On Thursday night, while having dinner with Abby and a new girl Jade, I was asked if I wanted to take part in what was deemed an "adventure". As I am not one to back down from new experiences (which may be the reason I am in this country in the first place), I agreed. Abby asked if I liked fish (I do) and left it at that. I asked if I should bring a bathing suit, and she finally let me know that we would be going to see Dr. Fish, and all I would need is money for the bus, the visit, and a cup of coffee, and a strong will.
On Saturday, I met Abby, Ed, and Jade at Abby's apartment and we took the bus to Ya Woo Ri, the mall downtown. The bus only costs about $1.10, so it's a bargain and a half. On the third story of the Dunkin Donuts building across the street, is Dr. Fish. When you walk in it's actually a swank coffee place with old brick interiors and fun lighting. Koreans also seem to have this great love of Americana. They had rag dolls and rocking chairs scattered throughout the place, also Christmas decorations, which apparently no one ever takes down. So after ordering our coffee, with the help of our ambassador, a guy who runs the place and speaks English (even though we are quite capable of functioning in our broken Korean), we were finally led to the Dr. Fish-zone. A quick sit down for coffee and the time came.
We sat in front of a tiny tub that we placed our feet in and washed off our feet, preparing for the treatment. Then we were led to a tank of fish that were slightly bigger than minnows. So here's the Dr. Fish treatment: one places their feet in the tank, and the fish eat the dead skin off of them. I know, I know it sounds gross and in fact just a short evolution from zombie fish, but it actually wasn't that bad. I felt awful that these fish had to eat feet, but I see it more as doing my part to contribute to an eco-system. I feed the fish, they live to eat more feet. We all spent abouyt 15 minutes in the tank, doing our best not to freak out (although Jade was the most vocal of the group. The best way to describe the feeling is to say that if you didn't look, it felt like tiny electrical pulses to your feet. If you did look, it felt like fish were nibbling at your gross feet. All in all the experience was interesting. Afterwards, we washed again, where I was able to actually see and feel the results of the feeding frenzy. I was able to see nibble marks from the tiny helpers and even today, my feet feel really good, and look better. That may not have been my last trip to Dr. Fish.
Here's the link to the videos of Abby, Ed, Jade and I meeting the good Doctor.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Apologies....
Life here in Cheonan is very hectic during the week, between work and meeting new people and such, it can take up a lot of time. Expect a long post tomorrow, and here's a hint about the post to wet your whistle: Dr. Fish. Media included.
Until then,
Mallory
Until then,
Mallory
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Experimenting with video...
I am attempting to post two videos of the market in Songtan...I hope this works. If it does, expect more to come!
Market Videos!
Market Videos!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Growth
Tonight, I opened my window and looked out at the city. From my apartment on the 14th floor, I have a view that beats comparison. Don’t be mistaken; I only have a glimpse of the mountains that seem to be the backdrop to everything here. They stand like sentinels around the panorama, keeping quiet when travel around the city. What I have feels better, more real, whether or not that is the case.
I only have a 3-minute walk to work. I like it because I walk out of my complex up the street I live on and onto a dirt path. The path crosses into a construction zone, which doesn’t seem to shock anyone be they construction worker or casual pedestrian. Women with loads from the grocery stores shading themselves with umbrellas drift past men working pay loaders and heavy pipes into the new building that seems to never be at rest. In the last leg up the hill to the school, I am surrounded by gardens. In the United States, there is a luxurious sense to gardening. Women and men keep them up because they can, and have spare time. Hours spent on the weekends weeding are allowed to be spent so because the individual has hours in the first place. I appreciate the give and take dichotomy that exists here as green beans can be served at the table, and the green thumb can boast of their crop. In the booming trend of organics that has arisen in the United States, the traditional vegetable garden stands back and says, “We’ve been here all along.”
