Christmas Lessons:
It's finally the last week of the school year! I can't believe I've been here for 4 full months, and have been doing exactly what I love doing. The little first graders are still just as immature as they were at the beginning of the semester, it seems hard to believe they will be in second grade come March, and that new first graders will be arriving!
The students have finished their final exams and I've been taking it easy with them the past few weeks. They are ready for a break, and I've just been doing fun things with them, like scategories and Christmas songs. Some of the songs we've sung this week are Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa's coming to town. Kids have requested Feliz Navidad, they seem to know most of the words, which I found suprising. I had Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas is you playing before class started on Tuesday at Seongdeok, and about 20 of the boys in class 4 were crowded around my podium and TV. Even though the video was blurry, they were so excited to see her dancing. They kept saying things like "Teacher, my girlfriend!" and "Teacher, my mother!" It got them really excited for class I think!
The Good Classes:
Class 2 at Seongdeok is my favorite class there. Huynju is also a homeroom teacher, and she has been very busy with them all year. I've gotten to know a lot of the students on a more personal level because many were in my after school class earlier in the year, and every day about 10 boys come to clean the EOZ classroom for me. They enjoy talking to me and watching YouTube videos, specifically Happy Tree Friends, and Kpop music videos. Some of the boys have even helped me study Korean. Overall, they are sweethearts, though they can still be rambunctious.
At school on Tuesday, the teachers were having a pretty intesnse conversation. When this happens, I just sit there silently, eating my rice, and making up conversations about what they could be talking about. The weather, Iris (a popular drama show), weekend plans etc. Huynju turned to me out of the blue and asked, "Do you find Jindo attractive?" Jindo is in class two, and is 14 years old. I was so suprised! I was like, "Well, I think he'll be pretty good looking when he gets to high school, yes, why?" Apparently, the teachers there all think Jindo is very cute (his nickname that the teachers call him by is "handsome Jindo" when translated to English). He was in my afterschool classes, and is one of the few students whose name I actually know. They said he's the cutest boy in school, and all the little girls have crushes on him, but he is kind of a player and is still single. He's sterotypically good looking, in the Korean way- tall, skinny, and a small head. He's also sporting the standard Korean shag haircut. I just found that whole conversation to be a little bizarre.
Another student in class two, Jindo's sidekick, and who was in my afterschool class was recently elected school president. He's a smart kid and must be pretty deserving of the nomination. Class two had a pizza party to celebrate, and I was lucky enough to take part in that. Because there is no need for me to really ever leave the EOZ, when I ventured down to class two, the kids thought it was like seeing a fish out of water and was swarmed to me instantly.
And the not so good classes:
Not all of my classes can be as good as class two. Class 5 is by far the worst class in the school, and I can't imagine being that poor homeroom teacher. He is so burned out, you can tell just by looking at him. All the subject teachers have struggled with class 5 year long. There are about 6 boys who really get the class riled up, and I always see those six boys standing ouside their classroom with their hands raised high in the air or in the teachers lounge receiving a beating with the standard bamboo stick. Anyway, last week in class 5, I'd had enough of it. I made the 9 loudest boys come up to the front of class and do pushups. 31 to be exact, that was the number between 1-50 the class had decided on. The rest of the class counted outloud together as their classmates did the girliest pushups I'd ever seen. I walked around between them and pushed on their backs to get them to do down farther. Because they couldn't do more than 8 in a row, it took a while to get to 31.
This week, all 9 boys came into the EOZ between class with a written appology. This looked like a pretty official report to me- name, date, location, who, teacher, offense, and goals for the future. In the bottom, there was a place for me to sign. 7 were written in Korean, and 2 were in English. I quickly read over the ones in English, my favorite part said, "I was being loud and I made the teacher go crazy!" I explained to all of them very sternly that when I saw them next, we would be singing Christmas carols, and I expected them to be on their best behavior.
Fastforward to this week's lessons. I always prepare for the worst before class 5. I literally have to mentally prepare myself. However, they did what I was not expecting in class. The boys sat in the front row, right in front of me. When it came time to quiet down, they were the first to stop talking. It was the quietest class I'd ever taught. That would be ideal if we were going over a new topic, but not the best situation for singing upbeat, jazzy Christmas songs. Getting them to sing was like pulling teeth. I think I scared them a little too much last week, and they were terrified to doing anything to make me mad! Since singing didn't go over as planned, I had them each write all the lyrics to Santa Claus is Coming to Town, as well as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I handed these into the homeroom teacher after class, and I think he was pretty impressed that they were all able to focus. Not exactly the fun, end of the school year lesson I'd hoped for, but at least I didn't lose my voice yelling and nobody did pushups.
Whatever happend to a relaxing end of the school year?
Today at Suwan, and schools nationwide, we have testing. There are 5 tests today, including subjects like Korean, Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. The kids were worried about it last week, and it's been pretty quiet around here today. Mihey is in charge of the tests, so I'm alone in my office (and freezing!). I remember when I was young, I was always excited for the end of the school year and I can't imagine having to take a high-pressure test two days before school gets out!
Out with 2009, in with 2010
It's been a whirlwind of activity since arriving 4 months ago, and if 2010 brings half as much fun as 2009 did, it's going to be an excellent year. Merry Christmas, and I'll see you again in 2010!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Girls Generation (소녀시대)- "Gee"
As you may or may not remember, when I spent the day with my "host family" Mun (문), the son, 14 years old, is a big fan of the Kpop Girls Group called Girls Generation. They are 9 members strong, and are one of the most popular groups. He really wanted a cd for his Christmas present, so I picked one up at Emart (이마트)for him this weekend.
I read an article about them today on The Korea Times that said this about their diet:
"Each member of Girls’ Generation, top K-pop group, lives on only 800 kilo calories-200 Kcal as breakfast and 300 Kcal as lunch and dinner, respectively, according to a talk show broadcast on MBC TV Thursday.
Their diet usually consists of vegetables such as tomatoes and pumpkins and fruits such as watermelons and pineapples.
In addition, most of the members eat water and cucumbers when they feel hungry."
No wonder they are so skinny! Anyway, here is one of their hits, "Gee."
I read an article about them today on The Korea Times that said this about their diet:
"Each member of Girls’ Generation, top K-pop group, lives on only 800 kilo calories-200 Kcal as breakfast and 300 Kcal as lunch and dinner, respectively, according to a talk show broadcast on MBC TV Thursday.
Their diet usually consists of vegetables such as tomatoes and pumpkins and fruits such as watermelons and pineapples.
In addition, most of the members eat water and cucumbers when they feel hungry."
No wonder they are so skinny! Anyway, here is one of their hits, "Gee."
Mail!
I haven't mentioned anything about this yet, but I love getting mail!
In the last couple of weeks, there's been an increase of mail/packages from home, and I appreciate it so much! It's great having a little piece of home!
I got a small Christmas present from my parents. Dad choose a Christmas towel in the Garden Pennisula last fall, and during shippment, the small dowel broke, but it wasn't anything that some tape couldn't fix. It is currently hanging in my kitchen from a bright pink suction cup that is taped on (suction cups here aren't nearly as strong as they are back home!).
I also recieved a package from relatives. It had notes, which I love reading, and some beautiful jewerly! I recieved two Christmas cards from some wonderful aunts and let me tell you, they were the highlight of my Christmas lesson. There are Christmas cards here, but the kids got a kick out of seeing something that was sent halfway across the world. They wanted me to read it out loud for them, and even though I'm sure they didn't understand, they looked happy.
I've heard there are some more cards on their way. It's pretty easy to send letters, I posted my address on the blog a while back, and you can just print it out if you feel like sending anything.
Again, thanks for the letters from home, and know that I'm not the only one who enjoys seeing them. I don't know who is more excited to know that I have mail: me, my students, or my co-teachers! I've got them all in my office on the window sill now. Have a Merry Christmas and hope to hear from you soon!
In the last couple of weeks, there's been an increase of mail/packages from home, and I appreciate it so much! It's great having a little piece of home!
I got a small Christmas present from my parents. Dad choose a Christmas towel in the Garden Pennisula last fall, and during shippment, the small dowel broke, but it wasn't anything that some tape couldn't fix. It is currently hanging in my kitchen from a bright pink suction cup that is taped on (suction cups here aren't nearly as strong as they are back home!).
I also recieved a package from relatives. It had notes, which I love reading, and some beautiful jewerly! I recieved two Christmas cards from some wonderful aunts and let me tell you, they were the highlight of my Christmas lesson. There are Christmas cards here, but the kids got a kick out of seeing something that was sent halfway across the world. They wanted me to read it out loud for them, and even though I'm sure they didn't understand, they looked happy.
I've heard there are some more cards on their way. It's pretty easy to send letters, I posted my address on the blog a while back, and you can just print it out if you feel like sending anything.
Again, thanks for the letters from home, and know that I'm not the only one who enjoys seeing them. I don't know who is more excited to know that I have mail: me, my students, or my co-teachers! I've got them all in my office on the window sill now. Have a Merry Christmas and hope to hear from you soon!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Weekend of Holiday Spirit
This weekend, as usual, was very busy. We've had light snow flurries all week now, and it is beautiful! There's only about 2 inches, and it melts quite a bit in the day. But first thing in the morning it's very pretty.
Friday night I was going to meet Emily, Ann, Allison, and Shabata for Vietnamese food in Sangmu. I was going to take a taxi because of the weather, unfortunately, so was everyone else! I couldn't get a taxi for the life of me! The busses were traveling slow, and it took about an hour to get there! I was pretty frustrated by the time I got there, cause I hate being late. Everyone else was behind schedule though, and it turned out I was the first on there!
After dinner, Ann, Emily, and I met some Korean pilots downtown. 12 of them to be exact. They invited us to join them, and of course we thought it was going to be very awkard. Luckily, they were good at English (one had spent 4 years at a base in Colorado Springs!!) and we were able to joke around with them. It sounds like it could have been uncomfortable, but when we left 2 hours later, the three of us had nothing but positive things to say about them and had lots of new stories and things to laugh about together.
Saturday morning, we had our "End of the school year" festival at school. Originally, it was going to be cancelled because of Swine Flu, but luckily they were able to throw it together at the last minute. Overall, it was great. Since the school is only 1st graders this year, they knew most of the kids that performed and really cheered for them. There were flutes, poetry readers, drummers, a rock band, lots of skits, dancers, and groups that danced to the latest Kpop songs (my favorite). Some of the boys even dressed up as girls- they had lots of support from the crowd!
The pictures of the performances turned out okay, but the lighting proved difficult. I did take a lot of video, which have been fun to watch again, I'm just not sure exactly on how to post those. I'll try to work on that.
Later, I met Mihey (my co from Suwan), and we went to visit Hyunju (my co at Seongdeok) for dinner. I can't believe it worked out that I was paired with both and that they are best friends! They're both wonderful women, I'm so lucky to have them. Hyunju lives on the 20th floor in a beautiful apartment with her husband and her precious 3 year old. We had a great Vietnamese dinner. Seems like I've been having a lot of it recently!
Hyunju also wanted me to wear her wedding Hanbok after dinner. We took some group pictures in front of the Christmas tree. Here we are:
A popular Christmas party as you may or may not know is the Ugly Sweater Party. Well, there aren't many ugly sweaters here, but there are lots of sweatshirts! Emily hosted the Ugly Sweatshirt Party this weekend, and we had a great time laughing at everyones bad English sayings and funny designs. I had made awards at work earlier in the week. The 5 categories were Fugliest, The sweatshirt you would actually wear, Worst English saying, Best overall, and Most holiday spirit. Vann nominated me for Fugliest, he said "It's so bad, I can't even look at you!" I didn't really think it was that bad, but 9 people voted for me, so I ended up winning. Kenny won both Best Overall and Most Holiday Spirit because he stripped down to boxers with a 10,000 won bill on them and the presidents face just happened to be right on the front!
