Florence + the Machine

me being bitter

Did I mention yesterday that my co-teacher and another teacher were in a minor traffic accident? They were. They showed up to school for a while and moped around until they went to the hospital. They looked sore from the impact, but I mean, if they weren't taken away by ambulance at the scene, they ought to be fine within a couple of days. My co-teacher is MIA at school, so I'm assuming he's checked into the hospital. Earlier this year, 2 other teachers have been in car accidents (does this say something about the way Koreans drive?), and each of them stayed in the hospital for a week. 


Things like this you need to plan ahead for. The unforeseen days when you might not be in school. You have a back up folder. Or, in this case, they are not so sick that they can't call the school and give a basic plan of what to do in class. 


The other English teacher came to sub for my co-teacher's classes today, but he has no materials. He's also blind, so he'd need computer text files, which I can't access because they're on my co-teacher's password protected computer. He said I could leave, so I'm wondering if it's because he thinks I'm inadequate, the fact that there isn't a lot to do since the class has completed their review sheets (finals next week), or that maybe he's embarrassed because he doesn't know what to do with the class. Any way, I'm annoyed when I should be feeling sympathetic for my co-teacher. 


Also, I'd like to remind you that the students are useless. It's the high school class, and no one has enough English, nor do I have quite enough Korean to meet each other halfway. Even if I could do that, they wouldn't. Useless. Absolutely useless. The rest of the day I can handle. It's just this high school mob that I dread whenever I know I'm on my own. The fact that my computer just gave me a blue screen of impending doom doesn't help my grumpy mood either. I guess I'm seriously going to have to set money aside for a new computer. Stay away from HP and Gateway. They both suck.


By the way, I am really sorry that my co-teacher and teacher whose desk is next to mine were in a car accident. Fruit for them when they come back!

the pull from home

I signed a contract with the Dajeon MOE last week, and instead of the refreshing, reassuring feeling that should come along with the knowledge that I am employed for the next year, I just feel kind of trapped. I'm a mix of happy that I can stay another year so I can travel more, learn Korean in a real class (here's hoping), have more time with the school I'm currently working at, and power save money for the next 14 months, and resigned to the fact that I am in fact staying abroad until 2011. I need to figure out something to keep the sped practices I learned and mildly practiced reasonably fresh. The only data collecting I do is recording reading speeds, but the speed checks are done in an inefficient way (it's how my co-teacher wants it, and the students will refuse to do it in the way for a more accurate speed). 


Lately I've been craving the opportunity to be in charge of my own class or students- in charge of the planning, the data, the IEPs (crazy, right?). All that work that comes with being a sped teacher in the states. I want it. I'm really longing for being able to make better established connections with students- done so much more easily if I could speak the same language. I am grateful for my time and future time in Korea that allows me to learn how to be comfortable in the classroom, in front of students, alone with students, and how to roll with the crazy that often accompanies everyday Korean school life. 


I think a lot of this downer period is coming from the fact that I know I'm going home in a month, and that I haven't left Daejeon in a long time. The mud festival somewhere in Korea is in a few weeks, then I leave for Virginia shortly after (yay!). There are whispers of going to Japan during Korea's Chuseok (totally down, up, and sideways for that- and I'm sure I've talked about this a few times before...), and once it no longer feels like I'm swimming through a hot tub, I'm hoping to start leaving the city more often. I mean, I've yet to see Busan, how pathetic is that? Have I also mentioned this? Evidence that I really do need to get out more often.


Daejeon's EPIK coordinator is getting ready to peace out and leave the dirty job to a woman who seems afraid of her new position- can't blame her with all us foreigners constantly complaining and questioning stuff. So the original coordinator has proposed to hire some EPIK teachers around the city to help filter through emails to lighten up the work load. Extra pay is planned. Hell yes, I have submitted my name into the candidate pool. And yes, I welcome any extra work to keep me busy while I am at work. It's much more fun to tool around on the internet when I know I have crap to do. 


Don't get me wrong here, I've really enjoyed my time in Korea so far, and I honestly do look forward to one more year. I appreciate the things that are weird to me, and the fact that there are things I think are funky. I appreciate the similarities, the people, the lifestyle I'm allowed to have here. I also recognize that I will always be a visitor in a foreign country, and I am not the personality that can re-root into foreign places. My home is USA, and living abroad has also helped me cultivate that cheesy sense of patriotic pride for my home country- hot messes and all. 


In the meantime, I can look forward to re-meeting my freakishly adorable nephew, reunions with the girls from my graduate program and college friends, PLAYING WITH MY DOG!!!, hanging out with mom and dad <3 <3. 


And also turkey meatloaf. Stop gagging, it's freaking delicious.

