I ended up having another fantastic day in Chicago with my parents! On Friday when we went for my visa interview, we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, which was great. Today we visited the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park. There was a free music at noon at the park pavilion, and the band was great (JT and the Clouds).

I'd been telling my parents that I thought the art museum was where there was a gallery of miniature rooms, but we couldn't find anything that said for certain if that was true. We headed in and were pleased to see that it was the place! Despite having been to Chicago to other museums a number of times, apparently my parents had never been to the Art Institute of Chicago. I'd gone on school trips, and had fallen in love with the miniature rooms. My interest in interior design and history is sparked by the intricate and painstaking detail of these tiny models. It was great to share the experience with my parents. For the rest of the afternoon we had a wonderful time wandering through the museum. It certainly beat sitting on a plane!

So, even though I've now had two crazy, unplanned days in Chicago, they both ended up being much more fun than anticipated, and helped remind me that there is a real beauty in spontaneity. I often forget to appreciate the decisions we make in the present, and the value of appreciating those moments, because I'm so concentrated on what's coming next and planning the future. It's been amazing to have two great days of appreciating the present with my parents, and I'll definitely treasure these memories once I finally get to Korea!

Everything's Falling Into Place

My visa interview was this morning. It was supposed to take 2hrs and 15min to get to the office in Chicago. It took 3hrs and 30min. I was 30min late because we sat for 50min waiting for an accident between two semis to get cleared from the road. Right after the semi accident was cleared away, we hit 25mph-45mph traffic in a construction zone. Luckily we'd left an hour early, or I would have been even later. After that looong trip, my visa interview took 5 minutes! My visa will be ready to pick up on Tuesday. We'll leave 4hours for the trip!

I also have my final assignment for my work. I will be working in the Saha district of Busan, instead of Changwon. My friend Jinmee will be glad, because she told me that Busan would be a better place to live and work, and I'm hoping she'd right! I think I'll still be teaching older elementary and middle school students, but I'm not positive. I'll start teaching on the 14th of September, and I'll be in training before that.

Next Tuesday will be a hectic day, because I'll have to head to the consulate to pick up my visa at 3pm, and then I'm getting a flight for that evening from Chicago so that I can arrive in Korea by Wednesday evening, their time.

I was so excited and relieved that everything was in place, that on the way back I fell asleep in the car and took a nap when I got home. I've been having such a hard time getting a good night's sleep with all of this uncertainty hanging over me, and once I knew things were coming together, I think my brain finally decided it could rest! Now I'm refreshed and ready to work on packing and reading more about my academy and neighborhood! I already finished a book on Korean customs and etiquette this week, and I'm ready to start dedicating myself to learning Survival Korean! Here's hoping the next few days go smoothly before I travel, and that everything goes well on Tuesday!

Back on Track

Just as I was starting to despair (ok, not really) everything started to come together again! The Seoul office called me tonight for my second interview, which I think went well. It was to determine my salary and placement, because I already signed the contract (though I suppose they could have reneged if I failed miserably). They want me in Seoul by Wednesday, so I can start training next Friday. That means leaving Tuesday - the same day my visa should be ready! I have my visa interview in the morning, so I'm hoping they'll tell me one of two things: either that I can get my visa sooner than Tuesday, or that it will work to pick up my visa on the way to the airport!

My interview is at 10:30am, and I should be asleep, but I had so much to get together, not to mention taking a shower and pulling outfit options out of my semipacked luggage. We have to leave to drive to Chicago at 6:30am (groan) but luckily I am clever and invited my parents to join me for a fun day in Chicago, which is really just a rouse so I can sleep while they drive - mwahahaha! Just kidding (well, partially). It will be great to have them along, to hang out for awhile in Chigago instead of just driving down by myself -with all of my nerves and sleepiness - just to interview and turn back around to Madison.

As a side note, I was up at the Bullfrog Fish Farm (where all the coolest people in Wisconsin go to catch Rainbow Trout and eat Hobo Chefin' grilled fish) to visit my brother and his fiancee. It was a short visit, but it is always great to see them, and it's so relaxing around the pond. Anyway, I decided to try a little bit more trout this time (I tried a miniscule piece last time I visited). The piece I ate was still small by any meat eater's standards, but I felt very brave nonetheless. So far, I don't feel sick, either, which is a good sign. It's definitely nothing like the fish I'll face in Korea, but hopefully this step will help me in case I have to eat fish, or food prepared with fish. Unfortunately, it also means I can't honestly say I've never intentionally eaten meat before, which was always such a doozy for people. If my brother or his fiancee are reading this, they're probably laughing at me for making it such a big deal. The piece really was quite small, but I know some of you (assuming anyone reads this, ha) will be surprised that I even went that far!

