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.

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. 

tragedy strikes!

One of my big hopes was just massacred and smeared across the floor, so I'm going to take a few minutes to properly mourn and then move on. 


I was really hoping to be able to move this summer into a smaller and newer apartment, in a location that is closer to the middle of Daejeon. It takes FOREVER for me to get anywhere, my apartment is ancient, it never got warm during the winter unless I holed up in 1 room, and I don't even know where to start to make it bug proof for the looming mosquito season. And with the 2 floor gas pipe problems, the busted water pipe, and the recent electric bill that went up 3 times it's normal with no reasonable explanation, I'm not looking forward to seeing what else will go wrong during the next year. 


After talking to my co-teacher, moving isn't an option. When it was confirmed they'd get a native English speaker, the school I guess got overexcited for the future and signed a 2 year contract with the ancient ruins I currently live in. This was so there'd be a home for future teachers. I'm not sure how thrilled those future teachers will be to live here, though. So this is the number one reason that's grounding me to my apartment for a second year, but my co-teacher discussed some other reasons. 


1. For the price, it is extremely difficult to find as much space without it being too expensive. I can appreciate their desire to give me as big a place as possible. Honestly. But I also would've been happier with someplace smaller, newer, and more bug proof. 
2. The vice and main principal "care about my daily life" and think it's better that I live close to the school so I don't have to use public transportation. To this I think, please let me decide that for myself. This location makes the rest of my life extremely difficult. I want to take Korean language classes next fall, and from here, the commute will take at least 1.5 hours. 
3. Key money is an issue. Basically you have to put down an enormous deposit, which my school did apparently, when you sign the contract. It can be hard to find an apartment that accepts monthly rent- an officetel (the type of apartment I was hoping to move into) would've been a good place to check. 
4. All the furniture the school got to fulfill the contract requirements. It'd be a hassle to move, but it wouldn't be the school's... 


I had a fleeting moment of anger after the conversation- not directed at anyone, just the anger that is immediately wiped out with that annoying sad and hopeless feeling. There's nothing that can be done about my living situation, and after hoping for so long that I could move, I'm just really sad about it now. The thought of trying to get my own apartment anyway crossed my mind, but obviously that's not realistic. Now I can just hope that my boyfriend will be able to move (he currently lives in a 1 room, tiny place that has nothing around it), so then there is still a way to live in a better location and escape the bugs and heat during the summer. 


buh. I'm sad about this. :(

homebound!

Lately, I look at my schedule and think, "there's not enough time to do everything!", which in a way is good because I don't feel bad anymore for the moments when I slack, but typically when I do have work I procrastinate... My co-teacher sent me 38 reading passages and I have to do the same 3 things for each one. 38 times. Buuuh. School has also started following me home as a student requested I use MSN to help her with vocabulary. I can't say that I mind it, but it takes a while to get through everything, and I think I froze her computer last night because I sent messages too quickly. 


In other news, I'm coming back July 30th and staying in VA until August 24th! I booked my flight last night; non-stop on Korean Air, 13 hours and some minutes on the plane. Without the layover, the flight is scaled back by 7 hours. Nice! 

the paradox that is me

There's a new development here! Using a little Korean softens the blow that I in fact am not fluent in the language to the people here. I can now correctly say "I don't speak Korean," which the Koreans accept with far more grace than when I said, "Korean language, no." Haha, I'm just like the students with "no eng-gu-lee-she." I was doing some shopping tonight and the store associates were trying to talk when I explained that I couldn't effectively communicate back. They kind of nodded and then asked where I was from (which I understood the first time! or the key words at least...), which I answered. I bought a shirt and got a service wash cloth adorned with teddy bears and the store's name. It's cute because it was free. I like to think I got it for free because I was a sweet foreigner who tried to speak Korean. 


And ironically, after telling them I can't speak Korean, all I did was do just that while shopping. Here's the funny thing that happens now. And it ALWAYS happens. I tell them I don't know the language and they're all: Okay... but... you have a Korean face... So while they can accept the fact that I can only speak English, they have trouble digesting the idea that I can look Korean yet not know the language. They also won't accept any answer other than, "Yes, I am Korean-American." If I say, "I'm American," they add "Korean" to it. Yeah okay, I can be that for you. 


