Korea's Got Talent 2 teaser trailer!

드디어 공개된 코리아갓탤런트2 티저 예고편!!
2012년 1월 1일 지원자 접수가 시작 됩니다!!

Season 2 of Korea's Got Talent will be coming in 2012! Auditions will begin January 1st! I'm ready to see the new season! I'll be following it and blogging! I wish I had TVN in the USA!

Kim Jong Il is dead

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has died. He was 69 years old.

I wonder how this will affect North Koreans? Are they happy or sad that he is gone? I think South Koreans might think this is great news.

What does this mean for relations between North and South Korea? Will they be the same or will things improve? Will Jong Il's son rule differently?

Top songs and albums of 2011

This was released by Naver Music and consists of data compiled from January 1-December 7.

Naver Music Overall

1. T-ara’s Roly Poly – 12.8%
2. Davichi’s Don’t Say Goodbye – 12.3%
3. SISTAR’s So Cool – 10.9%
4. miss A’s Good-bye Baby – 10.5%
5. Busker Busker’s Tokyo Boy – 9.4%
6. Huh Gak’s Hello – 9.3%
7. 2NE1′s Ugly – 9.2%
8. Leessang’s Turned Off the TV… – 9.1%
9. KARA’s Step – 8.5%
10. GG (Feat. Bom)’s I Cheated – 8.1%

Naver Music Streaming

1. T-ara’s Roly Poly – 12.7% **TIE**
1. Davichi’s Don’t Say Goodbye – 12.7% **TIE**
3. SISTAR’s So Cool – 11.0%
4. miss A’s Good-bye Baby – 10.3%
5. Busker Busker’s Tokyo Boy – 9.7%
6. Huh Gak’s Hello – 9.6%
7. 2NE1′s Ugly – 9.0%
8. Leessang’s Turned Off the TV… – 8.9%
9. KARA’s Step – 8.6% 10. Wonder Girls’ Be My Baby – 7.3%

Naver Music Download

1. Kim Bum Soo’s Please – 11.3%
2. GG (Feat. Bom)’s I Cheated – 10.9%
3. T-ara’s Roly Poly – 10.8%
4. Lazy Snail’s Apgujung Rascals – 10.1%
5. Hyun Bin’s That Man – 9.9%
6. 2NE1′s Lonely – 9.6%
7. Park Jung Hyun’s If It Were That Way – 9.5%
8. miss A’s Good-bye Baby – 9.3% **TIE**
8. Big Bang’s Tonight – 9.3% **TIE**
10. IU’s Good Day – 9.2%

Naver Music BGM
1. Hyun Bin’s That Man – 22.5%
2. IU’s Good Day – 14.2%
3. Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours – 12.6%<----I'm surprised one non Korean made it in!
4. Big Bang’s Tonight – 8.4%
5. Lee Sora’s Wind Is Blowing – 8.1%
6. Kim Bum Soo’s Please – 7.9%
7. IU’s Someday – 7.4%
8. Boohwal’s I Remember – 6.4%
9. SECRET’s Shy Boy – 6.3% **TIE**
9. IU’s Story Only I Didn’t Know – 6.3% **TIE**

Naver Music Live Album Chart Domination

1. Leessang’s Asura BalBalTa – 55 hours
2. IU’s Last Fantasy – 52 hours
3. Infinity Challenge’s Seohae Ahn Highway Song Festival – 12 hours

Naver Music Albums of the Year

Albums are selected based on a combination of votes by music critics and a netizen music panel.

1. Garion’s Garion 2 **TIE**
1. Lee Seung Yeol’s Whe We Fail **TIE**
3. Jang Giha and Faces’ Jang Giha and Faces
4. The Black Skirts’ Don’t You Worry Baby (I’m Only Swimming)
5. Jung Cha Shik’s Precipitous Man
6. The Moonshiners’ Blue Night’s BEAT!
7. Hwang Bo Ryung’s Mana Wind
8. The Koxx’s Access Ok
9. Park Joo Won’s Fiesta of Sorrow
10. MC Meta & DJ Wreckx’s DJ and MC

Dutch Architects Spark Outrage with Design Resembling Twin Towers

Check out the story here: dutch-architects-spark-outrage-design-resembling-twin-towers

Americans are outraged over a high rise building that is proposed to be built in Seoul. MVRDV,a Dutch architecture firm, calls the building 'The Cloud'. Americans think that it resembles the World Trade Center on 9-11. The buildings are connected at the 27th floor which bears a resemblance to the debris from the World Trade Center. The firm has apologized saying that it wasn't their intent. Even though they have received a lot of angry comments and phone calls they haven't said they will change the design. The building is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Music video: UKISS "Tick Tack"

This is the single for their Japan debut.

Music Video: Phantom "Hole In Your Face" (clean version)

Phantom is a new hip hop group in South Korea. I like this song. They sound good.

This is the censored version

North Korea Threatens Attack on South's Presidential Residence

Here's a link to the article: http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20111128_5017.php

So what's new? North Korea is giving another threat....business as usual

Music Video: Baby Soul "No Better Than Strangers"

Baby Soul is a female artist affilated with Woollim Entertainment. This is her debut music video. She joined with Wheesung for her first single.

2NE1 named Best New Band in the World by MTV Iggy

Read the article here: http://www.mtviggy.com/articles/world-meet-2ne1/

here is a video of 2NE1:


One of my favorite 2NE1 songs:

Music Video: Wonder Girls "Be My Baby"

This song comes from their new album "Wonder World" that was released on November 7th.

Track List:

1. "G.N.O."
2. "Be My Baby"
3. "Girls Girls"
4. "Me, in"
5. "Sweet Dreams"
6. "Stop!"
7. "Dear. Boy"
8. "두고두고 (Do Go Do Go)"
9. "SuperB"
10. "Act Cool (Feat. San E)"
11. "Be My Baby (Ra.D Mix)"
12. "Nu Shoes"
13. "Be My Baby (Eng. Version)"

Music Video: Jay Park "Girlfriend"

Music Video: Tablo "Bad"

Tablo said "“It’s not a song dedicated to bad people, but for people that are inherently nice but turn bad because of love."

Music Video: Girls' Generation "The Boys" (Korean and English Version)

I like it. I really like the scenes where the pink rose petals are falling. I think its cool that they put out a video in English and Korean

Korean Version:



English Version:



"The Boys" is the third full-length album by Girls' Generation. It was released on October 19, 2011.



