Lots of Activities

 

 

So within the last three weeks, I have started going to a yoga class with some of my coworkers who were already doing it.  I figured I needed an activity that was away from my computer and my idea of yoga was that it was relaxing, easy exercise.  I was very wrong.  The yoga class I joined is very intensive and the teacher will physically adjust your body into the right position.  It is constant movement and hurts quite a bit but it is definately good exercise.  The first few classes were brutal and I kept getting nautious (probably cause I never exercise and my body was suddenly moving a lot) but I am thinking about continuing it for another month.  It cost me only 33000 won (roughly $33) for two 1-hour classes a week on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  I definately come home sore and find that I am sleeping more.  But it is good for me to exercise, so lets see if I can keep at it.

 

The cherry blossom trees started to really bloom but sadly they are dying very quickly.  I made sure to take pictures before they were destroyed by the rainy season that is about to start.  I was really surprised to find that these trees practically bloomed over night.  I mean there were no flowers when I went home the frist day and when I came to school the next, they were half filled with flowers.  Talk about amazing.  It is really nice being able to walk to school or the store surrounded by cherry blossoms.

 

So, one of my favorite classes to teach is my sixth grade literature class.  Even though it is the class in which I probably have the most prep work to do, it is a lot of fun and the students seem to enjoy it a lot.  And since they like fantasy books, I can choose any fantasy book that I like for them to read.  For example, we are about to start reading Eragon in two weeks, and though it is a series, they can still read the first book without needing the remainder of the books to understand it.  Plus, it is one of my favorite fantasy series that I get to reread. 

 

We are continuing to do project themes in class and besides giving reports on Arctic animals, we finished up this Arctic animal theme with making polar bear hats.  It was a lot of fun for the kids and me, and I got some really cute pictures out of it.  Though I have to say, I'm surprised at how complicated a simple hat making project can be.  It was too bad that two of the students were absent and couldn't make the projects.  Other than the theme projects, classwork is going along as usually.  We are trying to learn a song for the song contest in a very short amount of time ... I'm not really sure how well that will go but hopefully the students can memorize the lyrics in time, even if they don't fully memorize the dance ... which I still need to figure out. *sigh* Dances and me are not a good combination.

 

Then we had a field trip with the students to a farm, where they could enjoy lots of flowers and stuff.  They had a lot of fun walking around and spending the day outside instead of sitting doing classwork all day.  I enjoyed the break as well though it does leave one physically tired, especially with no lunch break as we enjoyed lunch with the students.  They all had lots of snacks and kimbab and some fruit.  I had some egg salad sandwich and random snacks that were placed in my hands by the kids.  There was also a play area where the kids could experiment with different old style agricultural tools and a bug museum.  The bug museum was interesting because it had pictures made out of bugs.  Though it was also kind of creepy when you realized some of the bugs were cockroaches, not just butterflies.  The kids also had a lot of fun trying on my sunglasses.  On the way home, Michael ended up really interested in my phone.

Trying on Teacher's Glasses

Checking out Teacher's Phone

Picture Made out of Butterflies

PSY Concert and a Few Random Things

I posted recently (like a week ago) so there aren't too many new things going on at the moment.  First, which many of you who follow this blog already know, I extended my contract for an additional six months so my Korea Adventure will now be ending (unless something changes) end of February 2014 (a little after my 24th birthday).  I am excited to be staying in Korea longer and hope to enjoy me stay here.  Maybe actually travel more places and try some new foods.  I did try Tofu Soup, and got a ham and cheese soup but it was still spicy so could only eat about half of it.

Also, for those of you who follow the news, I am perfectly safe, North Korea hasn't done anything yet.  Thank you for your concern but at the moment I believe there isn't too much to worry about.  I have signed up to the travel abroad safety alerts and they haven't changed since I have been here.  Besides, Korea has always technically been at war, they just have been under a ceasefire for the last 60 odd years.  I knew these facts before coming to Korea.  But again, thank you to those who are worrying.  I send you my love from Korea!  <3

My students did a fun project during the Arctic Animals project theme class.  Basically, the goal was to see how a polar bear's blubber kept a polar bear warm when it swam in icy water.  So we had a bucket of ice and a glove with butter (to act as the blubber) in it.  They stuck one hand in the blubber glove and then once it was in nice an tight and their hand was covered, they stuck both hands in the icy water to see which hand was colder.  Obviously the hand that was not in the glove was colder.  My kindergartener Mellisa made a really cute face as she stuck her hand in the water because she was so cold.  When we asked her if she was cold, all she could do was nod and she was barely able to keep her hands in the water.  It was really adorable. 

