Korea-Japan Festival 2010

We all know Korea and Japan have a long and brutal history together. Even today there is still a lot of deep tension between the two nations. But in recent years the Korean ministry of culture and tourism have tried to present a friendlier image between the two nations. One of the ways seems to be this annual festival. This year the Korea-Japan Festival took place in Jongno at the Seoul Plaza and near the Cheongye stream.

Although I was super tired when I went and it ended up raining on me (I had no umbrella) I tried to make the most of it.

I made my way to the Cheongye Plaza stage, but since I was early it seemed like there were just rehearsals going on.

Actually, to tell you the truth I had realized when I got there that I had forgotten to take my wallet. Before I left that morning I switched purses from my small one to my big one and somehow remembered my camera, iPod and phone but not my wallet. So there I was thinking, that there was no way I was going to be able to eat or get something to drink. I didn't worry too much about the eating part since I was meeting JH afterwards, but the missing water part got to me. I hate getting dehydrated.

That is why I will commend Seoul for being accommodating in this situation. At first I looked for free water bottle handouts, that I thought the festival might provide. Yet, I didn't see anyone giving out such things. Then as I was walking towards the Seoul Plaza I saw a tourist information booth and saw that inside they had a water fountain. I stopped by for a couple of cups.

It is something you may not know but you can actually find free water in this way. If I were to go into a building I might also be able to locate their water fountains as well. At one point I managed to get hold of a paper cup and held on to it.

Moving on, I made my way to the Seoul Plaza. In fact, this was my first time going to this place. I always just saw it pass by me while riding the bus. Nowadays at the entrance area there is this picture theme going on, which has people put up randomly to look like they are holding hands.

The Plaza itself was buzzing here and there with people checking out the booths. Nothing was happening yet on the stage and I approached some tables with a crowd around it.

One could have taken part in origami folding or trying on a kimono.

Apparently, these tables were set up for a cold-noodle eating contest. I arrived as the participants were waiting and the staff or volunteers were busy setting it up.

I figured something would happen in a while, so I walked around the other booths as I waited. There were a lot of tourist booths set up representing different districts of Japan.

I came back to the tables and things were getting on their way. The participants lined up in front of the noodles and the countdown began. The next thing you knew people were quickly eating.

Afterward there was a lot of counting and then celebration. As this went on a few older folks who were a part of the watching crowd walked over to the tables and helped themselves to the left overs. This one older lady helped herself to the noodles and at the same time kept on repeating "delicious" (in Korean). It was a kind of funny site because the people around her knew that it was meant for the contest. But no one said anything to her. One couple laughed quietly together as she walked away.

Things looked like they were pretty much over at this part so I turned around. I saw a group of performers making their way to the stage area.

I waited a little bit more and then the performances got under way. First it was a performance of biwa (short-neck lute). I enjoyed watching, but the rain started to come down. I stuck it out to get some videos taken.

Enjoy the following very short video. I say "short" because the rain, plus having no money and feeling gunshot tired made me realize I should be moving on. Of course I wish I saw the rest of the show. Guess I will have to try and be more prepared for next year.

Sports Day 2010

Last week was Sports Day at my school. The teachers and students were busy preparing for the two days of fun and competition out on the field. I enjoyed seeing sports day last year at my other school and so looked forward to watching this one.

I was excited to see the decorations and overall happy expressions on the kids.

Since my students were participating I had the day off from classes. I watched as they went through the usual routine of singing and then exercising. Last year one of the students fainted while this happened. But seemed like these kids pulled through.

They played the usual games such as relay races.

I really had a good time just spending it with the 6th grade students. They can be a lot of fun to hang out with.

One fun game they played was a kind of piggy-back race. Students would hold up one student on their back while a few others guided them around. On the head of the hoisted students were a hat with a balloon on it. The hat had powder inside. The goal was to pop as many balloons as possible on the other team.

Certainly a game I never played in elementary school, and looked like a lot of fun. However, though they left this game to the boys and the girls sat this one out.

Apparantly, one of the classic items of Sport's day in Korea is pets being sold to the children near the school. I found this out as I checked out the street vendors selling soda, snacks and toys. Along with such pets as mice, hamsters and rabbits were chicks. Yes baby chickens!

I asked the students about this and inquired why someone would want a pet baby chicken. Making the point that it grows up to be an adult chicken. They told me that they are sick and usually die after a short time. What was more shocking was the way the sellers handled these animals. When moving them from one carton to the next they just dumped them in or picked them up and threw them. Even the students were gasping at the sight of this. Although I wasn't sure kids would really buy them a lot of them did. 

After talking with my coteachers I was told selling chicks was a common thing during sports day and usually they just die after a few days. 

Interesting! Back to the sports. The 6th graders were at it again, this time playing a 8-legged race game. From the looks of it this was reserved for the girls.

At the end of all the games a large crate was brought out. Inside were gifts and the Mom's and Grandma's of the students were able to "fish" for a present. The truth is there was a small student inside hooking the gifts. I know all this because the English dept. got stuck wrapping all the gifts and preparing them. 