I don’t get this same feeling when I see the gardens in Shinbang dong, whether it be from my window or on my walk to work. Rows and rows of peppers, beans, corn and whatever else will grow, exist in small plots. They are renegade gardens that are manned by anyone who can find open land. That last part is difficult. With Korean geography being largely mountainous, land is hard to come by. Roughly 95% of the population lives in apartments, and high rises are more common than gas stations and used car places are in my hometown. Progress is vertical here, and wherever there is a free patch of dirt, it becomes a patch of one’s own.
The people who tend to the gardens work late into the night. I get done with my last class at 8:15 and while I am leaving, I see older women and men crouching close to their growing plots squinting through the dark at what weeds may have started up since they last came. Women, wearing white gloves covered with dirt and with handkerchiefs over their hair, ride the elevator with me and my own work seems trivial. The reclamation of the balance of culture in this county takes place in 10 by 10 parcels.
It’s hard to believe that just 60 years ago, there was nothing here. In such a little time so much has occurred. Democracy (whether one perceives it as a blessing or a curse) is still growing as well. It’s not perfect, but in political terms, it’s still a spring chick. The idea that a generation of people who had nothing and ate and lived in tents for years, that are still alive today is incredible. At night, you can walk down the streets with bars and pool halls and eat at a food table set up under floodlights and tarps, where someone is selling kimchi and mandu. The blend that seems to have permeated every bit of this culture is so clear from my window, and waking up every morning to see the change and expansion is like seeing fungus grow on a decomposing log, both intriguing and hopeful.
I only have a 3-minute walk to work. I like it because I walk out of my complex up the street I live on and onto a dirt path. The path crosses into a construction zone, which doesn’t seem to shock anyone be they construction worker or casual pedestrian. Women with loads from the grocery stores shading themselves with umbrellas drift past men working pay loaders and heavy pipes into the new building that seems to never be at rest. In the last leg up the hill to the school, I am surrounded by gardens. In the United States, there is a luxurious sense to gardening. Women and men keep them up because they can, and have spare time. Hours spent on the weekends weeding are allowed to be spent so because the individual has hours in the first place. I appreciate the give and take dichotomy that exists here as green beans can be served at the table, and the green thumb can boast of their crop. In the booming trend of organics that has arisen in the United States, the traditional vegetable garden stands back and says, “We’ve been here all along.”
I don’t get this same feeling when I see the gardens in Shinbang dong, whether it be from my window or on my walk to work. Rows and rows of peppers, beans, corn and whatever else will grow, exist in small plots. They are renegade gardens that are manned by anyone who can find open land. That last part is difficult. With Korean geography being largely mountainous, land is hard to come by. Roughly 95% of the population lives in apartments, and high rises are more common than gas stations and used car places are in my hometown. Progress is vertical here, and wherever there is a free patch of dirt, it becomes a patch of one’s own.
The people who tend to the gardens work late into the night. I get done with my last class at 8:15 and while I am leaving, I see older women and men crouching close to their growing plots squinting through the dark at what weeds may have started up since they last came. Women, wearing white gloves covered with dirt and with handkerchiefs over their hair, ride the elevator with me and my own work seems trivial. The reclamation of the balance of culture in this county takes place in 10 by 10 parcels.
It’s hard to believe that just 60 years ago, there was nothing here. In such a little time so much has occurred. Democracy (whether one perceives it as a blessing or a curse) is still growing as well. It’s not perfect, but in political terms, it’s still a spring chick. The idea that a generation of people who had nothing and ate and lived in tents for years, that are still alive today is incredible. At night, you can walk down the streets with bars and pool halls and eat at a food table set up under floodlights and tarps, where someone is selling kimchi and mandu. The blend that seems to have permeated every bit of this culture is so clear from my window, and waking up every morning to see the change and expansion is like seeing fungus grow on a decomposing log, both intriguing and hopeful.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Korean McDonalds: You've come a long way, baby!
This morning Troy, David, Lauren and I went to the hospital to get an immigration health check for David and I. While I won't recount the numerous details of this trip, I will leave you with this interesting fact: it is fairly easy to offend someone when you are asking if they have ever been pregnant and you don't speak their language fluently.
