First Time Teacher's in Korea: Some helpful points

Last weekend I randomly met up with a newcomer to Korea. He has been here about half a year and teaching down in Jinhae, which is near Busan. During our visit he expressed to me some difficulties getting use to teaching in Korea. Certainly some of the points he made were exactly how I felt when I first started teaching, and I couldn't help but see how far I have come. Recently he posted this on his Facebook:

"I'm not sure if I'm making any positive impact on my students...I wish I knew how to be a good teacher, but also a better human being. I don't think there's a book out there that teaches you both. I sense many students don't want to be here learning English. By the time they get to my class, they are too tired and don't want to learn. They have no idea how good they have it here. Not until the

y face some hardship. ... Sometimes I think I would be better off being in a place where underpriviledged children would really want to be educated. Sometimes being in a modern society can dehumanize anything worth humanizing. It's hard to be in a classroom when no one really wants to be there and learn. I don't care what culture I'm in, I don't tolerate disrespect from anyone. I'm a teacher, not a circus clown either. I do have some integrity for my profession."

*As you read keep in mind that I'm not an expert on all this, just someone with five years experience and also keen to observation. ;)

Main difficulties:

I. Feeling like a Clown:

I think for most new teacher's in Korea one of the very first things you notice in your classroom is that the students will not treat you like a true teacher. Depending on your school, this would apply to most classes where the age is under middle school (and possible high school). Students here, for the most part, see the foreign teacher as someone to play with and not treat the same as a Korean teacher. Unless you have experienced it already, the students will straighten up and put their heads down if a Korean person walks into the room, which often times leaves you feeling pointless. In this case you end up feeling like a clown or entertainer, and not a teacher. (However, after you build up your management style the students will end up respecting you...as you will see down further)

II. Lack of respect from students:

You walk into your classroom, or the students come in and the bell rings. They are mostly speaking Korean, not sitting nicely and not really "ready" for class. You say, "Sit down, be quiet, let's get ready!" And a few do, but most do not. Throughout the class kids continue to talk or act up when told to straighten out. Generally you feel not respected as a teacher in front of your students.

III. No training

Depending on your school and program you might receive a few days of training and observation before actually starting. But typically you don't experience this when you first teach in Korea. If you are part of the EPIK, GEPIK....etc entourage then you will end up going to orientation a few times. However, in my experience those events don't really prepare you for what realistically happens. All in all, training someone costs money and schools and governments will not go out of their way to shell out quality training. They hired you mostly for your background and native-speaking abilities. Not really on your accounts of teaching abilities. However, these days they are hiring "qualified" folks for the job. Even still, I think the general lack of training is a main complaint from new teacher's here, whatever your background may be.

Solutions, tips and ideas:
Now that I have brought up some main points about the top difficulties of first teaching in Korea, I would like to express ways to get use to it and improve yourself. Again I'm no expert, but would like to reassure you this job is possible.

I. Let go!

For one let go of taking your position here so seriously. Yes you are an important person and your an adult and should be treated like one. But the more you fight to be recognized as such and in a serious frustrated manner, the less your going to win. I hate to say this but you should delve into being the "clown". You don't have to end up acting like a fool or berating yourself in front of your students but finding your humorous and silly side will help.

The people who should really take you seriously at your school are the one's in managerial positions, like your hagwon boss or school Principal. When you are in the classroom let the seriousness go and try to find ways to make it a fun experience for the students. I'm telling you as soon as you start going with the flow you will end up getting their respect.

II. Constructing your "teacher self"

If you have come to Korea with little or no experience teaching, or no experience around children then of course you aren't going to get this right the first few months. Teaching in South Korea (especially with the younger crowd) is mostly about classroom management. In between the "Sit down!" "Everybody look, look at me!" you will be doing some actual teaching. I would say for your first few months research and figure out your style of classroom management. There are several well known techniques such as sticker charts (or stamps), stars next to names on the board, or group competition.

You can use sites like waygook.org to find great resources on management that works for teacher's in South Korea.

After you have down some kind of management system you can start to sense who you are as a teacher. For one your tone of voice should change in the classroom, in pitch but also in how you pace what you say. These kids are learning English as a Foreign Language after all, and you will need to accommodate to their listening levels.

Next see what you can do to make your lessons fun and enjoyable to both you and the students. If you are teaching from a set curriculum and have all the materials and books, then find ways to turn things into games and activities. Don't just have them read all at once together, try something called "popcorn" reading where they take turns.

There are an amazing amount of ways to make the classroom fun, but depends on you and the energy you have to bring to your classes. I for one couldn't keep up what I do for 8 straight classes, which is why I don't teach at a hagwon. But all in all, you need to embrace your teacher self and see what works and doesn't.

III. Network and get inspired

I agree that schools should do a better job of training, but also constructive oversight throughout the year. When a boss says, "One student dropped from your class. I might have to fire you" is something I don't think will motivate teacher's to do better.

I've come to realize that as expats we need to train each other. That is why I'm a part of the KOTESOL organization to get tips and feedback from other experienced teacher's. Even though most of the people in this group are University teacher's I think their advice can go a long way.

Also I use waygook.org to get tips and ideas that have been quite useful. Generally though talk to other teacher's but don't just gripe about your situation. Get ideas and talk about what works and doesn't. We are a great resource to each other.

Lastly:

I know not every new person here has issues with their teaching job, and jump into the classroom all giddy and ready for action. But for the most part figuring out ways to get the students participating and having a good time should be something we all strive for. I hope some of these tips I expunged will help you see that you are a valuable person here and can really do so much besides just sitting at your desk and delegating tasks to students. Get up! Have fun with your students, cause they have a lot to give in return.

A Response to This American Life's "American's in China"

A while back I listened to the podcast show of This American Life's episode, "Americans in China." As I listened I was amused to hear familiar tales of life in an Asian country, coming from seasoned expats. At the same time I was a little peeved that the good folks at This American Life didn't consider the same show but with Korea as their backdrop. Heck, why not even a similar show with both Korea and China together? Maybe now that Samsung is becoming a big hit abroad, popular media will pick up on what life is like out here. Until then I feel like responding to their episode with bits of my interpretations to life on the peninsula.

Point 1: Foreigners on TV in China might be more exploited than foreigners on TV in Korea.

In the beginning of the show you are treated to an introduction about how foreign folk (mainly non-Asian) are often asked to be shown on TV. Not just this but typically they are made to sing or dance for the audience, which makes some people feel like monkeys.

