Top ___ (#) things I miss from home.... (List in progress.)
(Basically, it's Friday afternoon and I'm bored... Also, I might fall asleep if I don't write this.)
1. My parents - Duh! I have to have them as first, or my mom my kick my ass!
2. Hanging out with friends in any setting, but especially the good 'ol gang - Art openings... I miss them so -- especially the fun after!
3. The House on the Corner - Yes, I said it. I never thought I would. But I do. I miss it soooo very much. We had so many incredible/amazing/fun/hilarous/wild/retarded/weird times there... I've spent time there with everyone in my life that I love and cherish, from my love to my sister (who's in Ecuador now) to all my funderful, amazing friends. Yes, that house was a delapidated p.o.s that would probably fall if you breathed too hard, but I miss it. I miss all the fun we had in there. Damn, those were some good times.
I hope Rod remembers that crazy night (Think of: "I went to Cafe Artiste and had a salad, but I couldn't eat it.") and the idea he had-- save the House!! Save it and turn it into something glorious!!!!!!!!
4. Wendy's - Sometimes I can almost taste the crispy chicken sandwich with honey mustard in my mouth....... Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...... Let's not even get into the fries.
(Sidenote: We went to McDonald's the other day and it was actually delish! I would never say that normally, but hey... Give me a break... I can only eat so much pork fat and kimchi.)
5. CVS/Walgreen's/Places where I can get random things at any hour of the night - Obvious reasons. Also, the fact that they are SOOOOOOOOO convenient. I miss them dearly.
6. Actual Mexican food, especially my mom's - Being Mexican and also being from a city with 5 trillion Mexican restaurants, I kind of need it to survive.
The only "Mexican" restaurant here is a disgrace... But, not bad for Koreans. It so happens to be called "El Paso", which is hilarious. And would also make my mom shudder.
7. The 'Trose - Ohhh! It was my home away from home in Houston. Besides all the hipsters, it's a great place and I miss it a lot.
8. Having water available where I live/work - Shame on me. Shame on me for NOT taking advantage of this when I had a chance back home.
Can you believe they don't have water fountains at any of my 4 schools?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Yeah, I can't either.
Besides dealing with constant dehydration, I am always f-ing thirsty.
9. Liqour/Spec's - The only affordable liqour here is 'soju', which tastes like watered-down vodka, and is actually made by mixing pure ethanol alcohol with water. It sucks. Liqour is expensive, especially in bars.... At most bars a bottle of tequila is about $100.
10. Greensheets - If you know me, you know what this is. Enough said.
11. My car - Didn't think I would need a car here, but turns out I do. Ha-f*#ing-ha.
12. Space - In every sense of the word. There's little to spare here.
13. Gay men/South Beach - I know this seems like a strange one, but I do miss the dancing and the fabulousness.
14. Comfortable beds - Koreans traditionally sleep on the floor, so their mattresses, of course, follow this.
15. Variety of food - I already mentioned that I miss the Mexican food, but there really is no other kind of food here... Ok, there is an Indian restaurant called 'Baghdad', but that's it. Ok, there's sushi, too... And Baskin Robbins.... And Dunkin Donuts (barf). I mean different kinds of ethnic food: Greek, Middle Eastern, ITALIAN(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), good pizza... etc.
16. Easy living - Duh.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Gotta keep up!
So, it's Friday, and the weekend is here!! Had a 2 day week after returning from Chuseok holiday, which was nice, although a bit boring... didn't really do too much. Hung out... saw some waterfalls, ate some semi-alive octopus, went the the Teddy Bear Museum, went to a really nice beach, snuck into and swam in a fabulous pool at a resort hotel, saw some great live music by a Canadian (of course!) who lives somewhere in SK....
All in all... not too bad...
Things have really been going well....... UNTIL yesterday...
Basically, we've got a situation with our apartment and we might be forced to move out by this coming up Monday, which is in 2 days, btw... This is through no fault of our own, but instead through the incompetence of the people we work for...
Sometimes I want to just scream in their faces and ask them WHY ARE THEY NOT DOING THEIR JOBS???? They are supposed to be helping us with with our basic necessities like having an apartment for a year. But instead, we've been left on our own, having to ask a Korean Canadian friend of ours to help us when she already has loads of other work to do....
