Day 3 : The Last Week

Maybe I will miss the warm sun rising over my little home here in Korea. It's warmth carrying it's way into my shoebox and warming things up from a cold night. You can watch the sun go past the sky by seeing the sun-rays go from one end of the wall to the other. It's funny because Tom has a little pattern he follows. Around noon he comes out of the covers, where he was slumbering, and heads to the sunshine. I've also noticed around 2:30 he likes a spot on top of my suitcases that sit in the balcony.

Sorry, Tom but our routines are going to be smattered to pieces as we head to America. I hope you can find sunshine in our new place, despite that it rains a lot in Seattle. But I think the amount of stairs and that there is a little porch outside will make up for it. I'm going to have to get some kind of bowl for him to cozy up in, as I'm not taking his plastic one.

Day three was less vigorous than yesterday. It was also one of final conundrums. Instead of using a friend to help get my box to the post office, I figured I could use a taxi. I told the taxi, "Nowon Post Office, please?" But in Korean. To my dismay he took me to a further away post office then the one nearer to my house. I guess I didn't know the one I had been going to was called something else, so he took me to THE Nowon Post Office. No matter, I just hopped on a bus to get me back to my neighborhood.

I then went to the bank and loaded up on some USD! It's cheaper to get cash then to exchange, so I figured take advantage of that. However, I will still end up transferring after my school gives me all what is due.

Time to head back to America and stimulate their economy and contribute taxes. Is there a tax break for taking care of a sweet and lovable cat!? On my way home from the bank I stopped in the local stationary store. I really need to avoid these before I leave, as I now have yet another notebook. But I wanted to get a nice little card holder for Seattle. I plan to use their bus card (like T-Money) to get around and thought a sleek pouch would be a good idea. Well two hours later, I got it! haha.

I looked around on Google Maps today to figure out how to get to all the places I need to visit when I get back. I hope to get to the DMV to get a shiny new WA State driver's license, then head to the Sprint store for a new phone. Ah the wonder's of technology...who needs a paper map anymore?

Once I'm feeling a bit less jet lagged I hope to start making my day trips around the town getting what I need out of the way before the next Quarter starts. Oh yea, I'm going to be a student! I'm starting to get a little nervous because it's been six years since I was in school and don't know if I can remember how to do it. But I know I was doing well at the Seoul KOTESOL workshops, taking notes and contributing, that it should be fine. I'm actually looking forward to doing research, taking notes and compiling it all together.

Well, I guess three more sunrises for me and Tom here in Korea.

The Last Week: Day 4

Today was all about work, work, work. I got up and immediately went ahead with cleaning behind all the furniture. I found a lot of dust and cat hair all mangled together. Things in here sure do look a lot cleaner now. After I whisked through the living space I tackled the kitchen. Everything needed a good scrubbing including the refrigerator.

When I moved in to this place (two years ago) it wasn't as clean as I'm making it now. But I know who is going to move in and I don't really want to leave someone with a dirty place. It sucks to move in somewhere and then have to clean it to make it comfortable. I suppose I am putting money into my good karma bank!

While I was cleaning I started to think that it would be a good idea to reduce the weight more on my suitcases, so I ended up going to the post office for one more box. But that's it! Everything is pretty much empty in my place now. What I need to get by on for the next few days is out, so it really feels like I'm moving now.

I met another friend for dinner and had a lovely last time. I can't believe tomorrow is going to be "day 3" and then I'm almost out of here. Time flys, it really does!

Last night I felt a twinge of sadness that I'm leaving behind a lot of memories here. I'm hoping the withdrawal I feel from leaving Korea is something I can get through. But I'm up to the task and making new memories back in America! :)

The Last Week: Day 5

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not traveling back to America, but moving. If I were traveling there then I wouldn't need to send off six boxes and try to squeeze what is left into two suitcases. But because I am moving, I am sending everything I own to a faraway location.

Today I cleared out my living space and put it all into my suitcases. Turns out I'm going to need that third one. In the end things are starting to look more and more empty in my little apartment here. Someone came by and took the last bookshelf away. Also with all the boxes gone space is opening up.

I thought I would get to dusting behind furniture and cleaning out areas today but I think my motivation will come tomorrow. I'm meeting up with a friend for dinner as a one last goodbye.