Tomorrow a practicum teacher wants to interview me about being adopted because the class he's working with is reading an adoption story. I wonder how that goes... surely some Korean family reunion by the end or the girl coming back to her ethnic roots. I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand I'll answer anything anyone wants to know, it's not something I actively keep secret. The other side of it is that it does feel personal, and it's always a little awkward to explain to people my opinions of the grittier questions they tend to ask. 

Korea likes free stuff

a free black coffee attached to my lattes

It's getting more difficult to remember what things were surprising about Korean daily life the longer I'm here, so it's getting to be more of a challenge for me to think of things to note here for you back in the states... 

Here's a difference. Korea likes free stuff! Back in EPIK orientation, we were told that sometimes if you're a good customer to a store or a restaurant, you might start getting stuff for free or "service" as it's called in Konglish. My friends and I have been given food for free with the servers explaining that it's service when we don't understand where it came from. When I bought my electronic dictionary back in the fall, the store associates gave me tupperware as an extra gift. This may have been a fluke, but once when I went shopping in a department store, one of the shirts I got was actually just given to me instead of being rung up. 

the travel cup

Roketship has a cartoon that summarizes what I'm about to say perfectly: Stores like E-mart and Homeplus actually tape stuff to their products. Lately, if you're looking to buy a giant box of instant coffee packets, you could choose between some floral pattern ceramic dishes, a bento box, or a mug as your free thing. From buying cereal, I've gotten a bowl, a fork, and a travel cereal bottle. Awesome. Also something that's common in these stores is seeing freebies strapped to what you're buying so you get more for your money. Take yogurt for example. You might find a 4 pack of yogurt with an extra 2 cups stuck to it. The pictures are some semi-recent purchases that came with the free things. Forget coupons, just look for you're favorite products covered in tape!

Daejeon's Breast Cancer "marathon"

I ran the 5k race this morning in 33 minutes! WOO! There was so much PINK. I liked it. Some more details about the race? There was a 10k that got a head start, we met at 8:30, started after  9:30, ran around Expo Park area. This means John and I were up at 6, out the door at 7 and in the area by 8:20. Buh. All this was done before 10:30 am. Nice!

from Facebook

All the runners got these medal things. Cute. ^^

Daejeon Citizens and promised awesome week

From what I understand, Daejeon Citizens is the name of the city soccer team. Last week, my friends' schools were handing out free tickets to an upcoming game. The stadium was packed with families who like us, got in for free. I liked it though because a big part of why I enjoy watching sports in person is the energy radiating off of the crowd. Plus we were surrounded by little children who liked to stare at my obviously western friends. One kid even started yelling "gogogo!" at the soccer players like we were. This was my first professional soccer match (professional anything really)- I can't effectively describe how much fun it was, but it was funfunFUN! We lost to Incheon (the city where the international airport is), so I will probably forever resent it just a little from now on. One of the friends I went to the game with was trying to start up some Konglish chants. Serious failures there, and from the chuckles from some surrounding Koreans I think we used the Konglish incorrectly. 


Saturday was the introduction of some nice weather we've been privileged to enjoy. Today it's breezy, edging on downright windy, but it's sunny and warmish, and I just want to go outside and be useless. In 30 minutes the middle and high school teachers are going to a mountain to eat and "drink... a little" as a teacher put it last week. I'm still doubting that we won't end up hiking even though when I asked, the teacher said no. Because seriously- sometimes no really means yes, though that mostly relates to Koreans pouring me alcohol when I say "no thank you." bwaha. I've got my camera, so I'll be getting some photographic records of the spelunking that goes on this afternoon. 


This week is going to be awesome because I get out early today and tomorrow, Wednesday is Children's Day, thus a holiday (also Cinco de Mayo, though I've never celebrated- but a good excuse to make tacos!), and this weekend there is talks of going to a ropes course in Daegu. 