My mom sent me a box from home.  Thanks mom!  It is always nice to get a box from home.  Let's see ... what was in it...  Ah yes.   Shoes ... tennis shoes .... work shoes ... rain boots (really needed these as the rainy season will be starting soon and Korea gets a lot of typhoons).  Movies that I had ordered and sent home like LOTR series and the final series of InuYasha.  Reni Mimura's newest CD.  And some other random stuff that I wanted or needed.  Though a few things that were not meant to come to me ended up in my box... Well at least I can scan or take pictures of the few things that needed to be returned.  Ah but I did get my lovely black Chinese change purse that Karen's car had stolen right before I had left for Korea.  Thanks Karen!  <3  I will definately use it .... old blue one is kind of falling apart ... :(

Ok, now for the main reason for this blog.  So, Megan and Chris randomly realized that they were able to still get tickets for PSY's concert Happening.  For those of you who don't know who PSY is, he is the singer for the world-wide known song Gangnam Style.  Look it up on youtube and you will see what I am talking about.  Anyway, he is really popular all over.  According to my friends in America, it is popular there too and even basketball players are doing his dances as victory dances when they score.  Anyway, wanting the chance to see this famous and popular Korean singer in person, I managed to buy tickets the day before. 

Picture Taken By Megan

Chris and I had to go to three different PC Bans (places where people go to play computer games from what I understand ... my kind of place ^.^) to find a printer to print off our confirmation emails since I got my ticket after work on Friday.  Getting to the concert was pretty easy, it was at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul.  It took a while to find where to get the tickets but we made it in time and it was a lot of fun.  Before we found our area, a guy with a camera came up to us and started asking us questions about PSY's new video and if we had any words for PSY.  It was a little awkward for me as I hadn't even heard the new song yet and he wanted us to sing part of it.  But Chris did really well with the cameraman despite my awkwardness.  I wonder if anyone will actually see that ...  ...  ... That thought is a little scary. 

Picture Taken By Megan

We were in the front standing section and could see the singers and dancers in person and on the big screen.  The crowd was really energetic and I had a lot of fun.  Again ... I forgot my camera and had to steal pictures from Megan.  So, the concert was amazing.  Though I have been to small scale and a few school concerts, I have obviously never been to a concert like this one.  Especially a concert of such a big name and let me tell you it was quite an experience.  Fire shooting out of the stage, fireworks, lasers, confetti, and that was just a few of the special effects.  The back group visuals on the big screens, the blow up wings for the Paradise song, flying in the air with supports ... again can I saw AWESOME!  And those at the concert were the first in the world to see PSY's newest music video Gentlemen, the song having only been released the day before.

Not to mention PSY danced in a red and white bathing suit with red heeled boots to one of Beyonce's Single Ladies song.  It was hilarious.  Lee Hi, 2NE1, and G Dragon also made guest appearances.  According to Megan, I was really lucky because 2NE1 and G Dragon are also really big names and I was lucky to see them all in one concert.  Lee Hi sang a duet with PSY and 2NE1 and G Dragon each did two songs.  The concert lasted 3 hours, and the encore consisted of six songs.  We missed the last two songs because we needed to get home and public transportation eventually stops.  But from what I found out it was just a repeat of Gangnam Style and Gentlemen which we had seen earlier in the concert.  Everyone was jumping up and down waving the free light up sticks that we were given and I found out that the event had been live streamed on youtube for those who couldn't be there personally. 

Picture Taken By Megan

Picture Taken By Megan

So we left and ended up getting home around 11:30 so we stopped at McDonald's, the only thing open, as we were all hungry, having left for the concert around 3:45.  So we didn't get home until midnight.  It was a blast for me and it was a really cool experience to go to such a big concert.  I hope I get the chance again.  Anyway, thank you Megan as I stole your pictures again.  Also, on another random note ... The Cherry Blossoms are starting to bloom!!!!!!!!!  Yay!!!!