As I was walking home from Lotte Mart today (had to pick up more vacuum seal bags), a family was passing me by. One of the younger kids in the group said, "Oh Waygookin!" I closed my eyes but then put on a smile and gave a friendly wave at everyone. While I was walking away I couldn't help but think that could be the last time I have that experience. Which is both good and bad. I'm not really going to miss being singled out based upon my nationality. But at the same time it was a quark of Korea that you couldn't get pass.

Also I confirmed today that Korean Air allows pets under the plane no matter what the season. A few people on this pet Facebook group kept saying it might be a problem, but I knew it was okay. Just four more days, Tom! Are you ready?!

The Last Week: Day 6

Even though I don't have to wake up early anymore to head into work, Tom still wakes me up. He does it gently by first meowing in my face and then laying his paw on my chin. Then he slowly drags his paw away so that his claws catch my skin and wake me up enough. It's okay to get up early and feed him cause I can sleep in for the next two hours. Or when he wakes me up again for his treats. Who needs an alarm clock, when you have a cat?

I prepared my last box for shipping, which contains some blankets I want to take with me. I don't know what it is, but Korean blankets are really warm and I thought why not hold on to them for more years? I also moved a bookshelf closer to the door that somebody is going to come by and pick up. This revealed a lot of dust and cat hair, so cleaned that up. Then I headed out to the local Vet to pick up Tom's flying papers, which I am going to need to make copies of before I go. Afterwards headed to the small grocery store to pick up some items I need for the rest of the week.

When I got back home I did a little more cleaning but felt really tired from yesterday. So today was mostly spent resting and contemplating everything ahead. I got a lot of cuddle time in with Tom, though.

It definitely feels like spring is heading it's way to Korea. The days are getting a little bit longer and the temperatures are heading out of the 20's (Fahrenheit). I know I am going to miss seeing the blooms here but it's time to move on. :)

Packing Logistics

I've been spending the past 24 hours figuring out how to get all my stuff to Seattle without paying more than I should. I might have too much stuff to begin with, but I've been here for five years. I have summer and winter clothes to take with me, along with my art stuff. It piles up!

I did a "mock packing" yesterday to see if I could fit all my clothes in two suitcases and not be overweight. Turns out things were too close to the edge. The maximum weight is 23 KG and after I would add all my knick knacks and stuff it would have gone over. So I took out my summer clothes and put those in box, since it should still be mildly cold in Seattle when I get there. Thankfully I have a military friend who is kind enough to ship these boxes out to America. I believe this will be cheaper and faster than using the Korean postal service.

However, I already sent three boxes to my family's house back home. Two of which already arrived. It doesn't really cost too much to ship out from the Korean post office, but just makes me a bit nervous when it goes by ship.

So now I've got it down to that one suitcase is empty and the other half full. My winter clothes are still hanging up in my closet but should fit nicely now without a problem. This extra leg room will be helpful for whatever packing surprises might come.

I also needed to ship my carryon luggage (a rolling backpack type thing) because I'm going to need my hands free at the airport. So I went out and bought a laptop backpack that wasn't too expensive. Something to just get me through this transition.

Tom certainly did not enjoy the frenzy of packing I was in lately. Because I am using vacuum seal bags to get all my clothes in a box, he hid from the noise. Sorry, Tom!

Well two more days of work left...wow time is flying!

A Little Guide to the Rain in Seoul

I'm sure all of us know how to use an umbrella and get around their town in the rain. You look out for puddles and wear proper gear. But it seems surviving the rainy streets of Seoul, can add on a few more challenges. I've come to realize these nuances over the course of living here four years, and thought I would share them with you. Not as a way to complain about life here, but just to divulge my observances. Here we go...

1. Puddles and Splashes:
I've noticed quite often that puddles seem to accumulate on one side of a sidewalk. When this happens you of course want to avoid them, and so end up trying to steer around them. Generally, I have come to see that puddles are random throughout the walking experience, and some can be surprisingly deeper than others.

Splashes can occur if you walk really close to the edge of the sidewalk where it meets the road. People driving their cars don't seem to really notice the big splash they make when they glide past the side walk. This causes whoever is standing there to get a soaking that can occur from knee down, depending on your height. Because I've noticed other people getting soaked and heard tales from colleagues, I've learned to stay closer to the other edge of the sidewalk. In addition to this, you might want to stay a few feet behind the edge of the sidewalk when waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. Cars turning right certainly are closer to the edge and can't help but cause a splash.

