Today all I could think about was how lucky I am to be here. I get to travel. I get to teach. I get to meet extremely interesting people and experience a entirely different culture. To top if off I have family and friends who love me back at home. I really can't complain, even if things don't always go as well as I would want them to. I know I will never look back on this experience and regret it. Not for one second.
So I'll have good days and I'll have bad days, but everyone does. And I will write about both. It doesn't matter if you're in Portland, Korea, Canada, Colorado or where ever, there will always be good and bad days. So even though sometimes I do get frustrated and hate it here I know I just have to take it one day at a time.
It's easy to think about the things I gave up, but it can't compare to what I will have gained.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Pics of HK
One day I will see the big buddha!
Day 1
-Wait at the airport forever for my friends flight to arrive after being delayed forever.
-Take a bus to Hong Kong Island to find a hostel for the night. I seriously think karma got us there. If we hadn't have run into a Canadian headed to the same place I'm not sure if we ever would have found it.
-Wan Chai
Day 2
- Stanley Market
- The Peak...the view was amazing
- Mastered the subway (very user friendly!)
-Lan Kwai Fong
Day 3
- Star Ferry
- Kowloon
- Nathan Road ...ect.
- Dim Sum
- Mid Autumn Festival
- Dragon Dance
- Red eye back to Korea :(
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Hong Kong
I made it! Hong Kong is crazy! I luv it! If you ever get a chance go...don't even think about it, just go. Before I leave I definitely want to go back just to do some major shopping. I have never seen so many stores in my life. Plus everyone speaks English!
p.s. Hong Kong has there own currency. I did not know this. FYI.
Converting the won to the US dollar to the Hong Kong dollar = headache. I'm not a fan.
In two days I think we crammed in enough for a full week. The crazy schedule I had for getting me back to work today left me pretty drained but it was well worth it. I took tons of pics, so they will go up soon I promise.
Anyway so it's weird thinking after staying in a hostel it feels good to be "home". Gwangju is starting to feel like home. Weird. The Hong Kong hostel however, is really nice. Way better then what I thought it would be :)
Ok, more to come...
p.s. Hong Kong has there own currency. I did not know this. FYI.
Converting the won to the US dollar to the Hong Kong dollar = headache. I'm not a fan.
In two days I think we crammed in enough for a full week. The crazy schedule I had for getting me back to work today left me pretty drained but it was well worth it. I took tons of pics, so they will go up soon I promise.
Anyway so it's weird thinking after staying in a hostel it feels good to be "home". Gwangju is starting to feel like home. Weird. The Hong Kong hostel however, is really nice. Way better then what I thought it would be :)
Ok, more to come...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Hong Kong is Back On
So I'm still going to Hong Kong, but only for three days...sadness. Oh well, it's better then nothing. At least I get out of here for a little while.
Ok so I was being a little dramatic. Sorry. I've learned my lesson, don't blog in a bad mood. Haha.
So here a pic from the Ethnic Cafe in Gwangju. This is my absolute favorite place to go downtown. The guy in the middle is referred to as "sexy boy." I'm guessing his Korean name is really hard to pronounce. I think he owns the place.
Ok so I was being a little dramatic. Sorry. I've learned my lesson, don't blog in a bad mood. Haha.
So here a pic from the Ethnic Cafe in Gwangju. This is my absolute favorite place to go downtown. The guy in the middle is referred to as "sexy boy." I'm guessing his Korean name is really hard to pronounce. I think he owns the place.
Bad day
I hate it here today.
Apparently there was a huge miscommunication regarding the schedule for the rest of the term. This includes the fact that there will be school on Thursday and Friday of next week. The week when I am supposed to be off exploring the inner workings of one of China's most exciting cities. Aka, my Hong Kong trip is screwed. To make matters worse, one of the other teachers quit. Awesome!
Korea also sucks because there is no such thing as a "sick day." I feel like this is a completely foreign concept to them. No matter how sick you feel you still show up. I'm pretty sure it's standard to keel over standing at the podium of your classroom. This also applies to family emergencies. If you have a death in your family, you still show up. That's just how it is.
Twisted words, broken promises, crying directors, school reputations, threatening to with holding pay checks, can I come home yet?
Where do you draw the line between the all American "god complex" and respecting the culture you've decided to throw yourself into. Sometimes I think people out here forget to think about that.
Apparently there was a huge miscommunication regarding the schedule for the rest of the term. This includes the fact that there will be school on Thursday and Friday of next week. The week when I am supposed to be off exploring the inner workings of one of China's most exciting cities. Aka, my Hong Kong trip is screwed. To make matters worse, one of the other teachers quit. Awesome!
