(I wrote this post July 13th, the Minnesota countdown is actually at 1 week today!!!)
To quote Will Ferrell in Anchorman, I’m in a glass case of emotion right now.
In 26 days I will be on a plane headed to Minnesota, and I am so excited to see my family and friends back home I can hardly stand it. However, in 26 days, I also have to say goodbye to some of the people I've spent the last year exploring and enduring Korea with. Some folks are sticking around another year, but most are leaving the Land of the Morning Calm for good. My fellow S.M.O.E.'ers are heading off to graduate school, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China and Ireland, or back home to the U.S., Canada or the U.K.
When I come back from my home visit, only a handful of the people that have become a part of my life here will still be around, and it’s hard to imagine what Korea will be like without them.
However I'm trying not to be too much of a sap and just enjoy the time we have left together. All of us came here because we love to travel, so I'm sure we will visit each other in the coming years.
In spite of a few bumps in the road, it’s been a really good year. For some of us this year was a break between undergrad and graduate school, for others it was a break from the corportate life, for others, a chance to get teaching experience due to a lack of jobs back home.
For me, this year was about taking risks and being able to look back on my life without regrets. I knew back in college that I wanted to teach or volunteer abroad someday, it was just a matter of when. In January of 2008, in the midst of a particularly frustrating trimester (probably in the middle of teaching "The Great Gatsby" to an un-enthused group of juniors and seniors) I wondered if now was as good a time as any.
After talking to the staff at North, including my principal, I pretty much received a unanimous "get out of here!" I’m really glad that I took their advice, because coming here set things into motion that I never could have anticipated. There are so many ESL teaching jobs out there, and at this point, I could teach anywhere. I’ve thought about Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, and South America for the next leg of my ‘travel the world’ journey.
Here is the tentative plan for now: I signed a contract with S.M.O.E. for another 6 months. (Not really something they like to allow but I fought for it) After that, I want to do a stint teaching at a University in Japan, in or near Tokyo. I know of a recruiting agency that hooks you up with 3-5 month university jobs and I’m really hoping that works out.
After that, my friend Ashley and I want to move to South America, Brazil specifically. When I was dating the Brazilian guy, I started studying Portuguese for fun and I think it’s THE most beautiful language. It’s also pretty easy to pick up having studied French for 7 years and knowing a little Spanish. Also, pretty much everyone who has lived or traveled there has nothing but good things to say about it. It sounds like a magical place, aside from the poverty, crime and corruption, of course.
Lately I’ve been reading Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, and he believes that things aren’t coincidental; that everything that happens in life is part of “the mysterious chain that links one thing to another.” I wasn’t a believer in signs before or the idea that my destiny is prewritten, but I never imagined that Korea would lead me to Brazil. Maybe things do happen for a reason.
…or maybe I’m just overly emo right now. In any case, I have time to figure it out. I’m really obsessed with Paulo Coelho though, so if you’re looking for a good read, I’d recommend picking up a copy of “The Alchemist,” or any of his books really. He’s a beautiful writer.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Nuclear War?
(Written July 2nd)
Lately I've been getting questions from people back home (well, mostly my mom) about N. Korea and the possibility of nuclear war. I don't blame people for being worried because the American news media seem to be blowing things out of proportion.
The truth is, the South Koreans haven't really lifted an eyebrow over any of the threats the North has made since my arrival 10 months ago. In fact, there is more buzz surrounding the swine flu and Michael Jackson's recent passing than there is about North Korea.
Here is my take on things: In the 10 months that I've been here, I've learned that Koreans tend to say things that they don't mean. They communicate in an indirect, beat-around-the-bush manner that you sort of have to be Korean to fully understand. They also have a flair for the dramatic. If you've ever seen the movie 'Lost in Translation,' there is a scene where Bill Murray is filming a Suntory whisky commercial, and the Japanese director is practically screaming at him in Japanese for like 5 minutes. Murray asks what he is saying, only to find out that it was "please turn your head and look into the camera." This happens all the time to me in Korea. My coworkers will be in seemingly heated, lengthy debates about something, and when I ask what the problem is, it's like, "oh, we were discussing the weather."