2. Umbrella Etiquette:
In America, even when I lived in San Francisco, people tried their best to give you and your umbrella room. It's a tricky thing to walk down a crowded street with an umbrella hovering above your head that makes the width of you more round. Ever since living in Korea I have experienced the daunting challenge of trying not to get bashed in by other folk's umbrellas. I don't think they mean it intentionally, but people here certainly don't try to avoid you and your umbrella. Now, this is not all the time, as I do experience the occasional dodging of each other's umbrella.

But the typical case is that your umbrella will bump with others and you can sometimes be hit on the shoulder or head by the edge of them. Certainly, it's tricky business to have lots of people get through a crowded and narrow sidewalk, with umbrellas in hand and not have a few collisions.

My advice is to be hyper aware and cautious. Also think about your height and in this case I find being shorter than most people here to my advantage. I can just lower my umbrella a little and glide underneath everyone.

3. Footwear:
In the past year or so fancy-rain-footwear has become more prevalent in these parts. I'm talking about rain boots.

The fashion ladies of Seoul would probably have a hard time walking down the drenching streets in heels. So I think they have turned to cute or fashionable rain boots. I for one am starting to feel interested in getting my own pair.

Otherwise, it seems difficult to figure out a pair of shoes that will get you through the day without your feet getting soaked. It's not just the rain that falls down on them, the general sidewalk ends up being it's own mini-splash zone.  When it rains in the heat of the summer I usually just truck by, wearing sandals and dry off my feet once inside.

4. Bus and Taxi Embarking and Exiting:
As with the challenging umbrella dodging, getting on or off a bus can be tricky as well. As you know, busses in Korea don't wait for you to take your time folding up your umbrella or getting it ready for when you want to get off. You have to be quick, no matter what the weather is like. This means you often get a little soaked entering a bus or exiting it.

What I find also happens is that if you walk past a bus stop, and there happens to be a bus unloading people. That those people will pop open their umbrellas in your direction. So watch out!

Also I could add how it's tricky to keep your soaked umbrella from touching yourself or others while clinging on to the bus or train. Thankfully some places you visit along the way have plastic covers.

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Let's hope the rain this summer won't be as drenching as last years (seen above). When no matter what umbrella or shoes you wore made a difference. However, I'm thinking Seoul is very prepared now just in case this happens again. 

Rain, Rain...go away...or stay...or linger...

Extending or Renewing Your Visa Experience 2012

I had the fun and pleasure today of making it to the Anguk Immigration Office to renew / extend my visa. Since I am staying at my school it was necessary for me to go to immigration and get this done on my own.

The documents I needed were pretty basic, compared to getting a new visa. This time all I needed was a copy of my contract, school's registration, passport..alien card...and other ones. Hehe you can check the immigration website.

Out of exit 6 you go up to the SK Hub building and take the stairs to the 2nd floor. Find your way to the big room with all the chairs and people sitting in them. Find the ticket machine and press the green button hard enough to make a ticket come out.

I didn't wait too long, and soon was sitting behind an English speaking assistant. I did have to run around for a few things to complete the process. Like buying the stamps from a different room and also making copies of my passport pages. In addition, I was made to scan my fingerprints. Finally, after all that I received my alien card back with a new date entered on the back. It was quite easy and probably would have went even faster had I made an appointment. Overall, I'm pretty happy and satisfied with my experience at immigration today. Hope all future immigration trips will be just as easy.

My Fractions Study Guide

Since the start of this recent semester I realized that these kids need extra study aids to get them through all the English math jargon. Also, it was starting to pester me that they kept on mistaking the word square for circle.

As I am planning for next year I am continuing on my path to make study guides. The above is the one I recently made for the fractions chapter. Now I must admit that I am actually a math dummy. However, I did very well during my math classes in college, mostly because I found algebraic formulas fascinating.

Thankfully, I teach 1st and soon to be 2nd grade math.  The book we are using makes it not only simple for the student but also for the teacher. However, I wanted to make sure that when I get around to saying "one-fifth" that the students understand what I am sputtering. So I hope this study guide will help them put words to picture.

Usually they just shove the paper into their bags and I don't see them again. Next year they are going to have class note books and these guides will get permanently glued into them.

Whenever a student did hold onto their study guide and pulled it out during a spelling bee challenge, I felt pretty proud. I usually would praise these students and point out to the others that their ability to spell "rectangular prism" would be easier if they had their guide with them. ;)

Moving On Up to the 2nd Grade

It came as a complete surprise. A text from the boss on my computer, after I returned from lunch. Requesting I come and talk to him about next semester. I replied and the next thing I knew I was up in his room learning of my near future.