Tracks on the album:

1. "The Boys"
2. "Telepathy" (텔레파시)
3. "Say Yes"
4. "Trick"
5. "How Great Is Your Love" (봄날)
6. "My J"
7. "Oscar"
8. "Top Secret"
9. "Lazy Girl"
10. "Sunflower" (제자리걸음)
11. "Vitamin" (비타민)
12. "Mr. Taxi" (Korean ver.)
13. "The Boys" (English ver.)

Music Video Teaser: Girl's Generation "The Boys"

The MV will be released on the 19th..... Teaser 1 Korean Version Teaser 1 English Version Teaser 2 Korean Version Teaser 2 English Version

Music Video: B1A4 "Beautiful Target" (Zoom Zoom version)

I recognized KidZania in the MV. I worked in Korea this year and we took our kindergarteners and 1 elementary student there for a field trip in April.

I don't know anything about this group but it sounds like paper settings on a copier...hehe

Music Video: Super Junior "A-Cha"

Sorry for the lack of content recently. I'm no longer in South Korea, but I'm trying to keep updating with something. These days my posts are dedicated to Kpop because I love KPOP!!!! (and I dont have any good topics anymore because I'm no longer in Korea and probably not going back..except to visit)

I love Super Junior!

Dance Version:

Music Video: JYJ "In Heaven"

Music Video: KARA "Step"

Music Video: UKISS "Neverland"

Music Video: G.NA "Top Girl"

Music Video Teaser: G.NA "Banana"

Korea's Got Talent: Finals (Aug 2011)

The finals are finally here!

winner: Min-Jong Joo (Poppin dance)
2nd place: Sung-Bong Choi
3rd place: IUV

Ha-Joon Kim: This is the sand artist. I like his art.



Tae-Hyun Kim: This is the little girl who sings in English. She is singing "Heal the World". It was okay, but I think she made the wrong song choice.



Jong-Hwan Kim: This is the flexible b-boy. Its mostly showing off his flexibility.



I Big Harmonica Ensemble:They are really good! I enjoyed this performance!



Min-Ji Kim: This is the blind girl with the amazing voice. She did a great job, but didn't even make it to the top 3.



IUV: They are funny but I think their audition was still the best performance. They won 3rd place.



Chan-Yang Kim: I like this dance.



Sung-Bong Choi!!!He did a great job. He got 2nd place. (I think he should have won!)



Escape: the magicians.



Min-Jong Joo: This is the winner. why did she beat Sung Bong?

Music Video: Rain "Busan Woman"

Rain is my favorite Korean artist!! I'm sad that I never got to see him in concert. Right now he is touring Korea on his last tour before he enters his mandatory army service for 2 years. If I would have stayed in Korea this year I would have got to see him.

Korea's Got Talent Semi-Final week 5 (Aug 2011)

I like their dance routine.



This was one of my favorites from the audition rounds (ep 5). I had been waiting to see what he would come up with next. He is so silly. He is good at playing the piano, but his excitement is a bit disturbing.



I like her dress and the fireworks on stage. The performance was okay, but I don't think she was on key. "Firework" sounds like it would be a hard song.



This belly dancing was okay, but not good. The first minute was just weird. The other belly dancer in an earlier round was a lot better.



I didn't really like this performance. I think the singing woman was unnecessary in my opinion. The first 1:48 could have been omitted.



This illusion was pretty cool. I loved the facial expression of the middle judge. She looked so surprised.



I like this performance. He is really flexible!



She has a great voice.

What are your favorites? I like the 6th, 7th, and 8th video.

Music Video: Seo In Guk "Shake It Up

Korea's Got Talent Semi-Final week 4 (Aug 2011)

This is a dance group. They had an 'Alice in Wonderland' theme. I liked when they brought out the flags. (I was a colorguard in high school). I liked this routine.



She sang "Reflection" in English. I love that song! She did a good job. Good pronunciation. I would have liked to hear some of the more difficult parts and making it her own.



This is the mentalist. I can't really judge how this one went since my Korean skills aren't up to par. I'm guessing it didn't go too well since he got buzzed twice.



This guy is playing with a yo-yo. I like when he has a glow in the dark yo-yo.



These kids did a good job. I like their outfits.



I like his performance. I wish I knew the name of the instrument. Anyone know?



This is IUV. They are funny, but their audition was a lot better than this performance.



I don't really like the poppin' style of dance, but she's pretty good. I like the graphics in the background.

Music Video: Super Junior "Mr. Simple"

Super Junior is one of my favorite K-pop groups. They just released this video today. They just released a new album this week also.

Music Video: Twi-Light "Without You"

Twi-Light is a new K-pop band. They will make their debut with "Without You" on August 3. There are 7 members: Minyoung, Siwan, Siwoo, Sangmin, Zeno, Jaeyoon and Heechun

Korea's Got Talent Semi-Final week 3 (July 2011)

The Best..<--thats the name of the group! I love watching dance! If you are trying to impress the judges you need to have a better performance though. It was good. I just didn't think it was semi-final worthy. You have to really impress at this stage. I'd recommend some lifts and a higher level of difficulty. I think a routine in one style would be better than showcasing a lot of different styles. The yellow suit is hideous!



Why is this guy in the semi-finals? The judges seem to like it though.



I like this performance. Normally I wouldn't be impressed by someone just playing drums, but the dancers and the mixing thing he does really adds to the performance.



This was a good performance. They had a nice and interesting dance routine. Those b-boy moves are awesome! This is a semi-final worthy performance.



This kid is so cute!Great tumbling skills



I liked this. I would have enjoyed it more if I knew exactly what they were saying. The judges liked it.



He's a good piano player. He's also good at dancing and tumbling. He's cute!



I like his singing.

Worst torrential rain in decades paralyzes Seoul

Read about it here: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/07/27/17/0200000000AEN20110727010900315F.HTML

I'm glad I'm not there right now when I see this.

Seoul had some of the worst damage in decades with floods and landslides. They had a record rainfall of 400mm on Wednesday and Thursday. Wow! That's 15 inches of rain!

________________________________________

At least 30 people have been reported dead. wow.


Read more here: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2011/07/27/64/0200000000AEN20110727012800315F.HTML


Check out both articles to read the complete story and view photos of the damage.

North Korea demands peace treaty with US

North Korea is demanding that the USA sign a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War. A North Korean diplomat visited New York to talk about starting the six nation nuclear disarmament talks.The six-nation talks include the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Read more here: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-demands-peace-treaty-us-032306308.html

Music Video: After School Red "In the Night Sky"

Korea's Got Talent Semi-Final week 2 (July 2011)

This is a dance crew. I like how the suits light up. I thought the performance was just okay. It didn't wow me.