Also, in Korea, it's all about the presentation of something and how it looks from the outside. The image you project of yourself is far more important than what you actually are. (I learned this the hard way during a recent teaching evaluation)
So I think that Kim Jong Il and Co. just want people to pay attention to them and are full of empty threats. They have been doing this for years now, and the South Koreans are used to it. It's business as usual here in Seoul.
I could be wrong; no one can really know what is going on up there, but I do feel somewhat comforted that the beefy American soldiers who hang around Gecko's (a 'Western' bar in Itaewon) are here if anything were to go down.
Lately I've been getting questions from people back home (well, mostly my mom) about N. Korea and the possibility of nuclear war. I don't blame people for being worried because the American news media seem to be blowing things out of proportion.
The truth is, the South Koreans haven't really lifted an eyebrow over any of the threats the North has made since my arrival 10 months ago. In fact, there is more buzz surrounding the swine flu and Michael Jackson's recent passing than there is about North Korea.
Here is my take on things: In the 10 months that I've been here, I've learned that Koreans tend to say things that they don't mean. They communicate in an indirect, beat-around-the-bush manner that you sort of have to be Korean to fully understand. They also have a flair for the dramatic. If you've ever seen the movie 'Lost in Translation,' there is a scene where Bill Murray is filming a Suntory whisky commercial, and the Japanese director is practically screaming at him in Japanese for like 5 minutes. Murray asks what he is saying, only to find out that it was "please turn your head and look into the camera." This happens all the time to me in Korea. My coworkers will be in seemingly heated, lengthy debates about something, and when I ask what the problem is, it's like, "oh, we were discussing the weather."
Also, in Korea, it's all about the presentation of something and how it looks from the outside. The image you project of yourself is far more important than what you actually are. (I learned this the hard way during a recent teaching evaluation)
So I think that Kim Jong Il and Co. just want people to pay attention to them and are full of empty threats. They have been doing this for years now, and the South Koreans are used to it. It's business as usual here in Seoul.
I could be wrong; no one can really know what is going on up there, but I do feel somewhat comforted that the beefy American soldiers who hang around Gecko's (a 'Western' bar in Itaewon) are here if anything were to go down.
K-Pop Update
(Written June 30th)
Tme for another update from the world of K-pop. I’m excited to report that Korea’s very own Wonder Girls are currently touring in the U.S. They are opening for the Jonas Brothers, which is sure to give them a lot of exposure, at least to 12-13 year old girls.
They recorded an English version of their hit “Nobody,” but I doubt that it will be anywhere near as big of a hit in the States as it is here in Asia. It’s still a catchy song, but only one of the girls can sing in English without a thick Korean accent. I also read the Pioneer Press review of the Twin Cities’ concert, and the Wonder Girls weren’t even mentioned. My coteacher was disappointed to hear that, but that’s the reality of the entertainment ‘biz. American pop groups/movie starts frequently make it big abroad, but the reverse isn’t true.
Lately in my classes, since the year is winding down, if we have a few minutes left at the end of the period, I’ll play the K-pop music video of the students' choice. These are the 3 most requested videos right now in the girls' classes, and I happen to be a fan as well. (In the boys' classes they always request Eminem's 'Stan,' which is declined) I especially love Son Dam Bi. Like most K-pop songs, I only know what one or two words mean, but that’s probably for the best.
2 PM "Again and Again"
2NE1 "Fire"
Son Dam Bi's "Saturday Night"
Enjoy!
Tme for another update from the world of K-pop. I’m excited to report that Korea’s very own Wonder Girls are currently touring in the U.S. They are opening for the Jonas Brothers, which is sure to give them a lot of exposure, at least to 12-13 year old girls.
They recorded an English version of their hit “Nobody,” but I doubt that it will be anywhere near as big of a hit in the States as it is here in Asia. It’s still a catchy song, but only one of the girls can sing in English without a thick Korean accent. I also read the Pioneer Press review of the Twin Cities’ concert, and the Wonder Girls weren’t even mentioned. My coteacher was disappointed to hear that, but that’s the reality of the entertainment ‘biz. American pop groups/movie starts frequently make it big abroad, but the reverse isn’t true.