Dear Futurama, 

How I missed  you! Welcome back!!!
Love, hugs, poops, and giggles, 
Megan

a seriously Happy Friday to you

To add to the week of awesome, the AC is on in the teacher's office. WOO!

the week of awesome

1. Korea advances into the top 16 after managing a tie with Nigeria. 주말 이번에 파이팅 대헌만국!! 
2.  USA friggin' BEATS Algeria within the last 4 minutes of the game, wiping that cocky smirk off Algeria's bastard of a goalie. LOVED IT. Also, this weekend after the Korea vs. Uruguay game, go USA! 
My favorite part? 
Going from this face...

To THIS face. LOVED it. 

3. Futurama officially returns!!!!!! Link cuts to a preview.

your TMI: Megan edition for the day

The store where I buy my bras and underwear is currently running a sale and a discount on top of the sale items. I need these things, and I was shopping online in the teacher's office until the thought that maybe fellow teachers would find it inappropriate to see bras and undies on my screen. Me? I personally don't care, but I will be appropriate and respectful. Now, I just have to fight of the craving to look at all those cute bras for the rest of the day!! :( 

Yeah, probably not the best thing to have in full view of any passerby. 

Me llamo ALMA

A student of mine wants me to tutor her in Spanish. Props to her being able to learn a new language through a foreign language she's been studying. My high school Spanish textbook was kind of awesome, it's a shame I don't have access to it. It'd be so much more fun if I could use visuals... :( Love the students, but I don't have an interest in pursuing a career in teaching people who are blind or have low vision back in the states. I need hands on activities and pictures!


On a side note: GO KOREA!!! I was lame and woke up at 3, and stayed in the apartment to watch the game. I kind of wish that I had actually gone out since I wasn't able to sleep afterwards, but I also saved 20,000 won in cab rides. 대한 민국 파이팅!!

on old people

Gawker has an article re-posted from a blog, which briefly discussing the fact that some old Korean people actually beat or verbally harass others out of the seats that are meant to be priority for elderly, pregnant women, or people with disabilities. It concludes with the fact that usually in American subways, younger or better fit people will generally give up their seats for older people; a subtle implication that the Korean youth have no regard for the country's ancient population. But, living in Korea with a foreigner's perspective, I have to say that I can't blame anyone for not wanting to give up their seat to an old crotch who comes up and immediately starts demanding their spot. 

Old people cut in lines. Everywhere. It pisses me off, and I'm not going to accept this little aspect about Korea even though the culture-sensitive side of me feels obligated to. Efffffff that. Watch out if you're waiting for the bus because they strategize when to sneak up from behind and get in front, or they'll just outright shove you aside to get on first. Then it's a mad dash to any available seats. By a thin margin, I have more understanding for the buses, as the drivers are crazy and you either hang on for dear life or fly. I always have to fight the urge to mow them down when I'm at the door, and then an old broad squeezes in front. I mean... seriously? 


I've never seen anyone fight over seats in Daejeon or during my visits to Seoul- though if you're going to see it, the bigger cities are where to be. I was a witness to an ancient bitch trying to steal the chair from beneath a foreigner during the lantern parade. Repeatedly. I wanted to deck her. So I mean, if you're at home kind of appalled that younger Koreans are in the old people seats and not immediately giving them up, just imagine what you'd be inclined to do if someone with a scary wrinkly old face and little beady angry eyes hobbled over like Smeagol and then started yelling at you. Then, consider American old people. Usually, much more demure, polite, and thankful that you are going to give them your seat. Old Koreans- a lot of them- expect it. Bitches. 


Of course, there are the outliers who are (or do a good job pretending) surprised that someone is being so generous. And if you missed the link earlier, check out the article in it's original home HERE.

Happy Friday!

A newer student in the high school first grade class stopped me to practice English conversation, using one of the two students in the school who has high English language skills as an interpreter. He started by setting himself off like it was a race, "ready, set, go!" And when he got stuck on something he was trying to say, he said, "Pass" and then moved on to some new tangent. 

His topics? Where am I from? Okay, so how is the gold value in Virginia? Something about if he took 100,000 something there be it won or dollars, which he stumbled and ultimately passed on. Then he just barraged me with "Do you like..." questions until I had to run off to do something for my co-teacher. 

On a side note, he's somewhere between the age of 25 and 27 and beautiful. And for whatever reason, he wears scrunchies and bow clips in is relatively short hair. He also occasionally walks down the hallway singing in a falsetto voice... haha. Weekend time!

buh.buh.buh.

There's a man who recently began a "society re-entry" program at my school. He sought me out a while ago to talk to me, explaining why he's here blah blah, and mentioned something about getting a meal together, though at the time, the why was unclear. Last week, he came looking for me again during the school's festival and asked again about getting lunch or dinner or whatever, and I was flaky about it. Yesterday, he called the teacher's office looking for me, and mentioned a specific day to get lunch. I said I didn't know, to which he said he'd call again on Friday. 

