July 1st marked my official six months in Korea. It is crazy to think how quickly the time has gone. With more trips and events planned for the next six months I know the rest of my time here is going to fly by.
The rain and grey days continue here in Gumi, but that hasn't put a damper on any celebrations. This week was a busy week for parties. Thursday we celebrated Canada Day at Waegook. There are not many Canadians here in Gumi, but we had some support from other countries. I even got to have poutine for supper. This country lacks in cheese and gravy is pretty much unheard of, but Waegook made it happen and it was a great "home" food for Canada Day. I also have to give credit to Leah and Elle for the Canada Poncho....it was a great party hit. Friday after work was Mike's going away supper, so I joined everyone for some supper and drinks followed by dancing at Corona. Saturday we enjoyed some Independence Day celebrations as well as a couple farewells, a birthday and World Cup. The Americans helped us celebrate so we returned the favor. We had a nice bomb fire BBQ with hotdogs and s'mores. Again Korea lacks things we find very common at home, but for s'mores there were no graham crackers. Instead we used ginger snaps... not the same, but making the most out of the supplies available. Sunday Waegook hosted a swap day for people to get rid of their old junk along with a brunch. Breakfast is also a hard find around here (with exception of McDonald's). Most Koreans eat rice and tuna for breakfast, so when Waegook has brunch with bacon, eggs, and toast it is a nice treat. I enjoy Korean food, but I cant handle the rice and tuna breakfast.
This week should be a little more low key. Friday I have a workshop and I get to meet my new foreigner manager for lunch so that will be the event to look forward to this week. My co-teacher was on vacation last week, so she will be returning this week as well. The forecast is showing a couple clear days this week so hopefully there will be a chance to enjoy the sun. Hope everyone back home enjoyed the Canada Day celebrations!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Lately there has been lots of action in Gumi, so we have been hanging out here on weekends. Last weekend we enjoyed a roof top BBQ. We tried to go on a pubcrawl after the BBQ, but with a group of about 30 foreigners it was hard to find a place that would let us in. I guess we are intimidating. After a failed attempt at a bar in Indong we all made our way to good old Waegook. World Cup action has also continued in Korea, as they advanced to the 16 team round. Yesterday we went to buy some Korea gear for the game, but sadly Korea lost so they are now out.
There are a couple events coming up which I am excited for. Next weekend a group of girls are heading to Seoul for the weekend. Canada Day marks my official half way point, so I'm sure I will be celebrating. Time has gone by so fast, and I have a feeling the next 6 months will also fly by. Also I have booked a trip to Jeju Island finally. I am heading there mid July to soak up the sun and lay on the beach. In July my school will also be getting a new teacher which is exciting.
Apparently rain season has officially begun here, which is kind of a shame. The weather is nice and hot but you cant enjoy it in the rain. Also the rain makes the humidity insane. Although the rain makes for a great lazy Sunday in an air conditioned apartment! Since it is now rain season I will have lots of time for updates (KO was angry at my lack of updates) so stay tuned for pics and Korea stories.
There are a couple events coming up which I am excited for. Next weekend a group of girls are heading to Seoul for the weekend. Canada Day marks my official half way point, so I'm sure I will be celebrating. Time has gone by so fast, and I have a feeling the next 6 months will also fly by. Also I have booked a trip to Jeju Island finally. I am heading there mid July to soak up the sun and lay on the beach. In July my school will also be getting a new teacher which is exciting.
Apparently rain season has officially begun here, which is kind of a shame. The weather is nice and hot but you cant enjoy it in the rain. Also the rain makes the humidity insane. Although the rain makes for a great lazy Sunday in an air conditioned apartment! Since it is now rain season I will have lots of time for updates (KO was angry at my lack of updates) so stay tuned for pics and Korea stories.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The weather here has been hot. We have been having heat lightening almost every night for a week now. Since we live inland there is no breeze, just hot humid heat. I personally like the heat ...minus the smell of my kids and garbage on the streets. With the increase of heat comes the reminders about "fan death" or as they say "pan death." Koreans believe that if you are in a room with the windows and doors closed and a fan on that the fan will suck all the air and you will die. I have tried to reason with some of them about the theory behind this and how it makes no sense, but they tell me is "very dangerous" so now I just smile and nod.
