Gyeryongsan Mountain (계룡산국립공원)

These two photos are my favorite captures from my 4 hour solo hiking trip to Gyeryongsan Mountain. It was my longest and toughest hike. This mountain is considered to be one of the smallest mountains to hike. Ha, well I did it! It took me exactly 4 hours. It was a tough one, but I could take up another challenge! If these families especially the ajummas (older women) can do it. So can I! Now I just need the hiking gear and poles. My running shoes definitely didn't cut it. I love how families make hiking a hobby on the weekends. Hiking is very popular here. I mean why not when there's so many mountains? I really wish I could live on the mountain. It makes me feel so free---like a bird. I know so cliche, but it's true. The mountain peak is definitely worth the hike!

Everyone rages about the city life, but I'm very happy to be living in the country side of Sejong--though it's slowly developing. Something about the feeling of being or living near the locals make you feel apart of the culture. My English coworker and I are the only two foreigners. The only pitfall about living in the country is that transportation isn't as convenient, but it still does its jobs someway or another. I'm definitely loving every minute of being here--from having a language barrier frustration to getting your problems solved, getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things alone, not being afraid to ask for help, and simply having the will to do it!

[MV] Lee Michelle(이미쉘) _ Without you(위드아웃 유)

This video has such a remarkable meaning to it. 이미쉘 (Lee Michelle) is a half Black and half Korean singer in South Korea. Being that Korea is such a homogenous country and so many Kpop stars get plastic surgery. I admire Michelle Lee a whole lot for her originality and ways in loving herself without the social media telling her how she should look.



I've only been in Korea for 3 weeks, but personally I almost found myself getting lost in this state of what being "beautiful" is. Not saying that Koreans are closed-minded. I've been questioned a lot if I'm Korean. I'd answer "No, I'm American" then I get a response "Oh, but you look Asian" I'd have to explain that I'm Asian-American and my parents' background. When you live in a country where you are the majority sometimes you forget to look and learn the outside of other things and the beautiful existence.

Quite the Blue Sky

This morning I struggled getting my lazy butt up to go run. I knew the weather was going to be warm so I set my alarm clock to 8 am. Obviously I didn't get up until 9ish. I got up and went for a first run in a long time in my town. It was also my first time roaming my little town. I ran from my apartment to work. It took about 20 minutes to get there. I stopped and took photos along the way.

I was so happy to finally run and feel alive! Not only that I was able to see a nice blue sky though it wasn't a fully blue sky since there's so much yellow dust in the air. I roamed around my town selling live sea animals, vegetables, accessories, and fruits. Fruits here are ridiculously expensive! But I'd have to admit it's so ridiculously delicious! A box of strawberries is about $6-7, but they're beautifully red, large, and sweet. A mango is about $6, yea and that's only "A" mango.

I still had a bit of time before work, and because I was running out of food. I've literally been living the college life of eating ramen noodles every single day. Its been quite sad. So I decided to try a local restaurant. No one in my town knows how to speak English so I just pointed to a sign of a bowl of soup. She came out with an octopus soup. It wasn't too bad, though I wouldn't order it again. I haven't had very very good food yet.

Here are a few snapshots I took while running. I didn't take photos of the markets--I don't want to be seen as a tourist in my small town hehe.

It's Seoul awesome!

This weekend I decided to go to Seoul with my South African English coworker for the large international St. Patty's event. Seoul is about 2 hours away from where I live. What's not too convenient about my small town is the access to public transportation. I have to take a city bus to the next city, Jochiwon, which takes about 40 minutes. From there I took the Korail train straight to Seoul. It's not too bad, it's just not convenient and accessible. I don't mind it though. So I had debated whether or not I wanted to go since I knew a weekend in Seoul is not enough and I'd be spending a lot of money. I decided to go so I can learn how to use the public transportation with assistance from my coworker. So I was thankful to have tagged along with her and her friends. She's been here for 2 years so she knows the area quite a bit. 

It was my second time riding a train. I loved it! I felt like I was in the Polar Express. We got to the train station a bit later in Jochiwon so we had standing tickets, which is fine if you're not tired though it's uncomfortable because you have to stand 2 hours or sit on the hard floor. Luckily the ride back home we were able to get seats. I fell asleep right away from a long night out.

The subway transportation is great in Seoul and it's very very clean compared to New York and Chicago. I always tell myself I'm going to move to Toronto once I come back home. I want to believe it and make it happen =) Anyways totally off topic but the International St. Patty event made me feel back in America since there were so many foreigners and we were in the areas where there were just foreigners such as Itaewon. Itaewon is where one of the military bases are located--lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. I got to do a little bit of shopping. My perm is making my hair super dry so I went to Etude to find a hair conditioning mask. Everything in Korea is so cute--packaging, items, etc. you name it! 

