I've Got Spirit, Yes I Do!

These last two weeks have been packed full of fun. Even though I'm not home, I'm still really in the Christmas spirit. I think some of that is due to the frigid temperatures here lately. Last week's high was a whopping 30 degrees. Needless to say, I believe this is going to be a cold winter for me. Help!!

Last weekend I put on my best attire with my friends and attended an amazing Christmas party at Touché which was in a very poshe part of Seoul. All thanks to my friend Simon, who so kindly put together the event, I had such a great time!

Touché

Santa and his little helpers

food

my second family

This week the kinder classes went on a field trip to the children's theater to see Aladdin. I couldn't understand anything they were saying because it was all in Korean, but I got the gist of it. The kids cried every time Jafar came to the stage. I think it's safe to say he wasn't their favorite character.

School as been going well. I'm beginning to feel the stress that many of my school teacher friends in the States warned me about. Our kinder classes have graduation coming up in February, so we've been planning for that and getting things ready for the end of the year since we'll be on vaca for a week.

My co-workers were also feeling the stress this week and suggested we vent out over a strong beverage. Our beverage of choice was makkoli. Makkoli is a very tasty Korean rice wine.

To add to my Christmas shenanigans I had Christmas morning via Skype with my family tonight, minus my brother :( It was so nice to have everyone together even if we weren't in the same room. I miss them so much!

thank you Jonathan for my tree

This will be my last post until next year, because I'll be leaving for Thailand in 5 days! Sarah and I will be there from the 24th-1st. We're planning on going to Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and of course Bangkok. It will definitely be the trip of a lifetime. I'll be sure to post all about my travels when I come back. I can't wait!

This year has been such an amazing year for me. I again can't thank all the great people in my life enough for making it that way. I'm so blessed! I hope 2012 will be just as fantastic! I wish everyone a fabulous and safe Christmas! 

See you next year. Miss and love you! xoxo

-Jenn

Things That Make You Go, Hmm!...part 2

Here's another post dedicated to all the new things in Korean culture that I've come across since being here. For being a country that's the size of Florida there's so many fascinating discoveries I'm finding on a daily basis.

I'm sure I've stated this several times but Koreans are genuinely the nicest people I've ever met. Their hospitality is amazing! There has been countless times where I may look lost in a subway station and someone will go out of their to ask if they can help. Some who ask speak little to no English, but they try to the best of their ability to help. Also, many Korean women don't like tanning so they will stand under an umbrella in the sun. Recently I was standing at the bus stop and a lady covered me with her umbrella to block me from the sun. This was very comical, but also a nice gesture.

Speaking of Korean women not liking to tan, this brings me to my second rant. While Americans fake and bake to be perceived as better looking in the summer, Koreans see being pale skin toned as more beautiful. Whitening cream is very popular here and is used to brighten the skin to a more pale color. I will say that I have seen some women who take this to an extreme and sometimes look ghostly.

Even though I've been in Korea for four months, I'm still confused about the garbage disposal system. Unlike in the America where recycling is seen as a hassle and you throw all of your trash into one can, Korea has somewhat of a more complex system. Started in 1995, the Seoul Metropolitan Government began implementing the trash separation system. This means you must separate recycables by type (i.e glass, plastic, or tin), food waste, and general waste. Also, instructions on the bins are usually only in Korean which can make it even more difficult when playing match the trash to correct bin. Until I can figure this out, I will continue to take my trash out at night in hopes that nobody will see me.

Another custom I'm still adapting to is taking my shoes off anytime I enter a home or certain restaurants. Koreans sit and often sleep on their floor, so having a dirty floor is intolerable. This is a big part of Asian culture! Often while at the gym I forget that I can't wear my shoes in the locker room. Not to worry, the ajummas are quick to remind me.

my school slippers

Finally I must rant about the heated floors, also known as ondol heating. Before the cold weather hit I was very skeptical about this. Back home in America, heaters just blow heat out of vents. Well ondol heating uses hot water below the floor to warm them up. I always thought that there was no way heated floors could keep me very warm. Boy was I wrong! About two weeks ago the cold weather decided to grace me with it's presence. I made my first attempt to crank up the heat. Well I'm not the smartest tool in shed when it comes to conversions and my Celsius to Fahrenheit conversions were way off. I woke to my apartment being 95 degrees. Oopsie! Needless to say I've worked out the kinks and now my apartment is nice and cozy.

I love being in place where I'm constantly discovering new things and nothing is ever the same. Things that I would've seen as odd before are now new, amazing little quirks that I love. Oh Korea, you are somethin' special!


love and kisses!


-Jenn xoxo

A Korean Thanksgiving

This week was a week full of "misses." Being the first Thanksgiving away from home, I certainly missed the traditional hangouts and catch-ups with old friends on Thanksgiving Eve, my Mom's cooking, and of course spending time with my family. Lucky for me I had 15 other friends to celebrate turkey day with this year.