Turns out all of the 2nd grade teachers are moving on next year. For each grade there is a team leader and these folks, as you can imagine, manage the show. So 2nd grade's team leader would be missing. In short, he wanted me to move up to 2nd grade Math and be the team leader.

At first, I was skeptical because I liked staying in 1st with all my materials and plans for next year.  But I was curious and so learned more of his proposal. Turns out he really needs someone to fill the 2nd grade team leader position, and felt I was best because I have experience with the kids and the school. Plus it fits that I will go into 2nd Grade Math, as the book is the same company and similar material.

I had 5 minutes before my afternoon classes started and so there wasn't much time to fully comprehend it all. I told him I would talk to the current person in that position and get back to him.

Walking back to my class I knew I didn't really have a choice. I could fight to stay in 1st with all my stuff, but in this situation it seemed the best thing to take the promotion. My classes finished and I had a talk with the 2nd grade Math teacher. It went well and I got a hold of the book, lesson plans and monthly planner.

I headed up to my boss and told him I would do it. He seemed really pleased and likely relieved. I was glad to hear I get monthly extra compensation for being a team leader.

Since then I have already figured out how many lessons fit into next year's schedule, and soon I should be cranking out my own lessons. I won't deny it, I am a bit overwhelmed because of all this, but holding onto the feeling that I'm important at this school.

Of course, I have a feeling the thing of "team leader" is going to hit me soon. I'm a pretty good organizer and do have leadership skills. But this requires keeping up very good relations with the Korean homeroom teachers. However, I think by now I've got that under control.

Anyways, I know what my Christmas vacation is going to look like now!

Joy's Jelly Bean Contest

One of the chapter's coming up in the student's book is "Estimation." For this week of estimating fun I decided to have all the classes take part in a Jelly Bean guessing contest. There are eight groups and each one will get to see a jar semi-full with jelly beans and make a guess as to how many.

A worksheet will accompany this activity and the winner will receive the jar of beans to take home.

I've already counted them and so can quickly announce the winners. Just something fun I have added to this semester that I hope spices things up for the kids.

Last Few Days of Camp Finally

There are just three more days of camp and thank goodness! Although, tiring and often mind-boggling strange, the camp has been going pretty well. I have learned what the low-levels need and how better to pace myself for them. They take time to process the English and I try to give it to them in a slow yet understandable manner. But mostly they want to learn through games, crafts and activities. I guess that is true for all first-graders.

Camp, as mentioned earlier, wasn't planned very well even though the planning committee did do hard work. I want to step up for winter camp and plan some new stuff for them, but am trying to lay-low so not to seem like a pushy person.

With camp nearing it's end that means next week I will have my time off and go to Jeju. I am excited but also a bit worried, because it will be hot down there and most of the food you can find is seafood. I really hope to get to a supermarket my first day and stock up my pension with things to make for breakfast. Really though, I am trying to tell myself to just go there and relax. Don't worry about whether you get out and see everything or find the most delicious meal on the island. Mostly, I am looking forward to swimming and seeing several sunsets. Really, I don't know if I want to ride around the island everyday to go see something, when I could be at a nearby beach. Plus there are several sights to see in my area of the island.

I know that after vacation the next semester starts and I am already mentally preparing myself. I want to get through it without any hiccups. I know there will be times when I am approached by my Korean homeroom teachers and that I really need to give a nice face to it all. Last week, I approached the person who hired at me at the school (he is also the head-coordinator) about my position. After the kids went home I went up to his classroom. I basically introduced that I don't talk to him much and would like to say "Hi." I got around to asking him how I am doing at the school and got good feedback. He told me he hears that I work hard and that is good. But then he asked me, "How do you feel about the Korean teachers?" I went blank for a little bit and then smiled and said how I enjoy them and like working with them. I also talked about how for next camp I would like to contribute. He was enthusiastic to hear this. I basically just wanted to make sure he knew that I liked the school and my position. I know most of what he hears about me comes from third parties so I wanted to make sure he heard my side. Hopefully, this will help plant a seed for the future when he is considering my renewal.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, especially how I have grown since my first time in Korea. Sometimes I look back on my first summer here and can't believe it all. I certainly felt so scared and alienated at that time. I am glad to be where I am here in Korea and hope to grow more on this peninsula.

First Semester is OVER!

My gosh did it go so fast! I am really pleased that this semester has come to an end. Of course, kind of not looking forward to three weeks of camp with the same group of kids. But, in essence the toils and trials of everyday work will not come to me again till September.