Anyway, after getting blood taken, peeing into a paper cup (I won't be able to use a dixie cup again without feeling weird) and seeing if I was colorblind, we went the EMart foodcourt. EMart is basically Homever, just bigger. David opted for Korean, but the rest of us went to McDonalds. If you are looking for the extensive McDonald's menu, you won't find it. You can basically get 1 of 7 items:
Big Mac
Double Cheeseburger
Bulgogi Burger
Double Bulgogi Burger
Shrimp Burger
Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Strips
I was intrigued that they had taken Bulgogi (barbecued meat) and made it into a sandwicg because it's pretty delicious. I usually get Filet O'Fish, so I opted for the Korean version, the Shrimp Burger. It was pretty much a Fish Sandwich, except a patty of chopped shrimp with special sauce (1000 island dressing). All in all it wasn't bad. They also have discounts from 11-2 so for the 3 of us, it was 10 bucks, for entire meals. Fry sizes are a lot smaller, and so are soda sizes, which isn't a big deal.
Here is what is a big deal. THEY JUST STARTED SERVING MCDONALD'S BREAKFASTS. I don't know about you, but I love an egg Mcmuffin. The only two choices right now are the hotcakes and eggs, sausage and biscuits meal. This means that I will have to wait approximately 45 years for the advent of the McGriddle, something I am deeply saddened by. Other fun facts about McDonalds in Korea, they have to put up signs saying they use Australian Beef because everyone hates American Beef right now. Also, they deliver. I haven't done this and probably never will, but it's good to know that if I have a Big Mac attack, they are a phone call away.
Anyway, after getting blood taken, peeing into a paper cup (I won't be able to use a dixie cup again without feeling weird) and seeing if I was colorblind, we went the EMart foodcourt. EMart is basically Homever, just bigger. David opted for Korean, but the rest of us went to McDonalds. If you are looking for the extensive McDonald's menu, you won't find it. You can basically get 1 of 7 items:
Big Mac
Double Cheeseburger
Bulgogi Burger
Double Bulgogi Burger
Shrimp Burger
Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Strips
I was intrigued that they had taken Bulgogi (barbecued meat) and made it into a sandwicg because it's pretty delicious. I usually get Filet O'Fish, so I opted for the Korean version, the Shrimp Burger. It was pretty much a Fish Sandwich, except a patty of chopped shrimp with special sauce (1000 island dressing). All in all it wasn't bad. They also have discounts from 11-2 so for the 3 of us, it was 10 bucks, for entire meals. Fry sizes are a lot smaller, and so are soda sizes, which isn't a big deal.
Here is what is a big deal. THEY JUST STARTED SERVING MCDONALD'S BREAKFASTS. I don't know about you, but I love an egg Mcmuffin. The only two choices right now are the hotcakes and eggs, sausage and biscuits meal. This means that I will have to wait approximately 45 years for the advent of the McGriddle, something I am deeply saddened by. Other fun facts about McDonalds in Korea, they have to put up signs saying they use Australian Beef because everyone hates American Beef right now. Also, they deliver. I haven't done this and probably never will, but it's good to know that if I have a Big Mac attack, they are a phone call away.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
One night in Cheonan
Okay, the title is a bit of a lie, because I actually had my first social outings this weekend. On Thursday, David (the other English teacher at the Academy)invited me out to a pool night where a bunch of other foreigners meet up. We took a taxi into to Downtown (all you need to say is "Ya Woori" which is the name of the mall, and you are there, also taxi's hardly ever cost more than 5 or 6 bucks). I found the facebook group online, so I contacted the people that organize it and eventually met up with them at a pool hall. Abby is a teacher in Cheonan from Iowa and has been here since October, she and her boyfriend Ed, whose from London get everyone together every Thursday for a little pool and a lot of socializing. It was refreshing not to speak in pigeon English, like I have to do with all of my students, and everyone I met was extremely nice. After that night, Abby and Ed invited me out with them on Friday. She lived in Shinbang Dong (the city is broken up into district-like "dongs").