Benji: When foreigners go on TV shows, the most common thing is, they like to dress them up in old Chinese garb, like the Tang Dynasty clothes, and make them sing some old Chinese song and say some ridiculous phrase in Chinese. And then the host will come out and just kind of make fun of them ....
Like I've heard that in Chinese TV, the things that get the best ratings are children, animals, and foreigners, which just kind of says it all. It's just that foreigners are considered cute and adorable. It's kind of like a baby who can't take care of himself and needs to be loved.

Sound familiar? The thing is though I haven't felt like foreigners have been made to do the same thing here on Korean TV. Sure foreigners are interviewed and put up on Arirang TV or news shows, but they haven't been randomly plucked off the street and whisked to the studio. I've known several bloggers who have been on popular tv programs here, but they were given notice and a choice.

However, I would say that foreigners are often depicted in non-sensical and racist ways on Korean TV, as seen in the MBC video (the scandalous one that reveals the "truths").

Anyways the theme of the show seems to be about how foreigners are interpreted in the communities around China, and how the foreigners themselves have learned to live and love the country.

Point 2: Always the outsider

The show transitions into a segment about the senior expats in China and how they have become so adapted to the atmosphere, that their almost "Chinese" themselves. Then it grows into a segment about one family that lives in the rural part of the country. Where on the one hand they are the welcomed foreign traveler that brings English language to the village, yet on the other they are the complete outsider.

This piece centers around Michael Meyer who has written the book, "The Last Days of Old Beijing." He lives in the rural town of "Wasteland", which is uncanny enough. As a man married to a Chinese woman, he gets asked about his family there a lot. Yet even though probably every villager knows him by now, he still receives the stare.

In urban China, the sight of a foreigner no longer causes a crowd to gather and stare. But in the rural half, people still approach me with friendly, cautious curiosity, the way you might if a giraffe wandered down your street. I read that the comedian Steve Martin used to hand autograph seekers a signed name card that confirmed the person had met Steve Martin and found him to be warm, polite, intelligent, and funny. I've often thought of making a similar card to present with a silent smile, answering the usual six questions asked of me in this order.

I've had the same idea, to have a small laminated card with the basic details of my life on it. "Where are you from?" "How old are you?" "How long have you been in Korea?" "Yes I can eat kimchi and use chopsticks." ...etc. Something to present the next person who starts asking me these questions, to which I can hurry things along and get to more personal and fun questions about myself.

But he also expresses the encounters he has had that were humbling, like a construction worker who asked him a philosophical question about life. I too have randomly found myself having a strange yet deep conversation with Korean strangers on the street (in English).

The show continues to show how Michael's life in rural China becomes how he is a representation of his country. People ask him about political and economical life in America, and why they are such a superpower. Similarly, I've felt like a small diplomat over here covering for my country when huge issues occur.

He moves on to the disruption his presence causes in the village, that he really has no control over.

Like teachers, writers are worthy of pity in China, even out in the sticks. But I know the trouble my presence causes, cutting a wake across the surface of village life. China's distrusts the single traveler, the person without a work unit or even a name card, especially when the person is a la-wai, an old outsider, as foreigners are often called. And with reason-- we can always leave.
Chinese doesn't use tenses or differentiate between singular and plural. So one la-wai is the same as six la-wai. But in situations such as this, in a town so small, where I am a visitor, teaching, sure, and invited to weddings and funerals and New Year's dinners, but a guest always. I know how to describe my numbers. Just as there is a murder of crows and a school of fish, in China, even in the middle of Wasteland, the foreigner is always a hassle of la-wai.

I think I can never voucher for being that disruptive in my neighborhood, as I live in a highly dense part of Seoul. But I can say I've recognized my presence in the schools I've worked as one where people walked on eggshells around me. Not because I was a terrible person (I'm a nice person!), but because they didn't want to speak English or deal with whatever might happen. This only meant for me to warm up to people in my school slowly, so to make my presence a warm one.

~~

It's a fun podcast and gives you some insights into what expat life in China is kind of like. Certainly, interesting to see the similarities and differences. I do wonder what it would be like to be an expat of one country for a long time, and move to the next. Readjustments not only in language surely must be a hurdle to overcome. Anyways, take a listen to this podcast and see what you can discover for yourself.

Oh Crap! It's a foreigner!

Waking up this morning I went over to Roboseyo and found he posted a funny Japanese anime that highlights meeting a foreigner.

I was inspired after this and found one of my own to post. Everything is pretty much on point when a non-native English speaker attempts to make contact with you in public. Especially the "targeting" and running away bits.

The Changed Job Market for Public School Seekers

As I consider my future job hunt here in Korea I am starting to recognize how much things have changed. First let me just say this is only in regards to public schools, since that is my target. Also keep in mind this is for those looking for a public school in Gyeonggi-do and not going the way of the GEPIK application. Meaning finding a school that searches for their own teacher instead of having one randomly placed there. One could still apply to GEPIK and find themselves placed at a school randomly but only for the Fall or Spring start.

Now that I got that out of the air let's look at how things have changed for those seeking a public school outside the application process.

Last year I was looking for a job around this time. I was in Korea and just got my TEFL certificate and was finishing my previous school. I had several offers and more were coming in towards the end of my contract. I was just looking for elementary schools and in a target region of Yongin and Bundang, so things were naturally limited. Yet I did have offers and even some schools willing to hire me on the spot.

Although I am not looking for a job currently my foreign coworker is and has been having trouble. Things are definitely more competitive now and schools are for sure being more picky. Another factor seems to be that people are choosing to continue their careers here in Korea so there are more experienced people to compete with than before.

However, my coworker has had several offers, one she rejected and others rejected her. I believe she has landed a job now but there are some complications in her documents. So things aren't terribly bleak but from what I can tell she didn't have a whole lot to choose from. In the past you could have more choices but these days being picky is hard.

The landscape of job hunting for a public school in Korea has changed because there has been a surge in applicants and schools have become pickier.

I saw what was happening to my coworker as warning signs for my future job hunt and so decided to contact a few recruiters with my concerns.

Recruiters Expressing the Change:

The following are the responses I got from several recruiters. I won't mention who they are but they are coming from reputable sources.