Lately in my classes, since the year is winding down, if we have a few minutes left at the end of the period, I’ll play the K-pop music video of the students' choice. These are the 3 most requested videos right now in the girls' classes, and I happen to be a fan as well. (In the boys' classes they always request Eminem's 'Stan,' which is declined) I especially love Son Dam Bi. Like most K-pop songs, I only know what one or two words mean, but that’s probably for the best.
2 PM "Again and Again"
2NE1 "Fire"
Son Dam Bi's "Saturday Night"
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
It takes time
I wrote in an earlier post that April was a tumultuous month, but I had no idea what the end of June had in store; my first real heart break.
Very uncharacteristically, I fell fast and hard for the Brazilian I was dating. (Yes, the fact that he was from Brazil and had an adorable accent was a huge part of the appeal)
It turns out that all those cliché sayings about love are true; like the one that says “love is blind.” I knew that we were doomed from the start, but I didn’t care about the future because he made me so ecstatically happy.
Long story short, he broke my heart, and it’s been a rough two weeks. Luckily, I have made some really solid female friends here, and they have helped talk sense into me and distract me when necessary. Most of my friends have already been through something like this (I am 26 after all) and have told me the things I need to hear.
One e-mail from a friend back home has been particularly helpful, and I’ve gone back and read it several times when I’ve felt sad. She said that it may take time before I feel good again, but it will work out in the end. She reminded me of how lucky I am to have the freedom at this point in my life to travel and meet new people and experience new things. I felt better after the reminder that she (and others back home in relationships) are living vicariously through me.
As much as it hurt, I’m happy I am where I am right now. So far in my life, in spite of all my anxiety about the future, things have worked out for the best and they will continue to… I just need to have faith that when the time is right, “it” will happen. In the meantime, I will experience a lot, even if it means heartbreak.
Very uncharacteristically, I fell fast and hard for the Brazilian I was dating. (Yes, the fact that he was from Brazil and had an adorable accent was a huge part of the appeal)
It turns out that all those cliché sayings about love are true; like the one that says “love is blind.” I knew that we were doomed from the start, but I didn’t care about the future because he made me so ecstatically happy.
Long story short, he broke my heart, and it’s been a rough two weeks. Luckily, I have made some really solid female friends here, and they have helped talk sense into me and distract me when necessary. Most of my friends have already been through something like this (I am 26 after all) and have told me the things I need to hear.
One e-mail from a friend back home has been particularly helpful, and I’ve gone back and read it several times when I’ve felt sad. She said that it may take time before I feel good again, but it will work out in the end. She reminded me of how lucky I am to have the freedom at this point in my life to travel and meet new people and experience new things. I felt better after the reminder that she (and others back home in relationships) are living vicariously through me.
As much as it hurt, I’m happy I am where I am right now. So far in my life, in spite of all my anxiety about the future, things have worked out for the best and they will continue to… I just need to have faith that when the time is right, “it” will happen. In the meantime, I will experience a lot, even if it means heartbreak.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
My Birthday in Korea
My desk when I arrived at school Friday morning
Poster that Minjung's homeroom made me
My mini-party during 1st period
Dinner & Wine with my foreign teacher friends
My friends Ashley & Vicky got me a present pack that included a Boys before Flowers Poster
...and chocolate-covered kimchi!
They also bought me a cake
Needless to say, it was a very happy birthday. I felt very thankful for all the people in my life, back home and here in Korea.
Poster that Minjung's homeroom made me
My mini-party during 1st period
Dinner & Wine with my foreign teacher friends
My friends Ashley & Vicky got me a present pack that included a Boys before Flowers Poster
...and chocolate-covered kimchi!
They also bought me a cake
Needless to say, it was a very happy birthday. I felt very thankful for all the people in my life, back home and here in Korea.
Taryn's Korean Adventure gets an extension
I purposely haven’t posted much on here lately, because it finally came down to the moment where I had to decide whether or not to renew my contract, and rather than feeling confident in my decision to stay, my feelings about Korea and my current job changed drastically from one moment to the next. Even after telling my school I was going to re-sign, I was looking at jobs on Dave’s ESL Café during my prep periods.