Sport's day was a real hoot and the best part was not only the chicks but spending quality and relaxed time with my students. That's the hard part about teaching 6th grade, no matter whether you stay at the school they end up leaving for Middle school.

Till next year, I guess (wherever I will be).

**Check out the video**

Darn FBI Fingerprinting

What did I do on this beautiful Tuesday afternoon? I left work early so that I could mail out my FBI fingerprints to my dad who will send them to the FBI. Sure I could have waited till after work, but why not use it as an excuse for time off. Plus the timing of this whole thing is crucial.

With the new E2 visa regulations well under way it seems everyone (Americans) is now in a hard place. We all know the great U. S. of A. is out of money for it's government programs and offices are understaffed so getting your FBI check done in a timely manner is going to be difficult. I don't plan on starting a new job till February or March, but that doesn't mean I'm not panicking already about my documents.

Here's the deal, get it done now. If you are thinking of renewing or looking for a new job anytime within the next six months get this done pronto! I spent some time on Dave's ESL cafe looking over people's complaints and comments about the process. Some say it took them 7 weeks to get their response from the FBI, while others it took them 10 weeks. Recruiters are giving it a maximum 12 weeks to get done, and I bet they are calculating in the apostille process.

To get it started you need to do many things of course. Kiss My Kimchi gives you a great breakdown of the whole process and includes other regulations you need to be concerned with. Today I am going to give you insight into the fingerprinting process itself, and what it is like to do it inside Korea.

This is actually my second time doing this from Korea and I found both to be quite similar. Here we go.

Download and Print the Necessary Documents:

1. Application Form which you can find here.
2. Fingerprint Card from the same website. Print up to 5 of these. The FBI will accept only 5 completed cards. I printed and completed 3. You don't have to print these on card stock paper. However I recommend printing via a color printer.
3. If you choose to pay by credit card (makes the process faster) than print out the credit card form from the same website link above.
4. FBI Identification Record Request checklist. This will help you get through the steps and make sure you filled everything out correctly. (From the same website).

Those are the necessary documents. From there I recommend doing the following.

• Find a sample of a completed FBI card online (I used this google search).
• If you are not going to bring a Korean person with you to the police station then have a Korean person write you a letter about the request.

Getting the Fingerprints:
What you are going to do is head to a large police station in your area or in Seoul. Either take with you a Korean person to help you along or bring a letter in Korean (as mentioned above). I have a feeling though you can go in and just do your best. Definitely bring the example page so they have an idea of what your requesting.

KoreaInsider website lists several police stations that would work well for this process.

• Seoul Metropolitan Police Foreign Affairs: 738-9997, 739-6848
• Seocho Police Station: 533-0607
• Sodaemun Police Station: 362-3366 English site: Korean:
• Songbuk Police Station: 923-3560
• Yongsan Police Station: 714-0113 (2nd floor)
• Police Central Interpretation Center (English): 313-0842

Make sure that you have completed the fingerprint cards before you go. Filling in the fields of name...etc.

Let's go through the process of being fingerprinted in Korea. I went to the Seocho Police station (Korean site). My boyfriend took me so we went by car, but I will provide a map and subway directions.

From this map it looks like you should take Line 3 and get off at the Nambu Bus Terminal. Take exit 6 and make your way up the large street. The building is a large white/gray thing with a big sign on it.

When you go inside the lobby there will be a desk to your left. Go there and make your request. Once they figure it out they will direct you to the Criminal Investigation unit, which is down a hallway on the same floor. It kind of feels like you are in a crime drama.

We were greeted by two tall Korean men who looked excited and interested to see us. My boyfriend explained the whole deal. We showed them the documents and finally they nodded their heads yes and got it ready. They folded the paper where the different prints were to be taken. I was told to wipe my hands on my pants. Next time I would recommend you either wash them before you go in or bring a wet tissue as back up.

He next demonstrated the rolling himself. This was because he was going to blot my fingers in ink, but I was to roll them on the paper.  Thanks to my new iPod touch I was able to get photos of it in action.

Rolling your fingers over a piece of paper can actually be tricky. I would highly recommend reading the FBI's rolling fingerprints guide.

When taking the rolled impression, the side of the finger bulb is placed upon the card or platen. The finger is then rolled to the other side until it faces the opposite direction. Care should be exercised so the bulb of each finger, from tip to below the first joint, is rolled evenly. Generally, the weight of the finger is the maximum pressure needed to clearly record a fingerprint. In order to take advantage of the natural movement of the forearm, the hand should be rotated from the more difficult position to the easiest position. This requires the thumbs be rolled toward and the fingers away from the center of the individual's body. Roll each finger from nail to nail in the appropriate space, taking care to lift each finger up after rolling to avoid smudging.

This is why it is necessary to get at least 3 - 5 cards done. You don't want to rely on one card. I did 3 because I didn't want to make it too laborious for the officers.

Although I didn't do this I would recommend practicing rolling your fingers at home. Especially if you are left or right hand dominated. I am right handed and so had a harder time with my left hand. Also I found my ring finger to be the most difficult.