He is singing "Ave Maria". I like it.



Martial arts meets jump rope...I don't really care for this one.



The belly dancer-Its good to see a girl with good self confidence esp. in a country where being that size is very rare. Koreans don't mind telling you that you need to lose a few pounds. She's good at what she does and she really enjoys doing it.




This guy breaks things with his hand. The judges Couldn't bear to watch it and gave him the "X".



Dancing, drums, tumbling, comedy-if you can't do just one thing why not just try a little bit of everything? The little kid is so cute! I don't think I like this performance. There's just too much going on.



This kid likes to sing in English. She sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Why couldn't she hold a microphone instead of having it on her face? The pitch sounds off to me. Maybe she's singing in a higher key?



This one is unique and I like it. They are playing harmonicas. I've never seen a long harmonica before. I also like the dancing.



I wish I knew what the judges were saying so I could know whether or not they liked each act.

Which acts do you like? What is your favorite?

My favorite is the group playing the harmonicas.

Music Video: Miss A "Good Bye Baby"

This song comes from their new album "A Class" which was released on July 18.

Tracklist:

01. One To Ten
02. Good Bye Baby
03. Help Me
04. Break It
05. Mr. Johnny
06. Play The Music DJ
07. Step Up
08. Breathe
09. Blankly
10. Love Again
11. Bad Girl Good Girl
12. Good Bye Baby (Silver Mix)

Are you qualified to teach in Asia?

Check out this video from BusanKevin. He's currently doing a video series called "Teaching in Asia".He taught in South Korea for a few years and now he has been in Japan for a few years so he knows the ins and outs of teaching in Asia. I enjoy watching his channel.

Check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/users/busankevin

I recommend watching this video:



While you are there check out this video also. Its about schools in Korea that are disorganized. You never know what you are getting yourself into.



My first school was disorganized. It was a new campus (of a well known franchise) so we were the first foreign teachers. I don't think the people who were in charge really knew what they were doing. There was a lot of miscommunication also. The teachers were shy to talk to us sometime because they weren't confident in their English abilities. I asked for some sort of document listing my pay like a pay stub, but they wouldn't give me one. They said "we don't do that here." (My other 2 schools didn't mind giving me one). They didn't take out taxes or pension. We just received our whole pay. Its nice to receive your full salary, but its not the legal thing to do. I arrived in winter and our heat never worked properly. We kept telling them and they kept saying that someone came over to fix it. I just ended up buying a little portable heater. A lot of things were told to us last minute (which is pretty common in SK). They gave me my schedule and then one day I was told that I had a class. It wasn't on my schedule. They told me 10 minutes before class so I was unprepared. There were things in our contracts that they didn't provide. We'd tell them "we are suppose to get (random item)". They would tell us that they have never even seen our contract. It took them a month to give us our silverware, pots, pans. We never got the table and chair that was in our contract. There was a point early in our contract where our recruiter actually advised us to resign because he was having an argument with the owner. 2 of us actually did resign. The first person to resign got fired when he turned in his resignation letter. I stayed until the end of the semester. I was only there for 10 weeks. The 3rd teacher actually stayed for 2 years. I left because I was scared that something bad might happen in the end based on what had happened so far.

Korea's Got Talent Semi-Final week 1 (July 2011)

I really like that they are so fast in putting the videos on their YouTube page!

This is a dance crew.



This guy is whistling a song. I don't know how this talent is really 'marketable'. Who would buy an album where someone whistles all of the songs? It's unique and no one has done it before, but I just don't care for it. I really don't understand why he made it into the top 40. What do you think?



I'm not really sure what this is. I think this needs subtitles so I can understand. If I knew enough Korean maybe it would be funny.



This guy is really good at sand Art. I like it.



I'm not sure about this one. I think there's only so much that you can do with beatboxing. His audition was better than his performance today.



This guy is doing fire dancing. He's very graceful. He puts on a good show. The music is nice also. I like the tree graphic at the end.



I like these kid's dance routine. I like the marionette theme. It was good, but could have been better.



Sung Bong Choi!

He's singing "Cinema Paradiso". It didn't take me long to recognize the song. It's a song from one of Josh Groban's albums. I think Sung Bong did a good job!! I think that its great that he branches out and learns songs that are not in his native tongue. I think he could be the Korea's version of Josh Groban someday. So far, He is my pick to win it all on Korea's Got Talent.



Who do you like out of the week 1 clips? My favorites are Sung Bong, fire dancing and sand art.
Predict who will go to the finals

Where in Korea should you teach English?: a quiz

Are you interested in teaching in South Korea? Are you struggling with where you want to teach?

This is definitely worth checking out: Quiz: Where in Korea should you teach English

This comes from Chris in South Korea. He is an English teacher who has a lot of informative information about life in Korea. He also visits a lot of places and posts a review on his site. I have been following his blog for a long time. He even has a link to my page on his list of female bloggers in South Korea (neat!). Click on the link above and check out his blog!

Music Video: "Mona Lisa" MBLAQ

(is one of the guys wearing a skirt?) (and USA flag shorts)

I really like this video.

MBLAQ released their 3rd mini album titled "Mona Lisa" on July 12, 2011. They also released the title track music video.




Mona Lisa Tracklist:

01 Ojos Frios (Bandoneon By 고상지)
02 Mona Lisa
03 모르겠어요 (I Don't Know)
04 알면서 그래 (You Knew)
05 One
06 말하지 말걸.. (I Shouldn't Speak..)

Korea's Got Talent Audition Selection Day (Top 40) Episode 6 (July 2011)

These people didn't make it to the next round



Top 40-This video shows all the people who made it into the top 40.Some of my favorites were in this video: crazy piano guy (Yang Dae Yong), IUV, Choi Sung Bong, Kim Min Ji (blind singer), Kim Tae Hyeon (sang "Tomorrow"), Kim Jung won (flexible b-boy). They announce the entire top 40 at the end of the video.



Semi-Final Trailer:

Clips from Korea's Got Talent Episode 6 (July 2011)

This guy is a really flexible dancer. He calls himself a "flexible bboy".Some of the judges reactions are funny!



"A Moment Like This"



A collection of clips from people who got the "X"



A collection of various acts. I like the violin performance, the guy playing the instrument where you pluck strings and the last act that was doing cheerleading stunts.



UPDATE JULY 2011: the first 2 clips made it to the Top 40!

