"Life's a dance you learn as you go, sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. Don't worry 'bout what you don't know, life's a dance you learn as you go."
This is a quote from one of my favorite country songs of all times, whenever i'm having a rough day I listen to this song and suddenly I realize that i'm dancing with two left feet instead of floating about like a princess. I've been burdened for some time about what to do with my life next, i'm approaching 7 months in Korea here in the next week and it's a little terrifying. I vividly remember (well..it WAS only 4 months ago...) month 3 and thinking I couldn't WAIT to be done with this contract so that I could move on. After having lived here for some time I realize that I really do enjoy Korea, the culture, the food, the language, and most importantly my job. However, I don't find Korea to be that beautiful, or inspiring and it's stupid easy to live here; I want something a little more gritty I believe. So after some serious inner thinking i've made a decision: I'm going to Japan! I have some time off in February and my friend is coming in from the states so i'm going! I don't really know anything about Japan currently so i'll have to do some research but if anyone has any suggestions let me know!! I won't be staying as I have responsibilities in Korea, but i'll be there for a while to assuage my travel bug.
Anyeong!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Murmur mur mur mur...
I have an extremely sweet female student that I frequently run into while walking to and from school, she's a little roly-poly-esque but she has an open, honest, amicable face and her personality is absolutely to die for. The only problem is that she murmurs, has a slight stutter, and only speaks to me in Korean. None of these are really problems on their own, and i'm certain that when talking to others she enunciates clearly enough for them to understand but when she speaks to me in a tongue that is so unfamiliar to me, I find that I absolutely cannot understand even a word of what she says to me. Now, i'm not claiming that my Korean is very good, in fact it's quit dismal, I do however, manage to understand by listening carefully and clueing into key words that I know, like "Bap-rice", "Mogo-eat", and "Bali-hurry". I ran into her in the hall today and she escorted me to the teachers office; the entire time it took for us to traverse three floors, and two wings of the building she was murmuring energetically towards me. I tried my hardest to understand her, but sadly I could not. We finally arrived at the teachers office, I took a last look at her, smiled, and said "Chalga-Bye", she positively beamed up at me and responded, "Bye teacher!" Clear as day, no murmur, stuttuer, or Korean in sight. GAH! If only that clarity had been displayed 5 minutes earlier!
This is a brilliant example to me that my students care about me, want me to speak Korean, and just really want to spend time with me. Perhaps i'll have to grace the halls with my presence more often. ^.^
Also, I was sitting at my desk when one of my co-teachers, who speaks no English, came up to me, motioned at cup and said "come." I picked up my cup and obligingly followed. She led me to the teachers room where she began spooning rinds of orange (I think?) and honey (I think?) into my cup, she filled up the water heater and then dumped hot water over the top of the whole thing. "Youja Cha" i'm not sure exactly what it is, the side of the jar said "Honey and pine needle tea" but I don't see any pine needles....
Anyeong!
This is a brilliant example to me that my students care about me, want me to speak Korean, and just really want to spend time with me. Perhaps i'll have to grace the halls with my presence more often. ^.^
Also, I was sitting at my desk when one of my co-teachers, who speaks no English, came up to me, motioned at cup and said "come." I picked up my cup and obligingly followed. She led me to the teachers room where she began spooning rinds of orange (I think?) and honey (I think?) into my cup, she filled up the water heater and then dumped hot water over the top of the whole thing. "Youja Cha" i'm not sure exactly what it is, the side of the jar said "Honey and pine needle tea" but I don't see any pine needles....
Anyeong!
Monday, December 13, 2010
In Which the Octopus Makes a Great Escape Attempt.
Last night I went to dinner with one of my korean friends, he took me to his friends seafood restaurant. Now, seafood in Korea can be very interesting, my fish always have the bones and skin intact, and when frequently I feel as though the food i'm eating is still alive... so needless to say I was a little apprehensive about this seafood.
Seafood restaurants in Korea are interesting, they often have giant fish tanks in front of them displaying that days catch, which is cool until you realize that the cute little octopus swimming around is most likely going to be your dinner.
We entered into the restaurant and my friend ordered something, it was all in rapid fire Korean with words I didn't know so I just sat smiling, expectantly awaiting whatever was going to happen next. The first course was boiled mussels with spicy peppers, which was delicious. There was a spicy red sauce that you could dip little guys in that only added to their already delicious flavor....mmmmm. Following this the waiter brought over a gigantic metal tub filled with mussels, clams and all manner of seafood that I have never had the opportunity to try. I got really excited as the guy inserted the big metal tub into the center of our table and lit the gas stove beneath it. he left the lid off and walked away. I was excitedly examining the contents of this tub, already entertaining thoughts of the deliciousness I was about to enjoy. Suddenly the waiter returned and stood at my right shoulder, I got a glimpse of a red basket when something large whooshed past my right ear, I started and glanced at the guy then followed his arm to observe him place a LIVE octopus in the center of the metal tub and slam the lid shut. My mouth fell open and my eyebrows disappeared into my hairline.
A live octopus had just landed in my dinner and I didn't quite know how I felt about it. I glanced at the guy and he laughed outright at the shocked expression on my face. I shook my head and tried to compose myself. As I was doing this I heard a noise and glanced down at the table, my chopsticks were sitting on the table next to the edge of the lid. I squeaked and jumped back in my chair, sticking out from under the lid of the metal tub were tentacles! The damned octopus had crawled its way up the side of the tub and was attempting an escape with the assistance of my chopsticks. The waiter banged the lid of the tub on the tentacles and they were quickly retracted. He than placed a pot on top of the lid and smiled at me. My face was frozen in a mixture of terror and horror.
A few minutes later the guy came back and mimicked to me that the octopus had gone to heaven and that it was done! He lifted up the lid and I slowly peaked into the tub. Sure enough my dear friend the octopus was pink and ready for eating. The guy picked up it's head, took a pair of scissors and chopped off it's head! Placed the head in a separate bowl and began cutting up the tentacles. He was about halfway done when he took a tentacle piece, dipped it into sauce and fed it to me. I hesitated for a split second, "When in Rome" was all I thought as I shut my eyes and chowed down.
Turns out octopus is actually delicious.
The guy finished cutting up the tentacles and turned to the head, he cut all the skin off the brain and removed chunks of head and brain, placed them in a special tub and stuck them back into the metal tub, but not before offering me the special first bite of brain. Yes, octopus brain. How could I say no? So I shut my eyes yet again and chowed down. Turns out octopus brain is also delicious.
I am thankful that I now know that I enjoy octopus, I will just hope that in the future my meals come to me fully cooked and don't make any sort of escape attempt...
Anyeong!
Seafood restaurants in Korea are interesting, they often have giant fish tanks in front of them displaying that days catch, which is cool until you realize that the cute little octopus swimming around is most likely going to be your dinner.
We entered into the restaurant and my friend ordered something, it was all in rapid fire Korean with words I didn't know so I just sat smiling, expectantly awaiting whatever was going to happen next. The first course was boiled mussels with spicy peppers, which was delicious. There was a spicy red sauce that you could dip little guys in that only added to their already delicious flavor....mmmmm. Following this the waiter brought over a gigantic metal tub filled with mussels, clams and all manner of seafood that I have never had the opportunity to try. I got really excited as the guy inserted the big metal tub into the center of our table and lit the gas stove beneath it. he left the lid off and walked away. I was excitedly examining the contents of this tub, already entertaining thoughts of the deliciousness I was about to enjoy. Suddenly the waiter returned and stood at my right shoulder, I got a glimpse of a red basket when something large whooshed past my right ear, I started and glanced at the guy then followed his arm to observe him place a LIVE octopus in the center of the metal tub and slam the lid shut. My mouth fell open and my eyebrows disappeared into my hairline.
A live octopus had just landed in my dinner and I didn't quite know how I felt about it. I glanced at the guy and he laughed outright at the shocked expression on my face. I shook my head and tried to compose myself. As I was doing this I heard a noise and glanced down at the table, my chopsticks were sitting on the table next to the edge of the lid. I squeaked and jumped back in my chair, sticking out from under the lid of the metal tub were tentacles! The damned octopus had crawled its way up the side of the tub and was attempting an escape with the assistance of my chopsticks. The waiter banged the lid of the tub on the tentacles and they were quickly retracted. He than placed a pot on top of the lid and smiled at me. My face was frozen in a mixture of terror and horror.
A few minutes later the guy came back and mimicked to me that the octopus had gone to heaven and that it was done! He lifted up the lid and I slowly peaked into the tub. Sure enough my dear friend the octopus was pink and ready for eating. The guy picked up it's head, took a pair of scissors and chopped off it's head! Placed the head in a separate bowl and began cutting up the tentacles. He was about halfway done when he took a tentacle piece, dipped it into sauce and fed it to me. I hesitated for a split second, "When in Rome" was all I thought as I shut my eyes and chowed down.
Turns out octopus is actually delicious.
The guy finished cutting up the tentacles and turned to the head, he cut all the skin off the brain and removed chunks of head and brain, placed them in a special tub and stuck them back into the metal tub, but not before offering me the special first bite of brain. Yes, octopus brain. How could I say no? So I shut my eyes yet again and chowed down. Turns out octopus brain is also delicious.
I am thankful that I now know that I enjoy octopus, I will just hope that in the future my meals come to me fully cooked and don't make any sort of escape attempt...
Anyeong!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Computer Tales
Today was exasperating. I want to show my kids parts from "The Grinch" which is the Jim Carrey version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", however, it turns out i'm computer retarded. I used to think that I was well versed in the twisty manner of computers. I spent much of my adolescence busily deleting important files and accidentally crashing the home computer (that actually happened and twice I had to reboot the entire system...whoops!) When you do things as asinine as that eventually ( I would hope) you learn what to do and what not to do. It's basic math, even a mathtard like myself can figure that equation out.
However, when I got to college I realized that I was far too sophisticated for the dreary, downcast, and aging PC so I upgraded to a Mac and have never looked back; until I moved to Korea. Here all the computers are PC's and i'm forced daily to have a relationship with one. My computer and I have a very straining relationship on both of our behalfs, because once again i'm that snot nosed little punk 15 year old trying to figure out daddy's big toy. It's not that I forgot how to use a PC during my two year separation from PC's, quite the contrary, I remember almost everything that I knew and things are just as easy to operate as before...except that my entire operating system is in Korean.
Awesome.
So i'm learning how to operate a PC in Korean almost purely on memory and it's definitely taking it's toll, especially on those days when I forget where things were. Four times this week i've had a visit from schools computer technician, the other day I accidentally pressed something and my computer threatened to terminate the network all the computers are on...Whoopsies! So he came, fixed it, gave me a strict scolding in Korean, and then left. I'm still unsure of what I managed to do to create such tramatic consequences, but needless to say i'm still "walking quietly" when I use my computer.
Anyway everyday that I come to work I find myself mastering yet another program, for instance i've just re-remembered how to make images move about in PowerPoint. What with my new remote clicker system i'll be able to move about the room as images pop up on my computer! woo hoo teacher me! My students will be reduced to sitting, huddled in their seats in perpetual fear that I may call on them, or discover their stash of hidden comics.
Wish me luck!
Anyeong!
However, when I got to college I realized that I was far too sophisticated for the dreary, downcast, and aging PC so I upgraded to a Mac and have never looked back; until I moved to Korea. Here all the computers are PC's and i'm forced daily to have a relationship with one. My computer and I have a very straining relationship on both of our behalfs, because once again i'm that snot nosed little punk 15 year old trying to figure out daddy's big toy. It's not that I forgot how to use a PC during my two year separation from PC's, quite the contrary, I remember almost everything that I knew and things are just as easy to operate as before...except that my entire operating system is in Korean.
Awesome.
So i'm learning how to operate a PC in Korean almost purely on memory and it's definitely taking it's toll, especially on those days when I forget where things were. Four times this week i've had a visit from schools computer technician, the other day I accidentally pressed something and my computer threatened to terminate the network all the computers are on...Whoopsies! So he came, fixed it, gave me a strict scolding in Korean, and then left. I'm still unsure of what I managed to do to create such tramatic consequences, but needless to say i'm still "walking quietly" when I use my computer.
Anyway everyday that I come to work I find myself mastering yet another program, for instance i've just re-remembered how to make images move about in PowerPoint. What with my new remote clicker system i'll be able to move about the room as images pop up on my computer! woo hoo teacher me! My students will be reduced to sitting, huddled in their seats in perpetual fear that I may call on them, or discover their stash of hidden comics.
Wish me luck!
Anyeong!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Perspective
I have started another blog! Woo! This one will be dedicated to the photos that I have been taking/will take while here in Korealand. This blog is brand new so please excuse the lack of photos, but don't worry! It'll surely have photos in due time! The first post and the first few photos are up and can be viewed at: mollyjonesperspective.tumblr.com
WHEW. Good things coming.
Anyeong!
WHEW. Good things coming.
Anyeong!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Testing
"Teacher! Teacher! Last question answer?!"
"What was the question?"
"Umm..." Squinches eyes up in thought, "Uh...answer food?"
"Well what was the question?"
"Thanksgiving...umm...important?"
"You mean Thanksgiving is most importantly about...?"
"Yes!"
"What do you think the answer is?"
"Food?"
I shook my head slowly "Try again."
"Umm...Health?"
"Nope, one more try."
"Teacher! Mulayyo(I dont know)!" I smirked back at my girls a little giggle forming in my throat.
"Teacher! Ah! Family?"
"Yes! Thanksgiving is most importantly about family!"
"TEACHER! UGH! Hard question!"
Ha ha I love test week.
Anyeong!
"What was the question?"
"Umm..." Squinches eyes up in thought, "Uh...answer food?"
"Well what was the question?"
"Thanksgiving...umm...important?"
"You mean Thanksgiving is most importantly about...?"
"Yes!"
"What do you think the answer is?"
"Food?"
I shook my head slowly "Try again."
"Umm...Health?"
"Nope, one more try."
