Wednesday, January 7, 2009
ROK
I am now back in my apartment in Korea, I got in a little before midnight and was sound asleep at one am. My trip home was very nice, though it was very chaotic and there wasn't as much time as I would have liked to catch up with everyone. I will be returning back home in approximately five months though. So tere is always later.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Korea Update 4
Hello Everyone,
I appologize in advance that it has been a few months since I have updated so this email will be a little bit longer than usual.
Since I last emailed I have had my birthday, gone to the dmz, started a new term teaching, started Korean class and some random things :) I hope all of you are doing well.
Work-- I have started a new term teaching which meant that I had some new classes and am now the leading Social Studies and Science teacher which is good and bad at the same time. I m currently working on writing curriculum for Grade 5 and am overseeing corrections to the curriculum for grades 1-4. It's good because I have some experience leading other teachers but it gives me a lot more to worry about and that kind of thing when being responsible for other teachers. Overall, my kids are great! They do have a tendency to get a little rowdy but that is because they are kids and they spend a good portion of their day at school, academies, and studying/ preparing for the next school day. I really enjoy working with my students, though dealing with the two new teachers can sometimes be difficult. My wall space in front of my desk is now covered with pictures drawn by my students which is nice. I feel like I am starting to establish a routine and my kids now what is ok and not ok to do and we have our routine down. In December we will be starting intensives again. I love and hate intensives all at the same time. I thankfully got time off to come home for Derek's wedding and will be home Jan. 1st through the 5th. Its going to be a short and quick trip. I am very excited about that.
Birthday-- So the week of my birthday (August 26) I had the week off. On my birthday I went to go get a manicure with my friend Niki and we had lunch over her lunch break. That afternoon my friend Leit and I went to the Korean Folk Village in Yong-in, Suwon. It was really hot, but it was still interesting to look at all of the different types of architecture and what not. Over my break I did some different things like:
Ate a traditional Korean meal
Tried Jellyfish, octopus, and shushi that was salmon with fish eggs
I tried shabu shabu ( a Korean Soup)
I was on location for the filming of a popular Korean television show (quite by accident)
I ate birthday cake with chopsticks
I read Harry Potter books 3-7 in one week
Thank you to everyone for the birthday emails, cards, and the birthday presents they were greatly appreciated. My pictures from Ethan and Jonah are hanging up on my closet door. :)
September was a really boring month here I just worked and on the weekends I stayed home trying to get caught up on the housework and sleep which never seems to happen during the week. I did purchase a winter coat and hat. I think that I am going to need to start using them soon. It is starting to get really cold. I just need to pick up mittens and I think I will be set, I am not sure if I will need boots or not yet. Though, I did go to the casino for the first time. I didn't bring very much money (less than 25 dollars) and had fun playing the slot machines.
October-- I have been working a lot. I have also been sick a lot this month with the weather changing and working with little kids. I had a horrible cold one week, then the next week I lost my voice. Trying to managed kindergarten classes without a voice is quite difficult. It slowly started to get better. Though my students thought it was quite hilarious when my voice started to come back because it was very low. My students kept telling me that I was a man teacher or they would call me adjooshe (the Korean word for an elderly man) because of my voice. Though, it was harder to teach my students were very sweet and were very helpful. They were very good and they kept giving me water and other advice to help me feel better. They kept telling me: "Teacher, no talk. I sad that teacher sick." I have completely fallen into the role of "teacher". It is very sweet when they get so excited when they see me in my neighborhood, Yeongtong.
I have also voted in the election this month, I voted the first week in October to make sure that it would get there in enough time.
An acquaintance friend of mine has passed away in Korea which has been difficult, because if someone passes away overseas its a lot of paperwork and it can be very difficult to get any information out of anyone. I have been acting as a sounding board for my friends who have been dealing with the paperwork and the American embassy.
Last weekend I went to an foreigner information fair with some friends and then we went to the Seoul Museum of Art. There was an interactive media and light exhibit. It was really interesting to be there and see the exhibits as well as see how people act and interact with each other at the museum. It was also nice to get out of Suwon for awhile.
As I said I started Korean class a couple of weeks ago. Its nice because it gives me something constructive to do and it will be helpful in me learning to read and learning to speak the language. I went on the class field trip a couple of weekends ago. It was really nice we went to this Confucian school and museum. It was really interesting to learn about how Confucianism has impacted Korean culture. I also visited my first Buddhist temple. It was interesting, we pretty much hiked up a small mountain to get up there. Once we got up to the top the landscape was really nice.
November is going to come and go before I know it too, I am celebrating Thanksgiving on the 29th of November (Saturday) since I am going to be working on the actual holiday. But thats ok because it will keep me from getting homesick. I am doing alright though :)
Here are links for pictures-- I have pictures up from the field trip, dmz, my birthday, and other things.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2132056&l=21e98&id=56005799
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2154366&l=6c3ae&id=56005799
I appologize in advance that it has been a few months since I have updated so this email will be a little bit longer than usual.