1. "We have not been too successful with these of late. (Talking about independent public schools)
   Getting the match is simply too hard and usually a waste of time for us.
   Most schools want experienced, white, young, pretty, US females in Korea now.
   If we are lucky enough to have those candidates, we have to be able to offer them positions in the locations they desire.
   If we are incredibly lucky to still have a match, the teacher has to be able to pass the interview and get the docs in before the other applicants from other companies.
   It just does not usually work out. So we will not be dealing with independent schools anymore. Life is too short for them.
   I do hope you find something you want."
2. "Honestly competition among foreign teachers to get a position is really intense so far. Even stable public schools or private academies’ principals tell me they want teacher who has degree in English or Education or Teacher license. Or they are looking for a teacher who has teaching experiences in Korea AND who is in Korea. Because economy in Korea is bad like the world does. So their budget is reduced. They need to stay on the budget and have to hire qualified teacher. So they choose to do not pay overseas flights then hire a qualified teacher. Even some Public schools and private academies don’t care TEFL, TESOL.
   School needs to prove they have good quality teachers for students. Most foreign teachers who already stay in Korea currently, they are extending to contract with school for next year. Because they heard there are no opportunities to make money back home now. I think you don’t want to work for bad institute during your rest of contracted days. So I’m telling you about present scene of Teaching in Korea. Anyway I didn’t mean to knock you down about it. But if my say made you it, I apologize to you."

 This line "Most schools want experienced, white, young, pretty, US females in Korea now " seems to be the most controversial part of this new job hunting game. Even on Dave's ESL cafe there are threads where people go on about how they can't get a job because they don't fit the new biased criteria of schools. We can sit here and discuss this discrimination and outright illogical thinking, but the reality is schools have the upper hand. In that case one needs to prepare themselves for a much harder job hunting climate.

My advice to get a job in this new climate:

1. Be patient! Look at the reality of the situation and understand that it might take longer than expected.
2. Get a professional photo. It really doesn't take much to put on an ironed dress-shirt and sit in front of a camera. In fact you can go to your local Emart or Lotte mart and make a visit to the photo booth section. Here they can take your photo under those studio lights than do a little photoshopping to make everything look smooth. You can get both digital and hard copies to take home. From what I have heard on Dave's ESL, and from what my coworker has experienced, this seems to be working like a charm. Consider your professional photo next to other applicant's casual ones, which one do you think they will take more seriously.  
3. Be nice to the recruiters. They probably have no worries with getting paid. So if you are rude or impatient to them they can likely put you on the bottom of their pile. I suggest keeping things simple and concise when communicating. Also some might not know all the answers to things such as immigration issues or (well) your life.
4. Have a Plan B, C, D... Because the job market is tougher one should have a plan if they don't get a new job right after your current contract ends. Either make plans to go back to your home country or choose to stay in Korea. You can stay here on an extended visa or go in and out of the country and stay here on a tourist visa. This goes without saying, but have money saved up for this in between time.
5. Send photos of your work with children: Some might say schools don't want to hire experienced teachers because they cost more. However sending pictures of you working with happy smiling children might convince a school otherwise. If you are working at a school now ask your coteacher to take your picture during a special activity. 

It is my opinion that there is no solid "one type" of person that schools are looking for. One school might want an experienced applicant while another wants one fresh off the boat. Yes it is important to keep in mind that most schools are choosing just based on age, race and looks. We all know this is wrong but it is the way it is. That's why you have to take what you got and step it up a notch! 

Although, all of this makes me nervous I can't help but see that it was inevitable. With the job market being so poor in America (and other countries) and new graduates having trouble finding work coming here looks like gold. 

The most important aspect I feel, in the end, is to support each other. That is what I am doing right now by providing this insight I feel on the current job market.

But let's hear from you!

Are you having troubles finding a new job?
If you work for a hagwon are things changing in that sector too?
Any words of wisdom?

Comments?

My Home is an Island

I had this dream awhile back (forgive me for those who despise dream posts) that I was visiting a very old relative at their house. Yet the house was like a floating island. It didn't look like a typical island. Islands usually have a mountain in the center with sandy beaches all around them. This island, the one in my dream, was a typical American house with a green lawn around it and even a mail box, but surrounded by calm water. The shape was like an "L" and the house was situated on the long part of the L while the mail box was on the short end. I got there by boat and docked myself near the mailbox.

Although I am not going to go into more detail about the dream, I will say it left a memorable image in my mind. I dream every night and they are always vivid. I am capable of being "awake" in my dreams, which means I can control things. But nowadays I just sit back and watch instead of trying to take control since when I usually do things end up messy.

Anyways, I usually spend a lot of my thinking time either in the morning or before bed time thinking about the images in my dreams. This one of the floating house made me realize how as an adult living abroad in Korea I am in search of my home.

Even if an adult is not living abroad I think they spend a lot of their adult life looking for a place to call home. It doesn't meant that it is a house that they buy or mortgage out and grow a family with. I think it means a place that they feel comfortable living. Or perhaps a place in our minds where we know we have come far enough and will not go any further...basically that we become settled with ourselves.

Now I don't mean to get psycho-trippy here but I just want to reflect on this "elephant in the room" issue in my expat life.

Living in Korea past your first contract year kicks up a lot of life questions, especially when you are in your late 20's. Should I make Korea my permanent home? Should I try to find a way to live back in America? Should I go live in other countries?

I have to say I feel almost like I am settling down here in Korea. Take for example the way my office-tell looks. I assume that most expats living here don't have a lot of stuff in their house. That they wouldn't have a favorable lamp collection, or just things that people have in a home that they keep to make it nice. I would think that an expat lives lightly not buying certain cooking devices or having 4 different winter blankets. What I am saying is that when I come home and enter my place it feels cozy and home-like. Not scattered and spare like it would look if one were a transient.

Having stuff means it is harder to move around, and a lot of my stuff is sentimental, which means it is harder to let go of. Actually I am up against a paradigm, where for example I have boxes of sentimental things back home in my Father's garage.

Yet as settled as I make myself look here in Korea I definitely don't feel like Korea will ever be (close-to-my-heart) home. For several reasons, one when I look outside my window I see Korean style buildings (neon signs plastered onto gray square buildings). Tall apartment buildings clustered together like a micro-city. When walking to and from places I am reminded this isn't home because the people are entirely unlike the people I am familiar with seeing back home. The basics: I'm not Korean, don't speak Korean well and I function unlike a Korean. I don't mean to make this sound negative I just want to point out the obvious stuff.

However, Korea can at times feel like a home. I have a boyfriend who is helpful, cheerful and very loving towards me. Since he is Korean this helps me feel close to the people and culture. I find myself comfortable in my neighborhood and have become familiar with local restaurants and areas.

And the longer I stay here, in Korea, the further I become distanced with my American home. I listen to the current news via NPR, read the New York Times and the New Yorker but still I can't tell you the mood of my country or what is in or out. However, I could answer those questions about Korea. (What Kpop band is currently big, how Koreans feel about national issues...etc).