Here are the winners of the awards!
So it was a very good weekend, but I can't wait for school to be OVER for 2 months in just 4 short days. Only 6 days until Manila!
Friday night I was going to meet Emily, Ann, Allison, and Shabata for Vietnamese food in Sangmu. I was going to take a taxi because of the weather, unfortunately, so was everyone else! I couldn't get a taxi for the life of me! The busses were traveling slow, and it took about an hour to get there! I was pretty frustrated by the time I got there, cause I hate being late. Everyone else was behind schedule though, and it turned out I was the first on there!
After dinner, Ann, Emily, and I met some Korean pilots downtown. 12 of them to be exact. They invited us to join them, and of course we thought it was going to be very awkard. Luckily, they were good at English (one had spent 4 years at a base in Colorado Springs!!) and we were able to joke around with them. It sounds like it could have been uncomfortable, but when we left 2 hours later, the three of us had nothing but positive things to say about them and had lots of new stories and things to laugh about together.
Saturday morning, we had our "End of the school year" festival at school. Originally, it was going to be cancelled because of Swine Flu, but luckily they were able to throw it together at the last minute. Overall, it was great. Since the school is only 1st graders this year, they knew most of the kids that performed and really cheered for them. There were flutes, poetry readers, drummers, a rock band, lots of skits, dancers, and groups that danced to the latest Kpop songs (my favorite). Some of the boys even dressed up as girls- they had lots of support from the crowd!
The pictures of the performances turned out okay, but the lighting proved difficult. I did take a lot of video, which have been fun to watch again, I'm just not sure exactly on how to post those. I'll try to work on that.
Later, I met Mihey (my co from Suwan), and we went to visit Hyunju (my co at Seongdeok) for dinner. I can't believe it worked out that I was paired with both and that they are best friends! They're both wonderful women, I'm so lucky to have them. Hyunju lives on the 20th floor in a beautiful apartment with her husband and her precious 3 year old. We had a great Vietnamese dinner. Seems like I've been having a lot of it recently!
Hyunju also wanted me to wear her wedding Hanbok after dinner. We took some group pictures in front of the Christmas tree. Here we are:
A popular Christmas party as you may or may not know is the Ugly Sweater Party. Well, there aren't many ugly sweaters here, but there are lots of sweatshirts! Emily hosted the Ugly Sweatshirt Party this weekend, and we had a great time laughing at everyones bad English sayings and funny designs. I had made awards at work earlier in the week. The 5 categories were Fugliest, The sweatshirt you would actually wear, Worst English saying, Best overall, and Most holiday spirit. Vann nominated me for Fugliest, he said "It's so bad, I can't even look at you!" I didn't really think it was that bad, but 9 people voted for me, so I ended up winning. Kenny won both Best Overall and Most Holiday Spirit because he stripped down to boxers with a 10,000 won bill on them and the presidents face just happened to be right on the front!
Here are the winners of the awards!
So it was a very good weekend, but I can't wait for school to be OVER for 2 months in just 4 short days. Only 6 days until Manila!
Friday, December 18, 2009
End of the semester
Currently, there are only 4 more days of school left! I'm very excited about winter break coming up, and all the exciting things I have planned. However, this does mean that some things are ending.
On Tuesday, we had our Korean final at 전남대학교 (Chonnam National University. Chonnam is the best university you can go to in Gwangju, with about 30,000 students. It is also Mihey's Alma Mater.), and we got to see our scores last night, Thursday. I should note first that these lessons were free from the Gwangju Metropolitian Office of Education (MOE), and the teachers were native Korean teachers. The classes were open to any EPIK participant that expressed interest. There were 3 classes, 2 beginner, and 1 intermediate. We met twice a week, but near the end, we met three times a week. Classes were 2 hours each, from 7-9 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is where we had class:
Anyway, when everyone from all 3 classes first arrived last night, we sat in the auditorium of the language building, just like we had 3 months ago for the opening ceremony. We were asked to fill out a standard evaluation of the course and teachers. It was easy to tell that the evaluation was not written by a native English speaker!
A few amusing things happened at the closing ceremony. The MOE brought us sandwiches and lattes from Angel-in-Us, the most expensive coffee chain here in Korea. I'm talking $4.00 for a hot chocolate, and $6-8 for a sandwich! One thing is for sure, the MOE really likes to make sure we are happy! That was a nice suprise. We were also given 2010 calendars created by an English professor at Chonnam filled with pictures of Asia, specifically Angkor Wat, China, Japan, and Gwangju, Korea. Then, in a small corner of July, there is a picture of the EPIK teachers 3 months ago at the start of Korean class. We heard some speeches about how happy they were to teach us, and then they started to hand out our certificates of completion...
Carlo was called up first (I found out it was because his name came first on the class rosters), and they read the certificate outloud, shook some hands, and took some pictures. Then it stopped. The 40 or so of us that didn't get a certificate started to wonder what was going on, and why we didn't get one! We were cracking jokes like Carlo was the only one to pass the test, and that they just gave us sandwiches for showing up. Well, Mihey said today thats just they way it works here. They give out the first one publically, then give the rest out in private. Completely different than back home!
Later in our classroom, our teacher gave us the good news that we all passed! We needed to have a 70% or better on the class to technically pass. She explained, "Well, Brian 씨 didn't really pass, but the coordinator forced me to pass him." We found this extremely funny because Brian has worked hard during the course, but has really struggled. What makes it even better is that instead of saying Brian, she pronounces it "Brown" everytime. :)
I thought I did well on the test after it was done, and it turns out I did. I got one question wrong (something like an adjective ending), but because it was worth two points, I only got 98% on the test. I was pretty pleased with it. My coteachers and other ladies in the school today were very excited for me. Except this now means I'll need to start using it more day to day!
Our class of 12 has been joking for a while now about who was going to bring the "refreshments" for the party our last day. I didn't really think anyone was serious. However, about 5 people pulled out a bunch of bottles and cups! Our teacher suggested we go to Noraebang (노래방) in the student hang out area. We fit a lot of people from the 3 classes into a room, and had a great hour singing Kpop songs (or trying to!), and English classics. I think the teachers had a fun time with us too!
It was a fun night, but I felt kind of sad saying "bye" our teacher at the end of Noraebang. I think she will be back next semester, and I really hope she will be able to teach the intermediate level!
On Tuesday, we had our Korean final at 전남대학교 (Chonnam National University. Chonnam is the best university you can go to in Gwangju, with about 30,000 students. It is also Mihey's Alma Mater.), and we got to see our scores last night, Thursday. I should note first that these lessons were free from the Gwangju Metropolitian Office of Education (MOE), and the teachers were native Korean teachers. The classes were open to any EPIK participant that expressed interest. There were 3 classes, 2 beginner, and 1 intermediate. We met twice a week, but near the end, we met three times a week. Classes were 2 hours each, from 7-9 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is where we had class:
Anyway, when everyone from all 3 classes first arrived last night, we sat in the auditorium of the language building, just like we had 3 months ago for the opening ceremony. We were asked to fill out a standard evaluation of the course and teachers. It was easy to tell that the evaluation was not written by a native English speaker!
A few amusing things happened at the closing ceremony. The MOE brought us sandwiches and lattes from Angel-in-Us, the most expensive coffee chain here in Korea. I'm talking $4.00 for a hot chocolate, and $6-8 for a sandwich! One thing is for sure, the MOE really likes to make sure we are happy! That was a nice suprise. We were also given 2010 calendars created by an English professor at Chonnam filled with pictures of Asia, specifically Angkor Wat, China, Japan, and Gwangju, Korea. Then, in a small corner of July, there is a picture of the EPIK teachers 3 months ago at the start of Korean class. We heard some speeches about how happy they were to teach us, and then they started to hand out our certificates of completion...
Carlo was called up first (I found out it was because his name came first on the class rosters), and they read the certificate outloud, shook some hands, and took some pictures. Then it stopped. The 40 or so of us that didn't get a certificate started to wonder what was going on, and why we didn't get one! We were cracking jokes like Carlo was the only one to pass the test, and that they just gave us sandwiches for showing up. Well, Mihey said today thats just they way it works here. They give out the first one publically, then give the rest out in private. Completely different than back home!
Later in our classroom, our teacher gave us the good news that we all passed! We needed to have a 70% or better on the class to technically pass. She explained, "Well, Brian 씨 didn't really pass, but the coordinator forced me to pass him." We found this extremely funny because Brian has worked hard during the course, but has really struggled. What makes it even better is that instead of saying Brian, she pronounces it "Brown" everytime. :)
I thought I did well on the test after it was done, and it turns out I did. I got one question wrong (something like an adjective ending), but because it was worth two points, I only got 98% on the test. I was pretty pleased with it. My coteachers and other ladies in the school today were very excited for me. Except this now means I'll need to start using it more day to day!
Our class of 12 has been joking for a while now about who was going to bring the "refreshments" for the party our last day. I didn't really think anyone was serious. However, about 5 people pulled out a bunch of bottles and cups! Our teacher suggested we go to Noraebang (노래방) in the student hang out area. We fit a lot of people from the 3 classes into a room, and had a great hour singing Kpop songs (or trying to!), and English classics. I think the teachers had a fun time with us too!
It was a fun night, but I felt kind of sad saying "bye" our teacher at the end of Noraebang. I think she will be back next semester, and I really hope she will be able to teach the intermediate level!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
2009 Winter EIC Training
This past weekend (Friday and Saturday), we had our 2009 Winter EIC (English Immersion Camp) Training. It took place at JungHeung Gold Spa and Resort just outside of Gwangju about 45 minutes. It was sponsored by the West District (Seobu) Office of Education. Everyone who teaches in the west side of town and the Korean teachers from schools hosting the EIC camps were there.
The Office of Education really wants the Guest English Teachers (GET's) to stay for more than a year. This was our third "orientaion/training" program sponsored by them, and they seem to go all out. JungHeung was very nice. It was a waterpark and resort. Unfortunately, most of the park was closed because it was outdoors. The view from my third-floor room from one of my two balcony's was very nice- wave pool, water slides, a huge pirate ship, and various pools. My friends and I definitely want to come back in the summer time.
I think the early-morning fog makes the mountains look beautiful, but it also looked nice in the afternoon when it had burned off and there was a clear, blue sky!
Friday started off with meeting at the Education office. We had a few lectures in an over-heated ballroom. The lectures seem to drag on and on, perhaps due to the heat! We heard presentations about the EIC set up (2 weeks, Jan 4-15, 4 hours each day, 1,160 some students at about 20 schools in the west part of town, 4 GET's and 4 Korean teachers for each school), the cirriculum (we were given textbooks for each grade, 4th and 5th), and ideas for what to do. My school (큰별, Keunbeol) decided that each GET would take on the role of a subject teacher, I will be focusing on teaching math, cooking, culture, and situational topics for the 5th graders. Unfortunately, we came across some problems with a GET in my group who was "sick" and was not at the training. To make a long story short, one of the Korean teachers cried because she thought the GET didn't want to work the camp etc. I felt really bad, and I hope that the GET (who I have yet to meet) isn't negatitive during the camp.
Our room at JungHeung was simply fabulous. It was about 3 times the size of my 1 bedroom apartment. I was originally supposed to room with this "sick" GET from my school, but she didn't show, so I had a three bedroom room to myself. Alli decided to then swap rooms, and move into mine. I couldn't believe the size and quality of it when we first walked in. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (with real showers!), a fully stocked kitchen, flat screen TV, massasge chair, and a leather, sectional couch. Wow! If only I could live here!
Here is a view of the living room:
This was looking into my bedroom- Alli took the bedroom with the double bed, but they were so soft and cushy and wonderful size didn't matter to me!
