Rant About Korean Racism

So, lately there was a post on youtube about a black man beating up a 61 year old Korean man on a bus. This all happened because the black man (country unknown to me), heard the Korean man say the word "neaga" meaning you. The black man thought that the Korean man said he was "nigger". So, that gave the black man the right to shout profanities in English and in Korean and eventually use violence to beat the man while onlookers didn't do or say anything.

I'm just astonished at the whole situation here. The Korean man was saying that the black man could sit here in Korean and the black man's response was to verbally and physically attack the older man. I understand that maybe the black man didn't know what the Korean man was saying but even if the Korean man did say the word "nigger", it doesn't give him the right to beat the man.

I guess I just don't understand where people think that it's ok to use violence on people. So what if you're called a name?! I don't care. If anything, give them a look that you're upset but then walk away. Especially in a country where you don't know what they're saying!!! I don't know how many times I thought someone was saying something about me but then it turned out totally wrong. I just wonder what kind of parents raised a man that could do that without even thinking. And what puzzles me even more, are the people who think that he was justified in his actions, even after seeing the video!!

I think that this world needs a big kick in the butt, and these little punks need a lesson! First, he's an elder. He is a 61 year old man. Aren't you supposed to respect your elders. Second, he doesn't speak English so I'm sure he doesn't know the word "nigger". And third, you're in someone elses country. You are Korea's guest. You need to play by their rules and laws. You don't go into someone else's house telling them what to do and throw crap around their house do you?

I think that if people come here with a good attitude and a positive outlook you won't face that much racism. As far as Gwangju is concerned, foreigners really started coming here only about 5 years ago, so we are still a very unfamiliar sight to many Koreans. So, I think that the best way to overcome racism even before it starts is to have a good attitude. Many Koreans haven't experienced many foreigners so they don't know what to think. If we are friendly and show that we are trying to learn about Korean culture, then they will think better of us and won't be so racist. Stop it before it starts and try changing the minds of those who are racist by being a positive influence rather than a negative influence spouting about our given rights.

I'm a firm believer that a positive attitude and a happy disposition can do a lot of good for race relations between foreigners and Koreans. I know that it won't change everyone's mind, but you will end up living a happier and more fufilled life here in Korea. You will have more foreigner and Korean friends and you will be more well recieved wherever you go. Where will being angry about everything get you? I know one thing, it will get you out of this country faster and with fewer friends.

So, advice to anyone coming to Korea. You will face some racial stigma, especially the darker your skin, but buck-up because the majority of people are very kind. Also, you'll get a lot of pointing by children and adults. But most of the time it's just excitement. They will also run up to you to try to practice their English. Take everything in stride and just enjoy being a celebrity for a while!! ;-)

Here's the link for the video on youtube. Make sure you have the safety mode turned off on the bottom of the page. Just click on "on" and then click "off" and "save".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2wQiPcuZI4

K-Club Sports Day

In Cheonam at the backgate, every Saturday a group of foreigners and Koreans get together to discuss topics in English while enjoying a nice cup of coffee at Luwak Coffee Shop. We talk about all different types of topics from food to K-pop. We usually read about a page for the topic and discuss it with some questions. Then there is still time to have a casual chat. It's usually followed by dinner, some fun, and then maybe a drink or five. :-)

However, every once in a while we have little trips or events, as you can see from some of my previous blogs. We also have some events in the city like baseball games, movies, or even sports days. Well, this time we had a sport day.

We met at the usual time and place and walked over to the university area to get our sports on. These Koreans are extremely competative. So, we broke into teams and wagered money on each game we played.

We started out the day with a free-throw contest. We each shot 2 free-throws and at the end both teams were tied. So, we decided to all shoot another one and my team lost by one! We each lost 1000W ($1). The next game was dodgeball Korean style. It's slightly different than the one we play back home. Once you're hit you go to the outskirts of the other teams side where you can get the ball and throw it at them. It was fun but my team lost again. That was another 1000W. After that we decided to play soccer. BIG mistake. It was a close and highly competative game. We scored a goal and I was going in for another one when I kicked it a little too hard for how close I was and the ball went and nailed Lee, our goalee, in the face. His glasses broke and flew off his face as he crumpled to the ground. We all stood in shock. Then everyone started laughing and cheering, well everyone but me. I was freaking out. After that, the girls were kicked out of the games. The boys played with some other random Koreans. They played the food volleyball. It's actually fun. The other team of boys, we didn't know, had two too many players. So, us girls picked them up for a game of basketball. We played to five and I made all five shots, 5-0! At least I won one thing!! ㅋㅋㅋ After that Kimber and I had to head out to get ready for her going away party. The others stayed and kept playing until dark.

Well, the point is that it was a really fun time with some great friends. And for mom, this is verification that I don't only drink. I also do other things on the weekends too!! :-)


So, thank you to my K-club for keeping me entertained and keeping me out of a little trouble! And sorry Lee for the ball in the face!

Crossroads

If you can believe it, I'm coming to the end of my second year here in Gwangju, South Korea. I've had good times and bad times and gradually built a life here, minus a boyfriend. However, I have 3.5 months left in my contract at my current school. I'm at the point where I need to make a decision to either move on or stay. So far I have 4 choices I'm currently considering:

1. Attend GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology) starting in first term in March.
2. Stay in Gwangju but switching English academies.
3. Move to another city in South Korea.
4. Move back home and look for a job in the states.