At school on Thursday, I gave the kinder classes a lesson on the story of Thanksgiving. After, each student was asked what they were thankful for. I heard "I'm thankful for Jenn Teacher" from Nuri in Clifford class, and my heart just sunk. Kids can be so sweet sometimes.

On Saturday two of my lovely friends hosted a Thanksgiving potluck dinner. So myself and fifteen of my closest friends celebrated Thanksgiving complete with stuffing, potatoes, pumpkin pie, and chicken. Unfortunately we couldn't find a turkey, so we compromised with chicken. We spent the whole day together eating, playing games and of course drinking lots and lots of wine. It was such a great day! Since I missed Thanksgiving at home, this was just what I needed :)

There is so much I have to be thankful for this year! Just to name a few: I have a family that supports and loves me, I have amazing friends who keep in touch even when I'm 7,000 miles away, I have a great job with great co-workers and 35 little ones that are happy that I'm there, and last but not least I get to experience a new culture, as well as travel to places I never thought I would.

So all in all I should say that I'm ONE lucky girl :) I miss you all!

-Jenn xoxo

A Whole Bunch of Randomness

Tis' the season for heated floors, hot chocolate and Christmas lights. I've been pretty busy these last couple of weeks getting into the holiday spirirt and seeing new sights of SoKo. Last Thursday after work I made a visit into Seoul to see the Seoul Lantern Festival. It's an annual festival that was started in 2009 that showcases artists from all over the world down the famous Cheonggyecheon Stream. There's also a spot where one can light a lantern as a symbol of 'hope and friendship'.

That same night, Sarah and I decided to walk around this particular area of Seoul a bit more since we have never been there to enjoy it at night. To our surprise we found CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was. Christmas is my favorite holiday!

This past weekend I ventured to the eastern part of SoKo to visit none other than a penis park. Samcheok, which is where Haesindang Park (penis park) is located, is about a four to five hour bus ride from Seoul. Sarah and I woke up at 4:30 am to catch the first bus into Samcheok. Before going there, I researched the area quite a bit. I did not realize just how beautiful Samcheok was until I arrived. Because we did not plan to stay the night, we only had time to visit Haesingdang Park. I'll definitely be planning a trip back to Samcheok in the springtime to visit some of the other sights there.

For all of those who are wondering why in the world there is a penis park in South Korea, here's a story to give you the details. According to a late legend, a young virgin threw herself into the ocean, and drowned. About the same time, the local fishermen began to notice a decline in the numbers of fish they were catching. It seemed as thought all the fish had disappeared. Concluding that the young girl’s spirit was haunting the ocean; angry and frustrated after dying a virgin, the locals decided to take drastic action to appease said spirit and built this park.

To add to this post of randomness, yesterday South Korea practiced an air-raid drill around 2pm. The drill is practiced about two times a year to prepare in case North Korea attacks. Pedestrians in open and public areas are suppose move to nearby buildings or subway stations as they would when seeking shelter in an actual event. All drivers/vehicles on the road have to pull over and come to a complete stop. After watching videos online of people who were outside during this drill, I got goosebumps and a little scared of the reality of a possible attack.

No worries y'all! I'm as safe as I can be :) I miss you all so so much <3


-Jenn xoxo

The Most Magical Place in the ROK

This past weekend called for gloomy and rainy weather, so I took it upon myself to make indoor plans. After a nice brunch at Butterfingers with Lauren in Jeongja, I took a ride on the new Sin Bundang line (신분당선). This is a new subway line that just opened on October 28th and connects Bundang to Gangnam, which is a popular part in Seoul. It was developed to cut the total travel time by bus from 60 minutes down to 16 minutes. What's also neat about this line is that the trains are completely computer operated, so there's no conductor on board.

After my speedy trip into Seoul, I went to visit Dr. Fish. Dr. Fish is a semi-upscale coffee bar/spa. For 2,000 won you can experience the tickling of the Chinchin as they eat at your feet. Some may think this an absurd and disgusting idea, but it's actually pretty neat. Essentially the fish are used to exfoliate feet and toes for the most natural of spa experiences.

To add to my indoor plans, I went to the most magical place in Korea...Lotte World. Lotte World is the world's largest indoor amusement park. It's almost a small replica of Disney World with it's own version of the Magic Kingdom, otherwise named "Magic Island." I felt like such a kid as I walked into the park. The inside was lit up with colorful Christmas lights and Christmas themed parades. It was the first time since I've been here that I felt like was home in the States.
 

Magic Island

Indoor skating rink with Lotte World rides surrounding

There will be another "magical" place I will be visiting next weekend. I'll be sure to post about that!

Miss you all!