Delays

When I accepted the job, today was the day we were hoping I'd be getting on a plane to leave. Instead, I have a visa interview in Chicago on Friday, I won't get my visa until next Tuesday, and the main branch of my school has to do another interview with me before I leave, but that might not happen until next week. So, I'm still here. Don't get me wrong - that's a good thing because I'm spending qualit time with family and friends, but it's also frustrating to think about missing the first days of class with my students and having to play catch up, and generally being uncertain about my travel plans. I don't like uncertainty, or surprises. I can't help but feel like this uncertainty will lead to: surprise! Get a ticket and get on a plane within a period of 24 hours! I'd like to at least know a few days in advance so I can get a ticket and be planning for that departure. Hopefully that will work out, but I guess if it doesn't, there isn't much I can do other than go with the flow.

I packed all of my clothes on Monday, because I thought maybe they'd want to expedite everything and still have me out by today. Nope. So now there is a huge suitcase of clothes in the middle of my room. It's looming there. It will keep looming until sometime next week, because I don't have the energy to unpack and repack everything. I feel great animosity towards it's intrusion on my otherwise neat room. I feel a similar animosity towards the other piles of papers and things to sort through that are currently surrounding me on my bed as I write this. They were sitting on my desk, but with the suitcase on the floor I couldn't bear the sight of more of my clean surfaces covered, so tonight I will sort through these and get them out of my sight at least.

I think that's been the hardest part of the prepartions for me - making a mess in order to clean and pack. Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate it when my space is out-of-order. It literally feels as if I can't use it when it's in this condition, and it makes it harder for me to sleep because I don't like to fall asleep when my room is disorganized. On the bright side, I've been sorting and cleaning for about three weeks now, and am nearing the finish line. My material life is packed away in boxes, or sitting in piles to be sorted and packed in the next few days. When it's done I will be free! I have labeled the boxes. I have recorded the contents of the boxes in Word documents. I have set up my room so that it can be used as a guest room, and neatly shelved books, movies, photo albums, etc. It is the most thorough and fulfilling sorting I have done in five years. I have gone through everything I saved over the years, and it was very cathartic. I have given away or thrown away enough "stuff" to fill many boxes - boxes that used to just sit around, waiting for me to get home from Interlochen or Ithaca to deal with their contents. Finally, I have dealt with the layers of "memories," thrown away notes I saved from friends in middle school, given away clothes I haven't worn in years, and recycled magazines I won't ever read. Ok, the last one isn't totally true. I saved a lot of magazines in case someday the news I'm living through turns out to be worth something to someone else...but the more frivolous ones are gone.

Anyway, I've gone on long enough about my cleaning streak. The point is, it feels amazing to know exactly what I "own" and to know exactly where everything is. I can't wait for the last piles to diminish, leaving behind only clean surfaces, so I can leave behind a clean slate.

Busan, not Seosan

Well, the last few weeks have been tumultuous. First, I found out that the job in Seosan, where I'd accepted the contract, couldn't hire new staff after all because of low enrollment. I took that chance to try applying outside of Korea as well again, because I figured I may as well try all of my options. Thus, my last post about Ukraine, Poland, and Ghana. Well, Ukraine offered me a job the same day as a school near Busan did. I took two days to decide, all the time weighing whether to continue with my Poland application and waiting for Ghana to set up an interview (they said they would, then never called...).

In the end, I chose Busan, because the school there seemed more professional and because I'd gotten so used to the idea of going to Korea (not to mention I'd spent hours pouring over Korean guidebooks, cookbooks, language books, plus the hours spent online looking up folk music and national parks, and reading other FTs' (Foreign Teachers) blogs). Now I'm two weeks away from hopping on a plane to Seoul for training before moving down south. Busan is a port town, with lots of Russian immigrants. It has a huge outdoor market, and there is a ferry there to visit the Jeju Islands (the Hawai'i of Korea). I'll be living in a suburb, which I'm glad of, as I've never lived in a city as large as Busan! I am glad that I'll be near enough to explore the metropolitan area, though. I think I'm most excited for this, though, right in my suburb: http://eng.changwon.go.kr/tour/top.jsp

I still have to get through my interview at the consulate in Chicago, and I'm still dealing with paperwork, but I'm really excited and looking forward to getting on the plane...okay, actually, the plane is my least favorite part, and I'm not looking forward to it at all (though I've heard Korean Air is lovely). I'm looking forward to getting OFF the plane in Korea : )

Change of Plans...

