Winter Blues

December has been exhausting.

After working nine hours a day on average with no nap in between my split shifts, familial issues and trying to have some semblance of a personal life, I'm ready for 2013 to be over.


Cash Money

I would still much rather be at Pagoda than another academy, but, for one reason or another, this month was tough. 

My December schedule consisted of SLE Advanced classes and a PIP (work/study abroad) course. Other teachers had warned me about the advanced classes—the students can be a handful, arrogant and full of themselves. However, aside from a select few, most of them were great. But. Those few. Even though my classes are over, I can still not-so-fondly picture them. News flash: just because you are at an 'advanced' level of English, does not mean that you can be outright disrespectful, condescending or a downright dick to others. Your English capability doesn't give you a free pass to be an asshole.

Not that this wasn't true in the old building also, but the teachers room is a negative environment. Don't get me wrong; I'm definitely glad that we have one. But um…if it's just used for venting frustrations and ranting about some issue or another, it just breeds more negativity. Rob and I have gone with the idea that it's better to not get involved. If it doesn't involve ourselves or our paychecks, mehhh.

Okay. Enough about work. Don't I just sound like I'm complaining? I'm not. I like working there. I just need more sleep!


Family

Emotional. Draining. Disconnectedness. Laughter. Closeness. Home for the holidays.

Maintaining Relationships

I have been shite at this one recently. I've been taking my anger out on the boyfriend and not keeping up with my friends as much as I should be and want to be. How are some people still decent human beings when they're sleep-deprived? Share your wisdom.


And it's -10 in Korea. Brrr. Give me cuddles.

Birthday Celebration in Seoul—I'm Old!

Technology is basically my best friend while living abroad, allowing me to communicate with people around the world. This is particularly important during holidays, and my birthday is no exception. Nothing has made me appreciate family and friends more than celebrating holidays without them, but this isn't to say that I don't enjoy holidays while abroad!

This year, Rob really spoiled me. I had a rough first week of November at work and I came home on Friday night to flowers, a card and a pre-birthday present (because isn’t your birthday a week-long celebration too?).  On Saturday, I was woken up with kisses and even more presents. As most of you know, I’m anti-cold weather, but we ventured out in the rain to eat a delicious brunch at Honey Bowl. OH GOD. Honey Bowl, I want to take you home with me. Thankfully, we live just a short walk away from the Hapjeong area, so we can start going more often (edit: Honey Bowl is renovating in November 2013. Boo.)! Photos of our meal below include a veggie omelette (yuuuum), eggs benedict (I’ve had this before and just think it’s okay; the sauce is a bit bland for me. Rob thought it was good though!) and chocolate chip pancakes (aka the BEST part of the meal). Chocolate chip pancakes have been a birthday/special day tradition in my house ever since I can remember, so it was the perfect brunch dessert to split. Yep. Even brunch can finish with dessert! 

Note: Directions at the end of the post.

That night, we made our way to the Seoul Lantern Festival, which ran for a few weeks in November. There were some really interesting ones from various countries (photos below), but it was raining the entire time we were there, which kind of dampened our mood. In all honesty, it was almost identical to the Jinju Lantern Festival that I went to last summer, but it was nice celebrating with the boyfriend.

Of course, my birthday didn’t end on the day. On Sunday, we went shopping and I finally chopped off four inches of my damaged-from-traveling hair! But that’s for another post.

Until next time x

Directions: Honey Bowl (decorated with yellow and white decor and honeycomb on the outside) is located right off of the main street of Hongdae that consists of bars/restaurants (including Taco Bell, H&M, the kebab place, etc.). Walk away from these places in the direction of Hapjeong. If you think you've gone too far, KEEP GOING. Honey Bowl will be on the right on a side street, but easily viewable from the main street. If you've hit a dead end with a 7/11, you've gone too far.

Other Directions: Go to the Hapjeong station, exit 8 and make a left at the first street. Keep walking for about 5-10 minutes. When there is a 7/11 on your right side, make a left. Make another left onto the first street and Honey Bowl will be on your left.

First Month at Pagoda Academy

After a month of mid-afternoon naps and schedule mishaps, we've made it to November. Mid-November, actually. Who knew the first week of classes was so hectic? Oh, yeah. Every. Other. Instructor. So apologies for the late review of Pagoda Academy (all specific information is referring to the Jong-ro branch). Hope it helps some of you make the right decision for yourselves!


