A Year and Some Change

December 13th marks our 1-year anniversary of being in Korea.  I can't believe it's already been one whole year!  It's pretty bitter-sweet.  We've met some amazing and interesting people and have seen some pretty neat things.  But, I think it's the right decision to move on.

As the days until our departure draw near, the realization that we are leaving has started to hit home.  Last week, we got letters in the mail that I'm sure everyone gets as their visas get closer to expiring.

Ok, Korea - we get it!  :)

Though we are leaving Korea, it is not the end of our journey.  Our last day of teaching is December 15th and we fly back to the States December 17th.  Then, at the beginning of February (no specific date yet), we will be off again.  This time we are heading to Beijing, China to again teach English.

So, in light of these changes, I decided that my blog needed to change a bit too.  First of all, you might have noticed the title change of my blog.  I picked this title for two reasons:

1.  Though thousands of people have lived and taught in a foreign country, it is definitely not the norm; and
2.  The quote comes from Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by."  I know my fellow Woodsies (girls who attended Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College http://www.smwc.edu/)  out there understand exactly what I'm talking about.  This was pretty much our school's moto.

Second, I changed the background for no other reason than because I was bored with the old one.

The last change is going to come from me.  I hope to start posting more frequently.  And, I hope to start doing some video blogs.

I am so thankful to those of you reading my blog!  If you aren't already a follower, please scroll to the top of this page and under the heading "Followers", please click "Join this site".

Again, thank you for reading!  I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Pressure!

Last Thursday (11/10/11), 4th years (equivalent to high school seniors) took their college entrance exam.  I've read that more than 80% of the 4th years attend university.  This test determines where they will go to university and what they will do with their life.  That is a huge weight on one's shoulders!  Fourth years spend months preparing for this test.

Earlier this year, I "tutored" a 4th year for 30 minutes twice a week over the phone.  We basically had a conversation in English to help him with his speaking skills.  We stopped talking in September so that he could concentrate on studying for this test.  I'm sure he did very well because he's very smart!  :)

I have come across the following videos that you might find interesting.  I sure did!  The first one I stole from a friend who posted it on Facebook.  The second one was a recommended video since I watched the first one.  (I hope that makes sense!)

11/11/11 (Pepero Day)

In the United States, November 11th is a special day.  It's Veterans' Day.  We remember those who died for our country and honor those who have served and are still serving.  So, if any of you are Veterans and are reading this post -- THANK YOU!

In Korea, November 11th is also a special day.  It's called Pepero Day.  Pepero Day is a day similar to Valentine's Day in the U.S.  A company called Lotte made up the day to make money (that's the quick explanation).  Pepero is a non-salted pretzel-like stick coated in chocolate.  If you stand up five of the sticks next to each other, they resemble the date 11/11.

Zach and I got a few boxes of Pepero from our students.  I took some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about....

On anther note with it being 11/11/11 -- I stole this news article that a friend posted on Facebook.

Number priority for some Korean mums is "111111"

Expecting mothers in South Korea have inundated hospitals with requests for a Caesarean section delivery on November 11 to secure the unique life-long identity number of "111111" for their children.

The Korean Resident Registration Number, an identification number for all residents in Korea, is composed of 13 numbers with the first six numbers corresponding to the date of birth.

The number of appointments for c-section births on November 11 was 20 per cent higher this year than previous years. Expecting mothers who are due even a week after the date have scheduled to give birth on November 11, Seoul Newspaper said.

"There's always people with due dates in January who want to deliver on the first of the month, but this seems more unusual - trying to set delivery so they can have the ID number 111111," a staffer at a maternity clinic was quoted as saying.

November 11 is known as Pepero Day, or Sweetest Day, in South Korea and is similar to Valentine's Day. It was named after the Korean snack Pepero, because the date 11/11 resembles five sticks of Pepero.

- Reuters

Seoul in Autumn

Zach and I had November 4th off work so we had a long weekend!  We took the opportunity to, once again, go to Seoul.  We only had one thing on our agenda and that was to take pictures for our Christmas cards.  After that, we were just going to spend the whole weekend relaxing and enjoying Seoul.

We started our weekend by going to Namsangol Hanok Village to take pictures.  When we arrived we noticed that there was a competition going on.  So, we decided to stay and watch for a few minutes.