Korea also sucks because there is no such thing as a "sick day." I feel like this is a completely foreign concept to them. No matter how sick you feel you still show up. I'm pretty sure it's standard to keel over standing at the podium of your classroom. This also applies to family emergencies. If you have a death in your family, you still show up. That's just how it is.
Twisted words, broken promises, crying directors, school reputations, threatening to with holding pay checks, can I come home yet?
Where do you draw the line between the all American "god complex" and respecting the culture you've decided to throw yourself into. Sometimes I think people out here forget to think about that.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Typhoon
My first real life Typhoon, yeehaa! Yeehaa was actually in a book I had to teach the kids yesterday. I told them only cowboys say "yeehaa"...lol. Anyway so I'm not directly in the storm, it's supposed to cross over North Korea...but like I said before Korea is a really small country. I guess we are supposed to have some torrential rainfall tomorrow and Friday. It almost feels like home! But not really...lol. Maybe I'll try to get some video. Apparently you can send anything to the Asian CNN and they will air it. The other day someone sent in a picture of some random soldiers in Gwangju and it aired. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. Plus it will be a really good way to test my camera before my big trip.
Hope all is well!
Hope all is well!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Hi!
Ok I've been slacking big time. I'm sorry.
So only 6 DAYS until I'm in HONG KONG!!!! woohoo! I'm sooooo pumped! It's crazy to think that a year ago I would have never imagined I'd be living in Korea right now, let alone leaving for Hong Kong in less then a week. You seriously never know.
Ok so here are some of the things the kids and my random Korean friends have taught me...
1. When you see this... ^ ^ ... in a text message it means :)
2. They eat monkey brains and bear paws in china.
3. Koreans think that everything is "good for your health."
4. Almost all of my students eat rice for breakfast. (with kimchi of course)
5. If you promise to do the chicken dance you can get your students do to just about anything.
6. Korean children will find every way possible to "not" say a bad word in English. My favorite is "sun on the beach." ...lol. They are clever, aren't they?
7. Koreans usually eat dog when it is very hot in the summer. Although they usually won't admit they eat it at all.
Well that's all I've got for now... I'll think of more tomorrow on the bus to my Korean lesson.
So only 6 DAYS until I'm in HONG KONG!!!! woohoo! I'm sooooo pumped! It's crazy to think that a year ago I would have never imagined I'd be living in Korea right now, let alone leaving for Hong Kong in less then a week. You seriously never know.
Ok so here are some of the things the kids and my random Korean friends have taught me...
1. When you see this... ^ ^ ... in a text message it means :)
2. They eat monkey brains and bear paws in china.
3. Koreans think that everything is "good for your health."
4. Almost all of my students eat rice for breakfast. (with kimchi of course)
5. If you promise to do the chicken dance you can get your students do to just about anything.
6. Korean children will find every way possible to "not" say a bad word in English. My favorite is "sun on the beach." ...lol. They are clever, aren't they?
7. Koreans usually eat dog when it is very hot in the summer. Although they usually won't admit they eat it at all.
Well that's all I've got for now... I'll think of more tomorrow on the bus to my Korean lesson.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
The Heart
Koreans love to make the heart when they take pictures as a couple...
I love it. Couples wear, men lugging around their girlfriends purse, the hearts. Koreans are all about the love. On a side note I love the enormous black bow, very stylish :)
I just started teaching two new students this week...just a basic conversation class(aka a piece of cake). I love it because I get to talk to them about whatever I want for 40 minutes so they can practice listening and speaking. Today we talked about relationships in Korea...keep in mind these are two high school boys. They told me they would try not to wear "couples wear" because their friends would probably make fun of them. Awe, some things are the same no matter what country you live in. They added however, "if it was what the girl wanted then I would, to show I was proud of our relationship." When I asked them if they would carry their girlfriends purse they responded with, "of course!" They looked at me like I was crazy for even asking the question. How freakin cute!
I love it. Couples wear, men lugging around their girlfriends purse, the hearts. Koreans are all about the love. On a side note I love the enormous black bow, very stylish :)
I just started teaching two new students this week...just a basic conversation class(aka a piece of cake). I love it because I get to talk to them about whatever I want for 40 minutes so they can practice listening and speaking. Today we talked about relationships in Korea...keep in mind these are two high school boys. They told me they would try not to wear "couples wear" because their friends would probably make fun of them. Awe, some things are the same no matter what country you live in. They added however, "if it was what the girl wanted then I would, to show I was proud of our relationship." When I asked them if they would carry their girlfriends purse they responded with, "of course!" They looked at me like I was crazy for even asking the question. How freakin cute!
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