This is the fully stocked kitchen- glasses, plates, shot glasses, chopsticks, and even a rice cooker. I was impressed with the size of the fridge! Our room/kitchen was one of the biggest, so we did some "entertaining" Friday night after the workshops had ended. Had to put those glasses to use!
We left Saturday after lunch. The meals were not anything special, just ordinary cafeteria food. Overall though, it was a good weekend, and great to have a day off from school and see everyone back together again!
If you want to see more pictures, check out my facebook album here:
http://www.facebook.com/#/album.php?page=1&aid=2216589&id=59501140
The Office of Education really wants the Guest English Teachers (GET's) to stay for more than a year. This was our third "orientaion/training" program sponsored by them, and they seem to go all out. JungHeung was very nice. It was a waterpark and resort. Unfortunately, most of the park was closed because it was outdoors. The view from my third-floor room from one of my two balcony's was very nice- wave pool, water slides, a huge pirate ship, and various pools. My friends and I definitely want to come back in the summer time.
I think the early-morning fog makes the mountains look beautiful, but it also looked nice in the afternoon when it had burned off and there was a clear, blue sky!
Friday started off with meeting at the Education office. We had a few lectures in an over-heated ballroom. The lectures seem to drag on and on, perhaps due to the heat! We heard presentations about the EIC set up (2 weeks, Jan 4-15, 4 hours each day, 1,160 some students at about 20 schools in the west part of town, 4 GET's and 4 Korean teachers for each school), the cirriculum (we were given textbooks for each grade, 4th and 5th), and ideas for what to do. My school (큰별, Keunbeol) decided that each GET would take on the role of a subject teacher, I will be focusing on teaching math, cooking, culture, and situational topics for the 5th graders. Unfortunately, we came across some problems with a GET in my group who was "sick" and was not at the training. To make a long story short, one of the Korean teachers cried because she thought the GET didn't want to work the camp etc. I felt really bad, and I hope that the GET (who I have yet to meet) isn't negatitive during the camp.
Our room at JungHeung was simply fabulous. It was about 3 times the size of my 1 bedroom apartment. I was originally supposed to room with this "sick" GET from my school, but she didn't show, so I had a three bedroom room to myself. Alli decided to then swap rooms, and move into mine. I couldn't believe the size and quality of it when we first walked in. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (with real showers!), a fully stocked kitchen, flat screen TV, massasge chair, and a leather, sectional couch. Wow! If only I could live here!
Here is a view of the living room:
This was looking into my bedroom- Alli took the bedroom with the double bed, but they were so soft and cushy and wonderful size didn't matter to me!
This is the fully stocked kitchen- glasses, plates, shot glasses, chopsticks, and even a rice cooker. I was impressed with the size of the fridge! Our room/kitchen was one of the biggest, so we did some "entertaining" Friday night after the workshops had ended. Had to put those glasses to use!
We left Saturday after lunch. The meals were not anything special, just ordinary cafeteria food. Overall though, it was a good weekend, and great to have a day off from school and see everyone back together again!
If you want to see more pictures, check out my facebook album here:
http://www.facebook.com/#/album.php?page=1&aid=2216589&id=59501140
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Food of the Week- Bibimbap (비빔밥)
My first time having Bibimbap was on the plane ride over from Chicago to Seoul. I remember sitting next to Dinah and trying to prounounce it the same way the stewardess had. I had no idea that I'd be eating so much Bibimbap 5 months later!
Bibimbop literally means mixed rice or mixed meal in Korean. It's a popular meal consisting of a bowl of steamed white rice topped with vegetables, beef, a whole egg, and kochujang (Korean chili pepper paste).
Vegetables commonly used in bibimbap include julienne cucumber, zucchini, carrot, white radish, mushrooms, bellflower root, and laver (seaweed!). It may also contain spinach, soybean sprouts, and bracken fern stems. Tofu, either plain or sauteed, may also be included in the dish as well. You stir the mix together before eating, and if there is a raw egg in your bibimbap, stirring will help cook the egg.
There is a restaurant in Gwangju that serves the best bibimbap- I've only ever gotten the "cooked beef" version, however, my friend Amanda perfers the "raw beef" bibimbap.
At our orientation in August, the chef's prepared enough bibimbap for 600+ people, I could swear that is a record of some sort! Here's a picture of how much of it there was! This was before it was stirred.
After stirring:
Bibimbop literally means mixed rice or mixed meal in Korean. It's a popular meal consisting of a bowl of steamed white rice topped with vegetables, beef, a whole egg, and kochujang (Korean chili pepper paste).
Vegetables commonly used in bibimbap include julienne cucumber, zucchini, carrot, white radish, mushrooms, bellflower root, and laver (seaweed!). It may also contain spinach, soybean sprouts, and bracken fern stems. Tofu, either plain or sauteed, may also be included in the dish as well. You stir the mix together before eating, and if there is a raw egg in your bibimbap, stirring will help cook the egg.
There is a restaurant in Gwangju that serves the best bibimbap- I've only ever gotten the "cooked beef" version, however, my friend Amanda perfers the "raw beef" bibimbap.
At our orientation in August, the chef's prepared enough bibimbap for 600+ people, I could swear that is a record of some sort! Here's a picture of how much of it there was! This was before it was stirred.
After stirring:
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A Big Thanks To Brian...
Brian recently posted this video on my Facebook wall. I'm not sure where he found it, but I really like it! I really would not be suprised to see this actually happen at a game. Like I've mentioned before, everyone seems to know the dance moves to the biggest Kpop songs, no matter what generation you are.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1925951
Here is the regular music video for the same song. This version also has the English subtitles. It is pretty catchy I think!
Here is the bunch of Phillippino prisioners dancing to the same song. Anyone recgonize them from MJ's Thriller?
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1925951
Here is the regular music video for the same song. This version also has the English subtitles. It is pretty catchy I think!
Here is the bunch of Phillippino prisioners dancing to the same song. Anyone recgonize them from MJ's Thriller?
Food of the Week- Dakgalbi- 닭갈비
When I traveled to 부산 (Busan)a few months back, my friend Dinah was very excited to take me to eat 닭갈비 (Dak-galbi). It is one of her favorite Korean foods, and I'd have to say, I really enjoyed it also. Here are Gabe and Dinah nearing the end of our meal.
닭갈비 is a stir fry chicken dish with lots of flavors. This is cooked in the center of the table for everyone to have easy access to, and it is usually cooked by the waiter or waitress. You just get to sit back and watch them prepare it for you.
The chicken is pretty spicy, but theres lots of other ingredients, like cabbage, sesame leaves, leeks, sweet potatoes, dduk (rice cakes), and the base sauce, yang nmum jang (a combo of chili pepper paste, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and sugar).
The mix is cooked for about 10-15 minutes. At the very end, the rice is added and it gets crispy. Because of the spices, I'd definitely recommend having some 맥주 (Mekju/Beer) on hand to cut the spice!
닭갈비 is a stir fry chicken dish with lots of flavors. This is cooked in the center of the table for everyone to have easy access to, and it is usually cooked by the waiter or waitress. You just get to sit back and watch them prepare it for you.
The chicken is pretty spicy, but theres lots of other ingredients, like cabbage, sesame leaves, leeks, sweet potatoes, dduk (rice cakes), and the base sauce, yang nmum jang (a combo of chili pepper paste, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and sugar).
The mix is cooked for about 10-15 minutes. At the very end, the rice is added and it gets crispy. Because of the spices, I'd definitely recommend having some 맥주 (Mekju/Beer) on hand to cut the spice!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
G-Dragon "Heartbreaker"
This song alone may be the only reason I go to the gym. On Monday nights, I take a spinning class with about 20 other middle-aged Korean women. Sometimes there's a few men that even join. During said spinning class, our instructor LOVES to play the latest KPOP song. I think this may be one of her favorites. I should say first that the version she plays is sped up a little. When this song comes on, she hops off her bike, and makes arm motions in the air that mimick our feet moving really, really fast. She then walks around the room singing and dancing like crazy. She gets really into it, its highly entertaining. Maybe I'll do the moves to the chorus next time I see you!
There are some other songs which she does the corresponding dance moves on her bike. I know the moves for each, and it's pretty fun. However, I'm not sure what the songs are, and I don't know how to ask. I suppose I could say the word for music, "음악," and then do the moves. Maybe next week I'll have more videos to post.
There are some other songs which she does the corresponding dance moves on her bike. I know the moves for each, and it's pretty fun. However, I'm not sure what the songs are, and I don't know how to ask. I suppose I could say the word for music, "음악," and then do the moves. Maybe next week I'll have more videos to post.
Big Bang/ 2NE1 "Lollipop"
My students like listening to this song, even though they say now it is getting old. I love the bright, in-your-face colors! This is KPOP at it's finest in my opinion! It's pretty addicting! Enjoy.
Monday, December 7, 2009
You know Korea is your home when...
Seeing a woman wearing flat shoes almost looks weird.
You understand Konglish better than English.
If you've ever had more than one 'dangly' thing on your cell phone.
Can instinctively find the English language section in any bookstore.
You can name more than 3 brands of ramen.
You've memorized how much your favorite drink and snack cost at the convenience store. [Author's note: 2,350 won = 500ml Coke Zero and that bag of cinnamon crackers...]
American businesses around you (Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King) stop surprising you.
If you no longer groan when climbing the stairs to your favorite 3rd floor bar.
If you play with the Korean kids without a second thought.
You miss the freedom and sensation of driving, but wouldn't dare to drive in Korea.
You're no longer tempted to reach into the fish tanks outside of restaurants and grab one.
When you instinctively know which can is for trash and which is for recycled.
All the palaces look alike.
When you know the choreography to any K-pop song.
When Korean women stop looking anorexic.
When you accept Konglish and stop trying to fix it.
When you look both ways before crossing the sidewalk.
When toilet paper isn't just used in the bathroom.
When you have mastered the Korean squat.
When kids walking or riding the subway by themselves no longer worries you.
When an American holiday passes and you barely even notice.
Hearing any language other than Korean or English almost shocks you.
If you happily eat soup from a shared bowl.
If you've figured out how to eat cake with chopsticks.
You stop picking off corn or sweet potato on a pizza.
When you actually understand the entire subway or bus announcement
When you jostle for a subway seat with the best of them
Women hiking in heels no longer seems dangerous
When you crave Korean food but need someone to go with you
When you drink beer while walking on the street (BONUS POINTS: while dressed in the same clothes you taught in)
You've caught yourself about to say something in Konglish
If you take pictures of your food before you eat.
A Korean ever says "you use chopsticks better than I do!"
If you've figured out how to watch TV on your cell phone.
If you can't remember life before kimchi.
You understand Konglish better than English.
If you've ever had more than one 'dangly' thing on your cell phone.
Can instinctively find the English language section in any bookstore.
You can name more than 3 brands of ramen.
You've memorized how much your favorite drink and snack cost at the convenience store. [Author's note: 2,350 won = 500ml Coke Zero and that bag of cinnamon crackers...]
American businesses around you (Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King) stop surprising you.
If you no longer groan when climbing the stairs to your favorite 3rd floor bar.
If you play with the Korean kids without a second thought.
You miss the freedom and sensation of driving, but wouldn't dare to drive in Korea.
You're no longer tempted to reach into the fish tanks outside of restaurants and grab one.
When you instinctively know which can is for trash and which is for recycled.
All the palaces look alike.
When you know the choreography to any K-pop song.
When Korean women stop looking anorexic.
When you accept Konglish and stop trying to fix it.
When you look both ways before crossing the sidewalk.
When toilet paper isn't just used in the bathroom.
When you have mastered the Korean squat.
When kids walking or riding the subway by themselves no longer worries you.
When an American holiday passes and you barely even notice.
Hearing any language other than Korean or English almost shocks you.
If you happily eat soup from a shared bowl.
If you've figured out how to eat cake with chopsticks.
