Waffle House, Muggings, and a Skype Reunion.

Not much has really gone on this week.  I've been exceptionally busy at work.  At the end of every month, we have to complete student evaluations for every student that we have in class.  This adds up to be about 130 evaluations per teacher.  Then to top everything off, we have to make tests, give tests (speaking, listening, and writing), grade them, turn them in to our Korean partner teachers, then get ready for next session by making lesson plans for all 12 of my classes.  I, however, am not bad at managing my time when it comes to this time of the month.  What I've learned is that you've got to stay on top of your work; otherwise, it piles up in the end and you risk the possibility of slitting your wrists.  

On Friday, some of the foreign teachers had to help with the Kindergarten Farmer's Market.  In each of the classrooms, there were different venues like fruits, vegetables, snacks, and the flea market.  The best part was that we had to wear yellow sashes and what appeared to be a Waffle House employee's hat. It was classic. Katelyn and I were chosen to work the Flea Market with Kelly, another Korean teacher.  For two hours, we sat behind a table and "sold" the Kinders toys, clothes, books, and other random stuff.  They had fake money and the kids were adorable! They had memorized scripts all week and many of them chose to bargain with us and ask for discounts.  While working the Farmer's Market put a big strain on our day because it put us in a mad dash to eat a quick lunch and get everything ready for class, it was still a really good time.

He decided to buy blue Mickey Mouse ears.

Kinders waiting with anticipation to begin the Farmer's Market.

Friday night was pretty uneventful.  I went over to Lauren's apartment and drank with some people (Lauren, Jessie, Jo, Kate, another Korean girl [I forgot her name], and a Korean guy who I only know as "Light Dragon.") We played some classic Korean drinking games then later on, decided to pose for mugging shots that consisted of Won, a toy gun, and a medical mask.  See below.

The group.

The mugging of Light Dragon.

I called it an early night on Friday-- which means I finally got home at 4:00 am.  The next day, I went and had Kimbop Nara.  If I haven't told you before, it's like the Waffle House of Korea.  It's open 24-hours a day and sells very cheap and good food.  Saturday was a day that I got to see my progress in my Korean studies.  I actually looked at the menu, read it, and ordered my food.  More importantly, I ordered the correct food.  So, I was very pleased at this accomplishment. :)

Saturday night, I went out with Katelyn, Jo, Prairie, and Ian to "Outdoor Galbi" then to Song's.  It was a pretty tame night and I had a good time.  When I got home, I made plans to Skype with my entire family that morning when I woke up.  It was probably the best feeling ever-- to be able to talk to my parents, my brother, my sister-- everyone.  My family was having a get together at our house for my sister's engagement.  It was so good seeing everyone and knowing me, I cried at the sight of everyone.  It was so overwhelming and it made me miss home so much.  I miss my family.  It was the first time in four months that I've seen my parent's and sister's face.  :)

The picture on the right was sent by my cousin.  Those are my parents in front of the computer with Landre.  This picture makes me really happy.  It's BBQ on the River-- a big Paducah thing that brings in a lot of tourists.  They kept rubbing it in but, of course, I told them they could have their BBQ.  I've got the Great Wall next weekend.

Speaking of which, China is in less than a week! I am so exciting about seeing everything.  While I'm super excited about spending more unforgettable time with Jo and seeing the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, etc., I am getting a little more hyped up about seeing the Water Cube and the Bird's Next.  I am really excited about taking some awesome pictures.  You better believe there will be an updated shortly after my arrival back into Korea.

Well, only three days of teaching this week then I am finally on vacation-- a much deserved one at that.  It's late so I'm going to call it a night.  Miss and love you all!  Thanks for reading.

...and the irony is that I don't even drink tea.

Well, this weekend is definitely one to put down in the books.  First and foremost, I would like to iterate how good it feels to walk out of ECC every Friday night at 10:00 pm. That same feeling is probably what gets me through the work week-- the feeling of freedom, student-less, and the absence of "Teacher, Teacher! My homework is finisheeeee!"  (I love my kids, but man, sometimes I just need a break).   Friday night was just as laid back as I had assumed it would be.  I invited ECC teachers over from work to have a few mekjews (beer) and play "Apples to Apples."  We ended up having quite a large group for the adjective-noun card game.  I know what you're thinking: "English teachers playing an English grammar game on the weekend? How cliche."  You're right; it is cliche, but we totally dominate.  Anyways, Caroline, Whitney, Jake, Devon, Steve, Miranda, Ian, Katelyn, Jay, Erica, and Monica all ended up coming over.  We had a really good time.  I'd have to say the highlight of my night was Monica ordering me delicious chicken and the food came in a pretty large Super Junior bag which I kept.