Things I've Learned:

First graders do require a lot of energy, but you don't have to put on a show all the time. They like games and things for them to do that can keep their minds and hands busy. Teaching at a private elementary school has a lot of benefits when compared to my previous job. I have enjoyed the lack of coteaching and love being in control of my own classroom. However, I have not escaped the Korean workplace and still encounter many snafus related to this. I've learned that patience is the key and one can be strict with the students but not take it emotionally. 

Also, I have seen that I can put a lot of hard work into something and feel like I am getting results. Even though I don't know for sure, because you never really can know, I still feel like I have done pretty good at my job and being in the Korean workplace. There were a few times when I screwed up on the whole Korean-ness of things but it seemed my hard work is shining over that and making it okay.

Where to go from here...

I am already working on my plans for the 2nd semester. I just want to get ahead so I can finesse my teaching style more and not really be concerned with material creation. I am really hoping this school will decide to keep me for the next year, but I have realized that sometimes things are still not in your control. In that case I am keeping in mind to keep my cool with my Korean counterparts. 

Also, I wasn't too satisfied with my home life after work this semester. I tried my best to produce works of art. But I really wanted to practice Korean and go to the gym this year. So that is why JH has agreed to help me learn Korean by sending me weekly lessons of his creation, that he will teach and test me on. Also, I will be signing up at a local gym (given I like the looks of it) this weekend. I really want to be healthy and fit, along with starting to use Korean more. 

Whatever, though! Because the first semester is over and despite that it was tiring at times, I feel I really learned a lot about myself as a teacher. I hope to share some of those lessons with you and what I did with my classes. 

For those other folks out there with their semester's ending...congratulations!

KoreanCupid: A Guide for the Ladies on how to Date Online in Korea

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Maybe, you have seen the above picture with a young Korean woman in it and the words "Korean Cupid".  After looking at it a few times you might have wondered, what it is like to use an online dating service in Korea. So your curiosity finally peaks and you head over to the site and end up in this world that you might think is just like any other dating site, except it is not.

 Before I get into my guide, let me first tell you that I met JH through this particular site, and just about two years ago. It was after my break up with my first Korean boyfriend (BK), and I didn't want to believe that I could never love a Kboy again. However, I am not the person to walk up to strangers on the street or go to bars/clubs and hit it up with guys there. I needed a place to go to where I could connect with a Korean man but on a certain level. That is why this guide today will reflect an actual user's experience and give you some insight into the site and trying to meet Korean men.

Another last stop before I get into the guide, and that is my discretionary statement. This guide is for ladies interested in Korean men. It might help you if you are of a different sex and looking for women, or whatever, but mostly this is for women looking specifically for Korean men. Yes, there are non-Korean men on the site but I never bothered to get involved with that. 

With that said, I want to state that this is not from the perspective of someone who is obsessed with sex, is interested in drinking and one night stands or is just looking to hook up with a Korean for the thrill of it. I did my search, two years ago, to look for someone to start a serious relationship with. Therefore, my perspective will reflect these (I guess) conservative views.

Let's move on~!!

The Guide To Using Korean Cupid for the Ladies Looking for the Korean Man's Heart:

1. Setting Up Your Profile:

 Yes I am using my own profile there, which is still visible on the site (although I don't use it anymore). Obviously, when you start off on the site you make your profile. This includes all the typical stuff with the most important showing up first. Here are my basic tips:

• Put up pretty pictures of yourself that are flattering. Unless you want him to see you as a drunk, then show yourself partying in the bar. Otherwise give the guys decent pictures to look at. Also have a variety up there as this seems to be a big feature of the site.
• Be honest in your descriptions. Just don't lie off the bat that you are skinny but are really not, or don't mind if a guy smokes, but you really do. 
• Make a simple and useful headline. Not too long as that can be tiring.
• In the "seeking" section, briefly but accurately state what you are looking for.

2. Browsing Men's Profiles

• The Search: Be specific or else you will get more results than you can handle. Shoot for people who have been recently active. Look within your age range, unless you really don't care. 
• The Results: As you can see it will vary who shows up. Since a picture says it all, I mostly see this first and then look at the details. What has always been really strange is most Korean folks are seeking females age "18 - 80." Something tells me they really aren't going to date an 18 year old or an 80 year old either. This already tells you something about their ability to use the site or how sincere they are in making their profile. It could also just mean they were lazy. Sift through the results and see if any catch your eye. Click on their profile and dig into whether they are interesting enough to send a message or set up for a private chat. 