You stop picking off corn or sweet potato on a pizza.
When you actually understand the entire subway or bus announcement
When you jostle for a subway seat with the best of them
Women hiking in heels no longer seems dangerous
When you crave Korean food but need someone to go with you
When you drink beer while walking on the street (BONUS POINTS: while dressed in the same clothes you taught in)
You've caught yourself about to say something in Konglish
If you take pictures of your food before you eat.
A Korean ever says "you use chopsticks better than I do!"
If you've figured out how to watch TV on your cell phone.
If you can't remember life before kimchi.
GFN Trivia Night
The English radio channel, GFN (Gwangju Foreigner Network), sponsored a Christmas trivia night on Saturday night. After going to acupunture, Alli, Emily, and I decided to see what it was like.
There were about 110 people (foreigners) there, most of which I didn't recgonize. The person I was assigned to sit to was from Mokpo, about an hour away, and came just for the trivia!
Each person had a specific number assigned to them, I was 65. We had to go to our seats, and the announced explanined (on live radio!) how it would work. We were called up in groups of 10 to answer two questions. If you got the first one wrong, you had to sit down, and the people who got the second question right again would move on to the semi-finals. Since it was alphabeticial, Alli and Emily went before me (Alli is second from the left).
My first question was (all taken from Trivial Pursuit!) "What is 5 to the third power?" I got nervous, since we only had 10 seconds to write down our answer in a notebook and hold it up. Luckily, I got it right! About half of our group got it right. The second question was "How many are in a bakers dozen?" I got that right too, along with maybe 4 others. I moved to the side of the stage rather than taking my seat with other semifinalists.
The semifinalists were broken into 2 groups (there were only about 14 of us, and I was the only girl!!). My first question was something like "If you are changing the lock on a locker, how many times does the number 9 appear between 1-100?" I had no idea! I started to write it down- 9, 19,29, 39, etc 90, 91, 92. But I didn't have enough time, so I randomly guessed 19 times. I wasn't too off base because lots of people put that too! However, everyone got it wrong. It appears 20 times! Because none of us got it right, we were given a second chance! That question was "What year was the first Christmas card sent?" I was waaayyyy off, about 100 years to be exact! The correct answer was something like 1843.
Well, there were 5 finalists in the buzzer round. We stayed to watch the rest, it was quite entertaining. The categories were like movies, KPOP, Christmas, and general trivia. The prizes were great- top prize was a Netbook worth 800,000 won! There were digital cameras, MP3 players, luggage, and gift certificates. Emily happened to win a steak dinner for 2. But I didn't walk away empty handed- everyone got a GFN t-shirt. It was a lot of fun, and I really want to buy a radio now to listen to GFN!
There were about 110 people (foreigners) there, most of which I didn't recgonize. The person I was assigned to sit to was from Mokpo, about an hour away, and came just for the trivia!
Each person had a specific number assigned to them, I was 65. We had to go to our seats, and the announced explanined (on live radio!) how it would work. We were called up in groups of 10 to answer two questions. If you got the first one wrong, you had to sit down, and the people who got the second question right again would move on to the semi-finals. Since it was alphabeticial, Alli and Emily went before me (Alli is second from the left).
My first question was (all taken from Trivial Pursuit!) "What is 5 to the third power?" I got nervous, since we only had 10 seconds to write down our answer in a notebook and hold it up. Luckily, I got it right! About half of our group got it right. The second question was "How many are in a bakers dozen?" I got that right too, along with maybe 4 others. I moved to the side of the stage rather than taking my seat with other semifinalists.
The semifinalists were broken into 2 groups (there were only about 14 of us, and I was the only girl!!). My first question was something like "If you are changing the lock on a locker, how many times does the number 9 appear between 1-100?" I had no idea! I started to write it down- 9, 19,29, 39, etc 90, 91, 92. But I didn't have enough time, so I randomly guessed 19 times. I wasn't too off base because lots of people put that too! However, everyone got it wrong. It appears 20 times! Because none of us got it right, we were given a second chance! That question was "What year was the first Christmas card sent?" I was waaayyyy off, about 100 years to be exact! The correct answer was something like 1843.
Well, there were 5 finalists in the buzzer round. We stayed to watch the rest, it was quite entertaining. The categories were like movies, KPOP, Christmas, and general trivia. The prizes were great- top prize was a Netbook worth 800,000 won! There were digital cameras, MP3 players, luggage, and gift certificates. Emily happened to win a steak dinner for 2. But I didn't walk away empty handed- everyone got a GFN t-shirt. It was a lot of fun, and I really want to buy a radio now to listen to GFN!
The Wonders of Oriental Medicine
Alli, Emily, and I decided to have a "girls weekend" this weekend while the boys were out of town. We started off by doing the ultimate chick thing Friday night after a yummy Vietnamese dinner- watching New Moon (뉴 문)!!! I liked the movie, but of course, there's no way it will ever beat the books!
Saturday we met at Emily's house early to try a massage and acupuncture for the first time. Em had directions from her coteacher, and getting there by taxi was cheaper (and faster) than taking the bus because it was so close! We opted to get a package of relax, massage, and acupunture.
First, we had one-on-one consultations, and luckily my doctor spoke a little English. He asked if I had pain, etc, and I explained, or tried to, about my scoliosis.
Next, I relaxed on a hot pad on a bed, which got very hot very quick! Thankfully that didn't last to long. Then I was taken in a separate room to get a massage, that felt wonderful! I definitely got stood on and was a tinsey bit sore after the whole process! The girl I had knew what she was doing though!
Finally, it was time to get acupuncture. I was pretty nervous because I'd never had it done before, and didn't know if it would be painful. However, before we could do that, I had these strange suction cup things placed on my back. It was like a little vaccumn that sucked pretty hard! That was painful, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I thought to myself the whole time, "why am I DOING this??" I also was not thinking of how my back would look afterwards!
The doctor then came over to put in the needles, and had to rub my back more to get it ready. He said that I have a lot of muscule in my back, and that made me smile ^^ He showed me the needles before putting them in, and they were quite small, no bigger than a large sewing needle. I didn't feel him put them in at all, there was only one where I felt a slight pressure, but it wasn't bad. The needles were then heated by a heat lamp, I'm not sure why. They stayed in for about 10 minutes, and then it was all over.
Here is what it looked like. I know it is an awkard angle, but when was the last time you took a picture of your back while laying down and trying not to move?!?!
I went to look at Em and Alli's backs after, and they were really red from the suction cups! I looked at mine, and bruises were already starting to form! It's Monday now, and the bruises are still there, according to Hyunju, I don't have good circulation in my back, but she assured me that she also bruised when she had it done a while back.
The whole process for 2 hours was about 20,000 won, or maybe $17. What a good deal. The doctor mentioned something about insurance while putting in the needles, and said it would be cheaper. Before we left, we were each given back 8,000 won! So only 12,000 in the end from having health insurance! I just may have to go back again someday!
Saturday we met at Emily's house early to try a massage and acupuncture for the first time. Em had directions from her coteacher, and getting there by taxi was cheaper (and faster) than taking the bus because it was so close! We opted to get a package of relax, massage, and acupunture.
First, we had one-on-one consultations, and luckily my doctor spoke a little English. He asked if I had pain, etc, and I explained, or tried to, about my scoliosis.
Next, I relaxed on a hot pad on a bed, which got very hot very quick! Thankfully that didn't last to long. Then I was taken in a separate room to get a massage, that felt wonderful! I definitely got stood on and was a tinsey bit sore after the whole process! The girl I had knew what she was doing though!
Finally, it was time to get acupuncture. I was pretty nervous because I'd never had it done before, and didn't know if it would be painful. However, before we could do that, I had these strange suction cup things placed on my back. It was like a little vaccumn that sucked pretty hard! That was painful, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I thought to myself the whole time, "why am I DOING this??" I also was not thinking of how my back would look afterwards!
The doctor then came over to put in the needles, and had to rub my back more to get it ready. He said that I have a lot of muscule in my back, and that made me smile ^^ He showed me the needles before putting them in, and they were quite small, no bigger than a large sewing needle. I didn't feel him put them in at all, there was only one where I felt a slight pressure, but it wasn't bad. The needles were then heated by a heat lamp, I'm not sure why. They stayed in for about 10 minutes, and then it was all over.
Here is what it looked like. I know it is an awkard angle, but when was the last time you took a picture of your back while laying down and trying not to move?!?!
I went to look at Em and Alli's backs after, and they were really red from the suction cups! I looked at mine, and bruises were already starting to form! It's Monday now, and the bruises are still there, according to Hyunju, I don't have good circulation in my back, but she assured me that she also bruised when she had it done a while back.
The whole process for 2 hours was about 20,000 won, or maybe $17. What a good deal. The doctor mentioned something about insurance while putting in the needles, and said it would be cheaper. Before we left, we were each given back 8,000 won! So only 12,000 in the end from having health insurance! I just may have to go back again someday!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The IPhone has arrived
With the arrival of Apple's Iphone, theres a lot more competition now in the Korean cell phone market. The iPhone is released by KT, Korea's second bigest mobile operator (I also have a KT phone). Currently, "iphones are flying off Korean shelves and showing promise to shake the hierarchy of the local handset market where Samsung and LG Electronics have been enjoying a near-duopoly."
In November, Samsung sold 720,000 handsets, accounting for 50% of the 1.45 million cell phones sold!
Here's a promotional video for the Chocolate Phone, sold by LG Cyon. The performance is done by Girls Generation, and Mihey has told me the phone is quite expensive, none of her friends have it because "none of my friends are doctors." However, I can say I've never wanted to buy a phone so bad! What a good marketing technique!
In November, Samsung sold 720,000 handsets, accounting for 50% of the 1.45 million cell phones sold!
Here's a promotional video for the Chocolate Phone, sold by LG Cyon. The performance is done by Girls Generation, and Mihey has told me the phone is quite expensive, none of her friends have it because "none of my friends are doctors." However, I can say I've never wanted to buy a phone so bad! What a good marketing technique!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Food of the Week- Japchae (잡채)
This past weekend, I had a homestay experience. Our first activity was cooking Japchae (잡채) at JS Cusine Institute.
Japchae is simple to make, the key ingredients being cellophane noodles (called dangmyeon), sauce, beef, mushroom, onion, carrot, and cucumber peel. When we were watching the head cook give instructions, I thought she would use the cucumber part, but I was suprised when she just diced the peel.
My host dad and I cooked together. First, we chopped the vegetables, followed by the beef to be as sanitary as possible. Then, we sauted it all. We put the special sauce on the beef and noodles, and cooked that. We mixed it all together at the end, and it was really delicious!
I think this is a simple dish to make with the ingredients being fairly common, but making the sauce might prove difficult. This recipe doesn't call for sugar, but we did put some in our sauce. Try it out at home, it's 맛있어요!
http://www.trifood.com/japchae.html
Japchae is simple to make, the key ingredients being cellophane noodles (called dangmyeon), sauce, beef, mushroom, onion, carrot, and cucumber peel. When we were watching the head cook give instructions, I thought she would use the cucumber part, but I was suprised when she just diced the peel.
My host dad and I cooked together. First, we chopped the vegetables, followed by the beef to be as sanitary as possible. Then, we sauted it all. We put the special sauce on the beef and noodles, and cooked that. We mixed it all together at the end, and it was really delicious!
I think this is a simple dish to make with the ingredients being fairly common, but making the sauce might prove difficult. This recipe doesn't call for sugar, but we did put some in our sauce. Try it out at home, it's 맛있어요!
http://www.trifood.com/japchae.html
Parent Teacher Conferences Korean Style
This morning, my coteacher Hyunju told me that we were going to talk about "that picture from last week, remember?" At first, I didn't. Last weeks project was writing your own Thanksgiving poem and drawing a turkey by tracing your hand. I did this project with about 600 students, and my memory failed me to recal the specific one.