-Jenn

Three Months In...

Today marks my third month in Korea. Holy cow! Time is flying by so fast. Only nine more months until I'm home though. Wahoo! Things sure have been picking up here in Korealand. 

Last weekend I dug out the inner daredevil in me and went zip-lining in Mungyeong. Mungyeong is a city surrounded by beautiful mountains and is about three hours from where I live. The Fall colors were amazing and they reminded me a lot of the mountains back home in Virginia, which of course made me miss home that much more.

There were nine courses and each course got a little higher and longer in length. The highest course was 360m or about 1,000 feet. I definitely recommend trying zip-lining at least once to whoever is looking for a thrill. There's nothing like the feeling of basically flying from tree to tree and taking in a pretty awesome view at the same time. Next on my list...bungee jumping.

Saturday night I celebrated Halloween with some friends on a Halloween themed cruise. It was hands down one of the best Halloweens ever! The boat was massive and held close to 800 people. Props to the event planners for putting on such a successful night. Going to these kinds of events really makes me miss planning events :(

A 1920's flapper, the Cat in the Hat,
Minnie Mouse, White Trash and Nicki Minaj

Today our school celebrated Halloween with a costume party. Anna Teacher asked me to be the MC for the day, which meant I had to greet the Moms and keep everyone on schedule. It sure was a fun day! We had games,  pumpkin carvings and don't forget the trick or treating.

Ralphie?

Tweety and Elmo class

Jenn Teacher is a Bit of a Slacker

I must first apologize to everyone for my slacking on not keeping up with my blog as often as I had promised. These last couple of weeks seemed to have just flown by for me. I can't believe I've been in Korea for almost three months. Crazy! Let me catch you all up on the happenings here in Korea.

To begin, a few weeks ago I attended my first professional soccer game in Seoul. FC Seoul planned a "Foreigners Day" which allowed foreigners to pay $10 for admission, a beer, and a hot dog. It was quite an experience being in the Seoul World Cup Stadium that hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately I wasn't able to experience a full stadium, but FC Seoul definitely brought down the house. Here are a few pictures from the game: 

FC Seoul (Football Club Seoul)

The Crew

Last weekend, a few friends and I went to the International Seoul Fireworks Festival. This is an annual event where firework displays are set off by professional teams from South Korea and abroad. This year they featured Japan and Portugal. Each country set off about 20 minutes worth of fireworks. The event took place right on the Han River which made the view absolutely amazing. Words cannot express just how awesome these fireworks were. Of course, South Korea's show which included a light show, was hands down the best. I'm unable to download a video because it takes too long, but if you're on Facebook I definitely recommend checking it out.

To add to my weekend last week, I had a friend show me a little part of Dongbaek I have never seen. This little guy below was perfectly hidden on the top of a small mountain right next to my work. It's such a romantic spot!

Work is still fun and exciting! I love having a job where I feel appreciated and loved. Two weeks ago the kinder classes had Sports Day. The students, along with hot P.E. Teacher, went to a park and played games which reminded me a lot of my elementary school days except without drinking huggies and playing with a parachute. I wasn't prepared to participate in the relay races and tug o'war games, but I did find out my arm strength has certainly improved since coming to Korea. Must be all those trips on the bus and subway where I'm hanging on for dear life with the "oh crap" or "under-arm-scent releasers."

As you can see there hasn't been too many exciting things to report back to you all.  For those who may not already know, I'm heading to Thailand in December so I've been working on saving as much money as possible. I do have a few exciting things in the works for the next couple of weeks, so I'll be sure to keep you all up-to-date. Miss you all more than you know!

Getting the Hang of this Teaching Thing

Before I begin, I must give a big shout out to all the teachers. I knew before coming to Korea that teachers put in a lot of hard work, but I didn't realize just how much. I feel that just within the last two months, I have gained so much more confidence and patience with myself and others. Not to mention a new love for kids :) I NEVER thought in a million years I'd be working with kids. When I first told my close friends and family that I was coming to Korea to teach kids, they immediately questioned me. But, when you have faces like these, how can you NOT love your job?

Chris and Edward

September was a pretty intense month for me. At the end of August, the Elementary students took their "Big Assessment" tests. This is a test given every two months to each class. It's a test on reading, comprehension and some grammar. Well this was my first time around giving this test. Luckily, I do not have to make the complete tests, but I do have to grade them. It's not a hard job, but it's very time consuming and sometimes comical. I remember one question from my student's test.

"Question: Scientists learn from their mistakes. What does that mean?

 Answer per my students: Scientists learn from their mistakes"

Not only was I introduced to the "Big Assessment" tests, but I also had to plan my first lesson plan for the month. Come to find out this wasn't all that difficult once I got the hang of it. I already have to make a weekly lesson plan for my kinder classes, so I already knew the gist of it.