So this week my kids have been very annoying. They are all shutting down and going into vacation mode, even though there is no "vacation" from academy. No matter how awful my kids are, there seems to be a funny moment every week. This week we were talking about adverbs in my writing class. So I explained an adverb describes how someone is doing something.
"He runs quickly" "She speaks slowly"
After writing 101 adverbs on the board, and going over many examples I gave them an assignment. I told each of them to write about a trip to Africa and talk about what they were going to do there and how they were going to do it. I reminded them that they had to use adverbs and they all got to work. After about 10 minutes of writing time some of my kids were finished. I knew this because I could hear the haunting "pinisheeee teacher" in that Korean accent and the common error of changing F for P. So I started to walk around reading and correcting some of the students work. I had some great stories about "playing in the sun peacefully", "riding elephants excitedly", and "swimming in the ocean quickly". Just as class was ending I get to a student who writes...
"I eat quickly" (not bad, in Africa you would have to eat at some point)
"I sleep quietly" (ok again not bad)
"I poop joyfully"
The last I found a little disturbing. I agree all of those things would probably happen while you were on a trip to Africa...but somethings are better left untold. Although the word of last week was constipated, so if the kid is "pooping joyfully" I guess that means things are working well.
So this week my kids have been very annoying. They are all shutting down and going into vacation mode, even though there is no "vacation" from academy. No matter how awful my kids are, there seems to be a funny moment every week. This week we were talking about adverbs in my writing class. So I explained an adverb describes how someone is doing something.
"He runs quickly" "She speaks slowly"
After writing 101 adverbs on the board, and going over many examples I gave them an assignment. I told each of them to write about a trip to Africa and talk about what they were going to do there and how they were going to do it. I reminded them that they had to use adverbs and they all got to work. After about 10 minutes of writing time some of my kids were finished. I knew this because I could hear the haunting "pinisheeee teacher" in that Korean accent and the common error of changing F for P. So I started to walk around reading and correcting some of the students work. I had some great stories about "playing in the sun peacefully", "riding elephants excitedly", and "swimming in the ocean quickly". Just as class was ending I get to a student who writes...
"I eat quickly" (not bad, in Africa you would have to eat at some point)
"I sleep quietly" (ok again not bad)
"I poop joyfully"
The last I found a little disturbing. I agree all of those things would probably happen while you were on a trip to Africa...but somethings are better left untold. Although the word of last week was constipated, so if the kid is "pooping joyfully" I guess that means things are working well.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
So weather didn't cooperate with us for the weekend, so the island getaway has been post phoned. Although I love the beach and tanning, it was also nice to spend the weekend in Gumi and relax. World Cup fever is in full force here. I'm not a big soccer fan, and since Canada has no team in the World Cup it is not of great interest to me, but many people here are very excited about it. Friday we went to Waegook to watch the opening and South Africa game. Many people here are from South Africa, so having world cup in their country is a big deal for them. Similar to feelings of having the Olympics in Canada for me. Saturday we had a lovely girls day with a small group. We enjoyed haircuts, supper and Sex and the City 2. I was a bit nervous about getting my haircut here, but $12 for cut, wash and style I am happy. Saturday night was a big World Cup event for Korea, with their first game against Greece. Bars, pubs and restaurant were all packed with people watching the game, and after Korea won 2-0 the streets were filled with cheering fans.
Work is still going well. I have felt that communication has been weak lately between staff. I hope after letting the manager know that writing important messages in only Korean is of no help to Britt and I that it will improve. My kids are still as funny as ever. This week they were very confused as to why my head was so small. I guess westerners do have "smaller" heads/ less round face shapes, but I'm not sure why after 6 months they are only noticing it now? Also the new word of the week in public schools must of been "constipation" because many teachers this week had some great student stories about the word. I heard many of my kids this week asking each other if they were constipated. You also have the kids who just do';t understand the meaning of the words and use them in the wrong form. Sometimes I just let them entertain me instead of correcting them. Sooner of later they will learn.
This week is the end of another series so next Monday there will be shuffling of students, and some new kids to add to the mix. Summer vacation is coming soon for the kids here, so it will be interesting to see how many kids come to academy during summer break. I feel here they do not believe in breaks or vacation, and if their children have a chance to get ahead in education parents will push it. I suspect all my students will be at Moon Kkang all summer. You think the month of June is bad in school at home...try July and August in Korea. I can hear my students whining already.