"Teacher! Mulayyo(I dont know)!" I smirked back at my girls a little giggle forming in my throat.
"Teacher! Ah! Family?"
"Yes! Thanksgiving is most importantly about family!"
"TEACHER! UGH! Hard question!"
Ha ha I love test week.
Anyeong!
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Jong
I'd like to introduce to you a new character in my life, Jong pronounced Joang (In Mollyworld phonetics that is). I met Jong one dark and windy night at a boxing club in downtown Daccurri, because of where I live, if I want to do things like, box, I have to leave the sanctity of my prized, yet tiny, neighborhood and venture into the larger world of Masan or Changwon. I went to this class hoping that I would fall in love with boxing and be able to destress with a little skull bashing. Sadly, a week after I discovered this gym and it's wonderful boxing, the gym closed down, the owner moved to China, and that was the end of that. The boxing may have ended at this point, but Jong, aka Puma, was inserted into my life with a finality and stickiness that I never could have forseen.
Jong has black eyes, the blackest eyes i've ever seen, black hair, he's as tall as me, and weighs half as much. He used to hold the Asian 110lb boxing title when he was young but a tragic bout with a Phillipino knocked his brain askew inside his head (most unpleasant) and also took his boxing title. Years of boxing, dodging, and striking have caused him to move like a cat, couple this with his only being 110lbs, and the black hair and eyes and you'll understand why Emily teacher has dubbed him "Puma".
Puma does a variety of things in his spare time from being a full time electrician and teaching uncoordinated English teachers boxing, he also beat boxes, yes beat boxes, plays the guitar, and practices slight of hand magic tricks. The magic tricks are a perplexing phenomena to me, who does that anymore?! Anyway, Puma and I decided one evening that we should have dinner together! He came and picked me up (in his vibrant yellow car, of course) and off we went! We arrived at this really cute little restaurant that serves Japanese/Korean fusion food and located in a really quaint alleyway (aka dark, smelly, and full of puddles but endearing nonetheless). We had a delicious dinner of Shabu Shabu, which is a giant pot of boiling broth loaded with green vegetables and mushrooms. You take the thinnest pieces of raw sliced beef and drop them into the broth then devour when hot and juicy aaaaahhhhhh. After all the beef is gone you add noodles and then slurp up the spicy and steeming deliciousness that is called soup. My favorite meal by far in Korealand.
After dinner, we were both sitting happily engorged when he said, "I work on trick, watch." I smiled politely and looked at him expectantly; he straightened up in his chair and placed both his hands in front of him. I smiled, he smiled back, and then he began flourishing his hands about, slowly and methodically opening and closing them. A coin appeared in the left hand, transferred to the right hand and then disappeared, and in its sted was a gold and gem glittering band. I clapped and he handed me the golden item, it was an attachment for a phone (in Korealand it's all the rage to have innumerable shit dangling off the side of your phone). On the front side were little golden tiles, and on the tiles were the letters M-O-L-L-Y. Attached to the front was a tiny golden crown and inside the crown was a tiny diamond. I had to firmly berate my smile for threatening to become a giggle. I exclaimed loudly about how lovely the present was and how sweet Jong was while he beemed at me from across the table.
There are many things that I love about Korealand, they are too inumerous to name at this juncture but I will say this, Korean men are very sweet, a little behind in terms of womens rights at times, and most definitely drunks on the whole, but sweet nontheless. I have never been given a gift by slight of hand trick, i'm certain I will never, ever, forget that.
Anyeong!
Jong has black eyes, the blackest eyes i've ever seen, black hair, he's as tall as me, and weighs half as much. He used to hold the Asian 110lb boxing title when he was young but a tragic bout with a Phillipino knocked his brain askew inside his head (most unpleasant) and also took his boxing title. Years of boxing, dodging, and striking have caused him to move like a cat, couple this with his only being 110lbs, and the black hair and eyes and you'll understand why Emily teacher has dubbed him "Puma".
Puma does a variety of things in his spare time from being a full time electrician and teaching uncoordinated English teachers boxing, he also beat boxes, yes beat boxes, plays the guitar, and practices slight of hand magic tricks. The magic tricks are a perplexing phenomena to me, who does that anymore?! Anyway, Puma and I decided one evening that we should have dinner together! He came and picked me up (in his vibrant yellow car, of course) and off we went! We arrived at this really cute little restaurant that serves Japanese/Korean fusion food and located in a really quaint alleyway (aka dark, smelly, and full of puddles but endearing nonetheless). We had a delicious dinner of Shabu Shabu, which is a giant pot of boiling broth loaded with green vegetables and mushrooms. You take the thinnest pieces of raw sliced beef and drop them into the broth then devour when hot and juicy aaaaahhhhhh. After all the beef is gone you add noodles and then slurp up the spicy and steeming deliciousness that is called soup. My favorite meal by far in Korealand.
After dinner, we were both sitting happily engorged when he said, "I work on trick, watch." I smiled politely and looked at him expectantly; he straightened up in his chair and placed both his hands in front of him. I smiled, he smiled back, and then he began flourishing his hands about, slowly and methodically opening and closing them. A coin appeared in the left hand, transferred to the right hand and then disappeared, and in its sted was a gold and gem glittering band. I clapped and he handed me the golden item, it was an attachment for a phone (in Korealand it's all the rage to have innumerable shit dangling off the side of your phone). On the front side were little golden tiles, and on the tiles were the letters M-O-L-L-Y. Attached to the front was a tiny golden crown and inside the crown was a tiny diamond. I had to firmly berate my smile for threatening to become a giggle. I exclaimed loudly about how lovely the present was and how sweet Jong was while he beemed at me from across the table.
There are many things that I love about Korealand, they are too inumerous to name at this juncture but I will say this, Korean men are very sweet, a little behind in terms of womens rights at times, and most definitely drunks on the whole, but sweet nontheless. I have never been given a gift by slight of hand trick, i'm certain I will never, ever, forget that.
Anyeong!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Taught Teacher
Rarely is the sweet sound of teaching , a phrase I would use. When I think of teaching, of teachers, of being taught I instantly clam up. My body tenses, my mind instantly engages in diversionary tactics, and I begin pining for the end of the lesson. Why does this happen? How could I possibly have allowed myself to think in terms of "the end" of education? I have chosen a life path that will perpetually force me to learn. I am also extremely curious about languages and culture so again, the learning. Not to mention I'm a teacher. WTF?
Today Eunyeong began teaching me Korean, simple phrases like, "See you then!", "What time does it start?", "How about going to...?", and "See you then!" These are all extremely important and beneficial to my existence in Korean, yet I find myself tensing and glancing at the clock like I have a twitch. It's embarrassing, unprofessional, and downright rude.
Apparently nows the time to start undoing those wrongs I learned in college. *sigh*
Anyeong!
Today Eunyeong began teaching me Korean, simple phrases like, "See you then!", "What time does it start?", "How about going to...?", and "See you then!" These are all extremely important and beneficial to my existence in Korean, yet I find myself tensing and glancing at the clock like I have a twitch. It's embarrassing, unprofessional, and downright rude.
Apparently nows the time to start undoing those wrongs I learned in college. *sigh*
Anyeong!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Running Robot!!!
"This weekend Dakota is running 80km in a big race in California! I'm really nervous ad excited for him!"
Eunyeong-"OOOH! He is a robot! A running robot!"
We were playing 20 questions, I was thinking of apples, I told the students that I was ready for the first question. The first question was this, "Teacher, does it kick girls?"
Boys.
Anyeong!
Eunyeong-"OOOH! He is a robot! A running robot!"
We were playing 20 questions, I was thinking of apples, I told the students that I was ready for the first question. The first question was this, "Teacher, does it kick girls?"
Boys.
Anyeong!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Some love from my Haksang (students)
MT-"Students! Somebody pick a letter already! I'm gonna die up here!"
SS-"English!!" giggles, and ducks his head as I toss chalk at him...
MT-"So, this video, "Simons Cat"-"
SS1- "TEACHER! We saw! Cat!"
SS2- "Bang head!"
SS1- "Bang...BRAIN!"
SS3- "BANG! BANG! BANG!"
SS2- "Eyes...poke...bang!"
SS1- "Car! Hit! Cat! DEAD!"
Needless to say they were very pleased to have watched the cat get run over by the car this morning (ew). I gathered that they had run over and thoroughly inspected the newly ground cat meat. Ew. Ew. Ew.
Here is the infamous "Simon's Cat" video to get you past the horror of squashed cat burger.
Anyeong!
SS-"English!!" giggles, and ducks his head as I toss chalk at him...
MT-"So, this video, "Simons Cat"-"
SS1- "TEACHER! We saw! Cat!"
SS2- "Bang head!"
SS1- "Bang...BRAIN!"
SS3- "BANG! BANG! BANG!"
SS2- "Eyes...poke...bang!"
SS1- "Car! Hit! Cat! DEAD!"
Needless to say they were very pleased to have watched the cat get run over by the car this morning (ew). I gathered that they had run over and thoroughly inspected the newly ground cat meat. Ew. Ew. Ew.
Here is the infamous "Simon's Cat" video to get you past the horror of squashed cat burger.
Anyeong!
Monday, November 29, 2010
School Lunch
I still have a difficult time getting used to eating school lunch with the kids, not that it's any sort of nuisance, on the contrary I think it's a great opportunity to observe the students doing what they do best, cause mischief with their friends. However, I DO have a difficult time acclimating to some of the food that is sloshed in my direction. When I was young I watched things like Doug and The Peanuts and would moan appreciatively everytime there was a gross pan of the cafeteria food. As an elementary student I vividly remember concocting wild stories that would transpire with me pulling an entire dog rib cage out of my chicken sandwich. Needless to say, none of this even has an inkling of bearing on the reality of my food here in Korea, for lunch today we had pig intestines (black), dak bocki- compressed rice cake in red sauce, fish bologne, quail eggs, rice with almond and oyster slivers, and sea snail ooze soup. *Barf* I'm sorry, but none of that sounds exceptionally indulgent if you ask me, however, when in Rome....So I gracefully scarf down everything on my tray. I'm getting exceptional at taking/cutting up my bites so that they are small enough that I don't have to chew them, I can merely insert and swallow. The skills you learn abroad.
Anyeong!
Anyeong!
Friday, November 26, 2010
My Very Own Dance Space
When I ride the bus I sometimes like to put my headphones on and rock out. This is sometimes necessary if i'm feeling particularly testy or i've had a bad day. The busses in Korea aren't that bad, in fact I have a pretty solid relationship established with them: they get me where I want to go and I pay for them to run. Solid eh? Anyway, the busses can sometimes be a massive pain in my arse, for instance if they are busy I end up swaying in the aisle, crushed between pairs of sweating prepubescents, leaned on by a slight, gnarled old adjumama, and/or disgustedly slammed up against a hacking business man sweating in a suit with his sparkly tie askew.
Needless to say when stuck in traffic amidst the masses of koreans I sometimes feel the need to disappear into a place where i'm ok, where it's warm, there's a beach, maybe a cocktail, and lovely pounding dance music. I recently discovered an artist called "Milkman", he is a mashup artist, which means (this is for those people like my father who will be perplexed by the term "mashup" :p) that the artist takes several songs from different people, creates a general beat and then "mashes" all the songs together into one song. It's pretty ingenius. Needless to say it adequately quenches my need for escape when a bouquet of body aroma and a symphony of hacking coughs consume my entire existence.
The only potential downfall to this escape is that I almost always choose something with a driving dance beat and this causes me to first bob my head ever so slightly, then my foot starts to tap, and then as the bus trundles along and i'm left swaying from side to side, my arms slowly begin moving about in a dance manner, and the next thing I know i'm veritably rockin' out to my own music on the bus. This causes the Koreans around me to slowly begin filtering out of my way (wouldn't you if there was the potential danger of a flying elbow in your way??). Which is nice for me because now i no longer have an adjumama's cart squashing my toes, but it's not so nice when I realize that I look like a lunatic. Whatever. I'll create my own dance space wherever I want. There's nothing wrong with rocking out...I hope...
Anyeong!
Needless to say when stuck in traffic amidst the masses of koreans I sometimes feel the need to disappear into a place where i'm ok, where it's warm, there's a beach, maybe a cocktail, and lovely pounding dance music. I recently discovered an artist called "Milkman", he is a mashup artist, which means (this is for those people like my father who will be perplexed by the term "mashup" :p) that the artist takes several songs from different people, creates a general beat and then "mashes" all the songs together into one song. It's pretty ingenius. Needless to say it adequately quenches my need for escape when a bouquet of body aroma and a symphony of hacking coughs consume my entire existence.
The only potential downfall to this escape is that I almost always choose something with a driving dance beat and this causes me to first bob my head ever so slightly, then my foot starts to tap, and then as the bus trundles along and i'm left swaying from side to side, my arms slowly begin moving about in a dance manner, and the next thing I know i'm veritably rockin' out to my own music on the bus. This causes the Koreans around me to slowly begin filtering out of my way (wouldn't you if there was the potential danger of a flying elbow in your way??). Which is nice for me because now i no longer have an adjumama's cart squashing my toes, but it's not so nice when I realize that I look like a lunatic. Whatever. I'll create my own dance space wherever I want. There's nothing wrong with rocking out...I hope...
Anyeong!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Dear Mommy...
I was talking about Thanksgiving today and I stated that the most important part about Thanksgiving is that family gathers together to love one another (or bitch at one another in a loving fashion). I told my students a fictitious story that involved me calling my mother this morning (due to lack of internet this is impossible). The following story is pretty funny even though I made up the part where I called my mother this morning...
Molly Teacher (MT)- "So I called my mother this morning and she told me that she was in the kitchen cooking turkey!"
Students (SS)- Ooooh!! Teacher!
MT- 네! (yes!) 칠면조 추세요! (I want turkey!)
SS- Aaaaaaah! Me too teacher!
SS1-I want see you 오마(mother)!
Co-teacher (in korean)- You've already seen her mother, she brought photos in on the first day of class to show you!
SS1(in korean)- Oh, I thought that was her friend...