So on Friday, I met Ed at Homever and we walked to Abby's place which is just on the top of the hill I live at the bottom of. We sat for awhile at a salt pork restaurant and watched a bit of the opening ceremonies. My favorite part of the casual eateries here is that they are open, and sitting in front of a large table of cheap food cooking on the grill at the table is having a warm breeze. It was great. After eating we met Darren, Abby's Canadian neighboor, and Olivia and Natalie, two teachers from South Africa. Again, everyone was great and so warm and willing to share all of their experiences with me. The six of us hit a place called Garten Bier, a german-inspired bar where the only German influence seemed to be pictures of men with Leiderhosen and big moustaches.
I needed to start a new paragraph because what I am about to tell you changed my life and I want to make sure that it doesn't get lost in a block of text. The tables of Garten Bier have refrigeration units built into them, in the form of cupholders, where one places their beer whilst having conversation, making the beer drinking experience highly more enjoyable. I hope someone takes that idea to the bank, because it was awesome. There, I've said it.
The next place we hit was proclaimed by everyone to be a thing I just had to do. In Korea, and actually in Japan too, you can rent karaoke rooms called "nori bangs" where for about 20 bucks you get a half hour of free reign over a room that has both English and Korean songs. It was great. We sang everything from The Clash to Queen, to Rick James. We closed the place. It was pretty late by this time (in the interest of not giving my mother a heart attack, I won't mention the actual time) and so I headed home.
The next day, Abby and Ed invited me to go with them to Songtan. The United States has several bases all over Korea (the DMZ being the most heavily enforced boarder in the world) and one of them is in Songtan. The result is an area of the town where everyone is pretty Western. Our specific purpose was to eat at what Abby called "The best Mexican restaurant in Korea". She was right. It was great. Also it was knock-off bag city. I didn't get a bag, but I did buy a cool pair of 7 dollar sunglasses with slats cut into them ala Kanye West. After shopping for a bit, we hit the covered market which was a shady looking place where a lot of Koreans go for their fresh fish, dried fish and grains, spices and such. You will also find entire little stores with the occasional Western food item. I was able to get garlic powder, which I have had a hard time finding in Homever, and Double Stuff Oreos, which I am not sure if I could find, but was intrigued by.
The rest of the day consisted with another visit to a place called Kuma in Shinbang dong with some old Cheonan teaching veterans who were visiting and then to a place that sold pork spine soup. Okay, so here is where I tell you about my recent conundrum. For the past 8 or so months, I have been a vegetarian. Not strict, as I have eaten fish and eggs, but abstaining from meat because of books I have read on the processing of American meat. Currently there are protests going on about the use of American beef in Korea. The president recently signed a trade agreement allowing the sale of beef in Korea, which made Korean cattle processors angry because it was cheaper (the sheer number of cattle in comparison illustrates the reason why).
Being a vegetarian in Korea is really really hard. I had been okay so far, but basically I think I may have to quit for awhile. Meat is literally in everything. Even fish soups and noodles are stewing in meat broths. Also, the meat smells extremely tasty. If my problem with meat was an animal cruelty debate, I might be more attached to my beliefs, but as it was stated to me by more than one person "You might starve here, if you don't eat meat." I might start off slow, and ease into it, but I haven't made my move yet. I guess time will tell.
So on Friday, I met Ed at Homever and we walked to Abby's place which is just on the top of the hill I live at the bottom of. We sat for awhile at a salt pork restaurant and watched a bit of the opening ceremonies. My favorite part of the casual eateries here is that they are open, and sitting in front of a large table of cheap food cooking on the grill at the table is having a warm breeze. It was great. After eating we met Darren, Abby's Canadian neighboor, and Olivia and Natalie, two teachers from South Africa. Again, everyone was great and so warm and willing to share all of their experiences with me. The six of us hit a place called Garten Bier, a german-inspired bar where the only German influence seemed to be pictures of men with Leiderhosen and big moustaches.