After thinking about it for 10 minutes, I remember that specific one. Instead of writing a poem, this student wrote two words: "F**k you," and had drawn a picture of a hand flicking someone off. At the end of the project, I collected each paper and each student had written their name on it to hang in the class. Identifying which student had created this poem was easy. At this point, I wasn't offended because I assume when students swear in class, it is something they've picked up in a movie and don't know the full implications or meaning behind the word.
I had given the poem to Hyunju at the end of the day, and had forgotten about it. Today, she told me that the homeroom teacher had called the mother of the student, who laid into the student over this weekend. After a series of phone calls, the mother decided to come in Monday morning, today, and apoligize in person.
The mother explained she felt very sorry about the situation, and had talked to her son about it for a long time. I'm sure he was grounded, or whatever the Korean version of that is. I also found out that this student is one of the most well behaved students in his class, he also happens to be vice principal of his class. She also asked if I remembered her son... I see so many kids in a day, and this one did not stand out. I'm pretty good at recgonizing the trouble makers and the really good kids, but the ones inbetween slip through the cracks of my memory. So I didn't know what to say, I decided to say, "yes, I remember," even though that may have been the first time I'd actually looked at him. In the end, I did not feel bad about letting the homeroom teacher know about the situtation, I just felt overwhelmed I guess you could say about the mother coming in specifically to see me and apoligize.
With her apology, she brought treats for all the teachers. I was so touched that she had done so. I teared up when Hyunju and I were talking because the mother cares so much for her son and wants him to succeed that she felt it necessary to bring TONS of food for ALL the teachers. She brought in about 40 coffees, probably around $1 each. Then, she brought in pieces of cheesecake and chocolate cake for each of us from Paris Baguette, a popular bakery here. Those are at least $3 each because I've seen them before. On top of that, she brought pear juice in individual packets. There was a box full of them, the box was the same size that printer paper comes in. I was given 10 by the homeroom teacher. This mother easily spent $200 on trying to fix her sons mistake.
Back home, I feel like this would never happen. I know that teachers talk to parents when necessary on the phone, but I'm not sure if many parents go the extra mile to bring in a huge amount of food to say I'm sorry. That was definitely a case of culture shock.
After thinking about it for 10 minutes, I remember that specific one. Instead of writing a poem, this student wrote two words: "F**k you," and had drawn a picture of a hand flicking someone off. At the end of the project, I collected each paper and each student had written their name on it to hang in the class. Identifying which student had created this poem was easy. At this point, I wasn't offended because I assume when students swear in class, it is something they've picked up in a movie and don't know the full implications or meaning behind the word.
I had given the poem to Hyunju at the end of the day, and had forgotten about it. Today, she told me that the homeroom teacher had called the mother of the student, who laid into the student over this weekend. After a series of phone calls, the mother decided to come in Monday morning, today, and apoligize in person.
The mother explained she felt very sorry about the situation, and had talked to her son about it for a long time. I'm sure he was grounded, or whatever the Korean version of that is. I also found out that this student is one of the most well behaved students in his class, he also happens to be vice principal of his class. She also asked if I remembered her son... I see so many kids in a day, and this one did not stand out. I'm pretty good at recgonizing the trouble makers and the really good kids, but the ones inbetween slip through the cracks of my memory. So I didn't know what to say, I decided to say, "yes, I remember," even though that may have been the first time I'd actually looked at him. In the end, I did not feel bad about letting the homeroom teacher know about the situtation, I just felt overwhelmed I guess you could say about the mother coming in specifically to see me and apoligize.
With her apology, she brought treats for all the teachers. I was so touched that she had done so. I teared up when Hyunju and I were talking because the mother cares so much for her son and wants him to succeed that she felt it necessary to bring TONS of food for ALL the teachers. She brought in about 40 coffees, probably around $1 each. Then, she brought in pieces of cheesecake and chocolate cake for each of us from Paris Baguette, a popular bakery here. Those are at least $3 each because I've seen them before. On top of that, she brought pear juice in individual packets. There was a box full of them, the box was the same size that printer paper comes in. I was given 10 by the homeroom teacher. This mother easily spent $200 on trying to fix her sons mistake.
Back home, I feel like this would never happen. I know that teachers talk to parents when necessary on the phone, but I'm not sure if many parents go the extra mile to bring in a huge amount of food to say I'm sorry. That was definitely a case of culture shock.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Gwangju International Weekend Experience
Friday evening, I got a message via Facebook about the International Cultural Center had a homestay program this weekend. It was last minute (as in, it started Saturday morning!), so I called immediately. I think I was able to secure one of the last spots!
We did lots of exciting things Saturday! I was supposed to spend the night with the Mun family, but their 14 year old son said "Our house is difficult" about halfway through the day, so I was unable to spend the night. But that was okay because the daytime was amazing none-the-less!
We started at JS Cuisine Institute, were I learned to make Jabchae-bab with my host family. We had a good time. I really like the aprons, and I think my Grandma would have liked them too. We got to eat the finished product afterwards, and it was pretty tasty!
We then drove by car to a Confucian school. We took some group pictures and played some lawn games in the nice weather. Here's us as a group:
Next, we watched a movie, but there were no subtitles. Good thing it was only 25 mintues long. After, we got to learn some of the history about Hanbok, and what the different parts meant. We had an intrepreter for that, but I can't remember it all.
There was one pretty dress, the wedding dress, that I liked. I didn't know we were going to get to try them on! Soon after, the ladies asked who wanted to be the bride, and I kinda got voted into it, but secretly, I was like, "yes!!" I had no idea how much of a process this was going to be. I was not even dressed by the time everyone was finished. First, I had to have my hair pulled back, pins shoved in my hair, a head garmet put on, etc. Then, I had to wear about 4 layers of clothes and special garmets. I had at any given time 4-5 middle aged Korean ladies getting me ready. The entire time I was having pictures taken. It was a little excessive! :) I really did feel just like a bride!
Finally, I was dressed. We learned how to bow properly, and had a "wedding ceremony" at the end. This was my "husband" and I. I have no idea who he is.
After about a million pictures were taken, we had a tea ceremony, and played the drums. After this, we went our separate ways. My host family took me to Art Street, where we browsed in some shops, drank coffee, bought earrings, and took more pictures. For dinner, we had some pasta, spaghetti, salad, and Fanta. It was pretty great.
My host brother could speak a good amount of English. He is also 1st grade middle school, same thing that I teach. He would have been in one of my advanced classes I think. My family and I hit it off really well. They are Christian, and I will be seeing them the week before Christmas instead of on Christmas, because I'll be on my way to the PHILLIPPINES!!
As awesome as the Mun family was, they still don't top my family! Love you and miss you all!
ps: check out all the pictures from Saturday here. I didn't post all 171, I thought that would be a bit excessive! ^^
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2214437&id=59501140&saved#/album.php?aid=2214437&id=59501140&ref=mf
We did lots of exciting things Saturday! I was supposed to spend the night with the Mun family, but their 14 year old son said "Our house is difficult" about halfway through the day, so I was unable to spend the night. But that was okay because the daytime was amazing none-the-less!
We started at JS Cuisine Institute, were I learned to make Jabchae-bab with my host family. We had a good time. I really like the aprons, and I think my Grandma would have liked them too. We got to eat the finished product afterwards, and it was pretty tasty!
We then drove by car to a Confucian school. We took some group pictures and played some lawn games in the nice weather. Here's us as a group:
Next, we watched a movie, but there were no subtitles. Good thing it was only 25 mintues long. After, we got to learn some of the history about Hanbok, and what the different parts meant. We had an intrepreter for that, but I can't remember it all.
There was one pretty dress, the wedding dress, that I liked. I didn't know we were going to get to try them on! Soon after, the ladies asked who wanted to be the bride, and I kinda got voted into it, but secretly, I was like, "yes!!" I had no idea how much of a process this was going to be. I was not even dressed by the time everyone was finished. First, I had to have my hair pulled back, pins shoved in my hair, a head garmet put on, etc. Then, I had to wear about 4 layers of clothes and special garmets. I had at any given time 4-5 middle aged Korean ladies getting me ready. The entire time I was having pictures taken. It was a little excessive! :) I really did feel just like a bride!
Finally, I was dressed. We learned how to bow properly, and had a "wedding ceremony" at the end. This was my "husband" and I. I have no idea who he is.
After about a million pictures were taken, we had a tea ceremony, and played the drums. After this, we went our separate ways. My host family took me to Art Street, where we browsed in some shops, drank coffee, bought earrings, and took more pictures. For dinner, we had some pasta, spaghetti, salad, and Fanta. It was pretty great.
My host brother could speak a good amount of English. He is also 1st grade middle school, same thing that I teach. He would have been in one of my advanced classes I think. My family and I hit it off really well. They are Christian, and I will be seeing them the week before Christmas instead of on Christmas, because I'll be on my way to the PHILLIPPINES!!
As awesome as the Mun family was, they still don't top my family! Love you and miss you all!
ps: check out all the pictures from Saturday here. I didn't post all 171, I thought that would be a bit excessive! ^^
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2214437&id=59501140&saved#/album.php?aid=2214437&id=59501140&ref=mf
Thursday, November 26, 2009
곰 세 마리 (The Three Bears)
Here is a youtube video of a song we sang Monday night at Korean class. It is called "The Three Bears" and it is a traditional song, probably comparable to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." The lyrics are something like:
곰 세마리가/한집에 있어 Three fuzzy bears live / in a cabin
아빠곰/엄마곰/애기곰 Daddy Bear / mommy bear / baby bear
아빠곰은/뚱뚱해 Daddy bears is / big and fat
엄마곰은/날씬해 Mommy bear is / slim and trim
애기곰은/너무 귀여워 Baby bear is / such a cutie pie
히쭉히쭉/잘한다 Tee-hee tee-hee / There you go
Here is the video if you want to check it out!
곰 세마리가/한집에 있어 Three fuzzy bears live / in a cabin
아빠곰/엄마곰/애기곰 Daddy Bear / mommy bear / baby bear
아빠곰은/뚱뚱해 Daddy bears is / big and fat
엄마곰은/날씬해 Mommy bear is / slim and trim
애기곰은/너무 귀여워 Baby bear is / such a cutie pie
히쭉히쭉/잘한다 Tee-hee tee-hee / There you go
Here is the video if you want to check it out!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I found this article online last night. While I agree with the amount of parential "support" that Korean kids receive, there is no way I'd want my kids to go to school here. It is so competitive, and there's no free time until you've finished university. There's no time for kids to just be kids, they are too busy going to school until 10pm and studying late into the night- in elementary school!
Obama Lauds Korea for Education Zeal
U.S. President Barack Obama praised Korean parents for their enthusiasm in providing an excellent education to their children at the launch of the ``Educate to Innovate'' campaign at the White House, Monday.
``I just want to mention the importance not only of students but also of parents,'' Obama said as he mentioned talks he had with President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul last Thursday. ``He said even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education.''
Obama visited South Korea as part of his nine-day Asian tour that also brought him to China, Japan and Singapore.
When asked what difficulties he was having in improving his education policy, Lee answered, ``The biggest challenge that I have is that parents are too demanding,'' Obama said.
He said that the U.S. should take a lesson from Korean parents' insistence on excellence in schools.
The U.S. President also spoke highly of the Lee administration's initiative to improve English skills among young children. He quoted Lee as saying, ``I've had to import thousands of foreign teachers because they're all insisting that Korean children have to learn English in elementary school,'' referring to the parents.
China also has shown a strong interest in education, Obama added.
Obama cited Han Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, as saying, ``We don't have problems recruiting teachers because teaching is so revered, and the pay scales for teachers are actually comparable to doctors and other professionals.''
He said the U.S. should make more efforts to inspire and educate its new generation.
``That gives you a sense of what's happening around the world. There is a hunger for knowledge, an insistence on excellence, a reverence for science and math and technology and learning,'' he said. ``That used to be what we were about. That's what we're going to be about again.''
Obama previously touted Korea's education last March.
He called for the U.S. to look into adopting Korea's longer school days and after-school programs as a solution to improving its education system.
``Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea every year. That's no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy,'' Obama said.
``That's why I am calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time ― whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need them,'' he said.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/11/113_56042.html
Obama Lauds Korea for Education Zeal
U.S. President Barack Obama praised Korean parents for their enthusiasm in providing an excellent education to their children at the launch of the ``Educate to Innovate'' campaign at the White House, Monday.
``I just want to mention the importance not only of students but also of parents,'' Obama said as he mentioned talks he had with President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul last Thursday. ``He said even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education.''
Obama visited South Korea as part of his nine-day Asian tour that also brought him to China, Japan and Singapore.
When asked what difficulties he was having in improving his education policy, Lee answered, ``The biggest challenge that I have is that parents are too demanding,'' Obama said.
He said that the U.S. should take a lesson from Korean parents' insistence on excellence in schools.
The U.S. President also spoke highly of the Lee administration's initiative to improve English skills among young children. He quoted Lee as saying, ``I've had to import thousands of foreign teachers because they're all insisting that Korean children have to learn English in elementary school,'' referring to the parents.
China also has shown a strong interest in education, Obama added.
Obama cited Han Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, as saying, ``We don't have problems recruiting teachers because teaching is so revered, and the pay scales for teachers are actually comparable to doctors and other professionals.''
He said the U.S. should make more efforts to inspire and educate its new generation.
``That gives you a sense of what's happening around the world. There is a hunger for knowledge, an insistence on excellence, a reverence for science and math and technology and learning,'' he said. ``That used to be what we were about. That's what we're going to be about again.''
Obama previously touted Korea's education last March.
He called for the U.S. to look into adopting Korea's longer school days and after-school programs as a solution to improving its education system.
``Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea every year. That's no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy,'' Obama said.
``That's why I am calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time ― whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need them,'' he said.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/11/113_56042.html
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Weekend Visitors
This weekend, I had two friends from Incheon come visit, Patrick and Evan. Our group of Brian, Emily, Alex, Alli, and I met them at the terminal Friday evening. We grabbed a drink at one of the terminal's bars, and headed to Sangmu for the night. We met up with Patrick's friend Jennifer and had some 소주 하고 맥주. Patrick played an outdoor arcade game, and won 4 giant lighters, which he has hopefully given to Joseph.
We played a fun game with chopsticks late Friday night. Each person gets one. Someone says a sentence like "Most likely to... wear velcro shoes!" and you tap the chopstick 3 times and point to somone. The person with the most chopsticks pointing at them has to drink. It was a good time.
I made Patrick wake up early Saturday morning because I didn't want him to be late for his "guys day." The four guys went paintballing with about 40 other EPIK teachers in Gwangju. I spent the day relaxing at home. At aroudn 5:30, I picked Patrick up from the bus stop, and he was covered in paint. He talked about his day for like 30 minutes in GREAT DETAIL. You could tell he had a blast his first time paintballing. We had some dinner, and met up with the rest of the group at the Ice Bar. I asked Alli and Emily how much they heard about paintballing, and we just groaned. With the 4 boys together again, we had to hear all the stories again! My ears hurt just thinking about it!
Here's us at the ice bar:
We went to club Houze later on. The DJ was fantasic, the best I'd ever heard there. Patrick told me Sunday morning that it was the best club he'd been to in Korea so far! I'm glad they had fun.
Sunday we all met again at the bus terminal for some Coldstone... yum! Evan and Patrick got on their bus back to Incheon around 4:50 pm. I got a call around 11:15 from Patrick saying they had JUST gotten off the bus in Incheon. For some reason, the traffic was really bad and their 3.5 hour trip turned into 6.5 hours!
Hopefully the fun weekend was worth that painful bus ride!
We played a fun game with chopsticks late Friday night. Each person gets one. Someone says a sentence like "Most likely to... wear velcro shoes!" and you tap the chopstick 3 times and point to somone. The person with the most chopsticks pointing at them has to drink. It was a good time.
I made Patrick wake up early Saturday morning because I didn't want him to be late for his "guys day." The four guys went paintballing with about 40 other EPIK teachers in Gwangju. I spent the day relaxing at home. At aroudn 5:30, I picked Patrick up from the bus stop, and he was covered in paint. He talked about his day for like 30 minutes in GREAT DETAIL. You could tell he had a blast his first time paintballing. We had some dinner, and met up with the rest of the group at the Ice Bar. I asked Alli and Emily how much they heard about paintballing, and we just groaned. With the 4 boys together again, we had to hear all the stories again! My ears hurt just thinking about it!
Here's us at the ice bar:
We went to club Houze later on. The DJ was fantasic, the best I'd ever heard there. Patrick told me Sunday morning that it was the best club he'd been to in Korea so far! I'm glad they had fun.
Sunday we all met again at the bus terminal for some Coldstone... yum! Evan and Patrick got on their bus back to Incheon around 4:50 pm. I got a call around 11:15 from Patrick saying they had JUST gotten off the bus in Incheon. For some reason, the traffic was really bad and their 3.5 hour trip turned into 6.5 hours!
Hopefully the fun weekend was worth that painful bus ride!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
What's for lunch?
Last week I was playing with my camera and taking lots of pictures at school, when I decided to take a picture of my school lunches everyday for a week. The meals and dishes ranged from poor to excellent. Below are the pictures and descriptions.
Monday
Top row- Pork, rice cake, and sweet potato mix. Cabbage Kimchi. Vegetable and something chewy kimchi. Spicy bean paste. Green Lettuce leaves.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- cabbage, sprouts, tofu, meat.
Tuesday
Top row- octopus and shrimp with fresh veggies and cocktail sauce. Onion Kimchi. Cabbage kimchi. Acorn jelly and mixed vegetables. Noodles with lots of onion and spices.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- Tofu, cabbage, sprouts, no meat.
Wednesday
Top row- Drinking yogurt. Rice. Raddish kimchi. Cucumber and veggie kimchi. Fried potato and vegetables.
Bottom row- Korean curry and spaghetti. Soup- potato and veggies.
Thursday
Top row- green lettuce and sesame leaf lettuce. Duck with sauce. Bean paste. Kimchi. Fish. Rice Cake.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- clear broth with veggies.
Friday
Top row- corn and crab salad. Seaweed. Kimchi. Pork cutlet with gravy.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- cabbage and vegetables.
Monday
Top row- Pork, rice cake, and sweet potato mix. Cabbage Kimchi. Vegetable and something chewy kimchi. Spicy bean paste. Green Lettuce leaves.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- cabbage, sprouts, tofu, meat.
Tuesday
Top row- octopus and shrimp with fresh veggies and cocktail sauce. Onion Kimchi. Cabbage kimchi. Acorn jelly and mixed vegetables. Noodles with lots of onion and spices.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- Tofu, cabbage, sprouts, no meat.
Wednesday
Top row- Drinking yogurt. Rice. Raddish kimchi. Cucumber and veggie kimchi. Fried potato and vegetables.
Bottom row- Korean curry and spaghetti. Soup- potato and veggies.
Thursday
Top row- green lettuce and sesame leaf lettuce. Duck with sauce. Bean paste. Kimchi. Fish. Rice Cake.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- clear broth with veggies.
Friday
Top row- corn and crab salad. Seaweed. Kimchi. Pork cutlet with gravy.
Bottom row- Rice. Soup- cabbage and vegetables.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Food of the week- Pizza (피자)
Last week at Korean class, Mr. Lee from the Metropolitian Office of Education came to class during our break between hours. With him, he had 4 pizzas, and 5 liters of Coke! We were all so suprised to see him again (it had been a while since going to Boseong for reorientation) and even more shocked that he had given us pizza.
Pizza is pretty expensive here. I've had it twice at school as a snack with the other teachers, and Gabe and I split one for dinner once. Going from eating pizza often back in WI, it is a change to not have that kind of comfort food here! The cost depends on where you buy the pizza from, but when Gabe and I ordered a small supreme (we didn't know how to order anything else other than just pointing), it was about $12. We thought it was worth it. For the MOE to buy 4 pizzas each for 3 classes, 2 beginning and 1 intermediate, had to be pretty costly. But much appreciated.
The pizza was unlike any other pizza I've had so far. It had a stuffed sweet potato crust, sauce, cheese, shrimp, olives, crab, shrimp wrapped in spaghetti, and what I originally thought was octopus turned out to be just cuttlefish, as informed by Mihey and Jiyeon. And I couldn't forget the corn, they always put corn on pizza it seems!
Here's us looking at the pizza, my 선생님 is the Korean in the picture.
This is the pizza, the shrimp with spaghetti are around the edges.
Pizza is pretty expensive here. I've had it twice at school as a snack with the other teachers, and Gabe and I split one for dinner once. Going from eating pizza often back in WI, it is a change to not have that kind of comfort food here! The cost depends on where you buy the pizza from, but when Gabe and I ordered a small supreme (we didn't know how to order anything else other than just pointing), it was about $12. We thought it was worth it. For the MOE to buy 4 pizzas each for 3 classes, 2 beginning and 1 intermediate, had to be pretty costly. But much appreciated.
The pizza was unlike any other pizza I've had so far. It had a stuffed sweet potato crust, sauce, cheese, shrimp, olives, crab, shrimp wrapped in spaghetti, and what I originally thought was octopus turned out to be just cuttlefish, as informed by Mihey and Jiyeon. And I couldn't forget the corn, they always put corn on pizza it seems!
Here's us looking at the pizza, my 선생님 is the Korean in the picture.
This is the pizza, the shrimp with spaghetti are around the edges.
KPop 2009 Mashup, Part II
On Mondays and Tuesdays, I teach at Seongdeok Middle School. The kids come in after class to clean the room, and I let them use You Tube to play Kpop songs. They really enjoy it. The other day, some kids pulled up a video before first period. There were about 7 boys in the class who were totally absorbed in it. Then the group grew to about 15 kids, the about half the class (maybe 23 students) were watching the video. It is pretty cool, but if only they paid this much attention to me! :) Here's the pictures I snapped in order, followed by the video they were watching.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Korean Language Classes
Korean class continues to go well. We're on unit 6 currently, where we get to learn the days of the week and how to tell time. We've covered a lot of topics and learned tons of new words. Our last unit was on Dail Life. I'm now able to talk about what I am doing now, and will be doing in the near future.
In class, we get excited when we learn new things. It's a great feeling. Now, I can order confidently in Korean, and can pick up on some of the words my co-teachers say at lunch. I enjoy telling them what I am going to do that evening and over the weekend.
I got to put my language skills to use last night on my way to exercise. I got a ride to the gym from my "Korean Boyfriend." He asked if I was going to "health," and I said, in Korean, "I'm going to the gym." (운동을하요). He was happy to hear me say that. The ride to the gym takes about 10 minutes by car if you hit the lights, and the rest of the conversation was very strained, to say the least. I just enjoyed some of the KPop songs he had on CD.
The trainer at the gym also likes that I can speak Korean. There are about 4 male trainers who all say "hi" and "bye" when I'm at the gym, and last night I got measured in front of all of them (they think I'm very "long"). I told them in Korean that I am 167 cm, and they were so impressed, but still measured me to see if I was lying.
It feels good to be making progress even though it is a time commitment! Going to Chonnam University takes about 1 hour plus more if you miss the bus!
In class, we get excited when we learn new things. It's a great feeling. Now, I can order confidently in Korean, and can pick up on some of the words my co-teachers say at lunch. I enjoy telling them what I am going to do that evening and over the weekend.
I got to put my language skills to use last night on my way to exercise. I got a ride to the gym from my "Korean Boyfriend." He asked if I was going to "health," and I said, in Korean, "I'm going to the gym." (운동을하요). He was happy to hear me say that. The ride to the gym takes about 10 minutes by car if you hit the lights, and the rest of the conversation was very strained, to say the least. I just enjoyed some of the KPop songs he had on CD.
The trainer at the gym also likes that I can speak Korean. There are about 4 male trainers who all say "hi" and "bye" when I'm at the gym, and last night I got measured in front of all of them (they think I'm very "long"). I told them in Korean that I am 167 cm, and they were so impressed, but still measured me to see if I was lying.
It feels good to be making progress even though it is a time commitment! Going to Chonnam University takes about 1 hour plus more if you miss the bus!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Last weeks CSAT
Last Thursday was the national CSAT test, for which I had a day off and many flights nationwide were cancelled or the times were changed. Here is an except I found about the test.
"Last Thursday, the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), a standardized test accepted by South Korean universities, was held at more than 1,000 test centers across the nation. About 670,000 students took the state-run exam, which will play a role in determining their entrance into college. The test started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 6:05 p.m.
The CSAT is regarded here as one of the most important tests and an influence on students' future careers, making it a significant matter for both students and their parents. Many Korean students believe their future depends on their CSAT score.
According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, its main focus for English education is to enhance learners' English communication skills and develop their autonomy and creativity in the era of globalization and information.
Composition of CSAT
The CSAT is composed of 50 multiple-choice questions ― 17 listening comprehension and 33 reading comprehension. The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Examination, which is in charge of the test, said that this year's CSAT is similar to last year's in terms of the degree of difficulty.
However, experts in the private education field say the degree of difficulty seems somewhat higher than that from a year ago. Test-takers may have found the actual test more difficult than trial examinations.
In particular, the listening portion of the exam was more difficult compared to last year due to lengthier audio scripts and a quickened speed. Statistical data given in academic reports show that many students have difficulty with questions involving contextual details, such as calculating and table comprehension items.
As for the reading section, the ability to identify the general context from a given passage and locate detailed information has become crucial for test takers.
The reading comprehension section has 33 questions including questions on inference, identifying the main subject, choosing the best title, grammar and vocabulary."
On a related note, on of the EPIK coordinators who I have Korean class with said he was judging an essay contest last weekend. Parents were concerned that some students would find out the question before, and would have an upper hand. He explained to me that on Friday night he would be locked in a room with a few other select people to decide on an essay topic. They would be there all night until the test started Saturday morning. He wasn't even sure if he would have a chance to call his wife to say "hello!" I will ask him how the test went when I see him later this week at Chonnam.
"Last Thursday, the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), a standardized test accepted by South Korean universities, was held at more than 1,000 test centers across the nation. About 670,000 students took the state-run exam, which will play a role in determining their entrance into college. The test started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 6:05 p.m.
The CSAT is regarded here as one of the most important tests and an influence on students' future careers, making it a significant matter for both students and their parents. Many Korean students believe their future depends on their CSAT score.
According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, its main focus for English education is to enhance learners' English communication skills and develop their autonomy and creativity in the era of globalization and information.
Composition of CSAT
The CSAT is composed of 50 multiple-choice questions ― 17 listening comprehension and 33 reading comprehension. The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Examination, which is in charge of the test, said that this year's CSAT is similar to last year's in terms of the degree of difficulty.
However, experts in the private education field say the degree of difficulty seems somewhat higher than that from a year ago. Test-takers may have found the actual test more difficult than trial examinations.
In particular, the listening portion of the exam was more difficult compared to last year due to lengthier audio scripts and a quickened speed. Statistical data given in academic reports show that many students have difficulty with questions involving contextual details, such as calculating and table comprehension items.
As for the reading section, the ability to identify the general context from a given passage and locate detailed information has become crucial for test takers.
The reading comprehension section has 33 questions including questions on inference, identifying the main subject, choosing the best title, grammar and vocabulary."
On a related note, on of the EPIK coordinators who I have Korean class with said he was judging an essay contest last weekend. Parents were concerned that some students would find out the question before, and would have an upper hand. He explained to me that on Friday night he would be locked in a room with a few other select people to decide on an essay topic. They would be there all night until the test started Saturday morning. He wasn't even sure if he would have a chance to call his wife to say "hello!" I will ask him how the test went when I see him later this week at Chonnam.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Food of the Week- Kimchi (김치)
Koreans eat so much of this super-spicy condiment (40 pounds of it per person each year) that natives say “kimchi” instead of “cheese” when getting their pictures taken. The reddish fermented cabbage (and sometimes radish) dish—made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar, chile peppers, and other spices—is served at every meal, either alone or mixed with rice or noodles. And it’s part of a high-fiber, low-fat diet that has kept obesity at bay in Korea. Kimchi also is used in everything from soups to pancakes, and as a topping on pizza and burgers.
Why to try it: Kimchi (or kimchee) is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.
I personally really enjoy kimchi. It's spicy and helps cure any sickness, or so the Koreans say! At first, I couldn't get used to the taste, but I look forward to having it at lunch every day. There are hundreds of kinds, my favorite is the classic Kimchi. Typically I have some at home, but the kind that my schools have is the best, I think it is the freshest.
Here is just one website specifically for 김치!
http://www.kimchi.or.kr/eng/
Introduction to Korean Food
Visitors to Korea will discover a wide array of unique and delicious Korean food.
Korea was once a primarily agricultural nation, and since ancient times rice has been cultivated as Koreans' staple food. These days Korean food also contains a large variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild greens and vegetables. Various preserved Korean food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), jeotgal (seafood fermented in salt) and doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are particularly popular due to their distinctive flavor and high nutritional value.
In Korean food all the dishes are served at the same time. A typical meal normally includes rice, soup, and several side dishes, the number of which vary. Traditionally, lower classes had three side dishes, while royal families would have twelve.
In Korea, like in neighboring China and Japan, people eat with chopsticks. However, a spoon is used more often in Korea, especially when soups are served. Formal rules have developed for table setting, which can vary depending on whether a noodle or meat dish is served.
Food is a very important part of Korea culture, and Koreans pay great attention to the way in which food is served.
1. Bap (밥) Steamed Rice
Rice is the staple food for Koreans, it is eaten with almost every meal. In Korea, people eat short-grained rice. Korean rice is often sticky in texture, and sometimes it is combined with beans, chestnuts, or other cereals.
2. Guk (국) Soup
Korean meals traditionally consist of a soup served with rice. The soup can be made from vegetables, meat, fish, or seaweed.
3. Jjigae- Stew
Jjigae is similar to guk, but it is thicker and has a stronger taste. The most famous jjigae (doenjang-jjigae) is made from preserved soy bean paste. Jjigae is usually spicy and served hot in a heated stone bowl.
4. Jjirn- Simmered meat
Meat is prepared with vegetables and soaked in soy bean sauce. The ingredients are then slowly boiled over a low heat.
5. Namul( 남울) Vegetables
Namul consists of vegetables of wild greens which have been slightly boiled or fried and mixed with salt, soy sauce, sesame salt, garlic, and onions.
6. Gui- Broiled/Barbecued dishes
Gui is when marinated meat is barbecued over a charcoal fire. The most popular dishes are meats such as bulgogoi (불거기) and galbi (갈비) howevr there are many fish cooked this way.
7. Jeon (젼) Pan fried dishes
Jeon is a kind of Korean pancake. Mushrooms, pumpkin, fish, oysters, red peppers, meat, or other ingredients are mixed with salt and pepper, dipped in four and egg, and then fried in oil.
8. Mandu (만두) Dumpling
Mandu are Korean dumplings, which are stuffed with beef, mushrooms, stir-fried zucchini, and sprouts. Pork is sometimes used instead of beef.
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FO/FO_EN_6_1_1.jsp
Korea was once a primarily agricultural nation, and since ancient times rice has been cultivated as Koreans' staple food. These days Korean food also contains a large variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild greens and vegetables. Various preserved Korean food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), jeotgal (seafood fermented in salt) and doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are particularly popular due to their distinctive flavor and high nutritional value.
In Korean food all the dishes are served at the same time. A typical meal normally includes rice, soup, and several side dishes, the number of which vary. Traditionally, lower classes had three side dishes, while royal families would have twelve.
In Korea, like in neighboring China and Japan, people eat with chopsticks. However, a spoon is used more often in Korea, especially when soups are served. Formal rules have developed for table setting, which can vary depending on whether a noodle or meat dish is served.
Food is a very important part of Korea culture, and Koreans pay great attention to the way in which food is served.
1. Bap (밥) Steamed Rice
Rice is the staple food for Koreans, it is eaten with almost every meal. In Korea, people eat short-grained rice. Korean rice is often sticky in texture, and sometimes it is combined with beans, chestnuts, or other cereals.
2. Guk (국) Soup
Korean meals traditionally consist of a soup served with rice. The soup can be made from vegetables, meat, fish, or seaweed.
3. Jjigae- Stew
Jjigae is similar to guk, but it is thicker and has a stronger taste. The most famous jjigae (doenjang-jjigae) is made from preserved soy bean paste. Jjigae is usually spicy and served hot in a heated stone bowl.
4. Jjirn- Simmered meat
Meat is prepared with vegetables and soaked in soy bean sauce. The ingredients are then slowly boiled over a low heat.
5. Namul( 남울) Vegetables
Namul consists of vegetables of wild greens which have been slightly boiled or fried and mixed with salt, soy sauce, sesame salt, garlic, and onions.
6. Gui- Broiled/Barbecued dishes
Gui is when marinated meat is barbecued over a charcoal fire. The most popular dishes are meats such as bulgogoi (불거기) and galbi (갈비) howevr there are many fish cooked this way.
7. Jeon (젼) Pan fried dishes
Jeon is a kind of Korean pancake. Mushrooms, pumpkin, fish, oysters, red peppers, meat, or other ingredients are mixed with salt and pepper, dipped in four and egg, and then fried in oil.
8. Mandu (만두) Dumpling
Mandu are Korean dumplings, which are stuffed with beef, mushrooms, stir-fried zucchini, and sprouts. Pork is sometimes used instead of beef.
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FO/FO_EN_6_1_1.jsp
빼빼로 Day!
Today is 빼빼로 day, or Pepero day. Here is some information I found on Wikipedia about the holiday:
Pepero, 빼빼로, is a cookie stick dipped in chocolate syrup manufactured by Lotte since 1983. Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentines Day. It is held on November 11, since the date 11/11 resembles four sticks of Pepero. The holiday is observed mostly by young people and couples, who exchange Pepero sticks and other candies.
According to one story, Pepero Day was started in 1994 by students at a girls' middle school in Busan where they exchanged Pepero sticks as gifts to wish one another to grow "as tall and slender as a Pepero."
Here is a display of some 빼빼로 for sale:
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sights in Seoul
Here are some of the highlights of Seoul that I saw. I got this information from http://english.seoul.go.kr/
Dongdaemun Market
You can be sure that you have never before been to a place like Dongdaemun, the fashion mecca of Korea. Between the rows of skyscrapers, countless people walk with large shopping bags in their hands.
The reason why Dongdaemun is so crowded with Koreans and foreigners alike is because high-quality goods, that do not fall short quality-wise of brand-name products, are available at affordable prices here. With a little effort, you can even find clothes made of better-quality materials in more-chic and forward-looking designs than the products found in department stores.
Inside most of the shopping malls in the neighborhood are rows and rows of single room-sized stores where young fashion designers reach for their dream. Recently, news that a piece made by a designer, who had worked in Dongdaemun for about 10 years, was picked up by Printemps Department Store in Paris caused quite a stir.