It was a nice day this weekend with the sun beaming down. Last week was a bit gloomy and rainy. I'm excited to go running in this week's weather and see the town. I have yet to invest in a bike although I need to be extra careful with these crazy drivers. 

Overall, Seoul was fun. I just wish I had more time to sightsee but I'm sure I'll be able to do that when I take my parents out around the area so I might as well wait and not have to double see things. I can't wait to see my parents in September. I'm going to try and save money and purchase their tickets--hopefully on time before tickets start rising up. 

Satisfying the Korean Parents

It's the second week of classes for me. I officially have more than 2 classes. The classes are still slowly increasing though every week is different, and the changes have been very confusing. Why? Well, the director and Korean teachers does whatever it takes to make the parents have their children stay with us. So that means changing a particular child to a higher level even if they didn't place into that specified level. Classes, students, and lessons are scattered everywhere this week. Its making everyone frustrated, tired, and confused. I, on the other hand, have nothing to complain about because I only have about 2-3 classes a day compared to the other teachers, especially the Korean teachers. They go above and beyond what's expected and paid of them to even do. They work 7 hours each day (includes some weekends as well, if not all). They also spend probably 3-5 other extra hours to call parents after classes and organizing for next day's lesson plans. I can't imagine, but you can definitely tell education is taken very seriously here.

My coworker and I had a talk about the Korean education system, and how it puts a lot of stress and strain on children having to go to school and study almost 12-16 hours a day! There's no youth in them when all they do is learn learn learn. There's this pressure that makes children feel that they need to go to school for a better future, and not failing their parents. My Korean teacher tells me about the high suicide rates due to this education stress and pressure. It's a very sad problem.

Not only is the education system a big problem. The social media, especially Kpop music, has a large influence on young children. That includes wanting to look a certain way --plastic surgery.

Korea culture is definitely beautiful despite it being corrupted in some areas. I appreciate it a lot.

New Foreign Teachers

It's still hard to believe I'm in Korea. This one week has been such a great experience! This past weekend I attended a new and veteran foreign teacher dinner. It's amazing how we all live in different places, are all different ages, and different genders.

I've spoken with a few about the cultural shock stages. It starts somewhere between loving it, getting home sick, and loving it altogether. Yep, I spoke too soon about loving it here, but I really do!

It was my first time getting outside of my town. I have yet to explore my small village, but it took me about 40 minutes to get to Jochiwon from Daepyo. It's confusing, but I live in a small town called Daepyo which is only 5-10 minutes from Sejong City. Jochiwon has so much more things than my town. I will be sure to go back and shop, eat, and explore!! I found the bus stop ok, but it was a matter of finding the place. Luckily, this nice young Korean gentleman helped me find the location.

I met with all the others. There were about 22 of us. It was great! Some were quite new, others have been here for more than 6 months, and the rest were here for more than 1 year. What I found unique is that although those who have been here for years still only know the basics of Korean, but enough to get by. So it makes me feel a little more at ease although I want to learn Korean as much as I can. We split into two groups for dinner. It was my second time eating out in Korea. Dinner sure was delicious! I had some balkabagi. I got to know a lot of amazing teachers. Most of the teachers were from the EPIK program. I was probably the 3rd person there working for a hagwon (private school) while the rest worked for public schools.

Later that night we headed off to a noraebang (karoke) place and sung the night away. I loved seeing everyone try and sing popular Kpop music. It was simply an awesome night. I love meeting new people!

Week 1 of Teaching

Teaching has been wonderful. However, the first day was quite nerve wrecking. It was all of the children's first day there as well. When it comes to teaching, there's no set way of teaching. Everyone teaches in his or her different style and comfort. So here I am trying to figure out the materials and school curriculum. I do exactly what the book is intended to do, but then I still have about 20 minutes left on the clock. What else is there to do? So I creatively come up with other ideas. I only have 1-2 classes per day since I'm new and the semester has just begun. I'm hoping to get a lot more students, but it's nice to have leisure time so I can soak everything in one at a time. There are teaching videos for me as well as shadowing the current English teacher, which is very nice!

I taught my second class of the week and there was only two students. These children are tested in the beginning before getting placed into different English levels. This student in particular was much too smart to be in the level she was placed compared to her other classmate. The Korean teachers are responsible for connecting with the student's parents. They make sure the students are comfortable and enjoy our school. The one student I just mentioned decided to go to a different school because the material was too easy for her. I felt a little devastated after hearing that. I would have at least wanted her to stay another class day. It's unfortunate, but I will do my part of teaching English as best as possible.