Yet even as I get closer to my host country I still feel like an outsider. To sum up I am lost somewhere in the middle between my home country and my host country. My home is an island floating somewhere in the midst of these two places. When I think about it deeply I feel that this island is where my home will be forever. And instead of planting it indefinitely on one country's soil it will visit both now and then...going back and forth.

Who knows if this theory will change over time or that I will have a different dream where my home is on top of a mountain. For now I am going to take a shower and go back to the land of dreams.

Beginnings

April is just around the corner and that means that May will soon be here too. For me this time of year reminds me that I have been in Korea nearly 2 years. I spend my free time thinking about all that has transpired within this time.

Certainly what sticks out the most to me is that the way I feel about Korea today is nearly completely different from when I first got here. Of course that would make sense, right? But actually, I feel that as I go into creating my 3rd year here in Korea my attitude and outlook on the place is also very different than the first year.

When I first came to Korea I was 26 years old and now I am 28 (American age). My first job was at a hagwon (private school) and I understand now that it was this first experience at that place that shaped my mindset for the months to come.

The first 3 months of my life here in Korea were about survival and adaptation. It took forever to find certain essential things and also find my way to particular places. My Korean was pretty basic, yet I had a good grasp of being able to read it.

I remember my first 3 months busily trying to adapt to working at the hagwon. Coming in early to prepare work and finding myself hungry and tired during the last class before I came home. There were many times, I can recall, riding the subway home and trying not to cry in front of strangers.

The Korean workplace is a whole different experience than what I was familiar with. I feel because I crashed and burned so hard with my fellow Korean coworkers that it scarred me. During that time I couldn't understand why my Korean coworkers were so bitter around me. We had fights and arguments, all of which lead me to grow a habit within myself, that of distrust. I began to believe that I could never trust my Korean coworkers. That they would never be able to understand the foreigner perspective. It is this mindset that kept on getting in my way at my future jobs.

In the beginning, I was fragile and weak. The long hours and stressful work environment made me wonder if being an expat was always full of hardships.

But really at that time I was a new face amongst the expat crowd here. Everything seemed so new and different and every new place I went was thrilling.

I managed to quit the hagwon and move to a public school. That was a very dark and stressful time of my life. Things between me and my exboyfriend were crumbling and falling apart. I needed his support and good words but mostly what I got from was half-hearted. Yet, at the time I knew I needed to make money and get my career out here back on track.

My new school moved me into a terrible new home. First it was a room with no window that had cigarette smoke pumped into it from neighboring tenants. Then with enough nagging I got moved into a room across the hall with a window. It didn't change the fact that the place was a dump.

There I was alone and feeling treated wrongly by new school. I couldn't believe that people would put someone to live in such a shit-hole. Because of this I grew very resentful of my new coteacher and the staff at my new school. This combined with what I took from the hagwon, which was that I couldn't trust my Korean coworkers. Needless to say, this was a recipe for more disaster.

As I look back I only see all the potential that was wasted.  For example, my old public school had it's own classroom. It was also considerably small in class size and my schedule wasn't overloaded. However, I didn't really care about making new materials or decorating the classroom. I only put my energy into the after school classes because it was the most difficult aspect of the job. (No curriculum, 20 energetic students). I also spent extremely little time getting to know my coteacher. The first one seemed not to interested in me so it wasn't much of a problem. But the second coteacher was a very kind and generous woman. Yet, because of my bitterness towards the school and that I still had not gotten over my distrust for Korean coworkers, we got off on the wrong foot.

Looking back I wish I had gotten to know her well and really worked more with her. She had already 3 years English teaching experience and really cared about their education. Also she was into the modern sense of teaching and liked to use new ideas. In other words, I know now what I threw away because of my personal choices.

And so here we are at my 3rd job here in Korea. I made a promise with myself that at this new school I would try hard to teach the kids well, make stunning lesson plans and try to care about my coteachers. From December to January it seemed I only cared about the first half of my promise. And ended up on the dark side of my coteachers, yet again. But February signaled another chance to get it right, since we were given new coteachers.

If you have been reading since that time then you would know how I had a big fallout (last week) and then a huge turn around.

Now I understand how to balance both my desire to make good lessons and keep my coteachers happy. I believe it is because I have come to realize so many things over the course of living here, but also because I have grown to accept the Korean way of things.

In addition, because of this weekend's KOTESOL conference, I was able to see that it is really about working on a team.

Yesterday I felt more aware of the people around me and my role. In the classroom I could see how, although I was the leader and teaching most of the time, I needed to bounce it back between myself and the coteacher. Then, after work, we went out to dinner and during this time I talked a lot with everyone and opened myself up. I did all this knowing that it is what is best for the team, and ultimately for the children.

Today was just another teaching day and I realize now that I ended up putting myself too much into my planning. But I have started to check with the coteacher about her opinion of the day's teaching and see how she feels. We are going to play a big game with the 6th graders tomorrow and I showed my excitement.

In the beginning, I was fragile and weak.  Now, I am stronger and confident. Yet a part of me still feels like there is a hidden monster inside myself that could slip out without notice. I suppose the only thing I need to do is have a first-aid kit ready to go.

;)

Bus Traveling

One of the great things about living in this country, especially if you live near or in Seoul is the transportation system. It exists and is clean, efficient and widespread.

I believe the first form of transportation a foreigner gets to know when they first come here is the subway system, especially if they live in Seoul or another major city. You learn the line numbers and stops which get you to familiar places. Figuring out how to transfer becomes second nature and before you know it you can get off at your stop without even listening for the English announcements.

But let's say you don't live near a major subway station or you know that there are busses in your area but don't really understand where they go. What do you do? Does Korea have bus maps like they do for the subway?

The answer is yes, but I would say they come more in a digital form instead of a little carry-along map in your pocket.

Since I live kind of on the outskirts of the subway system I know that there are busses that will get me into Seoul faster than if I took the train. I am going to share with you one website that I have found tremendously helpful when figuring where a bus goes.

What you will need for this to work out is a basic knowledge of Korean. By basic I mean being able to read and being able to recognize what you are reading.

Naver Bus Map Service Site:
Since this is a Korean website and I know that most of you might not have a hang on Korean yet I will navigate you through how to use it.

How to use it:

1. Enter bus #: Walk around your neighborhood and jot down the bus numbers at your nearby bus stations. Come back home and enter them into the search area of this site. What will happen is that in the left area of the screen you will get choices.  There are different # busses for every area. Here is where your knowledge of Korean is going to kick in. Scroll through your choices and find one with a heading that is within your local area. For me that is "60 경기 경기 광주 일반" or Bus 60 Gyeongi Gwangju. Or just click on the choices till you can see that yes it goes in your area.

