Showing posts with label South Korea. Show all posts

Teaching English in South Korea: FAQs Part II

It's that time of year again! Recruitment season! Emails! Oh my!

Lately I've been receiving emails from readers who are interested in teaching in South Korea and/or traveling abroad and I've been noticing a lot of similar questions. So, I decided to break them down into an FAQ: Part II to help out all you prospective expats out there!

Disclaimer: These are my experiences and opinions. While teaching in South Korea I worked for EPIK (English Program In Korea, South Korea's public school program). I do not have personal experience teaching at hagwons (private, after-school companies), but I can provide information from friends of mine who have. 

Question 1: How did you decide on South Korea, and teaching English abroad in general?


Moving to South Korea was my first experience living and teaching abroad. I initially chose South Korea because I already had a few friends there, but also because of the pay and benefits given to you by Korean schools compared to other countries. Plus, I’d always wanted to live and travel in Asia!

I'd first heard about teaching in South Korea through a friend of mine during my final semester of my BFA degree. She was leaving a month after I saw her to teach at a hagwon (private, after school program) outside of Seoul. She told me that her housing, medical insurance, and flight were all being paid for her by her school. She also told me that teaching in SOKO would afford her the opportunity to earn money WHILE traveling. I think I was sold after that.

Since I made the decision to teach, travel and live abroad I've made it to over 10 countries, 3 continents, and countless new cities and experiences. 

It's been the best decision of my life.

Interested in more details on the road to teaching ESL abroad? See my first FAQ: Here.

Hanok village, Seoul, South Korea


Question 2: What did you study in college? Did you have a plan for what you wanted to pursue after? Has that changed?

Oddly enough, I'm an artist! 

I received my BFA in drawing from Kendall College of Art & Design, Michigan, USA and I'm currently studying for my MA in Fine Art here in South Africa. I've exhibited in the United States, South Korea, and now here in South Africa. Art is and will always be a focus, but I'm always game for more. More, more, more…

My "life-path" is full of bends, winds, and curves. A straight line is a bit boring for me. I want to see and do it all. Being tied down to one career or label just doesn't appeal to me (Which is only something I've figured out about myself in the past few years.). 
I am and will always pursue art. But I also want to be a writer. A dance instructor. A researcher. A potter. A puppy-babysitter. (Is that a thing? Because I really hope it is.) I want to see and do it all. 

So yes, perhaps my goals after receiving my undergraduate degree have changed a bit. But that's the thing with travel. The more people you meet; the more people you see pursuing incredible passions, the more it makes you want to do, try, test, and experience it yourself. But, thankfully, teaching abroad allows you to work and save towards your other passions. 

I met an older, possibly 70+ year old British man in Thailand once who lived on an old WWII ship off the coast of an island in Greece. Him and his wife, who owned a little stationary shop, traveled around making parody videos of classic movies like Titanic for fun. 
Who knows? Maybe once day I'll want to do that. Ha!


I never thought I'd make it China. Yet, here I am!
Jinshanling, Great Wall, Beijing, China.

Gyeongbukgong Palace, Seoul, South Korea

Question 3: Did you find that the diet in South Korea led to any significant weight gain?


Personally? Well, yes. A bit.

Think about the Freshman 15: An enticing cocktail of new food, new freedoms, new social gatherings... new booze. The same can be said about expat-living in South Korea. You may or may not gain a little bit more than stories and experiences.
But, just like living at home, weight can be maintained with moderation and physical activity.

Typical Korean cuisine does rely heavily on carbohydrates and starches like rice, noodles, and potatoes. After a while I would ask the lunch ladies at my school to give me a half portion of rice, then I weened them down to no rice at all. It was a bit difficult for them to understand since rice is such a large part of Korean culture. But I asked them respectfully and sometimes would grab onto a love handle to make them giggle. 
There also tends to be high sodium levels in Korea cuisine that lend itself to tighter waistbands. But! Never fear. As more and more expats move to South Korea, more and more "Western" foods are appearing on grocery store shelves. But please, enjoy the food! Wherever you decide to travel and teach! Try. The. Local. FOOD. The shortest distance between two cultures is sharing food (and a beer!).  Don't drink? Swing on down to Question 9.

Hiking is also a large part of Korean culture. Grant it that the principle of your school may conclude every school-designated hiking trip with a ginormous meal and endless beer afterwards, but hey …at least you went hiking first!

Cass! Mekju! Beer!

A typical public school lunch. Oh how I miss it so!

Question 4: Did you learn a good amount of Korean while you were there and if so, was this facilitated by any language classes?


I did, I loved it, and boy was it helpful! EPIK’s 10-day orientation program provided a crash course into learning the Korean alphabet and basic phrases. After orientation EPIK provided a few after school Korean classes for English teachers that usually met weekly. 
There are also other opportunities outside of formal class. Language exchanges are very popular and are often run by Korean university students who want to improve their English. These language exchanges usually take place over dinner or coffee and you can meet a lot of new friends from all walks of life while improving your Korean.

The Korean alphabet is fairly easy to learn too! They say that you can learn the basics in 45 minutes, but it took me a bit longer. But even now, a few years later, I can still read it and speak a few conversational sentences. 

Learning to read Korean will be very helpful to you. Though most Korean restaurants and bus stations will have English there to assist you, some of the more traditional restaurants, shops, and stations do not. But never fear! If you can read Korean you find that some Korean words are actually English words written in English! For example: 치즈 is pronounced “Chi-jeuh”, AKA: cheese!

The early days of learning Hanguel.

Question 5: A friend of mine recently taught in South Korea and said that "having fun" during lessons was frowned upon. Is this true? I'd really like to teach children.


I am very shocked that your friend said that.

As mentioned previous, I taught in EPIK, South Korea's English public school program. I taught grades 3rd-6th and I'd estimate that 50% of my job was in fact creating games or activities that were outside the realm of strict blackboard teaching, AKA: fun!

We did everything from fashion shows to soccer games, relay races to animal-mask painting; anything to get the kids interested and having fun with English. Perhaps lesson rules are a bit stricter in some hagwons (after school programs), but with EPIK I had a lot of time designated to me for "games". Also, we were required to organize and teach Summer and Winter Camps while the school was on holiday. These camps were usually themed and structured with a few parts: Sports, Cooking, Art, and Golden Bell (a final quiz game). I had a lot of fun with my kiddos and I encourage you to do the same!

Rube Goldberg summer-camp creations.

Question 6: How much control do you have over the lesson plans?


If teaching with EPIK, you are required to follow along with a lesson book that is provided to you and a CDrom to match. These lessons are rough guidelines; mostly stories and grammar points that you can then supplement with games and activities. Honestly, this made lesson planning a breeze.
You do however have to follow general government curriculum and standards (EPIK). But I've been gone a few years now and I'm not sure what they are currently, but no worries that is your co-teachers job to inform you and keep things on track. 

In most ESL/EFL teaching positions in South Korea you, are paired with and work with one or many co-teachers. Some co-teachers are as new to this teaching style as you and you may have to work out the dynamic from scratch; which can definitely be to your benefit! Other teachers may prefer a 50-50 type of teaching style and some may prefer that you assist more rather than teach. It really all depends on your co-teachers. My co-teachers were extremely flexible and I'd often do most of the lesson-planning for the days that I taught with each one respectfully. We had a lot of fun together and I never felt like I was stepping on anyone's toes; or having mine stepped on for that matter!
Co-teaching is a bit of an art form and it can be a bit of a challenge; especially if you are used to ave your own classroom. but I really enjoyed it! I'm still friends with many of my co-workers to this day.