being a tool today

Midterms started today and wrap up next Tuesday. My school lets teachers go home 2 out of the 3 testing days early. They get to choose. I think my co-teacher chooses for me. Picture me looking longingly out the window right now. It's Friday, it's beautiful outside, and a very small handful of teachers are still here. So I'm hoping they'll peace out and then maybe I can sneak out a little early... I have no work to do. None. At least not without putting myself way ahead of schedule and then having nothing to do later on down the road. I don't plan for any real classes- just teacher training and the extra English hour on Fridays, so I'd rather put those off until later when I want to look busy. It's hard to guess how the Korean faculty feels when they see me not really doing a lot of work. I mean I'm happy to help any way I can, so pile it on! But my co-teacher has made his curriculum, I made the vocab already, so there isn't much to do for class unless he comes up with a new idea once in a while. I try to make supplementary materials when possible, but ultimately it's just to be productive, though the product is never used. At least Monday and Tuesday I get to leave early, and there's a holiday on Wednesday. Children's Day. I know nothing of it, but next week I'll have some more information. The only other time I've heard of this day is in the original Pokemon series when the day occurred in that universe. 


I've been tossing this idea around in my head for a little while. That if I get resigned for another year, I'll buy a guitar to have in Korea. A lot of things to consider with that though, and now that I sent the second payment of the camera I recently bought, I want to pump more money back into my American bank account. 


This weekend should be interesting. Actually, the following 3 weekends should be. Tomorrow night there's a soccer game. I haven't seen one yet because they're at night, and it gets pretty cold when the sun goes down. So I'm really hoping that it'll be warm because I'd like to go. Also, a friend wants to do crafty things! haha- I have a paper cake slice template which I think would be fun to try. Next week there's a race for breast cancer at Daejeon's Expo Park. I signed up for the 5k today, and this entire week I had it in my head that the race was this Sunday. That had me panicked because I haven't properly run in a month, and even then I only got to go out twice because winter had its third and fourth coming. And then it's the Lantern Festival!!!! WOO!

the Korean word for "soap" is cemented in my head (비누/ binu)

I have photos from a girls' night out last week at a "luxury" noraebang (karaoke room) and a sushi conveyer belt style restaurant that I've been meaning to upload but my stupid apartment was just made livable again yesterday after nearly a week. Monday, my co-teacher contacted the complex office and the guys there met me after work. They went to look at the pipe and just reaffirmed that yes, it's broken, and that yes, it needs to be fixed. All right, so then my co-teacher called the gas company or someone for me, and two days later someone came out and did the repair. That's the first time a repairman hasn't been timely in my experience here. So yesterday, I finally got to go back to my apartment, but really, it just further justifies my desire to move somewhere newer if I stay another year. 

Yesterday was science day! Of course I knew nothing about it until a student asked what I was doing that day. I ended up helping the teacher I sit next to in the office with her project. All over the school were stations for classes to go to- a sandwich making room, make juice, explore different flavors, etc. I got to help make soap for 4 hours. I had a lot of fun! I really missed intensive hands on activities like this. It was also fun to see the students do something other than sit at a desk. My school schedule is shaping up to be more like that of a real teacher's. The teacher training has kicked in, so I meet 2 classes with a small handful. I have those 2 extra classes Friday afternoons, and today, my co-teacher said I'm going to meet with a student for 2 periods on Thursdays. She's entering a reading comprehension contest, and she has to be familiar with 16 children's stories by June. It's kind of ridiculous. My co-teacher wants her comfortable with the pronunciation, and I guess he'll work on her with translations? My afternoons are absolutely packed now, but that helps the rest of the day go by. 


The suddenness that places close in Korea is astounding. I don't think stores announce or warn customers of an impending shut down. I see Koreans show up at the doors just as shocked as I am. For instance, the meeting place my friends and I use when we go to Eunhang Dong is a Starbucks right next to a LCD screen. It was there last Saturday when I met a couple of friends for lunch. It was cleaned out and being ripped apart inside Monday. Last night, while waiting to meet my Korean study partner, a girl tried to go inside before she looked up and saw that nothing was in there. Across the way, a makeup store disappeared, and restaurants up and down the main walkway are also gone. Granted, as quickly as stores and restaurants close new places spawn out of nowhere. 


Now I need to cram in some last minute work before I meet the contest student. The teachers asked for restaurant language for training tomorrow. I've got some expressions, but really, you don't need a lot of the foreign language to get what you need. Oh, MENUS! I should print menus from places and have them practice ordering off of those. GENIUS. hahaha. That, and I was planning to highlight some restaurant culture differences. 