That evening we decided to be low-key so we posted up at the Starbucks down the street from our hotel.  Before going back to our room, we thought we would walk around for a bit.  To our surprise, it was opening night of the Seoul Lantern Festival and it was just two blocks from our hotel!

The next day, Zach went to a Baduk/Go club (a game he plays) and I set out to enjoy some of the palaces and whatever else I could find.  The first one I went to was Gyeonghuigung Palace.  The fall leaves were so vibrant!  Near the entrance to the palace was the Seoul Museum of Art which happened to have the Seoul Photo Festival.

Then, I walked to Gyeongbokgung Palace.  On my way there, I saw people dancing in the street.

After that, I went to Deoksugung Palace.  Again, the trees were so beautiful!

On my way to meet up with Zach, I stopped to check out the Gyeongbuk Smile Apple Festival.

After a wonderful day of sightseeing, Zach and I spent the evening at a bar across from the Seoul Lantern Festival and people-watched!

It was just another wonderful weekend in Seoul!

Sam Teacher - Baby?

No, I am NOT pregnant!!!  Just throwing that out there in case you had ANY question in your mind....!!!

This week marks 10 months of us being in Korea.  And, for those 10 months, we have had the same students in class.  Sure, new students have come and some have left but for the most part, we have had the same students.  That's why I'm still amazed when the students ask if I'm married and their jaws nearly hits the floor after they learn the answer - for the 4th time.

This is usually how the conversation goes:

Student:  Teacher, how old are you?
Me:  I'm 24.
Student:  Boyfriend?
Me:  I'm married....to Zach Teacher.
Students:  Awwwww??!!!! (It's mass confusion by this time.)

Some students will go as far as to ask if we kiss, but I usually divert the conversation to something else.  The very next question is usually:

Student: Teacher, baby?!
Me:  No, I do not have a baby (and I put my arms in front of my chest and cross them - a sign of 'no').

Today, this 'baby' question confused my youngest students immensely!  First off, they know VERY little English.  They know, "My name is..." and "It's a .....".  Korea, as far as I can tell, is still pretty "old fashioned" about marriage and children.  Once you get married, you have kids.  The end.  So, my young students couldn't believe that Zach and I don't have a baby.  They just didn't believe me!  I finally had to draw a picture of me and a picture of Zach on the board.  Then I drew a baby and crossed it out.  Then one girl asked about moms and dads.  I told her they were in the United States.  One of the boys said, "baby in United States?"  They just didn't get it!  haha!

I'm sure this conversation will come up at least a couple more times before we leave and it will be just as confusing to them then as it is now.  :)

Some of our Korean counterparts also don't understand why we don't have children.  We tell them just as we tell everyone else who asks us, "We don't want kids now, but maybe in the future - maybe not."  Yes, I know, babies are wonderful gifts.  However, we want to be selfish for the moment (and maybe forever) and not bring kids into this world.  We are having too much fun!  --Just in case you were wondering!  :)

Eating Dog Meat

Reader Discretion Is Advised


So, we finally did it!  Zach and I finally ate dog meat for the first time.  We decided two days ago that we would go with some Korean friends so they could tell us all about it.  I'm not going to lie, I have wanted to try dog meat the entire ten months we've been here.

When I first heard about people eating dogs, I was repulsed.  But the more I thought about it, the more appealing it was.  We eat cattle, pigs, chicken, and a variety of other animals. Why not dog?  This dog was not raised as a pet but raised to be consumed.  So, why not?!

Koreans call dog meat 'gaegogi'.  It is mainly eaten in the summer months because it is thought to cool the body.  The guys we went with also said it is good for stamina.....  I guess we'll have to wait and see...  :)

I was really excited that I was going to try dog meat!  I kept telling myself to think of it as another animal.  I'm sure it can't be that bad.  A friend of ours tried it for the first time last week and he said it was ok but that it was chewy.  I knew I could handle it.

So, tonight we went!  Here are the pictures.

This is dog skin.  I was a little scared to try it, but it doesn't really have a taste. 

This is "premium" dog meat.  It apparently comes from the mid-section of the dog - from around the rib area. 

You eat it by putting it on lettuce and adding sauces and other garnishes. 