If you do decide to choose EPIK, the program itself hosts numerous co-teaching workshops and training opportunities to help further your co-teacher development and strategies.

Question 7: How did you get through your absolute worst days away from home?


Living away from home (or simply the familiar) can be a roller coaster. Highs and lows, pits and peaks. It's true I've had my fair share of days since leaving the US that have been difficult and enough to make me question my sanity. Not every day away is rose-tinted and smelling of flowers, sometimes it's a stinky durian left on the side of the road. But you get through it. 

Vent! Venting is healthy. Not complaining. Venting. And that's exactly what you should do. Don't bottle up your feelings alone. Vent. Global English teaching is booming at the moment. You will not have to go far to find a like-minded shoulder to cry on. This is especially true for larger cities in South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Expat communities are large and more often than not experiencing the same feelings you are.

Write. I found that if I wrote about an experience, or just a general shit-day, that something as simple as finding an accurate and creative way to express what you were feeling was exactly what was needed. That’s actually how this blog started.

Rediscover. I found that rediscovering something you found exciting in your "Honeymoon Phase” is helpful in wiping the grime off those rose-tinted glasses. Go to that place, eat that meal, listen to that song; whatever it is an reflect back on who you were when you first arrived versus who you've become. This bit of in-context self reflection will no doubt be an optimistic reminder that this is in fact a learning experience. And with all learning experiences there are mistakes and pit-falls but, regardless, we are still better for having had them.

I compiled a list of Tips to Curb Expat Homesickness. You can check it out: Here

Question 8: Is it safe? I mean, North Korea and all..


South Korea is safe, yes. It's one of the safest countries I've ever traveled in and quite possibly the safest country I've ever lived, including the United States. But like every other country you travel or live in, including your own, you need to be smart. Be aware of your surroundings and remember, not everyone is on vacation or gap year like you. 

Of course, things happen. Things happen in every country. Just be smart. 

And as for North Korea... most South Koreans rarely give the "doom and gloom" lurking beyond the border a second thought in their daily lives. 

I did however visit the 38th parallel, DMZ area separating the North and South. That was an interesting experience. I highly suggest you organize a visit through the USO during your time in Korea. It is a moving, educational, and bewildering place. 


Visiting the DMZ, on the border between North and South Korea.

Question 9: Would you consider it reasonably safe as a young, single female to travel Southeast Asia alone and, did you ever travel alone or were you always with a group? 


Once again, yes but be smart. 

Using Korea as a jumping off point, I traveled to many countries in South East Asia solo. Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia… It was an incredible adventure. But, you do have to take precaution as a solo-woman traveler. Walk with purpose. Conceal your money. All the usual preventative measures to ensure a fun and safe route from point A to point B. 
Personally, I didn’t encounter anything that would make me not want to do the trip all over again. 

I thoroughly enjoy traveling alone. But if the road becomes a bit too lonely, you will no doubt find friends along the way. After my EPIK contract finished I embarked on a lengthy backpacking trip through South East Asia; most of which was done solo. Halfway through Vietnam in Hoi An I met an amazing Australian girl in a hostel, we became friends, and traveled the rest of the length to Ho Chin Min City together. Hostels are great like that. Hostels and backpackers can also help organize group tours or direct you to companies that do. There are also many expat-centered excursion companies in South Korea. These groups organize everything from zip lining to roof top pool parties. 

Woman crossing the street in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Question 10: I don't drink. Is that a problem?


No. 
South Korea does have a large drinking culture. Beer and soju (Korean rice alcohol) flow well into the night 7 days a week. But you can abstain. You will most likely be offered to drink at teacher dinners, but if you let your school know early on that you are not comfortable drinking alcohol, they will respect that.
It is however Korean custom to pour drinks for elders and superiors. If your principle pours you a drink (even if it’s a Coke), this is a sign of respect and you should return the favor. 

Question 11: Do you have any regrets/self-consciousness about where you are in your life right now? I come from a place where it seems everyone in their early to mid-20s are either getting married and/or pregnant, or working towards their PhDs. How do you reconcile this?


No. No regrets. The only regret that I’d have is if I had not taken the leap.
Don’t waste your time on social pressures or comparing your life choices to others! It's your life and if you want to travel...DO IT! Please, do it. Having regret is far worse than having a passport full of stamps. 
I just turned 28. I’m not married and I do not have children. But I’ve walked the Great Wall of China. I’ve climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I drank local moonshine in a hut in the mountains of Northern Vietnam! Perhaps I will fulfill those other check boxes at a later date, perhaps not! But different strokes for different folks. Just don’t let social pressures thwart you from seeing or doing the things you want to see and do. Life’s too short man.
And besides, teaching contracts in South Korea are usually 1 year long and one year abroad is worth it. You never know where it'll take you. And if one year is enough, great! Then you can go back to your original life-path having a new outlook, perspectives, and experiences to enrich it. 

I don’t know anyone who has regretted going abroad. But I do know a fair share that regret not going.

My 27th birthday! Not too bad I'd say...!

Question 12: Where are you now? How has the expat lifestyle influenced your future plans?


As mentioned previous, I am currently in South Africa studying for my MA in Fine Art. I am still teaching ESL, but my classroom has moved from physical to online. 

The past 4-5 years have been an incredible and eye-opening experience. I’ve gained confidence, world perspective, and opportunity. This lifestyle is addicting and I can’t see myself giving it up any time soon.

Cape Town, South Africa. 2016.

If you have any questions not on this list, be sure to check out my first FAQ: Here

Still haven't found your question? Message me in the comment section below and I'll be sure to get back to you!

Explore on.




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June

Still busy. Still neglecting this. Which is a shame! because honestly, everyday brings something new and interesting to talk about. I don't want my bad memory to lose the beautiful details, but it's bound to happen unfortunately.

Anyhoo. Here we are.

As I mentioned before, I've been assigned an after-school class. It came as a surprise and like most things here, extremely last minute. Within 5 minutes of hearing that I was to make a class, I needed to declare the subject of said class and also the types of activities we were going to do. The first thing off the top of my head was culture and travel. So, for the past few weeks every Monday and Wednesday at 2pm has been Culture & Travel with Teacher Jessica! It's been stressful, fulfilling, empowering, and solidifying all at the same time. I say solidifying because for the longest time I was torn between staying or going and whether or not the teaching profession was right for me. My little group on Wednesday makes me feel like I've made the right choice. They're great. They make me feel like a real part of their lives and educational growth -a feeling which is pretty rare in the current situation I'm in. They even want to stay late to study and talk to me. So, as a reward I threw them a little pop and candy party. I passed out their chocolates and pineapple pop and tossed some Mr. Bean on the TV. I was hovering by my desk, acting like a teacher, and they actually called me over to sit down, have snacks, and join them at their desks. Amazing little dudes. They are incredibly smart, a delightful group of personalities, and I'm so happy that I will get to see them grow and succeed another year. Teacher Jessica for the win! (My Monday class is a different story. But we won't talk too much about them. Let's just say I have a Red Card/Yellow Card system just like a soccer game. haha)

Saturday the 15th Kate and I left for Seoul to join a group of friends for a causal little party know as Ultra Electronic Music Festival, or UMF. Just us and 100,000 of our closest friends. We caught a KTX train, had a pit stop in Hongdae for the oasis known as Taco Bell and headed off to the festival held in Seoul's Olympic Stadium. The lineup included DJ greats like Carl Cox, Fedde Le Grand, Cassette, and Avicii. It felt amazing to be a part of this cross-continent, cross-cultural event. It also felt good to dance. And dance we did. I was covered in a sweat cocktail; compiled of mine and about 250 other's sweat. We danced the entire concert, Carl Cox after-party, and then out in Hongdae. Kate and I are... troopers, if I do say so myself. We didn't book a place to stay in Seoul so that means we partied all night until the first train back to Daejeon at 6:15 in the morning. We burned so many calories that even though I ate Dunkin' Donuts, ice cream, pizza, and Taco Bell...twice, I still lost weight. Ridiculous. My new diet plan: Party more.
hahaha