Tips for rolling your fingers:

• Don't press too hard.
• Roll from "end" to "end" and lift up gently. 
• If another finger is in the way (my pinky kept on intruding) then use your other hand to hold it down. 
• The officer will roll your fingers in ink over and over to keep it fresh. 
• Try not to sweat. I did a good job at this.

 The after-party:
After we completed all three documents I was told to go and wash my hands. When I came back they were making copies of one of the cards. They requested to copy of my identification card and so I handed that to them. I am sure this is for their records. Also, they filled out the part of the form where the person who took your fingerprints is suppose to write.

We said our "thank you's" and "good bye's" and went home. It all took about 30 minutes and was a pleasant experience.

What's Next?
At the very next opportunity put together your package to send to either the FBI or a relative. I say a relative because to insure it will get back to you faster you need to include a return envelope that is stamped. I didn't want to bother with that from here so I am requesting my dad to that.

Make your package:

• Cover letter to the FBI requesting them to put on their seal and why you need it done.
• Letter to family (if necessary) letting them know the procedure and so-on.
• Fingerprint cards.
• Application.
• Credit Card form.

Look over everything with a fine tooth making sure you didn't miss to fill out any info. Go to your local post office and mail it off express. I paid about 16,000 won to get home in 3 days. Once it gets to the FBI you can contact them to follow up on the process. If everything works well you should receive a letter back saying "no record." That's what you want! From there get it apostatized (I'll cover this in another post.)

I'm just glad it is off and over with, for now. Hopefully, by December I will expect something back in the mail from them. At which time I will be home and can do the apostille myself. For now I am double checking the apostille process and keeping my fingers crossed this doesn't delay my next job hunt.

If you have any questions or comments let me know. I hope this was helpful to other applicants out there and good luck with your own fingerprints!

Greener Pastures

The verdict is in! The school has decided not to renew my contract. This is based upon that the Principal only wants one foreigner teacher here. So when I go they will keep the other one.

The Princess announced it to me and she was really nervous. I told her she didn't have to since I already had my own plans. She was surprised to see my relieved and happy face. I also told her that I wasn't too worried about staying here just wanted to make sure everyone was happy with me and not bothered anymore. She was please to hear that.

I am happy to hear this news, but of course it makes me nervous at the same time. Have to get everything organized, packed up and ready to move on. I think I am going to become a pro at this...haha.

My plans are to take their free ticket home, in December, and come back in mid-January to look for a new job (on a cheap ticket). I am currently prowling Dave's Esl job board to see if anything is available that far out. Also, I'm looking into University jobs despite that I don't even have a Master's degree. Figured I might as well give it a try. Otherwise I hope to find an elementary or middle school position in the Yongin / Bundang / Suji location.

Also I am coming into contact with the new visa regulations. I have already gotten my fingerprints done for the FBI, just need to mail them off. I will have an update about that process later. Other paperwork hustling includes getting copies of my degree apostilled. I guess it is going to fun working through these new regulations.

The only real thing I am going to miss from this position is my officetell. Ok, I guess I will miss the kids. But darn this officetell sure really was a great find. However, I know now to see the housing before I sign and what conditions I like.

Two more months left!

There Was A Snake

So far walking home within the past month has yielded new sights of wildlife. Several weeks ago I saw this snake weaving it's way through a patch of weeds alongside the river. I couldn't help but get extremely excited. Unfortunately, for some people (my boyfriend) I love reptiles. When I saw this snake I dug out my camera and quickly tried to get a shot. As I moved closer it got away. I even tried to see where it went but it was difficult as it went under the sidewalk and probably into the river.

For all I know this snake is poisonous and I was being too curious. It is the first wild snake I have seen in Korea. The mystical side of me thought it was symbolic and that it linked to someone in my life.

The other little piece of wildlife I ran into was a mouse. But I guess that isn't really much of wildlife, since rodents can be found anywhere in most cities. Still I put meaning to that little fellah, too.

As fall has set in I wonder if I will see any other creatures besides the usual ducks outside. Oh! I did see a feral kitten near the Paris Baguette. I was going to Seoul so didn't try to rescue it. Since then every time I pass by that area I keep my eye out. Hope somebody took it in or picked it up and gave it to a shelter. hmm

Here is a picture of the path home, which I took after seeing the snake. It was still summer time, but the scene pretty much looks the same as now.

Third Birthday in Korea

As you know yesterday was my birthday. Technically it is today in America, so I guess I could celebrate twice. This was my third birthday in Korea and I have to say this was the best one out of them all.

After work I met with my local pals for dinner. First I waited with one of them in a cafe and had some strong lemon tea.

Our location was Jeongja in Bundang, where you can find a cupcake store and many restaurant choices. I was recommended Daily Kings, an American style diner, because it was on the 8th floor of a building and offered a view.

Dinner was a delightful serving of mushroom soup and chicken caesar salad.

Then came the best part, making my birthday wish over a cupcake.

I'm hoping this to be a great year and to take what comes with an open mind and heart.