Sintanjin Cherry Blossom Festival (totally absent)

I was dreaming of rows of trees in full bloom- white cherry blossoms spread over a wide field- or  a forest if I was lucky. I mean, seriously, I was kind of fantasizing about this coming day; a trip to the outskirts of Daejeon with... someone... (at that point, I didn't know who I'd actually go with), on a great sunny day, in a nice spring-y dress, my "fashion" sunglasses, taking awesome photos...  I had built this image in my head all last week: an overload of sunshine, greenGREEN grass, blooming trees, and a giant mad happy crowd. 


I was completely delusional. 

Friday was promising; it was warm, sunny, a little breezy. The trees by the river had bloomed, and they turned out to be a more impressive show than what was at the actual festival. Come Saturday, it was a little on the cool side, dangerously cloudy, and the trees were looking mighty bare. I was most definitely in jeans and a hoodie, forgot my sunglasses (which was okay in the end because the sky was threatening rain most of the day), and rocked out my chucks to make a good example of the college emo/wannabe hipster look, or Korean middle school fashion statement. The festival was far from crowded- a good thing ultimately, but also it made the festival feel a bit underwhelming. There were some tents with traditional Korean games, some crafts, samples of tea, free bottles of water (heck yes!)... but the bare trees! (insert sad megan here) 


It was a good day- no, I mean it was a great day! Even without the sun, it was warm for most of the day, about 20 people I knew showed up, and I got to sit on grass for the first time in 7 months+... albeit brown, dead, and leaveawetstainonyourjeans grass, but GRASS! We played some carnival-esque games: BB gun target- the prize was a bottle of plum wine which I found someone to give it away to later, air guns- a friend knocked down and won 2 yo-yos. We were robbed 6,000w at a pig roast. 2 little plates of meat, 11 people, 6,000w a person. That broad made 66,000w and only lost 2 tiny plates of pig. Unfrigginbelievable. Next year, if I'm still here, I'm definitely just going to walk by the river to see the cherry blossom trees. They're far more impressive right now and closer to get to. Sintanjin, if I left from my apartment, would take 2 hours to get to. No thanks. It was cool to see though, the area looked older than the middle of Daejeon- older style buildings I mean. There weren't as many new buildings like the mixture you see in my neighborhood. Sintanjin didn't look or feel like Daejeon, so it was like a day out of town!


see the rest of the cherry blossom festival pictures

some things you find in Home Plus

It drives me nuts that socks are more commonly sold in single pairs.

Also available at Home Plus: giant fake Crocs.

 Yes, this is a box cutter. Yes, Hello Kitty's face is attached to this product. And yes, this is in the school supply section. Box cutters are a part of school supplies. Students have them, and they (generally) don't attack each other. But why would you want to when they're this cute??

An example of the cute overload in Korea. Notebooks, also displaying the obsession with English

Yeah. It totally snowed here last night.

bigwavecurls

I'm currently sitting in a salon, plugged in to a mass of wires, head hot and heavy from the mess rolled into my hair, and paranoid that my forehead is burning, but it seems to have cooled down. That or my nerves are dead. Hopinghopinghoping that this body wave perm will come out well. The stylist knows enough english to communicate some with me, and I brought translated notes (thanks endic.naver!) with pictures to further convey what I wanted. In order to keep my length I had to agree to a "clinical treatment." That length is hair that's been through 2 bleachings and 2 colorings to cover up those bleachings... I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when he mentioned extensive damage considering...

Yeah, so while I'm plugged in a weighed down, I get to use a computer, but I think I may be about done so ciao!(?)

False. There are lockers here where the staff puts your stuff, which is awesome because now I don't have to lug my crap around after me!

My experience with this perm and chemical treatment thing? When all the creams were in, I was wrapped up like leftovers and put under a moving heater that played a lullaby. The girl came at me with a roll of plastic wrap. Like a hot baby mobile. So so hungry. (I dashed over here right after work, and it's 3 hours later btw). I could eat the world... and I think I will try to when I get out of here.

Done! (4 hours in the salon)

hole in the holidays

Ah, to blow through the holidays or not... yeah sure. Christmas, as I may have said before isn't a big deal here, and it was sad. We worked Christmas Eve; some of us had half days... I got off an entire hour early! buh. Stores were open Christmas day, another strange thing to me, but good because I forgot vital ingredients and the crew who came over had to split in two groups. I made a Costco run for rolls and pie, while some others went to the local Homeplus to find some tubing to fix the sudden break in my toilet. It's so old, the parts in the tank are dissolving. nasty. 