Whitney and Caroline-- and yes, that is Whitney's normal face.

Miranda, Steve, and Ian playing "Apples to Apples."

The next day, I got up and practiced some of my Korean.  I'm really seeing some improvement on my reading skills.  I can pretty much walk down streets and sound out the name of the stores, etc., but still, because of my minimal vocabulary, I don't know what the hell it means.  Nonetheless, I don't care and I'm really happy with my progress.  I'm getting through all of the writing tonight and then hopefully beginning Unit 1 which is due this Thursday for mine and Monica's second meeting.  When they say that the Korean language, Hangeul, is considered the most scientific language, I believe it.  It is easier to read but definitely more difficult to speak-- but that's coming from an English-speaker's opinion.  Anyways, there is improvement in my Korean skills and I'm having a great time with it!

I met my fellow ECC teachers and Young-tae (who finally escaped Haenam) in front of ECC and from there, went to the bus terminal and made our way to Boseong where we would see the one and only "'green tea farm' and theme park."  It was a very cheap trip, only costing about $30 the entire day, which included the bus ride there and back, admissions, and food.  I went with Caroline, Whitney, Prairie, Monica, Carol (another Korean teacher at ECC), Steve, Miranda, and Young-tae.  

Some interesting notes about the Green Tea Field in South Korea are as follows: green tea was originally cultivated in the Silla Dynasty in Korea, but were later ravaged in the Korean War.  Currently, 5.8 million plants are being grown in the field which I saw, in an area that covers 1.7 million meters squared.  They harvest five different kinds of green tea, all of which are used for green tea facials, soaps, shampoo, candies, and crackers.  I bought some of the green tea crackers in the gift shop and they are quite the tasty treat! :) 

The location of the Green Tea Field-- it's over an hour south of Gwangju.

I was highly impressed with the fields.  I've never seen anything so GREEN in my life (as retarded as that sounds).  The green tea spanned for what seemed like miles, and for a person who doesn't even drink tea, you'd think the fields would have repulsed me ;)  But they, in fact, did the quite opposite.

The rows of green tea.

I think what impressed me the most, though, was how the land was cultivated.  The rows were not just in a straight line like corn fields I've seen in Kentucky-- they were in rows up a very steep mountain.  Maybe it's not that impressive considering I'm not a farmer or a cultivator or anything, but I thought it was extremely beautiful.  

The rows of green tea went up the mountainside.

Thank God I wore appropriate "shoes" because I was definitely not expecting the exercise we had to endure!  We hiked up one side of the mountain which was a pretty steep trail.  While flip flops were not the best decision on my part, Monica wore what seemed to be 3" heels.  She, however, managed to maneuver up the path better than anyone.  But that's to be expected-- after all, she is a Korean woman. 

The path up the mountain.

At the top of the mountain, we discovered not only the drive to take endless amounts of pictures of repetitive poses in what seemed like our own rendition of ECC's Kindergarden field trips, but also the true beauty of what South Korea has to offer.  I can tell you right now is that one thing I have learned in my four months (my anniversary was yesterday) of living in South Korea is that A) it doesn't get enough credit as a country and B) Southeast Asia doesn't get enough credit for a continental region.  Yeah, everyone's dream travel is Europe, but honestly, once you get a taste of Asia, it's really hard to get it out of your mouth-- kind of like kimchi and/or Soju :)

  It's hard to see, but those are islands in the neighboring ocean.

The Boseong Green Tea Garden's were beautiful and I'd recommend it to anyone that ever travels South Korea.  As I may have stated subtly before, this is Korea's only green tea garden which is quite impressive since green tea is a prominent consumer product in Korea, whether it be for beverages, personal hygiene, or snacks.