3. Looking at their Profiles: 

• The most important aspect, I found, is not all the information they fill out or their pictures but what they put as a description of who they are looking for. If they can write two sentences and do it well in English than you can tell they are using the site for more than just peeping. The following examples show how some give you good and bad signs.

 

 4. Communication and the Private Chat

This is by far the most important and critical part of using the site. If you list yourself as "single" and "available" you will get a lot of profile views, email and chat requests. A chat request works by that a pop up window comes up with a chime asking you to join in. Once opened you can find out who is trying to talk to you via a link to their profile. The following are some warnings and good advice when chatting with Korean men on this site.

• Most Chat requests are from guys who want sex only. How do I know? Because I cut the bullshit and got straight to the point with a lot of them and told them I wasn't looking for one night stands. Usually things start off nice in a chat and then the guy suddenly starts asking questions like, "What is your bra size?" "Do you like sex?" And from there you can tell that he is just on the site for the thrill of it. When I revealed that I wasn't trying to hook up with guys just for sex, a lot of them got upset. They even would tell me that they thought foreign women don't mind one night stands and I was acting "strange" to them. Gee I wonder where they got those ideas (Hollywood!).
• Weed them out to find Mr. Niceguy. Of course, you really can't tell if he is good or bad by just a quick chat but as shown above you do want to be straight up honest at first. Otherwise, you could end up meeting a guy with different intentions. So have a method lined up for how you will chat to them. If things get strange or perverted back out. If things are civil and sound good stay in the chat.
• Move on to your real email and messenger (skype) contacts: What you really want to do is start communicating with these guys outside of KoreanCupid. Once you are comfortable enough and truly feel you can trust them then send out your details. CAUTION: Don't give any personal information (like this) out unless you are 10000% percent sure they won't end up digitally stalking you. My advice: if they ask for this kind of stuff in just the first chat than they are really desperate. Wait after a week or so to know they are worthy. 

5. Picking a Guy to Actually Date

• This category is to show that there are generally three types of Korean men on the site. 
• One: In it for the sex and thrill of being with a foreigner. (As mentioned above). If this is what you want to cater too than go ahead. But remember you might be promoting a stereotype here of foreign women as easy. 
• Two: Looking for a language partner. This kind of guy can fit into them all, but some of them mostly just want a language buddy. Keep in mind you might not really learn Korean and instead speak English the whole time. If you are looking to help a guy out with his English than go ahead, you never know as it could blossom into love.
• Three: Looking for a loving and lasting relationship or just something beyond the first date. This was the kind of guy I was looking for and managed to weed out the rest. I am still with him so as you can see it definitely lasted beyond the first date.

6. The Meet Up:

• These are going to be obvious. Pick a public place and one that you are familiar with or if you pick one new to you review how to get there and back (exit strategy). 
• If meeting someone new for the first time makes you super nervous, ask to meet first with your friend.
• Let a close friend know you are going on this semi-blind date so that there is someone out there in world caring about you. 

Conclusion: 

I doubt I mentioned everything but I hope this guide shows you what it is like from a women's perspective on the experience to be had when using KoreanCupid. Depending on your goals the site can provide you with many different types of love or lust matches. 

Once out the door and actually meeting a guy it is up to you. Dating a Korean guy in theory is no different from dating a guy from America or South Africa, since they are all men.  But of course, Korean men carry their social treasures and burdens with them that as time passes you get to know and discover. 

Maybe someday I will make a guide to dating a Korean man, but I think I need to gather more evidence from other women, to truly show what it is like. Till then there is this guide.

Finally, it is spring and so love is in the air anyways. What better way to enjoy the beauty and warmth of this season than discovering Korea with someone you met on KoreanCupid. Just do it all with caution and don't get yourself too head-over-heels. 

Korean Math Song

While searching the halls of Youtube for an English math song, as I am often doing these days, I found this cute one in Korean.

I want to use it in class, but know I will get the, "Teacher it is Korean!" response.

Tom the Laptop

I have yet to purchase a desk for my home. Instead of a nice comfortable place to do my work I have been completing it on my bed. Tom seems to find this a fun advantage for him, as instead of my laptop making it onto my lap, Tom gets there first most often. Usually the following picture is how I look while I try to get ahead on my lesson planning.