So there you go Beth Jones! You don't look like my mother, you look like my attractive female friend! YAY! Love you much!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Molly Teacher (MT)- "So I called my mother this morning and she told me that she was in the kitchen cooking turkey!"
Students (SS)- Ooooh!! Teacher!
MT- 네! (yes!) 칠면조 추세요! (I want turkey!)
SS- Aaaaaaah! Me too teacher!
SS1-I want see you 오마(mother)!
Co-teacher (in korean)- You've already seen her mother, she brought photos in on the first day of class to show you!
SS1(in korean)- Oh, I thought that was her friend...
So there you go Beth Jones! You don't look like my mother, you look like my attractive female friend! YAY! Love you much!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
"Sem"
My students have started calling me "Sem" which I believe is short for Sun Sang Neem which means teacher. I'm going to take that "Sem" is an indication that they are finally beginning to trust me, like me, and (dare I even say it?) look up to me. I like this, to be honest, when I'm standing up at the podium lecturing away and I see their little faces light up in joy or understanding at something i'm teaching I am filled with so much pride for how much they understand! It is not easy listening to, and understanding, some foreign blonde stranger rattling away about something called a pilgrim.
On a completely different note... I got a little bit of a scare what with North Korea going off their rocker yesterday and shooting up the Northern islands. But what I discovered was far more important, something my extremely wise mother once told me was that if I could find a job that I enjoyed 90% of the time I would be in a good place. Terri, age 4 (Thank you Dayna for this little gem) said that "Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Teaching these kids makes me smile when i'm tired, they make me smile when i'm angry, and most importantly they make me prattle on and on and on to everyone I know about how freakin' cute they were today or what adorable thing they said yesterday. So this must mean that something good is happening in my life and that i'm in the right place. If I just hold on to that piece of self advice there's no telling what i'll be able to weather (but seriously North Korea, CUT IT OUT!!).
Anyeong!
On a completely different note... I got a little bit of a scare what with North Korea going off their rocker yesterday and shooting up the Northern islands. But what I discovered was far more important, something my extremely wise mother once told me was that if I could find a job that I enjoyed 90% of the time I would be in a good place. Terri, age 4 (Thank you Dayna for this little gem) said that "Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Teaching these kids makes me smile when i'm tired, they make me smile when i'm angry, and most importantly they make me prattle on and on and on to everyone I know about how freakin' cute they were today or what adorable thing they said yesterday. So this must mean that something good is happening in my life and that i'm in the right place. If I just hold on to that piece of self advice there's no telling what i'll be able to weather (but seriously North Korea, CUT IT OUT!!).
Anyeong!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Muhaksan
I decided that I finally needed to take up the gauntlet and climb Mount Muhaksan, aka that big lump of rocks that sits between my quaint city of Jungri and the neon light college district known as Daccurri. I'm not exactly sure what I expected when I set out on this trek yesterday afternoon, but what developed was, at the very least, detrimental to the wellbeing of my butt. Now this may seem a bit bizarre, "Your butt you say?" and my response is definintely, "Yes, my butt."
I got on the bus in front of the Lotte Martuh and went to Daccurri, I disembarked at the Mcdonalduhs and began my trek. Since I didn't really want to spend that 4,000W to get a taxi to the start of the mountain I trekked up there with my feet. Now this may not seem like too much of a problem until you realize that I had to traverse the length of Kyongnam University and that the University is literally straight up and down. Once I arrived panting and heaving at the start (mind you START) of the mountain trail I turned around to look at Daccurri splayed out before me. I could see the harbor in the distance and the city much closer. A light fog veiled the uglier parts of the city and the overall view was spectacular!
I started out on the path, as I was walking up the grueling trail, stopping every few minutes to heave air into my poor lungs I realized that while I was breathing like a dying dinosaur these osteoperosis riddled Ajummas (Korean grandmas, or Adjumamas as my friend Claire would say) were trundling right on by me! BEASTS! I was instantly humbled. These woman were incredible, talking full speed, while tackling a mountain that was literally straight up and down while passing a panting waygookin (foreigner). Wow, just wow.
After about an hour and a half of grueling uphill hiking I finally summited...something. I'm definitely convinced I didn't make it much farther than the first minor hill but I felt as though I were Queen of the world! I sat down, pulled out my book and began to read. Sitting there in the woods, separated from the hustle and neon lights of Korea I remember WHY I love mountain biking and hiking! It's so peaceful! Silly me for forgetting. Anyway, I finished up and began my laborious trek down the mountainside.
I was about halfway down the mountain when I encountered a particularly tricky bit of climbing, there were branches placed into the mountainside much like stairs to help those silly foreigners like myself, who are obviously not as nimble and agile as the ajumamas, down the mountainside. As I was carefully placing my feet, one after another on the steep slopes, head bowed, thoroughly concentrating on my task when suddenly I heard, "JOESHIMAY!!" ( BE CAREFUL!) I stopped, panicked, looked up like a startled deer, lost my balance, slipped ever so slightly, and sat down straight on my butt. That caused my feet to slip out from underneath me, thus careening me straight down the more technical part of this trail (bump bump bump over the stairs) and straight into a thorny bush.
I began picking myself up as an Adjoshi (Grandpa) came hobbling over to me, muttering in Korean the whole time. He picked me up by the left arm, man was he STRONG for someone who looks as though I could snap him in half with my left hand, and promptly began to scold me in Korean. I didn't catch half of what he said but I said I was ok and began dusting myself off. He snarled something at me in korean and began dusting me off himself. I tuned into what he was saying and he just kept repeating, "babo weigookin. joeshimay." (Stupid foreigner. Be careful.) I thanked him politely for helping me and continued on my way.
I am, however, CONVINCED that had he not bellered JOESHIMAY!! As though there was some sort of snake or other large predatory animal stalking me that I would not have fallen, thus endangering the wellfare of my butt. I love Korealand because the people are so very nice and will go out of their way to help me, but sometimes they are just too helpful!
Oh my poor poor butt!
Anyeong!
I got on the bus in front of the Lotte Martuh and went to Daccurri, I disembarked at the Mcdonalduhs and began my trek. Since I didn't really want to spend that 4,000W to get a taxi to the start of the mountain I trekked up there with my feet. Now this may not seem like too much of a problem until you realize that I had to traverse the length of Kyongnam University and that the University is literally straight up and down. Once I arrived panting and heaving at the start (mind you START) of the mountain trail I turned around to look at Daccurri splayed out before me. I could see the harbor in the distance and the city much closer. A light fog veiled the uglier parts of the city and the overall view was spectacular!
I started out on the path, as I was walking up the grueling trail, stopping every few minutes to heave air into my poor lungs I realized that while I was breathing like a dying dinosaur these osteoperosis riddled Ajummas (Korean grandmas, or Adjumamas as my friend Claire would say) were trundling right on by me! BEASTS! I was instantly humbled. These woman were incredible, talking full speed, while tackling a mountain that was literally straight up and down while passing a panting waygookin (foreigner). Wow, just wow.
After about an hour and a half of grueling uphill hiking I finally summited...something. I'm definitely convinced I didn't make it much farther than the first minor hill but I felt as though I were Queen of the world! I sat down, pulled out my book and began to read. Sitting there in the woods, separated from the hustle and neon lights of Korea I remember WHY I love mountain biking and hiking! It's so peaceful! Silly me for forgetting. Anyway, I finished up and began my laborious trek down the mountainside.
I was about halfway down the mountain when I encountered a particularly tricky bit of climbing, there were branches placed into the mountainside much like stairs to help those silly foreigners like myself, who are obviously not as nimble and agile as the ajumamas, down the mountainside. As I was carefully placing my feet, one after another on the steep slopes, head bowed, thoroughly concentrating on my task when suddenly I heard, "JOESHIMAY!!" ( BE CAREFUL!) I stopped, panicked, looked up like a startled deer, lost my balance, slipped ever so slightly, and sat down straight on my butt. That caused my feet to slip out from underneath me, thus careening me straight down the more technical part of this trail (bump bump bump over the stairs) and straight into a thorny bush.
I began picking myself up as an Adjoshi (Grandpa) came hobbling over to me, muttering in Korean the whole time. He picked me up by the left arm, man was he STRONG for someone who looks as though I could snap him in half with my left hand, and promptly began to scold me in Korean. I didn't catch half of what he said but I said I was ok and began dusting myself off. He snarled something at me in korean and began dusting me off himself. I tuned into what he was saying and he just kept repeating, "babo weigookin. joeshimay." (Stupid foreigner. Be careful.) I thanked him politely for helping me and continued on my way.
I am, however, CONVINCED that had he not bellered JOESHIMAY!! As though there was some sort of snake or other large predatory animal stalking me that I would not have fallen, thus endangering the wellfare of my butt. I love Korealand because the people are so very nice and will go out of their way to help me, but sometimes they are just too helpful!
Oh my poor poor butt!
Anyeong!
The Three Person Story
So i'm having my students write what I have dubbed as "The Three Person Story." Essentially I give them a piece of paper with Introduction, Development, and Conclusion written on the paper. One person writes the intro, one the development, and another the conclusion but they are NOT allowed to look at each stage of the story; that way when they read the whole story it's a little disjointed but it's mostly funny. It gives them an excellent opportunity to utilize the new vocabulary I give them while also employing their Enlgish writing skills without the fear of looking funny in front of their peers because EVERYONE'S story is ridiculous. My favorite by far is as follows:
Introduction (도입)- Molly teacheris family meet! they are eat turky eat pie and Boom Family face pie! Oh happy day.
Development (전개)- Stupid Jack put the pumpkin pie in Gun. Jack is put guns cranberries, turkey and Mashed potatoes too.
Conclusion (결말)- The rabbits go to bed. Sleeping to night. The rabbit is the hot night. It's hiding rabbits Soto meets. Enjoy times.
As stated by 민수 (Min Su) Oh happy day!
Anyeong!
*Update*
Another student ended his story by stating: "and then he is died and the North Koreans trampled him" Morbid much?? Yet i'm still oddly amused and comforted by the language of "trampled" here.
Another students ended HIS story by stating: "Teacher, happy ending." I have such smart students ^.^
Introduction (도입)- Molly teacheris family meet! they are eat turky eat pie and Boom Family face pie! Oh happy day.
Development (전개)- Stupid Jack put the pumpkin pie in Gun. Jack is put guns cranberries, turkey and Mashed potatoes too.
Conclusion (결말)- The rabbits go to bed. Sleeping to night. The rabbit is the hot night. It's hiding rabbits Soto meets. Enjoy times.
As stated by 민수 (Min Su) Oh happy day!
Anyeong!
*Update*
Another student ended his story by stating: "and then he is died and the North Koreans trampled him" Morbid much?? Yet i'm still oddly amused and comforted by the language of "trampled" here.
Another students ended HIS story by stating: "Teacher,
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Taboo
I was playing taboo with my students, we learned about 7 different american superstitions like Friday the 13th, and knock on wood. The goal is for the students to guess what the superstition is without using some key phrases THUS enabling them to tap into their extenisve but little accessed vocabulary resources. Well one student was trying to figure out “fan death”; which is a Korean superstition that states if you leave your fan on while you sleep and your doors and windows are closed you will die. This is the conversation that followed:
Student 1- verb to die?
Student 2- fan!
Wait…what?! Students….
Anyeong!
Student 1- verb to die?
Student 2- fan!
Wait…what?! Students….
Anyeong!
The Demise of Universal Equality and Understanding
"Students, what is slang? Slang? Yes! Su Bini?"
"Black People Teacher."
"Black People Teacher."
Monday, November 15, 2010
We Wish You a Merry Curisumas.
I'm looking into planning my winter intenisve English camp and I wanted to teach my kids christmas carols! So I thougth "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" would be a fabulous choice and I want my kids to understand what they are reading so I got onto Naver (like Google except in Korean for Koreans) and typed in "We Wish Your a Merry Christmas." Well some korean lyrics appeared under the lyrics just like I wanted so I copied and pasted the whole set into a word document. Well during a break I asked Eunyeong if she would look over my lyrics to make sure that they were correct (note that I hadn't read through the lyrics myself) she leaned over and burst out laughing. I looked at her perplexedly then quickly glanced back at my computer screen. I began reading:
We wish you a merry christmas
(위 위슈어 메리 크리스마스)
We wish you a merry christmas
(위 위슈어 메리 크리스마스)
We wish you a merry christmas
(위 위슈어 메리 크리스마스)
And a happy new year
(앤 어 해피 뉴이열)
Sure enough i'm an idiot. While the letters below the English are definitely Korean they are also a DIRECT saying of the English word. For example, 위- we 위슈어- weeshyouuh 메리- mary 크리스마스- koorisuhmasoo... 앤- an 어-oh 해피-hapi 뉴- nyew 이열-eyewl.
So much for being competent at navigating the internets.
Anyeong!
We wish you a merry christmas
(위 위슈어 메리 크리스마스)
We wish you a merry christmas
(위 위슈어 메리 크리스마스)
We wish you a merry christmas
(위 위슈어 메리 크리스마스)
And a happy new year
(앤 어 해피 뉴이열)
Sure enough i'm an idiot. While the letters below the English are definitely Korean they are also a DIRECT saying of the English word. For example, 위- we 위슈어- weeshyouuh 메리- mary 크리스마스- koorisuhmasoo... 앤- an 어-oh 해피-hapi 뉴- nyew 이열-eyewl.
So much for being competent at navigating the internets.
Anyeong!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Adoration
"Teachah! Bebayro?" Today is bebayro day, which means everyone gives one another bebayro which is chocolate covered breadstick cookies. I said, "배배로 없어요." (I don't have any bebayro) There was a general sigh of discontentment, my students all began turning inward, I recognized my cue to leave and was about to spin on my right heel when one of my (more annoying and less studious but adorable nonetheless) students said, "Molly teachah! Here!" He then broke off the part of the bebayro without chocolate and handed it to me. I crossed my eyes and stuck my tongue out with him as the other students burst into uproarious laughter.
