a little better, but not much...

Today was a little bit better, but not by much.

In my first class we had a spelling test. They did pretty good on it.

My 2nd class was a little better than yesterday, but still bad. We had a spelling test in this class. One student got all of them right. The other two boys did worse. Plus one boys was telling the other ones how to spell them. One of the boys was whining because he didn't know the answer. I'd call out the word and he would say "I don't know" in a whiny voice. I gave them the whole word list yesterday, but they won't pay attention. I just don't know what to do with this class.

In one class we talked about kitchen safety. (I don't really enjoy teaching a class about cooking topics). First I showed them a funny video about what not to do in the kitchen. They laughed at it. They didn't like the 2nd video. They said it wasn't funny. I couldn't find an interesting video about kitchen safety. The volume on my computer wasn't loud enough to hear. I had the volume all the way up but we couldn't hear it good. I played a movie in another class the other day and we could hear it good.

My middle school class didn't want to do their work as usual. 2 of the students were late again. They are late every single time. Then they won't even do their work. Its frustrating. I already told the boss about my middle school classes. She knows they are late and won't do their work. She told all of the teachers that we need to solve this problem. (I don't know the solution!)

The last class did better today. They did their work and then I gave them free time. They all got the answers right. All of these students were in my other reading class and they wouldn't work in that class. I have the same students for 2 reading classes in one day.

Its finally the weekend! I've completed 2 weeks so far. I hope the time goes by fast. I want my job to go fast, but I want time to go slow with my boyfriend so we can spend more time together. We won't get to see each other this weekend.

Health Check...

Today I had to meet my boss early to go to the hospital. All teachers have to have a health check before they can get their alien registration card. I had to get my eyes, ears, height, weight, color blindness, teeth, height, and blood pressure checked. I also had to talk to a doctor who asked me various questions like: do I have allergies, have I ever had surgery, Have I ever had any illnesses, etc. I had to get a chest x-ray, drug test (urine) and blood test (test for AIDS). The dentist said I had small cavities between my teeth (they have a dentist in the hospital). I'll go to the dentist after I get paid and get my insurance. I'll have to see if I really have cavities. I remember my first time in 2008 they told me I had 3 cavities. Then I got checked 2 months later and I didn't have any. We were at the hospital for about an hour. The results will be back in about 4-5 days. Then I have to go back to the hospital. Then I will go to immigration to apply for my alien card. The examination costs about $100.00.

My first class was good today. We study phonics. The other teacher told me to let them have a cooking class on Tuesday because they finished their book. (We just started a new book). Tuesday we will be making pizza.

My 2nd class is a complete disaster! I don't get anything accomplished in this class. The 3 young boys (age 7) are constantly being naughty. I keep telling them to get in their seat, but they are laying and standing on the desks. I think class today was a complete waste of time. They do not understand the material. I was trying to review for the test tomorrow. I just gave them the answers. I made them an easier version of the test for tomorrow. I wrote the words out but left out missing letters. I don't know how the test will go. After we reviewed I let them play hangman. One of the boys was crying because they wouldn't let him have a turn. This class is going to drive me crazy! I'm going to have to tell them in the meeting that this class is too hard for them. I can't teach them anything because I spend all class trying to get them to sit in their seats.

On Sunday the guy I met in McDonalds is going to show me around. It will be good to have someone show me where stuff is. If I venture out on my own who knows where I will end up.

I think its going to be a difficult year. Maybe things will get better. I don't know. I think I have bad luck. I had one great job in Seoul and nothing else can compare.

 Is it time to start counting down the weeks? Tomorrow I will have completed 2 weeks.

2 weeks down....48 left to go....(I subtracted 2 weeks for vacation)

You hair looks very clean..

I chatted with my nephew again in the morning. I kept yawning while we were skyping. I don't know why I'm still tired after getting about 7 hours of sleep.

Its still taking me some time to get adjusted. It doesn't feel like "home" yet. I don't really like being far away from Seoul. Its only about 10 miles or so, but when you have to ride the subway everywhere it feels so far. I need to start getting out and exploring in the mornings. I need to start cooking for myself. I have been eating out all the time.

I like my first 2 clsses of the day. They are elementary students and they participate well. In the first class we reviewed for the spelling test on Friday and then we played a game. My 2nd class is younger elementary students and we work on phonics. We do about 3 pages and repeat things over and over and over. If all my classes could be like them I would be very happy!

I have one middle school class where at least 2 students are late every class. They always come in after we are finished reading and then they don't do the work that I give them. My other reading class is good. They participate, do their work and try to understand the book we are reading.

In my reading class one of my students told me that my hair looked very clean today. haha. Today I was lazy. I didn't want to wash my hair so I just put it in a ponytail.

My last class of the day just doesn't care. There are 5 students in the class and only 2 of them actually do their work. 2 girls sit at the back and talk. A boy just sits there and doesn't do his work. I keep telling those 3 students to do the work, but they don't listen. Everyone in that class is more concerned with their word test. I gave them a few minutes today to study for their word test. I just don't know what to do with that class. How do I get them to pay attention in my class?