Now that I've officially resigned, my relationship with my coteachers has become more cozy and personal. I think it's safe to say that we are ultimately friends as well as coworkers. They have become more concerned with my personal relationships and genuinely have me on their mind. They want the best for me. All of them. Last Monday they all wanted to take me out to dinner and a cafe after work. Why? At first I wasn't sure. But as we talked at the cafe, it came out: It was because I recently broke up. They felt "sorry to me" and wanted to cheer me up. How sweet are they? After dinner we sat over two helpings of 빙수 (bingsu -Korean shaved ice dessert) for hours talking about everything from Korean history to our favorite horror movies. I didn't get home til 9:30 at night. It was a lovely night. I felt no "us" and "them" stigma. We were just girls talking about relationships, our aspirations, and ...our favorite scary movies of course.
The other day I even showed them my tattoos! The subject came up because one of them said they liked tattoos then of course they asked me if I had any. I wasn't going to lie. As I showed them they hovered around exclaiming "ooOoh!". They were very open and accepting to them and actually...like them. :)

It's hard to lose weight with a constant flow of bingsu floating your way. But a girl can try! And try I must. I'm still playing badminton with a few teachers after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I even played after-after-school with a group at my friends high school. His teachers...are..GOOD. Wow. I felt like I should of payed to watch some of them play. Impressive stuff. But, aside from badminton, I'm back to taking dance classes! Thank goodness! I've missed doing Zumba something awful, so it's been lovely getting back in front of a mirror (attempting) to shake my groove thang. Kate and I go together almost every Monday and Thursday. So far we've tried Salsa, Meringue, Machata, Samba, Reggatone, and Hip Hop. Our instructor is a Russian expat named Sasha and she knows her stuff. I look forward to class every week and it's safe to say I'm a complete addict. I'm sure the patrons of the 10:20 subway appreciate my sweaty dedication. haha "Can't sit heere!"
I'm also trying to put as much time as possible into the gym as well. I usually break on Sundays but dance, badminton, and time at the gym make for a pretty packed schedule. Thursday is my power day where I do all three. Though I'm nowhere near where I was when I first came here, I feel 10,000 times better already. It's simple. My body loves exercise and a vegetarian lifestyle. So far, I've managed to turn around half of that equation.
Keeping up with an active lifestyle, this past Saturday some friends and I took advantage of the free kayaking at Expo Park. At first we all piled into one big inflatable raft and had at it. We we're in rough shape there for a while but eventually we all struck a rythmn once we started singing 90's songs like Wallflower and one hit wonders Casey and Jo-Jo. I love these people. haha After we docked the raft, my friend Kim and I hopped into a tandem kayak and paddled as fast as we could to Expo Bridge. It felt SO GOOD to be back in the water. I love kayaking. Once I have a place of my own back in The States that is the first treat I will buy myself. It's a must. Who needs a car when I have this perfectly good kayak?!

 This past Monday I was treated to another unexpected after work outing. Hana asked me halfway through the day if I was busy. I had dance on my mind but said no because I could tell by the look on her face that Puppy on the other end of the line wasn't going to take "No" for an answer. And I'm so glad I didn't. Puppy picked us up in her car after work with Hana's sister in tow. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but Hana's sister is super cool. She is a French/Italian chef in Seoul, has lived in both America and Australia, and...is my age. Her English is really good and we get along really well. Her favorite band is even Muse! Niceuhh. We tooled around town in Puppy's car for a bit, with Puppy reaching into the back seat every once in a while to grab my hand and tell me she loves me. We eventually picked up Hana's father from work (another surprise!). This was my first time meeting Hana's father. He had very kind face and was mild mannered just like Hana. We drove all the way across Daejeon to go to a duck restaurant in the countryside. The Bak's know that I'm trying to convert back to a vegetarian lifestyle here (we've talked about it over dinner many-a-time) but! they insisted that I needed to eat duck when the weather is humid for my health. I also think they wanted to treat me to a rather grand meal. My Mom sent a package full of gifts for Hana and Puppy the week previous and this was their way to repay. The bill was left next to me at the dinner table (I'm assuming they thought I wouldn't be able to read it...but I could.) and it wasn't cheap. At all. It was quite the spread though. We had two ducks stuffed with purple rice, nuts, and fruit, sides, soup, a sweet wasabi salad, and 맥주 (beer!). It was a lovely meal and I really did feel like part of the family. Mr. Bak made 5 or 6 Cheers' and poured my drink each time. It was cute watching Puppy tend to her husband. She kept his shot glass full of soju and his plate clear of duck bones. The fun never stops on Puppy's watch..so afterwards we took a little walk to a small school house in the countryside and talked about baseball and even more food. That must've sparked an idea because the next thing I knew we were back in the car on our way to get squid. I was stuffed. Stuffed just like the duck. But, you can't turn down Puppy. She is too cute. Thankfully for my waistline the squid-store was closed and Puppy was sweet enough to drive me all the way back home. During the car ride back home Hana's sister told me that her Dad liked me because I "acted Korean". He was impressed by my attention to Korean manners (bowing, using two hands when pouring a drink, ect.) and felt comfortable around me. He also said I wasn't "loud" like most Americans. I was thankful for this, but in a way it kinda made me sad. I believe in being yourself as well as being respectful of another's customs. I think most of us need to find that happy medium. Don't compromise yourself but still be attentive to others norms. Know when to stand your ground and, more importantly, know when to be flexible. It's difficult but it will make things easier and in the long run will give you a stronger, quicker, and more comfortable bond with another culture. Just remember, not only are you representing yourself and your family, you are also representing your country. (Especially to someone who may have never met an American before.) First impressions mean everything here.
Wednesday was another example of why I love Korea. My Principal organized an afternoon hiking trip for all the teachers at our school. After-work hiking. Who does that?! We left school around 2pm. and made our way by Mrs. Bek's car to a mountain face just outside of Panam. I walked alongside the new teacher at our school for most of the way. His name is 재혁 (Jae Hyuk) and he is my age. He's a pretty sweet and timid guy and was nice to talk to. He said him and his friends "play" in Dunsan (where I live) so maybe I'll see him around sometime. haha
It was a decent hike and my work clothes weren't helping. I prepared hiking shoes but all of my athletic stuff would show my elephant, soooo I was forced to hike up a humid mountain clad in a button up shirt -which proceeded to change from light blue to dark blue over the course of the hike. If ya know what I mean...
Halfway up the hike got a little more intense and we lost half of the teacher group. A lone 10 of us made it to the top. The view was beautiful and it was amazing to think that we hiked that high in that short of time. It took us about three hours to reach the top. Going down took about an hour and a half. The half hour was added on because we went out of our way a wee bit to check out a little temple nestled in the rock face. This was definitely the highlight of the hike. It was the smallest temple I've seen here yet and it was fairly modern. But it felt very secluded and desolate. The only ones home were a few kittens cuddling in a pile on the steps, and a couple Jindo guard dogs.
Remember when I mentioned finding a cultural happy medium? Well, respect goes both ways. As I was taking photos of the temple I overheard a few teachers talking and one of them said "waygook saram" (the foreigner person) mid sentence. I heard this, and without thinking I whipped around with a raised eyebrow and repeated "waygook saram??". The looks on their faces was priceless. I'm one to avoid confrontation at all costs. But it was obvious that they were talking about me right in front of my face. It was even more obvious that it was something bad once the gym teacher who said it started saying "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" over and over. I think he assumed I understood more than "waygook". I did not. But, actions speak louder than Korean words. My principal knew what was going on and came by to say something. I'm not sure what he said but his voice was stern and I heard my name. The other teachers nodded in unison and said 내 (yes). Not sure if I was the one in trouble or they were. I'm assuming it blew over fairly quickly because a few moments later my principal picked a few berries off of a tree for me to eat. Turns out this tree is the species of tree in which Buddha sat under while reaching Enlightenment. This will be symbolic and memorable for more than one reason.
The hike down I chatted it up with Hana and another new teacher 유송 Yu Song. She is my age as well and her English is fabulous. If I could speak another language as well as her...I would be one happy camper. We plan on going out soon together and even cheersed to the month of July during dinner because that's when we plan to hang out.
Dinner! Dinner was super fun. I sat by Yu Song, Chani, and Hana and once again, my professional relationships are definitely shifting into more of the realm of friends. Mr. Jeong came by (I can never get through a teacher's dinner without him coming by to hassle me in some way... All in good fun of course.) and poured me some mackoli. Some time went by and then the Principal yelled down the tabel for me to come drink some more. I knelt beside him and he poured mackoli into my bowl (a sign of respect). He smiled and told me to put some Cider (Korean pop -kinda like Sprite) in it to make it taste better. I've now been converted to MakSa. Thank you for wisdom Principal. My Korean cocktail list is growing. Wednesday was a good day. :)