Since I last emailed I have had my birthday, gone to the dmz, started a new term teaching, started Korean class and some random things :) I hope all of you are doing well.
Work-- I have started a new term teaching which meant that I had some new classes and am now the leading Social Studies and Science teacher which is good and bad at the same time. I m currently working on writing curriculum for Grade 5 and am overseeing corrections to the curriculum for grades 1-4. It's good because I have some experience leading other teachers but it gives me a lot more to worry about and that kind of thing when being responsible for other teachers. Overall, my kids are great! They do have a tendency to get a little rowdy but that is because they are kids and they spend a good portion of their day at school, academies, and studying/ preparing for the next school day. I really enjoy working with my students, though dealing with the two new teachers can sometimes be difficult. My wall space in front of my desk is now covered with pictures drawn by my students which is nice. I feel like I am starting to establish a routine and my kids now what is ok and not ok to do and we have our routine down. In December we will be starting intensives again. I love and hate intensives all at the same time. I thankfully got time off to come home for Derek's wedding and will be home Jan. 1st through the 5th. Its going to be a short and quick trip. I am very excited about that.
Birthday-- So the week of my birthday (August 26) I had the week off. On my birthday I went to go get a manicure with my friend Niki and we had lunch over her lunch break. That afternoon my friend Leit and I went to the Korean Folk Village in Yong-in, Suwon. It was really hot, but it was still interesting to look at all of the different types of architecture and what not. Over my break I did some different things like:
Ate a traditional Korean meal
Tried Jellyfish, octopus, and shushi that was salmon with fish eggs
I tried shabu shabu ( a Korean Soup)
I was on location for the filming of a popular Korean television show (quite by accident)
I ate birthday cake with chopsticks
I read Harry Potter books 3-7 in one week
Thank you to everyone for the birthday emails, cards, and the birthday presents they were greatly appreciated. My pictures from Ethan and Jonah are hanging up on my closet door. :)
September was a really boring month here I just worked and on the weekends I stayed home trying to get caught up on the housework and sleep which never seems to happen during the week. I did purchase a winter coat and hat. I think that I am going to need to start using them soon. It is starting to get really cold. I just need to pick up mittens and I think I will be set, I am not sure if I will need boots or not yet. Though, I did go to the casino for the first time. I didn't bring very much money (less than 25 dollars) and had fun playing the slot machines.
October-- I have been working a lot. I have also been sick a lot this month with the weather changing and working with little kids. I had a horrible cold one week, then the next week I lost my voice. Trying to managed kindergarten classes without a voice is quite difficult. It slowly started to get better. Though my students thought it was quite hilarious when my voice started to come back because it was very low. My students kept telling me that I was a man teacher or they would call me adjooshe (the Korean word for an elderly man) because of my voice. Though, it was harder to teach my students were very sweet and were very helpful. They were very good and they kept giving me water and other advice to help me feel better. They kept telling me: "Teacher, no talk. I sad that teacher sick." I have completely fallen into the role of "teacher". It is very sweet when they get so excited when they see me in my neighborhood, Yeongtong.
I have also voted in the election this month, I voted the first week in October to make sure that it would get there in enough time.
An acquaintance friend of mine has passed away in Korea which has been difficult, because if someone passes away overseas its a lot of paperwork and it can be very difficult to get any information out of anyone. I have been acting as a sounding board for my friends who have been dealing with the paperwork and the American embassy.
Last weekend I went to an foreigner information fair with some friends and then we went to the Seoul Museum of Art. There was an interactive media and light exhibit. It was really interesting to be there and see the exhibits as well as see how people act and interact with each other at the museum. It was also nice to get out of Suwon for awhile.
As I said I started Korean class a couple of weeks ago. Its nice because it gives me something constructive to do and it will be helpful in me learning to read and learning to speak the language. I went on the class field trip a couple of weekends ago. It was really nice we went to this Confucian school and museum. It was really interesting to learn about how Confucianism has impacted Korean culture. I also visited my first Buddhist temple. It was interesting, we pretty much hiked up a small mountain to get up there. Once we got up to the top the landscape was really nice.
November is going to come and go before I know it too, I am celebrating Thanksgiving on the 29th of November (Saturday) since I am going to be working on the actual holiday. But thats ok because it will keep me from getting homesick. I am doing alright though :)
Here are links for pictures-- I have pictures up from the field trip, dmz, my birthday, and other things.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2132056&l=21e98&id=56005799
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2154366&l=6c3ae&id=56005799
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Lack of blogging
Hello everyone,
I appologize for the inablity to blog every week. There has been alot going on, but I promist I have not forgotten about you. :) I willl be posting about what I have been up to lately. I am also going tosay that I will be home in Willmar Jan. first through fifth (I leave for Korea the afternoon of the fifth).