Pros: They're adults. They're SLE (speaking, listening, expression) classes. At the end of the day, the job itself is really good. Most students are decent, friendly human beings. The other instructors and managers at this branch are too! I only taught one level (2A), which is the lowest intermediate level, and my students were amazing. There's not much to complain about when you're just teaching a bit of grammar and having conversations. 

The classes are loosely based on books, but if you aren't fond of a particular unit/lesson, you have the option to supplement with anything. As long as the students are happy, the managers are happy.


Cons: The hours. The. Hours. THE HOURS. In two different ways. 
1. Timing. 90% of the instructors here have both the first class and the last class of the day, and our schedules were no exceptions. The first SLE class is at 7AM and the last one finishes at 10PM. It's a long day. If you can't take a nap during the day, you are in for a rough month. For October, we woke up at 5:30AM, tried to take naps 2-5PM, and then always went to bed around 12-1AM. It's probably the hardest part of the job. You know what you're like when you don't get enough sleep. Now multiply that by 100 when it's on a regular basis. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be your friend either.

2. Scheduling. If you don't have a long enough break between classes to go home, get used to sleeping on couches. My snoring will not be appreciated. Not only that, but because of either the number of instructors or the number of students, there seems to be some heavy competition for classes. The minimum number of classes that we are required to have every day is six, with the maximum being eight. However, classes with less than three students are dropped. Therefore, if you are only scheduled for six classes/day, but a couple of them have less than the mandatory three students, the classes will be dropped (cancelled) and you will be under the minimum. Mass. Panic. You then have to coordinate with the managers and other instructors to figure out how to rectify the situation. It generally gets sorted out, but additional stress during the first week of new classes is never appreciated.


Overall: Based on my first month, I have no qualms recommending Pagoda. Even though the hours are really hard, the classes are exactly what I want. Sure, there are certain students/classes that I prefer, but I would pick all of them over kids classes in a heartbeat. I enjoy discussing various subjects in depth, especially those that I had never given much thought to before. We're able to gain different perspectives and even my own grammar/vocabulary has improved! Rob can attest.

Hope you're all surviving the cold weather! I'm already wearing scarves and gloves! x

One Year

You make me a better person. 

Happy anniversary x

First Day at Pagoda Academy: Jong-ro

We survived!

After going into work the morning before to pick up our schedules and textbooks.
After getting our revised schedules the night before classes.
After waking up before the sun.

And even after [my first time having] a split shift of 7-10am, 6-10pm.

We. Survived.

The managers were really accommodating and adjusted our initial schedules to both 1) not have a triple split shift and 2) make us have the same time schedule. Plus, I'm only teaching one level this month (while Rob only has two) and we both have more than the six classes that we're guaranteed.

Yes, it sounds a bit daunting, but being able to come back to the apartment to have a cup of tea and take a nap doesn't sound that bad. 

Here's to hoping that we can keep up the enthusiasm.

Pagoda Academy Training: Check!

After a full day of flying, the boyfriend and I finally arrived in Seoul with 100+ lbs. of luggage between us and enough jet lag to last a lifetime. Luckily, the Pagoda housing manager saw us straight away and introduced himself. Unluckily, he only introduced himself to Rob. Only looked at Rob when he was speaking. Only shook Rob's hand when Rob introduced himself. And then turned and started walking toward the taxi stand. Yes, I was dealing with a lack of sleep, but the words 'rude' and 'sexist' flashed before my eyes. In bold, neon letters. Hmph.

Deep breath. Anyway.

We spent the next day looking for apartments ranging in sizes and prices; I had definitely prepared myself for a small, room-sized apartment that would take half of my salary away, but we ended up with something really nice that's a 5 minute walk to a subway station and the downtown area of Sinchon! We've been collecting things here and there and hope to have it finished within a couple weeks. [insert boring before apartment photos here] But I won't trouble you.

Training was technically for three days, with the first two being spent at the Gangnam branch. Training can be tedious because every employer wants to do it "their way", but we moved through the 50-page manual pretty seamlessly. Plus, if anyone remembers EPIK training (10 days and endless activities, speakers and downtime), this was a breeze. It was only a few other new teachers going to various branches and lasted from 9am-3pm. Doable. 

The last day was spent at our actual branch in Jong-ro (which is actually pronounced Jong-no...tricky), where we were supposed to observe two classes. Guess whose second class of students didn't show up. 

Then, due to some miracle, we had a week off between training and our first day of classes, so it gave us some time to get ourselves together and our apartment semi-presentable.

Next up—first day at Pagoda Academy!

Pit Stop to the Best Coast

Hi, California. Did you miss us?!