**If some things in this post come across as blunt, dull, or lacking in enthusiasm I guarantee you that I'm not being sarcastic in how great these experiences have been for me. It's just that along with all the lovely things I've encountered this week, I've had my fair share of stress, setbacks, and cultural tiffs. More on that later. It's all good! Just going through a little rough patch. Bear with me.


But! Moving on! Tonight I'm celebrating a friends birthday at a baseball game and tomorrow I'm taking a trip up North with a group to go... white water rafting!!! I love weekend trips. I'll report back later!
Teacher Jessica, over and out.

빨리빨리! (Yes, I've been busy.)

빨리빨리! (bali bali!): This common Korean expression sums up my past few weeks...perfectly. I feel like I've been moving at full steam ahead on half a tank of gas. Staying up late, getting up early and running in between. It's been for all good reasons (!), but I'm still exhausted. There's just so much to do, so many places to go, and so many people to see that I feel like I'm making up for some lost time. Yes, I may be overbooking myself a little bit. But it's better to be expelled of energy at the end of the day rather than full of 'coulda-woulda-shoulduhs'.

The time spent with my family while they were here definitely did not escape the 빨리빨리! factor. They/we literally hit the ground running.
I managed to meet my parents at the airport with less than a ten minute window in between my arrival and them walking through the sliding doors past customs. It was surreal to say the least. I wanted to create the perfect cinematic moment and be the first thing they saw as they handed in their customs form. The Seoul airport is set up perfectly for this type of 'final-scene-a-la-90's-romantic comedy staging. The doors kept opening as more and more people and suitcases flooded though, then, I saw it. A bright, lime, green t-shirt through a sea of travel-safe black and beige. It was my Uncle Mark!

As to be expected, my Mom cried and the rest of us paused for a moment, wide-eyed at the thought that we are all together in Asia. Amazing. Then, in true Korean fashion, we hustled our way through the airport, hopped on the next bus to Daejeon, and caught up for 3 hours. We had about a 2 hour unpacking/decompression party before we needed to head out to meet my head co-teacher at her house for dinner. She had been meaning to invite me over for sometime and now that my parents were in town she felt that she had to. Her and her husband were incredibly nervous (She later told me she asked her husband how her cooking was last night and he said: I don't know. I was too nervous to taste it."). Having "foreigners" over for dinner (into your home) is a big deal. But it was an amazing dinner and a true welcome for my family. They got to try new food (navigate via chopsticks), meet my co-teacher's adorable baby, and meet one the most important people for me here in Korea, Hyo.

On Thursday I was lucky enough to have my school grant me the day off. It wasn't my idea. Hyo actually suggested it to the Vice Principal (love her). Everyone was curious as to the day-to-day goings on of life in Daejeon so we took a little tour of some of my most stomped stomping grounds. We started off with breakfast by City Hall, then made our way to Old Downtown for shopping and their first Korean restaurant. my Dad and Uncle Mark had 비빔밥(bibimbap) and my Mom and I split a spicy-seafood noodle dish. We walked through Old Downtown a bit more (where I was recognized for the Gangnam Style dance contest back in September! Damn, I guess I broke some hearts...) and wandered through the markets of Daejeon Station. I couldn't wait to take them through Daejeon Station. Dunsan and City Hall (where I live) is quite "Western" and comfortable for foreigners I'd say. Daejeon Station is a part of town that reminds you, Oh yeah! I live in Asia. The open air meat markets, bowls and bowls of fermenting fish paste, adjummas crouching and chopping off fish heads, and bags full of dried anchovies are always enough to shock your senses into realizing you're not in Kansas anymore. I wanted them to try some market food from vendors who were just as curious about us as we were about what they were selling, but we were still full from lunch. (So much to eat, so little time!) After breezing through Old Downtown it was time to walk to the baseball stadium to catch a game. It was my Dad's birthday after all! The game was fun and lively as usual. Snacks were had, chants were sung. But, unfortunately. the jet lag was ultimately catching up with my weary travellers. We had to leave the game early because my Dad was falling asleep!

The next day everyone was invited to attend Spring Sports Day at my school. I kept hearing over and over from other teachers "This one's smaller than the Fall! This one's smaller!" assuming that they were nervous as to the first impression my school would give my parents. Everything in Korea is about presentation. I kept assuring them that it was fine and really all my family wanted to do was see my school and meet everyone who has helped me through adjusting to working and living in a different country. So, we left my apartment all together with a bag each preparing for our weekend in Seoul (more on that later). It was surreal having them sit in my office, talk to my coteachers and walk around my school. Now that they're gone I look around my office (which I'm currently in) and wonder if it all ever happened!
The entire school was lined around our sports field buzzing with song and talk of the days events. Hyo immediately whisked us all away to the perch where my principal and vice principal were to oversee the day. My principal, who doesn't speak any English, shook my family's hands and said "Nice to meet you." It was adorable. He then proceeded to tell Hyo to translate to them how he hopes they enjoy Sports Day and hope that they get to see many places in Korea. They also got to shake hands with my vice principal and "Korean father" -both adorable and smiley men.
As my Mom keeps saying, my family was treated like royalty that day. We were given front row seats at the starting line of the track so we could see every game and every race. Throughout the games, random students of mine would come up to say hello, ask who they were, or touch my Mom's hair. I knew they would be celebrities. The lunch ladies, whom treat me all like their Korean grand-daughter (Eat! Eat! Eat more so you can find a husband!) were just as excited. They piled on the kimchi when my parents came through the lunch line and all stood with bated breath as they unwrapped their 'special' hamburgers for lunch. (We've never had hamburgers for lunch before. I think it was the combination of Sports Day and my parents arrival.) Hyo was happy about the menu as well. "Ohh we're having hamburger! Your parents should be happy!" Little do they know that my parents rarely eat fast food (if ever) and that my Uncle is a strict vegetarian. Plus, it was only their second day there... I think a little Korean food was in order, don't you? But we were cordial, eating our sweet-bulgogi-hamburgers, kimchi, and thick rice porridge as my Principal hovered by to ensure that all was right with our meals. My Uncle even snuck out his hamburger as a snack for my Dad for later claiming he was full as to not upset the lunch ladies. (Now you understand my pain!!)