Tomorrow I have to go get my health check at the hospital. They will check height, weight, ears, teeth, chest xray, drug test, and a blood test. I have to meet my boss before work to get it done. When the results come back I have to go to immigration to get my alien card.

My boyfriend has to work this weekend so I probably won't get to see him. I hate that I don't get to see  him that often. I enjoy being around him and I want to see him more often. He says he has to work 24 hours this weekend. I'm not really sure what he means. Surely they can't make him work 24 hours in a day.

I'm debating on whether I want to go to a spring festival this weekend. I was hoping that me and my boyfriend could go together. It's going to be a long trip. If I took the bus it would be almost 3 hours to get there and 3 hours to get back. I need to make up my mind soon, deposit money into my bank account and buy my bus tickets.

Music Video: Kim Yeon Woo "Move"

I like the concept of this video. Its very neat how the couple looks oversize in some of the frames.

Met another foreigner today...

I met another foreigner today at McDonalds (there aren't many around this area). He's been in the area for 2 years and knew some of the people who used to work at my school. He gave me his email if I want him to show me around. I might take him up on that. I need to learn where everything is. I haven't gotten out and explored yet. I stay in my little area.

I've been eating at McDonalds too much lately. I just don't really know what I want to eat. I need to cook for myself, but I don't really know what I want. Its tough not being able to get things that you would eat on a daily basis.

Today I just didn't feel like getting out of bed. I was tired! I got about 7 hours of sleep. I got up and then stayed up for a few minutes and then laid back down for 30 more minutes. My bed is more comfortable than the other beds I've had in the past. The bedspread is nasty! It looks really old and stained. I still used it last night, but today I washed it. When I get paid maybe I'll buy me a new one.

There are 3 business in my area being completely gutted today. Business go down fast around here. Its here one day and gone the next.

My classes were good today. My first 2 classes are elementary students. We finished our lessons early and played a game. I think my other class is a middle school class. They didn't really grasp the idea of main idea in reading, but I don't know how to make it easier for them. Teaching these classes is a little bit harder than my classes I've had in the past. I'm not very confident in my teaching ability. I've got to come up with more ideas to help them understand and to make the material last longer.

I have to write out a 3 month curriculum for a cooking class. I've got to do a lot of research to find topics to talk about!! Its hard making your own lessons!

The boss also wants us to find a way to make the middle school classes interested. Their parents say they are bored. The other teacher expressed his concerns that they just don't care. They even sleep in the boss' class. I don't know what to do to make them interested. Most of them aren't there because they want to be there. Starting next week our schedule will be changed and we will be helping the middle school students prepare for their final exam.

I wish I could just teach elementary students. That is my favorite age. If all of my classes were as good as my first 2 classes today then I would be very happy!

I skyped with my nephew tonight!! My sister may get on in the morning.

moved in to my new apartment today....

I tried a new item on the menu at McDonalds last night. It's called the "Samba Beef Burger". Its really good. Its like a tribute to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The set costs 6700 won at dinner time and about 1000 won cheaper at lunch. (lunch sets are cheaper). Over here a combo is called a "set".

My back was hurting this morning. Korean beds are difficult to sleep on because they aren't very soft. I'm also not used to only sleeping on one pillow. Some days I would put my coat under my pillow to raise it up a little.I got up early this morning at 8am and started moving my things to my new apartment.  Last night I brought over one suitcase and a carry on. Today I brought a suitcase and a laptop bag. It was really heavy, but I didn't have anyone to help me.

The apartment is alright. I'm on the 2nd floor. You can tell its very old. The bathroom looks dirty and the teacher before me said that it won't get any cleaner than it was. Now I have a key to keep up with. I've always had the keypad, but now I have a key. It looks different from a normal key. I could have an opportunity to move in October when the lease is up, but I really don't feel like packing up everything again. There could be a possibility of moving to something worse. English teachers don't have the best housing. Maybe I'll just grin and bear it for a year! There is so much stuff that has been left behind by previous people. I may just get rid of everything that doesn't belong or just leave it for the next teacher! There are so many food items left behind. I won't use any of them. There are a lot of spices. I don't add spices to anything. My boyfriend likes to cook so I may tell him to take anything he wants. There are also 2 bottles of vodka that was left behind. I definitely don't want that! The bed feels softer than the ones I've had before. The pillows don't look that great so I'm glad I brought my own pillowcases! The mattress doesn't look that good either. I brought my own sheets!

I'll have a video soon. Once I get settled in I'll make a video. I need to clean up a little bit.

I was finally able to wash all of my clothes today. My wardrobe is pretty small. I think I will go see what I can find once I get paid next month. The wifi name and password are hilarious. I'm not even going to say what they are on here!! But it involves a slang word for a part of a woman's body.