This is dog soup - not made with "premium" meat.

I ate two pieces of the "premium" meat on lettuce.  It was pretty good except that it was chewy.  When I tried the soup, my first thought was, "this tastes like turkey".  The more I ate though, the tougher it was for me to put in my mouth.  I tried not to think that I was eating dog, but not thinking about it didn't work so well. I ate what I could and left the rest.  I felt really bad about wasting it, but I just couldn't stomach it any more.

I'm glad I tried it even if I didn't particularly care for it!  Zach liked it and would probably eat it again if he had the chance.  Honestly, I would recommend it if you would like to try it....

Soju - Korea's Vodka

Just the other day, Rachel (my sister) asked me about Korean alcohol.  First of all, after 9 months of being here, I can't believe this topic has never been discussed.  Secondly, I thought that I might as well write about it on here to share it with all of you.  Drinking is such a huge part of Korean culture.


Soju is native to Korea and pretty comparable to Vodka.  I am pretty lazy and don't really want to get into the history and all that with you so I am providing a link to Wikipedia (shhh...don't tell my college professors!).  Here's a short little summary of Soju:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soju

From first-hand accounts (not my hand), I know that Soju can be "deadly".  It will definitely sneak up on you when you least expect it - around 6am when you are just leaving the bars (yes, the bars are still open at 6am) or a noraebang (a karaoke room).  I hear that the hangover is just terrible!

 There are many brands of Soju

 You can mix Soju with Coca-Cola

 You can mix Soju with bear.

"somaek"

Soju - Maekju (bear)

You can mix Soju with orange juice.

My personal favorite is Soju mixed with a fruity drink.  Anyway you drink it, you are sure to have a good time!  :)

Air-Raid Sirens

On August 17th, I received an e-mail from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul entitled: Civil Defense Drill on August 18, 2011.  Here is part of the e-mail:

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is transmitting the following information as a public service to all U.S. citizens in the Republic of Korea.

Seoul Metropolitan Police authorities advised the Embassy that on Thursday, August 18, at approximately 2:00 p.m. an air-raid siren will sound for one minute to signal the start of a nationwide civil defense drill.  Pedestrians in open and public areas should seek shelter in nearby buildings or subway stations.  All drivers/vehicles on the road must pull over and come to a complete stop. At approximately 2:15 p.m. a second siren will sound, signaling the conclusion of the drill.  Local authorities will give further instructions if necessary.

This has happened several times since we've been here, but this is the first time I have gotten an e-mail about it.  The first time we experienced it was our very first full day in Korea.  We were a little worried, to say the least.  Now, it's not so concerning.

I uploaded a 30-second video on YouTube.com which has the siren.  Sorry for the poor quality -- I was walking to work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGwsUF7FNmw

Language Fail

Background
Zach and I know very little (I mean VERY little) Spanish even though we both took it in college.  However, we occasionally break out into Spanish with one- or two-word phrases.  Instead of 'thank you' I say 'gracias'.  If I want to say 'yes' sometimes I will say 'si'.

After being in Korea for only a few days and not knowing any Korean, I would fall back on Spanish words knowing full well that 99% of Koreans probably have no knowledge of the Spanish language.  Instead of saying 'sorry' in Korean, I would want to say 'lo siento'.  I still don't know the word for 'sorry' in Korean and continue to want to use 'lo siento'.

Story
Zach and I were waiting for the metro in Seoul last week and a guy who obviously wasn't Korean approached us.  I don't remember if he said 'hola' but he started to speak to us in Spanish and asked us if we spoke Spanish.  I replied (in Spanish) 'just a little'.  I was soooo excited to speak Spanish while being in Korea.  He went on to tell us (in Spanish) that he was a missionary from Peru.  We had a small conversation.  We understood what he was saying just fine.  I (being our spokesperson) had a slightly harder time responding but I managed just fine.  Needless to say, I was very impressed with myself and just so excited to be speaking Spanish to this man!

Right before he left, he asked us one more question (I don't even remember what it was) that required a yes or no answer.  That's easy, right?  You either say 'si' or 'no'.  In my total cockiness of talking to this guy, I reply 'nay' which is 'yes' in Korean.  FAIL!  haha.  I caught myself right away and replied 'si'.