While we're on the subject of my Elementary students, I will say they can be a bit of a handful at times. They like to goof around and talk in Korean at times. I only know a few words, like "fart". So I like to call them out for it when they say it. Silly kids think they can fool Jenn Teacher? I don't think so ;)

I feel the kids have adapted well to me for the most part. They know our routine and have gotten much better with listening. I'm extremely proud of my Elmo class! These are the 5 (Korean) / 4 (US) year olds. They're beginning to write and even sound out words. Sevin, the little girl we have coined the "badass" because she likes to bully the older kids, has always excelled in reading. But, Ethan and Isaac are coming along. Although, Isaac still thinks that "L-I-O-N" spells hamburger. Progress people, progress!!


Ethan has been voted my absolute favorite student. He showers me with hugs everyday and anytime I wear a colorful dress or scarf he says "Jenn Teacha bery bery prettyyy". He's already learning the art of brown nosing. What a smart, smart boy!

Ethan :)

At the end of October, each kinder class has to perform a song for a speech contest. This month I have Tweety class. I chose the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". I already told my co-teachers the competition is on. Jenn Teacher and Tweety class will be bringing the best darn dance moves that ILS has ever seen! Not to mention I have Judy, aka "Judy wit da booty", in my class. That girl can get down! She was named this by co-teacher and it's stuck ever since. 


I know you're probably thinking, well her job doesn't sound too difficult. And to be honest, it has it's days. I mean how can you really complain about a job where you get to snuggle with the cutest 5-year olds, color, dance and help the world by teaching children the difference between "their", "they're", "your" and "you're?"

Korean Food 101

Before coming to Korea, I was very nervous thinking I would not be able to eat because my chopstick skills were way under par. I could barely pick up a sushi roll for goodness sakes! Since coming here, I think I've done rather well. After several embarrassing incidents of dropping my chopsticks in the fire at Korean BBQs, I'm happy to say that I can now eat just about anything including rice, noodles and soup.

Since we're on the subject of food, I thought I'd educate everyone on some food that I have been introduced to. Now to begin I must confess, I have eaten more fried chicken while being here in SoKo than I have ever back home. Funny to think, right? Usually when you think of fried chicken, you think of the South. I'm not sure what the fascination is with it, but I almost feel as though the Koreans have embraced this more than the South back in the States. I have found there to be at least one fried chicken place on every block. I'm still trying to figure out how the Koreans stay so skinny.

A fried chicken place near my house

Thanks to one of my coworkers, it wasn't until recently that I was able to try some new Korean cuisine and I must say it was pretty darn good. I tried an assortment of foods and by far my favorite is kimbap. (I know, I know.  It sounds like a Hanson song. haha)

Kimbap (김밥), or gimbap, is basically rice, some vegetables and meat wrapped in seaweed. Many people will compare this to a sushi roll. Kim (깁) means seaweed and bap (밥) means rice. It usually contains eggs, tuna, or beef, and vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, or spinach. It's also very inexpensive. The cost of a roll will run you about 1000-2500 won, which is $1-$2.

Kimbap (김밥)

The next dish I tried was bibimbap. This dish was so amazing! Bibimbap ("mixed rice") is a rice dish that is accompanied by cooked and fresh vegetables, a sunny side up egg, and beef (you can substitute chicken or any other meat). Some varieties are served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, with a cracked egg on top. This is so the egg can cook while in the bowl. I unfortunately haven't had a chance to try this kind yet.

Bibimbap

Below is a picture of kimchi jjigae. This dish was recommended to me by Lauren, the teacher who I had replaced. She said that it was a good cure for a cold. Kimchi jiggae is a stew-like Korean dish made with kimchi and other ingredients, such as scallions, onions, and diced tofu. It's usually served boiling inside a hot sizzling bowl. It's a very good dish, but is also very spicy.

Kimchi jiggae

Another kind of Korean cuisine I recently tried was dak galbi.This dish hands down has one my vote for my favorite Korean dish. It's a little on the spicy side, but oh so amazing! Dak galbi is made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a chili pepper paste based sauce, and sliced cabbage, scallions, onions and tteok (rice cake) together on a hot plate. Just like Korean BBQ, everything is served family style. There's a giant wok placed in front of you and your party where you can watch it cook. It's a super yummy dish!

Dak galbi

As I try more food, I'll be sure to keep you all posted. A lot of people have been asking me, "how do the prices compare to those in the States"? Well it all really depends on the type of cuisine you are eating. All of these dishes posted above are all relatively inexpensive. You can get a full meal for about 5000-10,000 won. Now the prices fluctuate a lot when is comes to Mexican or Italian. A good Mexican meal will cost you anywhere's from 11,500-25,000 won. And to top it off, it's not as good as the Mexican back home. I certainly miss La Herradura :(