Students, they think they're so funny.
Anyeong!
Students, they think they're so funny.
Anyeong!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Mystery Field Trip
"Molly, tomorrow you need go on a field trip. Go to Stadium by Home Plusuh, main front gate, and wear big shoes. Oh, and man with red flag will help you."
THAT'S what I was told about my adventure today. So like the good little teacher that I am I showed up at the main front gate at 8:30 this morning with big shoes aka tennis shoes and looked for the man with red flag. I stood there in the cold glaring up at the sun and the stadium wishing ill thoughts on everyone who thought this little "field trip" was something I should do. I finally ran into some other native teachers I know and we began walking around the stadium searching in vain for "man with red flag." We finally happened upon this man, he was a short, thin, korean man, with a red flag! He beamed at us, raised the flag and then tweeted on a whistle sharply and pointed us in the direction we were going and beamed at us. I couldn't help but smile back at this absurdly pleased Korean, whistling, red flagged man.
After we boarded the bus we were informed that today we would be making pottery and going to a temple. Oh boy! Once at the pottery station I managed to make a...erm...bowl? MERRY CHRISTMAS MOMMA! You can expect an extremely misshapen bowl in either a pine or acorn color to arrive on your doorstep just in time for Christmas, granted it's inner inefficiencies don't explode in the kiln. This you can then add to the collection of misshapen pottery you've received for being the sole recipient of my misguided attempts at pottery.
After the pottery experience we had a "Natural foods diet" lunch, which means we ate a lot a vegetation. I had acorn jello for first time! It's black, and has seaweed flakes on top, it tastes like nothing but seaweed and has the consistency of slightly more hardened jello. Ew. I won't be repeating that experience again unless it's been deemed of the utmost of an insult to not eat it (which could conceivably be everyday until Jan). After the acorn jelly we went to a temple where Nerina (a South African friend of mine who's totally bad ass in all senses of the word) and I walked along a beautiful river pathway and discussed life while the river rushed by at our feet, needless to say it was a divine end to the day!
Anyeong!
THAT'S what I was told about my adventure today. So like the good little teacher that I am I showed up at the main front gate at 8:30 this morning with big shoes aka tennis shoes and looked for the man with red flag. I stood there in the cold glaring up at the sun and the stadium wishing ill thoughts on everyone who thought this little "field trip" was something I should do. I finally ran into some other native teachers I know and we began walking around the stadium searching in vain for "man with red flag." We finally happened upon this man, he was a short, thin, korean man, with a red flag! He beamed at us, raised the flag and then tweeted on a whistle sharply and pointed us in the direction we were going and beamed at us. I couldn't help but smile back at this absurdly pleased Korean, whistling, red flagged man.
After we boarded the bus we were informed that today we would be making pottery and going to a temple. Oh boy! Once at the pottery station I managed to make a...erm...bowl? MERRY CHRISTMAS MOMMA! You can expect an extremely misshapen bowl in either a pine or acorn color to arrive on your doorstep just in time for Christmas, granted it's inner inefficiencies don't explode in the kiln. This you can then add to the collection of misshapen pottery you've received for being the sole recipient of my misguided attempts at pottery.
After the pottery experience we had a "Natural foods diet" lunch, which means we ate a lot a vegetation. I had acorn jello for first time! It's black, and has seaweed flakes on top, it tastes like nothing but seaweed and has the consistency of slightly more hardened jello. Ew. I won't be repeating that experience again unless it's been deemed of the utmost of an insult to not eat it (which could conceivably be everyday until Jan). After the acorn jelly we went to a temple where Nerina (a South African friend of mine who's totally bad ass in all senses of the word) and I walked along a beautiful river pathway and discussed life while the river rushed by at our feet, needless to say it was a divine end to the day!
Anyeong!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Things Are Changing
Things are changing here in Korealand and i'm hoping for the better. While I always tend to reject change immediately as invalid and useless, this time the change is something I yearned for at the beginning of my teacher term so I suppose there's no use bitching about it...isn't this what I wanted?
It all started yesterday, my friend Emily who works at a middle school about a 30 minutes walk from here held an open class. An open class is quite simple, you teach your class and any number of people are invited or allowed to attend. This allows for other teachers (like clueless muah) to observe and gain insight, principles can come to compare their native teachers to other teachers, as well as an opportunity for parents and relatives to come in and see how their children are being educated. Three of my co-teachers and I, along with our principle went into Emily's class and observed.
The first noticeable difference (and the biggest) is that Emily has a beautiufl classroom filled with life size pictures of cities, a TV space for kids to come in and watch movies, a stage, microphone, sliding chalk and white boards and circle tables that enable the group mentality. While I taught with Emily during summer camp I definintely saw her classroom but now i've been here for four months, and every day I traipse about my school carrying whatever materials I need for class. EVERY. DAY. up stairs, down stairs, through cold corridors, amongst the masses of sweating and swearing students, oi it's tiring! The second noticeable thing is that Emily and her co-teacher worked like a team, each of them had a speaking part in the lesson and each of them worked off one another like a dream team. There are few things with Emily's situation that will not be applicable to me, like she only has 1 co-teacher (I think) whereas I have 8, and they have been teaching together for the last 8 months. So that won't be applicable but some people will try anything to maintain perfection.
SO today my principal called a meeting with the English teachers (I wasn't invited, i'm slightly bitter but I wouldn't have understood anyway so oh well I guess). During this meeting he informed them that he wanted us to read more and that he wanted my co-teachers to become more involved in my lessons. I wasn't there but i'm sure I heard a great sigh of depression emit from each of them. These teachers work their butts off every single day and one day a week all they had to do was translate the trickier parts of my lecture. Now they have yet another class to plan with someone that they don't really understand. Oi vey. Not only this, but i've not been teaching from a text book, instead i've been making up as I go, week by week. So now I also have to change how i'm teaching, what i'm teaching, and how I approach the kids.
So, while i'm actually pretty excited to work more closely with them (now maybe i'll be able to approach them and politely ask them to STOP SPEAKING KOREAN IN MY ENGLISH CLASS) and the fact that i'll actually be using a book like a normal teacher and not just some funky city-wide celebrity teacher with blonde sparkly hair from America; I'm also a little bit nervous and a lot bit apprehensive. They each have a different teaching style and a different idea about how and what I should teach. While I try to cater to each of them generally I just end up with a general lesson plan that I hope they can help mold to their own teaching styles; but now that I must teach with each of them i'm going to have to create 8 versions of my 1 lesson plan for 25 classes, 3 grades, and 2,700 students. holy jesus.
This is what I initally wanted...right? Cooperation and assistance...? eeep.
Anyeong!
It all started yesterday, my friend Emily who works at a middle school about a 30 minutes walk from here held an open class. An open class is quite simple, you teach your class and any number of people are invited or allowed to attend. This allows for other teachers (like clueless muah) to observe and gain insight, principles can come to compare their native teachers to other teachers, as well as an opportunity for parents and relatives to come in and see how their children are being educated. Three of my co-teachers and I, along with our principle went into Emily's class and observed.
The first noticeable difference (and the biggest) is that Emily has a beautiufl classroom filled with life size pictures of cities, a TV space for kids to come in and watch movies, a stage, microphone, sliding chalk and white boards and circle tables that enable the group mentality. While I taught with Emily during summer camp I definintely saw her classroom but now i've been here for four months, and every day I traipse about my school carrying whatever materials I need for class. EVERY. DAY. up stairs, down stairs, through cold corridors, amongst the masses of sweating and swearing students, oi it's tiring! The second noticeable thing is that Emily and her co-teacher worked like a team, each of them had a speaking part in the lesson and each of them worked off one another like a dream team. There are few things with Emily's situation that will not be applicable to me, like she only has 1 co-teacher (I think) whereas I have 8, and they have been teaching together for the last 8 months. So that won't be applicable but some people will try anything to maintain perfection.
SO today my principal called a meeting with the English teachers (I wasn't invited, i'm slightly bitter but I wouldn't have understood anyway so oh well I guess). During this meeting he informed them that he wanted us to read more and that he wanted my co-teachers to become more involved in my lessons. I wasn't there but i'm sure I heard a great sigh of depression emit from each of them. These teachers work their butts off every single day and one day a week all they had to do was translate the trickier parts of my lecture. Now they have yet another class to plan with someone that they don't really understand. Oi vey. Not only this, but i've not been teaching from a text book, instead i've been making up as I go, week by week. So now I also have to change how i'm teaching, what i'm teaching, and how I approach the kids.
So, while i'm actually pretty excited to work more closely with them (now maybe i'll be able to approach them and politely ask them to STOP SPEAKING KOREAN IN MY ENGLISH CLASS) and the fact that i'll actually be using a book like a normal teacher and not just some funky city-wide celebrity teacher with blonde sparkly hair from America; I'm also a little bit nervous and a lot bit apprehensive. They each have a different teaching style and a different idea about how and what I should teach. While I try to cater to each of them generally I just end up with a general lesson plan that I hope they can help mold to their own teaching styles; but now that I must teach with each of them i'm going to have to create 8 versions of my 1 lesson plan for 25 classes, 3 grades, and 2,700 students. holy jesus.
This is what I initally wanted...right? Cooperation and assistance...? eeep.
Anyeong!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Group Mentality?
So yesterday as I was leaving school I walked out the front door, some of my students started bellering "Teachah! Goodbye Teachah!" I turned around, smiled, and waved back at them. They started yelling "Teachah! Teachah!" I turned around again, "mo?" (what?) "Teachah! Where you from?" I looked at them disapprovingly and burst out in consternation, "Where am I from?!" the 15 3rd grade boys burst into smiles, then one of them started chanting "Migook! Migook!" (USA USA) another one started "USA! USA!" then a third boy looked at me quizzically "hug?" I stared back, my brain was scrambled and I didn't respond. They (of course) took that as a yes and 15 adolescent boys raised their arms and rushed towards me, they encircled me and began jumping up and down bellering "Migook! USA! Migook! USA!" I just burst into laughter and started jumping with them, I mean, what's a girl to do except join in?
Anyeong!
Anyeong!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Cold Hallways and Rice Tea
Two perplexing (more perplexing than usual) things about Korea are as follows:
1. They don't heat the hallways, only the classrooms. The government issued a mandate instructing public schools to save energy, so they only heat the classrooms (this fact was provided by my co-teachers, no idea how reliable it actually it). So basically I leave the teachers room, freeze on my trek to class because the windows are wide open, boil in the classroom because there are 35 sweating prepubescents nervous in front of me, and then freeze on my way back to my desk. It's deeply disturbing.
2. If they can make it out of rice they will. I am currently drinking rice tea, yes, rice tea. It's very interesting. I add sugar because it's not sweet at all so it kind of tastes like what would happen if you were to add water to rice after it's cooked, let it sit for a while and then drink only the water. Weird.
Anyeong!
1. They don't heat the hallways, only the classrooms. The government issued a mandate instructing public schools to save energy, so they only heat the classrooms (this fact was provided by my co-teachers, no idea how reliable it actually it). So basically I leave the teachers room, freeze on my trek to class because the windows are wide open, boil in the classroom because there are 35 sweating prepubescents nervous in front of me, and then freeze on my way back to my desk. It's deeply disturbing.
2. If they can make it out of rice they will. I am currently drinking rice tea, yes, rice tea. It's very interesting. I add sugar because it's not sweet at all so it kind of tastes like what would happen if you were to add water to rice after it's cooked, let it sit for a while and then drink only the water. Weird.
Anyeong!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Stomping, Squamping, It's all the same really.
Eunyeong- What is the sound of stepping? Squamping?
Molly- Do you mean stomping?
Eunyeong- Yes! Stomping…stomping…I thought squamping? I’m so silly!
Molly- Do you mean stomping?
Eunyeong- Yes! Stomping…stomping…I thought squamping? I’m so silly!
He brought his purse, I brought mine.
So I went on a date with a Korean man named Seung Heun last night. He brought his purse to dinner, I also brought my purse. I just love Koreans, the men are seriously the most ladylike men i've ever encountered. We literally walked, arms linked, through the streets with my purse dangling off my left shoulder and his "murse" (man purse) dangling off his right shoulder. If we had been anywhere else in the world people would have turned and stared, But not in Korealand! So we met up at (guess where?!) McDonalds, I took a different bus last night so I ended up being on the bus for about 45 minutes which is irritating to say the least. But I finally made it to Daccurri and we departed for dinner. Spaghetti dinner. I swear, every single Korean i've ever met takes their dates out for spaghetti, the spaghetti is always delicious but the worst part is that they serve pickles with their spaghetti! How's a girl supposed to enjoy her cream covered noodles of delight with seafood if there's a damned pickled in the middle of it all!? The sweetly vinegard morsel just sets off the whole meal. Anywho, I scarfed my pickles first and foremost and we chatted and chatted, my Korean is getting better so we speak about 30% Korean and 70% English and we both have to continually look up words in our dictionaries. It's actually quiet comical, I frequently feel like i'm on a date with a dictionary. After dinner we continued on with the typical Korean date and went to have wahpulls (waffles) and play Nintendo Wii. Because Korean dates frequently involve Wii i'm actually getting pretty darned good at Mario Bros! I might just have to invest in one? Anyway, i'm off to teach the Chicken Dance to my kids haha!
Anyeong!
Anyeong!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Hojo Round Deux
Well i've been busy gallavanting off in Seoul and my father made me realize this morning that I haven't posted about Hojo round deux! haha oh dear...
Well it all started when I arrived at our designated meeting place: Mcdonalds (or Macdonuhlduhs in Korean). A side note concerning McDonalds, all the foreigners i've ever met seem to have an uncanny radar ability to locate McDonalds, no matter where you are we always seem to find it, and it tends to be the only place that we can locate in a new area for any length of time. This just happens to be the case with this new area of Masan that i'm visiting: Daccurri. So it only stands to foreigner logic that this would be the place I would choose to meet up with Hojo. When we met up he gave me this awkward hug thing that involved both his arms going around the right side of me and me trying desperately to figure out what he was doing, the occasional awdward snuffle from him or me (I couldn't tell) and then us stepping back and me tripping and falling off two stairs. *sigh* why?