I appologize for the inablity to blog every week. There has been alot going on, but I promist I have not forgotten about you. :) I willl be posting about what I have been up to lately. I am also going tosay that I will be home in Willmar Jan. first through fifth (I leave for Korea the afternoon of the fifth).
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Death
Death seems to inevitable, as I have said before and as everyone knows. Though, it is always sad when a life is taken away so young. This past Saturday a friend passed away here in Yeongtong, and even though I wouldn't say he and I were exceptionally close, he was still part of a group that made up my first friends in Korea. He was 33 years old when he passed away. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends at this time.
Im sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Things have been hectic and I have been feeling like I have so much and so little to say all at the same time.
adios, amigo, adios
Im sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Things have been hectic and I have been feeling like I have so much and so little to say all at the same time.
adios, amigo, adios
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
goes Political?
So I can't really hide from it anymore. It is an election year back home, at least Im not inundated with commericals and radio advertisements. They really annoy me and I find myself changing them faster than you can say: "SALE!". But being the responsible citizen that I am sent in my request for an absentee ballot this year, we'll see if it actually shows up.
Since I am such a responsible citizen I have been researching the candidates a little bit, and will probably be researching more as it gets closer. Which means reading the candidates websites, and reading news sites, and articles about them... trying to get as much information to get a picture that is less baised. I realize that this is politics that we are talking about is next to impossible to get unbaised information.
Senator Obama's slogan of "Yes we can!" is catchy and gives voice to the desire for change in the United States, we are a bit of a mess as a country, but I don't think that Washington really is the place to start change. It always seems to fall through or be pushed aside for a more urgent agenda. Personally, I believe that the change that we desire to see should start as a grassroots movement, there is power in the masses, but it seems that everyone desires change is not enough to actually get them moving. They want someone else to take care of the problem, which landed us where we are now in some of the situations.
I know that are important to me right now, I realize that what I think is important will probably change in the next four years, but I don't really know what they would be so we will deal with them the next election.
Though I'm optomistic, I am not convinced that I won't be screwed over as an unmarried twentysomething, reccent college graduate that happens to be a teacher, no matter who is elected.
So the issues that I am most concerned about (They are not in any particular order):
Making higher education affordable
Reforming our current education system for grammar schools through secondary education
Conservation of resources
Alternative Energy Sources
Human Rights
Protecting the country's Constitution
Immigration
Since I am such a responsible citizen I have been researching the candidates a little bit, and will probably be researching more as it gets closer. Which means reading the candidates websites, and reading news sites, and articles about them... trying to get as much information to get a picture that is less baised. I realize that this is politics that we are talking about is next to impossible to get unbaised information.
Senator Obama's slogan of "Yes we can!" is catchy and gives voice to the desire for change in the United States, we are a bit of a mess as a country, but I don't think that Washington really is the place to start change. It always seems to fall through or be pushed aside for a more urgent agenda. Personally, I believe that the change that we desire to see should start as a grassroots movement, there is power in the masses, but it seems that everyone desires change is not enough to actually get them moving. They want someone else to take care of the problem, which landed us where we are now in some of the situations.
I know that are important to me right now, I realize that what I think is important will probably change in the next four years, but I don't really know what they would be so we will deal with them the next election.
Though I'm optomistic, I am not convinced that I won't be screwed over as an unmarried twentysomething, reccent college graduate that happens to be a teacher, no matter who is elected.
So the issues that I am most concerned about (They are not in any particular order):
Making higher education affordable
Reforming our current education system for grammar schools through secondary education
Conservation of resources
Alternative Energy Sources
Human Rights
Protecting the country's Constitution
Immigration
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
New Pictures
I have posted new pictures! Just follow the link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2132056&l=21e98&id=56005799
It is from my trip to the Korean Folk Village on my birthday.
I am doing well, work has been really hectic since we started a new semester on Monday. Everything will eventually fall into place. I hope you all are doing well.
It is from my trip to the Korean Folk Village on my birthday.
I am doing well, work has been really hectic since we started a new semester on Monday. Everything will eventually fall into place. I hope you all are doing well.
New Pictures
I have posted new pictures! Just follow the link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2132056&l=21e98&id=56005799
It is from my trip to the Korean Folk Village on my birthday.
I am doing well, work has been really hectic since we started a new semester on Monday. Everything will eventually fall into place. I hope you all are doing well.
It is from my trip to the Korean Folk Village on my birthday.
I am doing well, work has been really hectic since we started a new semester on Monday. Everything will eventually fall into place. I hope you all are doing well.
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