First Half of 2011 Top 10 Digital Single Rankings (Gaon Chart)

The Gaon Chart released the First Half of 2011 Digital Single Rankings. Here are the top 10. The Gaon Chart is like the Billboard Chart in the USA.

Go here to see the whole list (top 100): http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/total/other.list.gaon

1. "제발" (I beg you) -김범수 (Kim Bum Soo)



2. "직감" (Intuition)-CNBlue



3. "피노키오" (Danger)-f(x)



4. "Don`t Cry"-박봄 (Park Bom)



5. "가슴이 뛴다" (My Heart is Beating)-케이윌(K.will)



6. "반짝반짝" (Twinkle Twinkle)-걸스데이 (Girl`s Day)



7. "Lonely"-2NE1



8. "Tonight"-Big Bang



9. "Love Song"-Big Bang



10. "거울아 거울아" (Mirror Mirror)-4minute

Pyeongchang, South Korea will host 2018 Winter Olympics

Pyeongchang was chosen over Munich, Germany, and Annecy, France to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Pyeongchang was also in the running for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, but didn't receive enough votes.

Pyeongchang is located about 100 miles east of Seoul.

South Korea has never hosted the Winter Olympics. Seoul hosted the summer olympics in 1988.

The Olympics will be held February 9-24, 2018. The slogan for the Winter Olympics will be "New Horizons".

Music Video: HyunA "Bubble Pop"

HyunA also released a mini album titled "Bubble Pop" with 5 tracks.




The tracks are:

1. "Attention"
2. "Bubble Pop"
3. "Downtown" (featuring Jiyoon)
4. "A Bitter Day" (featuring G.NA and Jun Hyung)
5. "Just Follow" (featuring DOK2)

HyunA is a member of the girl group 4minute. She made her debut as a member of the Wonder Girls.

Clips from Korea's Got Talent Episode 5 (July 2011)

This guy is a little crazy. He tunes pianos for a living. He also plays the piano. The piano is his girlfriend.



This clip is a blind woman (21) singing "Think of Me". She's got a good voice. I always like to see stories about people who have a disability, but they have a great talent. It's inspiring.



Sand art



Cute kids dancing to "The Shouts of Reds". I instantly remembered this song from 2010 World Cup promotions.



This guy is very accurate! He shoots the arrow and always hits his target. I don't think I'd let anyone shoot an arrow at me. I wouldn't care if they were the best in the world!



UPDATE JULY 2011: the first 4 clips made it to the Top 40!

Music Video: 2PM "Hands Up"

I love 2PM. I have their 1:59 album although I've seemed to misplace it somehow! This is their new music video.

Clips from Korea's Got Talent Episode 4 (June 2011)

Why do they only put English subs on random videos? I'm glad that they add some subs, but why only sub a few? W

Mentalist: Wow this guy has some long hair! He shocks everyone with his ability to read minds.How does he do it? Is mind reading an actual talent? Are there some sort of tricks involved?



"Cutie Pies"-kids who are dancing hip-hop, locking and poppin'



Wow these guys are really talented!



A clip of bad auditions:



UPDATE JULY 2011: the first 3 clips made it to the Top 40!

Music Video: 8eight "Covering Those Lips"

The video is about a writer who is writing a love story. This is the title track of their mini album "8eight" which was just released.

Clips from Korea's Got Talent Episode 3 (June 2011)

Watch more clips here http://www.youtube.com/user/koreasgottalent

and here: http://www.chtvn.com/VOD/Program/201111048306


I love Korea's Got Talent!!

"You are so pretty!---"I'm a boy!"



Pole dancing:




cute kid singing "Tomorrow" in English:




bodybuilder in speedo:




drums and beatbox:




funny dancing:



UPDATE JULY 2011: clips 1,3,5 made it to the top 40!

Music Video: Baek Ji Young "Average"

Clips from Korea's Got Talent Episode 2 (June 2011)

Check out more videos on http://www.youtube.com/user/koreasgottalent

Find tons of clips here http://www.chtvn.com/VOD/Program/201111048306

I am loving Korea's Got Talent and I can only see clips on YouTube. I wish I could watch it live!

Cute kids jumping rope



LOL! 14 year old does a sexy dance...



Dancing like Michael Jackson and bad singing....



male soprano? haha

Clips from Korea's Got Talent Episode 1 (June 2011)

The winner will receive the equivalent of $100,000 USD.

Semi-finalists will have the opportunity to sign with Sony Music.

(But what if they don't sing? A magician or a dancer wouldn't sign with a music label)

Check out more videos on http://www.youtube.com/user/koreasgottalent

Find tons of clips here: http://www.chtvn.com/VOD/Program/201111048306 <

These girls are funny!



Fire Dancing



Hilarious!



Cute kids!




UPDATE JULY 2011: the first 2 clips made it to the Top 40!

Korea's Got Talent: Sung-bong Choi

It seems like every talent show these days has at least one story that captivates everyone's attention. This time it is Sung-bong Choi on Korea's Got Talent. Sung-bong says he was left in an orphanage at age 3. When he was 5 he ran away because he was being beaten by people at the orphanage. He sold gum or energy drinks on the street for the next 10 years to survive. He got his GED for elementary and middle school. Then he went to high school.

When I was watching I was wondering how he would sound because he said "I'm not a good singer". Then he opened his mouth and it was great! He sang Sarah Brightman's “Nella Fantasia”. He made people cry with his performance.

Video from the Korea's Got Talent YouTube:



UPDATE JULY 2011: He made it to the Top 40 acts!!
UPDATE AUG 2011: He won 2nd place in the competition.

North Korea is the 2nd Happiest Country on Earth?

Read the article here: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/03/2011060300764.html

I'm back in the USA but I still read South Korean news sites from time to time. I found this article today in the Chosun Ilbo.

North Korea's Central TV created a "happiness index" where China was named the happiest country on Earth. There were 100 possible points and China got all of the 100 points.

Top 5

1. China
2. North Korea
3. Cuba
4. Iran
5. Venezuela

North Korea came in 2nd with 98 points. South Korea was 152nd on the list with 18 points.

The USA ("American Empire") is the saddest place on Earth with 2 points.

If they created the index then you know they are going to put themselves near the top! I'm surprised they didn't say they were number 1. Are they trying to get on China's good side?

What was the criteria for this happiness index? How do North Koreans compile all this data when they have no access to the outside world?

The story is all over the internet, but no one has listed the criteria for the index. I think it would be interesting to know what factors were used and how many points each country got for the specific criteria.