It's funny though... shit like this sometimes makes me feel like packing up... But when I started teaching my mood changed instantly!! Ok... maybe not instantly, but I defintely felt better.
I never thought that teaching would make me feel that way.... I think this feeling is called 'proud'?? I'm not too sure...... :)
For those reading this, who actually know me, will understand what I am talking about.... I never really liked kids.... Until I started working directly with them.
It's hard to explain, especially to those who have never worked with kids..... The thing is, when you work with kids (I'm talking elementary, I have no idea about older kids!) the appreciation is visible.... At least with my Korean kids it is.
Of course there is beauracracy and miscommunication, which I fortunately don't understand, but the kids make it soooo worth it... It's so simple with them.... They just want some attention... There's no bullshit, no having to deal with awkward adults (like at my old job... barf)....
Also, you get to be in control, which is FABULOUSSSSSSSSS!!! Hahahaha! Yeah, I said it! I get to be in control... usually. Ha!
Anyway, we're hoping everything works out..... I think it will.
All in all... not too bad...
Things have really been going well....... UNTIL yesterday...
Basically, we've got a situation with our apartment and we might be forced to move out by this coming up Monday, which is in 2 days, btw... This is through no fault of our own, but instead through the incompetence of the people we work for...
Sometimes I want to just scream in their faces and ask them WHY ARE THEY NOT DOING THEIR JOBS???? They are supposed to be helping us with with our basic necessities like having an apartment for a year. But instead, we've been left on our own, having to ask a Korean Canadian friend of ours to help us when she already has loads of other work to do....
It's funny though... shit like this sometimes makes me feel like packing up... But when I started teaching my mood changed instantly!! Ok... maybe not instantly, but I defintely felt better.
I never thought that teaching would make me feel that way.... I think this feeling is called 'proud'?? I'm not too sure...... :)
For those reading this, who actually know me, will understand what I am talking about.... I never really liked kids.... Until I started working directly with them.
It's hard to explain, especially to those who have never worked with kids..... The thing is, when you work with kids (I'm talking elementary, I have no idea about older kids!) the appreciation is visible.... At least with my Korean kids it is.
Of course there is beauracracy and miscommunication, which I fortunately don't understand, but the kids make it soooo worth it... It's so simple with them.... They just want some attention... There's no bullshit, no having to deal with awkward adults (like at my old job... barf)....
Also, you get to be in control, which is FABULOUSSSSSSSSS!!! Hahahaha! Yeah, I said it! I get to be in control... usually. Ha!
Anyway, we're hoping everything works out..... I think it will.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
You're so Naughty (Nari)!!!
Yes, I know that Kyle posted a much better title referring to Typhoon Nari that we experienced this past Sunday... But I don' care... I had to have something... Give me a break.
Ok, so yes... we had a typhoon this past Sunday on our glorious Jeju Island... And as I write this, the weather is perfect: sun shining, wonderful breeze, a few clouds in the sky...
It's funny because that is EXACTLY how the weather was directly after the typhoon rattled our little Island.
I'll spare you much of the detail, since Kyle perfectly described our experience... I must say though that we were in fact, VERY lucky that we were on the 9th floor of our apartment building that was just uphill from a major destruction site. And I want to thank our lovely neighbor Amanda, (who might never read this, but that's ok) who threw an amazing typhoon feast/party... If not for her, I would have gone crazy with boredom while Kyle and the boys went out in the storm... Idiots. J/k.
Even though we've gone on and on about this typhoon and that is was scary and what not... the scariest part about it was the aftermath of it all.... First, you have to understand that Jeju is probably a little bigger than Galveston Island... That being said, it shocked me that reports say 7 people died because of the storm and 10 people are still missing... That's some scary shit.
If that's not bad enough, you can't even imagine the inconveniences a typhoon will cause and it was only a category 2... Ok, maybe you can... Think of Katrina, right? .... Nari was like Katrina's sweet new born baby sister... yeah.
I think the biggest thing I've seen/realized from this ordeal is this: I AM SO LUCKY. It amazes that only when I go to another country, even one that is pretty developed, that my eyes are opened and I realize how fucking good Americans have it. We are granted with such conveniences, such small, yet fantastic luxuries... and they are so incredibly easy to forget and take advantage of.