So, I'm speaking Spanish to Koreans and Korean to Peruvians.  ahhhhh!

Juk (Korean Porridge)

Juk, or Korean porridge, is a food that I have come to love when I'm not really in the mood for anything in particular.  I was first introduced to juk by my boss when I had bronchitis a few months ago.  I was told that Juk is great to eat when you are sick.  It's very similar to the idea of chicken noodle soup in the States.

According to Wikipedia (I know, I know....Wikipedia....), Juk is made with plain white rice and can include varieties of different ingredients including milk, vegetables, seafood, nuts, and other grains.  From my experience, it isn't very flavorful.  However, I really like the taste of the tuna juk that I regularly get.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee#Korea)

 My tuna juk.

The take-out bag.

The portion is really big and is usually enough for two full meals.  Then, after the container is washed, it is great to use as a left-over container.  Our cabinet is full of juk containers!  Who needs Rubbermaid?  lol

Loose Teeth

Before we came to South Korea, we had to meet with the South Korea Consulate in Chicago.  There, we met several other people who doing the same thing we were doing.  We exchanged contact information with two of the people we met: Doug and Sara.  (By the way Doug and Sara, if you are reading this, we need to meet up sometime and catch up.)

Anyway, Sara has a blog that I read.  About two weeks ago, she wrote a post and the title of it was "I'm not just a teacher, I'm also the tooth fairy!!"  In her story, she stated that she helped pull out one of her student's teeth.  I thought it was a cute story.  Here is the link to her story if you are interested: http://sara-avadarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/im-not-just-teacher-im-also-tooth-fairy.html

Well, earlier this week, I had my own run-in with a student having a loose tooth.  His name is Si-Woo and he is in my phonics class.  Si-Woo had his hand in his mouth the entire class.  He was wiggling and pulling on that tooth trying to get it to come out.  That's when I thought of Sara's story.  However, unlike Sara, I was not about to pull out Si-Woo's tooth.  In fact, I got weak in the knees and had to sit down.  All of the kids were laughing at me because it was making me dizzy seeing him trying to pull out his own tooth.

That is not like me - getting dizzy and weak over something so small!  I mean, I am a blood donor.  I love watching medical shows where you see blood and guts.  But something about him messing with his tooth just did not settle with me.

I was worried about the next day in class.  But as luck would have it, he pulled it out that night!  Ever since that tooth incident, my students (some of whom were not even in that phonics class) come up to me pretending they are pulling out teeth.

I hope there are no more teeth incidents.  And, I would like to commend Sara for pulling out her student's tooth!  You are a braver person than I!  :)

Life in Korea is Such a Cliche

We've been in Korea for 6 months now!  Some days it's hard to believe six months have gone by and some days I can't believe it's only been six months.

Some of my more advanced classes are learning idioms so this entry will be full cliches, euphemisms, and figures of speech about things I have experienced, heard about, or witnessed.  Besides, truth is stranger than fiction!

All dressed up and nowhere to go

Fashion is a huge part of Korean life.  Women even go hiking in heals...

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Maybe not an apple, but take your Vitamin C and drink some hot tea and you are good to go.

An arm and a leg

Trying to eat American food instead of Korean food can cost an arm and a leg.

At the last minute

This happens at school.  Sometimes the schedule will change but you won't be told until the very last minute.

Bass Ackwards

I can't think of a particular example, but are times when I think things can be done in a totally different way. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Apparently if you don't have an egg-shaped face, big eyes, high nose, and white skin (no tan), you are not beautiful...

To have a bright future

This is the reason I have a job in Korea.  Parents want their kids to have bright futures so they send them to hagwons (after-school schools).

Close call

I think this every time I am in a taxi.  I am surprised I've never been in a wreck.  It can get pretty scary at times especially when running red lights.

To come out of the closet

Homosexuality "doesn't exist" in Korea.

Drunk as a skunk

...at 7:00pm.  Drinking is a hobby here.  I have seen so many people staggering down the street before the sun goes down.

Home is where you hang your hat

I consider where we live home.

A hop, skip and a jump

You can get anywhere in Korea within a few hours.

I can't stomach that

Some of the food here I don't think I can even try.  I've eaten octopus but I don't think I can eat live squid.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times

"Don't speak Korean!"  I say this to my classes over and over and over...again.