Straight from school we packed up and headed out to Daejeon Station to catch a train to Seoul. I pre-booked our tickets but was lucky enough to snag seats for a train hours earlier. We hopped on a train a mere 20 minutes after arriving at the station. Niceuhh. Just a couple passes between us of my Moon Travel Korea handbook and we were arriving into Seoul. I'm not as familiar with Seoul as I would like to be. But, in comparison to Daejeon, English is everywhere. Real English. So following a map and figuring out our way through the subway (6 lines!) was easy enough. We made it through to our lovely hotel in Insadong with only a few...subway snags, if you will.
Insadong is one of my favorite areas in Seoul. Why? Art and pottery of course. Insadong street is lined with galleries and shops selling the wares of local and tradional artists and artisans. From teapots to chop stick rests: I want it all. And, like most areas of Seoul, the food is fabulous too. We wandered around Insadong for a bit and ended up in a neat little eatery off an alley way from the main cultural hub. I introduced my family to some of my favorites: 파전 pa-jun (Korean pancake with seafood and green onions), 김치볶음밥 kimchi boeceumbap (kimchi fried rice topped with a fried egg), and 순두부개 soonduboon gae ‎(spicy tofu stew). Our server was completely adorable and I think she loved the fact that I tried to order completely in Korean. (Seoul has a larger foreigner population and better handle on English than any other city in Korea. So, I'm assuming, there's a decent amount of foreigners here that get by without ever attempting to speak or read the language. Can't really blame them. If you're comfortable, you're comfortable.) So she smiled, took and repeated everything I ordered, and soon enough our entire table was full. After lunch we walked around the shops viewing art and ceramics -all of which I wanted to take home. My Dad and I even had time to squeeze in a traditional music performance put on by the Insadong Tourism Centre.
After a brief stint at our hotel just to touch base and sink dangerously into the cushions of a bed, it was 빨리빨리! once more. I never really had the time to do any of the real "touristy" things in Seoul so after wandering around Insadong a little longer we figured we might as well capitalize on the night with a view of the city from Seoul Tower. We were lucky enough to run into a nice Korean couple eager to snag us a cab on the street. They stood with us in the cold hollering at taxis as they went by telling us to avoid the black cabs and hail the orange ones because they're cheaper. (Women after my own heart.) After a parting 감사합니다 we took our hailed cab up to the cab car of Seoul Tower. My Dad wasn't too happy with this decision, but I insisted: When else are you going to take a cable car in Korea? Never. So we bought our tickets, swallowed up our fear of heights and faulty mechanical equipment, and piled into the cable car with more Korean couples on dates than one can humanly count.
The base of Seoul Tower was neat in itself. Which was a good thing considering we decided to skip the $20 admittance fee and 1:45 min long wait to get to the top. Seoul was in a haze anyway... ain't nobody got time for that.
Saturday morning it was time to check another tourist hub off my Seoul list: Gyeongbokgung Palace. Widely known as the Palace of King Sejong, Gyeongbokgung Palace is a massive historical time capsule in the heart of bustling metropolitan Seoul. I will say this over and over: I love the contrast of Korea. We wandered around the complex for hours: admiring carvings, taking photos in gardens, and listening to tour group after tour group go by; attempting to figure out what language they were speaking. Halfway through our time at Gyungbokgung some ..problems arose. We lost Uncle Mark. Yes, this wouldn't seem to be a problem in the cell phone age, but for some reason none of their phones were working even though they were set up for international travel. And, like I said, I don't know this city as well as I'd like. After a couple hours of searching the grounds and posting up at various exits, my parents and I decided that we would just have to rendezvous with him at the hotel later. We were wasting our day and figured Uncle Mark thought the same and was already off doing something Seoul-tastic (which we was). So, we moved on with our day and headed back to Insadong to grab some lunch and *hopefully* meet Uncle Mark back at the hotel. The lunch scene around Insadong was insane. Every placed was packed. Even the wee little alleyway 만두 (mandoo, dumplings) stands had lines reaching out and around their so-claimed alleyways. So, it was a pleasant surprise that we ended up at a Vietnamese restaurant appropriately called Pho. This was my first time trying pho (the classic Vietnamese noodle-soup staple) and I must say it did not disappoint. The restaurant was lovely and the staff was adorable again. This time my Dad noticed how excited our server was when I said 'thank you' in Korean. It's just so crazy to think! In Daejeon, you have to do that. But in Seoul, only a 45min train ride away, you can get by without it.
I wanted to give my family a taste of what my time is really like ( I have no secrets. haha) so I took them out on a cab ride to Hongdae to experience some Korean nightlife. I mentioned Hongdae before in my post about the beginning of Kate and I's South East Asia adventure. Hongdae is the young and trendy part of Seoul. Every restaurant has an eclectic view and scene all it's own and the same can be said for the people walking it's streets. I took them to the little Hawaiian restaurant for fruit and good beer, then over to Burger B's for fish and chips and even more good beer. After our third round we caught (an extremely early for Hongdae!) cab back to Insadong and called it a night.
The next day we met my Dad's old high school friend at the Korean War Memorial in Itaewan. Richard (I'm paraphrasing here. His job is far more intricate and important that I can explain.) works as a liaison between the US military, Korean government, and the private sector. Let's just say he is a very interesting and smart man who does business with other very interesting and smart people. So, touring the war museum with him and his wife was a treat. Listening to his inside perspective and knowledge on every facet of modern-age Korean war (and beyond), events, and policies was extremely interesting and helpful. I've heard The Korean War being called The Forgotten War before; being overshadowed by such conflicts as WWII and The Vietnam War, which is a shame. It's a very interesting and important piece of our history and affects us even to this day. After the museum we took a walk past the military base and ended up in the heart of Itaewan. I'm not a big fan of Itaewan. It's extremely far removed from Korean culture and if you were by some chance teleported onto it's streets from let's say...some borough  of Chicago, you wouldn't know the difference. But then take that street, full of every 'world' and 'foreign' food option on the planet, and combine it with a frat boy that has a little too much freedom on his hands and an ego to lug around as big as his love for 'Murica: That's Itaewan. Not my favorite. During the day it's ok! But at night it's a whole different animal. But, like I said, we went there during the day and I'm soooo glad we did. Richard took us to Vatos Tacos: A lovely Mexican food joint set atop one of the hills overlooking the surrounding area of Seoul. My Mom and I split my very first Corona-Rita (A Corona stuck into a fish bowl size margarita.) and, I must be slowly evolving because I opted for the kimchi burrito. Dee-lish. Seoul is my Mexican food haven. I don't care if I'm on a diet. Whenever I'm in Seoul I'm having at least one burrito. Two if I'm lucky.
After we parted ways, it was back to Insadong for some last minute shopping and whatever else we need to wrap up before heading back to Daejeon. I had a custom stamp made of my name (in Korean) by a famous stamp shop and Uncle Mark did the same for his friend's daughter Chloe. The hangul characters are situated in a square format on the end of a marble block. We both bought traditional ink( set in a lovely celadon dish) to use with our stamps. So beautiful! Just talking about it makes me want to go home and use it! Anyone want a hand written note??? ;)