As of right now, those are my current rankings of where I want to go from here. However, there is the problem of getting my letters of reccommendation from proffessors who are on summer holiday back home. Other than that, I'm not that worried about getting into grad school. It would be difficult going back to school but I think it's about time that I started moving on with my life. I would be slightly moving on and growing up but not completely, baby steps.

So, for all of you out there wondering what I'm going to do with my life and when I'm coming home next this is my answer, according to the rankings:

1. I will be back home around December 1st and staying for about 3 months before I move back to Gwangju, South Korea.
2. I will be back home around December 1st and staying for a maximum of 2 months.
3. I believe I will back back for December but don't know when I will be going back to Korea.
4. I'll still be back in December but for no idea how long. I don't intend to live in Cumberland and would move out as soon as I found a job.

So there you have it. Now you can stop asking me because this is all I know.

Slow City Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea

There are 7 slow cities in South Korea and 4 of them are in South Jeolla Province. These cities work hard at staying true to their culture and roots by doing things the hard way. They're small cities resisting globalization.

This weekend I took my second trip to this "slow city" in South Jeolla Province. I made the trip, which was about 70km from Gwangju. We made our way on a Sunday afternoon to this "slow city". We made our way to a local swimming hole. I call it a local swimming hole because it's actually very small and only deep in certain places.

The swimming hole is right near the Slow City tourism office. We arrived at about 4 o'clock and there were still plenty of people there. We found a spot on the rocky beach and jumped right in. The hole is actually part of a small river. The river is surrounded by trees on one side and a rocky beach on the other. It's a very beautiful and refreshing river surrounded by Korean mountains. The best thing is that it's not for tourists. It's just a local beach where you go, have a picnic, a few beers and some soju. There are a lot of families swimming and most people are very kind and interested in the strange foreigner. It's not uncommon to have them float up to you to try their English because they haven't seen many foreigners.

After an afternoon of swimming we drove about 30 minutes to one of my friend's parents house. It's a beautiful rural area full of rice paddies, vegetable fields, and COWS! It was my first time seeing Korean cows. The cows here are the Hanwoo breed. It's my first time seeing this kind of cattle and I'm from a small town where there are more cows than people. I was happy to see that farming here in Korea is very similar to back home. The farmers house is a little more messy than most and dirt isn't really that dirty. It's just like back home. They're also very friendly and very community oriented people.

Anyways, we arrived at the house to find that we would be eating beef for dinner. I was in bliss. In Korea, beef is extremely expensive so we don't eat it very often and we eat it in small amounts. However, we enjoyed copious amounts of grilled beef. We also had side dishes provided by Charles' mom.

After dinner, we went to Charles' home to wash up and relax. They had just built a new home and it was absolutely beautiful. It was a beautiful stone house with a completely wooden interior. It had a chandelier in the living room along with a HD big screen TV with quality I had yet to seen. There were 3 bedrooms and a Korean style sleeping room upstairs. They also have an older traditional Korean style house behind their new house and next to the barns where grandmother lives.

We spent the night playing punishment games and taking a walk along the river and beach. While on the beach, even though it was 12am, there were tons of people. There was a family fishing, friends drinking, couples walking, and even some sleeping in the pagodas. We had a beer and played basketball and some other sporty games. After a while we made our way home and settled down for the night in the big Korean room. There were 10 of us all sleeping on the floor. It was just like those shows on TV.

In the morning we had a traditional Korean breakfast consiting of rice, seawead soup, and a bunch of side dishes. It was fantastic. After lazing about for a while watching TV and chatting with the family we made our way back to Gwangju. On the drive home we saw some of the green tea fields that Boseong is famous for. It looked very pretty. The tea fields are grown on the steep side of a mountain in lines. It's the only break in the forests that cover all the mountains here.

I think that the next trip will have to be to Boseong to visit the green tea fields so I can spend a little more time admiring the sights. Boseong is also near the ocean so it can be a beach trip as well.

Overall, the trip was a success and I highly recommend this trip as a nice escape from the summer heat and a break from the crowded and salty beaches in the south.

What to Pack for Korea

First off, let's talk about luggage requirements by the airlines. As of mid-2011, you are allowed only 1 50 pound checked bags on most airlines, excluding Korean Air and Asiana Air, which happen to be the most expensive airlines. You'll have to check witht he airlines for actual prices for an extra bag, but when I flew Delta, I had to pay $70 for my second checked bag. Just remember that most airlines don't have a weight requirement for your checked bag and you're also allowed to carry on a purse or a laptop bag. So, choose wisely what you will bring. So, now onto what you'll want to pack.


For the most part, you can buy almost everything here unless you are a larger size in anything. That includes: underwear, bras, pants, shorts, shirts, coats, shoes, etc.

Shoes:
For the ladies who have a shoe size over a size 8/8.5 you need to bring shoes because they won't sell your size. Even around that size is difficult. You'll need tennis shoes and a seperate pair reserved only for the gym if you workout. You'll also need some slippers/slip on flip-flops, public schools and some others you'll need these for indoor shoes. You'll also need some nice shoes and some everyday shoes. Some for summer and winter. (Korea has 4 seasons.)

Underwear:
Panties won't be that difficult to find unless you're a larger size. However, bras are very difficult to find. If you're a C or bigger, you're S.O.L.! So, bring enough for a whole year. And if you wash them in the washing machine, you'll need to bring extra because these machines are harsh.

Pants:
Size 6 and down should be ok for bottoms. 8 and up, you'll need to bring a year supply of bottoms. Don't forget shorts for summer, capris for fall and spring, and also shorts for working out in or sleeping in.