I needed to start a new paragraph because what I am about to tell you changed my life and I want to make sure that it doesn't get lost in a block of text. The tables of Garten Bier have refrigeration units built into them, in the form of cupholders, where one places their beer whilst having conversation, making the beer drinking experience highly more enjoyable. I hope someone takes that idea to the bank, because it was awesome. There, I've said it.
The next place we hit was proclaimed by everyone to be a thing I just had to do. In Korea, and actually in Japan too, you can rent karaoke rooms called "nori bangs" where for about 20 bucks you get a half hour of free reign over a room that has both English and Korean songs. It was great. We sang everything from The Clash to Queen, to Rick James. We closed the place. It was pretty late by this time (in the interest of not giving my mother a heart attack, I won't mention the actual time) and so I headed home.
The next day, Abby and Ed invited me to go with them to Songtan. The United States has several bases all over Korea (the DMZ being the most heavily enforced boarder in the world) and one of them is in Songtan. The result is an area of the town where everyone is pretty Western. Our specific purpose was to eat at what Abby called "The best Mexican restaurant in Korea". She was right. It was great. Also it was knock-off bag city. I didn't get a bag, but I did buy a cool pair of 7 dollar sunglasses with slats cut into them ala Kanye West. After shopping for a bit, we hit the covered market which was a shady looking place where a lot of Koreans go for their fresh fish, dried fish and grains, spices and such. You will also find entire little stores with the occasional Western food item. I was able to get garlic powder, which I have had a hard time finding in Homever, and Double Stuff Oreos, which I am not sure if I could find, but was intrigued by.
The rest of the day consisted with another visit to a place called Kuma in Shinbang dong with some old Cheonan teaching veterans who were visiting and then to a place that sold pork spine soup. Okay, so here is where I tell you about my recent conundrum. For the past 8 or so months, I have been a vegetarian. Not strict, as I have eaten fish and eggs, but abstaining from meat because of books I have read on the processing of American meat. Currently there are protests going on about the use of American beef in Korea. The president recently signed a trade agreement allowing the sale of beef in Korea, which made Korean cattle processors angry because it was cheaper (the sheer number of cattle in comparison illustrates the reason why).
Being a vegetarian in Korea is really really hard. I had been okay so far, but basically I think I may have to quit for awhile. Meat is literally in everything. Even fish soups and noodles are stewing in meat broths. Also, the meat smells extremely tasty. If my problem with meat was an animal cruelty debate, I might be more attached to my beliefs, but as it was stated to me by more than one person "You might starve here, if you don't eat meat." I might start off slow, and ease into it, but I haven't made my move yet. I guess time will tell.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A brief (and slightly ignorant) rant.
Okay so, today I made a quick to trip to Homever. Out of all of the things that I have been able to find here (cheese, pancakes, pizza) I am shocked that identifying and finding garbage bags is by far the hardest thing I have had to find. A quick note, all garbage must be in a specific, slightly green-tinted bag, and you will get fined for not doing so (going through your garbage is a legal means to an end here, so there is no 'getting away' with it). So being the law abiding ex-pat that I am, I have searched on 3 separate occasions to find them. I know what you are thinking "Mallory, simply get out your phrasebook, and point to the word 'garbage bag' and then see where they take you." I know, friend, and I have. Even after doing this, the grocery store personnel ANSWER IN KOREAN. Leaving me smiling and saying "Komsa nida" (Thank You) in order to not look like a total idiot. I am at the point where I think I may start asking my students what the boxes look like, or paying someone to get them for me, which makes it seem like I am trying to solicit drugs. Far from it.
The next big of difficulty I am having is with the policies at Homever. There are several different levels, and a row of cashiers on every level. I have seen people put carts on the escalators, moving freely from every level without care. Today I attempted it with a basket and was stopped and sent to the cashiers. Previously when I did this and went with my paid merchandise to the next level, I presented the lady at the opening of the next level with my receipt and I was given stickers for my bags and allowed to pass. Today I did the same, and was ushered to rental lockers where I could put my bags. What's the deal Homever? I don't mind doing these things, but at least make your procedures consistent so I don't have to constantly figure out your store etiquette.