If only Tom could master Google searches of math worksheets than this scenario would work wonderfully. I did manage to get out of my house yesterday and take a few pics along the way, which I will post later. Although I spent most of my weekend planning and sorting the mess that is work's duties, I feel good knowing most of it is done.

First Day Tomorrow

Today we finished the level tests and it was again another whirlwind. It was speaking test day and my part was to watch the kids in their classroom while they waited their turn. The morning class did well with the activities I haphazardly put together, but the afternoon class was a complete disaster. Because of this I learned their English skills are pretty high. I don't want to complain about the homeroom teachers, but I would have appreciated more help from the afternoon one. However, if I don't do my part to communicate this than I have my fault areas as well.

Tomorrow starts our first day of full classes, which will be a total of six. Somehow, I managed to organize myself to have a plan in place for the next 3 days of classes. I was going to just use the time for self-introduction, class rules and get-to-know me games but I cut that stuff short to start the book.

Right now I have very little manipulative materials. Such as counting blocks, shape blocks and just anything the kids can put their hands on. I will have to improvise and likely go to the store till our shipment of supplies come in. One thing about working for an elementary school is that they order all the supplies for the first semester at the beginning, so if you need stuff later it's too late. Of course, though we are looking through our books to figure this out.


It's one of those weeks where no matter how much sleep you get it doesn't really count because your brain is fried from the stress.

Anyways...keeping my chin up and hopeful that things will settle down.

Unpack and Realize How Much Crap You Have

Yesterday I picked up two pieces of furniture from a dude on Facebook (thank you dude). A bookshelf and one of those TV stand tables. We didn't get that done till 8pm last night so this morning I spent my time emptying my boxes. I learned I have a lot of Lonely Planet books and a bunch of little stuff that doesn't have a place to go.

Before:

That was what the place looked like somewhere in the middle of my unpacking and arranging.

Here is what it looks like after I put it a bit more together.

After:

Until I get a desk and another bookshelf there is still quite some stuff left in boxes. I also seem to have too much toiletries and medicine, which won't fit in my current bathroom cabinet. 

So it is, we are here at the end of the weekend. Next week is likely going to be a whirlwind of craziness, but as long as everyone is along for the ride then I am okay with that. Maybe this is silly of me, but I keep wondering what it is like for the little first graders being in an Elementary school for the first time. I saw them last Friday as their homeroom teachers gave them a little orientation. They definitely look wide-eyed and dazed.

Goodness, I have been writing a lot about work lately. I hope this isn't bothering any of you. As things get into their groove I can go back to writing about other stuff...till then...

Bonus:

I also spent time today cleaning the "balcony" area, since it was caked in black dust. The following is the result of mopping and scrubbing.

Sneaky Friday

Eight hours of work blows by pretty fast when the amount of stuff you need to do surpasses the time you have to do it in. Not to mention most of your time being eaten up by meetings and figuring stuff out. So when the end of Friday came today at work it felt like a mirage...I just couldn't believe it.

Between Wednesday and today I managed to decorate my classroom, look at the book and figure out a teaching strategy and learn that getting my health check is complicated. Speaking of the health check, which is a requirement to get my new ARC card, it can't be done at my local hospitals. Well, actually it can be done at one but the hours they do it are in the morning and guess what...I work at that time. There are only 4 teachers that need to get it done at the school and some of them went yesterday to the local hospital only to find out they don't do the health check anymore. To cut this story short, some of those teachers are going to show up early at the other local hospital Monday to hopefully be done in time for their first classes and others might try a bigger hospital in the afternoon.

As for me, I am going the route of trying to get it done on a Saturday. After much digging around the various international health clinics around Seoul I decided to go to Yonsei. For one they are the regular hospital I visit to get my GI check up done, so I am familiar with it. I called them about getting the health check done on Saturday (tomorrow) and they said they can't make appointments, but you can show up and wait. So guess what I'm doing bright and early tomorrow?

If that fails I will join the other teachers early at the local hospital to hopefully get it done that way. Otherwise, I will keep looking for a Saturday one that works. The stressful thing about this is that my school requires us to have KEB bank accounts in order to get paid, but I don't have one. In order to get one you need your ARC card. Payday is the 25th and so I am hoping to have all this done before then so I can get my money.

The classroom is decorated, but of course not really to what I would want to look like. However, I got the board organized with labels for "Today's Date" and "How's the weather?", along with a section for team points. There is still a lot to do, but mostly I just wanted things to be generally ready for the first week of classes.

Next week will be interesting, as Monday and Tuesday are level testing days and then the real fun begins Wednesday.