We ended having to wait for 45 minutes for the bus to take us back to the bus terminal in Boseong where we could catch the bus back to Gwangju.  After stopping for snacks and realizing that the dimly-lit streets were perfect for a horror movie titled "The Bus Stop," we began to plan our own horror movie.  We speculated who would die in what order, how they would die, and who would end up making back to Gwangju alive.  While this may be a story you'd have to be there in order to find humorous, it was a funny moment of the day which finally ended with a safe trip back to Boseong.

Caroline, Carol, Monica, and Whitney waiting at the bus stop.

We made it back to Boseong safely but with only five minutes to spare before the bus left for Gwangju.  My ingenious idea to sit in the very back of the bus with Young-tae, Whitney, and Caroline began very sleepily only to be turned into a Taylor Swift and Super Junior karaoke party via Young-tae, Whitney and myself.  When we got back to Gwangju, we went and ate some delicious galbi near my apartment.  Naturally, I over ate and regretted it afterwards.

Dinner with the Green Tea Gang.

We all went our own separate ways except Young-tae, Monica, Prairie, and I.  We ended up going to HB, a bar near in my dong (Korean word for province).  Ian went with us, too.  After a few mekjews, Monica, Young-tae, and I hit up the noraebang where we did an hour of karaoke and then called it a night.

Young-tae and I karaoking.

I have nothing bad to say about this weekend.  I got to hang out with people that I normally don't get the chance to, and I hung out with people that I could spend hours on end and never get bored.  I am glad I got out of Gwangju for a few hours.  Now, I am looking forward to China in less than two weeks, Busan in less than four, and my backpacking trip in the middle of November with Whitney and possibly Jake and Devon.  I am wanting to go to Songnisan where there is a giant 90-foot Buddha statue and temple.  No plans are definite, but you can never start planning too early!  Overall, it was a great weekend and I know there are many more to come!  

The Best Things Come in Twos

Tonight I went to a bookstore and Kenya Expresso with Monica, one of the Korean teachers at my school, to start our Foreign Language Exchange Program.  Ian, ECC's head foreign teacher and my roommate, started this program at school where foreign and Korean teachers will meet up once or twice a week in their spare time and discuss and teach each other's languages and customs.  First of all, Ian couldn't have picked me a better partner to do the program with.  Monica is one of the sweetest girls I've met in Korea and we get along so great-- partly because we sat next to each other for three months.  But I've always had such a good time with her and our personalities seem to mix; we're both very bubbly, energetic, random, and personable.  We're going to work extremely well as a pair.

Monica and I at Kenya Expresso.

Tonight, we went to the bookstore and shopped.  She helped me pick out a text book that included a CD and a workbook for beginners who are learning Korean.  I am super excited about diving in and trying to learn as much as I can.  Now that I know I am going to be here for at least two years, it's not about a want or desire to learn the language, but now about survival and necessity-- two mindsets that are becoming prominent in my life.  Finally, the desire to become bilingual has increased greatly as I hangout with English-speaking Koreans like Monica and Young-tae.  Spanish did not work out for me in high school or college, so if I'm looking for motivation to learn a second language, the time is now.

The books I got at the bookstore.

As for my part in this exchange program, I am still in search of books that focus on speaking and conversation.  Monica believes her speaking is what needs the most improvement, although I feel her speaking is quite impressive!  I'm trying to find one by Saturday so I can give it to her before we go to Boseong.  Young-tae is also wanting to improve his speaking so I'm in search of a book for him as well.  Anyways, I am going to find one or two news articles or small stories for Monica to read.  She will in turn tell me about them (only through conversation) and also find ten or so vocabulary words that she does not know and I will explain to her the meanings (and multiple meanings if there are any) and how and when to use them in a sentence correctly.  My "homework" is to complete Unit 1 in my book and memorize Korean conversation phrases.  So, on top of my  Korean class at school taught by Phoebe, I am getting a double dose of Korean with this Foreign Exchange Program and I'm perfectly fine with that. :)


Well, that's it for tonight.  I'm going to hit the books and practice my writing and reading.  I'm really glad I'm serious about learning Korean because it fills the education void I have, which unexpectedly, I miss.  Tomorrow night, some teachers, both Korean and foreign, are coming over to my apartment to play some games and have a few drinks.  It should be a good, laid-back night.  