Shirts:
Koreans have a very small bone structure so fitted shirts are difficult to fit into. Also, don't be offended when you go to try on a shirt and they tell you no. A lot of the time it's because we have bigger boobs and they don't want us to stretch them out.

Coats:
As far as coats are concerned, you'll need a heavy winter coat and a lighter coat for the inbetween weather. A few sweatshirts or zip-ups wouldn't hurt either.

Other necessities:
Tampons: You can find some small boxes here now but they're not as readily available as they are in the states. So, I suggest you bring a giant box of your favorite brand. Koreans love pads!

Toothpaste: Korean water doesn't have flouride and you really shouldn't drink it. And their toothpaste isn't my favorite. I can tolerate 2080 but that's about it. I would suggest bringing a couple tubes of your favorite brand. I like Crest Extra Whiting Mint flavored.

Makeup: Bring double your makeup. Korean makeup tends to be more expensive and you don't really know the brands. If you don't have a preference then don't waste the space.

DEODERANT: STOCK UP!! They barely sell any here and it's tiny spray bottles and they're very expensive. So, you need almost a year supply of this stuff.

Shaving supplies: If you don't mind using men's razors and shaving cream don't worry about it. But Koreans aren't as hairy and they don't really have a lot for women. So bring extra razors and shaving cream.

Spices / Food: Korea doesn't really have many spices. So, if you cook you'll definately need them. You'll be able to get salt and pepper and maybe some tumeric and some other random things. But you'll need most everything else. Taco seasoning, mac&cheese, hidden valley ranch packets (Korea doesn't have ranch dressing), oatmeal, etc. You're parents, friends, or relatives can send this later for a care package.

Others:
You'll just need a travel size of showering supplies. And for basic needs to last until you go shopping. A towel just in case your apartment doesn't have one yet. Having a shower right away after all the travel is needed, especially to relax. If you have no towel, it makes for a cranky start to Korea. I suggest bringing pictures, not just for you to look at but also to show other people and also to make your home more homey. Some books to read and also some movies.

Laptop:
Laptop = life here in Korea. It's your way to stay connected to home. You can make skype calls to ease the homesickness, watch movies, facebook, etc. You will become sick of watching TV that you can't understand so you'll want to watch stuff on your computer. Just remember when you're watching movies that you can only reset your laptop to different DVD regions a certain amount of times. So, you'll want to download a program that will allow you to watch any region of DVD's. Mine is now stuck on American DVD's (region 1) where my friend's is stuck on Korean (region 3). I also use my laptop in my classroom every day.

If You Have Room:
Bring some fun games for your kids. A deck of playing cars, catch phrase, or some other games depending on the age you teach. Twister for little kids is great.

F.Y.I.
Koreans are always dressed up, it seems. Going out they dress up, going shopping they look nice, and even just walking around they look nice. So, pack more of you nice clothes vs. your crappy jeans and comphy t-shirt.

Just bring some money to buy some of the extra things that you didn't bring. You don't get paid to the end of the month. So, you need money to last the month for food, drinks, and those extra supplies! Just think about what you absolutely can't live without, and pack it!

Boryeong Mud Festival 2011

Every year, Boryeong, South Korea puts on one of Korea's greatest festivals, known as Mud Festival! This year it was held July 15th - 24th. Even though this is my second year in Korea, it was my first Mud Festival. Our English/Korean study group decided to make a big trip out of it.

We met early Saturday morning just outside U-Square and took three cars up to Boryeong. The drive was only 2 hours and uneventful. We were jittery in anticipation for what was to come. First, we stopped off at our pension, which was just outside the city. Mostly everything is booked up in the city and overpriced during this event. Since we had drivers, it wasn't much of a hassle to stay 15 minutes outside the city.

The pension was decent. It had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and the most important thing of all, an airconditioner!!! The fifteen of us dropped off our things, quickly changed and got right back in the car to make the most of Mud Fest 2011!!

It was really nice driving to Boryeong because there are no direct bus routes there but parking was a little difficult. So, we were dropped off and started the afternoon off with a beer and bubbles!! Admission to the mud park was 5,000 won and you could come and go as much as you wanted as long as you had your wristband on. There were two giant mud slides, a few mud wrestling pits, an obstacle course, a mud jail, tug of war, and some other things. The down side to everything was that the lines were extremely long and it was full of rude foreigners. There were beligerent drunks everywhere and they would cut in line, not leave when the time was up, and just be genuine ass-holes. However, after I had a few beers, I didn't care as much anymore.

We spent the day playing in the mud, running the the 7-11 to get beer, because it wasn't allowed in the mud park, and playing in the ocean. There was music and competitions going on all the while on the stage on the beach. There were also a lot of tents set up with food, souvineres, and mud products. There was also a station where you could pay money to get paited with different colored mud.

The park closed at 6pm and then we played a little more in the water and then headed out to the pension. After we were all showered and shiny, we cooked BBQ and played drinking games. We had a blast. Then we head out once again for the beach where there was music and fireworks. We also supplemented the fun with extra drinking games and relay races on the beach. Afterwards, we went back to the pension for more drinking games. At about 2am we decided we needed to dance. So, we went back down to the beach and went to a club. The club wasn't much, the drinks were expensive, and the people weren't cute. So, the boys left and the 3 of us girls stayed behind. We hung out with a group of Koreans and drank at the beach until 7:30. We grabbed a taxi and caught 2 hours of sleep.