Anyways, we decided that we should go and eat something, he asked me what I wanted and, like I always do with my new Koreans, I told him that I wanted to try his FAVORITE korean dish! Boy, I didn't even realize what i'd gotten myself into. He smiled and cocked his head "Jinja?" (really?) I said "Nay! Jinja!" (yes! really!). So off we went, we walked about three blocks and then stopped off in this itty bitty little restaurant underneath a bridge. Maybe the bridge was bad luck?? Who knows, but we sat down, he pulled a menu toward us, but I placed my hand on the menu and said, "Order whatever your two favorites are and let's share them!" (this was serious mistake number 4 i've made in the Hojo saga) well he ordered something and I didn't catch what it was so I asked him what he ordered. He looked a little perplexed and said that he wasn't sure he could explain it. So he pulled out his dictionary and began looking up words. I sat there in silence, gazing about the restaurant. I noticed a picture above the counter, it was chickens feet, I thought to myself, "God I hope he didn't order chickens feet." At that moment the waitress came out carrying a steaming plate of red sauce covered...something. Just as she set it down Hojo looked up at me with beaming eyes, pleased as punch to have translated what we were eating, I looked down at the plate and he said: "Chicken feet and cow intestine!".
I nearly barfed.
My eyes literally popped out of my head and rolled about on the floor. I picked them up, dusted them off, pushed them back in, picked up my chopsticks and begun to eat. Now, since i've gone abroad i've eaten a myriad of obnoxious things from caterpillar coccoons to slurping steaming snails out of their snails (the coccoons tasted like dirt and the snails tasted like boogers) but never did I think that I would actually eat chicken feet and cow intestine. The chicken feet were...interesting to say the least, they are essentially skin and cartillage, so it's like chewing on skin, rubbery and elastic and then *crunch* you bite into some cartillage. Gag! The cow intestine is black and circular, like a tube and just as rubbery as eating hose, not to mention the entire dish was the spiciest meal i've eaten in Korea. I did my best but I only managed to scarf down about a 1/3 of the dish. Hojo was just happily eating away and smiling at me from across the table.
After dinner we had coffee, played scrabble (which took FOREVER) and then I went away home. I am supposed to meet up with Hojo again tomorrow so hopefully I can continue to avoid the pitfalls of previous adventures like kissing, and intestine. Here's hoping!
Anyeong!
Well it all started when I arrived at our designated meeting place: Mcdonalds (or Macdonuhlduhs in Korean). A side note concerning McDonalds, all the foreigners i've ever met seem to have an uncanny radar ability to locate McDonalds, no matter where you are we always seem to find it, and it tends to be the only place that we can locate in a new area for any length of time. This just happens to be the case with this new area of Masan that i'm visiting: Daccurri. So it only stands to foreigner logic that this would be the place I would choose to meet up with Hojo. When we met up he gave me this awkward hug thing that involved both his arms going around the right side of me and me trying desperately to figure out what he was doing, the occasional awdward snuffle from him or me (I couldn't tell) and then us stepping back and me tripping and falling off two stairs. *sigh* why?
Anyways, we decided that we should go and eat something, he asked me what I wanted and, like I always do with my new Koreans, I told him that I wanted to try his FAVORITE korean dish! Boy, I didn't even realize what i'd gotten myself into. He smiled and cocked his head "Jinja?" (really?) I said "Nay! Jinja!" (yes! really!). So off we went, we walked about three blocks and then stopped off in this itty bitty little restaurant underneath a bridge. Maybe the bridge was bad luck?? Who knows, but we sat down, he pulled a menu toward us, but I placed my hand on the menu and said, "Order whatever your two favorites are and let's share them!" (this was serious mistake number 4 i've made in the Hojo saga) well he ordered something and I didn't catch what it was so I asked him what he ordered. He looked a little perplexed and said that he wasn't sure he could explain it. So he pulled out his dictionary and began looking up words. I sat there in silence, gazing about the restaurant. I noticed a picture above the counter, it was chickens feet, I thought to myself, "God I hope he didn't order chickens feet." At that moment the waitress came out carrying a steaming plate of red sauce covered...something. Just as she set it down Hojo looked up at me with beaming eyes, pleased as punch to have translated what we were eating, I looked down at the plate and he said: "Chicken feet and cow intestine!".
I nearly barfed.
My eyes literally popped out of my head and rolled about on the floor. I picked them up, dusted them off, pushed them back in, picked up my chopsticks and begun to eat. Now, since i've gone abroad i've eaten a myriad of obnoxious things from caterpillar coccoons to slurping steaming snails out of their snails (the coccoons tasted like dirt and the snails tasted like boogers) but never did I think that I would actually eat chicken feet and cow intestine. The chicken feet were...interesting to say the least, they are essentially skin and cartillage, so it's like chewing on skin, rubbery and elastic and then *crunch* you bite into some cartillage. Gag! The cow intestine is black and circular, like a tube and just as rubbery as eating hose, not to mention the entire dish was the spiciest meal i've eaten in Korea. I did my best but I only managed to scarf down about a 1/3 of the dish. Hojo was just happily eating away and smiling at me from across the table.
After dinner we had coffee, played scrabble (which took FOREVER) and then I went away home. I am supposed to meet up with Hojo again tomorrow so hopefully I can continue to avoid the pitfalls of previous adventures like kissing, and intestine. Here's hoping!
Anyeong!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Korean Goddess
There are days when I think i'm so cool, I'm learning Korean faster than most of the expats I know in Korea, I have the most amazing family, I love my job, I have amazing friends both abroad and at home, and I am genuinely happy 98% of the time. And then there are days when I can't even communicate that I lost my check card and i'd like a new one. It's the days that make you really work that you grow in, the days that knock you off your pedestal and show you where you need to put more time, effort, and work into. Those are the days we should all live for, the days that teach us how to teach ourselves. Today was one of those days. I think i'll hide in my house and watch movies now. ^.^
Anyeong
Anyeong
Friday, October 29, 2010
Halloween Continued
I made my teachers origami Witches, Skeletons, Frankenstein, and Dracula...They didn't know what they were. I had to explain to them in English what they were...Sometimes you just KNOW that you aren't in the states anymore. At least they think that i'm adorable? haha I love my job.
Anyeong!
Anyeong!
Training
So the reason I haven't been posting this last week was due to the fact that I was in Seoul at teachers training! YAY! When I arrived in Korea I expected to be whisked straight from the airport to a week of intensive teacher training. Since I had zero teaching experience and zero degress concerning teaching I just presumed that I would immediately be forwarded to teaching 101, or how to teach when you really have no clue. Since I moved to Korea however, this wasn't the case; when I arrived on day one I was deposited in the capable hands of Eunyeong and was whisked off to school, where I taught the first day I was there. Oh Korea I love you. Anyway, four months later I finally got my training, which was amazing! I met some truly inspiring teachers that all live near me and I got hooked up in a network of teachers that is korea-wide and that's extremely helpful. I also got the exciting opportunity to BE the student, sure I just gradauated Uni in May and it really hasn't been that long since I was the student but my perspective has drastically changed. Instead of thinking "GAH! Will this never end? Will they never cease speaking? Must my ears bleed and my brain decompose before we are allowed to leave?!" I was thinking "Oh, that's a great way to model what I want my students to do. YOU CAN DO THAT?! oh yea, slower, more articulate, stop speaking like they understand, so maybe that's why they all stare at me blankly, I wonder if I just did..." Can you see the difference? Instead of just passively sitting I was actively learning! What a concept! Anyway, this week was a great opportunity for me to learn some new skills and to perfect some old skills as well as to meet new people. Some of the better quotes and comments from this week are as follows:
During one of our group-wide lectures the speaker was talking about the differences between Korean culture and American culture: "There I was with my Phillipino friend and an American friend at a coffee shop, we all ordered black coffee and Mark (I just made that up so I don't have to continue typing Phillipino) ordered a brownie. Well the brownie arrived at the table and Mark placed it in the center. I looked at the plate and realized that there was only one fork, I glanced about and realized that only one fork was going to be brought to us. The conversation continued and Mark began eating, I kept looking down at this delicious brownie, then back up to Mark's mouth as he slowly began eating the brownie. When he was about halfway done it became blatantly obvious to me that he wasn't going to share with me, the Korean part of me wailed "How could you betray me like this?"" This is an excellent of example of Korean culture! If you don't share with everyone involved you have most certainly betrayed them! It's good to remember that there definitely IS a cultural divide and that i'm the minority!
"You are a conversation teacher. Your goal is not to teach them grammar or prepare them for a test. Your goal is to get them to initiate and sustain communication." Good to remember as I plan lessons. Much more difficult to actually carry through to the classroom!
The most interesting and engaging speech that I attended was by a teacher in his second year here in Korea, he gave us two tips:
1. Steal everything
Essentially he stated that other teachers are our greatest resource and that we should continually be working with one another and sharing materials.
2. Be prepared to bomb...
Being a teacher means that you are going to fail, make terrible lesson plans, and lose kids along the way. That's part of teaching, but if you can realize your mistakes and correct them, the next time you make those mistakes they will be different or not as devastating. GOOD TO KNOW! Sometimes I feel like i'm never going to get the hang of teaching and that I should just stick my head in the sand and hide. Whew, i'm really glad I don't have to do that.
Anyeong!
During one of our group-wide lectures the speaker was talking about the differences between Korean culture and American culture: "There I was with my Phillipino friend and an American friend at a coffee shop, we all ordered black coffee and Mark (I just made that up so I don't have to continue typing Phillipino) ordered a brownie. Well the brownie arrived at the table and Mark placed it in the center. I looked at the plate and realized that there was only one fork, I glanced about and realized that only one fork was going to be brought to us. The conversation continued and Mark began eating, I kept looking down at this delicious brownie, then back up to Mark's mouth as he slowly began eating the brownie. When he was about halfway done it became blatantly obvious to me that he wasn't going to share with me, the Korean part of me wailed "How could you betray me like this?"" This is an excellent of example of Korean culture! If you don't share with everyone involved you have most certainly betrayed them! It's good to remember that there definitely IS a cultural divide and that i'm the minority!
"You are a conversation teacher. Your goal is not to teach them grammar or prepare them for a test. Your goal is to get them to initiate and sustain communication." Good to remember as I plan lessons. Much more difficult to actually carry through to the classroom!
The most interesting and engaging speech that I attended was by a teacher in his second year here in Korea, he gave us two tips:
1. Steal everything
Essentially he stated that other teachers are our greatest resource and that we should continually be working with one another and sharing materials.
2. Be prepared to bomb...
Being a teacher means that you are going to fail, make terrible lesson plans, and lose kids along the way. That's part of teaching, but if you can realize your mistakes and correct them, the next time you make those mistakes they will be different or not as devastating. GOOD TO KNOW! Sometimes I feel like i'm never going to get the hang of teaching and that I should just stick my head in the sand and hide. Whew, i'm really glad I don't have to do that.
Anyeong!
I'm Korean!
Today is the Friday before Halloween, so like every other country loving American I dressed up for work. Now you have to understand that once you venture outside the expansive borders of good ol' 'Murica things are a wee bit different. the most important and glaringly obviously example is that there are different holidays, take Chuseok for example, we've never even heard of it yet it's massively celebrated by millions of Koreans yearly. They eat rice cakes flavored with pine needles and sweetened bean paste(*barf*), they eat dok bocci, which is red sauce smothered rice cakes and chicken (*barf*); and yet they don't celebrate Halloween. Now, I understand that some of you may be jumping out of your chairs, onto your desks or couches, ripping your hair out, and screaming obsceneties at the heathen Koreans, believe me, it was my reaction too. But once I calmed down and stopped seeing red I realized that this was a prime opportunity for me to become (if possible) even more famous. First, since they don't celebrate Halloween even the smallest change in my wardrobe will be noticed, and second, since i'm the foreigner and it's my "culture" they will smile and accept everything that I do! GENIUS! So like any good American I donned my black wig and glitter sparkle face mask and marched myself to school. Now I didn't really do anything obscene, in fact i'd say that I look exactly the same...except I have black hair. But as I got closer to school I noticed that my students were staring and pointing whispering "mori" which means hair, repeatedly. When I arrived in the teachers room I walked straight to my desk, "Anyeong hah say yo" (good morning) they all briefly glanced up "anyeong..." their eyes bulged, their mouths dropped open, and they all literally stopped speaking. The entire room full of 60 teachers went dead silent, then "Mori!" They all began speaking quickly at once asking me about my hair and talking to one another about the drastic change. I smiled, blushed and put my blue peacock mask over my face and said "Happy Halloween!" they all started clapping! I am forever cemented in the annals of time now as a famous person. I mean, if you can get a roomful of people to clap for you just by showing up that must mean you've got the magic!
Anyeong and Happy Halloween!
Anyeong and Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Idioms
So i'm teaching my 3rd grade girls (roughly 15 years old) about idioms and one of the idioms I chose is "dressed to kill". As they are all budding fashionistas I thought that perhaps they would enjoy this!
Me: so, what do you think "Dressed to kill" could mean?
MS: FASHION TERRORIST!
I burst out into laughter. From now on "dressed to kill will no longer mean you look fabulous, it now means you are a fashion terrorist! The fashion police had better be on their toes for fashion terrorists!!
Anyeong!
Me: so, what do you think "Dressed to kill" could mean?
MS: FASHION TERRORIST!
I burst out into laughter. From now on "dressed to kill will no longer mean you look fabulous, it now means you are a fashion terrorist! The fashion police had better be on their toes for fashion terrorists!!
Anyeong!
Hedgehog drama
I'll set the scene: Outside the local massive grocery store
Me: Hey guys! What do you have in there [inside the cage]
My Students (MS): It's nervous teachah!
Me: What's nervous?
MS:Teachah Teachah! Eye big, fall out! Nervous Nervous!