I had a pretty good day of classes today. I survived my first day completely alone. My Monday classes are pretty easy. For my art class I had a color by number for the kids to color. My reading class saw it on my desk and they wanted one too so I made them copies. I had a lot of late students today. They just have to pick up where I am at that time. But it doesn't really matter though. The classes with late students won't be tested on the material that I teach to them. My last class didn't want to do their work today. They were studying for other classes or making things. I kept telling them to do their work, but it didn't help. Maybe I'll bring that up in the meeting.

After classes 2 of the Korean teachers were asking me if I had a boyfriend so I showed them the picture. They think he is handsome. One of them said "I envy you". It was funny what one woman said. She asked me if he could speak good English. I told her no and she said "You have a body. He has a body. You speak body language". They were also talking to each other in Korean so I don't know what they were saying. Everyone keeps guessing that I'm 26 years old. One of the teachers asked me about my boyfriend's age and then she asked me if I was 26. (I'm 32). Last week the kids were guessing that I was 26.

I'm going to skype with my nephew tonight! He is 2 years old. I think he will be confused to see me. I used to watch him during the day. Now that I'm gone he looks for me. I wonder what he thinks about me not being there. He doesn't really realize that I'm gone. I miss him, but I have to do what is best for me.

Bubble Show at Cheonggyecheon

I was walking at Cheonggyecheon and I saw a man putting on a show making bubbles. This was filmed in the afternoon on May 24, 2014.

Korean Food: Strawberry Patbingsoo

I got this Strawberry Patbingsoo from a cafe called Coffine Gurunaru. It costed 8,900 won (about $8.90)

Patbingsoo is a shaved ice dessert with various sweet toppings.

Good Saturday

I had a good Saturday. I thought I was going to have a lonely weekend because my boyfriend had to work. He was able to see me!!

I got up early on Saturday to go meet someone to pick up a step down converter. We were suppose to meet at 10:30, but I didn't even check the train times. I wasn't even thinking that the trains here don't come as often as the ones in Seoul. I got to the station at 9:00AM, but the train that I needed to take didn't leave until 9:28. I took the train to my transfer point and called the person I was meeting on the payphone.I made it 15 minutes later that I planned.

That step down converter is heavy! I decided to leave it in a locker in a subway station while I went out for the day.

My first stop was going to be the residence of the Seoul mayor. The directions said take exit 6 at Hansung University station and walk 10-15 minutes. So I took exit 6 and walked well over 15 minutes. I did not see it anywhere. It must be off the main road because I couldn't find it. I followed the only directions that I had. Oh well. I just turned around and went back to the station. FAIL.

Today I rode the subway a lot. I made a ton of transfers and took tons of stairs. I have got to get in shape. Those stairs and hills are kicking my butt!

It was so hot today! I think the high was in the mid 80's. I had on a pretty thin shirt and I was burning up. I saw some people wearing coats and long sleeves! I don't even want to think about summer. I think I would actually like winter to start. Did I just say that? I would rather be cold than hot. If you are cold you can add layers, but if you are hot there is only so much you can take off!

Next I went to the North Korean Market Showcase. This was an event showcasing what kind of markets you can find in North Korea. The products were made in Korea or by a North Korean. It was interesting. I took pictures of most of the items.

Pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6017006205285607393

Afterwards I went to a coffeeshop to find a wifi hotspot. I had been chatting off and on with my boyfriend during the day, but I keep losing connection. I hate not having a phone!! I feel disconnected. If I get lost I can't look up directions. If I'm running late I can't call someone. Finding a free wifi connection is hard. Most of the wifi connections require a sign up or password. I'm going to get a phone when I get paid. The kind I want requires a $275 refundable deposit plus about $100 for the phone. I have the money now, but I don't want to come up short later. I can get a 9 month contract instead of a 1 year or 2 year plan.

I also tried out strawberry patbingsoo while I was in the coffeeshop. The strawberry patbingsoo was so good! It was 8,900 won (about $8.90) The person at the counter gave me two spoons although I was by myself. While I was at the coffeeshop I was chatting with my boyfriend. He said he was at work so I asked him what time he finished. Then he said he wanted to meet today!! Originally he said he didn't have time because he had to work, but he made time for me.

Strawberry Patbingsoo:

After my boyfriend finished work we met. We ate dinner (that he cooked) at his apartment. It was my first time going to his apartment. He shares a small apartment with his older sister. She wasn't there while we were there. At first his dog was barking at me like crazy. She stopped barking once I started petting her. I think its sweet that he really loves his dog. His dog is like his baby. He is angry because Koreans eat dogs. That was the first time I heard him curse. I understand why he feels that way. His cooking was good. We had some rice with curry that he made. He also made some tofu and kimchi.

After we ate he wanted to take me for a drive. It was fun just riding around with him. I hope we do that more often. He took me to a place where a lot of couples go called Bugak Skyway. I do remember going there with one of the teachers from my school before. He bought me a lemonade and we just walked around and enjoyed the nice view of Seoul. Then he took me home.

I finished one week...

Today's Temperature: High 84/Low 57
61 degrees at 11:33PM

I made it through my first week! 1 down, 51 to go. (possibly more..hmm) I think I'm going to like this job. 90% of the students are well behaved so far. I only have one class that was really bad.