Work is still going well. I have felt that communication has been weak lately between staff. I hope after letting the manager know that writing important messages in only Korean is of no help to Britt and I that it will improve. My kids are still as funny as ever. This week they were very confused as to why my head was so small. I guess westerners do have "smaller" heads/ less round face shapes, but I'm not sure why after 6 months they are only noticing it now? Also the new word of the week in public schools must of been "constipation" because many teachers this week had some great student stories about the word. I heard many of my kids this week asking each other if they were constipated. You also have the kids who just do';t understand the meaning of the words and use them in the wrong form. Sometimes I just let them entertain me instead of correcting them. Sooner of later they will learn.
This week is the end of another series so next Monday there will be shuffling of students, and some new kids to add to the mix. Summer vacation is coming soon for the kids here, so it will be interesting to see how many kids come to academy during summer break. I feel here they do not believe in breaks or vacation, and if their children have a chance to get ahead in education parents will push it. I suspect all my students will be at Moon Kkang all summer. You think the month of June is bad in school at home...try July and August in Korea. I can hear my students whining already.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Since Taiwan it has been fairly quite around here. Daegu has been the new weekend location. I have been to Daegu at least once a week for activities. For Bhudda's birthday we did a temple visit. Moon Kkang had a company soccer game followed by an amazing buffet lunch compliments of Mr. Moon. We also like to take advantage of Costco while in Daegu. Last weekend I went to Daegu with a group from Gumi for a Samsung Lions game and some Billabow. The weather is beautiful here, and summer is in full force. This weekend I am planning an island trip with some friends. Its a small island off the coast called Bijindo. Sun, sand, drinks, bbq and friends!
Work is going well, we are excited to get new teachers in July (one Korean and one foreign). That is all the news from this side. I thought I would just do a quick update, but keep posted for new pictures and island stories from the weekend.
Work is going well, we are excited to get new teachers in July (one Korean and one foreign). That is all the news from this side. I thought I would just do a quick update, but keep posted for new pictures and island stories from the weekend.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Taiwan
All week prior to our trip the weather in Taiwan was calling for rain. When we arrived at our boarding gate there was a sign posted with a 3 day forecast. Rain, Rain, Rain. Not such a great start to vacation, especially when the plan was to lay on the beach.
When we arrived in Taipei we had no real plans, especially due to the weather. We took a bus into the city where we were the only white people. I think as soon as we arrived I noticed some major differences between Taiwan and Korea.
1. Language, almost everyone spoke English.
2. Appearance, although they are both Asian countries the people in Taiwan have a more westernized look.
3. Size, people in Korea (men and women) are very petite and thin. Taiwan were taller and bigger.
4. Dogs, In Korea dogs are not treated as pets, and if you have a "pet" it usually lives outside and is not taken care of. In Taiwan people have dogs as pets and take them for walks/ care for them.
5. Tattoos, In Korea tattoos are shunned upon, and it is illegal to be a tattoo artist here. In Taiwan they were everywhere and not covered up by clothing.
6. Street smell, Korea stinks like sewer about 75% of the time. Taiwan had a few areas with "street smell" but nothing like Korea.
Saturday we spent the day traveling Taipei. We checked out Taipei 101 (the only real attraction) and a couple markets in the area. Taipei 101 is the tallest building in the world and the view from the top is great....minus all the fog. We did a quick trip to a memorial hall, but when all the information is in Mandarin its not that interesting.
Sunday we ventured to the south coast of Taiwan to a small town called Kenting. The south coast offers the best beaches in the area, and we were looking for a couple days of sun. On a map Taiwan seems like a small country, but when we went to get information on a bus from Taipei to Kenting we found out it was going to take us 7+ hours. Instead of the bus we opted for taking the high speed rail which took about 2 hours, and arrived in Kenting just in time for prime time tanning. Sunday the weather turned out to be beautiful. We spent the day soaking up the sun...later we both ended up with a bad sunburn. I will blame it on the lack of tanning beds in Asia. There is no opportunity for a base tan here. Although laying on the beach for 6 hours in the sun for the first time all season might have something to do with it. Sunday night we went to a street market in the area, nothing overly exciting but something to do in the evening.