Who would even take this seriously?

Awesome Time Lapse video of Seoul

This video is great. I love time lapse photography. I want to learn how to do it!

The video was made with a Canon 5D Mark II.

(I did not make this video)

50 reasons why Seoul is the World's Greatest City

From time to time I may post interesting links. I saw this one today.

Here is the link: 50 reasons why Seoul is the World's Greatest City




A view of Seoul from Seoul Tower


There were a few things on the list that I experienced first hand, while there were a lot of things I hadn't tried.

*Seoul Tower-When I first saw Seout Tower it reminded me of a ride at Carowinds (theme park in NC/SC). I thought it was going to be like the ride. At carowinds you get in the cirlcular area with windows. It starts at the bottom and spins around till you get to the top so you can see views of the park. Then I found out that it was stationary. You can hike to the top or you can ride the cable car. We rode the cable car. We walked down. Its a long walk!! I realy enjoyed going to the tower. Seoul Tower has amazing views of Seoul.

*Palaces-I liked going to the palaces. I visited 4 of them.

Gyeongbokgung

*Bibimbap-I love bibimbap, but I don't like spicy food. I would try to get most of the gochujang (red pepper paste) off of the top before mixing it together.

*Seodaemun Prison

*DMZ

*Seoul has the best airport and 2 of the best airlines. I love Korean Air and Asiana.

*McDonald's delivery is awesome. I used it a few times. It is hard at times to get an English speaker on the phone.

*The Banpo bridge fountain is beautiful. I regret that I only went to see it once and that I didn't get a close up view.

*Galbi is delicious.

*The Internet is fast and cheap. I paid about $35 a month for fast Internet. It was great.

*Bangs--Korean for room- I went to the noraebang (karaoke), PC bang (Internet cafe) and DVD bang (watch DVDs in a little room).

*Ondol (heated floors) is an efficient heating system. Don't leave it on too long. I always left it on way too long and my room always felt like an oven! At least I was never cold in my room.

*You get tons of side dishes with your meal-they are free and come with refills! I liked the salad, corn salad, and pickled radishes.

*The random freebies made me laugh. I got a daily planner on a box of cereal one time.

*If I were a drinker (I'm not) Seoul would be the perfect place. Soju is cheap and Koreans drink all the time.

*Why didn't I know about the chore service? I would have used that!

Awesome video: 마익흘 - I'M IN KOREA ft. the cast of SEOULTUBE

check out P00lman on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/p00lman
other people in the video:

Steve Miller http://www.youtube.com/user/qiranger

Yann Le Bail http://www.youtube.com/user/TyYann

Sean Hodson http://www.youtube.com/user/SeoulSean

Kerri Strothard http://www.youtube.com/user/expatkerri

Matt Lee 이상근 http://www.youtube.com/user/liza183

Charlene Abdullah http://www.youtube.com/user/charlycheer

Seokjin Jin 진석진 http://www.youtube.com/user/jinseokjin
with
Hyunwoo Sun 선현우 http://www.youtube.com/user/ever4one
Kyeongeun Choi 최경은 http://www.youtube.com/user/kyeongeunchoi
Hyojin An 안효진 http://www.youtube.com/user/talktomeinkorean

Stephen Redeker (with Kyunghwa Sun)http://www.youtube.com/user/stephenworldwide

Evan Knight and Rachel Werz http://www.youtube.com/user/EvannRachel
And the members of Languagecast!

SeoulTube 2011- May 28, 2011

If you watch videos on YouTube or make videos on YouTube and you are in Korea you should check out SeoulTube 2011. I missed the first one last year and I'm missing it again this year. I really wish I could be there.

SeoulTube is a get together for people who like to make or watch videos on YouTube. Its a great way to meet some cool people who make videos in Korea. I watch a lot of people who will probably be there.

May 28, 2011, 3pm, at Yeouido 여의도, get off at Yeouinaru Station 여의나루역 on line 5, take exit 3, walk down to the river





SeoulTube 2010:

Itaewon (Seoul, South Korea)

This is where a lot of foreigners hangout in Seoul....

My thoughts on Itaewon: http://valeriebethinsouthkorea.blogspot.com/2010/04/rediscover-seoul-itaewon.html

Seoul Zoo-April 24, 2011

I went to the Seoul Zoo on April 24, 2011. It was so crowded there. There were a lot of people there having picnics in the zoo. The best thing about the zoo in Seoul is that it is so cheap. Its less than $3 to get in.

Directions: Subway: Line 4-Seoul Grand Park-Exit 2

Cost: 3000 won (adult), dolphin show 2000 won, rides on the tram car 800 won

It seemed like most of the animals were resting when I was there!

Pictures: (click on album to view)

Seoul Zoo April 24

Hyundai Veloster Launching Show-Seoul, South Korea

I was at COEX mall on April 23, 2011. As I was leaving I noticed the Veloster Launching show. There was a hip hop dance group performing and I just happened to have my camera!

Pictures: (click on album to view)

Veloster Launching Show

Yeouido (Seoul, South Korea) during cherry blossom festival

This was taken on April 17, 2011.

The cherry blossoms are so beautiful and they are all over the place! I love looking at them and taking pictures. I decided to go to Yeouido during the cherry blossom festival. It was so crowded, but it was worth it to see all the cherry blossoms. I couldn't take a good quality video because there were so many people around.

Pictures: (click on album to view)

Yeouido April 17,2011

Pictures:

Cheonggyecheon (Seoul, South Korea)

This was taken on April 17,2011

Cheonggyecheon (청계천) is an 8.4 km long, modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development required it to be covered by transportation infrastructure. The $900 million project initially attracted much public criticism but, after opening in 2005, has become popular among city residents and tourists.

Pictures: (click on the album to view)

Cheonggyecheon 2011

Samseong Station (Seoul Metro Line 2)

I took this at Samseong Station in Seoul, South Korea. Samseong Station is on the green line (line 2). Line 2 is one of the busiest subway lines. I've seen it a lot busier than this. I should have been there at rush hour.

Seongnam, South Korea near Ori Station

I took this video near Ori Station on April 16th, 2011.

My apartment in Jukjeon-dong (Yongin City, South Korea)

outside of building:

An English teacher can expect an accommodation such as this one. Its a very small studio apartment. My window is the 3rd one up on the far right.

Some teachers end up with better apartments (my officetel in Seoul was very nice and big!) and I'm sure there are worse.