Upcoming Attractions and Blossoming Addictions

I have one word for you: China.  Today, I went and bought mine and Jo's plane tickets to Beijing.  It's one thing to talk about your plans to travel and it's another ball game having really bought the tickets.  It solidifies that aspiration; it makes it true and I think that is what gives me the biggest adrenaline rush.  I'm actually doing something I've tried planning since I was a junior in high school.  Ask my parents-- I was always talking about my summer backpacking adventures in Europe with my buddies from AP English, but nothing ever originated from that young, naive dream of seeing the world.  But since I've taken the job in SK, I've managed to see two countries and in my fourth month, I'm on my way to seeing three.  It's absolutely thrilling!  I actually get to say that I've seen Japan; I get to say that I've seen China and I've stood on one of the oldest man-made pieces of architecture in the world and more importantly, one of the world's wonders.  Buying those tickets today was a step forward into the right direction (even more so than Japan)-- I'm not just talking about traveling; I'm doing it.  I'm that guy with those pictures and those experiences that few that I know can say have done it. 

Jo and I in Osaka, Japan

 I apologize for a slight tone of arrogance but I'm on a traveling high.  Even though I still have to send home my minimum payments for my undergraduate loans, I've decided that I'm not going to let "money" come between me and the experiences I should be grasping and living while being in Asia.  I'm already planning a backpacking trip to some places in SK (places: unknown), and I'm already going through my travel agent who has helped me with China for a possible trip to either Malaysia, Indonesia, or Singapore for New Years.  


More importantly, out of all the people I've met in Korea, I can't imagine seeing Beijing with greater people.  I'm not sure if Lauren or Jessie are still going with Jo and I, but I can say that Jo and I are more than likely going to be traveling buddies.  I am looking forward to spending more time with Whitney and Caroline as we seem to be getting closer with each passing week.  Tonight, I hung out with them, Jake and Devon, Steve, and Jay and honestly, I can say that since we're the "new" teachers on staff, we're going to form pretty close-knit relationships.  I'm really excited about the upcoming year with them (even though I'm going to be here longer than some of them). 

ECC Teachers and I at Fish N' Grill

This Saturday should be fun.  I'm going to the Green Tea Gardens in Boseong.  Ashley's parents (Korean teacher at ECC) live there and the GTGs seem to be a pretty popular attraction in SK.  Monica and I have decided to organize a group outing to the gardens this Saturday.  We're leaving at 9:30 am and should be an all day thing.  Look for pictures either here or on Facebook!  Right now, Young-tae is at the hospital in Haenam (stupid professor), but I think he is going to be able to come on Saturday, too.  


This much I can say: I've got a lot going on the next few months and there are no complaints!  I can definitely say that I've developed some addictions here.  Number one: traveling.  It's too easy, it's "cheap," and I'll be damned if I let an opportunity pass me by to do it.  Second: the culture and my students.  I'm obsessed with Korea and I've actually been told I have adapted here faster and better than any other foreigner that they've seen (and this was coming from a person who was living here for a year. Again, sorry for the arrogance).  As for my students, like any teacher in America, everyone has good days and bad days.  But 99.9% of the time, I love my students.  They make my days worth getting up for. The third addiction is my friends.  I've made some great friends here and (no offense to my family), they've become my family here.  They're all I got here; I don't get to come home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.  We're already planning a sleepover on Christmas Eve here and already it makes me sad knowing this is the first Christmas I won't be home with my family, opening gifts by the Christmas tree and watching my fat indoor dog unwrapping her bone.  We're a family here-- we make our experience what it is and we're all each other has right now. 

My Carnival 3 Class

And these are my addictions and honestly, I'm okay with them.  It's not like it's cocaine or anything. :)

...and this time I'll keep my promise.

I've been absent for way too long. One of my promises to my family, friends, and more importantly, myself, was to keep a blog and four months into my life in South Korea, I've failed to uphold that promise. But a new day has dawned and with it, beautiful words, thoughts, and stories that I can later reflect on at a later date. After all, isn't that the purpose of a journal or blog; to instill your memories in written form? Memories fade but the written word never does.