Monday my family was invited to my school to participate in my class. My Monday schedule consists of five straight 4th grade classes so it was time for my parents to down a couple cups of coffee and deal with the energy that is Korean children. My students were adorable and had so many questions. The gems of course being: Do you like Psy? Do you like kimchi? And why is your Uncle bald? My lesson was titled Touch Your Nose -learning body parts and actions. So, like any good elementary school teacher, I started off class by singing Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. My Dad took a video which I'm sure will come back to haunt me. I incorporated my family into the game component of class. Each family member was a different station. Every student had to say the key sentence at their station and play Rock, Scissors, Paper with them. If they won my family signed their paper. They needed all four signatures to win. I think my family had just as much fun, if not more, as my students did. They were celebrities and at the end of each class they were swarmed with students asking for their autographs. Too cute.
Korean hospitality is incredible. After school Hyo and my former co-teachers, Chani and Mrs. Nam, took my parents out to dinner. That simple sentence really doesn't do our evening justice so let me elaborate. Mrs. Nam picked all of us up in her car and drove us a half hour outside of Panam to this amazing restaurant in the mountains. The restaurant was more of a compound. It was comprised of three or more buildings surrounding a central fire pit, waterfall, and botanical, latern-lit, walkway. It was beautiful. We dined on 비빔밥 and 파전 and had enough sides to cover two tables. We almost need two tables once the chestnut mackoli came... It was a lovely spread, with lovely conversation, and lovely people. I'm so grateful to have met this group of women and I'm even more thankful that my family got to meet them. They were saying extremely sweet things (buttering me up for my looming contract re-sign date no doubt..) such as "Oh, we think Jessica is the best foreign teacher in Daejeon". Craziness. But I was thankful all the same; even if my face was beet red. After stuffing ourselves a day out in Korea is not complete without going to another mountain for coffee and you guessed it, more food. We walked along a beautiful valley walkway drinking lemonade until it was time to call it a night and head home.

Tuesday was a bit of a blur. But one thing is for sure: What was set up to be a casual, hospitable dinner, turned out to be a night that change the entire dynamic of my family's trip. Hana, one of my new coteachers, said that when her Mom wanted to invite my family and I over to their home for dinner. Our week was slowly becoming more and more booked but I had to accept because she is so adorable and what another great experience this could be. I left with Hana straight from school and met everyone at Noeun Station. Panam (where I work) is at one end of the subway and Noeun is two stops away from the opposing end. It's a long trip which Hana takes every day. We arrived at Hana's home to find the little kitchen table already set with an adorable place setting for four. Yes, four. Hana's Mom already ate and simply wanted to cook and serve us. She made 비빔밥 (the third or fourth time my parents ate it, haha) and rice cakes. Hana's mother was/is absolutely adorable. It's almost exhausting to write about. There's so much I can say. She doesn't speak any English but she felt so strongly about welcoming us into her home that it didn't really matter. Smiling and giggling was enough to parle this cultural barrier into a beautiful friendship. After dinner we went out for coffee at a cafe in Banseok (Note to self: Go to Banseok more. It's lovely.). And, surprise surprise! Neither Hana nor Poppy drink coffee. They just wanted to take us out; assuming we liked coffee. We sat at this cafe until 10 o'clock at night. This is actually when we found out that Poppy doesn't like her real name and insisted on ebing called Poppy (sounds more like "puppy") by her friends and family. Hana was explaining this to us and we repeated "Poppy" after her. Poppy's face lit up and she started laughing at hearing us say her nick-name. The night went on and as a display of her adorable personality, she offered to take my family out for the day while I was at work the next day. She was afraid that they would be lonely or get lost. I think my parents were a little nervous of the idea (language barrier/taking up Poppy's time) but I convinced them to go. The conversation turned to the following days events and led to a statement that made all of us laugh for a good hour. Hana was concerned that her Mom might be a little "full speed ahead" so she told my family to make sure she knew when they needed a break. Then my Dad said, "Poppy! Break!" This cracked Poppy up. I've never seen a Korean laugh with such uninhibited force. It was hilarious. My eyes were watering up because she would laugh and repeat "Poppy-break!" over and over under her breath to herself because she found it so funny. I knew my family was going to have a fabulous time. I just wasn't sure when I'd see them again, Poppy had so much planned.
They did have a fabulous time. So much so that Poppy offered to take them out again while I was at work the following day. She fed them and fed them. And then fed them some more. Noodles and kimbap. Tofu rice and red bean ice cream. Galbi and tteokboki. So much food, so little time.

Admist all of the travel, sight-seeing, and food ingesting; I had to get ready for an artshow. My -international debut, if you will. My parents were *awesome* enough to bring me some of my most missed art supplies so I could make pieces for a show I was supposed to install on...oh yeah, Friday. Oh wait. Nope. Change of plans: Thursday. It was a wee bit stressful navigating around suitcases and finding a place to make the work; but my family were cordial guests and moved things around as best as they could. But, it was hot, and I was unsure as to how things would dry in this climate, and I was unsure about other factors; like whether or not my floor was level (affecting how things would pool). All of these things (and then some) were stressing me out for a couple days and I'm sure I wasn't the most pleasent person to be around. Especially after my pieces dried. I wasn't pleased with how they turned out. And, like I said, I was treating this show as a modest international debut of sorts. But I tried to erase away the most offending bits, packed them up, and installed them at the gallery anyhow.

When I had the chance to steal my folks away from their new-found best friend, I introduced them to some of mine. Kyle, Tony, and I went out into late nights full of roof top bars, tables that cooled your beer, good conversation, and some stories that were probably best left unsaid. But ehh, I got nothing to hide. Case in point: Friday night I took them out to experience a little Korean nightlife, Daejeon style. That's right. Timeworld. After a nice dinner with a few of my closest chingus it was off to a wee bar to post up, have a couple Asian brews, and meet whomever else was wandering the streets. I did have a few "What am I thinking?!" moments as F'bombs were flying off the shelves. But eh, we're all adults here. And meeting my amazing and eclectic group of friends was half of the reason I took them out into the bright lights of Daejeon's entertainment district.
I must've been feeling my martini from dinner because I ended up taking them to Cantina. haha It was fun though! We ended up playing pool, making rounds between groups of friends, and managed to avoid any awkward situations that may come with bringing ones parents to their bar. Ohh wait, nope. I forgot. When we were leaving one of my friends was outside howling like a wolf... So close!
After Cantina I took my Mom and Dad to norebox. I knew my Mom would be instantly hooked. We pumped won after won into that thing and ended up singing for almost two hours. Our last song was a Carole King number that suited both of our vocal ranges. So, I say, we went out with a bang. 99% I believe! I had them home by 3am. Great success.

Staying in step with the true form of my parents vacation, it was Wake up! and 빨리빨리! once again teh following morning. Poppy invited us over for lunch again and of course we couldn't say no (Even though we were pretty exhausted.). She made three different courses for lunch and three different kimchis as sides. After lunch she took us to Daejeon Dam. I was feeling a little bit pressed for time because we also wanted to fit in a Daejeon Citizens soccer game before my art opening later on that night. But! Once again, I'm so glad we took her up on her offer because it turned into another cute moment to put in our mental scrapbook of Poppy. Long story short: We ended up singing karaoke on top of a mountain to an audience of Korean adjummas and ajushiis. My Dad made a comment that Poppy reminded him of his Aunt Anne. So true! When travelling with Autn Anne you always find yourself doing things that you wouldn't normally think to do...or, that you were allowed to do. But Poppy and Aunt Anne want you to have the best time possible regardless of whatever else is happening. So, Poppy saw a man singing to a group of people. She went up and asked if we could sing instead. Why not? So we put on a little waygook spectacle and sang Let It Be. Don't worry. I won't forget you when I'm famous.