Buh. It's because he wants to use me to practice his English. Maybe it's how it comes through translation, but he comes off as your stereotypical older Korean man... he wants to run the conversation, which I guess is fine so I don't actually have to talk that much. Even if I wanted to, his listening skills are terrible- he barely understands anything I say. But he made a comment that put me off- the school held a cooking contest during it's festival thing, and he made me go to his team's tent. They shared some of what they made with me, and I asked him what the dish's name was. His answer: "I don't know the name of it because I don't cook. I'm not a housewife."


Uh, yeah okay, I'm gonna go peace out now. 


Honestly, I'm hoping he won't actually inquire about lunch again, but I'm also thinking if I get it done this weekend, maybe that will be it. Buuuuuh. These people who look at us English speaking foreigners as prime opportunities to exercise their language skills... I'm curious to know if they think it's fun for us. Because I'm gonna say that for me, in situations like this, it's definitely, seriously not. Just a whole lotta awkward. And really now, this scenario: a middle aged man with a 24 year old female out in public alone is just WEIRD and inappropriate! Anyone? Or is that really just me?

string cheese

Yeah, so when I make my students produce their own English (in writing, so it should be easier, right?), this the best they give me. And this is 6th grade level, 2 girls giving me 5 reasons for why I should let them eat string cheese. 

MBLAQ: Y... uh, why?

*this is not a light-hearted post


I saw MBLAQ's "Y" music video on TV a couple days ago, and by the end, "wtf" was scrolling across my brain. It starts out with a guy being emo and heartbroken over an apparently failed relationship. Eventually after a lot of crying and warm-fuzzy-glowy memories, he finds her in a club and shoots her. Then he cries on a bridge about what he just did. How romantic. I don't know, you can tell me to get over it because it's fiction, and just meant to entertain for 4 minutes. You could argue that domestic violence is in movies and TV, so if I don't like it in MBLAQ's new music video, I should also be ranting that it shouldn't exist in entertainment at all. You can tell me that you think it's freaking awesome. Yeah, whatever, tell me whatever you want. It's your opinion, so I can respect that.

I can't exactly verbalize why I don't think it belongs in a music video, it just feels wrong. And with the help of a translated version, you can see that the video takes a very literal interpretation of the lyrics. The music itself is about wanting revenge over a bad romance (Gaga, I hope this isn't the kind that you were rah-rahing about), and so now the message undoubtedly says: "Well, if you hurt my feelings, I'm going to kill you." 


Korean censorship has kicked in, and apparently, it's been requested that an edited version of the video be released (sans gun). However, Korea being prudish also has problems with the sex-related content (kissing and 2 people in a bed under the blanket). Brief article here.


For what I say next, I apologize if I trigger negative feelings in anyone. Click the link if you want to finish reading and/or see the music video.

It's hot in the school, some students ask for the AC to be turned in in class, and my co-teacher says no. Instead, he'll turn on a fan, direct it at them, and then they say it's too windy which results in the fan being turned off or pointed away from them, defeating the fan's purpose. Plus, they're wearing hoodies or sweaters or long sleeve shirts. It's in the 80s here. So then they're fanning themselves, but they won't take off their extra layers. This, I just don't get. But I mean, really. The kids are miserable, so turn on the AC during English class! You get sweaty just from sitting. Totally buying a fan for my desk today. 

신발

It started with this:

And somehow has turned into this:

The dangerous thing is the budget friendly shoe stores are featuring colorful fun summer shoes... ahh! It's love!  <3 구두를 사랑해!!

alas, summer has arrived...

Korea had some great spring weather, cool/warm, breezy, air full of pollen, as is evidenced by the yellow coating that settles on my keyboard every day. Wednesday was the day when spring was massacred by the charging summer heat. Don't get me wrong, Naver 날씨 (weather) reports that it's a balmy 28 degrees celsius, whatever that means. So outside, where it's still breezy, it's nice. Inside, where the windows are open but nothings blowing in, or in the English classroom where my co-teacher likes to keep the windows and blinds closed, it's hot. And you know, a lot of the students live in the dorms here. So being a young kid living without mom and dad, a fair amount come in smelling kind of funky. Then we're all trapped together in a hot, stuffy, funkified room. Joy. 


I would get it if AC wasn't installed in the school. I don't get that it's hot, people are complaining it's hot, kids are sweaty, teachers are sweaty, and still, the AC isn't turned on. So then what was the point of installing it in the first place? When I first got here, back when it was still hot, students had to beg my co-teacher to turn on the AC, and he didn't always do it. Even if he did, he usually turned it off after a few minutes. 