What has (or hasn't) happened in the past four months? First and foremost, I'd like to emphasize GREATLY the amount of love, fun, and compassion I have for this country, my friends, and my experience. For those of you who don't know, I am teaching English in South Korea at ECC (Education Center for Children). It is a private academy, or hogwan, and I teach 130+ students. Our school is very large compared to other English schools in Gwangju, having a team of 15 foreign teachers and 15 Korean teachers. Most of my friends from other hagwans have only one or two foreign teachers. I am really thankful to be at a large school like ECC because I've definitely formed some great relationships with both foreign and Korean teachers. My schedule alternates-- somedays I begin work at 2:00 and others I start at 3:00. And for those of you who are wondering, yes, that is in the afternoon. So, Aaron gets to sleep in which makes this pretty much the best job ever. I teach 13 classes total; 6-7 on MWF and 4-5 on TR, depending on the week. I enjoy 99% of my classes. I teach from ages 7-16. The class materials range from "This is a square" or "This color is blue" to gerunds, second and third conditional phrases, and other grammar. I do prefer to teach the grammar-- it makes me feel like I'm really utilizing my degree and plus, the students seem to like it. I think I learn more about English grammar by teaching it rather than sitting behind a desk.

Since we're on the topic of school, the month of August was one that truly tested my ability to be a teacher. I worked 13 hour days, five days a week. Why you ask? Well, two times out of the school year, ECC has Intensives which are classes the students can enroll in to get extra practice in English. Three other teachers worked Intensives (Katelyn, Sam, and Stephanie). I had never been so worn out in my life but at the same time, grown up. I had to be punctual and "on top of my game" all the time. My patience continuously ran low but only because I saw SO much of ECC. Well, not that the month is over, I can say that it paid off considering I was paid almost W800,000 extra on my September paycheck. I think it was a big commitment for me only because I had been there for only two months prior and honestly, I was (and still am) learning the ropes a bit at the school and how things operate. Nonetheless, August was a good month because it is paying for trip to China at the first of October. :)

As for traveling, I think I've done quite well considering the minimal amount of time I have been here. I haven't traveled many places outside of Gwangju yet, but I did go to Seoul when Kara came to visit back in mid-August. We had a really great time and I'm so happy she came over! We visited Gyeongbok Palace and Insadong in Seoul. Seoul is so big! Definitely makes Gwangju seem like a smaller city even though it has 1.7 million people. Kara's visit made me finally realize that I do have some of the best of best friends back home. I miss everyone a lot. As for being homesick, it hasn't really happened yet (no offense to my family and friends). It's like I miss the people and not the place kind-of-thing. Kentucky was good for me but I had to get out-- I think everyone who knows me can agree with me on that remark. I cried hardcore the first night I was here because of the 36 hour plane ride and so much was thrown on my plate at one time from my roommate Ian, but it lasted one night and I woke up in the morning, in a new country where I could not read or understand any of the language, and felt normal-- like I was where I was supposed to be. And to this day, that feeling has not changed. I feel like I'm at home here-- I'm supposed to be here, teaching these kids English. It makes me feel really good; that I'm going to be remembered by these kids. It may sound arrogant but not everyone can just pick up and move away like I did and honestly, it is the best thing anyone could ever do for themselves. I know so many people who have either had their lives decided for them or they decided their life's path too young and too soon. If you can travel and have the time, do it before it's too late. We only live once and you can't imagine how this changes you-- even if it only has been four months.

Anyways, back to traveling. One night, I decided to go to Osaka, Japan in July with my really good friends Jo and Jessie. Jo paid for my flight and everything there. She is such an amazing person and truly one of my best friends here in the G-Dubb. I got to know Jessie a lot on that trip and I'm so happy she decided to move back and do another year in Korea. These two girls are amazing and I can't imagine meeting better people. Osaka was a blast, though, and I saw a lot of great things like Ancient Nara and downtown Osaka. It was so large and so bright! Everything you see in the movies or read about Japan is true. While I did love Japan, I think my heart belongs with the Koreans. The two cultures are completely different which to me, was surprising. Japan is a bit more edgier while Korea is a little more put together and uniformed if you understand me. Anyways, I want to go back to Japan someday. In October, as I said before, I am going to China with Jo, Jessie, and Lauren. Four other teachers from ECC are going too but I'm leaving a day later so the other three can go. We are going to see The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, Olympic Park, and other amazing things. I'm super excited and it is only three weeks away!