Poppy and Hana dropped us off at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium to take in a football game. Daejeon happened to be playing Seoul that day; the timing couldn't of been more perfect. Heading into the stadium I saw a couple of my students, but once we got inside it turned out to be a Panam Elementary school party. The entire soccer team was there and we happened to sit right in front of them. We had to leave early but Daejeon played a decent game from what we saw! They handled the ball pretty well, especially since  they are the lowest ranked team in the league and Seoul is the highest! haha I can't wait to go back and take in a full game.

We had to rush home from the stadium to make it back in time for my art opening. I actually had to sprint across the park in front of my building just so I could have time for a shower. But we got ready, hailed a cab, and made it there in reasonable time. The gallery was lit beautifully from the outside. Watching the patrons inside from the street was almost a work of art in itself. We had an amazing turnout and my work was pretty well received. I have a few purchase offers and I was interviewed by a man who works for a cultural newspaper based in Seoul. International exposure? I'll take it! It was great experience, confidence booster, and jump-starter. I'm so happy to be apart of this collective and all around lovely group of people.  Your hard work and steadfast organization pulled off. I can't wait for our next show! Pieces are already in the works!

The show marked the last event and last evening with my parents. It was a bittersweet whirlwind that was coming to a close. My parents shuttle bus to the airport was leaving at 11:30am and of course Poppy had to come see them off. She even swung by my apartment and loaded up their luggage even thought the bus station was in walking distance. Too cute. So we all stood, huddling in the wind, reminiscing about the past week and how it flew by. Poppy stood there arms interlocked and hands clutched tight with my Mom. So much happened and such a strong bond has been forged between two people who live worlds-apart. Poppy had to continuously wipe away tears, which led to my Mom unleashing a waterfall, which led to me crying, and eventually the trickle-down effect was so strong that my Dad let loose a tear or two. When their bus arrived, like everything here, they had to throw their luggage underneath and rush on. No time for long goodbyes here. My Mom, Dad, and Uncle Mark hugged me goodbye; dotting my shirt with tears. Poppy held my hand as we waved to them from their bus windows. And as the bus took off Poppy pulled me along to meet them at the stop light though we were too slow to reach them. It was a sweet farewell and I'm so glad that my family was able to see I was in good hands. Literally. Poppy walked me back to her car and insisted on driving me back to my place because she was afraid I'd feel lonely. As soon as we got into her car she put on Track 15 and whimpered "Marie". That was the song they listened and danced to over and over on their weekday outings. Absolutely adorable considering it was an extremely obnoxious 80's K-Pop song. It lightened the mood for sure.
The drive back took a whole 5 minutes (just enough time to finish the song!). Poppy got out of the car to walk me to the entrance to my place; still worried that I'd feel sad and alone tonight. She hugged me and whispered "Jessica, I love you. Jessica, I love you." over and over. Enough to make anyone cry, right? Well, once again, Poppy has a way of lightening the mood; unintentionally this time! She's short. So. As she hugged me: Her arms wrapped around me and her hands fell onto my butt. I couldn't help but laugh.

So yeah. That's about it! I know I'm leaving some details out... No doubt my Dad will read this and say: "Hey! What about this!" But to sum up my family's visit... It was: surreal, eye-opening, confidence building, life-affirming, amazing, loving, adventurous, trusting, slightly stressful, and fun.

(I wrote this entry 10 minutes at a time at the end of each school day whenever I had time. Sorry if it's lacking in transitions and literary devices. No timeeee!  ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ!)

My next post will talk about my new after-school class on Travel & Culture (My subject choice. Obvi.), random nights out on the town, my recent successes in the classroom, my new workout routine (!!!), a weekend trip to Busan, another to Daecheon beach, Ultra Music Festvival, upcoming travels, and whether or not you view an avocado as a fruit. Discuss.

I'm never going to catch up on this blog am I...?

The Long Way Home

I wrote this post a while back, but never clicked 'publish'. Is it too late to post now that I've decided (Yepp, I've changed my mind yet again.) to stay? haha
Written April, 30th:
       I've barely had time to clean my apartment for my parents arrival (tomorrow!) let alone keep up on this blog. I fear that I've been leaving out so many details these past few posts that this has turned into Jessica's Sparks Notes on Korea rather than an actual journal. Not what I intended.

But, one abrupt thing I can tell you right off the bat: I've changed my thoughts on re-signing. Sure the money and the travel opportunities here are unlike anything I've experienced before and I do feel somewhat selfish giving that up. But. I feel like it's time to move on.  I feel that if I stayed here another year I would just be further delaying the inevitable. I need to move on and ...grow up(?) Grow up more so than living in a foreign country like Korea can bring me. I'm sure that's hard to understand. Hard to understand unless you are here; living this life. The best I, and friends of mine here, can describe it: It's not real life. It's a strange limbo. I'm not saying that everyone here who resigns is running from something. Some have long term goals with ESL. But for me, I feel the need to keep exploring.

And keep exploring I will. Here are my tentative plans: I will end my contract in August and travel for a month -country hopping South East Asia or possibly making the big leap to Europe and flying the opposite way around the world. Then! I'll spend my birthday month at home, apply for grad school and visit all my lovelies from The States. After touching home base, I'm off again to explore The America I never knew. Kate and I plan on getting our Jack Kerouac on and travelling across the country. I've already begun to map out our route. Tentatively I'll head East, pick up Kate in Jersey, head down the Coast popping in to visit our Nation's Capital (What "All-American Road Trip" would be complete without it?), swing Westward and hit cities like New Orleans and Austin, Texas before transforming into Hunter S. Thompson en route to Vegas (minus the drugs). Then head North along the Californian coast to the redwoods, run with the buffalo in Yellow Stone National Park, then cross back towards the Midwest chasing the fumes of the Motor City. Some inspirational reading here: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/The-Long-Way-Home-USA.html

It's interesting to re-read that now that my contract renewal is signed and in the mail. I guess not much has changed in my sentiments from above. I still want to travel, I still want to take that road trip, and yes, it is still limbo. But, it's amazing how a week (and weeks worth of thought, I assure you) can change things. Never have I felt so welcome and so comfortable in Korea as I do now. My parents teased (and feared I'm sure) that them living with me for 12 days would make me want to stay in Korea forever. They were right. But for a different reason. I realized that I can always return home. But is this opportunity always going to be there? Not necessarily. I weighed the pros and cons over and over again in my head and resolved that I would ultimately regret it in the long-run if I went home in a couple months. Time goes by so fast here. It goes by fast, but you're able to see and do so much. Looking back at my time here I've been to three different countries, seen every coast of the Korean peninsula, learned how to read Korean, performed in a play with a cast/crew from all over the world, exhibited my artwork on an international scale, made life-long friends from 8 different countries, all while having my own apartment and a padded bank account to aide in these adventures. Not too bad for a year. And I'm sure the next one will be just as amazing...if not more so.

Oh, excuse me 8 months. I didn't notice you were there.


Things have been held at a constant pace of full speed ahead here. I can't really remember the last time I was "bored". Sure, sitting here at my school desk can be a little tiresome. I've logged in too many hours in this chair and my butt is beginning to feel flat (Is that even possible? Maybe not.). But honestly, what's there to complain about when in my free time (at work) all I do is listen to new music and research my next trip to Hong Kong and Japan? Not much. Not much at all.
 