 

2. Using the Map: Once you click on a choice the path of the bus will come up in the map area along with a list of the stops it makes. You can read through till you find one in your area or zoom into the map and see physically where the bus stop is near your home. 

From here you can follow the trail the bus makes seeing where it goes. I use this alot to see how close it gets to a subway station in Seoul that I am heading towards. If you take the bus alot you will know that sometimes the stop is further away than you thought it was from where you need to go.

 

*Make sure you zoom in far enough that the "green little" bus stops show up. Hover your mouse over these and they will tell you what bus stop it is. If you click on it a list will come up showing you all the buses that come to that stop. This is especially handy if you want to transfer buses or find a savvier way to get where you are going.

That is basically how to use this website. If your Korean typing skills are really great than you could just type in the search area your area and get a list of buses that way.

Other Bus sites:

Of course this website is not the only place you can go to figure out your way on the bus. So here for you is a list of other sites (and in English!)

• Hi Seoul Bus Map 
• Korea 4 Expats List 

 Those are the ones that I can think of. If you know of other sites that you use frequently let me know! Also if you own an iPod touch or iPhone there are a lot of apps on there for the subway and buses here in Korea. Just do a search and see what you find.

Bus Riding Tips!

Riding the bus out here can be a bit of a rush the first time, so knowing these tips might help you before you step on.

• Pay at the front. In cash (exact change) or use a "T-Card". That's those prepaid cards that you also use for the Subway. Just "beep" on the thing and move.
• "Beep" your card again on the way out. Be quick, too as the people behind won't be shy to push and shove.
• Know when your bus stop is coming and get ready to depart. Most busses have announcements of the upcoming stop and the one after it. If you know Korean well enough this comes in great. If not just keep your eyes peeled for the area you want to go to. When you see it coming click the "red" button and stand by the exit.
• At the bus stop: Look for your bus coming. If you are the only one there don't be surprised if your bus passes you by and doesn't stop. It's not because they hate foreigners it's because you forgot to use the protocol. That is to wave the bus down. When you see your bus coming just gently wave your hand back and forth letting them know you need it. They will stop and let you on. (I made this mistake a lot). 
• Reading the Bus Destination: Before you get on the bus double check its the one you want. Also know whether or not the bus you want to get on is the kind that will have 2 destinations. Meaning some buses with the same number will go right and head in one direction, while the other will head left and head in the other direction. (This is how I get lost a lot). One way to check is look for a small sign on the front window with the destination labeled. Again you need to learn Korean. 
• When the exit door opens get out as soon as possible. The bus driver is not going to wait while you take your sweet time putting on a glove or hat. I've had to shout stop a few times to get off. Also I have experienced the bus starting to take off as I had one foot on the bus and one on the ground. 
• Crowded Bus: Squeeze in and pack yourself in tightly. Move to the back when things start to get crowded.
• Elderly: Give up your seat to an elderly or handicapped looking person. They might give you the "no" but you were polite at least...right?
• Hold on! If you are standing then plant your feet and hold on tightly. Bus drivers are very aggressive here and don't mind slamming on the breaks or taking a turn swiftly. Being prepared will help you from falling on some poor sap sitting in front you.
• Some bus drivers are super friendly and will say hello in English. ;)

Well there you have it folks. Bus riding in another country is exciting and really helps you feel intertwined with the everyday people.

I hope this information comes as handy for you in the future. :) Happy Bus Riding!

Reader's Questions Answered

I don't like to show off but now and then readers of my blog send my way questions about life here and teaching. I try to do my best to answer honestly and to help them understand life out here.

One reader, a while back sent me some questions about public vs. private schools and so I thought I would post up my response. Here we go~

would you recommend newbies completely avoid [hagwons] them?
I don't think one has to completely avoid a Hagwon. Just be very picky and do a lot of research first. Also know the differences between a public school and a hagwon and ask yourself if you are willing to make those sacrifices. I know people who have worked at and are still working at hagwons and haven't had the same experience as me. Many have a pleasant time. Also you can work at hagwons that teach adults and so have a completely different experience. For a newbie you just need to know the challenges that lie ahead for either a public or private school. 

But are hogwans, in your opinion, to be avoided at all costs?
Not really. Some are run by very nice people. I know someone who is trying to develop her own hagwon school. Right now it is kind of small. Generally it comes down to these facts:
Hagwons = are a business. They will expect you to do a good job to keep the number of students at the school. If parents complain than you are going to be bothered a lot. 
Public school = run by the government, follows a repetitive schedule, more holidays, solid pay schedule etc. 

The similarities are:
Both mean you will be working with Koreans and the Korean system of doing things. You can't avoid that they lack the ability to give prompt notice. If you have read about it on my blog you would know that working with Koreans is a whole ball of wax that takes time to get use to. Some people have no problem adjusting. I just want to say that whether you work at a hagwon or public school you are still working with Korean people who typically function different from Western society.

Complaints about public school:
I had to think about this because well my complaints aren't that major I think. The one thing I would say is that the the Principal will make or break a public school. If he is very conservative and traditional than the people you work with will be scared of him. Doing things like using a personal heater might upset him so if he comes around you have to hide it. Again this points to Korean culture and what you have to get use to.

But really I don't have any major complaints. There are struggles now and then to make your lesson plans in time and full of good things but that is normal I think for a teaching job.

Update: I would say that you have to be cautious of your coteacher. They will be use to teaching in a certain style and may not be open to your suggestions or methods. Therefore in this case patience will be needed.


How do you like living in Gyeonggi rather then Seoul? Is there much of a foreigner community where you live now? Is it difficult to make friends?

I like living in Gyeonggi rather than Seoul because it has a suburban feel. Depending on the area it can be more quiet and quant. In Seoul everything is covered in concrete and parks are crammed in. Out here you can get to know your neighbors a bit more because you will typically see them more often. I just like the less stressed city feel out here. But living in Seoul offers more resources and fun things to do in my opinion. But if you live close enough it is easy to get there.

There are foreigners living in any major city and small major city. Usually they get together in their groups at bars or clubs. My friends and I are trying to start major communities so to make it better for all of us. It is not difficult to make friends. IF you work at a hagwon you get to know those folks. If you work at a public school you get to know people in the program. But you do meet a lot of new people and folks from around the world. It is a lot of fun.

Any other advice??
Sleep a lot when you first get here. It really helps battle jet lag. Also just try to relax and let yourself work out all the culture shock stuff. Give yourself time and eventually the things you love and hate about this place won't be that big of a deal.

