Surprise Camping Trip!

Haha suckas! I found out yesterday that the fourth and fifth graders are going on a school camping trip to learn about nature or whatever. They will be gone Tuesday (today) and Wednesday (tomorrow), the positive upshot of which is my regular classes are all cancelled. Hooray! I still have to do my after school classes, though, so it's not all a free ride. But that's the thing about teaching public schools in Korea: nobody tells you when random things like this are happening, so it's always a surprise! In fact, one of my friends stayed up late last night and got up early this morning to hammer out some lesson plans, only to find out that she didn't have any classes today. SURPRISE! It's so dynamic!

Similarly, I'm going to be gone next week from Mon-Wed at an off-site GEPIK orientation/teaching seminar. So it'll be some time again before I have a full week of classes. Woot!

In other news, I'm hoping to go to Seoul this weekend to see the Steve McCurry exhibit that is showing there. If you aren't familiar with the name, Steve McCurry is a very prominent photojournalist who has focuses mainly on Asia. He rose to fame in the mid-80s with his chronicle of the Afghan War, first by being embedded amongst the actual fighters, and then through his documentation of the refugee situation. He is most famous for his iconic photograph, "Afghan Girl", which the National Geographic magazine ran as the cover to its June 1985 issue.

You can see why it's so famous. And hopefully why I am so excited to go see this guy's work. Out of anyone I've seen, he really has a serious knack for capturing some essential humanity in all of his subjects. Captivating.

So tired!

Sorry for the lazy video post today, but I have approximately 8000 things to do and the desire to do exactly none of them. I mean, I was lesson planning today, and I planned maybe half my lessons for the week. The thing is, at least two more lessons just need me to look at what's next in the textbook and then write that down on paper. And I didn't even do that! WTF ever, deal. And I went to EMart at least three times intending to look at wireless routers to put in my apartment, and guess how many times I did not look at a single router? ALL THREE. WIN.

So here is a video of the bowling outing in Dongtan last Saturday. It doesn't feature me, except as a terrible narrator, but you can see lots of the people I hang out with, so that's good news.

After bowling, we went out for Indian food. Which was good! But it was...dynamic...getting there (to say the least). I didn't actually start eating until about 10pm. Please insert long discussion about going out to dinner with groups of 20 people here. Blah blah blah.

I promise a post with pictures of some of the smallest children I teach as well as other, more interesting posts as soon as I stop feeling like crap 24/7 because of stupid China and Mongolia

Good news, everybody!

I have internet now! In the comfort of my own home! Now I am free to Skype at will.

Getting the internet was surprisingly easy. Emjee called this afternoon and set up an appointment with T-broad, the internet people here in Gyeonggi-do, and promptly at 6 the guy arrived to install. There was some confusion regarding the mac (windows is king here), but that was quickly resolved and he was on his way. No fuss, no muss, and I'm paying a little less than 35000W/mo (~$30 US) and I get the first three months free. Hooray! Now all I have left to do is to purchase a mobile phone and I'm all set!

The tragic downside to this, of course, is I no longer have cable. BOO. I guess now I will have to decide if I want to shell out the W for cable or get a nice phone. We'll see (I'm leaning toward the cell phone, they have some really crazy ones here).

Another teaching post! Hooray!

Sorry no pics this time, they refused to move from my camera to the computer. Jerks.

You guys! I was paid a really nice compliment this afternoon by my co-teacher, 뮹주 (Myungju, or Emjee which is her English name). She told me that not only was I doing well, but that I seemed to be a natural at teaching the children. Even the other teachers on the floor were impressed by me. So that was a great little ego boost that I just had to share with you, internet.

And the smallest children I teach are steadily growing into the most adorable little bastards I've ever seen! Class is still mostly a loud playtime for them, but I'm trying to inject some English into the playing so hopefully it will stick. Also, I was taking photos of them so you could see how obscenely cute they are (seriously, I think Asian babies win for "cutest babies in the world"), and they got a hold of my camera. And the results were...well, that's for another post.

In other news, this afternoon I left work early to go back to Suwon to pick up my now-ready Alien Registration Card. Which is basically a green card. It's even green and everything! And after that, I hustled over to a bank to open a bank account cause Shakespeare got to get paid, son. Of course, I had no idea where a bank was in the vicinity of the Suwon Immigration Center, I only knew that I had until 4pm to get to one. I got out of the immigration center at approximately 3:57pm. You know the scene near the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Where Matthew Broderick is trying to beat Jennifer Grey and his father home? It was basically like that, only I had NO IDEA where the heck to go. I was, in essence, running around a few block radius frantically looking for a bank.