This last part is more of a fable than a complaint of sorts. I was looking for some fun snacky food to have around and as you might imagine, somethings are hard to decipher. There are a lot of products that look similar to their American counterparts (for example, Pringles) and are easy to find. I do, however, realize that I need to find new foods and not just stick to the stuff I know. In an attempt to do this, I found a bag of snack things that looked good and had a picture of a cartoon crab on them. In the past my history with cartoon characters on food has been positive (ie: Tony the Tiger, Chester Cheetah, Count Chocula) and so I bought them with the understanding there there was no possible way I could go wrong. Fast forward to 20 minutes later when I sit down to a quick lunch before work. I had a sandwich and popped a bunch of these taste treats in my mouth. Word to the wise: If you are in Korea and happen upon a fun snack with a cartoony crab on the front and you say to yourself "These snacks must be crab-shaped and there is no way they could be crab-flavored!" Think again. They are crab flavored and you won't know until you have put about 5 in your mouth and there is a very distinct fishy aftertaste. That's right gang. I had crab snacks. I don't recommend them.
That is all for now. I am going to get ready to teach today and enjoy the company of my great students. Hope all of you are well!
The next big of difficulty I am having is with the policies at Homever. There are several different levels, and a row of cashiers on every level. I have seen people put carts on the escalators, moving freely from every level without care. Today I attempted it with a basket and was stopped and sent to the cashiers. Previously when I did this and went with my paid merchandise to the next level, I presented the lady at the opening of the next level with my receipt and I was given stickers for my bags and allowed to pass. Today I did the same, and was ushered to rental lockers where I could put my bags. What's the deal Homever? I don't mind doing these things, but at least make your procedures consistent so I don't have to constantly figure out your store etiquette.
This last part is more of a fable than a complaint of sorts. I was looking for some fun snacky food to have around and as you might imagine, somethings are hard to decipher. There are a lot of products that look similar to their American counterparts (for example, Pringles) and are easy to find. I do, however, realize that I need to find new foods and not just stick to the stuff I know. In an attempt to do this, I found a bag of snack things that looked good and had a picture of a cartoon crab on them. In the past my history with cartoon characters on food has been positive (ie: Tony the Tiger, Chester Cheetah, Count Chocula) and so I bought them with the understanding there there was no possible way I could go wrong. Fast forward to 20 minutes later when I sit down to a quick lunch before work. I had a sandwich and popped a bunch of these taste treats in my mouth. Word to the wise: If you are in Korea and happen upon a fun snack with a cartoony crab on the front and you say to yourself "These snacks must be crab-shaped and there is no way they could be crab-flavored!" Think again. They are crab flavored and you won't know until you have put about 5 in your mouth and there is a very distinct fishy aftertaste. That's right gang. I had crab snacks. I don't recommend them.
That is all for now. I am going to get ready to teach today and enjoy the company of my great students. Hope all of you are well!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mallory Teacher
Well, the job has started. To be honest, I was so concentrated on the big move, that I hardly had time to think about actually teaching, so I was relieved when I got through the first day. Before I can fairly talk about my job, here's a couple of facts about education in Korea:
-Public education here is a bit of a joke. Students attend school during the day (they have hours the same as American students). Schools teach various subjects including English, P.E., Korean History, Mathematics and so on. Most parents send their students to public schools for ranking purposes, something that is very important here.
-As a result, hagwons are employed. A hagwon is basically an private after school program where parents pay for lessons in one specific area. My school teaches English, but there are piano hagwons, Tae Kwon Do hagwons, and so on and so forth. All of that schooling usually means that children can go to school for over 15 hours a day. It can be tiring.
-Most hagwons are all about the cash because they know that parents will pay top dollar for their kids to learn. With English, some parents are monitoring their students learning, which means "lessons" mean the kids just waste time for an hour and the "teacher" gets paid. It's sad.