I'm Sorry

Acorn in the Dog's Food seems highly concerned and upset by my blogging. He writes:

If you want to devote your blog to pretty pictures and whatnot that's fine -- there are plenty of Korea-related photo blogs out there. However, don't go around saying "us foreigners are pretty dumb, we really need to change that" and then sit in complacency. This doesn't mean you have to turn your blog into a mini-history channel, but you would do well to take a closer look at what you write here. Either step up the quality of your writing or stop being an ass toward those of us who are making an effort.

You complain about foreigners not knowing about Korean culture but then ask to meet your boyfriend's family. You complain about your school not having you there to "explain yourself" during your annual evaluation but didn't think to work out any issues before then? You complain about Koreans not having yards after four months of living in Seoul but ignore the fact that downtown Paris, London, and Tokyo are not exactly filled with them, either. You're trying to have your cake and eat it, too.

So I am going to do what I probably shouldn't do. I am going to apologize.

Dear Readers,

 If you feel the same sentiments as the reader above then I apologize. Throughout my blogging career I have never intended to paint other expats in this picture. There are many expat bloggers who write eloquently and intelligently about Korea and it's people. And of course there are some who do the opposite. It has always been my desire to be the kind of expat blogger on the better side of the blogosphere. It is my hope that his sentiments are not the same as all my readers. Finally, I would like to add that I generally wished for my blog to be helpful to future expats and to show my life in Korea the way I experienced it day-to-day.

Sincerely,

Joy

SMOE Teachers Axed

A lot of crap recently went down with 100 SMOE (Seoul public school) teachers being axed before coming here. Due to SMOE overbooking.

I just wanted to add my two cents here on my blog in response to Brian's posts.

I too agree that public school work is still better than hagwon work. Yes they screwed up this time. But those who did get through and work at the school's will still have more job security than at a hagwon.

I too work with GEPIK and am now working on finding a new school within the system. I think if you go the route of not putting yourself on the lottery system, which is SMOE and look for a school yourself then you have a better shot of getting off on the right foot.

In my opinion I don't think SMOE will make this mistake again. I think they have learned from this. Also I believe they are probably working on rearranging and reforming the program to fit the flux of new candidates due to the high unemployment rate in America.

I would advise those who plan on going with SMOE for the Spring term to have a 2nd or 3rd option on the table and work with recruiters who speak honestly with you. Talk to them about this situation and what their plan would be if it were to take place again.

And if you do get screwed and were planning on coming out here anyways..you could come on a tourist visa and find a job here in person. You could live up to 90 days on a tourist visa.

All in all, any person thinking of coming to Korea should realize and accept the fact the workforce functions differently out here and unexpected things happen all the time. And most of it doesn't make sense and most of it doesn't reflect what is written in a contract.

Blogging and Community

I was contacted last week to take part in a survey for someones graduate dissertation.

The question of whether digital communication via blogging is making old forms of communication disappear is an interesting topic. Since it is a striking issue out here in Korea where many expats blog about their life I think it is important that you too take part in this research.

I haven't given my full response yet, but hope that it materializes soon. I would like to shortly say that I feel blogging is the stepping stone for people to gather together in the future. As I know by experience meeting most of the other expats out here by first finding them on the Internet.

To get your mind started I copied the following from this person's blog.

Today’s archives are rife with personal diaries and papers which allow us a glimpse into the past. But, what of the archives of the future? How many people today actually keep a pen and paper journal or write letters home? In the future, what will the ‘foreigner’ community in Korea look like… when a foreigner meets another foreigner will they still experience ’should I wave and say hello or should I not’ awkwardness? will foreigners still be greeted wtih random ‘HELLOs!’ from strangers as they walk down the street? will foreigners still be helping each other to track down ‘good’ cheese? These are just a few of the issues that have been discussed in numerous Korea-related blogs and they have helped to shape the expat community, composed mainly of native English teachers, in Korea. How will future generations of expats living in Korea reflect upon these issues unless Korea-related blogs are archived in some manner? A failure to preserve blogs may create a black hole of information for future generations of archives users.

So go to their website and take the survey, for I am sure they will appreciate it.

Register Yourself

It seems you can't really live life with rose-colored glasses on all the time. You never know when some virus might catch up to you or a missile may land in your back yard.

Therefore it may be wise to let your country's embassy know you are living next door.

Today I registered online at the US Embassy so that if something were to happen or there was a crisis situation I wouldn't be an "unknown" in the statistics.

Here for you is the link:
Travel Registration US Embassy

If you belong to a different country then I suggest finding how to register and getting that taken care of before it is too late.

It's Time to Clean Up Our Act

Poor Rob is like the lone soldier fighting for the truth. Apparently there has been a lot of bashing of ATEK on Dave's ESL lately. And so after reading Rob's digestion of that I had my own 2 cents to add.

Here is my own response to this dynamic situation: Including spelling and grammar issues

Rob,
This is disheartening to hear. But it reflects how most of our expat sentiments are discussed and dealt with here in Korea. And that is on Dave's ESL.

Before I came to Korea I thought that as an expat we would all find ourselves as one group and keep ourselves safe. But it really didn't turn out that way. Sure I am friends with you and you help me out.

But I am talking about the expat collective.

In America, I believe, expat Koreans and Asian nationals get together within their national group to form a community. You know how there is Chinatown, Korea town..etc. Well I think it is not just because they want to sell cheap trinkets on the roadside. It is because they come together to form a community. The help each other with housing and legal issues.

I thought as an expat coming to Korea I would find a similar "community" feeling. But unfortunately it is not true. Instead I think most expats get to know certain people within their school and group and consider that as enough. They get screwed in one way or another and immediately brand their life in Korea as horrible. This affects their outlook on life and gets spilled over to small talk, which gets passed around and before you know it groups like ATEK are branded as the enemy. When in fact they are trying to be our superhero.

What also happens here is that people build up their lives here as if they are their own superhero. They survived crap and got out of on their own without anyone else's help. Now some group is coming along and it promises to be their umbrella.

Fortunately for ATEK there are still a number of expats that could benefit from their program. In fact we all could.

We just need to realize and rethink our positions here in Korea.

Whether you are married to a Korean, not a teacher or a teacher we all come from the same background. And that is that we are expats. We weren't born in this country. And so society works differently here. The outlook of this is that some of us have been mixing in well and other haven't.

If we don't group together as a whole and continue to keep ourselves distanced from one another than the problems that occur to us today are going to live on.

This isn't just about getting to know each other and sharing a few beers.

This is about understanding our role here in Korea and helping Koreans understand us, our background and our role.