I just started taking Korean lessons at my school. I can ALMOST read Korean but not quite yet. I'm really enjoying the class, though, especially being the class clown with Whitney. Korean is apparently pretty easy to pronounce and I've been told I speak it very well so hopefully I'll stay on track and keep learning the language. I've recently missed school so this gives me a small taste of education which is perfectly fine. :)

I would say my closest friends at ECC are Katelyn, Devon, Jake, Prairie, Sam, and Stephanie. Katelyn and I have bonded really fast. Just last week, we were asked to extend our contracts until August because it is so difficult for the school to find teachers in May. So, we both accepted the deal because we're getting a larger bonus at the end. It was weird waking up one day saying I have eight months until I go home and then the next day, say I have a year left. This changes my game plan quite a bit for the next year. Instead of coming home for a month next summer, I will only be coming home for one week in July next summer then coming back to Korea. My plan to do another year of teaching (hopefully at Chosun University here in Gwangju) in September is still intact-- so from May 2009 to December 2010, I will only be home in America for around 10-12 days: one week in the summer and another few days in November 2010 for my sister's wedding, which by the way, I'm super excited about! In order to be better qualified for the university job, I am going to take the TESOL which is a certificate that improves your teaching abilities. Hopefully I'll start it by January and have that under my belt just in time to apply for the job in the spring.

It's weird to think that I actually prefer hanging out with Koreans more than other foreigners. While I love the foreigners I've met, I really love to branch out. I've met some really great Koreans while I've been here. I've become really close to Young-tae Kang. He is a fifth year medical school student and we've hung out almost every day. I definitely enjoy his company As for the teachers, I have become really close with Monica. We sat next to each other at work for the past three months, but then she was promoted as the Kinder Head Teacher so she had to move beside Tanya. :( Other Korean teachers I've become quite close to are Sophie and Phoebe (who secretly loves me even though she calls me "Dumb" and constantly says reminds me that her day is going awful because she saw me in the cafeteria).

I've learned a lot about the culture by becoming good friends with other Koreans including the whole respect issue. For example, you never pour your own drink-- someone pours it for you. And when you pour someone's drink, you always put a hand over your heart or under your elbow. While some people may think it unnecessary, I think it adds character and honestly, American culture (if we have one) could learn a little something about respect from the Koreans.

Other things I've learned is that while kimchi is considered to be magical and could possibly be the cure to such diseases like HIV, cancer, and the Swine Flu, it, in fact, does not do any of those things. For those of you who do not know what kimchi is, it is Korea's most famous side dish-- fermented cabbage in very spicy red sauce. Some places have really good kimchi while others have not-so-good kimchi. Either way, I try to eat some every meal because it is a good source of Vitamin C and with that being said, brings me to my next point: Koreans are obsessed about good health. I know what you're thinking: "That can't be a bad thing." Well, you're right. But they are obsessed with Vitamin C supplements, good food, etc. I think my immune system has never been this strong. I'm not complaining.

Next, is Korean Pop music. I can't tell you how much of a little school girl I turn into when I see 2PM or Super Junior on TV. While the pop music phase is long gone in America, it is incredibly popular here in Korea. The songs are very catchy and I actually have more Korean songs on my iTunes than Young-tae does. My favorite band by far is Super Junior-- a band that has 14 or so members. Their most popular song is "Sorry, Sorry" but my personal favorite is "It's You." If you haven't noticed on Facebook, I try to keep my friends updated back home on the hottest trends and links to Korean bands are always a hot item.

And last but not least: Soju. It is the Korean alcohol that yes, has formaldehyde in it. It messes me up when we go out to the bars and causes me to have some of the worst hangovers ever. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now. Maybe I'll send some home to let everyone get a small glimpse of the night life in SK. :)

So, I know this is quite a lengthy blog and I apologize for its ridiculous length, but this is my fault. I'm not punishing you, I swear. I'm just trying to envelop everything that has happened (or at least try to) over the past four months. With that, however, it is 12:34 am on Monday and I'm about to call it a night. I will do my best to update this weekly. If you got this far in my post, thank you for your valiant effort. Take care and miss you all!

P.S. Pictures will be posted on here in the next few blogs, but if you want to check them out, just go to my Facebook page.

Currently reading: "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway