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!
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