Monday we enjoyed the morning at the B&B and hit up the beach in the afternoon. It rained late in the afternoon. At the time it could of snowed, we were just happy to be away from work and kids. Monday evening we checked out the aquarium. It was a task and a half to get there, Kenting is a small town and not many people spoke English and there are no taxis. This is where I realized I know more Korean than I thought I did. In Korea I would be able to communicate where I wanted to go, but in Taiwan they speak Mandarin and I know none. We eventually made our way to the aquarium just before closing, but we lucked in and got to see a feeding which was cool. We did a quick run through before heading back to Taipei for the night.
Tuesday was our last day. I spent the morning having a relaxation foot massage. I will say it was relaxing. Before the massage they assess your energy and organ function. All were working fine except my liver which had a value of 78 (20-30 is normal). I was told I should detox. I told her it was Korea and Soju that made my liver work over time.
It was a quick trip but a very nice mental break from Korea/ kids. I'm not sure I would recommend Taiwan as a vacation location or a must see, but it was perfect for us. All we needed was a beach, and the south coast provided that. Also traveling to countries in monsoon season is not recommended. It becomes a little depressing when the forecast calls for rain, although we lucked in and the weather didn't prevent us from any activities.
When we arrived in Taipei we had no real plans, especially due to the weather. We took a bus into the city where we were the only white people. I think as soon as we arrived I noticed some major differences between Taiwan and Korea.
1. Language, almost everyone spoke English.
2. Appearance, although they are both Asian countries the people in Taiwan have a more westernized look.
3. Size, people in Korea (men and women) are very petite and thin. Taiwan were taller and bigger.
4. Dogs, In Korea dogs are not treated as pets, and if you have a "pet" it usually lives outside and is not taken care of. In Taiwan people have dogs as pets and take them for walks/ care for them.
5. Tattoos, In Korea tattoos are shunned upon, and it is illegal to be a tattoo artist here. In Taiwan they were everywhere and not covered up by clothing.
6. Street smell, Korea stinks like sewer about 75% of the time. Taiwan had a few areas with "street smell" but nothing like Korea.
Saturday we spent the day traveling Taipei. We checked out Taipei 101 (the only real attraction) and a couple markets in the area. Taipei 101 is the tallest building in the world and the view from the top is great....minus all the fog. We did a quick trip to a memorial hall, but when all the information is in Mandarin its not that interesting.
Sunday we ventured to the south coast of Taiwan to a small town called Kenting. The south coast offers the best beaches in the area, and we were looking for a couple days of sun. On a map Taiwan seems like a small country, but when we went to get information on a bus from Taipei to Kenting we found out it was going to take us 7+ hours. Instead of the bus we opted for taking the high speed rail which took about 2 hours, and arrived in Kenting just in time for prime time tanning. Sunday the weather turned out to be beautiful. We spent the day soaking up the sun...later we both ended up with a bad sunburn. I will blame it on the lack of tanning beds in Asia. There is no opportunity for a base tan here. Although laying on the beach for 6 hours in the sun for the first time all season might have something to do with it. Sunday night we went to a street market in the area, nothing overly exciting but something to do in the evening.
Monday we enjoyed the morning at the B&B and hit up the beach in the afternoon. It rained late in the afternoon. At the time it could of snowed, we were just happy to be away from work and kids. Monday evening we checked out the aquarium. It was a task and a half to get there, Kenting is a small town and not many people spoke English and there are no taxis. This is where I realized I know more Korean than I thought I did. In Korea I would be able to communicate where I wanted to go, but in Taiwan they speak Mandarin and I know none. We eventually made our way to the aquarium just before closing, but we lucked in and got to see a feeding which was cool. We did a quick run through before heading back to Taipei for the night.
Tuesday was our last day. I spent the morning having a relaxation foot massage. I will say it was relaxing. Before the massage they assess your energy and organ function. All were working fine except my liver which had a value of 78 (20-30 is normal). I was told I should detox. I told her it was Korea and Soju that made my liver work over time.
It was a quick trip but a very nice mental break from Korea/ kids. I'm not sure I would recommend Taiwan as a vacation location or a must see, but it was perfect for us. All we needed was a beach, and the south coast provided that. Also traveling to countries in monsoon season is not recommended. It becomes a little depressing when the forecast calls for rain, although we lucked in and the weather didn't prevent us from any activities.
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