Me: What? What is it?
I walked closer to my students and peered inside the cage
MS: Teachah teachah! Eye big! Hospital hospital! Nervous Nervous!
Me: A hedgehog! It's such a cute Hedgehog! What happened?
MS: Poke eye! BAHNG BAHNG BAHNG! (makes thrusting gesture towards eye with fingers)
MS: Teachah! Nervous! Hospital!
Me: ok, bye!
a few minutes later they returned from the bowels of the building
Me: How'd it go?
MS: (very excitedly) TEACHAH TEACHAH! EYE BIG! CUT OUT! CUT OUT WITH...WITH...(makes cutting sign with fingers)
Me: Scissors? They are going to cut out it's eye with scissors?!
My students smile and nod.
MS: Teachah! We go! Bye bye.
Me: bye...
I swear, sometimes the language barrier is just too ridiculous for words...
Anyeong!
Me: Hey guys! What do you have in there [inside the cage]
My Students (MS): It's nervous teachah!
Me: What's nervous?
MS:Teachah Teachah! Eye big, fall out! Nervous Nervous!
Me: What? What is it?
I walked closer to my students and peered inside the cage
MS: Teachah teachah! Eye big! Hospital hospital! Nervous Nervous!
Me: A hedgehog! It's such a cute Hedgehog! What happened?
MS: Poke eye! BAHNG BAHNG BAHNG! (makes thrusting gesture towards eye with fingers)
MS: Teachah! Nervous! Hospital!
Me: ok, bye!
a few minutes later they returned from the bowels of the building
Me: How'd it go?
MS: (very excitedly) TEACHAH TEACHAH! EYE BIG! CUT OUT! CUT OUT WITH...WITH...(makes cutting sign with fingers)
Me: Scissors? They are going to cut out it's eye with scissors?!
My students smile and nod.
MS: Teachah! We go! Bye bye.
Me: bye...
I swear, sometimes the language barrier is just too ridiculous for words...
Anyeong!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Let Me Introduce You To Hojung aka Hojo
Hojung and I met on the bus from Busan to Masan, I was returning from China and it had been a loooong day. After a week of being stuck in Shanghai, then a night of rockstar partying in Seoul, and 4 hours on a train with an old Korean man belching, coughing, hacking, and spitting lugies besides me I was done. I exited the train at Busan station and realized I had to get on the subway, and switch trains twice *sigh*. I finally managed to maneuver the city (with a 40 pound backpackers pack) and was on the bus to Masan. I had placed my overly large pack in the seat next to me and deposited myself next to the window. I had my book open and for the first time that day I was feeling like maybe I wouldn't pop off someone's head.
Until Hojung arrived in my life.
When I got on the bus I noticed a young guy staring at me intently, and then after I sat down., from the corner of my eye, I saw that same young guy hop up suddenly and move to the seat directly across the aisle from me. I sighed internally thinking "If you speak to me I swear to god I will murder you." Sure enough, after about a minute of staring at me awkwardly from across the aisle and around the pack Hojung made his move, "Can you speak at me for minutes?" I grimaced internally, carefully laid my book down and peered at him imperiously from over my pack. "Sure" I said, stupid move number one.
Well we got to talking and I realized that Hojung didn't speak much English (this should have been apparent from our first encounter at speaking but silly ol' me just had to give him the benefit of the doubt). Well trying to make things look rosy and golden I just convinced myself that I was practicing my korean, which I was, but that's beside the point. The drive from Busan to Masan is roughly 45 minutes by bus, which goes quickly if you are reading, but surprisingly quicker if you are attempting to communicate with someone.
We finally pulled into Masan station, and like the good Korean that he is, Hojung asked me if I had eaten, "Mogosayo?" I responded that no, I hadn't, he replied by inviting me out, and I accepted, stupid move number two. He asked me where I wanted to go, I looked at him incredulously, and very slowly informed him that I needed to take my pack home but that if he gave me his number I would call him when I got home and meet up with him later. So I went home, took a shower and put on some clothes that hadn't been rumpled up in my sweaty pack for a week and went back out to meet Hojung.
We had dinner at a lovely little restaurant that serves Samgyeupsal (pork belly) and we had a few beers and talked some more, it was lovely, really, but it should have ended there. BUT because he's Korean we just had to go out to a bar, and I accepted, stupid move number three (and quite possibly the stupidest of them all). Well we arrived in the bar and ordered some beers and began drinking, except that the bar he had chosen was REALLY loud, dark, and filled with flashing disco lights. Which I can assure you isn't conducive to a pair of people that can barely communicate with one another in a silent restaurant! After trying to start some conversation I finally gave up and began just drinking beer. I would stare across the table at him, and he would smile, and then look away, then I would look away, only to look back and see him staring at me. The whole time i'm thinking "Why did I allow myself to get into this incredibly awkward situation??" There was a group of young Korean men getting sufficiently drunk at the table next to us and they kept throwing glances at us as if we were freaks or something. Finally after about an hour of drinking beer and awkwardly glancing at one another I informed Hojung that I needed to go because I had to work the next day (a lie yes, but if you'd been there you'd have understood the necessity) so we paid and departed.
While we were standing at the bus stop, me waiting for the 710 and him waiting for the 256 he suddenly turned to me and asked "How do you feel about sex?" I choked on my spit. When I found my voice again I asked him what he meant by that, he responded "You look beautiful so I thought I would like to hug you." I looked down and pretended to scratch my nose to cover the smile on my face, it was just too awkward to maintain a straight face! As I was looking down Hojung made a move, he stepped forward just a little and when I looked up to see what he was doing he attempted to swoop in for the kiss. I (of course) backed up and tripped off the curb, I whipped around to make sure I wasn't going to get hit by a speeding bus (totally possible) and realized that there was indeed one bus directly behind me with the doors open, veritably inviting me in. I stumbled forward and grabbed the handle, turned to look at Hojung and said, "My bus! See you later!" smiled, and bolted up the stairs. I paid for my fare, and requested the next stop off, departed the bus, and waited for the appropriate bus to arrive so that I could go home.
Well, for some oddly stupid reason i've agreed to see Hojung again at a coffee shop near my home and then to go to Korean classes afterward on Wednesday (can someone please explain WHY i'm stupid enough to agree to see this lunatic kisser again??). I'll keep you updated on my exploits as they develop further.
Aneyong!
Until Hojung arrived in my life.
When I got on the bus I noticed a young guy staring at me intently, and then after I sat down., from the corner of my eye, I saw that same young guy hop up suddenly and move to the seat directly across the aisle from me. I sighed internally thinking "If you speak to me I swear to god I will murder you." Sure enough, after about a minute of staring at me awkwardly from across the aisle and around the pack Hojung made his move, "Can you speak at me for minutes?" I grimaced internally, carefully laid my book down and peered at him imperiously from over my pack. "Sure" I said, stupid move number one.
Well we got to talking and I realized that Hojung didn't speak much English (this should have been apparent from our first encounter at speaking but silly ol' me just had to give him the benefit of the doubt). Well trying to make things look rosy and golden I just convinced myself that I was practicing my korean, which I was, but that's beside the point. The drive from Busan to Masan is roughly 45 minutes by bus, which goes quickly if you are reading, but surprisingly quicker if you are attempting to communicate with someone.
We finally pulled into Masan station, and like the good Korean that he is, Hojung asked me if I had eaten, "Mogosayo?" I responded that no, I hadn't, he replied by inviting me out, and I accepted, stupid move number two. He asked me where I wanted to go, I looked at him incredulously, and very slowly informed him that I needed to take my pack home but that if he gave me his number I would call him when I got home and meet up with him later. So I went home, took a shower and put on some clothes that hadn't been rumpled up in my sweaty pack for a week and went back out to meet Hojung.
We had dinner at a lovely little restaurant that serves Samgyeupsal (pork belly) and we had a few beers and talked some more, it was lovely, really, but it should have ended there. BUT because he's Korean we just had to go out to a bar, and I accepted, stupid move number three (and quite possibly the stupidest of them all). Well we arrived in the bar and ordered some beers and began drinking, except that the bar he had chosen was REALLY loud, dark, and filled with flashing disco lights. Which I can assure you isn't conducive to a pair of people that can barely communicate with one another in a silent restaurant! After trying to start some conversation I finally gave up and began just drinking beer. I would stare across the table at him, and he would smile, and then look away, then I would look away, only to look back and see him staring at me. The whole time i'm thinking "Why did I allow myself to get into this incredibly awkward situation??" There was a group of young Korean men getting sufficiently drunk at the table next to us and they kept throwing glances at us as if we were freaks or something. Finally after about an hour of drinking beer and awkwardly glancing at one another I informed Hojung that I needed to go because I had to work the next day (a lie yes, but if you'd been there you'd have understood the necessity) so we paid and departed.
While we were standing at the bus stop, me waiting for the 710 and him waiting for the 256 he suddenly turned to me and asked "How do you feel about sex?" I choked on my spit. When I found my voice again I asked him what he meant by that, he responded "You look beautiful so I thought I would like to hug you." I looked down and pretended to scratch my nose to cover the smile on my face, it was just too awkward to maintain a straight face! As I was looking down Hojung made a move, he stepped forward just a little and when I looked up to see what he was doing he attempted to swoop in for the kiss. I (of course) backed up and tripped off the curb, I whipped around to make sure I wasn't going to get hit by a speeding bus (totally possible) and realized that there was indeed one bus directly behind me with the doors open, veritably inviting me in. I stumbled forward and grabbed the handle, turned to look at Hojung and said, "My bus! See you later!" smiled, and bolted up the stairs. I paid for my fare, and requested the next stop off, departed the bus, and waited for the appropriate bus to arrive so that I could go home.
Well, for some oddly stupid reason i've agreed to see Hojung again at a coffee shop near my home and then to go to Korean classes afterward on Wednesday (can someone please explain WHY i'm stupid enough to agree to see this lunatic kisser again??). I'll keep you updated on my exploits as they develop further.
Aneyong!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pretty Shiny Things
Today I told my vice principal "Panjahck Panjahck Ipudah!" Which means, bling bling pretty! I'm totally getting a raise for best suck up ever.
^.^
Anyeong!
^.^
Anyeong!
My Birthday!
So, I had a wonderful week full of lovely birthday surprises, gifts, and parties! Even though I occasionally bitch about being lonely, missing home, or not having enough friends this week was testimony to the amazing friends and support network I have garnered here in Korea!!
So on wednesday of last week my co-workers took me out to lunch! As I blogged earlier I had asked them if they wanted to come to my house for dinner and then it got delayed twice and they finally just called the whole thing off and took me out to a steak lunch. I'm not really complaining but I was a little confused as to why that happened. Oh well, steak sure beats cooking for 9 people, ESPECIALLY when I don't have to pay!!
They were soo cute and sweet that they surprised me with a birthday cake! I couldn't believe how sneaky they were! This cake (thankfully) didn't have any sort of potato on it!! I rejoiced a bit inside as I bit down and discovered merely yellow cake, whipped cream, and nuts. I have often times bitten into a delicious looking snack or cake only to discover sweet bean paste and or potatos of some sort infiltrating the delicious taste i'm expecting. Go team co-workers!!
Then Friday night I had a party and all my best friends showed up! Somebody amazing gave the bar that we were going to a heads up and they had made blue drink specials to match my dress and put happy birthday Molly signs up all over the bar! SO COOL!!!
Since I decided to have a halloween themed party I had to dress up, I went as Mrs. Peacock from the boardgame clue! I decided it was Mrs. Peacock, with the (retracting!!!!) knife, in the bar! It was a real success and everyone loved my outfit, that and because I wore electric blue I was the shiniest person in the bar and nobody outshone me! PERFECT for a birthday!!
Colette (what a doll!) brought me a birthday cake!! THIS cake had chocolate layers inside which totally trumped my co-workers cake, but then again so long as my cake from my co-workers doesn't have potatoes I consider that a plus.
Everyone dressed up! It was really really great to see the imaginations of everyone that I know and love in Korea! There were some really really great costumes! Like Zorro above! AND The father, sun, and holy ghost below!! hahaha
So all in all I had a really really great weekend full of fun and love! Thanks everyone who came out and made it splendid!!!
Anyeong!
So on wednesday of last week my co-workers took me out to lunch! As I blogged earlier I had asked them if they wanted to come to my house for dinner and then it got delayed twice and they finally just called the whole thing off and took me out to a steak lunch. I'm not really complaining but I was a little confused as to why that happened. Oh well, steak sure beats cooking for 9 people, ESPECIALLY when I don't have to pay!!
Anyeong!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Gook, Tahng, Chiggae VS. Soup, Stew. What's the Difference?
In korea when you have soup you'll have either a gook, tahng or a chiggae. In the states if you have soup you'll have soup and occasionaly stew, but stew is still considered soup. To me, it all looks the same, it's all broth based and has varying amounts of vegetables and meats in it, to Koreans, however, there is such a difference between the three that to call a chiggae a tahng or a gook a chiggae is an outrage and completeley unfounded. I really can't seem to figure it out though, they understand the english word "soup" but they are adamant that gook, tahng and chiggae are not soup. So this got me thinking, maybe I needed to take a moment to define soup. So I said, "soup is a broth based dish with varying vegetables and meats." Wait, I said that already...didn't I? Excuse me for being a crass, uncouth, uncultured American but isn't a broth based dish with varying vegetables and meats exactly what we are eating right now?? No? Well can you please exlain the difference to me? No? ok. So after three months of complete confusion i've finally discovered that chiggae is like a stew, really thick and that a tang is like a normal soup and a gook is broth with some seaweed or onions in it. Ok great, but this still doesn't allevite the fact that I STILL THINK IT'S ALL SOUP AND NOBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS. I guess it's just going to be one of those things where I get it, and that's the end of the story. But still...don't you think that maybe...just maybe they really ARE all the same thing??
