Kyomi (Key-O-Me)

I've decided to keep Kyomi (Yogi). She's so adorable, and very well behaved. The only problem is that she's not quite potty trained yet. She doesn't go while I'm home, but will go while I'm at work. I'm hoping I don't have to start crating her, but if she doesn't get it by the end of next week I think I'm going to have to.

For Christmas I'm having a potluck at my apt. We ordered a turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, so it should be quite the feast! To be honest though, this is the first year I've been excited for the holidays to be over. Hosting a Christmas party is hard work!

Merry Christmas to me!

I decided to foster this little girl. Although, if she doesn't get adopted this weekend, I'm strongly considering adopting her. They named her Yogi (because she looks like Yogi Bear, but I don't think that's very girly!)

She didn't like the bath or the brush, but it had to happen!

She has quite the personality, and is full of energy. She runs around my apartment like a madwoman all day.

But...after a long walk in the morning and a night getting toys downtown, she was finally worn out.

English is Power

Everyone in Korea wants to know English. I am able to offer English lessons in exchange for anything! I recently agreed to an English-Salsa exchange. English is more powerful than money!

This is how we spend our weekends in Korea

Lunch

Eating mile-long pasta with scissors

Riding Robot Bikes

Swan paddle boats

Robot Bike Video!!

Sweet Potato Latte (more evidence that sweet potatoes are taking over my life)

The holidays have made me a little homesick, but I recently booked tickets to Thailand which has made me feel much better. I'm planning on being there just over 10 days, and my Uncle John and Jacq are meeting me there for about 5 days.

Christmas in Korea is much different than Christmas in the U.S. Whenever I ask my students if they're excited for Xmas, they shout very loudly NO! Apparently, Christmas here is like Valentines Day. Most people spend time with a significant other or friends. Since xmas is a Saturday, I don't have any days off (not even xmas eve!). Despite the Grinchlike spirit of the Korean Christmas, I bought a little Christmas tree to get myself into the real spirit of Christmas!

Seoul

We had a very cultural experience in Seoul. We went to a Flaming Lips concert, shopped at H&M and Forever XXI, and ate a Taco Bell.

I’m beginning to understand many of the things that baffled me when I first arrived in Korea. For example, I now understand why my bed is so low to the floor. Korea uses floor heat, so the closer you are to the floor, the warmer you’ll be. Floor heat, by the way, is an awesome concept. When you wake up in the morning you don’t have to worry about putting your feet on the cold hardwood floor because it’s nice and warm. I’ve also come to understand why Koreans leave the windows open even on the coldest of days. Mold. That’s right, I have (and many Koreans have) a mold problem in my apartment. I’m trying desperately to solve the problem without having to rewallpaper my entire room, but it’s not looking promising. Everyday when I come home from work, I air out my apartment to break up the spores and avoid a nasty sore throat and cough. I’ve cleaned my wall with bleach water, but I’m pretty sure the problem is under the wallpaper. The mold started from poor insulation in my apartment, which forms condensation on the window on my bedroom wall. I’ve tried putting towels all over the windowsill, but as I’ve read, a mold problem usually cannot be taken care of without complete removal of the mold (which lies under the wallpaper). My coteacher is also not very optimistic, but I’m going to do my best to nip the mold in the bud. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have to rewallpaper, or even worse, move.

Halloween

Hula-Hooping in the Park

One of the best pictures I've taken yet.

Fireworks in Busan (a little late)

International Fireworks Festival in Busan

Last weekend we went to the fireworks festival in Busan. I've never been much of a fan of fireworks, but this was definitely the best fireworks show I have ever seen. I didn't bring my camera, but I'm hoping to get photos from other people to give you an idea of how awesome it was. As awesome as the fireworks show was, my experience in Busan was less than thrilling. We couldn't find a place to stay the night, so I ended up sharing a couch with 2 people in a DVD room, which is a room you rent to watch movies.

My limited knowledge of Korean has presented me with a number of problems. One the of the biggest problems so far was paying someone else's phone bill. My coteacher and I are still in awe of how this could have happened, but somehow someone else's bill ended up in my mailbox (addressed to me). We both didn't notice that it was not my bill until the damage had already been done. My coteacher seems to think that is was the cell phone's company's way of trying to take advantage of foreigners, and they seem to have succeeded.