So my boss, Troy, was a coordinating teacher in Seoul for a couple of years and getting frustrated with the way that things were being run. At his last job, a Korean co-worker of his, Lauren, finally convinced him to open up his own school and with the costs being relatively low, he agreed. The set up of our school is a lot different than others. Troy tests students into a "level" 2-5, not according to age. This makes teaching a lot easier.
Students are all very great. Gi Hae, which I found is actually spelled Ji Hyae, is in my E2 class. Trying to teach a 5 year-old English is not the coolest, but I am sure I will get used to telling to her to sit down every 2 minutes. Classes are pretty cut and dry, we use a curriculum and use storybooks as platforms for vocabulary which help with context. So that's the teaching thus far, I am sure I will add quotes from students later. Here's the first one:
I was asking students what they would do with $100,000 (the title of the book we are reading) and he replied "I would take it to LasBegas." The letter "V" doesn't exist in the Korean alphabet, neither does "l", "z", "f" or "th". So that makes teaching English the greatest.
-Public education here is a bit of a joke. Students attend school during the day (they have hours the same as American students). Schools teach various subjects including English, P.E., Korean History, Mathematics and so on. Most parents send their students to public schools for ranking purposes, something that is very important here.
-As a result, hagwons are employed. A hagwon is basically an private after school program where parents pay for lessons in one specific area. My school teaches English, but there are piano hagwons, Tae Kwon Do hagwons, and so on and so forth. All of that schooling usually means that children can go to school for over 15 hours a day. It can be tiring.
-Most hagwons are all about the cash because they know that parents will pay top dollar for their kids to learn. With English, some parents are monitoring their students learning, which means "lessons" mean the kids just waste time for an hour and the "teacher" gets paid. It's sad.
So my boss, Troy, was a coordinating teacher in Seoul for a couple of years and getting frustrated with the way that things were being run. At his last job, a Korean co-worker of his, Lauren, finally convinced him to open up his own school and with the costs being relatively low, he agreed. The set up of our school is a lot different than others. Troy tests students into a "level" 2-5, not according to age. This makes teaching a lot easier.
Students are all very great. Gi Hae, which I found is actually spelled Ji Hyae, is in my E2 class. Trying to teach a 5 year-old English is not the coolest, but I am sure I will get used to telling to her to sit down every 2 minutes. Classes are pretty cut and dry, we use a curriculum and use storybooks as platforms for vocabulary which help with context. So that's the teaching thus far, I am sure I will add quotes from students later. Here's the first one:
I was asking students what they would do with $100,000 (the title of the book we are reading) and he replied "I would take it to LasBegas." The letter "V" doesn't exist in the Korean alphabet, neither does "l", "z", "f" or "th". So that makes teaching English the greatest.
Friday, August 1, 2008
It's not Korean Air, but it's not bad
Today has been a series of naps and trips to the outside world. Troy and Jenny (her Korean name is actually Pak Gi Hae) picked me up and we went to the restaurant across the street from my apartment with her parents (I am don't know Lauren's husband's name yet). The experience was interesting and tasty. Shoes are taken off at the door and placed in a cubby, I was wondering if I was going to get animal crackers and apple juice to eat, because the last time I placed anything in a cubby was in kindergarten. Oh well, I love socks. We sat on pillows on the floor in front of a very long table with a barbecue in the middle. Prices here are pretty cheap. You can get an entree for about 3,000 won (which is about 5 bucks). All side dishes and drinks are free and refillable, also tipping is not done at all. I have died and gone to discourteous heaven. Troy claims he can save thousands a year in not tipping alone, and I believe him.
So, meal time. Saying there was a lot of food is an understatement. I would have best been placed at a trough. It was craaazy. I had to come out of the vegetarian closet, and it definitely helps that I eat seafood. I got some tofu in broth with spicy things at the bottom, rice with veggies and fish eggs, and noodles in broth. Then like 20,000 side dishes that just come with it. Everything is communal, so people were eating everything in sight. In addition, they had beef on the grill and Lauren persuaded me to try some. I rationalized it by saying that my strict eating wasn't because of my hatred of cruelty to animals, and it isn't. The meat industry in the United States is awful, pumping hormones and such into the food. Anywho, I will probably regret this decision later, but in all honesty, it was delicious. You dip the meat in a red sauce and then fold it into a lettuce leaf. Troy had to remind me that it wasn't like a hot dog and to eat it in one fell swoop. It may have been my imagination, but I swear that everyone was saying "Stupid American and her non-meat eating habits". Pretty sure. That's not half of the dishes that were on the table, but in all honesty, I am going to fall into a food coma relaying them all, so I won't try.
Jenny (Gi-hae for short) was still cute as a button. She may just be trying to butter me up, but she kept saying how pretty I was. She will probably come to me in a few months for money because her boyfriend lost his job and they need a place to stay. She's only 5, but I know there are ulterior motives at work. She was in a relay race of sorts. The place we ate had a playground in one corner so she would eat about 2 bites, and then yell loudly "PLAY!" and skip to the jungle gym. After 5 minutes she would come back and start the process again. Seriously. She then complained that she could use chopsticks because she didn't have enough energy in her fingers. Which reminds me, I need to start using these all the time. I thought I was adept, but I have no skill. Most chopsticks in the U.S. are wooden, so I can really grip them. These were like silverware and flat, so I looked like an idiot for about 5 minutes trying to get noodles on them, until Troy requested a "pork", which is actually a fork, or perhaps I was eating like a pig. Not sure. He then told me that this place probably has one fork, I told him I was honored to receive such a gift. Waitress were summoned using a bell, Gi-hae was always more than happy to do this.
When I was full, Troy and I left, I felt bad about leaving the bill with Lauren and her husband, but Troy didn't so I guess it was cool. Her husband now probably thinks I am a sloppy-eating free loading American, but I guess that's alright.
So, meal time. Saying there was a lot of food is an understatement. I would have best been placed at a trough. It was craaazy. I had to come out of the vegetarian closet, and it definitely helps that I eat seafood. I got some tofu in broth with spicy things at the bottom, rice with veggies and fish eggs, and noodles in broth. Then like 20,000 side dishes that just come with it. Everything is communal, so people were eating everything in sight. In addition, they had beef on the grill and Lauren persuaded me to try some. I rationalized it by saying that my strict eating wasn't because of my hatred of cruelty to animals, and it isn't. The meat industry in the United States is awful, pumping hormones and such into the food. Anywho, I will probably regret this decision later, but in all honesty, it was delicious. You dip the meat in a red sauce and then fold it into a lettuce leaf. Troy had to remind me that it wasn't like a hot dog and to eat it in one fell swoop. It may have been my imagination, but I swear that everyone was saying "Stupid American and her non-meat eating habits". Pretty sure. That's not half of the dishes that were on the table, but in all honesty, I am going to fall into a food coma relaying them all, so I won't try.
Jenny (Gi-hae for short) was still cute as a button. She may just be trying to butter me up, but she kept saying how pretty I was. She will probably come to me in a few months for money because her boyfriend lost his job and they need a place to stay. She's only 5, but I know there are ulterior motives at work. She was in a relay race of sorts. The place we ate had a playground in one corner so she would eat about 2 bites, and then yell loudly "PLAY!" and skip to the jungle gym. After 5 minutes she would come back and start the process again. Seriously. She then complained that she could use chopsticks because she didn't have enough energy in her fingers. Which reminds me, I need to start using these all the time. I thought I was adept, but I have no skill. Most chopsticks in the U.S. are wooden, so I can really grip them. These were like silverware and flat, so I looked like an idiot for about 5 minutes trying to get noodles on them, until Troy requested a "pork", which is actually a fork, or perhaps I was eating like a pig. Not sure. He then told me that this place probably has one fork, I told him I was honored to receive such a gift. Waitress were summoned using a bell, Gi-hae was always more than happy to do this.
When I was full, Troy and I left, I felt bad about leaving the bill with Lauren and her husband, but Troy didn't so I guess it was cool. Her husband now probably thinks I am a sloppy-eating free loading American, but I guess that's alright.
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