My Summer Vacation in Korea

For summer vacation, I traveled with my family to the major cities in South Korea - Seoul, Suwon, and Busan. There are so many things to say about the experience - my family simply being here, traveling as a group of six, and working through food menus to order the right amount of spicy for each person. In lieu of writing a post, I thought I would share the Lesson 8 Intro PPT I showed to my 5th grade classes who are learning, "How was your summer vacation?" and "What did you do?" to show off our first-ever-flight-and-passport-involved Nedeau-Owen family vacation:

Summer Camp 2014 Projects & Games

This is the 'How To' post for the projects and games completed in DOAM ELEMENTARY'S SUMMER CAMP 2014: CHRISTMAS IN JULY.

Summer Camp 2014: Christmas in July

As part of my GEPIK contract with my Korean elementary school, I was required to teach a two-week winter and summer camp. Unsupervised teaching (no Korean co-teacher for the most part), I decided on a theme dear to my heart and somewhat inspired by my "Christmas Countdown" iPad app: Christmas in July.

Guided by my friend Rebecca's "It's a Small World" Winter Camp, we tagged-along with Santa as he delivered presents across the globe.

These are the countries we visited:

1.   Antarctica

2.   Kenya

3.   Australia

4.   India

5.   Japan

6.   Spain 

Almost Autumn Soundtrack

Been talking a lot about all the changes coming up (I'll be leaving Korea in less than a month), and I suddenly realized talking to my Korean mom the second grade teacher this morning that the season will also be changing. Where did the summer go?

With all that and my family leaving Korea after a two-week visit in South Korea, I've been in a dramatic mood. Hopelessly excited, then hopelessly sad, hungry for foods I will be leaving, hungry for foods back home, tired, upset... The music I've been listening to is helping me get through this itchy period.

Liebster Award

I have been nominated by Rebecca from Rebe With a Clause for the blogger-given Liebster Award! I had never heard of the Liebster Award before but am thrilled and very honored to be part of this movement to recognize bloggers and their blogs. Already knee deep in two of the blogs Rebe nominated, it is an excellent way to quote "discover new bloggers."

Nominee Acceptance Guidelines:
1. Acknowledge the blog that nominated you and display the award
2. Answer the 11 questions your nominator gives you
3. Provide 11 random facts about yourself
4. Nominate 5 blogs with less than 1,000 followers that you feel deserve the award
5. Notify the bloggers that you have nominated them and give them 11 questions to answer

End of the Semester Happiness

I'm ecstatic about the semester being over, though possibly not as much as my students. Bounding in and out of the English room, crowding around me, asking for the millionth time about the photos by my desk, wanting to play UNO, and sneaking up on/scaring the bejeezus out of me.

 

Teacher Outing: CATS

With the end of the semester finally here, the Doam teachers headed to Seoul to see CATS the musical. My co-teacher SK kept telling me that she heard it was going to be the Original Broadway version, and I didn't realize that meant the musical would be in English. That discovery when the lights went down, the music started, and the first words were sung was so nice.

Having never seen, knowingly heard any of the music from, or read anything pertaining to Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS, I have never liked CATS. I have never gotten a good vibe from it. I would see stills of the Broadway actors in costume and I would quite consciously screw my nose up. Even pop culture references, such as on Modern Family, couldn't convince me to want to see it. But I was very happy to have the experience in Korea, with Korean actors and surrounded by a Korean audience. 

Does Not Compute: Korea Perspective

"Yes. No. Does not compute." I remember my older brother and his scrawny best friend sitting in the way back seats of the van playing this idiotic robot role play game. I was sitting in the middle seats and getting increasingly angry at my failure to ask a question that didn't win. Turns out, that game is for real. There are a lot of things that are so apparent to me that my Korean co-workers just don't understand.

For an example, here is a question I've been getting a lot lately at my schools: "So, why aren't you staying for the rest of the year?" Fair enough, I respond as best I can, "Well my contract was for one year, and I miss my family and friends. I'm very sad to leave Korea and will miss you and all the students very much."  Honest, simple, battabing-battaboo. 

Doesn't register to my co-workers. "Why are you quitting?" I was talking with a friend and she mentioned that the teachers at her school asked why she was quitting come September. Our GEPIK contracts are for one year -- it's not quitting if we don't renew. It's just moving on to something different. When I brought up the contract when I was similarly asked "But why aren't you staying?", my co-teacher shot back that most teachers stay for at least two years. That may be true, but *face palm* that may be true. 

Feeling Safe in South Korea

I admitted to some friends a thought I have about going home to the U.S. - I'm really excited to get back and see the people I miss and to do the things I miss. It'll be happy to get back in a place where my daily struggles are more professional and creative rather than cultural and languagual (for lack of an actual word I can't think of right now). With all these imaginings and an animation about going home, I also have this idea that I could very well be shot and killed upon returning to America.

One of the girls laughed and said that the radical Koreans were getting into my head. Well, where are people getting shot dead at schools, convenience stores, movie theaters, and places of worship? Where are people walking around in public with loaded guns? It's not paranoia driving this idea, it's matter-of-fact reason. It is a reality, one that won't change how I go about each individual day (America isn't a war zone after all), but it will be a small adjustment in mind set from the one I have gotten to know, living in South Korea.

The tremendous sense of security I feel living in Korea has translated into this world of trust and reliability I've never experienced before. It hasn't taken away the token of worry but it has reinforced a world view and every day living that I didn't think could exist. Some small examples: as a young woman of the smaller size, walking home late at night, I have stopped feeling that tightness and rigid fear of being attacked. The thought is still there, but the instinct - the sixth sense I've learned to trust - is nearly gone. A couple more years of living like this and that expectation of violence might vanish for good.

Sunday Lipstick & Music

This past school week, from Monday, not including Wednesday, I was so tired. And I blame the five-day weekend I had last week because it was cruel to come back to work from that. By Friday, basically every teacher who would normally talk to me told me how exhausted I looked, and I tried explaining my theory as to why (5-day weekend) to my co-teacher multiple times with no success, which made me even more tired - *breath* - it's a good theory I think. He would've applauded it I know it.

I powered through and after my last class of the week, I sank down into my chair and turned up the volume on my computer for a listen to one of my favorites: 

And then this today: 

Dan Deacon: We Can't Stop 50% Reduction (Straight Chop Remix)

Say what you will, these are awesome, plus a coat of lipstick to finish out my weekend.