January 2010
67 posts
Don't Hate...
So I am not in anyway trying to be negative… but warning - this is not a happy post. Well, maybe what I do with the situation will be happy - or positive at least.
Anyways, tonight after a pathetic workout I went to the local grocery store - you may remember some stories from there… ie. chasing me down thinking I stole their food, rudeness, etc.). I needed to buy some items to make...
Dondaemun
A creative person’s haven. Seriously. Ever needed beads? zippers? buttons? clasps? fabric? fake fur? duck tape in every color imaginable? You can find ANYTHING - I would say hands down anything - at Dondaemun. I have always loved going there - well since I moved here that is, but lately I have taken my love of Dondaemun to a whole new level. I recently discovered - I KNOW - the 5th floor in...
sadfkalwdfha
is what I wanted to SHOUT at my supervisor today when she came up to me to say they (the principal and her) were worried about my class. No sh#@ - they should be worried… I have been for the past few months as we steadily lost students. I especially wanted to shout this when it was suggested (by her) to spend more time with the kids and really show them love - hello! HELLO - I do this...
Korean Gyms
So far I love working out at the gym I just joined - mostly because it is quite close to my house. However, there is some craziness in this gym, and I suspect ALL gyms here. First, what is with the archaic fat shaker machines that you see in the retro movies… you know the ones that have a big band that jiggle your legs or waist? There are 3 of them at my gym - TWO different kinds actually!...
WatchSammy and a few others lately have been singing “I like to move it,” and I had no idea why until this weekend - Madagascar! Anyways, I skyped with my brother and sister this last week because they have never “met” my kids over skype and my parents have a few times. Well, I tried to get the kids to be a little less shy and dance/sing for them, but of course they...
Testing
Did you know there are SCHOOLS in Korea solely dedicated for IEP - Intensive English Practice - testing (tests for KINDERGARTENERS)?!? Well, there are. Additionally, we are preparing them for the tests daily, and today was the “official” practice test. Talk about nerve-racking for 6 year olds (US 5 year olds). These tests, which would be equivalent to about 2nd grade in the US, have...
WatchSammy and a few others lately have been singing “I like to move it,” and I had no idea why until this weekend - Madagascar! Anyways, I skyped with my brother and sister this last week because they have never “met” my kids over skype and my parents have a few times. Well, I tried to get the kids to be a little less shy and dance/sing for them, but of course they...
Ice Fishing
This weekend we went Ice Fishing with Adventure Korea. A friend told me about the trip when I first got here last summer, and I thought it sounded like something I would want to do. Right before I went home for Christmas break, I booked my seat on the trip anticipating a great time. I felt like lately I had been lackadaisical in my touristing here, so I am trying to pick it back up regardless of...
“What happened to Jamie Teacher’s golden hair?” - Tony in Dragon...”
– I TEMPORARILY dyed my hair last week, and some of the kids noticed that my “golden” hair is now red. Ha.
Americuh
To sum up my wonderful vacation back home and to NYC in one blog post is difficult, but I had so much fun that I didn’t want to blog about it until I was settled back in Seoul. Here we go.
In a nutshell: I ate TOO much western food like: bread, cookies, Italian deliciousness, bagels, etc. I slept random hours A LOT. I saw SO many good friends. I shared quite a few Korean goodies and stories...
First day back...
and it was the biggest snow Korea has seen in over 100 years. To say it caused havoc, is an understatement. However, in traditional Korean style, we went on with our daily jobs… regardless how much snow fell and how crippled the transportation system was. I took the subway - lugging a huge bag of toys for the classroom. WORST subway ride ever. Despite walking through the blizzard, people...
“Black tyrannosauruses are MUCH stronger than rainbow tyrannosauruses” -...”
– Greg and Kevin were arguing while we lined up to wash our hands about dinosaurs… I am beginning to love this theme. Everytime I am working at my desk while they are playing with the dinosaur flashcards we made, I hear all these HUGE impossible (for me) to pronounce dinosaur names coming from...
Here's to you.
I just got off a phone interview - well, what I thought was going to be one - that turned into more of a “let me talk at you about your lack of experience and skills session.” Needless to say, the person I spoke with not only thought I would be an incompetent Business school student, but also thought I was wasting my money. Oh, and did I mention they think that if I work on Wall Street...
WatchPat - thanks for the toys! Over Christmas break I went home, and while I was home bought some great toys with my brother at Target for the kids. They are OBSESSED with them as the video shows.