Dongdaemun is not only the biggest retail market for cloth and textile products in Seoul, but is also a world-famous design/fashion Mecca which offers a great range of the latest fashion – clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and more – items at affordable prices. Fashion shows and dance competitions take place day and night in front of the area’s landmark shopping malls, such as Doosan Tower, Migliore and Freya Town. This area springs into life with shoppers from very early in the morning. Many of them are wholesalers coming from all over the country in chartered buses so as to get the best possible deals. Until midnight, Dongdaemun overflows with all kinds of merchandise to suit every taste.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung (Palace), built in the 4th year of King Taejo’s reign (1395), is where the Joseon Dynasty originated. It is the oldest and central palace of Joseon. It is for this reason that Gyeongbokgung is considered the most beautiful and biggest of the 5 palaces in Seoul, and praised as demonstrating the very height of architectural technology from the medieval period of Northeast Asia.
Parts of the palace were burnt down during “Imjin Oeran”, the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598). Since 1610 Changdeokgung played the role of jeonggung instead, until Heungseon Daewongun (father of King Gojong) restored Gyeongbokgung in 1865. Although the palace was seriously damaged once again, under Japanese Colonial rule, the current Korean government is continuing its predecessors’ efforts to restore it to its original glory. Major attractions inside the palace include Geunjeongjeon (the main hall of the palace), Gyeonghoeru pavilions, Hyangwonjeong pavilion and the Amisan chimneys, all of which are valuable cultural and historical assets illustrating the essence of the traditional architectural design of the Joseon Dynasty.
There are several historical sites and artifacts of great value that can be found in every corner of Gyeongbokgung. Inside the palace are the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea to take you on a trip back into Korean history.
Yongsan
Yongsan Electronics Shopping Mall and Techno Mart prove that Korea is a leading player in information technology (IT). Each of the two large retail complexes specializes in electronic goods and is equipped with full lineups of computers, broadcasting equipment, audio systems, and lighting equipment, all of which are available at extremely competitive prices (which vary depending on your bargaining skills as well). Besides shopping, various other activities are also available at these two complexes as they both feature multiplex cinemas, restaurants and food courts, not to mention their events halls. Different floors are dedicated to different types of goods.
Yongsan is frequently visited by foreigners in Seoul because of its proximity to Itaewon and Hannam-dong, and the recent development of the area has made it one of the most rapidly rising attractions in Seoul.
Hongdae/Hongik
Hongdae refers to the area stretching from Hongik Univ. Station (line 2) to the main entrance of Hongik University and is lined with unique coffee houses, small venues for indie rock concerts, live music bars, jazz and dance clubs. Hongik University itself is most famous for its art program and so naturally the area is full of arty boutiques, galleries, studios, craft shops and accessory stores, as well. The last Friday of each month is “Club Day” when clubbers can visit many different clubs in the area with a single ticket. The annual street art festival in October is another popular cultural event attracting a stream of young art lovers to this area.
Every Friday and Saturday night, Hongik University area becomes full of young people dressed to impress and following the sound of music and chatter. This area attracts both Koreans and foreigners in equal measure. House, trance, drum and base, hip hop, rock, and salsa rhythms transport you to a world of rhythm, light and dance.
Hongik University area is also famous for the many and varied work by artists who deny the bounds of a confined studio space; and many “Streets of Art” have come about in the area as a result. This has made the area Seoul’s No.1 art district where the public freely interacts with the art all about them.
Markets for the arts and crafts of amateur artists regularly open in the playground across the street from Hongik University. There are many hidden treasures to be found at these markets. The Sinchon area, nearby the Hongik University neighborhood, is surrounded by 3 other universities. It is full of fun and excitement for the young, Korean and foreigner alike. The shopping district in front of Ewha Womans University is always crowded with young women shopping for clothes, wallets, shoes, and accessories. The campuses of Yonsei University and Ewha Womans University brighten up with azalea blossoms in spring and colorful autumn leaves in autumn, and they are frequently visited by lovers seeking a romantic walkway.
Dongdaemun Market
You can be sure that you have never before been to a place like Dongdaemun, the fashion mecca of Korea. Between the rows of skyscrapers, countless people walk with large shopping bags in their hands.
The reason why Dongdaemun is so crowded with Koreans and foreigners alike is because high-quality goods, that do not fall short quality-wise of brand-name products, are available at affordable prices here. With a little effort, you can even find clothes made of better-quality materials in more-chic and forward-looking designs than the products found in department stores.
Inside most of the shopping malls in the neighborhood are rows and rows of single room-sized stores where young fashion designers reach for their dream. Recently, news that a piece made by a designer, who had worked in Dongdaemun for about 10 years, was picked up by Printemps Department Store in Paris caused quite a stir.
Dongdaemun is not only the biggest retail market for cloth and textile products in Seoul, but is also a world-famous design/fashion Mecca which offers a great range of the latest fashion – clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and more – items at affordable prices. Fashion shows and dance competitions take place day and night in front of the area’s landmark shopping malls, such as Doosan Tower, Migliore and Freya Town. This area springs into life with shoppers from very early in the morning. Many of them are wholesalers coming from all over the country in chartered buses so as to get the best possible deals. Until midnight, Dongdaemun overflows with all kinds of merchandise to suit every taste.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung (Palace), built in the 4th year of King Taejo’s reign (1395), is where the Joseon Dynasty originated. It is the oldest and central palace of Joseon. It is for this reason that Gyeongbokgung is considered the most beautiful and biggest of the 5 palaces in Seoul, and praised as demonstrating the very height of architectural technology from the medieval period of Northeast Asia.
Parts of the palace were burnt down during “Imjin Oeran”, the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598). Since 1610 Changdeokgung played the role of jeonggung instead, until Heungseon Daewongun (father of King Gojong) restored Gyeongbokgung in 1865. Although the palace was seriously damaged once again, under Japanese Colonial rule, the current Korean government is continuing its predecessors’ efforts to restore it to its original glory. Major attractions inside the palace include Geunjeongjeon (the main hall of the palace), Gyeonghoeru pavilions, Hyangwonjeong pavilion and the Amisan chimneys, all of which are valuable cultural and historical assets illustrating the essence of the traditional architectural design of the Joseon Dynasty.
There are several historical sites and artifacts of great value that can be found in every corner of Gyeongbokgung. Inside the palace are the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea to take you on a trip back into Korean history.
Yongsan
Yongsan Electronics Shopping Mall and Techno Mart prove that Korea is a leading player in information technology (IT). Each of the two large retail complexes specializes in electronic goods and is equipped with full lineups of computers, broadcasting equipment, audio systems, and lighting equipment, all of which are available at extremely competitive prices (which vary depending on your bargaining skills as well). Besides shopping, various other activities are also available at these two complexes as they both feature multiplex cinemas, restaurants and food courts, not to mention their events halls. Different floors are dedicated to different types of goods.
Yongsan is frequently visited by foreigners in Seoul because of its proximity to Itaewon and Hannam-dong, and the recent development of the area has made it one of the most rapidly rising attractions in Seoul.
Hongdae/Hongik
Hongdae refers to the area stretching from Hongik Univ. Station (line 2) to the main entrance of Hongik University and is lined with unique coffee houses, small venues for indie rock concerts, live music bars, jazz and dance clubs. Hongik University itself is most famous for its art program and so naturally the area is full of arty boutiques, galleries, studios, craft shops and accessory stores, as well. The last Friday of each month is “Club Day” when clubbers can visit many different clubs in the area with a single ticket. The annual street art festival in October is another popular cultural event attracting a stream of young art lovers to this area.
Every Friday and Saturday night, Hongik University area becomes full of young people dressed to impress and following the sound of music and chatter. This area attracts both Koreans and foreigners in equal measure. House, trance, drum and base, hip hop, rock, and salsa rhythms transport you to a world of rhythm, light and dance.
Hongik University area is also famous for the many and varied work by artists who deny the bounds of a confined studio space; and many “Streets of Art” have come about in the area as a result. This has made the area Seoul’s No.1 art district where the public freely interacts with the art all about them.
Markets for the arts and crafts of amateur artists regularly open in the playground across the street from Hongik University. There are many hidden treasures to be found at these markets. The Sinchon area, nearby the Hongik University neighborhood, is surrounded by 3 other universities. It is full of fun and excitement for the young, Korean and foreigner alike. The shopping district in front of Ewha Womans University is always crowded with young women shopping for clothes, wallets, shoes, and accessories. The campuses of Yonsei University and Ewha Womans University brighten up with azalea blossoms in spring and colorful autumn leaves in autumn, and they are frequently visited by lovers seeking a romantic walkway.
Korea's got Seoul
This weekend I decided to go up to Seoul to see the sights. It had been a while since I'd last been, and there is so much to see there! Originally I wanted to go to the DMZ, but then I started researching Seoul and decided there wouldn't be enough time to make it.
I got the bus Friday at 6 with Brian, Emily, Ricky (their friend from back home), Alli, and Alex. The bus was pretty nice, so I didn't mind riding it for 4 hours. We took the subway to our hostel, which was in Hongdae. By the time we unloaded our things there, it was around 12 pm. Luckily, Hongdae is where the college students and young adults hang out on the weekends, and we were close. Our friends from Incheon (Evan, Patrick, and Sophia) were in the area. Patrick had friends visiting, and Sophia was on a date, so we only got to see Evan Friday night. We met in the downtown area and hit up Ho Bar VII. We grabbed 1 beer there, and realized how hungry we all were. Across the street was a 님밥 restaurant and decided that would be fine.
At the restaurant, we ordered some dumplings. We got 6 orders, and we were all stuffed. It was delicious. After that, we were exhausted and went back to the hostel and were asleep by 2 am.
Saturday morning, I woke up early, and got ready. Our first stop was Paris Baguette for breakfast, then we went to the Yongsan. This area is the biggest electronic markets. There are over 20 buildings containing 5000 stores. Emily and I wandered around while Alli shopped for a Canon SLR camera. Em and I found a booth that burned DVD's, and I walked away with about 18 DVD's for about $25. I got The Ugly Truth, The Hangover, and seasons 1-7 of Sex and the City. You can guess what I'll be doing the next few weeks!
Alli got her camera and she tried it out when the two of us went to Gyeongbuk-gung (경북궁) which is Seoul's largest and most beautiful palace from the Joseon Dynasty. We were there about 2 hours, and took a ton of pictures. Unfortunately, I did not charge my camera much before I left, and it died shortly thereafter.
Here is a picture with some Korean students who wanted a picture with us. I love how awkard looking it is!
A pretty view of the temple
We met up with Emily for a late lunch (4 pm) in an area of town called Dongdaemun (동대문) where you can shop to your hearts content. Wikitravel says "Dongdaemun market has large department store-like buildings such as Doota, Migliore, and APM that have trendy shops and stalls grouped togehter so customers can shop efficiently and save time." The three of us gave ourselves 2 hours to shop. We flew through it so fast and walked out with some really good finds. We each got shoes, dresses, pants, sweaters, and some jewerly. Alli and I each bought the same sweater and pants because it was so cute. By the time we were done, we couldn't remember what we had found!
We went back to the hostel to get ready to go out. The boys had gone ATVing outside of Seoul, and we beat them back. The three of us put on our clubbing gear and met Patrick for dinner at Omatu Tomato, a great fusion restaurant in Hongdae. The boys eventually made it, and we spent the rest of the night bar and club hopping with Joe, Evan, Patrick, Ryan, Alex, and a few of their friends. It was a great night, except I could have done without the large storm that rolled in around 2 am. We all got drenched!
Sunday, we went home shortly after we woke up because we were all dragging from Saturday night. It took us about 1 hour on the subway to get to the bus terminal, then another 4 hours home. I didn't really say goodbye to our Incheon friends, but Patrick called later on to say goodbye to me. They'll be down in 2 weeks to visit us, and I don't think that it will be nearly as crazy of a weekend as this one was!
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