I had friends over for Christmas Eve night into Christmas day. I wussed out at about 2am, while they got to play my new game from my brother and sister in law. As of yet, I haven't gotten a chance to play :(  Christmas breakfast was awesome, french toast, eggs, and bacon. Christmas dinner was a more awesome repeat of Thanksgiving. And we blew through 3 pounds of bacon in one day. 


In lieu of not having English camps like the other EPIK teachers, I'm tutoring 2 local students three times a week. One student is apparently fluent, so we decided to watch movies and talk about them. I'll be assigning reading work for him to do as homework once I find a jump drive for him and he recapped what was happening to me as the movie played. It's good listening practice, and also a good opportunity to practice English again since we're conversing far more naturally than instruction. I mean. He's fluent. The other student I'm teaching chapters from this weird musical thing. She flies through the work in 15-20 minutes, I'm supposed to be there for 45, and I can just squeeze out 30 minutes of working with her before there's absolutely nothing left to do. The way the work is set up, it's hard to practice speaking which is what she needs most. She has a good memory, but as far as using English in conversation, more support is needed. Small steps. 

New Year's was spent over 11 hours in Seoul. Absolutely mother effin cold. I've never been so cold in my life. I thought last year sitting outside for 3 hours in the Harrisonburg Christmas parade and then getting stranded with 3 adults, 1 with low vision and needing help walking back, another too lazy and demanding help, and then having to walk across town back to the van when we should've gotten a ride from the other staff member... no no no. This night was far worse. Of course the fact that I was wearing tights instead of pants and flats and heels with no insulation probably had something to do with the level of cold I fell to. There was a noticeable temperature difference between Seoul and Daejeon. The midnight finale was kind of a let down. They beat a bell, and then a lot of people started to leave right away. Getting through the police lines were INSANE. Blocks of police, allowing a passage barely wide enough for one person to get through, while all the Koreans were shoving from behind to move forward. And then there were those lovely couples who pulled a Jack and Rose, never letting go even when they were in the way of others. Awkward when you're stuck between them. I mean, please. 

We spent the rest of the night between two Ho Bars. In Seoul, there's a series of what, 7 Ho Bars? The last one, we split a bottle of Jack, though I feel bad because I understood it to be $10 a person, when it should've been more like $20. If I see the guy who paid again, I'll give him money. I'm not a big fan of whiskey. Around 5 we headed back to the subway station, bought new tickets for the KTX to leave sooner and get back to Daejeon much faster. John had been sick with food poisoning, so he passed out as soon as we got to his apartment. I slept for maybe 2 hours... and ended up being a cranky wreck for the rest of the day. That basically brings me up to today. 

Oh! I saw Avatar! The story is unoriginal, but I can totally get into it because of the visuals, which I'm sure a lot of people say. I definitely want to see it again, and it's not an original story, but I liked it anyway. John and I discovered a new coffee shop in Old Downtown. Super cute little rooms. They offer coffees, smoothies, milkshakes, cake, and some meals. Love the setting. 


I got some pink nail polish (finally) and painted my toes (seriously finally) for the first time since leaving home. Seriously. It was about time. 

flue week!

I never finished my 5 day course of Tamilflu. Sunday was awful. First to clarify, there apparently aren't general doctor's offices here. There are specialized doctors in their own offices, but for something general you go to the hospital. So no hospitals were open in my neighborhood on Sunday. My coteacher lives halfway across town, and he made me meet him at a hospital that was open near him. By this time, my temperature was about 102, my entire body hurt, and I had those chills in the bones that you can't do anything about. Absolutely miserable. On Motrin and Tamiflu and some mystery "cold pills," my temperature peaked at 99 on Monday, and was gone Tuesday. Nice. 


I need work in my life, though. Being at home for a week was pretty dismal. Oh, and by the end of my birthday, I had received 4 cakes and got very drunk. But not as drunk as I was last weekend. Soju is dangerous. Koreans who drink with you are dangerous. A group of 10-15 of us were in this tiny bar, and a Korean college soccer club was also drinking. We made friends, ended up drinking together and I insisted that I was having a moment with this guy until he fell into a table. The night was kind of awesome. 