The end of April was especially rough. I came down with a wicked case of tonsillitis plus a sinus infection, so bad that the doctor literally went “whoa!” when he looked in my throat. He wanted to admit me to the hospital for 3 days, but I thought that was kind of unnecessary. During those five miserable days I was cooped up in my apartment in pain, I hated Korea with every fiber of my being.
You may be wondering, why is it Korea’s fault that you were sick? If you remember my post from when I went to the hospital back in December, it’s the same reason: I feel like the germ situation is out of control in this city.
I read up on tonsillitis and the Mayo Clinic website lists the following under “prevention:”
“The germs that cause viral and bacterial tonsillitis are contagious. Frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent all kinds of infections, including tonsillitis. Wash your hands often, and encourage your children to do the same.
Other common-sense precautions apply, too. Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Don't share drinking glasses or eating utensils. Avoid close contact with anyone who's sick.”
I’m basically exposed to all of the above on a daily basis.
In Korea:
• People don’t wash their hands (not with soap or warm water anyway)
• People cough and sneeze all over each other
• People come to work sick
• People share food. (Typically there is a serving dish that everyone eats out of with chopsticks.)
Hmmm…I love how the volunteer translator at the hospital (she recognized me when I came in, since I am a frequent patron) recommended that I “get plenty of exercise.” I told her I do, and that I don’t usually get sick this often, it’s just in Korea.
She said…”the weather is different here.” Koreans always attribute my health problems to completely unrelated things like exercise and the weather, when the real problem is the rampant germs in this city and the poor hygiene habits of people I’m in constant contact with.
However, my friend Sarah is going on her second year as a teacher in Korea, and she said that her first year, she got sick all the time as well. This year, she hasn’t really gotten sick at all. So I’m hoping that my body has built up a tolerance to the germs and this will be my last hospital visit for a while.
As for the next year, I ended up renewing my contract after all, so my Korean adventure is getting an extension. I wasn’t excited about it at first, because the school system and some cultural things were really getting to me, but I’m feeling much better about the decision lately. I’ve talked to people who have been in Korea for a few years now, and most of them said that they definitely went through an anti-Korea phase at about 8-9 months, which is where I am right now. They also asked if I’d gone home to visit yet, which I haven’t, and they said I’d feel a lot better once I’d had a chance to visit home.
I think they are right. It has been far too long since I’ve seen my family, but I’ll see them in about 10 weeks. My two weeks of home leave were approved for August, and they also gave me another 2 weeks off for my sister’s wedding in the beginning of October. I lucked out and it fell on the same week as midterms, so I don’t have to miss much teaching time.
The October dates aren’t set in stone yet, but the August ones are: I’ll be home August 9th – 21st, and I can’t wait!
Things at work are also getting better. I’m administering a speaking test right now to all 400 sophomores, and I think it’s really good for them to get the one-on-one speaking time with me, which is usually impossible with the way the schedule is set up. We also have about 5 weeks of school left in the first semester and then 5 weeks of summer break.
Additionally, I think my coteacher Minjung realized how homesick I’ve been lately, and so she made sure my birthday on Friday was special and celebrated at school and I felt very loved. I’ll put some pictures up in another post.
So to conclude, it’s been a tumultuous month or so in terms of my feelings about Korea, but I’m here for another year and feeling pretty good about it.
The end of April was especially rough. I came down with a wicked case of tonsillitis plus a sinus infection, so bad that the doctor literally went “whoa!” when he looked in my throat. He wanted to admit me to the hospital for 3 days, but I thought that was kind of unnecessary. During those five miserable days I was cooped up in my apartment in pain, I hated Korea with every fiber of my being.
You may be wondering, why is it Korea’s fault that you were sick? If you remember my post from when I went to the hospital back in December, it’s the same reason: I feel like the germ situation is out of control in this city.
I read up on tonsillitis and the Mayo Clinic website lists the following under “prevention:”
“The germs that cause viral and bacterial tonsillitis are contagious. Frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent all kinds of infections, including tonsillitis. Wash your hands often, and encourage your children to do the same.
Other common-sense precautions apply, too. Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Don't share drinking glasses or eating utensils. Avoid close contact with anyone who's sick.”
I’m basically exposed to all of the above on a daily basis.