You wanna know one of the things I miss the most?? .... CVS pharmacies!!! There is no where to go here to pick up a bottle of Tylenol or hand santizer (which I am unfortunately addicted to) at 1 in the morning!! NO WHERE!
It is already hard living here on a normal basis: not understanding what anyone is saying most of the time (thank god for other foreign teachers!!), not having even the smallest conveniences, not having your toilet and shower in separate areas of the bathroom....
So... when you throw a typhoon on top of all that (and much more), it becomes very interesting...
I've never been through any type of prolonged natural disaster, and when I was out there looking at the wreckage that this categroy 2 typhoon caused, I was shocked... It was so surreal. So amazingly surreal.
Ok, so yes... we had a typhoon this past Sunday on our glorious Jeju Island... And as I write this, the weather is perfect: sun shining, wonderful breeze, a few clouds in the sky...
It's funny because that is EXACTLY how the weather was directly after the typhoon rattled our little Island.
I'll spare you much of the detail, since Kyle perfectly described our experience... I must say though that we were in fact, VERY lucky that we were on the 9th floor of our apartment building that was just uphill from a major destruction site. And I want to thank our lovely neighbor Amanda, (who might never read this, but that's ok) who threw an amazing typhoon feast/party... If not for her, I would have gone crazy with boredom while Kyle and the boys went out in the storm... Idiots. J/k.
Even though we've gone on and on about this typhoon and that is was scary and what not... the scariest part about it was the aftermath of it all.... First, you have to understand that Jeju is probably a little bigger than Galveston Island... That being said, it shocked me that reports say 7 people died because of the storm and 10 people are still missing... That's some scary shit.
If that's not bad enough, you can't even imagine the inconveniences a typhoon will cause and it was only a category 2... Ok, maybe you can... Think of Katrina, right? .... Nari was like Katrina's sweet new born baby sister... yeah.
I think the biggest thing I've seen/realized from this ordeal is this: I AM SO LUCKY. It amazes that only when I go to another country, even one that is pretty developed, that my eyes are opened and I realize how fucking good Americans have it. We are granted with such conveniences, such small, yet fantastic luxuries... and they are so incredibly easy to forget and take advantage of.
You wanna know one of the things I miss the most?? .... CVS pharmacies!!! There is no where to go here to pick up a bottle of Tylenol or hand santizer (which I am unfortunately addicted to) at 1 in the morning!! NO WHERE!
It is already hard living here on a normal basis: not understanding what anyone is saying most of the time (thank god for other foreign teachers!!), not having even the smallest conveniences, not having your toilet and shower in separate areas of the bathroom....
So... when you throw a typhoon on top of all that (and much more), it becomes very interesting...
I've never been through any type of prolonged natural disaster, and when I was out there looking at the wreckage that this categroy 2 typhoon caused, I was shocked... It was so surreal. So amazingly surreal.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Room with a View.... ocean view!
Hahahaha! I honestly don't know why I labeled this post like I did, but oh well! Actually, I am in a room right now with a fabulous view of the ocean... I'm at one of my schools, which overlooks the ocean... it's beautiful.
So, I just taught 2 5th grade classes and 1 6th grade class ( then had lunch), and I've decided that I love 5th grade! They are awesome!! They're old enough to know how to act and not old enough to think they're hot shit... like the 6th graders! I'm kidding, but really, some 6th graders are kind of little assholes... or as my wonderful mommy would say, "little shits"...! Hahahaha!
Yeah, I miss my parents a lot.... and my sister.... and my friends.... and normal life... haha! But it's crazy that I'm here in South Korea... mostly having fun with kids and getting paid for it!
I won't lie though... sometimes it's hard here... there is always a level of being uncomfortable in some way... maybe it's the constant stares, or not knowing what you're eating... or not understanding pretty much what anyone is saying...
There is ALWAYS a level of being uncomfortable... but that's okay... I'm glad I'm here....
So, I just taught 2 5th grade classes and 1 6th grade class ( then had lunch), and I've decided that I love 5th grade! They are awesome!! They're old enough to know how to act and not old enough to think they're hot shit... like the 6th graders! I'm kidding, but really, some 6th graders are kind of little assholes... or as my wonderful mommy would say, "little shits"...! Hahahaha!