Last week I decided to have a little dinner party at my place to celebrate the fact that...well, everything's fine here! Threats from North Korea have done little to impact any aspect of life here in South Korea. So, the name of my party was North Korea: Aint Nobody Got Time For That. Yep. I provided the 'Nuclear Noodles', 'Supreme Leader Salad', and 'Rocket Propelled Blueberry Cake'. Call me insensitive, but when you're here and your family and friends and your friend's family and friends are back home worrying, it does take a toll on you. And you do start to worry a little bit. (Or, at least have the feeling that maybe you should start to worry a little bit.) A little poking-fun was in order. So, we ate in celebration of the fact that nothing serious happened or was going to happen. Take that North Korea: You make threats. We party.
Though, a funny thing did happen... I live right by the Government Complex in Daejeon. It's actually directly across from my building. And as a couple of my friends made their way to my place they were greeted by guards. Guards hiding in bushes. Guards hiding in bushes with guns. Big guns apparently. On two separate occasions people walked in saying: "You'll never guess what just happened..." It added to the theme of the night that's for sure!
Seriously though, remember when North Korea was a 'thing'?
 
On a completely different note (Make art not war.), this past week I was fortunate enough to have been photographed by my artistic-peer and friend Sasha. She's in the process of making a body of work to show at the exhibition that I too have been preparing for. I had to take a cab to her place. She lives in an house-apartment in a residential area just outside of Dunsan so the ride there wasn't too painful. Aside from the fact that I'm pretty sure the cab driver hated me. I ditched out of that cab quicker than you can say "Yogio!" She's been here for about 6 years so her home was... homey! I loved it. Art and photo shoot props were tacked up everywhere. It reminded me of my room/studio space back in Michigan. She even had a lovable, squirmy, little dude of a Boston Terrier named Bruce Wayne.
Hair and makeup took about an hour. I leaned back in her makeup chair and the next thing I knew I had eyebrows made of blue glitter and a head dress made of seashells. Her makeup hand was impressively steady and delicate. I was never good at doing other people's makeup. (Turns out: She grew up around drag queens. Ah, yes! That might explain it.) After the makeup was complete she wrapped my hair around foam props (half of which we had to wrestle away from Bruce Wayne) and added octopus tentacles made out of handmade paper. Her latest series turns the women she photographs into goddesses based off of their and her own personal aesthetic. I just happened to be a sea goddess. Go figure. :)
The photo shoot itself took about an hour. My back was starting to feel the pangs of the heavy headdress and hours logged in at a computer chair. But I felt feminine and powerful. Sasha's direction made me feel comfortable and gave me a confidence that had me leaning towards the thought I might have a clue as to what I was doing.
 It was an amazing experience and one that I haven't had in a while. I miss getting weird with clay and paint. And the photos came out... incredible. I can't believe that they're me.
 
This past weekend I hopped a train with a couple of friends and headed two hours South East to the city of Daegu. I've never been to Daegu. I've always heard that it was eclectic, fun, and foreigner friendly due to the large military presence there. Having been, I'd have to say that all of the above are true.
After a late night of biking and beer, waking up in the morning to head to the train station would be a challenge for anyone. But I'm usually a morning person. But I'm not a morning person when it's freezing rain and our activities for the day include climbing trees and zip lining. Thankfully, we are a giddy and resilient little group that could have fun with a cardboard box and a flashlight. (This theory has yet to be tested.)
The train ride there was super cute. Me and my little group turned our chairs around so that we could face one another, share stories, and more importantly -share snacks. About fifteen minutes outside of Daejeon is started snowing. Snowing!!! We laughed at the fact that we packed Spring clothes and at the fact that we were being transported into Narnia.
Seriously Korea. Get your weather together. I know you've got something to prove to this little Michigander, but I get it. You're moody.
To throw another wrench in our weekend plans, our booking at the hostel was messed up and we were met by two other 'friends' who turned out to be THE biggest party-poopers on the face of the planet. Like I said, WE could have fun in a cardboard box. Safe to say that these two would've been kicked out of our cardboard box fort long ago. We might've even put up a blanket moat for extra measure...
So, what to do on a rainy day in a city know for it's outdoor activities? A dog/cat cafe of course! I've seen photos. But I've never been. Until now. So, how does a dog cafe work? Well. You buy an expensive coffee or tea of your choice and walk into a room to cuddle with dogs of all shapes and sizes. It wasn't long til we fell in love. We all sat in a circle on the floor and played into the whim of each dog. Some wanted to cuddle. Some wanted to sleep in your lap. And some wanted to attack your clothing. All of which were fine by me.
After spending some time with Man's Best Friend, we headed downstairs to the cat cafe. I wasn't too excited by this, but! there we met up with a friend of a friend (a Daegu EPIK teacher) who added to the group like no one else could. If those two that joined us earlier were fun-suckers, Willie was the opposite of that. We meandered about town for a bit and finally parted ways with the Debbie-Downers. Once they left, I swear to you the clouds parted, the sun came out and everyone couldn’t stop laughing. Since our adventure in the trees was post-poned til Sunday, we fell back on other things that Daegu had to offer. One of them being a shooting range. Kate had it in her mind that she was going to shoot something that day, and that day she did. We split up into two taxis and made the long journey north to the only shooting range in Korea. (In Korea it’s illegal to own a gun. Except if you're a hunter. Even then, the gun is kept at the police station during off-seasons. Smart.) Of course, to add to our anything-but-smooth-sailing weekend, our cab driver got lost. The other half of our group made it to the range and not two minutes after I said “Ya know, they’re probably there already.” we got a call from Willie saying: “Hey, we’re already here.” Oh yeah, and did I mention Kate’s umbrella broke in the car? We  couldn’t win. And yes, we were all ready to shoot some firearms.
We made it there with about a half hour left before the place closed. Four out of the six of us signed their lives away, were slapped up inside of bullet proof vests, escorted into a sound proof booth and were handed a police issue Glock. I wasn’t one of them. In lieu of everything happening around the world, I had to stick to my guns and abstain. Pun intended. So I was the photographer and cheerleader. Let’s just say…I don’t plan on making any of my friends mad anytime soon.

The nightlife in Daegu was promising. Yes. It was still raining. But that didn’t keep any expats away from standing outside to wait for a cocktail in a bag. I ordered a tequila sunrise. With no sun to be had. Cocktails in bags are famous here in Korea. Kinda like an adult Capri Sun. Walking around with one in hand is truly the epitome of what it’s like to be an expat in Korea: It feels like one big vacation. After dinner we hit up a couple expat bars and danced until we sweat out our tequila. This wasn’t difficult at all considering that the new PSY single was just released. Mother, father, GENTLEMAN! *grabs chin and swivels hips*
 
The next day we rose bright and early to head out to where we originally intended for our weekend to go: Herb Hillz Eco Park. This place was hilarious. Truly Korean. Everywhere you looked there were strange statues that seemed to have little to no cohesiveness. Buddhas next to gorillas, next to Superman next to the Phantom of the Opera, next to …wait, is that a Korean man dressed as a Mexican pulling a child on a donkey? Yes it is. The term politically correct is still young here in Korea…
But we didn’t come here for the statues! We came to Herb Hillz to tackle the tree top rope and zip line course. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve recently developed a fear of heights. But I’ve always wanted to zip line, and for a flat fee of $20 how could I pass up this adventure?
Staying true to Korean form, after a 15 minutes crash course in how to clip and unclip yourself to cables and how to attach your own zip line (All in Korean. Monkey see; monkey do I guess!) we were off! Left to our own upper body strength among the trees. I followed behind Kate and Dana behind me. We formed a little caravan of laughter and “What the hell is this?!” banter. Surprisingly enough, I never pictured myself skateboarding through trees 100ft off the ground....but that day it was made so!
We all made it through the course and carried with us an adrenaline high to last us the entire day.

I have SO much more to talk about! But, this post is running long as it is so I'll save my ramblings for a different day. 

Now, go try some kimchi!
 
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