More fascinating is what it's like to ride the buses lately. Last summer, when it was hotter, it was on, so maybe there's a certain time frame when the drivers use it. You know. Vehicles get hot. They're like greenhouses on wheels. And public transportation? You know, that, too; sometimes I feel like livestock packed into a truck for shipment. Here's what I can understand: save some energy and hold off on turning the air on until it's freaking nasty outside. In turn, though, open the windows. I think Koreans are afraid of wind (this could go well with the impression that many are rather vain). That, or easily chilled. These days, it's been hot on the bus without AC. Windows are open, right? No. More often than not, most of the windows are closed, and if they are open, don't let an old person sit down because they will close that window. I find this really weird, as well as incredibly misery inducing. Maybe Koreans are immune to heat, which could also explain the phenomenon of blasting the heater during the winter. I'd love to be immune, sign me up for the vaccination!


And by the way, I don't understand how people can cover their faces in makeup on a daily basis. It's so gross. 

IPL

Okay, so last night I had my face offed by a laser. My IPL (intense pulsed light therapy) appointment was yesterday, the first of 3 visits for my endeavor to rid myself of freckles. It hurt. It felt like a cluster of stings, and I could see a flash of red every time which to me was more disturbing than how it felt. Naturally, my face was on fire during the bus ride home, but by the time I was back in my neighborhood, I felt fine.  The actual IPL treatment only took 5 minutes, and by the time I finished washing the gel off, another patient was already getting her armpit hair removed. I had to sit with a mask for 20 minutes, and then I was done! In and out, no waiting time. That part was awesome. The laser all up on my face part was not so awesome, though obviously the most necessary part.So now, because I was annoyed that I couldn't find in between pictures, I'm going to sacrifice my dignity and post mine. Within an hour, my freckles had already turned dark- kind of as if I'd spent the entire day out in the sun. This, if you were to read about it is normal. This is also what i was dreading the most, as I read that for some people, they turned black. Currently, foundation helps make them look more normal, though still obviously darker (also to note is that the foundation is a beast to wash off). Click to get behind the scenes photos!

how Koreans do noraebang (노래방)

Tuesday right after school, all the teachers hustled over to a nearby restaurant for dinner. There, the practicum teachers all had to get up and sing something. Someone knew how to beatbox! haha. Later, the rounds of showing respect were made by various teachers. This involves an exchange of pouring shots of soju or beer with someone or in serving a bite of food (in some cases actually hand feeding it). 


So all year I thought that there was only a handful of teachers who knew enough English to have any type of conversation. Yeah, so this isn't true. The first week I was here, my co-teacher and 2 others took me out to a mountain where we had lunch. One of them was silent the entire time, and his relaxed face is a cross between blank and seemingly cranky. I've always been a little afraid of him because I thought maybe he has anti-foreigner feelings. Yeah, so this wasn't true, either. I sat next to him at dinner, and then he started talking to me in English. And I think his English is really good! He said he's wanted to talk to me all year but "didn't have the confidence," and during the meal he frequently asked if I wanted or needed anything. Another teacher who I unfortunately forgot I've spoken with- I'm terrible!- said he wants to hear me more because I never say anything when I'm at school. Later in the noraebang he would stumble in with another teacher and request that I sing something... And also? 2 of the practicum students came over and said they wanted to meet me. They're month is almost, or is, up (I'm sad because they're a fun group) so they will be leaving soon. One of the girls immediately dubbed me her onni (older sister) and then it was off to a noraebang (karaoke room)! 


The noraebang is where I found out that even more of the practicum students know a fair amount of English. Remember the classmate that was in the room when I did the interview? He shows up being able to hold a conversation with me! Why didn't he help out with the interview? (by the way, he is super good looking!) Another teacher took to swinging water bottles at everyone, which answered my earlier question of why the floor was suddenly soaked after stepping outside for a minute. 


The faculty here is freaking awesome. 

a English reading sample

The reading experts my co-teacher uses are completely random, and I think often poorly written for a foreign language class. This passage was kind of okay until the last 2 sentences. 



  About one hundred years ago, there was a young man in a small village in Bohemia. He worked in a city nearby. Every day he had to go there by train. The trains were so slow that many people complained. But not this young man. He was glad to close his eyes and 
listen to the sound of the wheels on the rails. He thought the wheels were singing a song - a song of the rails.
  One evening he sat listening to the sound of the wheels. Then, suddenly, he thought the sound was a little strange. "There's something wrong," said the young man to himself.
  He jumped up. "Stop the train," he cried. "Stop the train. There's danger before us!"
  The people of the train thought that the young man was foolish. Then one of them came up to him and said, "What? How do you know?"
  "By the sound of the wheels," answered the young man. Slowly the train stopped. Soon a man came running up with the news. The young man was right. The rail was broken just in front of the train.
  This young man later became a great musician. His name was Anton Dvorak.

signs the earth is rebelling

A tropical storm caused this?