Today was my last day of training...now I am on my own. I still feel a little lost, but I'll get the hang of it soon!

All of my classes went pretty well today. The class that was really bad yesterday was really good today. Maybe it was because one boy was absent. The twin boys were so good today. We got finished early so I let them play a game. We played hangman with our new spelling words. They did a good job. In my cooking class I taught them about the food pyramid. 3 of my classes were reading classes today. I feel old compared to some of my students. I told one class that I was 32 and they couldn't believe it. Then one girl told me she was 13 and she counted how much older I was than her. I am 19 years older!! My youngest students are 7 so I'm a lot older than them.

I've got a few things planned for this weekend. I wish I could see my boyfriend, but he has to work. He doesn't have time to see me. It's been almost a week now. I don't even know when I will see him again. So I will be lonely this weekend. I'm planning on going to a North Korean market exhibition at Cheonggycheon. The products can't be sold, but they will be on display. The items were made in North Korea or made by a North Korean. There will be North Korean refugees at the event. I also plan to go see the Seoul Mayor's residence. It is open to the public until October.

On Sunday I'm going to check out my new apartment. The old teacher will still be there until Monday morning, but she has some things she will sell to me if I want them. If I don't then she will sell them to someone else. I finally get to move in Monday Morning! It will be hard moving all of my luggage by myself. I'm going to move half of it in on Sunday and half on Monday.  I wish I had some help, but I don't. I'm going to get up early and move in. I have a lot of things I want to do like wash clothes! I still have a few things to wear in the meantime, but I need to wash clothes! Plus I can finally unpack my suitcase. I have been living out of my suitcase for the past week!

Toilet in ICN airport

This was the first time I have seen a toilet like this. There is a plastic covering as a protective barrier. When you press the button new plastic comes out. Very interesting. I've only seen this at the ICN airport in South Korea.

Korean Police Buses

When there are special events or demonstrations there will be a lot of buses full of police. There were a lot of buses out on May 17th near Gwanghwamun because there was some event going on nearby.

2nd day of teaching..

Temperature: The high today was 79/low 57. The current temp is 63

I made it through my 2nd day of teaching alone. My first class were perfect angels. They did their work. They all participated. Their behavior was excellent. We finished early so I let them play a game. My 2nd class was the complete opposite. I don't even know how to teach this class. Basically I'm just giving them the answers because they don't understand. The class is 3 boys who are 7 years old. 2 of them are twins. They are so adorable, but they will not behave. They don't listen, they get out of their seats, they talk to each other. The other teacher said no one has been able to get them to behave. So basically, just deal with it. haha. The boys were leaning back in their chairs and one of the chairs and the desk turned over. He was okay. My first private lesson class went well today. I have an adult female student. We are reading the book "Frankenstein". In my class she reads and I correct her pronunciation. She describes what is happening in the story. If she doesn't understand then I explain it to her. She wants me to bring a story about baseball sometime. My reading class went well today. The 3 students in the class are well behaved and complete their work. My 2nd private student didn't come today. For his class I just have to talk to him for an hour. I'm going to have to bring a long list of topics because conversation is not my strongest ability!

The kids are warming up to me quickly. Some of the students like to come in my room and play a game on my ipad before class starts. One of the girls was asking me if I had a boyfriend. I showed the picture to one of the girls and then she called over all her friends to look. The boy asked me if I had a 'multi cultural family'. (he was calling me and my boyfriend multi cultural).

I found out that I won't be able to take over the other teacher's phone. They won't let me put the name in my account because I don't have my alien registration yet. Maybe I'll just get a prepaid phone. I don't use it much anyway. I also found out that I have to get a new bank account once I get my alien registration. My school uses KB bank. I'll close my IBK and make an account at KB. Well I guess I won't have to worry about my debit card running out next month since I'm closing my account. I should go soon and close it. I need to see if I have any money left in it. I know when I left I had about $1.00. haha.

Music Video: Chang Min(2am), Melody Day "The Very Last First" (English Subtitles)

This is such a sweet song.

Music Video: Infinite "Last Romeo"

I like the dancing in this video.

Korean Drink: Pink Pomegranateade

I found this drink at GS25 (a small convenient store). It is some sort of vitamin drink. It tastes pretty good. I think the bottle is very interesting. I've never seen the drink/can combination bottle before.

1st day of teaching alone

Current Temp: 66 degrees at 11:45PM

Exchange Rate: 1026 KRW = $1 USD

This afternoon my boss' parents wanted me to eat lunch with them (I was going to go out). Its always funny when I'm around them. They talk to me in Korean and I don't understand 90% of it. Sometime I can understand their broken English. Today I had rice, apples, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, gim (seaweed). I actually liked the gim. I could see myself eating that as a healthy alternative to snacking. The woman is always telling me that I need to lose weight. (Koreans will tell you you're fat and need to lose weight). haha. I know they mean well. They aren't saying it to hurt my feelings. They are concerned for my health.

Today I taught 5 classes by myself. I think everything went pretty well. In one of my lower level classes a boy was crying. We were doing our work and he was hiding behind his book. I don't know what was wrong. Maybe he was scared of having a new teacher. That class was good at participating in class and they were very well behaved. The rest of my classes were good. There was one class that I was totally unprepared for. Those girls didn't want to do their work. The other teacher said I need to be firm with those girls. They like to speak Korean in class and be lazy. In my last class some of the students were trying to study for their word test. I told them to put it away and do the work for my class.

Today for supper I just went out to McDonalds. I know I need to stay away, but I was looking for something quick that I could get in my short 45 minute break. I got a McChicken sandwich. (It costs 2000 won which is about $2.00). I also got some coke. A small coke costs 1000 won or about $1.

I just found out that I'll be staying with my boss' parents until Monday. The other teacher leaves Monday morning. Its a little difficult because I like having my own place. They are nice, but I prefer to stay on my own. I'll finally be able to do laundry on Monday. I'm glad I brought plenty of clothes. I have enough that I can go a whole week without washing them.

I miss my boyfriend. Its hard not being able to see him often. The last time I saw him was Saturday. I would see him everyday if I could. We do keep in touch during the day. We chat at random times when I have a break.

Music Video: Orange Caramel "Abing Abing" (English Subtitles)

This gruoup is always full of aegyo.

Music Video: 2NE1 "Gotta Be You"

Music Video: Fly to the Sky "You You You" (English Subtitles)

I like this video. It has a compelling story line and the vocals are great.

Fly to the Sky is back after a 5 year hiatus.

genre: R&B
debut: 1999
members: Brian Joo, Hwanhee

2nd day of training

Today was my 2nd day of "training".

We had to go in early today at 12:30 pm for a meeting. We will have the meeting every Tuesday. In the meeting they talk about the classes and how the students are doing. The meeting was over an hour long. I was just listening and the boss gave me a writing paper to correct.

I think my Tuesday classes will be good. I did notice that my first 2 classes are very active.

My 1st private class will be good. I have an adult student. She reads a book and I have to ask her questions.

I was going to teach the 2nd private class on my own today (I was watching the other classes), but it was a major fail. My student was at a really low level. He didn't understand anything I was saying and I was just asking very basic questions. He will be working with a Korean teacher now. I didn't even know where to start with him.

I didn't have my 3rd private class today. He was away on a business trip. He is a CEO of a company and his English level is very high. I've heard that he is very talkative and he just wants to improve his English. That class shouldn't be too hard.

I am nervous about teaching on my own starting tomorrow. I will have phonics, spelling, speaking, and reading.

I still feel a little lost. It will take time for me to be completely comfortable. I'm still new and learning. Its kinda weird coming in at the end of a semester and trying to finish up where the previous teacher left off.

My boyfriend told me he was sick today. I wish there was something I could do for him. He sent pictures of himself in the pharmacy and at the hospital. Today I told him I wanted to see him this weekend, but he has to work. I don't know when we will see each other again. We only live about 10 miles away from each other, but it feels like a long distance relationship because we are both busy. He works 3rd shift and I work 2nd shift so we can't really see each other during the week. We can't even see each other this weekend because he has to work. I really like him and I want to see him more often. I guess I will be going to events alone this weekend. At least we chat to each other every day. He is good about keeping in touch. We just make small talk during the day whenever I have a break at work.

1st day of training

5/19/14 Monday

Lately there must be something magical about the 6:00 hour. Sunday I woke up at 6:25am and today I woke up at 6:45am on my own-no alarm. I have also been going to bed earlier than normal. Yesterday I was so tired that I was in bed by 10pm.

Today was my first day training to be an English teacher. I like all my coworkers. They are all nice. There are no secrets here. haha. Today the other teachers were asking me about not eating breakfast. (only my boss knows that I haven't been eating breakfast). 

I don't eat breakfast regularly. Once I get settled in I'm going to start back on Intermittent Fasting. I have got to lose some weight! All these hills are killing me! There is a gym in the same building as work so that is convenient. There are also some bikes you can rent near my house. Maybe I will give that a try one day.

Today I sat in on 6 classes. The students were elementary and middle school age. There will be 6 classes on Monday with 2 breaks. 3 of those classes only meet once a week. I have an art class, 2 speaking classes, 1 reading class, and 2 newspaper classes. All of the classes seem easy and I have complete control over the lessons. The school is really laid back. I think my worry about starting a new job is diminishing. 

The students were excited to meet me. They all want to know my name and who I am. They keep asking the teacher if I'm her friend. One person asked me if I was the teacher's sister. The students are all cute and funny. Some of the classes had me laughing all the time-esp the middle school class. The cooking class also kept me laughing. (They had a cooking class as a reward.) They were making pizza today. One of the boys brought in nutella and a lot of people were eating it out of the jar sharing the same spoon. They are so silly. The kids are pretty well behaved. They aren't strict about having perfectly behaved students.

I wore my new shoes today. Now I have blisters on the back of my feet. My feet hurt so bad that I just took off my shoes and walked home in just my shoe liners! I guess it will take some time to break them in. I think I'll wear a different pair tomorrow.

I found out today that I have 3 private adult students. I will be teaching them one on one. 1 of them is reading a novel. The other 2 are conversation classes. I have to make conversation for 40 minutes. Oh my. That is going to be hard. I'll have to come up with a lot of topics.

Tomorrow I have to be at school at 12:30pm for a 2 hour meeting (every Tuesday). I heard that 90% of the meeting will be in Korean so I won't understand, but I have to be there. One of the other teachers said they talk about how the students are doing in the meeting.

Current Temp: 67 F at 11:40PM. It is so hot. It feels hotter than 67! Or maybe its just that hot to me because there is no air conditioner in my room.

Exchange Rate: 1022 KRW to 1 USD 

Music Video: Phantom "Seoul Lonely" (English Subtitles)

featuring Gain

Phantom is one of my favorite Korean groups

Video: Gwanghwamun Square

This is the first video I made in Korea. It was a nice day and a lot of people were out at Gwanghwamun Square.

Read about Gwanghwamun here: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=929909

How to get there: Gwanghwamun Station (Purple line #5) Exit 2-walk straight

Shoe shopping

5/18/2014 Sunday

I went to bed last night after 1am. I actually woke up feeling rested at 6:45am. I just laid in the bed for a little while and then got up.

This morning my boss' dad knocked on my door and he had some bread in his hand. They wanted to make breakfast for me. I'm not much of a breakfast eater, but I ate it anyway. She made me some bread on the stove and put cheese on it. She also gave me an apple.

Today my coworker invited me to go out with her and 2 friends to go shoe shopping. We went to Payless at Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo. We took the bus and the ride was about 30 minutes. The bus takes about the same amount of time as the subway.

There wasn't a huge selection of shoes that I thought would be comfortable. I would like something stylish, but comfort is more important to me. I have to do a lot of walking in Korea and I do not want more blisters! I found a pair by a company called Predictions. They were on sale for 19,000 won which is about $19. The original price was 45,000 won ($45). The shoes have a comfort insole. I will just have to wear them and see how it works out.

It is so hot out! The current temp is 81 degrees at 6:34pm. I'm all sweaty and its only Spring. I am not looking forward to summer!

After shoe shopping we went out to eat at On the Border. I got a beef taco and a chicken enchilada. It was good. Then I headed back to the apartment.

I start training tomorrow! I'm going to ask a ton of questions. I shouldn't be too worried. They seem to be really laid back and I don't have to follow a strict curriculum.

My first full day in Korea

5/17/2014 Saturday

I woke up around 8am and got ready. Today the boss was going to show me how to walk to the school from her house. We left the house at 10:45. It was very simple and a short walk. After I left the school I made it back with no problems.

I found my way to the subway by myself. I actually took the long way. There was a road that would have taken me straight, but I found another, longer way.

Today I was going out to explore Seoul and meet my new boyfriend. I had to transfer to line 2. line 2 subway was packed. We could barely move!

I tried something new today. For lunch I had tuna salad toast in Hongik station. (and I ordered in Korean). It was really good. Toast in America and toast in Korea are 2 different things. I should have taken a photo. This was bread with tuna salad filling.

I was meeting my boyfriend at 4pm in Seoul. Before I met him I decided to explore a little. I went to Gwanghwamun and made some videos and took photos. Then I went over to Cheonggyecheon to relax for a while. There were tons of people at Cheonggyecheon relaxing by the stream. There was also some special event going on. I think it had something to do with the Sewol accident, but I'm not sure. There were tons of police buses at Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon.

Photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6014606129488634721
https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6014605522397448561
https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6014607037764215201

I was suppose to meet my boyfriend at 4pm. When 4pm came I couldn't find him anywhere. I think meeting at such a large space wasn't the best idea. There were so many people around. I was actually able to connect to Seoul Wifi. Seoul Wifi is really neat. Just connect out at the stream. I called him through an app on my ipad. We finally found each other. He told me he had messaged me on Facebook to change the time to 4:30. I had emailed him earlier that day from the school. I didn't have access to the internet so I didn't know. He didn't know that I didn't have a way to access the internet. But it was all good. We found each other!

It was so good to meet him. He looked really nice. It was hot and he was wearing a suit and tie. I was dressed up too. I was wearing a nice dress. First we went walking around Cheonggyecheon. Then we went to a dessert shop and got patbingsu and lemon ice tea. It was really good. That was my first time trying patbingsu. I should have taken a picture. Next we got into his car and went out to eat. We went to a restaurant that is famous for ramyeon. Driving and parking in Korea is crazy. He is a good driver.

The ramyeon at the restaurant was so spicy. My mouth was on fire. At one point I actually choked on the noodles and they came back up. My boyfriend was so worried about me. He gave me some napkins. I didn't want to spit it back up but I didn't have a choice. It was coming out! I think I tried to eat too much too fast. He wanted me to stop eating, but I ate some more. I didn't finish it though.

Next we went walking at Naksan park and we stopped to take a few pictures. Then he drove me home. When we got back to my boss' apartment he wanted to buy some things for me. We went to a small convenient store and he bought me some grape juice, cola, some other juice and some ice cream to take home with me. How sweet. I like him and he seems to really like me too.

I need to find some new comfortable shoes. I wish I could wear tennis shoes, but those wouldn't go well with a dress. I need something that is like Dr Scholls, but more fashionable. I wore flats today and I have 3 blisters!

I'm in Korea!

I arrived in Korea on May 16th! My flights were good. My first flight from CLT to JFK started off rough. We had some major turbulance at the beginning of the flight, but it didn't last long. There was some light turbulance later in the flight. I purchased an hour of inflight internet and chatted with my boyfriend for a little while. I also posted on Facebook to let everyone know my current status. Everything was good and we arrived on time.

 At JFK the security line was so long and then I got to move to the expedited line-TSA precheck. It was nice. You don't have to take off your shoes or remove your laptop.

 The 2nd flight from JFK to ICN was delayed an hour because the plane was late. The plane was late due to heavy fog. We were suppose to take off at 1pm, but we didn't leave until after 2pm. The flight was good, but too long. This was the first time I had a middle seat. (I always get stuck by the window). I'd prefer an aisle seat, but that's almost impossible when a flight is booked last minute. There's never an empty seat on a flight to Seoul. It's always full. Long flights wear me out! The bad thing is that I can't sleep long on a plane. Its too uncomfortable sitting up and you don't even have room to move around. The 1st lunch was really good. There was a Western option and a Korean option. I chose the Korean meal which was bibimbap. Bibimbap is becoming one of my favorite foods! That's surprising since I'm not a huge fan of vegetables. (yeah I should eat more!) Vegetables mixed with rice is so good! I watched 3 Korean movies on the plane. One of them was called "Plan Man". Such a cute movie. (I'll have to do an entry about it!) Another movie was called "A Man in Love". It was pretty good also. I can't even remember the name of the last movie. We arrived in Incheon around 5pm (Korean time).

 After we landed I had to find a taxi cab. A man approached me shortly after I came out into the meeting area. I can't believe the taxi ride was so expensive! It was $150 from Incheon to Goyang! My boss is going to reimburse me. She couldn't believe it was so expensive. I don't know why it costed so much. I kept watching the fare and it kept going up and up. wow.

 The taxi took me to the place where I will be working. I met a lot of my new coworkers and watched one class. All the kids kept asking the current teacher if I was one of her friends. She told them I was the new teacher.

When my boss' class was over she took me to her apartment. I will be staying in her apartment with her and her parents for a week. The other teacher is still living in the apartment that I will be staying in. I'll move in when she finishes training me. When I got there I met her parents. They are nice, but don't speak much English. They talk to me in Korean, but I don't understand. The boss left me at the house while she went to teach her class. I ate some rice and cooked some eggs.

I went to bed early around 10pm. I was so tired. I slept good, but kept woke up a few times.

Live Music Video: Mad Clown "Stalker Flip Side Story" Warning: Strong Language (English Subs)

Warning: There is bad language in this video

Featuring Crucial Star

Music Video: Kim Yeon Woo "Antidote" (English Subtitles)

Debut: 1995
Genre: Ballad

Kim Yeon Woo was a member of the band Toy and then he started his solo career. He has 4 albums.

I like this video. I like how the ink is on the page and then it goes off the page near the end. Very creative. The song is also good. The singer has a great voice.

Music Video: 4Men "OK" (English Subtitles)

4Men is back after 3 years.

(When they debuted there were 4 men in the group)

They also sing in Vietnamese.

Genre: R&B
Members: Shin Yong Jae, Kim Won Joo
Debut: 1998

Great sound. I like the part where they go into the high voice. This is a cute video. I like the line that says "even if you are oversensitive once a month ok"..hehe...

The video makes it look like the guys are a couple.

I arrive on Friday!

I will be arriving in Korea on Friday May 16th. I got my flight information today. I am so glad I'm on Asiana! Asiana is a great airline. You get free in-flight entertainment, free snacks and a free meal!

I will be on US Airways flight 2042 from CLT to JFK. Then Asiana Airlines 221 from JFK to ICN.

I'm about 95% finished packing. I just have a few small things left to put in my suitcase. Both of my suitcases are going to be packed to the 50lb limit!

As time grows closer I'm a little nervous about starting my new job. I want to see my students succeed. I might have higher expectations than I should. I'm mainly there so they can hear English from a native speaker. I'll get more comfortable once I start teaching.

D-3!

Music Video: Junggigo "Want U"

featuring Beenzino.

I like the song. It has a nice beat.

Genre: Korean rap/hip hop
Debut: 2008
Label: Starship

4 out of 10 S. Koreans unmarried, highest in OECD

Read the full article here: http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/635913.html

The statistics in the article come from the "Society at a Glance 2014" report released by the OECD in March of 2014.