The next morning we woke up, ate delicious ramen, got ready and went back to the beach. We decided to just spend it at the beach and not do the mud park. But there were mud sinks scattered all over the beach so you could still get muddy without going into the park. We played with the mud, played games in the water, did mud pictures, and just had an enjoyable afternoon. We took a 3,000 won shower at the beach and went to luch. We had grilled shellfish and BBQ. We polished off a bottle of vodka and a few bottles of soju. Then we went to the theme park and did the Nori-Zone ride. I was wearing a short skirt, not the best idea for this ride, and Jane was wearing a strapless jumper. So, during the ride, I flashed my hot pink underwear to everyone who was in the whole park and Jane flashed her bra because her shirt fell down. We were quite the duo.

At about 9:30 we decided to head back to Gwangju. I caught about 30 minutes of sleep in the car. After arriving in Gwangju, we proceded to drink soju and beer until about 4:30am. But, somehow, I found the willpower to make it to work the next day and teach all of my classes effectively!

The trip was very exciting, fun, and totally worth it. The only downsides were the crowds of drunks, everything was expensive, and I ended up getting 2nd degree sunburns! I spent about 200,000 won for Saturday and Sunday. But, I think it was worth it and will probably go back again next year. Except next year I want to try camping. Then I won't have to worry about driving home and can come and go as I please.

Boryeong Mud Festival = 8/10 and a Korean must do!!

Letter From My Student

June 20th, 2011
Rose, age 9

Dear 쉐이나 teacher!!
Hello, teacher! How are you diong? I am rose! How tired you may be nowadays!! I think you must be very tired because of the students who are rude and bad in their behaviours. So, I write this letter to make you comfortable. Though I am not enough in everything now, I would like to learn all the subjects hard as possible. And I want to speak English with you longer than now. Till the day, cheer up for you and me!! Fighting!! Be careful for your health and stay healthy all the time, teacher I truly love you!!!

This was a letter from my 9 year old student Rose. She knows the basics of basics in English. Just from hello to when is your birthday. So, this letter is a huge accomplishment and magnificent. She told me she worked for two hours on this letter for me and asked her parents and teachers for help. She said she really wanted to make me happy. When I received this letter I almost cried. I've never felt so appreciated or loved my job more than at that moment. It's so funny how you can hate those little rascals 90% of the time but then they do something amazing that makes it worth it plus more.

So, I hope that all the other teachers or parents out there can have their moment like mine. That spark that validates your career and makes everything worth it.

Surprising Children

I'd have to say that the Koreans I teach are the most uncreative children in the world. And this has everything to do with how they are raised. Their taught in school to memorize everything and not to think for themselves. They also go to school from morning until late in the evening, which leaves little time to play or enjoy themselves. Then, they also have to do their homework.

I think this is extremely detramental to their development. I don't know how many times I asked a question where they had to give me their opinion and they ask me what they should say. They're not used to thinking for themselves and have a hard time with problem solving if there isn't a specific formula for it.

How will they be able to function in society? Or will they just become mindless office drones?! But, the point I'm trying to make is every once in a while one will suprise you with a little deep thinking. It's extremely suprising that one of my 9 year olds (10 year old Korean) was able to come up with this and actually convey it perfectly in English.

"We lived in time. We meet other people with time. We can be late because of time. Anyway, who made time? When did time start? Twelve o'clock? One o'clock? A.M.? P.M.? I think somebody made it for people. Thank you for making time."

I would be surprised getting this from and English speaking child but from a Korean is even more surprising. I guess I'll keep my eyes open for the next profound event I will witness from my students.

Random Bliss

This past weekend was Memorial weekend in Korea. It's only a week behind ours in the US. So, I decided to live it up over the weekend. Well, it's not that different than normal besides the extra day. But what made this weekend memorable were the people I spent it with.

Friday night, I did the usual. Hung out with the usual crowd, went to the same places, and basically had a usual night. Saturday started out as ladies night and ended with everyone. This was the begining of the special weekend and confidence boost. Lately I have felt that life was getting too routine for me, boring, and just kinda blah. However, after Saturday, I feelt great. It was just a typical night. Got ready with the girls, went downtown, hung out and then went to Bubble Bar. Laura and I decided to buy a bottle of Absolute vodka for ourselves to celebrate out awesomeness and to save some money. We were just chillin by the bar, drinking, and dancing. Then a guy comes up to me to tell me how great I was. He said that out of everyone there, I stood out. He said that he could see how much fun I was and how great of a personality I had just by watching me. He said that he couldn't stop looking at my smile and listening to my laugh. (semi-gag) But, at that momement that's what I really needed to hear.

It's so weird how some random man, at a random time could flip my mood and give me the emotional boost that I had needed and craved. So, I finished the night happily and satisfied.

Sunday, because of the emotional boost, I decided to be brave and go out on a date alone. This is only my second real date. I only met him once before a long time ago so I really couldn't remember him but I said, "What the heck!" It ended up being a really nice date. We had a lot to talk about and had a lot of fun. Afterwards, I went and met up with my friends and had an epic night. I woke up with lime green window marker all over my body with lots of love messages written from my friends. The marker I bought because it glowed with the lights in the bar. Then we just got carried away writing all over everyone. Even random Korean guys walking down the street wanted it. They even went and bought a black permanant marker so that I could write on them and sign it!! Ha ha ha! I'm so famous!