In these three, short weeks, we've managed to scrape together as much of what I love about LA as possible: Dates. Western food. Beach trips. Jacuzzi nights. Sunshine with no humidity. And a museum trip, for good measure.

Roscoe's!

Getty Museum visit

He's a kappa dee!

The first leg of this journey is in a few hours—LAX>SFO—and then we're off to Korea for round two. We've cleaned. We've packed. We've said our goodbyes. Cross your fingers for us! x

Cat burrito

Six Months of Travel: England [June-August 2013]

Needless to say, the accident changed our plans considerably. Instead of spending the summer hiking through forests and lounging on beaches, we made our way to Norfolk, England, to lick our wounds and recover from the thrashing. First time meeting the parents/family after a major accident? Sure.

We spent the first month being 80 years old, taking daily naps and rarely leaving the house, except for the occasional doctor appointment.

But after the recovery period, we ventured out and took advantage of everything England had to offer.

Castles? Check.
English breakfast? Check.
Beers in a park? Check. 
Football match? OBVIOUSLY. ...even if it wasn't Man United.


And. I have a new obsession. Give me English tea. With. Milk.

Okay, I lied. Two obsessions. Why can't America have more cider??

Bali, Indonesia—Injury of Summer 2013

We were just getting into a routine in Bali. We were about to pay for our apartment. I had started a hot yoga class. We even had a favorite restaurant!

Then, on the last weekend of May, our motorbike and a taxi collided in the early morning hours, leaving the boyfriend and I to become reallllyyy close with the road.

Six Months of Travel: Indonesia [May 2013]

After spending a couple days in Kuala Lumpur with nothing overly fantastic to report, we made our way to Bali, Indonesia. Since Rob had lived in Indonesia before, he stepped up as tour guide, speaking the language and everything. We stayed in Kuta for a few weeks and traveled around the island via motorbike, with the highlight being our week-long trip to Ubud (monkeys, ew) and Lovina (dolphins, yay). By and far, our favorite place was Dreamland, a beach about a 30-minute drive away with fewer tourists and a much nicer atmosphere. Many a sunny day was spent here.

Dreamland

Tanah Lot Temple

7AM photo in Lovina for dolphins

 We originally planned on staying in Bali for over a month and were finally able to get a newly built apartment in Seminyak (an area near Kuta with our favorite restaurant and a dish from the heavens—red snapper grilled in a banana leaf with balinese herbs and spices YUM). We moved in as soon as we got back from our island trip up to Lovina; it really was a great week. There was air-conditioning, our own kitchen area, wifi and then...disaster.

Six Months of Travel: California [March-May 2013]

Oh sunshine and Mexican food, how I had missed you.

The first month home was spent seeing family & friends. And eating In N Out. Lots and lots of In N Out. Anyway. So many reunions! I sincerely missed having so many girlfriends, as most of my friends from Korea are men. There were brunches, happy hours, themes, Vegas trips and country music/dancing attempts. And with every single one of them/you, nothing had changed. It was as if I had seen everyone one week ago, not one year. I'm incredibly thankful that you all have put up with my random disappearances over the year. I'll be back, and look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Then the boyfriend came to visit for a month. Ladies & gentlemen, we have another Panera obsession on our hands. A place with soup, salad and sandwiches is basically made for him. We spent our days tanning and our nights drinking whiskey. Summer vacation in California is absolute perfection, and ours included daily trips to Santa Monica and LA, a week-long road trip up and down the coast to San Francisco, beach trips and a final weekend in San Diego!

We said our goodbyes at the beginning of May and set off again. Back to SE Asia, we go! x

Six Months of Travel: Thailand [February 2013]

After my 12 months in Korea, after surviving a real winter and after saving some money, an adventure was needed.

 

It started off in Thailand, where I met a few of my friends from Korea for a week in paradise. We stayed in a villa on the island of Koh Samui. With a rooftop pool. Please & thank you. We barely managed to survive with our endless beaches, nighttime markets and getting lost in the rain, but we made it. As tourists do, a trip necessity was the Full Moon Party. With our neon shirts and body paint, we fit right in! 

 

After our luxury week, I set off to Bangkok for a solo journey, with a last dinner with Lauren, Troy and Vinny to see me off. I made it to Koh San Road, which quickly went from a friendly tuk tuk driver helping me find a hostel to a marriage proposal to him trying to molest me. Cue me calling Rob to bawl my eyes out. After surviving my first 24 hours of traveling alone in Bangkok and not feeling too keen, I manned up and made my way to Chiang Mai. Thank goodness, because Bangkok almost ruined this beautiful country for me. Not only did I spend a day at the Elephant Nature Park, I met a great couple, changed plans to stay at their hostel and went out with the group to a night market. 