If the shoe fits, wear it

Because you probably won't find another pair in your size for a while.  :) 

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step

We took that step and are glad we did!

The more the merrier

If you're going to a Noreabong (Korean karaoke room).

None of your business

Unless you are asked your age or blood type.

Nothing to write home about

Those of you at home are probably thinking, "that's a big lie.  You are in a different country.  How could you not have things to write about?"  We'll, this life has become my norm and not everything is a huge deal...

Old habits die hard

I desperately want to tell people "bless you" when they sneeze, but they just don't do that here.

Stop on a dime

Buses do this and that is why we take the train when going to Seoul.  I get motion sickness. 

Take a leak

...wherever you please.  I've seen my share of men peeing in broad daylight on busy streets.

Take a picture, it will last longer

We get stared at a lot! 

The best things in life are free

There is a term here called "service".  If you order a pizza, you might get a Coke for free.  Order lots of alcohol at a bar, you might get fruit.  Odd bar snack, I know.  But, it's kind of nice!

There ought to be a law against that

Scooters and mopeds should not be allowed to drive on the sidewalks!!! 

The time of your life

It's what I'm having!! 

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach

Bring food to share at work and you are loved by all. 

What's up with that?

A question I ask daily! 

You lost me

How I feel daily.

It's been a great six months and I hope the next six months are even better!

Thank you!

As many of you are aware, Zach and I celebrated our 2-year wedding anniversary on June 6th.  June 6th also happens to be Korea's Memorial Day so we had an extended weekend.  We took the opportunity to spend the weekend in Seoul in a nice hotel that we probably spent too much on.  That's ok, it was worth it!

This is the hotel we stayed in.

We decided that we were not going to plan anything and just have a relaxing weekend.  When we emerged from our subway exit, I immediately saw a Hooters.  So, we ate there for dinner.  Then we walked around the area and found a really nice Irish Pub.  The next day we ate pizza, sat at a coffee shop, and went to see X-Men.  Monday we ordered room service for breakfast and ordered two movies to our room: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Tron Legacy.  Like I said: Relaxing.


I didn't really write to tell you about our weekend.  I wanted to write to thank all of our friends and family for being there for us and supporting us.  Yes, a marriage is between two people, but without friends and family being there, marriage wouldn't be so easy (some days it's easier than others).  Though we may be thousands of miles (kilometers - I'm trying to get in the habit of saying) away, we couldn't do this without each one of you supporting us.  


I am so happy and blessed to be sharing my life with such a wonderful man!


So, Thank you!

Welcome to Korea!

On Friday, May 6th we welcomed a visitor from the U.S.  Zach's niece, Heather, is staying with us until Monday, May 23rd!  We are so excited to have her here!

Last weekend, we stayed around town but this weekend and next we are heading to Seoul.  We have next Friday off work so we will have a long weekend!  So, I will post more about our travels at a later time.  Here are some pictures from this past weekend.  Enjoy!

Korean toilet

This weekend, I had a few "run-ins" with one aspect of Korea that I am not thrilled about: a traditional Korean toilet.

To start this off, I must dedicate this post to my Woodsie friends, especially Carolyn Ouellet, Danielle Schiewer, Allison Ouellet, and Sara Herbig.  My first year of college, there was a certain international student who freaked me out in the communal bathroom on 3 North in Le Fer Hall.  One day, I thought I was alone in the two-stall bathroom because I didn't see any feet on the floor.  All of a sudden, a pair of legs drop down to the floor.  She had been squatting on the toilet!  That was my first experience with squatting and toilets - I've had 3 experiences since.  :)

My first personal experience with a toilet and squatting was at the hospital when I arrived in Korea.  We had to have a "check-up" before we were given our residence cards.  Anyway, part of that required a urine sample.  I took my cup into the bathroom and found a toilet on the floor.  I had done some research before I came to Korea, but had never experienced one before, especially not to pee in a cup.