According to the report 38.6% of people over the age of 15 have never been married in Korea. The OECD average is 27.1%.

They think that women are delaying marriage because they are focusing on their career and getting married later in life. They also think that the declining marriage rate is due to expensive housing and the struggle to find a good job.

55.8% of Koreans are married. 3.5% are widowed, 1.3% are divorced, 0.6% are separated, and 0.2% are living together.

Helpful Tips: Etiquette when eating out

Eating out is a big part of Korean culture. You don't see many people eating alone. Usually Koreans are out eating with family, friends and co-workers.

Here are some helpful tips for eating out with friends and co-workers in Korea:

-Respecting your elders is very important in Korea. Wait for the oldest person to eat first.

-A lot of dishes are communal dishes in the middle of the table. (This was odd for me at first since I'm used to having my own entree, but I got used to it.)

-In some situations the oldest person pays. Its rare to split the bill or go dutch.

-Don't pour your own drink. Let someone fill it for you. If you see someone else's drink getting empty refill it for them.

-It is very rude to blow your nose at the table. Don't do it.

-Do not stick your chopsticks straight up in your rice. It's very rude because its associated with offering food to the dead.

-Only hold one utensil in your hand at a time.

-Don't lift your bowl off of the table.

-There is no tipping in Korea

Helpful Tips: Trash pickup in South Korea

Just thought I'd offer some helpful tips for living in South Korea. The trash pickup system is a bit different from the USA.

Trashbags

They don't use glad, hefty, etc.You have to use a specially marked bag for your district. You can find these bags at local supermarket or convenient stores.(buy them in your neighborhood) They are behind the counter so you have to ask for them. They are called 쓰레기 봉투 (seu reg gi bong tu). They come in a few different sizes up to 100 Liters. I usually get the 20 Liter size. They come in bundles of 10 bags. A bundle of the 20 Liter bags costed about 5,000 won (@$5.00). The cost of the trash bags covers trash collection costs. You don't pay a trash collection fee like you do in the US.

These were the general trash bags for Eungam-dong in Seoul:

There are also bags for food waste. They are called 음식물 쓰레기 봉투. (eum shik mul seu reg ri bong tu). These come in 3, 5, and 10 Liter size. You only put food waste into these bags. Only put things in the bag that an animal could eat. Do not put seeds, shells, bones, feathers.

Putting Out the Trash

There may be a designated area set up at the place where you live. You can only put out trash Monday-Friday from 7pm to 11pm. There is no garbage collection on the weekend. Garbage that is not in the correct bag will not be picked up.

Separating Your Trash

Trash has to be separated according to recyclable items, food waste, and general trash.

Regular trash goes into the general trash bag. 

Food waste goes into a marked food waste bag. 

Some apartment complexes have recycle bins. If there are no bins then place them in a clear bag. Ask your apartment manager when and where you can put out your recyclable items. Recyclable items should not be mixed in with your general trash.


What can be recycled? 

Paper: newspapers, paper bags, card board, paper boxes, notebooks, books
Plastic: Items with 2, 4, or 5 on the container, plastic bags
Glass: glass drink bottles
PET bottles: number 1 on the bottle
light bulbs (not broken bulbs)
Batteries
Styrofoam
Metals: drink cans, spray cans, stainless steel, aluminum
Film: candy wrappers with recycle logos, instant noodle wrapping
Milk containers
cotton clothing

**rinse/wash the containers before putting them into the recyclable items

I got my Visa today!

I got my Visa today! I should arrive in Korea in 15 days! I'll know for sure when my flight is booked.

D-15

Now I need to finish packing! I have to decide what I must have first then add in my favorite USA products.

Sending Documents to Korean Consulate

I got my Visa today!!

What documents do you need to send to the Korean Consulate? (After you receive Visa Confirmation Number) (They will attach your Visa to your passport at this stage in the process)

This is a list of the documents that you need to send to Atlanta if you live in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. If you live in other states check the consulate website for your area.

US Residents working for a private academy (Hagwon) (living in the Atlanta Consulate Jurisdiction)

Visa Application Form
Valid Passport
1 Passport Photo
Confirmation of Visa Issuance Number
Copy of employment contract (does not need to be signed by the employer)
Non US citizens must also submit: a copy of valid US permanent resident card or valid U.S. visa and I-94 (F-1/2 Visa Holder; I-20, J-1/2 Visa Holder; DS2019)
Visa Fee ($45)(money order)**no credit or debit

Actual Visa Costs (from Korean Consulate)
Visa cost $45

Priority mail flat rate:* 5.75 (x2)

Total Cost: $56.50

*If you are pressed for time You should use Express mail which is around $20 (I'm not in a big rush so I used 2 day mail)

Mailed on April 22, 2014 using USPS 2 day priority mail. Arrived at the Korean Consulate on April 24, 2014. Received on May 2nd by USPS 2 day priority mail.

Visa was processed in 4 business days.

Total time from when I put in the mail till I received in the mail: 11 days