 

Now here's where I jump up and down—Tiger Kingdom! We saw the littlest tigers (less than six months) and the biggest female tigers. One of the big females took a liking to one of the guys I went with, following him around the pen and making us all a bit nervous. They. Are. Massive. And photogenic.

 

And let's not forget the food. Cheap. Fast. Delicious. Filling. A nice combination of street food and restaurant meal.

   

I still need to make my way down to Phuket to enjoy southern Thailand and surrounding areas, so I'm not done with the Land of Smiles quite yet. Up next is my two months at home! x

Au Revoir! Adios! Anyeong! Arrivederci!

Needless to say, I'm not in Korea anymore. January brought on a month-long school break, which meant being able to relax at home in January; my head teacher was my favorite person that month. Unfortunately, the boyfriend wasn't so lucky, and I ended up being quite the housewife. Cue grocery shopping, washing dishes and doing laundry for two. Don't think that I'm complaining! Heating was on nonstop and I somehow found myself with an entire apartment acting as my closet.
February came before I knew it, along with my last two weeks of "school" in Korea. Those of you who knew my schedule during my second semester in Korea can attest to my usage of quotation marks. I taught a maximum of ten lessons each week for my last semester. And yes, I still turned down the contract renewal for the easiest job that I will ever have.

Most of the children were lovely and the job wasn't difficult, but Gyeongju isn't for me. It never felt like home, even with the great friends that I made there. I want to live in a place that I'm comfortable in and smile thinking about. That doesn't mean not getting lost or having to ask for help or not knowing what kind of meat ends up on your plate. I love those experiences wherever I am. But after the first six months, it definitely felt like a one-year deal.

I'm beyond blessed for the experience. For my first time living outside of California (let alone the United States), no major crisis happened where I felt the need to book an immediate flight home. It exposed me to so many new types of experiences, foods, people and different sides of myself. It also allowed me to reflect on how I lived in the states. WOW did I spend a lot of money online shopping.

Even after all of my badmouthing about Korea, every cloud has a silver lining. Or in this case, a few. Not only am I still friendly with people in Korea, but I'm also enjoying traveling the world with my boyfriend. And. AND. The cherry on top is that my younger sister is looking into being an ESL teacher as well. See? My stories couldn't have been that bad if she's still interested.

This still only brings me to mid-February.

More to come x

Mark Twain: An educational journey

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Just soaking up my winter break days that are not filled with mindless desk warming, classes or camp and counting down to Thailand, my trip back home and future travel adventures.

Full comic (among others) can be found here.

New Year Resolutions: 2013 Edition

I had a really short fuse growing up. So one year, I told myself that before I got angry at someone and spat out something obnoxious, I would breathe and slowly count to ten in my head. 

Maybe it only worked for that year. Or maybe I'm a calmer person because of it. Either way, I'm a bit fond of year-long goals. 


2012 Resolution: Visit five new countries—Check.

Korea. France. Netherlands. Germany. Philippines.


2013 Resolutions:

Visit five new countries; live in one.
Read another Steinbeck novel.
Be more open; say yes, even if my initial reaction is no.

Holiday Season: New Years!

I am anti all things cold, particularly this Korean winter, where they keep saying that each day is "the coldest one of the season"...until the next one comes along.

With that being said, I just had my favorite NYE celebration to date. In the Philippines.

Not only were we able to spend our days day drinking in the sun and swimming in the ocean, but we also ended up making a bff for the trip, Mark. We started off our last day of 2012 by having Mark take us to some hot springs and do an intense rock climb to A WATERFALL in Alegria. We had to use three guides (15-year-old boys, obvs), a ladder (super safe) and follow their steps to basically not die, but it was definitely worth it.

After playing a few games of shithead with Rob, we went off to celebrate NYE with Mark and his family. Yes, a man who we had just met a couple of days ago invited us into his home to celebrate with his entire family. We drank, ate, sang and lit fireworks with the locals of this small town, and I could not have been happier.

Also. The lechon manok (whole roasted chicken) that is sold in the streets is perfection. Each vendor has their own secret sauce/spices that they use, so we tried both of the ones in town. I'm done with Korean food; I need more of this immediately.

Hope you all had a great start to 2013! Looking forward to seeing you soon.

xo