Today, my 2 classes were cancelled for an unknown reason. I started the online courses that my co-teacher signed me up for (thanks for that...) and had some issues with accessing some video lectures. I got to see my computer be controlled remotely. Weird thing. I survived one class. 10 e-lectures, some freshman homework and an obnoxious lecturer. Koreans with English (British) accents are disturbing. Not because of the accent, this particular woman pronounced some words in ways that gave me the urge to hurl my computer. Or chuckle. Or do both at once. My hopes that the next class would be better were dashed when the new video opened with a portly American man in a powder pink shirt... and no offense, but kind of looking like a pedophile, which made me suspicious that he's an Asiaphile. I know, I'm judgy. To survive this... This better certify me in something. 

flu

Sunday I was "diagnosed" with H1N1, and must now spend a week at home. Yesterday sucked. Really sucked. The body aches, the internal chills. Freezing, but sweating. I don't know if it's my fever really going away or the Tamiflu I'm taking, but my temperature hasn't gone above 99.5 today. fine with me.

thanks, H1N1

My school is closed through October 31st because of the flu. From what I understood, whoever made the decision was concerned about students with physical disabilities (cerebral palsy was named specifically). So the students who live in the school got shipped home, and the teachers are doomed to sit in the office for the rest of the week. ugh. I can at least take my goddamn sweet time with my workload!


I got a block of ddeok yesterday, and I left it on my desk by accident. Fortunately, it's still good! So says my co-teacher. There was a hot air balloon in Daejeon this weekend, and I went on Saturday to see the "light show". I was expecting flashyness! fireworks! lasers! Instead it was about 8 hot air balloons lighting up in the dark to the beat of a 3 minute song. Oh, and maybe 5 minutes of fireworks. I can't say I thought it was worth the 30 minute walk from the nearest subway stop, but I did get to see the Expo bridge and its water show- and THAT was worth the trip. So some highlights:

The water jets, filling a balloon, the bridge in all my camera's blurry glory. 

I must say, I can't get over that you have to shoot fire up a turtle's butt hole.

so last week

Okay! Last week was kind of not so crazy... it felt so in the moment. Monday was a birthday outing for a teacher, out  bowling, eating, drinking until midnight. Tuesday was John's birthday- he randomly picked a cool place that served a super spicy pork thing and bibimbap. Thursday out until midnight with my co-teacher and another teacher. We saw District 9 (I got an awful headache from the camera style and being too close to the screen...), ate dinner, and then rented a room where you can play Wii, watch TV, sing karaoke, or surf the internet. And the rooms are decorated CUTE. 


Friday I went to Daegu to visit a teacher who had been in a car accident. Though he and his wife were fine, they had to stay in the hospital. From what my co-teacher explained, it's policy for people to stay there until the situation is sorted out by insurance. Or something like that. 7 of us I think went down in a school van. Before leaving Daejeon, my co-teacher and another loaded up on beer, coffee, and food. Half of the ride down we played a hot-potato style game. There was a bee hive with slits in the side, and a bear that could be ejected out of the top. Okay, so this is more Russian Roulette. You take turns sticking bees into the slits, and one slit will eject the bear. You lose. We played for money, and later they collected the amount we lost, but I have no idea where the total pot went. After visiting our fellow staff member in the hospital, we took the him and his wife out to dinner... Ok, so I was told that this place served pork. The restaurant workers brought white squares of something jiggly, definitely NOT pork. It had the consistency of fat, a dirty aftertaste, and only after I ate it were the teachers willing to tell me where exactly it came from. Pig stomach. Nice. No, no. That's not meat. That's an organ. That's a pig part. That's something that isn't commonly eaten in America. Maybe it's just my opinion/assumption, but that's something seen as dirty. You digest food with stomachs. You make poo with intestines. I don't want to be eating pig poo pipes. No thank you. I'm done. Daegu traditional dish or not, the Daegu-ins could've picked a better meal. 


Daegu is 2 hours from Daejeon, I came back at 9:30 and was told to go to Timeworld- shopping/bar area in Daejeon that's about 30 minutes metro from me... and out until 2am. And the catch was that all week I wanted a nap. Never got it. Saturday out with a massive group after Indian food, didn't get it, settled for samgyupsal- the restaurant caught on fire or something, we evacuated, still had to pay in the smoke, and later ended up at 2 different bars. Apparently I'm making up for the college partying that I never did. 