BUT I AM FILLED WITH AWESOME, so obviously I found one. And it was only like 10 after 4! Also, it turns out that the banks are open until 4:30. So that all worked out. And now I have a bank account. Which means I can get money from my school, AND I can get a cell phone account and an internet account. I am finally feeling like a real boy!

Yellow Dust

You may recall my complaints about yellow dust from such places as "facebook" or "tumblr" or "real life". But just for you, I will regale you once more with the story! Basically what happens is that dust from the Gobi desert gets blown over China where it mixes with wonderful toxic pollutants (thanks guys!). It is then carried over the Korean peninsula and over to Japan giving everything a wonderful yellow tint and making everybody sick.

The Korean Meterological Association has a much better/more technical discussion here. You should read it! There is history!

This is the yellow dust look in South Korea. It is all the rage.

Long story short, I feel like crap today. It is like allergies plus respiratory issues all rolled into one big ball of fun! And it's not just me, either. I am sick, my coteacher is sick, and at least two other teachers on my floor are sick. But we are such troopers, you guys! We came into work ANYWAY, just to hopefully get the little children sick.

SUCKIT, NERDS!

Warning! Boring Self-Evaluative Post to come!

Yesterday, at 6pm Korea Standard Time (or something like that) was a very auspicious occasion. Exactly one month ago, my plane landed on the runway in Seoul Incheon International Airport. Exactly one month ago, I started my Korean adventure.

Alot has happened since then - alot. It doesn't seem like it's been one month; it seems at once so much longer and so much shorter than that. It feels like I've been here practically a lifetime; yet only a few days. I've had dramas; computers and teaching; translation and scheduling. But overall it's been a great experience here. I've started to make some cool friends from places I'd never imagined I'd count friends. From Korea and South Africa to folks from back home in the US - even another Okie!

I've had some great adventures with these people too, visiting Seoul and playing what was either petit golf or very large croquet in Dongtan. Noraebang and traditional Korean dinners followed by American movies. Foreigner gatherings tons of friends and long walks around Osan by myself - it seems like I've done so much.

And yet I've got quite alot to do. I want to see the temples of the countryside and the museums of Seoul. I want to have more Korean dinners and find some great clubs to visit. I want to hike the mountains of Gangnam and visit the beaches of Jeollanam-do. The best part is I know I'll get there, and I'm so excited for what's to come.

As for teaching, I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of it. It started out rough - being in a class with thirty students who really have no idea what you're saying is mildly terrifying, to say the least. But this week went pretty darn well. I had my Friday classes which can be the most trying, but my lessons actually worked - teaching the youngest kids a song about opposites got them up and dancing - actively participating in the lesson. For the next class, we had a good time learning Simon Says and simple commands, and then my last class of the day had a great time with my scavenger hunt to teach them some/any and how to ask for things.

Overall, this month has been very up for me. And with my ARC coming this week - and a bank account, internet, and mobile phone soon to follow - things are looking great for next month. I know there will be downs just as there are ups, but you know what? I'm ready.

Bring it, Korea.

TRAGEDY STRIKES KOREA!

Horrible news!

Kim Yu-na announced today that she would be retiring from figure skating indefinitely, Korean news agency Chosun Ilbo reports. Earlier, Kim spoke with reporters:

"Following my defeat at the World Figure Skating Championships, I have realized that figure skating is not, and cannot, be my whole life. I think I am ready to go back to being just a normal girl."

With her win at the Vancouver Olympics, she was officially crowned what the world was already calling her: "Queen Yu-na". Her meteoric rise to stardom could only be matched by her fall from grace: in the few short seconds it took her to miss a layback spin in her short program at Torino, her country - where she was the highest-paid athlete, and one of the highest-paid people - turned its back on her.

The reaction at home was swift and severe. As people awoke to find out that not only had she not won, but had placed second to Mao Asada from Japan, anger swept the nation. Riots broke out, as demonstrators took to the streets from Seoul to Busan. "I was heart broken," wept one Seoul resident, "I thought she would lead us to the very forefront of the international stage, to take our rightful place as a leading nation!"

But, alas, it was not to be. For Kim Yu-na, her star shone too bright, and spun too quickly.

For the full text of the article, please read here