It's been a whirlwind and I have never worked this hard before at a job in Korea. Despite this I do like the fact that I am in charge of so much and am challenged by it all.

Hopefully next week I will take pictures of the classroom and the area so you guys can get a visual understanding of it all.

Wham!

First days are usually a doozy no matter what, but this one sure hit the target. I didn't start teaching today and so didn't really see any of my students. Actually I saw them for a brief moment when they were in their homerooms.

It was a day of many excitements and follies as I started on my path working at this private school. Mostly what I did today was figure out how to decorate my classroom. Turns out the previous 1st grade classes were dropped in favor of newly renovated ones. This means that we had to start from scratch to decorate them. Luckily, in the teacher's room were boxes of stuff leftover from the previous teachers.

There is one strange snafu with my classroom, which is that it is attached to one of the Korean homeroom classrooms via a glass window and door. There is a space between the other class's desks and my class, so I guess that is good. However, I wanted to cover up the window since I felt it was distracting. The Korean homeroom teachers were in their room working on their own preparations. First I asked them if it is was okay to cover up the window, and was told yes. Then as I was covering it up they came over and told me not to. Plus I can't tape anything to the walls. I complied and stopped what I was doing and since then haven't put anything on the walls. The solution, I was told, is to put whatever I want to go on the wall on a foam board and then tack that on the wall using "putty". Good grief! It's because the walls are fresh and they don't want to dirty things up with tape. I hope this hasn't cramped my style with the Korean homeroom teachers. Tomorrow we eat lunch together so I'll try and apologize for my ignorance.

Other than that I got up two posters on the back wall (since there is a tack board) and put letters and numbers around it. The chalkboard in the front will be, of course, for lessons and general stuff. I have to make labels of a lot of stuff. Plus I want to create a rules board to put on the wall. (Gasp!) Also I am struggling on what is the best table arrangements. I want them in groups but not sure if the desks should be horizontal lines or clumped up. When clumped it works well to have them work together, but it made it harder for me to walk around the desks. As of right now the desks are in 6 rows with 3 desks each, all facing the chalkboard. I'll see about experimenting later, just trying to get things to a point where I can lesson plan and be ready.

Thankfully we have till the end of Friday to complete our decorating. Since I just have the labels and that poster to make I think I can get it done. Next Monday and Tuesday will be level testing and then the first day of a real class will be next Wednesday. Just enough time to soak all this in and get things going.

Really, though my head is spinning from the thought of everything I need to get ready plus the complex structure of relationships at the school. Through it all I am really excited inside, and it felt great to be in the teacher's room with 20 other foreign teachers. It felt like we were a team and part of something greater than ourselves. :)

Last Hours of My Vacation

It's finally here! The night before I go back to work, and it sure feels like it has been a while. I woke up early today to help my body adjust back to a working schedule.

Today I moved in all of my boxes that were stored at my boyfriend's friend's house. To say thank you we treated him and his wife to VIPS (a family style steakhouse restaurant). His wife is pregnant and hopes that I will become her baby's English tutor. Instead of thinking that she is taking advantage of me I see it as an opportunity to make a Korean friend. Plus I think I can get some language exchange in there somewhere.

I still lack furniture but have found some items via Facebook Marketplace, so will probably have some of it squared away by this weekend. For now most of my books and what-not are still in boxes.

Yesterday, I received a long text message from the English department coordinator telling all the teachers where to meet for our first day back. Also he hinted at dressing neatly, since we will be greeting the student body and likely the other staff members. Thankfully I have formal wear taken care of, as I spent a lot of time on my vacation making sure to come back with proper clothing for this job. We don't have to dress formal all the time, but a neat dress code is applied.

The next few days, I imagine, are going to be a whirlwind of level testing, introducing myself to the students and learning the math program for the semester. But most of all I am really nervous for that first moment I will have alone with a group of first graders. I keep worrying I am going to be like a deer-in-headlights and freeze. Their cute little eyes staring back at me, and all I can do is shake in fear. Well, hopefully my imagination has run wild here and it won't be that bad. haha

I already have a few things I plan to take care of for the first week such as; introducing myself, playing ice-breaker games and laying down the law. As for class management I am not too sure how detailed I can get in my rules and rewards since the kids visit other teachers and will likely encounter their set of rules. I don't want to end up confusing and bewildering them.

Tonight I am going to try and relax by watching some American shows via Hulu. Goodbye long vacation!