Yeah, I miss my parents a lot.... and my sister.... and my friends.... and normal life... haha! But it's crazy that I'm here in South Korea... mostly having fun with kids and getting paid for it!
I won't lie though... sometimes it's hard here... there is always a level of being uncomfortable in some way... maybe it's the constant stares, or not knowing what you're eating... or not understanding pretty much what anyone is saying...
There is ALWAYS a level of being uncomfortable... but that's okay... I'm glad I'm here....
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
And now... Jeju Island!!!
Getting to Jeju was not fun.... And have been here for 6 days, getting used to every day living has been hard.... I'm not sure what I expected it to be like.... I knew it would be hard, but I wasn't prepared for the feelings of isolation, even though my BF is here and we live in building with tons of other "foreigners" close to the heart of Jeju-Si = Jeju City.
So, BF and I live in a one room "studio" apartment on the 9th floor of a decent building... I've been told we live in the Ido Idong area... Koreans don't have/use names for theirs streets or neighborhoods at all really... Don't get it.
BF and I have never lived together, so it's a bit hard, but frankly going better than I thought it would.... BF's been so good so far.... And it better stay that way! Hahaha! J/k... Rowling! (That was for Gina!)
We've meet some cool westerners (the Koreans call us foreigners) so far... Everyone's been great and very nice.
So, I have 4 schools I teach at... Yeah. BF has 1.... Let's not go there. Actually, it's not bad because I go to 3 a week: one week I have School A- 2 days, School B- 2 days and School C- on Tuesday; next week I have School A- 2 days, School B- 2 days and School D- on Tuesday.... And each day I teach 3-4, 40 minutes classes... Make sense?
And by teach I mean I stand with the Korean teacher, follow the curriculum and the kids repeat what I say.... I like to say I'm a glorified parrot... But that sounds so bad. The way the education system in SK is set up to teach English is more focused on listening and memorizing, not comprehension.... So, really, there's no way I can change the job that they ask me to do... And honestly, I don't think they know any better. All I can do is what is asked of me and do my best at it.... I'm still trying to get over/let go of the concept that I will help the kids here actually learn English.... Still I think my job ain't half bad.... Whoa! "Ain't"!! Me english-i teech-i!!
Monday School A was pretty nice... that is where my main co-teacher works.... She is very sweet, generous and nice. She is also the teacher that speaks the best English that I work with... I work with about 6-7 teachers.
Yesterday I was at School C... Very far from my house, in the rural part of the island... The school was so tiny, only 13 students total, ranging frm grades 1-6! WOW!! At first I was like, um, yeah... I don't like this... But the kids were SOOOOO incredibly awesome and hungry to learn!
Today is my third day working.. and I'm at School B.... so far just intros and questions from the kids were cool! There so cute! They're a bit rowdy and nosy, but I guess that's natural for any country, eh? (Been hanging around too many Canadians.)
The thing that is constant here at all the schools is the enthusiasm to learn English and the fact that (mostly) everyone is truly grateful that we (westerners) are here.... That's pretty cool. Pretty cool, indeed.
So, BF and I live in a one room "studio" apartment on the 9th floor of a decent building... I've been told we live in the Ido Idong area... Koreans don't have/use names for theirs streets or neighborhoods at all really... Don't get it.
BF and I have never lived together, so it's a bit hard, but frankly going better than I thought it would.... BF's been so good so far.... And it better stay that way! Hahaha! J/k... Rowling! (That was for Gina!)
We've meet some cool westerners (the Koreans call us foreigners) so far... Everyone's been great and very nice.
So, I have 4 schools I teach at... Yeah. BF has 1.... Let's not go there. Actually, it's not bad because I go to 3 a week: one week I have School A- 2 days, School B- 2 days and School C- on Tuesday; next week I have School A- 2 days, School B- 2 days and School D- on Tuesday.... And each day I teach 3-4, 40 minutes classes... Make sense?
And by teach I mean I stand with the Korean teacher, follow the curriculum and the kids repeat what I say.... I like to say I'm a glorified parrot... But that sounds so bad. The way the education system in SK is set up to teach English is more focused on listening and memorizing, not comprehension.... So, really, there's no way I can change the job that they ask me to do... And honestly, I don't think they know any better. All I can do is what is asked of me and do my best at it.... I'm still trying to get over/let go of the concept that I will help the kids here actually learn English.... Still I think my job ain't half bad.... Whoa! "Ain't"!! Me english-i teech-i!!