In Korea:
• People don’t wash their hands (not with soap or warm water anyway)
• People cough and sneeze all over each other
• People come to work sick
• People share food. (Typically there is a serving dish that everyone eats out of with chopsticks.)
Hmmm…I love how the volunteer translator at the hospital (she recognized me when I came in, since I am a frequent patron) recommended that I “get plenty of exercise.” I told her I do, and that I don’t usually get sick this often, it’s just in Korea.
She said…”the weather is different here.” Koreans always attribute my health problems to completely unrelated things like exercise and the weather, when the real problem is the rampant germs in this city and the poor hygiene habits of people I’m in constant contact with.
However, my friend Sarah is going on her second year as a teacher in Korea, and she said that her first year, she got sick all the time as well. This year, she hasn’t really gotten sick at all. So I’m hoping that my body has built up a tolerance to the germs and this will be my last hospital visit for a while.
As for the next year, I ended up renewing my contract after all, so my Korean adventure is getting an extension. I wasn’t excited about it at first, because the school system and some cultural things were really getting to me, but I’m feeling much better about the decision lately. I’ve talked to people who have been in Korea for a few years now, and most of them said that they definitely went through an anti-Korea phase at about 8-9 months, which is where I am right now. They also asked if I’d gone home to visit yet, which I haven’t, and they said I’d feel a lot better once I’d had a chance to visit home.
I think they are right. It has been far too long since I’ve seen my family, but I’ll see them in about 10 weeks. My two weeks of home leave were approved for August, and they also gave me another 2 weeks off for my sister’s wedding in the beginning of October. I lucked out and it fell on the same week as midterms, so I don’t have to miss much teaching time.
The October dates aren’t set in stone yet, but the August ones are: I’ll be home August 9th – 21st, and I can’t wait!
Things at work are also getting better. I’m administering a speaking test right now to all 400 sophomores, and I think it’s really good for them to get the one-on-one speaking time with me, which is usually impossible with the way the schedule is set up. We also have about 5 weeks of school left in the first semester and then 5 weeks of summer break.
Additionally, I think my coteacher Minjung realized how homesick I’ve been lately, and so she made sure my birthday on Friday was special and celebrated at school and I felt very loved. I’ll put some pictures up in another post.
So to conclude, it’s been a tumultuous month or so in terms of my feelings about Korea, but I’m here for another year and feeling pretty good about it.
Monday, June 1, 2009
June 1st, 2009
Normally Mondays are one of my more chaotic teaching days, but lately the teachers haven't been showing up for my afternoon conversation classes, (many complained that they were intimidated or that the material I used was too hard, but not to my face of course...) so today I have the afternoon free to work on my TEFL. Yes, the same TEFL I've been "working on" for 7 months now. I only have two units left and a final paper, but like I said earlier, it continually gets pushed to the bottom of my priority list.
Here is one reason why. Unit 18 is about "Using Technology in the Language Classroom." Sounds like a relevant, useful chapter, right? Wrong. The Unit describes various tools used in the classroom over the years. Anyone who has ever set foot in a classroom in their lives could have written this chapter, and yet it is supposed to be a "graduate" level course. I beg to differ.
Let's hear what scintillating things they have to say about chalkboards:
"As a general rule, the chalkboard has served as the main tool used by the instructor to write down important facts and figure [spelling error] which can be utilized by the learner."
I always wondered why they put those things in the classroom! Seriously, shoot me.
Next up, "DVD and Video Player/Recorders!" Woo-hoo!
Here is one reason why. Unit 18 is about "Using Technology in the Language Classroom." Sounds like a relevant, useful chapter, right? Wrong. The Unit describes various tools used in the classroom over the years. Anyone who has ever set foot in a classroom in their lives could have written this chapter, and yet it is supposed to be a "graduate" level course. I beg to differ.
Let's hear what scintillating things they have to say about chalkboards:
"As a general rule, the chalkboard has served as the main tool used by the instructor to write down important facts and figure [spelling error] which can be utilized by the learner."
I always wondered why they put those things in the classroom! Seriously, shoot me.
Next up, "DVD and Video Player/Recorders!" Woo-hoo!
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