Now, I'm back at work and I don't feel that usual sluggishness of going back to the usual druggery. I feel happy and refreshed physically and emotionally. And it's all thanks to that random Korean man. So, to him, I'd like to say a big thank you. And even though you made me feel great, no you can't have my number. ;-)

Hot Spots in Gwangju

So, after living here for 1.5 years I've pretty much mapped out all the hot spots in Gwangju for nightlife. You can usually find 4-5 hoff's (Korean bars) in one block. So, you will never be lacking in the beer department. But, if you have a craving other than a laid-back beer and want some fun and excitement I have the spots for you.

In the Chundae Humoon area (back gate) there is the foreign bar called Tequilas. It serves up some of the best Mexican food, and the only Mexican food in Gwangju. It's a great place to go and you will always find some foreigners there. There is also the new bar called MC Bar that has been having some musical gigs recently. You'll always get a notice on facebook of some of the local Gwangju bands playing there and it's usually a blast.

If you're in the Chumdan area I would suggest Ice Bar, Solute's, and Game Bar. These aren't necissarily foreigner bars but they are the most popular among the foriegners who live in that area. You will usually find a group of foreigners out every Wednesday nights there. They will start out at Ice Bar with a few "ice" beers. You're beer is served in a cup actually made of ice. When you're finished with it you get to throw the ice at a target for a chance to win a prize. I highly recommend this place. Next, is game bar. It's just down the road form Ice Bar. It's just a bar that has a bunch of games you can play, darts, mini pool, black jack, and some other games. The next place is actually a live hoff (aka kareoke) called Salute's. The owner is extremely kind and speaks English fairly well. He also has two good looking sons who work there!!

The best of the best places to go out, however are downtown. There are numerous foreign bars. There is German Bar and Speakeasy. They are like the small hometown bars that we have back home. A little dark and dingy. Soul Train is another bar that's a little dark but it's a small step up from German and Speaks. The bartenders are all Korean but they speak English ok. There is a pool table there and also darts. Then there is Mix Bar, which is run by DJ Smak. It's more of a modern bar with techno music. Another place like Mix is the pink panty bar (T^2). It's a more modern bar that also plays more club music. They also always have the Victoria Secret Fashion Show playing on big projection screens. And they have cute waiters. I recommend going with some friends because you do sit down at a table. My favorite bar in Gwangju is Bubble Bar. It's owned by JC and has the best bartenders ever, Kiwon and May. The bar is always packed on Friday and Saturday nights. There are great drinks, great friends, and a lot of dancing.

There are also 2 dance clubs in the downtown area, Volume and Houze. Volume has more of a techno flavor to it with green laser lights everywhere. It's a lot of fun. Everyone wears sunglasses and blows whistles. There is also a really fun bartender there who's name is B.I.L.Y., Because I Love You. Houze has more hip-hop/techno music. While people dress more sporty at Volume, the boys at Houz are usually seen wearing a blazer jacket or dressed up nicer. Houze also seems to have a younger crowd but they're both very similar.

If you're new to Gwangju, I suggest going out to Speakeasy, German Bar, or Soul Train first. These are the bars you tend to go to earlier to chat and drink. You can meet some friends and find out where everyone will be going. Those are more the places to meet up. Then you will travel on to the next bar and will most likely end up at Bubble Bar somewhere around 1-2am.

Enjoy your party adventures and make sure you know your address so you can tell the taxi where to drop you off!!

P.S. Try not to pass out in the taxi. Because if you do, they will bring you to the police station where you will have to call someone to get you or wait out your intoxication!! Just a little friendly advice!

WANTED: SPRING BREAK!!!

WANTED: SPRING BREAK
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shayna@e-mail

I'm in desperate need for a spring vacation. The weather is lovely, warm, and sunny. I wake up happy and chipper. However, I go to school and see my students and my mood instantly falls into the gutter! All they have to do is say hello to me and I'm already crabby. This is how I know I'm ready for a vacation from them.

While I was in school, I really looked forward to breaks/vacations from school and were usually needed very much. It was nice to get a mental break even if I didn't do anything special. Then I would come back refreshed and ready to go. I didn't know how much the teachers needed it too. However, at my current job I don't have those vacations. I have a few random days off throughout the year and I have 10 days of vacation I can apply to take, but not all at once.

Since my mental state is disintegrating day by day, I think that I will need to request a vacation soon. Even though I don't have a lot of money to go someplace nice, I think I will take some time off and just play around my apartment, go for walks, go hiking, and just a little R&R! Especially since the cherry blossoms are going to be in full bloom soon, so it will be a nice time to walk around and admire the landscape.

So, hopefully in the next blog I can write about the cherry blossoms that I walked around and saw. Along with pictures.

Geoje Island

Geoje Island is the second largest island in Korea. It's second to Jeju Island and is on the south-eastern shore of Korea. It's about a 3.5 hour drive from Gwangju to our destination in Geoje.

On our drive to Geoje Island, we stopped in Tongyeong. We went on the largest cable car ride in Korea. It was a 10 minute cable ride up the mountain. Then we hiked around for about an hour. It was a lot of fun seeing some of the Korean signs and just watching the Korean people. It's funny how we're the same but those little quirks amuse you so much. ;-) The place that we hiked around was called Hallyeo National Marine Park. It was beautiful and I highly recommend it. You can see many islands including one of Japan's islands. So, litterally, they can see Japan from their backyards!