On a side note, I needed to buy some buillion so that I can flavor the rice that I purchased, I ran into one of my co-teachers while in the market and when I asked her whether the package I was holding flavored soup (can you see my point of decline here??) she informed me that no, that would not flavor soup. That only a little was added to Chiggae to enhance the flavor. "Kind of like a flavored salt?" the answer was no, absolutely not. I smiled benignly and bought the stuff anyway. Upon returning home and opening it I discovered that it was indeed buillion. I just really really cannot win in the damn soup department.
On a side note, I needed to buy some buillion so that I can flavor the rice that I purchased, I ran into one of my co-teachers while in the market and when I asked her whether the package I was holding flavored soup (can you see my point of decline here??) she informed me that no, that would not flavor soup. That only a little was added to Chiggae to enhance the flavor. "Kind of like a flavored salt?" the answer was no, absolutely not. I smiled benignly and bought the stuff anyway. Upon returning home and opening it I discovered that it was indeed buillion. I just really really cannot win in the damn soup department.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Birthdays Birthdays Birthdays!
"Teacher! It's your yesterday birthday! Happy Congratulations!"
"You looks like a princess! It must be you birsday"
It is illegal to mail salt from the United States to the Republic of Korea. Who knew?
"I just want human legs!" I have no idea what this means but it was bellowed out of the windows of the school today no less than 4 times. Any thoughts about what my students mean by "human legs??"
"You looks like a princess! It must be you birsday"
It is illegal to mail salt from the United States to the Republic of Korea. Who knew?
"I just want human legs!" I have no idea what this means but it was bellowed out of the windows of the school today no less than 4 times. Any thoughts about what my students mean by "human legs??"
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
~*KPOP*~
KPOP permeates every part of the lives of my kids, I mean, EVERY part. KPOP stands for Korean pop music, pop music in the USA- Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, etc are present in the lives of my friends back home but perhaps it's the age that i'm dealing with that concentrates the pop phenomena and roots it ever more firmly in the lives of my kids. I mean, I remember being in 6th grade and being head over heels in love with the spice girls, backstreet boys, and N'sync; I suppose these kids just have artists like SHINee, Big Bang, 2NE1 (twenty one), and Rain (비). I have taken it upon myself to make an effor to learn at least one KPOP song by heart before I leave Korea, not too hard of a task right? Well, I don't think it would be but I have yet to start, so today marks the official day that I begin learning a KPOP song. I thought that initially I wanted to learn "Lollipop" by Big Bang and 2NE1 but I don't think it's really popular right now so i've decided to learn: no forget it, i'm learning "Lollipop" ^.^ (Korean happy face).
And here are the corresponding lyrics...EEEEK!
Lollipop Lyrics
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Boy 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
막대사탕보다 더 달콤한
내 마음은 터질듯한 Dynamite
난 깔끔한 남자 T.O.P.
내사랑 Bling Bling like L E D
그댄 딱 내 스탈야
반짝반짝 스타야
색다른걸 원해?
Let me show you if that’s okay
Now come on
색깔은 Rainbow
날 느낀 순간 넌 빠져버린걸 알아
You just can’t control
날 사로 잡은 건
너와 나만이 아는 우리 둘의 Secret light
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop girl 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
날 설레게 하는 너의 Body 너의 Move
이미 네 시선을 가둬버린 나의 Groove
식상함들은 매일 날 지치게 해
Let’s just keep You and I F.R.E.S.H
Now come on
색깔은 Rainbow
날 느낀 순간 넌 빠져버린걸 알아
You just can’t control
날 사로 잡은 건 너와 나만이 아는 우리 둘의 Secret Light
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
한 순간의 느낌이 아냐 지금 두 눈을 감아도 넌 내 앞에 서 있는걸
내가 바라던 그게 너야 그냥 이대로 너와 나 저 불빛아래
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop (Repeat x2)
Here's the video so you can get a taste of A- Korean pop music and B- what i'm endeavoring to learn....
And here are the corresponding lyrics...EEEEK!
Lollipop Lyrics
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Boy 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
막대사탕보다 더 달콤한
내 마음은 터질듯한 Dynamite
난 깔끔한 남자 T.O.P.
내사랑 Bling Bling like L E D
그댄 딱 내 스탈야
반짝반짝 스타야
색다른걸 원해?
Let me show you if that’s okay
Now come on
색깔은 Rainbow
날 느낀 순간 넌 빠져버린걸 알아
You just can’t control
날 사로 잡은 건
너와 나만이 아는 우리 둘의 Secret light
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop girl 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
날 설레게 하는 너의 Body 너의 Move
이미 네 시선을 가둬버린 나의 Groove
식상함들은 매일 날 지치게 해
Let’s just keep You and I F.R.E.S.H
Now come on
색깔은 Rainbow
날 느낀 순간 넌 빠져버린걸 알아
You just can’t control
날 사로 잡은 건 너와 나만이 아는 우리 둘의 Secret Light
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
한 순간의 느낌이 아냐 지금 두 눈을 감아도 넌 내 앞에 서 있는걸
내가 바라던 그게 너야 그냥 이대로 너와 나 저 불빛아래
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop (Repeat x2)
Monday, October 11, 2010
A few Inspirational Conversations I Had Today. Or I Overheard. Or Possibly Made Up. hmm....
"I will kill you if you call me baby"
One of the first things I learned in Korean was the phrase "I will kill you" (내가 당신을 죽일거야) don't ask why this was one of the first phrases I learned, I don't remember why and it honestly doesn't matter as I don't use it. I mean, why would I? Anyway, during one of my *ahem* less attentive classes my co-teacher was attempting to corral the boys into paying attention, one of them responded "yes baby!" This sweet, sweet, willowy, korean women looked him straight in the eye and said "I will kill you if you call me baby." (in Korean of course) His eyes literally crossed in agitation and he visibly moved back into his seat. I on the other hand burst into laughter, great gusto gasps of breath. WAY TO GO Hyejeong! I had to sit down and laugh for almost a full 30 seconds before I could pull myself together and finish my lesson. "You are fashionista!"
Now, I admit that I enjoy fashion and I try to look decent but let's be honest, I'm a good 'ol girl from rural Utah who likes her t's, blue jeans, and flip flops. So imagine my surprise when one of my more fashion conscious students (actually, insert all the girls in the entire school into this category) sashayed up to me in the halls today and proudly declared, "You are a fashionista!" I looked to my right, then my left, then did a complete circle in the middle of the hall, "me?" she nodded happily and walked away. I was left standing in her wake completely perplexed, the thought that Molly doesn't comb her hair or shower unless absolutely necessary Jones as a fashionista was absurd! Surely this small child was blinded by the shininess of my hair? Apparently not as she didn't come running back screaming "joke teacher! Joke!" huh, go me!"We find it rude to congratulate on your birthday so we will lunch you on Wednesday"
Hmm...I cocked my right eyebrow to my hairline and dragged my left eyebrow to my iris, "What could this possibly mean?" I pondered. Eunyeong looked at me expectantly. I looked back. My eyebrows slowly drew even with each other and rested about mid-forehead, my eyes widened. Surely there was some genius response I was supposed to be giving at this point...if only I knew what that statement meant... I finally decided to smile, she smiled back and turned away happily, I turned away baffled. Upon second look at this statement it is clear to me that the dinner (that was supposed to be last Thursday but that was postponed until my birthday) was apparently being cancelled all together and being replaced with a lunch on Wednesday. Splendid arrangement if you ask me!Side note, i'm rather disappointed that my original one-person dinner invite morphed english teacher wide dinner morphed birthday celebration has been canceled. At first I was a little aghast that I was expected to host a dinner for more than one person, then I was astounded that I was expected to host this dinner on MY birthday. MY day. MY MY MY! But after speaking with Emily teacher I realized the wisdom in something she said: "Perhaps it's ridiculous of us to be expecting presents on our birthdays, perhaps we should always host people on our birthday and give them things." Like lavishing praise on them for putting up with the waygookeen (foreigner) as she attempts to come to terms with her new culture, school, lifestyle. Or like never openly criticizing my uneducated teaching methods but by gradually suggesting and helping to shape my classes so they fit well with the mold. Or like inviting me into their homes and their families. Or like always paying for the bill when we go out for dinner. Or like always having a smile ready for when we don't understand each other (insert cup theif here). Ya, maybe I should be thankful for that instead of celebrating MY birthday MY way.
Anyeong!
Picnics in the Park!!
On Friday my students and I all went out for a picnic in the park! I opted to go with Eunyeong and her class for this field trip, it definitely made me feel amazing when I was informed that all the first and second graders were complaining loudly that I wasn't going with THEIR classes ^.^ (Korean happy face!)
The first and second grade students went somewhere else in Masan and my third graders and I went to Yongji Park in Changwon. Each child had their photo individually taken and then their photo taken with their class. I jumped into the photo with Eunyeong's class (i'm sure based off the ruckus over the field trip I attended that this will cause quite the stir. Doesn't it make a person feel great to be fought over?!) After the pictures we all had an old-fashioned picnic, each teacher brought a little something to share. Mostly kimbap- Korean sushi without raw fish, fruit, and of course beer. It was absolutely delicious!
Following this picnic some people opted to go see a movie, I know that I certainly wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to watch a free movie so I hightailed it to the theater with my self appointed "movie buddy." I'm sure tomorrow morning she'll be like, "Molly teacher, movie buddy! Remember?" and of course i'll respond: "Of course!" but in all reality, I probably won't remember her once she puts on her school uniform and becomes just another korean face in the crowd...oops!
I just LOVE it that the personalities of these kids is able to come out more without the confines of the school and the rules that are applied to them daily.
Anyeong!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Assemblies
We had an assembly yesterday it was extremely informative! The children all lined up in perfect rows on the soccer pitch in front of the school. Once they were all in place the teachers all lined up in a row about 20 feet in front of them. One of my co-workers grabbed the mike, stood up on the raised platform above the heads of stock-still students and began barking orders. His voice echoing off the walls of the nearby apartment building was bombarding my ears with static noise, but the result of this static was astounding! The students in varying orders (think squadrons) were squatting down and then standing up shouting "Samgye! Junehakyo!" Then the next squadron would squat, "Samgye!" then stand "Junehakyo!" and so on and so forth. I think the funniest part of this particular scene is that "Samgye! Junehakyo!" means "Samgye (my town) Middle School!" so the students are squatting and standing to the chant of their middle school. Once all the squadrons had been ordered, squat, and stood, the children, in one grand block, marched forward a few steps, turned around and marched back a few steps. This shouldn't be reminiscent of Hitler's army of perfect Arians but rather a sea of black bobs and white skater shoes scuffling about in the dirt. Talk about discipline! I think that if my teachers had asked me to do this when I was a middle school student I would have keeled over laughing!! They finally stopped marching and with a last resounding boom they all adopted a stand still parade stance and locked their hands behind their backand the principle began to speak. The rest of the assemlby was normal by American standards and since I didn't understand a word of it a mute point but for several minutes I was still struggling to tuck my smile into my appropriate pants and act like an adult.
Tomorrow my students and I are going on a field trip! We are going to a park and then to the movies. I have never heard of a field trip quite like this one so i'm pretty excited to see what this is all about and hopefully i'll get an opportunity to relate to them on a more personal level!
Anyeong!
Tomorrow my students and I are going on a field trip! We are going to a park and then to the movies. I have never heard of a field trip quite like this one so i'm pretty excited to see what this is all about and hopefully i'll get an opportunity to relate to them on a more personal level!
Anyeong!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Please, Invite Them All.
One day two weeks ago on a whim I invited Eunyeong over to my house for dinner; I said that I would cook a traditional western meal (insert anything with a tortilla and refried beans) so that she could get a little taste of western cooking. Yesterday she came to me and asked if I was still interested in hosting dinner, I said yes of course and she informed me that the english teachers were all very excited to be coming over for dinner! The smile froze on my face and my eyebrows arched up in surprise, "the english teachers?" I repeated. She smiled and nodded happily. "How many english teachers are there total?" I asked, "8" she replied happily. My eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. So on Thursday I will now be hosting 8 Korean English teachers in my home, my two room flat where the only food to be found at this point is seaweed, rice, and soju.
Last night in a state of near panic I went to my Korean class with Helen, Helen is a Korean Ajumma which means she is married and over 30 and extremely Korean. She teaches Korean to those expats that make the effort and has proved to be an invaluable source of knowledge and advice for me as I struggle to acclimate in my new land. I arrived at her door at 8pm promptly, she let me in, and I let it out. I explained my dilemma to her and then further explained that I only own 3 plates, 2 dishes, 1 fork, and assorted mismatched pots, pans, and chopsticks. Which is perfect for a 22 year old on her first venture into the world of jobs and homes. It is less than ideal for hosting a 9 person dinner party. Helen smiled and immediately led me to the golden cupboard, inside was stacks and stacks of dishes, and cutlery, "I like plates" said Helen. "I like Helen" said Molly. Thankfully I am now proudly in possession of a sufficient number of plates and cutlery to feed my guests, I went shopping yesterday and purchased some of the easier items for Chicken Fajitas and am going on a shopping endeavour later tonight for the remainder of the ingredients.
If nothing else, this will be a multi-pronged life lesson. 1. always be careful how you phrase your invites to Koreans. 2. How to plan a dinner party for 9. Here's to hoping I don't learn anymore lessons as the dinner draws near.
Anyeong!
Last night in a state of near panic I went to my Korean class with Helen, Helen is a Korean Ajumma which means she is married and over 30 and extremely Korean. She teaches Korean to those expats that make the effort and has proved to be an invaluable source of knowledge and advice for me as I struggle to acclimate in my new land. I arrived at her door at 8pm promptly, she let me in, and I let it out. I explained my dilemma to her and then further explained that I only own 3 plates, 2 dishes, 1 fork, and assorted mismatched pots, pans, and chopsticks. Which is perfect for a 22 year old on her first venture into the world of jobs and homes. It is less than ideal for hosting a 9 person dinner party. Helen smiled and immediately led me to the golden cupboard, inside was stacks and stacks of dishes, and cutlery, "I like plates" said Helen. "I like Helen" said Molly. Thankfully I am now proudly in possession of a sufficient number of plates and cutlery to feed my guests, I went shopping yesterday and purchased some of the easier items for Chicken Fajitas and am going on a shopping endeavour later tonight for the remainder of the ingredients.