We need to represent ourselves. And Dave's ESL is not going to do that for us.

Maybe even ATEK can't do everything for us. But if we ATEK's enemy than that means we have the power to make ATEK work for us. I know that sounds strange. But we have the ability to take this group and suggest what we really need and don't need.

If you look at the dynamic of ATEK it is a group that has the possibility to break the barrier between being an "alien" to being a person in this country with better rights.

So instead of us throwing shit at ATEK let's throw something more useful.

Finally I want to add that this hiatus reminds me of my disappointment in the expat community here.

I believe that we all have higher educations, learned critical thinking and how to judge life. Instead all I usually see (talking about Dave'e ESL here) are a bunch of whiners without a light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's get it together people. You are here and we are all here. It's time to get our act together!

Slap ... kick....BAM!@!!

The Ramen Girl

Although I do eat ramen (Korean instant ramen) nearly every night during the week for dinner, I don't know if it quite captures the spirit of this upcoming movie.



The star is a white girl Brittany Murphy who plays a girl in Japan who followed her boyfriend there only to be dumped.

She ends up finding new life in becoming a Ramen chef, only of course to find out it takes more than just hot water and instant ramen noodles.

As an expat in an Asian country I will look forward to seeing this someday because I too at times feel a sense of trying to find how I fit in here.

I hope it isn't a flop.

Complaining Expats: A resolution?

Roboseyo and Ask An Korean have done it again with a follow up post this time examining the causes for Koreans defensive attitudes and a way to be criticizing without being so damaging.

It is a doozy to read but well worth it.

I have to say that I can not find any memories of when I complained about Korea to a Korean and got an angry response. Actually I haven't really been complaining about Korea all that much. If I do it would end up in BK's ears. I think sometimes I joke about the amount of stairs from subway stations, or other little nuances. But is never a reflection of how undeveloped Korea is.

A quote from the post that I find illuminating:

First, let us eliminate one popular hypothesis from the running. Some observers posit that Korean culture is simply not a “criticizing culture”, because it emphasizes homogeneity and harmony. Because Koreans are reluctant to criticize one another, the theory goes, any amount of criticism is considered a very bold act, and often deeply insulting.

The Korean can unequivocally say that this theory is 100 percent crap, because Koreans liberally criticize their country and each other. And truly, the severe and ignorant nature of their criticisms aimed toward their fellow Koreans makes criticisms from expats look like sprinkles of flowers and baby powder

This is so true!!!! I experienced a Korean's level of complaining when I met Rainbow (young Korean woman) last year in San Francisco when I worked at the Asian Art Museum. She complained and nit picked about people and places with great accuracy and also a fierce tongue.

The Post goes on to say:

that a Korean when trying to defend a nasty comment about their country will fail to respond in English in an analytical and objective way:
So when the irresistible compulsion to defend Korea against non-Korean-generated criticism of Korea strikes an average Korean, she is often poorly equipped to do so. Her argumentative tools simply are not adequate to properly express her fervor. Therefore, she flails about as she tries to stand her ground, and frequently resorts to poor rhetoric and obstinate denial.

 Now, I think this needs careful reconsideration. Because I have had very intelligent conversations with Rainbow (she made this name for herself) and BK. I was very impressed by Rainbow's  understanding of her country's position in the world and her understanding of its differences. The same goes for BK, he too understands that Korea, although developed, is still using old regimes of thought to function.

Of course though both of these individuals English levels are high. But I think I am making an important point.

As an Expat you kind of naturally believe that because of the language barrier you tend to think that a Korean speaker does not have the capacity to think as advanced as you.

This is FALSE!

Anyone on this planet whether poor or rich has an opinion. They may not be able to express this in every language or within a thesis paper, but the ability to form an opinion is a function every human is born with.


The Point:

• Leave your assumptions at the door.

And so I hope we all can see that these kind of issues arise out of the fact that the world functions on a global scale. That when an American travels to Asia they bring with them their American way of thinking. And so a mixing of thoughts is born in cities across the globe. 


This is nothing new and has shaped many cultures for centuries. The only realization now is how it will shape our world for the future?


Anyways its VACATION TIME!

Dinner for one

Tonight I decided to put a blog featuring what my dinner looks like. Because I come home before 8 pm there isn't much time to throw something big together. So it has to be quick but somewhat decent and healthy.

Recently, though I have gathered enough materials to make some pasta with sauce and cheese. :)

Let's see what I got: Here (in this really bad picture) I have my pasta noodles, closest thing to a cheese grader, and cheese! The cheese cost about $5 due to it being on sale.

Cooking the noodles is easy and allows you to walk away and check your blog.

The results: YUmmm! Or at least I think it looks yummy, it certainly tastes yummy. Sorry for the blurry picture.

Anyways sorry if it seems I am obsessed with finding and cooking food that is familiar to me. I think that this may be natural for an expat. I recall foreigners in America sticking to their homely diets, although they were in the land of inexpensive cheese and milk. But I think what is most interesting is that there is ought to be an fusion of homely and the unfamiliar when it comes to eating here. I try to taste something new and see if I like it.

All right well thanks for reading!

What kind of Expat Am I?

I wonder if I am the expat who complains a lot about Korea and misjudges everything or am I the expat that is too obsessed with Korea?

Everything in Korea that appears odd to expats has its own logic, and once explained (as the Korean tries to do in this blog,) they are completely understandable and not very odd after all. But because expats never talk to the people responsible for creating such logic, (it is, after all, people in their 40s through 60s who run the country,) the oddities continue to remain incomprehensible. And instead of coming to an understanding, expats go on with their complaining.

Very good point~! When I do he or read from another expat a complaint about Koreans, I always wondered if they considered where their issue stems from and why they are confused.

But Roboseyo and Ask An Korean are attempting to pinpoint why exactly foreigners in Korea tend to complain about Korea.

I would take the time to scroll through my blogs and see for myself if I am a complainer, but I am not going to do that. Instead I will just conclude that I feel I don't complain as much as I could be, considering instinctively I do find things to complain about.

Instead it has always been my goal on my blog to write about my experience living in South Korea, while at the same time respecting the differences around me. Also I have strived to digest what it is I reject in Korea and why, so that my opinions come out thoughtful.

However, I know that there are complainers on the internet and unfortunately they take up a lot of space. I hope I don't become one of them.

Just say No

If you happen to be catching summer tv in America there is this new Reality Game Show called:
I Survived a Japanese Game Show.

Hmmmm

The premise being that you take a handful of Americans plant them in Tokyo, Japan and make them play crazy games on a game show.