Well it's been a strange 24 hours. Last night I received a delayed message from a teacher who just recently left the school I accepted a position with. The teacher told me the school was a difficult work environment and that I shouldn't take the job. I asked the teacher to elaborate on specifics so I could be prepared, and am waiting on a response...
BUT
In the meantime, I received a call from my recruiter that the school had low enrollment and couldn't hire new faculty, so I'm off the hook for the "difficult" work environment! I love when issues work themselves out without me doing anything!

Now it's back to the drawing board, though it seems very likely that I'll be overseas very soon regardless. I'm looking at other schools across Korea, and this evening I applied to Ukraine and Ghana, and I'll keep looking. I wanted to be in Eastern Europe from the beginning, so if Ukraine works out, I may have wasted money on my online Korean language program!! Oh well, Russian is spoken in more countries, so it could pay off in the long run. Whatever happens, I'm still excited about the whole thing, and the job hunting is coming more easily now after a month of reading forums and blogs, and going back and forth with recruiters.

I'm sure things will work out in the end, and I'll wait as patiently as I can to find the right fit!

Preparations

With each day I get more excited about this decision. I went clothes shopping yesterday (an activity I generally despise) and actually enjoyed picking out a wardrobe with Korea in mind. I spent more than I meant to, but it was fun nonetheless, and, knowing me, I'll probably return a few things.

I also got my documents back from the Secretary of State, where they authenticate them for international visa processing. Now I'm just waiting on my transcripts and I'll send all my paperwork to Korea to get rolling on my visa. They want me to start in mid-August, but I'm hoping that I'll be here at least until August 22nd, for various reasons. I guess it will depend on how long the paperwork takes once they receive it.

I've signed up for an online Korean language course, but sadly I've not taken real advantage of it because I tend to forget during the day at work, and by the time I think of it at night I'm too tired to learn a new language! Work ends on Friday, though, so after that I'll probably download the audio lessons, print the others, and take them in the car with me for my solo camping trip across the state. I plan to visit my foster sister's family, my brother and his fiancee, two or three friends, and my sister and her family. I don't know when I'll see them all again, especially if I have to leave earlier in August than I'm expecting. None of them know about the trip, but I'm sure they'll understand : )

I wish I could say goodbye to so many other people as well. I feel as if graduation went by so quickly, I barely had time to say hello to everyone that day, let alone say goodbye, before leaving for WI. I really miss people from Ithaca, and it's unnerving and saddening to think I may not see some of those people for a very long time, if ever. I miss them already, so I guess in that sense being in Korea won't change much.

Decision Made

Today marks day 1 of what I hope will be a year of learning (more than teaching) in Korea. I accepted a contract with a Hagwon on the West Coast of Korea, about 2 hours from Seoul. I'm excited to be in a smaller city, near the coast of the West Sea (or the Yellow Sea, as it is known outside of Korea). I've heard the area is beautiful, and there are nearby National Parks to explore. I considered a job closer to Seoul, in Suwon, but decided to take my chances on the coast. I've added a link to the city's website (in English) for anyone interested in knowing more about the area.

Now that I've signed the contract, it's visa time. I have tons of paperwork to get processed and sent before I can make the move. Still, everything goes very quickly with the process of applying to and accepting positions, so I'm sure this will fly by as well.

While I wait on all of my paperwork, I'll be packing my life up again. I'm still not nearly finished unpacking from my move back to Wisconsin from New York, and now I have to rush through unpacking and repacking as quickly as possible. Even a month early seems like I'm cutting it close - though I'm trying to remind myself that I packed up my life in Ithaca in just under 72 hours, so I'm sure I'll manage. Besides, I have a couple of great lists I came across to help prioritze my packing, so that will make life easier.

All in all, I'm looking forward to the coming year overseas. I have had moments, just in the last 24 hours, of anxiety and fear, but those moments always pass and are replaced with anticipation and excitement. I'll try to keep this updated as often as possible, for myself as much as for all of my friends, family and the complete strangers who happen upon it. Here goes!