Then we entered the city and drove past the famous turtle ship replica in Tongyeong Port. It's a beautiful ship and is in the traditional asian ship style. Across the port is Dongpirang Village. It's an area of the town that a bunch of art students painted. The walls, houses, signs, and some of the sidewalks are all painted with different pictures as you hike up to the top of the hill. It was a lot of fun. Everyone was having fun taking pictures with the pictures on the wall. It was all beautiful artwork and it can't help but lift your spirit. I feel that, living in that neighborhood would make you constantly happy. When you reach the top  you're greeted by a beautiful view of the harbor and a fresh sea breeze. We also were lucky, because across the harbor there was a concert going on so it gave an extra festive feel to it. Being the crazy foreigners that we are, we decided to start dancing in the street. We were up on the peak and a buch of passerbys decided to stop and watch the crazy dancing foreigners. It felt like I was putting on a performance. As, dusk approached we decided to head out to our pension and eat dinner because we were all starving at this point.

We stayed in a beautiful, expensive pension. It had two bedrooms with the softest beds, which is very rare for Korea. Korea has the hardest beds I've even slept on! It's equivalent to sleeping on the floor! So, we were very happy with the beds. It also had a kitchen, big flatscreen TV, couch and a private balcony with it's own grill. It was absolutly beautiful.

We busted out the chips and salsa to eat while we grilled our samgyupsal and cooked our rice. We decided to start a squat club. This is because all the ajummas, older women, squat on the side of the street selling their home grown produce. Erin, just recently got engaged to a Korean man and will be staying in Korea. I hope to follow her example. So, we decided that we need to have a squat club to sell our produce together. So, in order to not embarrass ourselves when it comes to squatting time we started our squat training. It's difficult to squat that long!!!

So, eventually the meat and rice are ready and we enjoy dinner. We had samgyupsal, rice, salad, and some strawberries for dessert. Of course, with samgyupsal your also have to partake in a little soju. We had our nice Korean meal and headed inside for a few drinking games. We played a little image game, santa-maria, baskin robins 31, 3-6-9, dalgi, and the flick the soju cap game. Once we wore ourselves out on the Korean games we switched to a modified version of the game of spoons. We called it chopsticks because we used chopsticks. There were 5 girls and one boy playing at this point and it was intense! We had bloody cuts on our hands from nails, broken chopsticks, and elbows in the guts. It was so much fun! Then, it was time to pass out!

In the morning, I was woken up at 9am by Wesley and Jane, two of the Koreans. I don't know why they like to wake up so early! Us foreigners weren't too happy about that. But we got free breakfast from the pension. They had hardboiled eggs, sausage, toast, cereal, orange juice, and milk. This was the most western style breakfast I've ever had here. Usually it kimchi and rice!

The only downer of the trip is that it rained the next day. And I'm not talking just a drizzle either. It poured and was unbelievably windy. So, we decided not to take a ferrry and go around Geoje Island. It would have been miserable. Instead, we decided to head back to Gwangju. However, and hour into our trip back, Wesley, our driver, found out that he left his clothes with his credit cards in the pension. So, we had to drive all the way back and get them. It was terrible because Erin and I get very carsick. So, he prolonged our suffering by two hours!

To make matters worse, by the time we got home it was a beautiful day and would have been perfect for an island tour. But, we'll have to make a second trip to make sure we see everything.

Mentally 21

How old am I? Officially I'm 26 years old this year, 27 in Korean, but I feel as if I'm still 21. I still have the wild crazy streak, unable to make up my mind on what I want to be or where I want to go, and flat-out refusing to grow up and settle down. However, lately I've been experiencing the constant reminders of how old I really am. Friends getting married, their children growing up, and the young boys calling me nuna (older sister). This is forcing me into a state of confusion and uncertainty. I'm forced to once again look toward the future and look within myself and start making decisions. What will I do once this contract is up? Who do I want to be with? Where do I want to live?

For now, I keep trying to put-off the decision making and indulge in the crazy life. Weekends of meeting with friends, dinner, and then late night partying until 6am. I know that I will have to start making the life changing decisions soon but I keep telling myself that I have time. I have 6 months to finish my graduate school application and 5 months to apply for another job in Korea or another country. Maybe I'll just apply to everytyhing forcing my decision to the very last minute. Ha ha ha ha! See, I'm just a young girl at heart procrastinating to the very end!

"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free till they find someone just as wild to run with them." 

I'd have to say that the most childish part of me is my choice in men. I don't know when it happened but somewhere along the line, in Korea, I seemed to have gone boy-crazy. No, not man-crazy, boy-crazy! My first Korean boyfriend was 31 and then after that they got younger and younger. I even went on a date with an 18 year old boy! How did that happen? Why would I even want to do that? Where is the future with a little boy like that? Why would I waste my time? I know, because he was cute!! See, what I mean?! Boy-crazy! I currently have 5-6 boys that I casually date. Nothing serious. Just every once in a while we meet up for a little date. Keep things light, simple, and uncomplicated. More evidence of my immaturity. I refuse to get deeply involved with a man that I'm not sure of. Why put my heart out there unprotected if I'm not sure that it won't get crushed? And really, who wants to settle for someone that doesn't make their heart constantly thump and makes you happy that you're alive and with them. I want someone who thinks I'm perfect the way I am and makes me want to strive to be a better person. I won't settle for anything less and I refuse to get serious with anyone I think is unworthy of my devotion.

"Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies."