I asked the higher level English learners whether or not they enjoy learning English. They all nodded no. They said it is very hard. I'm sure! Learning a different language is very challenging. That's what I'm trying to do right now. I am determined to learn to speak, write, and read Korean. At least a little. I have a younger level English learners who know very little or no English at all. We first had to pick English names for them and boy was it a tough class to try and communicate with. Second day of class was much better. I played an ABC song, printed a few letter and words starting with A sheets, and did a super apple arts and craft. I want the students to feel comfortable.

Well, work has been quite enjoyable, but it's only the first week. Oh there is open class next month so I'm super nervous! I've been trying to figure out what types of activities I should do with the students in front of their parents. Please let me know if you have any ideas!

Anyo!

Teaching Abroad in South Korea Questions

So I've been getting a lot questions about teaching abroad in South Korea. I thought I'd dedicate this blog to all of those common questions being asked and how to go about going the right direction. It took me a very long time because I did a lot of research on my own so I know I would have wished to come upon a blog similar to what I will be writing today.

A few requirements you may need before further reading. You will definitely have to have a 4 year degree and you may need a TESOL/TEFL certificate (depending on the program you apply).

First, think about why you want to teach abroad and how it will benefit you. Don't just go because you want to travel and because it pays good money. You may want to ask yourself:

1. What is it that I'm going to get out of this experience?
2. What do I want to do with my future?
3. Will I be able to adjust to an entirely new environment and culture?
4. Am I comfortable enough to teach (if you have little teaching experience)?
5. Can I be away from home as long as a year?
6. What are the pros and cons?

After asking yourself these questions be sure that you know what you're getting yourself into. If your answers lean towards going then great! You will need to fully commit because these paperwork you have to get done are not free, they cost a lot of money! 

First, you're going to need to get 7 important documents/paperwork done. I found this link exceptionally helpful. http://marshalljonesjr.com/paperwork-for-south-korea-7-things-youll-need-to-teach-english/

NOTE: This was written in 2011, things may have changed. So do research on your end especially because different states require different ways of processing documents.

I highly suggest to get these paperwork done before even applying. You will have to wait regardless if you apply. Recruiters and programs like to see that you have gotten all of your paperwork done before moving forth. The waiting process will take the longest for the paperworks, so starting soon is a good idea! So the most important documents would be to:

1. Get passport if you don't already have one
2. Apostilled degree and FBI background (which takes THE longest!)
3. Resume and cover letter (EPIK and GEPIK asks for 2 letters of recommendation)
4. May need 2 transcripts
5. Definitely need at least 6-10 copise of photo passport (make sure to bring with you to Korea)

During this process you can begin applying for programs. The best times to apply are July-August or January-February since school begins in September and March. There are quite a few programs such as, EPIK, GEPIK, TALK, teachESLkorea, etc. Most of which are through public schools. There are also recruiters that can help guide you through the document processes and finds either public or private schools such as ESLjoblink, TJrecruiting, etc. The EPIK AND GEPIK programs will ask for you to have a TESOL/TEFL certificate to teach in public schools. These certificates can cost anywhere from $500-2000. I've had previous teaching experience so I decided not to get my certificate, but didn't get into EPIK OR GEPIK because of it so I went through a recruiter instead who was exceptionally helpful. 

So you can decide whether or not public or private school works best for you. Everyone has their own opinions between the two so I will let you do the research on this part. Personally, I currently work for a hagwon (private sector) and I love it! I love the small class size because teaching English is hard for these children to learn so having that intimate one-on-one interaction helps with the less intimidation for them and as a teacher. 

Once you've gotten to this point and someone has gotten back to you about getting an interview with the director of the school then you're set to go! The interviews are quite easy. They pretty much interview you to see if you speak English well. If you get the go card make sure to look over the contract thoroughly and see if the benefits are within your range. Most basic contracts will have a severance pay of a month pay, 1-year commitment, 50% health insurance, 2.1 million won (for non experienced teachers or 4 year degree), free fully furnished single studio/bed apartment, purchased airfare to and from Korea, and 10-14 days of paid vacation includes sick leave. These are the basics so if your contracts lies somewhere along these lines, it should be ok. 