Earlier this week one of my high school classes asked for my phone number. I complied, maybe 4 of them took it. Last night, one student called about 10 times, hanging up whenever I answered. When I texted him calling him out for being to scared to talk to me, I got a reply confirming this. Then I got another call from another student who explained that he had to write the text for the chicken student. okok. After saying goodbye to that crew, another student started texting me... haha the pains of being popular! 


And this morning I went on a field trip where students learned traditional Korean etiquette. They made me make and pour tea, and there was some serious invasive assistance going on. Also, my male co-teacher got dressed in a han-bok. The scary thing was that it was a good look for him. Some girl students who previously didn't really talk to me are starting to be more outgoing now, and I appreciate that. I've got to get some planning done for the high schoolers. I seriously feel like I'm pulling out my own teeth, it's so painful sometimes. The situation is bizarre and I'm trying to accommodate everyone, but I'm struggling with reaching each student in a fair way.


My nephew's first birthday is in a few weeks, and I've been on a desperate search for something "cute and Korean looking." Fail so far. There's a toy store I'm hoping to visit today where I hope to be more fortunate. I could also use more sweaters... it's chilly these days!

nudge from home

nyanya no more Seoul, I basically said it all. 

An example of the dynamic-ness that is Korea's essence, I was invited by John's co-teacher to go hiking on Saturday. Somehow, the fact that we are surrounded by mountains and that typically, hikers like to hike to their summits eluded me when I said yes. I don't know what I was thinking... actually I do. I pictured a park. Like an American park with a gravel "trail" and me walking leisurely while enjoying some nice pre-autumn weather. I was absolutely dumb. 

We met John's co-teacher and husband at 10. We were on the trail by 10:30. We finished at 4. 

I hiked Old Rag in July, and that was the longest trail I'd ever done. About 9 miles, 1.5 dedicated to rock scrambling, about 4 to knee breaking downhill trekking. That was hard. 


Saturday brought back images of Old Rag. I have no idea how long the trail was. They pointed to one summit, and I thought that was endgame, and we'd head down. I believe they even said that we'd go that far, and that they showed us something further and said it was TOO far. But, um. No. 20-30 minutes after leaving the summit, we reached another lookout area, and the husband pointed to something much higher than we were and said we were going there. 


It's just that something this long and intense, I would've appreciated a heads up so I could've dressed more appropriately and also prepared! Stupidstupid me has no hiking pants- I wore jeans and a new shirt- and might I mention that Koreans take hiking seriously! Well, I think it's more that they take their hiking gear seriously. The hats, the pants, shoes, shirts, jackets, the sticks that look like ski poles. Oh, and the backpacks, and the neck towels, too. Everything specially designed for hiking. Seriously. 

It was definitely fun, and the view was worth it- the views are ALWAYS worth it. And I would probably do that trail again, except that it was an hour and a half down and it was kind of a scary trip down... and my knees don't like going down for that long. 


Sunday some friends and I found a place in Daejeon where you can rent different things on wheels- bikes, adult tricycles, mini motorbikes, big wheels, kid car things that I can't remember the name of... and ride around on a giant lot. I mean. FUN. There were so many little kids in those little electric cars, some were remote controlled so their parents would drive them around. Something like that I'd love to take my future kids to. 

John's co-teacher said that teachers can apply to move to a new school after 2 years and then have to move after 5. The basic reason is that the school system wants teachers to rotate, I guess to keep things fresh. When I told my co-teacher that I found this strange, he said that he thinks it's good because otherwise work would become boring. 


This fact has been bothering me since I was told about it, and I don't know why it bothers me so much. It really just makes me kind of sad. I guess maybe I like to make attachments, and if I knew I had to move every so many years, what's the point of letting yourself love some place? And then my school in particular, the teachers with vision impairments can stay forever if they want. I wonder how they feel with teachers moving through... but then I have no idea how long teachers tend to stay in American schools so maybe it isn't all that different. I think the fact that you aren't allowed to stay if you love a school is what gets to me the most. 


A friend from home has recently had something absolutely horrific happen and I'd rather be there with her right now.