I'd have to say that my views on love and relationships is my most immature and complicated thoughts right now. I mean, I have a few choices for my future and I'm sure that I will find the answer soon but when it comes to love I'm completely lost. I don't even know what kind of guy I want! But I keep telling myself that I'll know it when I find it. I just hope that I have one of those earth-shattering revalations like people do in the movies when they meet the person they're supposed to be with. Otherwise I'm totally SOL! But, everyone says not to worry about it. However, I think they're wrong. I think the way that I'm so guarded and fickle is what's stopping me from getting a steady boyfriend. Most of my friends have boyfriends or someone they're in a complicated relationship with. Then, there is me. I really don't have any prospective steady boyfriend candidates and it's all because of my attitude. I'm scared and I think that boys are like dogs. They can sense my fear and aloofnes and decide it's not worth their time to invest in someone who's not totally into it. So, I'm basically screwing myself over. But, how do you change your attitue with something like this? Who wants to get hurt? NOT ME!

So, at this point and time. I'm willing to accept any advice on the matter because I feel like Hansel and Grettle lost in the woods with no bread crumbs to follow out! So, throw me a few crumbs of advice!

Breaking Down

So, as a teacher, I know it can sometimes be incredibly rewarding to see your students absorbing the knowledge you give them but at the same time it's incredibly frustrating.

I teach kids ranging in age from 8-18. I have the full spectrum of the difficulties each age group has to offer. I have the young kids who are hard to reign in and full of energy, the ones that think that the opposite sex has coodies so that they can't be on the same team, and the ones who hate to lose and start to cry and calling me a "bad teacher" because that's the only thing they can really say.

Then, they get a little older and they're a little more obedient but at the same time they rebel behind your back. They're too afraid to be punished but want to look cool in front of their friends.

Then they get older and are just outright disrespectful. I leave the room for a photocopy and come back to writing on  the board that says "play game" and I tell them maybe next time. I'm met with screams, shouts, some start hitting things, and they tell me how "bad" I am. Then, I have to leave again and I come back to "you terrible" written on the board because the lack of game. Then they flat out refuse to do their work and are constantly talking. I try to get them to focus but to no avail. My anger meter is rising.



Feeling I get from teaching these devil children!!



I follow the strict 3 strikes rule in my class. Well, 2 of them got 3 strikes so it was time to fight them out of the classroom. I tell them to leave and go to Mr. Jo's office (the priciple) but they won't get up. They're very afraid now and I told them they should have thought of that earlier. Then I grab them by the arm, now these are 13-14 year old boys so they're difficult to drag, and I try to pull them out. I try and try but it doesn't work. Finally I throw my books on the desk and sit down telling them they need to finish 5 pages in the next 15 minutes or their mothers will all be called.



I needed to get away from the situation so I stepped outside for a bit. I come back in composed and they're throwing their books around. I pick up my books and throw them clear across the room almost hitting one, totally by accident. Then throw my pencils and pens. They all stop and sit down. Clearly the teacher has gone crazy, they're thinking.



So, I start to lecture them saying that I get angry too and that I don't want to study all the time either but they will never ever ever get to play a game when they do things like that. By this time, it's time to leave. So, I give them their homework and send them on their way. On the way out I went to hand some homework to one of my boys but he refused it infront of the principle. Complete disrespect and it was embarrassing for me. He yells at him and the boy tell him in Korean that I physically hurt him and that I was saying "Fuck"! Luckily, I'm smart enough to understand him and yell at him calling him a liar. My priciple doesn't speak English so it's hard to explain. So, basically I look like a big ass because of these little pricks!

Even though I have been here for 1 year and 3 months, this was almost a dealbreaker of a day. It's days like these where I think, "Why the hell should I even care?" These kids don't want to be here and I'm putting in so much time, effort, and emotions. I think that if we don't get a better way to handle these situations I'll have to start looking for a new job. I've been through too much and I'm sick of it!

Spring Is Here

I love Korea! Spring comes soooooo early here. It's February 23rd and the temperature is 56F! It's practically summer compared to Wisconsin, where it is currently 23F! This is where I throw out my evil laugh at all those people living in torture in the state of Wisconsin! Mwuhahahahaha!

You can tell that it's spring time by the smell, the birds, and the way everyone acts. It's like mating season! You notice that all people think about or want seems to be love or a partner. The girls sit on one side of the classroom and giggle about the boys while the boys watch on and gossip about the girls. The middle schoolers just talk about the new school term that starts March 2nd and how they're going to get a boyfriend or girlfriend soon. That's all they want. Then, you see the young adults rutting around. The dance floor is packed at the bars and people are dancing unusually close. Koreans don't usually dance like us foreigners rubbing their bodies all over each other. But, in the spring it's a whole other story! Everyone is getting "frisky"!

I can tell by me because I'm more cheerful and I just want to play outside. I want to get a grill, lawnchair, and have a cold beer while chillin outside making a burger or steak. AWWWWW!!! I love spring!!

The Worst of Korea

So, in my 1 year and 2.5 month stint in Korea I've had some of the best times and made some of my best friends. Growing up they always say that you'll make your friends for life in college because you have a bigger group to choose from and you tend to have the most in commen with them. However, they must never have gone to Korea.

I have made the best friends in Korea. We have so much in common, do everything together, and have shared our happiness and sorrows. Even though we only know each other for a short period of time, we are the best of friends. I've been blessed with two best friends here in Korea. These are two girls that I couldn't imagine my life without. They're the two people who I put perfect trust in. I would never have to worry about talking behind backs or any real problems. For the most part, we haven't even had one disagreement in a year! Now, that's a miracle for girls who are so close.