If nothing else, this will be a multi-pronged life lesson. 1. always be careful how you phrase your invites to Koreans. 2. How to plan a dinner party for 9. Here's to hoping I don't learn anymore lessons as the dinner draws near.
Anyeong!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Who Knew Hot Water Caused Headaches?
I moved to Korea in July, and I got hot water in October; "How did she bathe?" You may wonder, i'll answer it simply: I didn't. Well maybe "I didn't" is a bit extreme, I did bathe, but I just bathed quickly. As the old Italian woman who Liz rents an apartment from in Italy says in "Eat, Pray, Love" the movie, "All the important parts" got washed. Now you may think i'm a stinking lunatic (literally speaking), but I would like to DARE anyone to try showering in frigid water in the middle of their bathroom for 3 months. As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, it WAS summer and it WAS 90 degrees with 80% humidity, but I say shut it! Until you have been showering in freezing water (under duress mind you) for 3 months you cannot reason with me.
All of this is beside the point of my story however; after I returned from China I noticed a significant drop in temperature and after my first cold shower I came to the concrete conclusion that this could not continue on. I needed hot water and I needed it before my next shower. So I did the only logical thing, I went to my landlords house to ask them to help me fix my problem, as I forgot that I don't speak Korean and they don't speak English this turned out to be the least logical thing I could do. Thankfully I was able to remedy my botched attempt at communicating by telling Eunyeong what I needed. She called my landlord and quicklly fixed the situation, apparently my landlords were extremely agitated and worried about me as what I had communicated the previous night was that I thought there was a cat stuck in my wall. I don't understand it either. I figured that everything was said and done at this point and that I should have hot water. Yay!
I was wrong, oh so very very wrong.
My landlord came over on Sunday morning as I was lounging about watching movies with my friend Jason, thankfully Jason speaks Korean and was able to help me effectively communicate precisely what it was that I needed, and to answer some questions my landlord had. Fixed fixed at last I sang in my brain as I did a happy dance. I danced prematurely.
Lucky me, at 6am the next morning I heard the pounding of god on my door and "Mohlly! Mohlly!" I stumbled out of bed, in my underwear, about had the door unlocked when I realized what I was doing. I mumbled something and trudged over to put on some pants. When I finally opened the door there were both of my landlords smiling and happy (at 6am, what is WRONG with these people!?). They trooped into my home and began fiddling with the buttons. I sat back on the bed and put my head in my hands watching them tiredly. Then the questions began. My male landlord began asking questions and gesticulating about, point at this, and then that, making the cross sign for "no!" in korean. I just nodded and kept saying "I don't know, I don't know" both in English and Korean, shrugging my shoulders helplessly. Obviously that was a failed tactic because he began to repeat himself, each time his voice rising in crescendo until he was veritably yelling at me. I, trying to respond in the nicest way possible and without actually realizing what I was doing becasue it was 6AM, was bellering back "I don't know! I don't know!" Finally my landlord began saying "Jason, Jason" and making the calling sign with his hand, I tried to explain that it was early and that we couldn't call him but it took about 5 minutes of pointing to my clock and making snoring noises before he understand. He finally smiled at me, said "ok!" and left. I slumpt on the bed, exhausted and eventually fell back to sleep.
Monday evening arrived and I was sitting on my bed doing something when I heard the knocking again, I sighed heavily and got up to open the door. My landlord traipsed in and began asking for Jason, thankfully it was past 6am this time and I felt comfortable calling him and begging him to deal with my landlord. After about 15 minutes of the landlord and I playing pass the phone we discerned that some workers would need to be called in to look at the problem (hadn't I already discerned this 3 months ago!?). Well THANKFULLY by Tuesday I had water, and my first hot shower in 3 months. I cannot begin to describe to you the joys I felt at scrubbing off 3 months worth of skin. Ah, the simple pleasures of life.
Anyeong!
All of this is beside the point of my story however; after I returned from China I noticed a significant drop in temperature and after my first cold shower I came to the concrete conclusion that this could not continue on. I needed hot water and I needed it before my next shower. So I did the only logical thing, I went to my landlords house to ask them to help me fix my problem, as I forgot that I don't speak Korean and they don't speak English this turned out to be the least logical thing I could do. Thankfully I was able to remedy my botched attempt at communicating by telling Eunyeong what I needed. She called my landlord and quicklly fixed the situation, apparently my landlords were extremely agitated and worried about me as what I had communicated the previous night was that I thought there was a cat stuck in my wall. I don't understand it either. I figured that everything was said and done at this point and that I should have hot water. Yay!
I was wrong, oh so very very wrong.
My landlord came over on Sunday morning as I was lounging about watching movies with my friend Jason, thankfully Jason speaks Korean and was able to help me effectively communicate precisely what it was that I needed, and to answer some questions my landlord had. Fixed fixed at last I sang in my brain as I did a happy dance. I danced prematurely.
Lucky me, at 6am the next morning I heard the pounding of god on my door and "Mohlly! Mohlly!" I stumbled out of bed, in my underwear, about had the door unlocked when I realized what I was doing. I mumbled something and trudged over to put on some pants. When I finally opened the door there were both of my landlords smiling and happy (at 6am, what is WRONG with these people!?). They trooped into my home and began fiddling with the buttons. I sat back on the bed and put my head in my hands watching them tiredly. Then the questions began. My male landlord began asking questions and gesticulating about, point at this, and then that, making the cross sign for "no!" in korean. I just nodded and kept saying "I don't know, I don't know" both in English and Korean, shrugging my shoulders helplessly. Obviously that was a failed tactic because he began to repeat himself, each time his voice rising in crescendo until he was veritably yelling at me. I, trying to respond in the nicest way possible and without actually realizing what I was doing becasue it was 6AM, was bellering back "I don't know! I don't know!" Finally my landlord began saying "Jason, Jason" and making the calling sign with his hand, I tried to explain that it was early and that we couldn't call him but it took about 5 minutes of pointing to my clock and making snoring noises before he understand. He finally smiled at me, said "ok!" and left. I slumpt on the bed, exhausted and eventually fell back to sleep.
Monday evening arrived and I was sitting on my bed doing something when I heard the knocking again, I sighed heavily and got up to open the door. My landlord traipsed in and began asking for Jason, thankfully it was past 6am this time and I felt comfortable calling him and begging him to deal with my landlord. After about 15 minutes of the landlord and I playing pass the phone we discerned that some workers would need to be called in to look at the problem (hadn't I already discerned this 3 months ago!?). Well THANKFULLY by Tuesday I had water, and my first hot shower in 3 months. I cannot begin to describe to you the joys I felt at scrubbing off 3 months worth of skin. Ah, the simple pleasures of life.
Anyeong!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Samgye- My Little Piece of Korean Heaven
Anyeong!
Friday, October 1, 2010
That One Time When I Went To China
After much writer's block and grappling with how best to approach my trip to China i've decided to just write! I suppose I didn't need a week to figure that out but whatever.
As I flew into Shanghai Saturday afternoon I looked out the airplane window and below me was just mud brown. I spent maybe five minutes straining my eyes trying desperately to discern what I was looking at. I finally located what appeared to be a boat and I realized that the brown much below me was the ocean! So needless to say, my first impression of China was a bit... muddy.
My good friend from the states Alex came and joined late Sunday evening so I had all of saturday to kick around Shanghai by myself. I walked for 6 hours, I walked so far my head hurt from standing up so long! Shanghai is an amazing city, it's packed full of people, and there is this interesting eclectic mix of new and old China. The government of Shanghai is trying desperately hard to put on the best face they possibly can as the World Expo is located in Shanghai and the government (undoubtedly) wants the world to see China as a force to be measured with and to be taken seriously. I don't blame them, but wandering around the backroads was more exciting then sticking to the designated tourist areas (not to mention 100% cheaper). I think the photo below is a great example of what i'm talking about, in the background is the Shanghai Pearl, one of the pride and joys of Shanghais' tourism industry. The Bund (the river front) is gorgeous, and the flag of China is proudly displayed and flapping in the wind. And then you look closely and you realize that the barge marring the beauty of these sights is not just any boat, it's actually a garbage boat, a perfect combination of young and old, pretty and ugly, tourism and reality.
At first the sheer amount of people in Shanghai was amazing to me, no matter where it was that I turned I was constantly being touched, pushed, shoved, talked to, talked over, or someone was trying to sell me something; but I can assure you that quickly got old! Some other dangers of the sidewalk besides the volume of people were the motorcycles, the are driven on the sidewalk so you constantly have to be aware and wary of speeding cyclists, yikes! Going back to the antiquities of China, occasionally they still toss their dirty water and garbage out their apartment windows, so you are constantly on the lookout for a trash bath, the air conditioners and buildings themselves drip dirty water on top of your head (or in your mouth if you are as unlucky as I was). The children don't wear diapers and have slits in their clothes so whenever they have to use the restroom them just squat in the gutters, or are hoisted over the nearest flower bed by their parents. So the gutter is pretty much out of the question for walking in. The busses (as with Korea) are the largest vehicles in the road so they take the continual liberty of turning any time they want, which causes the cars to respond and you frequently end up with cars driving the wrong way on the road which causes untold car jams and the honking is a incessant. So in recap, there is nowhere safe to walk, you must constantly be on the lookout for pickpockets, questionable market deals, trash baths, motorcyclists, poop, and motorized vehicles. YIKES!
Alex and I searched in futile for a bar where we could meet some locals and try some Chinese liquor but there wasn't really anything that we found so we opted to be satisfied with eating. Food in China is a bit of an adventure as they eat EVERY part of the animal not to mention a myriad of bizarre things like chicken feet and toads. Ew. Thankfully we met some really really nice people, who we didn't understand but who were understanding as we did our foreigner charades act.
The World Expo was a bit of a let down, it was like going back to my 6th grade World Fair at Helen M. Knight Elementary were we all made 3 fold board posters detailing a different country and wandered about the school trying some food and exploring out classmates hard work, except that this expo was with buidlings instead of 3 fold posterboard (Thank you Alex for that excellent depiction). We waited in line for Egypt for roughly 30 minutes to get inside and realize that there was not a whole lot inside, less than a handful of statues from early Egyptian history and a really cool white ribbon. Totally NOT worth my 30 minute wait. Ah well, you don't know this unless you embark on the journey first do you??
Anyway, I felt as though China would have been better if I had gone with some friends who speak Chinese or are Chinese because then I would have been exposed to more of the cultural and lifestyle aspects of the Chinese as opposed to the tourist. One thing is certain, I will NOT be going back to China without a Chinese person, and something that is less sure is whether I will actually ever make it back to China. There are so many exciting places out in the world to return somewhere that was not very fulfilling just seems silly; but perhaps that was a first time world travelers traveling blunder and China is where i'll settle. Whatever the case may be, i'm pretty dang pleased to be back in Korea.
Anyeong!
As I flew into Shanghai Saturday afternoon I looked out the airplane window and below me was just mud brown. I spent maybe five minutes straining my eyes trying desperately to discern what I was looking at. I finally located what appeared to be a boat and I realized that the brown much below me was the ocean! So needless to say, my first impression of China was a bit... muddy.
At first the sheer amount of people in Shanghai was amazing to me, no matter where it was that I turned I was constantly being touched, pushed, shoved, talked to, talked over, or someone was trying to sell me something; but I can assure you that quickly got old! Some other dangers of the sidewalk besides the volume of people were the motorcycles, the are driven on the sidewalk so you constantly have to be aware and wary of speeding cyclists, yikes! Going back to the antiquities of China, occasionally they still toss their dirty water and garbage out their apartment windows, so you are constantly on the lookout for a trash bath, the air conditioners and buildings themselves drip dirty water on top of your head (or in your mouth if you are as unlucky as I was). The children don't wear diapers and have slits in their clothes so whenever they have to use the restroom them just squat in the gutters, or are hoisted over the nearest flower bed by their parents. So the gutter is pretty much out of the question for walking in. The busses (as with Korea) are the largest vehicles in the road so they take the continual liberty of turning any time they want, which causes the cars to respond and you frequently end up with cars driving the wrong way on the road which causes untold car jams and the honking is a incessant. So in recap, there is nowhere safe to walk, you must constantly be on the lookout for pickpockets, questionable market deals, trash baths, motorcyclists, poop, and motorized vehicles. YIKES!
Alex and I searched in futile for a bar where we could meet some locals and try some Chinese liquor but there wasn't really anything that we found so we opted to be satisfied with eating. Food in China is a bit of an adventure as they eat EVERY part of the animal not to mention a myriad of bizarre things like chicken feet and toads. Ew. Thankfully we met some really really nice people, who we didn't understand but who were understanding as we did our foreigner charades act.
The World Expo was a bit of a let down, it was like going back to my 6th grade World Fair at Helen M. Knight Elementary were we all made 3 fold board posters detailing a different country and wandered about the school trying some food and exploring out classmates hard work, except that this expo was with buidlings instead of 3 fold posterboard (Thank you Alex for that excellent depiction). We waited in line for Egypt for roughly 30 minutes to get inside and realize that there was not a whole lot inside, less than a handful of statues from early Egyptian history and a really cool white ribbon. Totally NOT worth my 30 minute wait. Ah well, you don't know this unless you embark on the journey first do you??
Anyway, I felt as though China would have been better if I had gone with some friends who speak Chinese or are Chinese because then I would have been exposed to more of the cultural and lifestyle aspects of the Chinese as opposed to the tourist. One thing is certain, I will NOT be going back to China without a Chinese person, and something that is less sure is whether I will actually ever make it back to China. There are so many exciting places out in the world to return somewhere that was not very fulfilling just seems silly; but perhaps that was a first time world travelers traveling blunder and China is where i'll settle. Whatever the case may be, i'm pretty dang pleased to be back in Korea.
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