I'm taking a salsa class on Tuesdays, which has become what I look forward to most during the week. However, salsa is definitely different in Korea than in Ecuador. In Ecuador, salsa was all about having a good time and relaxing. In Korea, salsa is about counting, making the right steps, and dancing flawlessly. In a nutshell, that is the biggest difference between Korea and Ecuador as a whole. South Korea seeks perfection while Ecuador seeks disfrutamiento. It's nearly impossible to compare the two countries on any deeper level because they are so completely different (except for the manbags).

Dr. Fish

This week was my first experience with Dr. Fish. Dr. Fish is where you go to have fish eat the dead skin eaten off your feet. I don't think I've ever laughed as hard in my life. Pictures to come.

Teacher Field Trip

After midterms, the teachers were required to go on a field trip. We didn't realize we'd be hiking and forging rivers...

Oldstyle houses

Dongchon Middle School Teachers forging the river

Some of the teachers

Me and one of my coteachers

We didn't know we were going to be hiking...

Mask Festival in Andong

Last weekend we went to a mask festival about an hour and a half from Daegu. It wasn't anything too exciting, but I made a mask and lamp!!

I was paid last Friday, and I don’t think that any of my first paycheck will be saved. I joined a gym, joined Costco, and bought a chair all within 24 hours of my first paycheck. I’m realizing that since this is my first full time job, all previous dedications to saving have gone out the window. Considering I’m planning on traveling while here, I should really reconsider my careless spending habits.

Today (Saturday) I’m going to a mask festival about an hour from Daegu. It’s supposed to be one of the best festivals of the year, so I’m pretty excited about that. On Sunday, I’m also taking a day trip about an hour away to bike around a small town that is known for it’s old-style architecture.

Next week on Monday and Tuesday, my students have midterm exams. Basically, what that means is that I’ll be desk warming all day. However, on Tuesday, all the teachers are going on a field trip somewhere about an hour away. I think it’ll be nice to spend time with my coworkers outside of school.

I also recently met a girl who is interested in doing a language exchange (English-Korean), so were meeting on Monday. I’ve learned the alphabet, but I have absolutely no vocabulary except for the most basic survival skills. I really want to learn Korean, so I’m really excited to meet her.

Trip to Busan

We had a great time on our vacation to Busan!! We crammed a lot into the 3 days we were there, so we managed to see most of what the city has to offer. Busan is a lot bigger than Daegu, and the people are a lot more laid back. They seem to be more accustomed to foreigners. I think we will be spending a lot of time here next summer!

Modern Art Museum

Playing in the ocean wearing a bow tie

Mommy and Baby Toilet

Biggest Dept Store in the World

Lotte Mart

UN Memorial

Busan Aquarium

Obama socks

Mystery

Also, as a side note, the kids think Ms. Tully sounds like Mystery, so that's what they call me.

Sept. 14th 2010

Nothing too exciting has happened the past week. I had planned on going on a hike this past weekend but it rained the whole weekend, so we had to cancel. I’m getting more and more settled in my school. I started my afterschool conversation class today, and it was a like pulling teeth. Students tend to think the Native Teachers class is a joke. It’s going to be a battle to get the kids to participate.

I don’t know why anyone would voluntarily live near the school they teach. Although it’s nice to be able to walk to work, I see my students and their families all the time. I was walking into my apartment building and I heard “teacher, teacher.” Apparently, one of my students is my neighbor. My coteacher also informed me that he was a “bad” student and that she was a little worried. I’m not I also ran into a student’s parents at the grocery store (they new who I was only because I’m American). They asked me if I new their child, and of course I lied and said I did. I don’t know how I’m expected to remember every one of my 600 students. I’m going to have a hard enough time learning my conversation student’s names.

My air conditioning finally got fixed last week. The mechanic came to my apartment and just started drilling holes in the floors and walls. Luckily, my landlord was there, so I didn’t worry too much. My air conditioning works now, so I guess they knew what they were doing. I have to admit, I’ve become that foreigner that just smiles and nods about everything. What else are you supposed to do?