However, with this happiness comes the sadness. I've known Kristina for about a year and we've become so close but now, in two weeks, she will be leaving Korea forever. This is the worst about Korea for those of us who choose to stay. We create tight-knit groups of friends who share everything but one day they will leave. I'm lucky, that this is my first real friend leaving Korea. But, it's a heartbreaking experience. The farewells are killers.

Kristina will be traveling to Taiwan, the Phillipines, and then back to NY. Later, she will most likely be joining her friend in Taiwan to teach there for another year. I think, once you get a taste for this lifestyle it's hard to give up. I am happy that she's staying near so that I can take a trip over there when I save some money. I mean, what's a little trip to Taiwan?! We will reunite, party, gossip, and then I will have to be on my merry way back to Korea, home. In a few years, I'm sure we will see each other again and be friends as if we never parted ways. Now, those are true friends.

I'm a very lucky girl so that I can truely say this is the worst of Korea. Losing a friend to another country. However, I shouldn't look at it as losing a friend because I know that we will always be friends. These people are my true soul-mates. With the love for adventure, travel, and the unknown. These people, I will always remember.

So, to those I've had to say good-bye to already and to those who I will soon see off, I've had a great time getting to know you, I'm happy to have met you, and I hope to reunite one day!

Vanlentine's Day in Korea

I'm celebrating my second Valentine's Day since I've been in Korea. I, of course, am celebrating it alone again. However, it's not as lonely as it would be in the states. The children here just call it chocolate day.

The major difference in Valentine's Day in Korea is that the girls give the boys chocolate. Their either make them chocolate or they buy special chocolates and give it to the boy they like. It's like a small confession of love. However, since I teach at an academy I don't get to see the kids give out chocolates to the boys they like. :-(

However, I was slightly suprised when I met two of my students right outside my apartment and they gave me chocolate and wished my a happy Valentine's Day. When I got to school was was given a larg amount of chocolates by all my students. Of course, they were all girls. And the boys ran up to me screaming for chocolate. I felt terrible that I had forgotten this useless holiday and didn't have any chocolates to give out. I guess I won't be getting any chocolates from the boys on White Day, March 14th.

I feel a little sad that I don't really know the traditions of older people on Valentine's Day. I just know what the younger kids do. Maybe next year I will learn when I have a boyfriend to spend it with. But for now, I'm happy with receiving chocolates from my kids.

Lost

Recently I've been giving my future a lot of thought. What do I want to be, what do I want to do, where do I want to go, do I want to have a boyfriend, and basically what's going to happen to me in a year. I have 10 months left on my contract with my current school. After that, I have no idea what's going to happen. So, I wanted to throw my ideas out there and see what other people think.

1. Stay in Korea teaching English
1. Stay at the same school
2. Change schools in the same city
3. Change cities
2. Stay in Korea and go to GIST grad school
3. Teach English in Taiwan
4. Teach English in Japan
5. Move back to America (somewhere)
1. Go to grad school
2. Find a real job

I just don't know what I want to do. There are a lot of pro's and con's of each one of them. Kristina, one of my best friends is moving in a month and will probably go to Taiwan. Mandy, one of my other best friends will most likely stay for a third year here. I don't really think that I'm finished traveling yet to move back to America. As for grad school, I don't know if that's what I really want to be anymore so it won't be worth it to go there yet. As for Japan and Taiwan, I will make better money in Korea plus I get free flights.

So, that's the basic information. If you have any comments feel free to make them. I need some help sorting it all out. It is nice that I have some time to think about it. However, I will have to make a decision within 6 months. I don't know why, but this decision seems more imortant and deserves more thought than when I first decided to move here. I guess it's because I'm two years older and need to start thinking about the future. Man it sucks getting old!

Soccer 축구

So, let's be realistic, soccer isn't exactly popular back in the states. I mean, when you have the action of football, the fun of baseball, and the excitement of basketball, you don't really have room for a sport you don't really understand. I mean, they have crazy rules to this game and just run around kicking things with little contact.

However, after coming to Korea and experiencing the World Cup, I've changed my mind. I'd have to say that watching the World Cup in Korea was one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had. It was way more intense than the Super Bowl. I mean, we were all packed in bars trying to watch the game on the big screen. Everyone sports the red shirt, devil horns, face paint, and the Korean flag as a cape. Every steal, attempted shot, and foul is followed by an eruption of raw emotion, good or bad. Saying it was intense is an understatement. It's too bad that it ended early for both Korea and the U.S. But, we still have the Asian Cup.

So, last night I made the trek over to Chumdan, which costed me 10,000won ($10) by taxi. Just to experience the game with some of my good friends at the Game Bar. We started the night out with our red shirts and a beer. The game was pretty exciting because it was Korea vs. Japan. And we all know about Japan occupying Korea and how Koreans still haven't forgiven them. So, it was a huge game. It was also the game to decide who plays in the championship. So, there was a lot riding on this game. We watched the game with a mix of emotions. It was 1:1 and went into overtime. Japan scored early on and we were ready to leave and admit defeat but something told us to stay. Luck was with us because in the last moments Korea made a goal and tied it up in overtime. Then it went to penalty kicks and we had a glorious defeat.

So, feeling down and out we decided to head over to Salutoe's, a popular kareoke bar that we happen to know the owner of, and sing it off. Oh man! What a good choice. It was packed full of young Korean men who were also there to sing off the loss. So, we sang and drank a few rounds and repaired our broken hearts. I guess, there is always next time!