It's actually not as bad as it seems.  It's just a little uncomfortable and takes a little balance, as you can image.  Below is a picture of the toilet I've been talking about.  I did not take this photo but got it off the internet.  These are not very common, as I've only had to use three in the four months I've been here.  I just wanted you to be aware.  :)

Korea's Next Top Models

This past weekend, three friends and I went to a Plum Festival (Gwangyang Maehwa Festival).  The following is a description of the festival from the Official Site of Korea Tourism website: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=700153

This festival takes place at Maehwa Village near Gwangyang city in the Daap-myeon region of Jeollanam-do province. The area is famous for having the largest amount of Japanese apricot trees in Korea, and in fact the village takes its name from these trees. When the maehwa trees bloom they produce beautiful white flowers, known as ume flowers. The sight of these trees blooming throughout Maehwa Village and the surrounding Baegum Mountain is very picturesque, and every year people come from all around to walk beneath the blossoming trees and to purchase the organic maehwa (apricot) products that are produced in the region.

You can also visit the actual Plum Festival website at: http://www.gwangyang.go.kr/maehwa/.  Though the website is in Korean, you can click on the 4th section of the banner to see professional pictures from the festival.

Here are a few pictures that I took.

So, why the title of Korea's Next Top Models?  My friend, Anna, and I were the only foreigners at the festival as far as I could tell.  As we were looking at a traditional Korean home, a photographer stopped the two of us and asked us to pose at the house.  He had us do several different poses.  Other people were polite and stayed out of the way so that he could take our picture.  One kid who probably spoke limited English even told us to "smile".

As we were leaving the house area, we had to climb a relatively steep hill.  At the top of the hill were more people with cameras.  Not wanting to be in the scene and ruin their pictures, Anna and I stepped to the side.  Oh, but that wasn't what they wanted.  They wanted us to be in the picture.  They had us go half-way down the hill 3-4 times so they could get some good shots of us talking up the hill and talking to each other.  Again, people stayed out of our way in order for the men to take our picture.  We felt like celebrities!  haha!  Anna and I both agreed that we are going to have to start working on our runway walks!  lol!

Curing the Flu

Most of this will be background information that may or may not be relevant to the story.

On Friday, Zach and I went out for dinner and a movie.  It was supposed to be an early night because the next morning I had to get up at 5:00am to meet the bus that would take me to the mountain so I could go skiing.  Well, that early night did not happen.  First, I just couldn't fall asleep.  I've gotten used to going to bed at 1:00am or 2:00am every night.  Second, I felt a little sick.  Once I fell asleep (for about 4 hours), I felt fine and couldn't wait to go skiing!

The bus ride to the mountain took about 2 hours.  Not a big deal except I get motion sickness and the driver kept speeding up then breaking.  Let me tell you, it was a long ride!  But, we finally got to the mountain and breathing in the fresh air made everything better!  Since I'm talking about skiing, I will show you some pictures....

It was a great day!  Then, I had to get back on the bus.  :(   I felt just as sick as before!  This time, however, I fell asleep for part of the ride which helped!  That evening at home, I still didn't feel much better.  I thought food would help but it really didn't.  I went to bed feeling a little sick again.

It rained all day on Sunday so we stayed in and pretty much did nothing except for laundry.  That night I went to bed feeling even worse.  Early Monday morning I got sick (sorry).  I had to be in at work at 2:30pm.  I wasn't sure how I was going to survive.  I took a shower and got ready for work which took all of my energy.  There is a grocery store below our school so I decided that I would pick up some Cider (Sprite) and take my Saltines into work.

The walk to school wasn't that bad.  I think the fresh air helped.  I got to school and ate some Saltines and drank Cider.  Two of the teachers (the two that speak English) asked what was wrong and I told them.  About 15 minutes later, one of the teachers came over and asked to shake my hand.  I thought that was weird but whatever!  She started to massage my hand and doing the pressure point thing.  Ok!  I get the pressure point thing.  Then, the other teacher came over and started hitting me on the back telling me it was ok if I burped.  I wasn't afraid of burping.  I was afraid of getting sick all over the teacher massaging my hand.  I was feeling a little better until she whacked me on the back.

I just don't understand.  I am not saying that what they did was wrong, I was just not expecting it!!  haha!

Anyway, I'm feeling much better today!

One more funny story.  Zach and I went to the pharmacy to pick me up some antacids because when I start to worry about things, my stomach starts acting up.  Tums were my friends in the U.S.  Anyway, we went to the pharmacist to ask for antacids.  He asked me what my symptoms were and then recommended that I get antacids....  Duh!  That's what I asked for in the first place!  haha!