The application process will definitely take longer than the arrival process. Once you get the go card you will be shipped off straight to Korea as soon as possible. Here is a few important things you should take with you:

1. Passport
2. 2 extra passport photos
3. $700-1000 
4. 1 month worth of necessities 
1. shampoo, conditioner
2. body lotion, body wash
3. favorite brand name make-up (for girls) - NOTE: american brands are expensive, remember this is an island
4. nail clipper, q-tips, deodorant (it's hard to find these)
5. women products (tampons are hard to find)
6. contacts, contact solution
7. toothpaste, toothbrush
5. Appropriate working clothes
6. Laptop, converter (not adapter), chargers
7. All 4 season clothing (if you're bigger or taller you may need to bring your sized clothings because Korea has very small sizes in shoes, lingerie, and clothing) 
8. Backpack if you know you're going to travel to other places

So you're probably going to be broke the first few months due to settling in and purchasing things you may need for your new apartment and other things. So you want to make sure you have a months worth of things so you don't have to go out and purchase them. Pack it all, but also pack smart. Don't go past the weight limit of 75 lbs!

Once you arrive to Korea, you will need to get your health tested which will cost 100,000 wons. Your director will help you. It takes about a week to get your results back. Once you get it back, you can register for your alien registration card (30,000 wons). Both the health test and alien card require passport photos. You need an alien registration card in order to get a cell phone and open a bank account. 

WELCOME TO KOREA! 

I will post more links and helpful tips for newcoming and interested English teachers =D I hope this helps and I'm glad people are asking away!

Greetings from Korea

Ann-yeong-hase-yo!

So today marks my fourth day in Korea. I feel like I've been here for a month already! People here are so very kind that they make me feel so at home. I love the Asian cultures. They're always so hospitable. 

I work for GnB English Academy. GnB stands for Global English and Bilingual Education. I have a great group of female co-workers! Not to mention my awesome director, Rachel whose mother makes the best homemade Korean food. I am the second English teacher. The first English teacher is from South Africa! Pretty neat just hearing about her culture and ways of living. I love talking to the Korean teachers! They give me so much insight about Korean culture. What I find so fascinating is the normal culture of plastic surgery. People talk so openly about it here in Korea. It's not cheap, but Korean females would do anything just to look "pretty". I'm not exactly sure how to define pretty, but maybe I should say they would do anything to look more like Western Caucasians? (bigger eyes, eyelids, higher cheekbones, whiter skin tone, jawline, and narrow nose)

It's still so hard to believe I'm in Korea. I feel like I'm in a different state teaching English to students. Speaking of students, I have 2-3 classes a day with a group of 2-9 students. GnB is a private school so it's like an after school program. It's nice that the school has a structured way of teaching that provide specific materials. Therefore, I don't have to make lesson plans every day. Instead, I can come up with creative ideas to incorporate with each lessons and materials. Each class is about 50-60 minutes long. I work 1:30-8:30 pm Mondays through Fridays. So it's not bad at all. Although my very first day at work consisted of a 12 hour shift because it was orientation day to promote GnB to parents to recruit and enroll their children.

My apartment is very small, but very normal living in Korea. It's perfect for me! It is a fully furnished studio apartment. Its got everything I need! I'll be sure to post photos of it when I have the chance. I live up in a hill in a town called "Chautemaul" which means "first village" in Sejong City. Sejong City, once known as Yeongi, is still developing so there are quite a few underconstruction places. I plan to visit a few other places around the area, but haven't gotten the chance to yet. I did get the chance to visit a near by mini market and of course 7-11! 7-11 has been my best friend since I've been traveling abroad. It has everything I need! I have yet to learn the bus routes here or better yet the transporation routes. I only know how to go to and from my work place. It takes about 5-10 minutes to get there. On the very first day, I got lost and had to walk 20 minutes to get there. Lol. The struggle is real, but people here are so willing to help you. I'm not afraid to ask and not look dumb. Some Koreans will see that your lost and volunteer to help you. Its been quite an amazing experience. Since I live in a smaller town not much of the locals speak English, but that's ok I hope to learn Korean. But it can get difficult because people speak two different number languages. The Sino(Chinese)-Korean number language or the Korean number language. I suppose I will have to learn both languages. Everytime I hear Koreans speak, I get so confused. It goes straight through my ears and out. It definitely will take some time. I hope to take a few lessons. If not by myself via youtube than personal lessons from someone.

I joined this Sejong Teacher group on Facebook and will be attending a get together for new teachers this saturday. I can't wait to meet other teachers near the area. And in two weeks I will be trying dog meat for the very first time! My Korean coworker will be taking me and the rest to hangout for her birthday. So dog-meat, nature observing, soju, and karoke/club day it is!

Well I think this caps my entire 4 days already. I will be sure to post again! I LOVE KOREA! hehe. 

PS
My coworkers gave me a Korean name 이사랑 or E Sarang which means love and E which is one of the most common Korean last name.