Oh yea while at the same time emphasize the craziness and wackiness of Japan and its people with disregard to the reality of Japan.

I think though you could watch it for some value. For instance it appears that for the first few episodes everyone is excited and happy to be there, then things go downhill from there.

That is just like any foreigners experience in a foreign land so it can give you a visual example of what happens to go to another country.

Anyways I may watch this to see the poor Americans crumble under the pressure to win money. But it isn't a priority of mine to watch.

Love Story <3

In spirit of Amanda Take's Off post about her first meeting with her Korean boyfriend, I thought I would highlight how I first met BK. Hopefully without embarrassing him. It was back around February 12, 2008, okay this year. Anyways I was about a month and a half into my planning to go to Korea. So I thought it would be a really good idea to meet with a Korean for language exchange. In this pursuit I put up an ad on Craigslist asking for an Korean language exchange partner.

• I listed who I was and my ambitions to teach in Korea. My age and sex and that I was a college graduate.

I received a lot of responses from both male and female, but I would say mostly male. I didn't expect to receive so many replies so it was somewhat overwhelming. My plan of action was to deal with just the first few responses, due to my belief of First Come, First Serve. Anyways, BK was one of those first. And not only was one of the lucky first people his email was also so intriguing and well put together I couldn't resist meeting up with him.

HI, Joy. ..... I have been in oakland for 2 months to learn English.

I`m majoring in business when I was in Korea, And I attended many institute to study English for a long time, I`ve had good relationships with many foreign teachers in Korea. This caught my eye right away, because it showed he had experience helping foreigner learn Korean.

......... I will go back to Korea in August. So I can help you when you go to Korea. OOOooo another good selling point!

......... I have books to teach Korean and learn English also. So if we use that book we can help each other. If you are intersted in let me know. Wow! You even have books to help me!! Great!

........

Needless to say I was hooked into his email. So we set up a time to meet on a Saturday at a Starbucks near my house. Keep in mind that we were also meeting another Korean (an woman) and he lived about 45 - 50 minutes away from my area.

The day of our meeting:
I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to meet up with a Korean guy on this day. From all the Korean dramas I had been watching my mind was bursting with images of cute Korean men. So that day I tried to put on the sexiest outfit I could muster without coming off too sleazy. The weather was still cold out so it was one of my snug fitting sweaters and nice jeans.

We arranged to meet first at the BART (subway) station near my house. I got there a bit early and waited for him. At the meeting time I called him and what do you know? He was standing right near me! It was cute, I have to say.

This was when we first laid eyes on each other. After which my heart was pounding and my mind was spinning. At first sight all I saw was that he was tall, had long hair and was oh so cute! But being a lady I pulled myself together, said hello and guided him to the Starbucks.

At the Starbucks we met with K, the other language partner. We all ordered drinks and sat down. Next was a session of learning Korean and questions and answers about each other.

During this time my eyes kept on floating to BK and I think I was blushing a lot. But the real problem was that when I am confounded with feeling attracted to someone I end up being very flirty and also goofy. Yes, I did flirt with him. I wonder if he was flirting back.

Anyways, afterwards it was about 6pm so we left the Starbucks and went for a bite to eat. Yet during the dinner talk wasn't very much and it seemed everyone was more shy now. I thought that maybe everyone was tired.

It was time to go home and K gave us a ride home. First she dropped me off at my place and then took BK to the BART station.

Later, BK told me that K said it is okay for him to meet without her, hinting on that she picked up we liked each other and wanted to give us an opportunity to meet up again. Indeed, I didn't hear from her again.

Our next few meetings:
We met again the following weekend for language exchange (BK and I). This time downtown in SF at a library.

The whole time he was helping me pronounce the Korean words, I couldn't help but stare at his lips! I was beginning to wonder if he was attracted to me, and I started to pick up on certain hints he was. That night for dinner we went to a quiet pub and had some pub food. But the whole time we talked it seemed he was really interested in getting to know me closer.

It was getting late and he had to take the BART back to Oakland, which is dangerous at night. Instead of just parting ways, he walked me to my bus station. So sweet!

Anyways, our next meeting was more for site seeing. We met at Golden Gate park and had a picnic, next we walked around the lake. The whole time we talked and laughed with each other.

Needless to say sparks flew on this day and ever since we have been a couple.

Well that is my love story with BK and I have to say it is a pretty sweet one that I cherish in my memory.

training is over

Hi ya'all!

So training at the YBM head office finished today. And again I am really grateful to have this training but still don't know quite yet whether it will come in handy. The first month is going to rough because I will be going through all the steps of figuring out what works while at the same time still adjusting to my foreigner life.

Today's training was not as intense as the last few days and highlighted some important aspects of teaching. Such as always have a plan and to remember that your kids are a lot smarter than you think they are. I already kind of know that second part from being around kids at camp so I hope I remember that in class. Also our teacher took us out for a lunch treat at a place in the Insadong area. Insadong looked like what China Town looks like if you have ever been to one in New York or San Francisco, mostly because the streets are lined with shops selling basically the same tourist trap stuff. Peppered amongst these stores were some places selling art and pottery. I really want to go back there and spend more time checking it out. While I was there I saw an art supply store...so woo hoo!

I think being around other foreigners helped me understand that I have a dual role here in Korea. One I am a foreigner to Koreans and two I am a foreigner to other foreigners. Sometimes I see random other foreigners on the subway or street and I smile at them but I tend to not get a smile back. I don't know if that is intentional or just coincidence.

So I am still resistant to walk into a Korean restaurant by myself and order food. I think it is a taboo here to sit in a place and eat alone, so there is that problem first off. Next, I don't know what to order and also I am still getting use to what I feel is the "Korean" taste that Korean food has, and that really isn't the spiciness. Just in general Korean food has a certain taste that when you aren't in the mood can be not appetizing.

So what do I do instead?

Well I go buy a sandwhich in the "Family Mart" and eat some cheese and crackers. I know not a meal right? But satisfying enough...till I get a grasp on food. My schedule for when I start teaching will have me coming home around 8pm so that really isn't the time I am use to eating dinner. These adjustments will certain take some time to accept but I will try my best not to let get me down.

Anyways, tomorrow I go back to my company and observe more classes. Afterwards I will be heading off to a hospital for my health check. Yea finally some paperwork is getting done! But that doesn't leave much time for lesson planning for my classes on Monday...maybe I can get it done this weekend.

Speaking of which Saturday I will move into my Office Tel and I don't think it has Internet. So unless I have time to go to a PC Bang updating and email will be slowwwww.

Ok well :)