Monday School A was pretty nice... that is where my main co-teacher works.... She is very sweet, generous and nice. She is also the teacher that speaks the best English that I work with... I work with about 6-7 teachers.
Yesterday I was at School C... Very far from my house, in the rural part of the island... The school was so tiny, only 13 students total, ranging frm grades 1-6! WOW!! At first I was like, um, yeah... I don't like this... But the kids were SOOOOO incredibly awesome and hungry to learn!
Today is my third day working.. and I'm at School B.... so far just intros and questions from the kids were cool! There so cute! They're a bit rowdy and nosy, but I guess that's natural for any country, eh? (Been hanging around too many Canadians.)
The thing that is constant here at all the schools is the enthusiasm to learn English and the fact that (mostly) everyone is truly grateful that we (westerners) are here.... That's pretty cool. Pretty cool, indeed.
Orientation a.k.a Boring-tation
After about 15 hours of travel we made it! Wow, that was insane! And I thought a 48 hour bus ride in Brazil was bad! (Ale!!) No, actually, the flight from Dallas to Incheon, SK was not bad at all... My BF slept for 9 of the 14 hours, lucky him....
(Ok, so I'm speaking a week later. Had no time during orientation... so there. I won't say which organization we came with just out of respect... and to protect myself just in case! Haha!)
The was pretty good orientation... and by pretty good, I mean not. Ok, actually it was pretty good.... We met tons of cool Americans, Canadians, Brits and a couple of Irish lads (Haha!).
The training was useless, but only because SK doesn't have a organized education system, hence there is no standard curriculum for all provinces.... Hell, things differ from school to school.
I am glad we had the orientation though because I met some great people that I hope to stay connected with.
Also, we were feed every 10 minutes.... or so it seemed.
(Ok, so I'm speaking a week later. Had no time during orientation... so there. I won't say which organization we came with just out of respect... and to protect myself just in case! Haha!)
The was pretty good orientation... and by pretty good, I mean not. Ok, actually it was pretty good.... We met tons of cool Americans, Canadians, Brits and a couple of Irish lads (Haha!).
The training was useless, but only because SK doesn't have a organized education system, hence there is no standard curriculum for all provinces.... Hell, things differ from school to school.
I am glad we had the orientation though because I met some great people that I hope to stay connected with.
Also, we were feed every 10 minutes.... or so it seemed.
Before....... It seems like so long ago...
Before we left for SK, there were so many thoughts running about in my head... "Should I/we really go?", "Are we really going?", "How will our relationship change there?"...... I could go on for days.....
The question that I constantly got and that I still ask myself to this very moment is "WHY?".... "Why did I decide to go?".......
Of all the answers I spout... what I really want to say is "I HAVE NO IDEA!!!" Hahaha! Ok, there are actual, valid reasons I and my BF decided to come: To see the world, to experience a different culture, to expand our minds (wow, hippie much)....
Those are all great, but when it comes down to it, I think I'm here to make myself grow... to make myself a more open-minded, patient, peaceful person....
Don't get me wrong, I think I'm a pretty good person, but overall, I'm a bit of a brat... I think my BF and sister will agree! Hahaha!
I'm tired of it though... Of being that person.... That negative, bratty, sometimes mean and hateful person.... I don't want to be that person anymore.
So......... Coming here will change that? I don't know yet. Maybe. I certainly f-ing hope so.
The question that I constantly got and that I still ask myself to this very moment is "WHY?".... "Why did I decide to go?".......
Of all the answers I spout... what I really want to say is "I HAVE NO IDEA!!!" Hahaha! Ok, there are actual, valid reasons I and my BF decided to come: To see the world, to experience a different culture, to expand our minds (wow, hippie much)....
Those are all great, but when it comes down to it, I think I'm here to make myself grow... to make myself a more open-minded, patient, peaceful person....
Don't get me wrong, I think I'm a pretty good person, but overall, I'm a bit of a brat... I think my BF and sister will agree! Hahaha!
I'm tired of it though... Of being that person.... That negative, bratty, sometimes mean and hateful person.... I don't want to be that person anymore.
So......... Coming here will change that? I don't know yet. Maybe. I certainly f-ing hope so.
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