Settling Down Once More

Random Backpack at Cat Cafe

So I haven't posted in a while ... and for those of you waiting for a new post, here it is.  And yes, I finally took pictures of my new students so please enjoy.  Anyway, it took a little bit of time for things to settle down.  The kindergarteners' work level went from little to crammed full of work and so they needed time to adjust to the increased work loads and the new teachers, including our newest teacher, Elliot.  There isn't much new except Heather Teacher left and Elliot Teacher is here, but my classes seem to be going well.  There is a lot of work to do but I enjoy it for the most part (well except when I get sick .... again) but that is one of the hazards of working with kids.  I also seem to be eating out for lunch a little more often though still need to work on trying more foods.  Tried a random ramen the other day and my tongue yelled at me for a while and I didn't get to finish it even though it tasted fine. 

My Afternoon Kindergarteners

Another funny story is when I overheard one of my 6th graders asking Lucy Teacher where I was in the teacher group photo.  So I basically said, "Jin, turn around," and then at the same time took off my glasses and let my hair out of its ponytail.  It amused me just how wide her eyes got and she was like, "Wow, you look so different!"  Now that I wear my glasses more often ... eyes don't seem to like contacts anymore ... I tend to forget how different I do look when I take my glasses off.  The one day I randomly showed up in contacts, all of my students were like, "Who are you?" and I was like, "Your teacher...."  And of course my kindergartener Amy (new kindergarten) screamed cause it startled her so much.

My New Morning Kindergarteners (Missing Amy)

From Left to Right: Britney, Daniel, June, Michael, Mellisa, and Clara

Otherwise, we had a field trip to see a play about two kids and a tiger.  Basically, at least from what I understood, the girls didn't listen to their mother and opened the door to the strange tiger.  This caused the tiger to get there mom and eat her.  The tiger eventually catches them and they use many silly antics to get away from the tiger and eventually the girls ascend safely to heaven and become the sun and the moon.  My students (minus Britney) said it was not fun, but I think they actually enjoyed it and just want to give me a hard time.  Britney said she liked it because the tiger was funny (and it really was).

Went to see the movie Django in theaters with some co-workers.  It's nice to go to English movies here once and a while.  Django was pretty bloody and I hear there was a lot of controversy because it was a slavery movie made by a white person that made you laugh.  But at the same time, it really showed how cruel slavery was.  I enjoyed the movie, though at the same time it felt odd to laugh at things that really did happen but because of how they portrayed it, you couldn't help but laugh.  And the bad men (and women) got what they deserved in the end. 

After talking to my dad before his wedding, I came to the realization that when I was in Itaewon, I had only been maybe a 15 minute walk from the hospital that I had been born in.  It was ironic because when I was heading into Itaewon, I mentioned to Megan and Sarah that I wondered if that place was near where I had been born, because the area sounded familiar to me.  According to my dad, he figures that he and my mom had mentioned it enough that it was subconciously in my mind.  Either way, it was a little ironic and amusing that my hunch had been right.  I will have to convince myself to go back and check out the hospital where I was born because I hear it is open to the public.

Otherwise, I finally tried the Dino restaurant (all you can eat meat buffet that you cook yourself) that everyone was talking about.  It was pretty good though I do like to have more than just meat in a meal.  I also started watching Japanese dramas with Chris (*shakes fist at Chris for getting me addicted to them) and occassionally Megan.  We will have to try some Korean dramas sometime, too, as I know Chris really enjoys them.  The weather is finally starting to get nice out again, so hopefully now that I am getting better I can enjoy the weather on the weekends.

Ah, and I also went back to the cat cafe with Chris (this time without Nathaniel) and we stayed for quite a while.  There were a lot of people there that day, and a lot of kids, so the cats were running around everywhere.  I finally got ahold of my favorite little black and grey one ... if only I could adopt him...  but alas it would not be fair to have a pet when I would have to eventually put him on a plane and deal with all of that and the fact that many weekends I am visiting Nathaniel and a pet would be left alone.  But I can still go visit the cats a the cat cafe occassionally.  And I still need to find that dog cafe and drag Nathaniel to it.

And something else that is new, we are now doing themed projects with the kindergarteners.  Basically, they learn about a theme and do fun projects based on the theme.  Last month's theme was Seasons and this month's theme is Polar Bears (or maybe Arctic Animals).  Either way, they are having a lot of fun.  Last month, they got to make a tree for each season with a bunch of different materials.  It takes a lot of time, but I think it is one of their favorite activities.