Oh well, they mean the best and I am grateful for that, but...well, you understand, right?!

"that point"

I think it's official.  I've hit "that point".  You know, that point where I think, "what am I doing?!"  Don't get me wrong, I do NOT regret what I'm doing.  We were told in our TESOL/TESL/TEFL course that this would happen.

I'm not really homesick (sorry if I offended anyone by saying that).  I do miss my friends and family but not to the point where I want to come home because of it.  I think the newness of being in a foreign county is wearing off and the monotony of everyday life is setting in.

As some of those closest to me often heard, I used to say that I hated kids.  That wasn't really true.  I just knew that I didn't want any of my own in the near future.  I was also happy to be able to escape the kids if it got too much for me.  Who would have ever thought that I would be a teacher?!

Well, here I am.  I do like my job and I like the kids most of the time.  I'm just having a difficult time.  As most teachers who teach students a different language, I am having a hard time getting the kids to stop speaking their native language (in this case, Korean).  In fact, I am having a difficult time getting them to stop talking, period!  They just don't have the respect for the "foreign" teacher as they do for the Korean teacher.  I knew that would be a problem going into it, but it's different being in the middle of it.

It's also hard because Zach and I have a slight difference in our schedules.  Mondays and Tuesdays, I have to be at school at 2:35pm and end at 9:15pm.  I am not teaching the entire time, I have a break.  Zach has to be there at 3:00pm and ends at 9:15pm.  Not too bad, right?  On Wednesdays and Thursdays, I have to be at school at 2:35pm and I end at 6:45pm.  Zach has to be there at 3:00pm and doesn't end until 10:10pm.  He goes in at basically the same time as me but stays about 3 1/2 hours longer.  He doesn't blame me, because it is obviously not my fault, but it just doesn't seem fair.  I know that it's just a way of life, but I feel bad about the situation.

Zach and I also have different of ideas of what to do on the weekends.  I would rather be around as few people as possible.  Don't get me wrong, everyone I have met here I really like.  But, after the week with the kids, I just don't want to be around people all the time.  Zach feels like he is isolated from the world; he wants to be around as many people as possible.  It's hard to find that middle.  I need to stop being so anti-social.  Deep down, I want to hang out with people.  Like I said, I really like everyone I have met here so far!  I know that Zach and I don't have to do everything together.  That's the point.  We are together all the time.  I love him, but separation is good too.

Anyway, I don't want to bore you with all of my problems, but I thought I would give you an update of my thoughts.  Hopefully I pass this "point" fairly quickly!!  I know it will happen, I just need to put effort into helping myself pass it!

Lunar New Year Activities

February 2-6, 2011 was a holiday for us so we decided to take a trip to Seoul, the capital of South Korea.  We saw a lot of neat things and places -- some on purpose and some by accident!!!  We didn't really have an agenda when we got there, but it turned out to be a really great vacation!!!

Highlights:
The East Gate
Cheonggyecheon (waterway)
Dongdaemun History and Culture Park
(Former President) Johan M. Chang's House
National Museum of Korea and Special Exhibition Gallery (Silk Road)
Traditional houses
Changgyeongung Palace

The East Gate

Cheonggyecheon

(For those of you in the Jasper-area reading this, it's like the River Walk except with A LOT more history.)

Dongdaemun History and Culture Park

(This is also the area where we took the subway to and from our hotel.)

This is one of the places we found by accident.  We were looking for the Community Center and looked up and saw a sign about the Former President's house.  We thought, "What the heck" and checked it out.  We were the only ones there and the "guide" spoke very little English, but we got some cool pictures out of it!

 (Former President) Johan M. Chang's House

 National Museum of Korea and Special Exhibition Gallery (Silk Road)

 Performances for the New Year

Lots of kids were wearing traditional clothing all weekend.

 Found some traditional housing

 Changgyeonggung Palace

There are a TON of pictures that I could have put on here, but it would have taken me days.  Zach literally took over 100 pictures of just the Changgyeonggung Palace!

We had an amazing time and agree that we will have to travel to Seoul every weekend we get a chance, especially in the spring and summer.

To see more pictures, please visit my Facebook page!!!!