Tancheon-Seongnam, South Korea (Gumi-dong)

I made a video of a stream that was near where I worked. I would walk past it every day on my walk to work so I made a video.

I took the video on Sunday April 2nd, 2011. It was a nice Spring day and a lot of people were enjoying a day at the stream.

Pictures:(click on album to view)

Tancheon

Update: I left South Korea

This week I decided to do a "midnight run". The term "midnight run" is used when someone just packs up their things and leaves without telling anyone.(I think it's pretty common in Korea). They usually leave late at night, early in the morning or on the weekend so they won't get caught. People usually get their paycheck and then run. I left a week after payday because the school had my passport and I couldn't leave.

I was very unhappy at my school and I just couldn't take it anymore. I didn't tell anyone that I was leaving. The only people that knew was a former coworker, my parents and sister and my boyfriend. So I think it was a big surprise. I left about 32 days before my resignation was up. I just didn't think I could survive 5 more weeks.

I decided to leave Monday morning. I booked a one way flight through Expedia on Saturday morning. I had to pay $1200. Its so expensive! I borrowed 600 from my family so I could make it home.

I got up at 4am on Monday morning. I took the 5am airport limo and arrived at the airport at 6:30. I waited around till 8am to check in for my 10:30 flight. Everything went smoothly. I wasn't questioned at immigration. I had only been in Korea for 5 weeks and still had 11 months left on my Visa so I was thinking they would probably want to know why I was leaving. The immigration officer looked at my Visa and just took out his stamp that says "Departed". No questions asked.

I boarded my 10:30am flight around 10am and we didn't depart till 11am. My first leg of the flight was a 13 hour flight to Atlanta with Korean Air.

We arrived in Atlanta on time at 11am. I found something to eat. Then I checked in for my 3:05pm flight to Charlotte with Delta around 1pm. Then I had to sit until my flight boarded at 2:35pm. This time I wasn't assigned a seat until a few minutes before boarding. I got a middle seat which is fine for a 1 hour flight. We left and arrived on time. I was actually able to sleep for most of the trip.

That night we discovered that my recruiter sent an email to my mom and me. He notified her that I didn't show up for work and that I left bills behind. It sounded like he wanted her to pay them. I still don't know what I owe exactly. I don't think it could be that much. I already paid half of the airfare. The only thing I should owe would be my utilities and half of the airfare. I think those should be around $600-700 maybe. I worked a week without pay (I left a week after payday) so I think that should be applied to what I owe, but I don't know if they will do that or not.

I wrote to my recruiter once he threatened to take legal action. The school is mad at me. The school wants to sue me. I don't have the money to pay them. I don't know what the outcome will be yet. Some forum posts on Dave's ESL cafe say that they cant do anything because its between 2 countries, but my recruiter says they can. I personally don't think its a good decision to sue me for less than $1000.

I have less than $100 in my bank account. I filed a claim for a forbearance on my student loans because of economic hardship. I hope its approved. That will help me out until I am able to find a job.

I think I may be jet lagged. I haven't been able to eat regularly. I also haven't been able to sleep much. I sleep a few hours at night and then take a nap in the daytime. I'm hoping everything goes back to normal soon..

It's amazing how one bad experience can ruin my plans.

I have one regret--there were so many things I didn't accomplish. I wanted to explore Korea, go to festivals, try new things, but I left early


UPDATE: April 2013--It has been almost 2 years since I left South Korea. The school never took any legal action against me. The principal wrote me one letter saying they were disappointed about 2 months after I left, but then I never heard from them again.

Update...I'm not doing so well

I arrived in South Korea on March 14th. I started my new job on March 15.

I haven't written since I arrived because I am having a hard time adjusting this time. I cry almost everyday. I haven't gotten out and explored the place where I live. My apartment is  tiny. The bed is very tiny and hard so I wake up hurting every morning. I toss and turn at night. I wake up at least twice because its so uncomfortable. I have to change positions. I dread going to work everyday. I've only been at my new job for a week and 3 days. I've already put in my resignation letter. I gave a 2 months notice today.

I'm thinking about 2 options. Get a new job or move back home and never come back. I'm leaning strongly towards the last option, but that means things would be over with my 'boyfriend'. (I meet him in about 3 weeks. We've been chatting online for over 3 months)It would be sad to end it but I might have to.

I don't eat much these days. I used to love to eat.

I'm not happy in my new school.. Its all because of Kindergarten. I never knew it would be so hard. Its really hard to fill up the time. I feel like I can't plan enough things for class.The kids won't pay attention. They just want to be kids, but Im expected to teach them.

I only have 5 students in all. 2 kindergarten students. In my elementary classes I only have one student in each class.

Seoul is so far away.

I spent too much money buying things for my place.

I haven't had my medical check yet or applied for my ARC. I have to do it within 90 days. If I'm not here for 90 days then I wont even worry about getting one. Its hard not having a phone though.

I don't know how to use my washing machine. I guess I will just try something and see if it works.

The plug adapter blew up my ac adapter on my laptop so now I have to get a new adapter. Why did that happen? My laptop says it can be used from 100-240volts. Korea is 220.

Well there's an update.....probably won't be another one for a while since I'm not doing so well.

Update 8

My visa was approved.

The school wants me to arrive in Korea on March 14.

How YouTube impacts lives of ordinary people

Read the full article here: How YouTube impacts lives of ordinary people

YouTube Korea recently celebrated their 3 year anniversary. In this article they interviewed 4 YouTube power users.

Jung Sung-ha is a 14 year old guitar prodigy. One day his dad uploaded a video of him for fun. Now he has over 222 million views and over 300,000 subscribers. He is the only Korean individual YouTube user to have over 200 million views. You can view his channel at www.youtube.com/jwcfree .



Simon and Martina, a Canadian couple, came to Korea to teach in 2008. They started making videos to show their family that they were okay. They have over 33,000 subscribers and over 7 million views. (I subscribe to their channel). They cover a variety of topics about Korea. They have also been on various tv shows in Korea. You can view their channel at: www.youtube.com/simonandmartina .



Sun Hyunwoo started his channel as a way to showcase his breakdancing skills. He got a lot of views and started making more videos. A lot of his videos are about languages. He has a passion for learning languages. He is fluent in English, Japanese, and French. He is also learning other languages. (I subscribe to his channel and I had the pleasure of meeting him last year when I was in Korea). He has over 1 million views and over 11,000 subscribers. You can view his channel at: www.youtube.com/ever4one


(I'm in that video)

Update 7..Arriving in 2 weeks?