I booked my vacation to for Chuseok (the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving). I get off Sept 21^st through the 26^th, so we’re going to Busan-the second largest city in Korea. It’s on the coast, and is supposed to have nice beaches. Is it bad that I’m already looking forward to a vacation?

I start my Korean classes on Friday, which I’m really excited for. I also applied for a part time job, volunteer position, and public speaking class. I’m probably going get pretty busy!!

Pictures from the weekend

This weekend, we hiked up one of the "mountains" close by. At the base there was another Buddhist temple.

Past Week

Everything is going really well! My head coteacher is really nice! She took me shopping and out to dinner the day I arrived. She also gave me some new dishes and pans to stock my apartment. and I was able to meet the native teacher who taught before. We went out to lunch with another Korean English teacher (who I'm coteaching with right now). They gave me a lot of helpful tips, and brought me to Costco where I was able to stock up on essentials such as honey-nut cheerios, a coffee maker, grinder, and “American” milk and yogurt. I’m definitely going to invest in a Costco card. It’s essential.

I started teaching on Monday. The 7^th graders are taking a health class during my class, so I’m teaching 8^th and 9^th graders for the first month (normally I will be teaching 7^th and 8^th graders). I only see the students once a week, which is kind of a bummer. It’s going to be really hard to get to know the students, let alone their names. The students are really shy, so I hope they will open up as time goes on. The 9^th graders are my favorite thus far, probably because their English is more advanced so I can do more with them. Although, the 7^th graders are way more excited about my goofy games.

One of my favorite things about teaching is hearing the kids mimick me. Although it can get annoying sometimes, they pronounce things EXACTLY the way that I say them. It’s like hearing a recording. My Irish friend even says her students have developed an Irish twang over the past week!

All of my coworkers and coteachers are really great. A lot of people want to practice their English, so I’m probably the most popular person at school (for now). A lot of my coworkers are young, which is also really nice. We’ve been out to dinner together a few times already!

One of the hardest things is talking slow enough for the students to understand. Hopefully over time, I will break the habit of talking fast. The only other real problem is that technology is shaky in school, but I’m also a little reluctant to make worksheets. Worksheets are too boring, and I have 600 students I would have to make them for! The students work best with visuals, but relying on powerpoint might be too risky.

In about 2 weeks I will start teaching the teachers and 2 extra classes of students, for which I will be paid extra. Right now, I only have to plan for 2 classes per week, so I’m excited to have some extra work.

In the past week, I have explored a lot of Daegu. The subway system is really easy to use, and I’m only a 15 minute ride from downtown. Downtown there is a huge pedestrian mall that’s lined with tons of bars, shops, and restaurants. It’s really convenient, and I’ve been out to dinner there quite a few times.

Last weekend I went to a body painting festival. Although I didn’t stay for the judgments, the artists were really talented. There was an Ecuadorian music group there, so I even got to practice my Spanish!!

I have 4 days off at the end of September, so I’m trying to plan a trip to Japan. Since it’s such short notice, I might not be able to plan in time/get tickets in time. If I go, I’d really like to go to Kyoto, and maybe Tokyo. If anyone has been to Japan, and can make suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated.

Not sure if I mentioned this in the last update, but my apartment is near the army base. So, it sounds like there’s a war outside my apartment/school throughout the day. I guess that’s just something I will get used to!!

APARTMENT

I moved into my apartment on Friday. Overall, I'm really happy with what I got. I'm in a low-income school district, so I think they were able to get more for their money.

My bed is the only real major downfall. It's only about 3 inches off the ground. I'm thinking about buying a new one. Like I said, everything here is fun sized!

The bathroom is also a little strange. There's no distinction between the shower and bathroom. They are the one in the same. So, it's difficult to keep anything in the bathroom dry.

Notice how it looks like Hello Kitty barfed all over the apartment? That's Korea. I kind of love it.

I'm pleased with my apartment. I didn't expect to have a separate bathroom, laundry room, kitchen/living area, and bedroom. I need to do some furniture shopping, but that's miniscule. I'm just so happy it's clean. I took these pictures before I did any unpacking, so I've since done t quite a bit of shopping and rearranging. I'll try to upload pictures of the finished project!

The best thing about my apartment is it's less than a 10 minute walk to the school I'll be teaching and the subway. You can't ask for much more than that.