I emailed my recruiter yesterday. Immigration is backed up so I should have my visa approved in about 2 weeks. Then I will be arriving shortly after that.

I will be able to depart from the airport an hour away from my house instead of driving 5 hours like I was originally told. That makes me feel a lot better.

I'm trying to start packing up my things.  I have a ton of clothes. I wouldn't take so many clothes, but its almost impossible to find clothes my size in Korea. I'm almost done, but I do have a problem. I have already filled 2 bags up to 45 pounds. I may have to add a 3rd bag. I'm considering checking out the space bags so I can fit things into 2 suitcases. My suitcases are so full because I like to have a wide variety of outfits.

Lately I've been very nervous about teaching preschool students since I dont have any experience. I found out that there will be some training so that makes me feel better. I think it will be exciting to teach preschool, but I wonder how much they will be able to understand. Preschoolers can barely speak their own language and I'm speaking to them only in English. That's got to be scary! They are probably thinking 'what the heck is she saying?' and I'm thinking 'why won't they do what I say?'. Its definitely going to be a fun experience. I really love little kids. The only thing that worries me is how to manage their behavior. Little kids have a lot of energy and a small attention span.

Music Video: Super Junior-M "Perfection"

Update 6: I have a job!

My recruiter set up an interview for Thursday around midnight. It was a school with kindergarten and elementary students. He never heard back from the school after the interview.

He called me last night to tell me about another option teaching kindergarten. He was going to call the school after he got off the phone with me and they would call me shortly after. I was really nervous about that school because I saw some not so positive reviews. He called me back shortly after and said they hired someone who was already in Korea.

He told me about another position about 2 hours outside of Seoul. I reluctantly accepted to have the interview, but quickly wrote him back to tell him that I really preferred to be in Seoul.

Then he emailed me back to say that he just got an phone call from a school in Bundang. Its a little outside of Seoul, but I'll still be able to access the subway system. That was the best option that he had for me within my preferences. He set up an interview for 11am(Korean time).

I had the interview at 9pm EST. The woman who I spoke with on the phone had good English skills. She said she had lived in the USA for 20 years. Another employee is a Korean American. One of the first things she said to me was "I'd like to invite you to come to Korea." It was like an instant job offer. She didn't really ask me much. Its a brand new hagwon and they don't have many students yet so classes will be pretty small to begin with. This will be a day job from 10-6pm. I'd be teaching 4 kindergarten classes in the morning(40 mins each). The kindergarten is more of a learning through activities. Then elementary in the afternoon. The elementary will have textbooks. They provide the airfare (I asked!) The salary is 100,000 won more than what I made at my last job because I have experience. She said she will send my contract on Monday and then the process of obtaining my Visa will begin. All my documents are already in Korea. I'm the first person they have hired so far.

This will be the 3rd job where I was one of the first foreign teachers. I think its less pressure because they can't compare me to the previous teacher and the students won't be comparing me or have to adjust to a new style of teaching.

If they put in for my visa on Monday then 10 days later would be the 24th. Then I'll rush my documents to Atlanta to the consulate. Then as soon as they are processed I have to pick them up and leave from the airport the same day in Atlanta. I'm guessing that I could be leaving as soon as the 25th maybe? I don't know all the details yet but I should be in Korea by the 1st of March and I start my job on the 2nd.

Now I'm searching Dave's ESL cafe looking for used products to furnish my apartment. So far I've found a rice cooker and a transformer. I hope to find a lot of household products.

Update 5

Getting to Korea the 2nd time has been a challenge. It seems that the signs are telling me that I shouldn't go back, but I am finding a way to get there. I'm already on plan C. Plan A didn't work. Plan B didn't work. Now I'm hoping that plan C will be the last.

While I was away there were new regulations put in place. The changes were brand new when I started getting all my documents together so there wasn't a lot of information to be found. I missed a critical step in the process-getting the signature and seal. I didn't know I needed it. That costed me a ton of money to get it corrected.

This week I sent in all my documents to Pagoda. I also asked them about my flight. Then I found out some bad news. I asked if they could make sure I had an aisle seat when they booked my flight. Then I found out:

And flight thing, you have to purchase one way air ticket there, then when you come here, we will pay here for your ticket. This is the our company rule. So please understand this issue.

I think this issue should have been discussed with me before I applied. If I would have known I wouldn't have applied. The contract states:

The employer will provide payment to the employee of a one way ticket to Seoul from any city designated by the employee.

 
So I read that as 'we provide a ticket.' Where does it say that I am responsible for booking that ticket and being reimbursed? To be clearer I would have written it this way: The employee is responsible for booking a one way ticket to Seoul. The ticket will be reimbursed upon arrival.

I told him that I couldn't afford the ticket. So he talked to his boss. His boss said that it wouldn't be fair to the other native teachers. (I could have kept it quiet and not told anyone)..Anyway-They let me go.

I immediately contacted my recruiter and got a fast response. My recruiter called me the next day. He told me he didn't have positions like what I wanted. I would like to teach elementary students at a hagwon in Seoul. He said he had some positions in kindergarten and public school.

He forwarded my resume to a kindergarten job. He's waiting to hear from them.

So I'm waiting........

I could possibly be in Korea within the next 2 weeks. Its really getting close.

update 4

I now have my apostille on my FBI background check. All of my documents will be in Korea the first week in February.

All these new regulations ended up being really expensive, but I had to get it done.

I should be in Korea in about 30 days!! I can't wait to be back!

Stricter drug screening planned for native English teachers

read the article here: Stricter drug screening for English teachers

Foreigners who are suspected of drug use will have to undergo two tests before gaining employment as an English teacher on an E-2 Visa. The new policies will go into effect on February 1.

The foreigner will have to take a drug test with a drug diagnosis reagent authorized by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. If the first test is positive they will have to take a 2nd test using a mass spectrometer.

They will test for methamphetamine, cocaine, opium and marijuana. If the second test is positive, a visa will be denied.

A Justice Ministry official said, “A number of English instructors took drugs while teaching, and we wanted to prevent this in advance.”

update 3

I got my FBI check back in a week instead of the estimated 2-3 weeks.

Now I am going to use a courier service in Washington DC to get the apostille for me. They should return my documents by Jan 31st.

Then I will send my documents to South Korea and they should arrive on February 5th.

Now my frustration is over.

38 days left till my job officially starts....so actually its less than 38 days until I arrive in South Korea. I don't know the exact date yet. I'll update later.

Tips for new teachers getting an E-2 visa in South Korea

These tips come from my own personal experience and all the mistakes I made. I have taught in South Korea before, but since I left for a year I have to come back and start the process all over as a new teacher. (While I was gone new regulations began so the process was different!)

These are processes for USA applicants applying to a private school (hagwon).

Start the process early. All these documents take a long time.

I started the document process in October for a job that starts in March. I could have the process finished earlier if I didn't make so many mistakes.

• Start the FBI background check early! It can take up to 12 weeks(They will NOT expedite). Mine took 8 weeks.
• DO NOT FORGET TO REQUEST THE SEAL AND SIGNATURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING AN APOSTILLE. Include a note with your application to the FBI.You will not get an apostille without the seal and signature. (I didn't do this and its caused me a lot of stress! I had to send it back to the FBI for the seal and signature which will take 2-3 weeks)
• The apostille for the FBI check has to be done at the US Dept of State. The process takes 15+ days. If you live close enough to go to the office in person that would be the fastest option.
• Send your original diploma to the Secretary of State to get an apostille. (Once I sent in the original I got it back within a week. This may vary from state to state. Check with your state for proper procedures)
• Make sure you get plenty of ID size (2x2) pictures taken(I'd say 8 might be sufficient)(I got 6 at CVS for $10.00). You will need pictures for lots of things-ARC, medical check, picture ID at school. (I had to send in 4 with my application). 

UPDATE: Do not send your original diploma. I never got mine back!!!

 talk to local lawyer and see if they will put a notary on the photocopy of your diploma, or your university can provide you notary stamp along with the diploma photocopy. Then the apostille office should authenticate (apostille) the notary.

More frustration over new regulations....

I'm upset that I didn't request the seal and signature on the background check and that I lost so much time by trying to ask around to get more information.

I didn't even know that I would need the seal and signature. I knew that the FBI would not put the apostille on it, but I was unfamiliar with the process and I was in a rush. The new regulations for the E-2 Visa started in September of 2010. The FBI background check would be required for anyone hired after January 1, 2011. I started my FBI background check in October of 2010 since I knew it would take a long time to get back.(Mine took about 8 weeks). I didn't even know that the background check is useless without the seal and signature.

I communicated through a forum to see if anyone had the same problem. I finally decided that my only option was to mail the FBI check back to the FBI and let them put the seal and signature on it. I sent it by express mail which means it got there fast, but my urgency isn't going to speed up the process. To them its just another document and they take their time. I called today to see if they could get it done fast. They said they will NOT expedite the process. It will take 2-3 weeks to get a seal and signature. I think 2-3 weeks is ridiculous when all I need is a signature. A signature shouldn't take that long.

I don't understand why they can't just put the seal and signature on every background check. You have to request it. Some people requested it and they still didn't do it. Apparently, it isn't 'authentic' without the seal and signature. I don't think the government cares about making the process simpler for everyone.

Once I get it back I am hiring a courier in Washington, DC to go to the US Dept of State to get the apostille. If I sent it by mail it would take 15+ days. I don't have that kind of time. Its going to be expensive, but I can get it done sooner. I will send the letter there by UPS and include a prepaid return envelope through UPS. Then the courier fee is $45 plus the $8 to get the apostille.

Getting my first Visa in 2008 was so easy, but all these new regulations are really time consuming and a pain in the ***. I wonder if the new regulations will cause less people to apply. A few crazy foreigners had to mess up the whole process for the rest of us.

Music Video: MBLAQ "Cry" and "Stay" teasers

On January 3, 2011 MBLAQ released the MV for "Cry". On January 10, 2011 they released their first full length album, MBLAQ Style. They also released teasers for the next single, "Stay"

MBLAQ stands for Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality

Cry:


Teasers for "Stay"

E-2 Visa Frustration

I just got a new job. Here are the documents I need:

1. Original diploma with apostille
2. FBI background check with apostille
3. Signed contract
4. Medical check form
5. 4 passport photos

I'm suppose to have them in by February so time is running out. I'm having a little difficulty.

Getting all of these documents has been a hassle. I was researching online and I read about the new changes. I read that the original diploma wasn't being accepted anymore. So I sent in my FBI check and a copy of my diploma to the secretary of state in my state to get an apostille. A week later my documents were returned with no apostille. The Secretary of State office would not put an apostille on a copy of my diploma. They said that I had to send the FBI check to the US Dept of State.

I emailed the boss at the new school to ask about the diploma. I do need an original diploma because I will be considered a new teacher. The copy of the diploma is for teachers who are renewing contracts. Well that should have been clear in the article that I read.

Now I have another problem. I was suppose to get a seal and a signature on my background check. I didn't know this so I didn't request it. The US Dept of State will not put an apostille on it without some verification that its real. What the heck? Who makes fake FBI checks? I looked at the 'contact us' section on the US Dept of State website. They have so many inquiries so they won't take phone calls. They say the best way to reach them is to email. You should receive an answer within 48 hours. So I decided to write an email to the US Dept of State to see if a notarization would be sufficient because I didnt have the seal or a signature. I sent my first email on Sunday night. I waited and waited. I got no answer. So I started sending multiple emails. I think I sent close to 10 emails in all. I didn't get a response to any of them. I don't have time to send it back to the FBI because they are slow.
The apostille from the US Dept of State takes 15 days to process after they receive it. They will send it quicker if you send an airbill and envelope for express services. I'm going to send an overnight envelope so I will get it back faster. I hope it doesn't still take 15 days.

This is the problem: They change all the rules, but they don't give you detailed instructions on how to get all of these new documents. You have to find it out on your own. The average person doesn't know anything abut apostilles. I had never heard of an apostille before I went to South Korea.

I think the new regulations are crazy. It takes forever to get a background check from the FBI. I don't understand why it takes so long. It took 8 weeks for the background check. They received it in October, but they didn't process it until December.

Its a confusing and time consuming process. And I don't like it.

There's my E-2 Visa rant for the day.

UPDATE: DO NOT SEND YOUR ORIGINAL DIPLOMA!! YOU WILL NOT GET IT BACK!

North Korea Calls For Better Ties With South

Read the article here: North Korea Calls for Better Ties with South

The editorial, which every North Korean is required to read, also said: "This year we should start a more determined campaign to improve inter-Korean relations.”


South Korea's Defense Ministry says the idea is "lacking sincerity."

**Is this something they do every year? They also said the same thing in their New Year's message last year. If they want people to believe them then they need to back it up with their actions and stop provoking the South.