Something to Think About.

Went to Seoul this weekend (trip #3)

Paper folding with little Yeo Won. The Keunsaem School for North Korean Defector's: English Outreach Program.

These are the best weekends.

This is a great video I borrowed from my friend. Take a minute and watch it!

Presidential Election 2012

I've been listening to the debates via internet with my coteacher when we have down time. They make me feel really uncomfortable! I have been asked some pretty weird questions about Obama and I never know how to respond. The best question was "is this a normal voice (accent) for a black person?"

It's really nice being away during the election. Seriously. And no I'm not voting. I blink and Monday suddenly becomes Friday evening. I'm not even sure what day it is right now. I missed my deadline for an absentee ballet. Sorry!!! I was distracted with life in Korea. I do care. I promise.

It's Fall in Korea

It's that time of year again. Except this time, I'm in Korea. The trees are beautiful and the mountains (are everywhere I look) are not too bad. I love this weather.
Patrick and I have completed our "everything here is novel" stage and we're in the middle of the "homesickness" stage. We're fine, don't worry. The days are long and our pillow talk has been about school and how to deal with..........things. The picture above describes the way I feel. Ha... which I don't even know what I feel anymore.

We'll be home in August, Missouri (ixnay on the extending our contract thing. Ha!).

I reblogged this gif from a friend in KC. Please visit his Tumblr.

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English Morning Show

Hello and welcome to the English Morning Show!!!

Thought I would post about my Wednesday morning show since we took pictures last week. Every Wednesday at 8:30AM I sit  in front of the camera along with my two buds, Tommy and Crystal. I don't know their Korean names since I nic named them the first day they landed this job with me, but they don't mind. We read from a script that I write about the Korean cartoon, Pororo. He's a little penguin that lives out in the middle of nowhere with other little friends. All the friends play together and usually run into situations that teach them morals. 

I think Pororo is really annoying but I have to watch each episode three times and I'm too old to appreciate his show.

Anyways, here's a picture of us in 'action.' We usually sit with our script in front of us and that's it, no weather or day cards and definitely no folders. But we had to look good for our article! Plus... the show is on Wednesdays not Mondays ;) ooohhh well.

Did I mention this is live?

Above is a script I made for this coming Wednesday. It doesn't relate to the episode below but you get the picture. *English key words and expressions!!!!

5th Grade Midterm Review: Gangnam Style

 It's midterm season here! I am in charge of making a review for the 5th grade (I see them on Fridays***today). Here in Korea kids will participate in class activities for candy, points in a game or any other reward. It might be a little wrong back in the states but rewarding works beautifully here. Most of the English teachers in our program use a website called Waygook for class materials. The biggest hit is the BOMB GAME! Some genius English teacher made a Psy version of the bomb game. Everyone is using it! Even me. Of course I used Andrew Bird in my Gangnam Style PowerPoint! Duh. I hope they like it.

The answer pops up after you hit the space bar.

 

All points are little cartoon Psy characters

 To get your question your team picks a letter.

Cross your fingers your team doesn't get this bomb!!!!

These guys do the horse dance too. It's brilliant. And they also give you additional points. Whichever team ends up with the most points at the end of the game gets to leave my class first! Wooohooo! Just doing my job. Changing the world one English class at a time.

  
adios,

It's Pay Day in Cheonan!

My plans for this weekend in Seoul.

Source

Free Gangnam Style Ringtone

I can't deny my love for Psy. I think it's pretty awesome that we moved to Korea as soon as he hit it big. Because of his video our friends back home realize how modern Korea is now'a'days. They thought I was moving to the country and roughin' it in Korea. Oh no friends, it's hoppin'. I think it's time I honor Psy by using his song for a ringtone. You too!  

 

Download it here!

 

 

P.S. 

As you're reading this I'm making a Gangnam Style "Bomb Game" lesson for the midterm review. I'm using someone else's genius template from Waygook.org :D Korean elementary schools really know how to motivate students!!!

Third Time is a Charm!

Getting married to Patrick was fun, exhausting, exciting, stressful, wonderful, and probably the just the loveliest thing I've ever done. I cried most of the ceremony and (appropriately) partied the entire reception. I'm a lucky one. Then little Henry, who missed our wedding because he was ill, wanted to play his part as the ring bearer and would not take no for an answer. In his mind, my wedding waited for his fever to break. So, soon after our wedding day, we played pretend and had a small garden wedding. Our second wedding was wonderful. The only thing we missed were our parents, but we managed. Henry did a great job and all guests played a part in the 'ceremony.' Henry's parents even brought a delicious picnic. AND I finally played a game of croquet in my wedding dress.

THEN we moved to Korea. We never expected a third wedding. But it found us, somehow. The sweet woman that takes care of the foreign teachers in our program sent an email about the wedding one day. Patrick was checking his email when it popped up in the inbox. First come first serve, any volunteers? "Yes! Us! Pick us!" said Patrick.

Then a week later he sent me an email saying... "babe don't kill me but..."

Then another week later he came home with more information about the wedding. I was completely clueless up to this point. I figured there was a little event going on and some foreign couple was needed to play man and wife for a fake traditional wedding. Well... it turned out the traditional Korean wedding  was going to occur at the Cheonan World Dance Festival. One of the 'best festivals' in Korea. Over twenty countries come to Korea to compete in the dance festival. Basically it's like Liberty, Mo's fall fest on crack and then some awesome on top.

Then more emails from Patrick...

"you need to ask off from school so we can have our measurements taken" 

"what?! are we having the wedding outfits tailored to fit us?"

 "oh yeah! we get to keep the clothes, didn't I tell you?"

"you haven't told me anything really..."

"well I heard one million people come to this festival and there might be a couple hundred people watching the wedding!"

"oh boy"

This last picture is of me and Dong Hyuk Ham (like palm). He's the sweetest Korean I've met besides my co-teacher, Ella. And he's the ripe age of 19. He's a smarty pants because he knows English pretty well! I think Hangul and English might be the two most difficult langauges to learn. Go Dong Hyuk! He translated all the ceremony rituals to Patrick and me. And he was there to help us during show time. Then he even stayed with us as we wondered around the rest of the festival afterwards. Patrick and I went back the next day to see more dancing and there he was again, ready to help! This weekend was awesome! I had tons of ajumas helping me like I was their own family and I had a really cute set of fake parents and in-laws. I messed up every step of the way but it's okay... I was having fun, though, right? We even had a reception dinner. It was at this little hole in the wall place near the park. Patrick asked Dong Hyuk to order us his favorite (cue groaning foreigner friends ^^) BUT it was delish and everyone loved it. Think we had almost all of our group attend the wedding and dinner. 

I'll never forget it. Another wonderful wedding with Pat <3

Thanks Cheonan!

Oh did I mention a handful of my students saw this?! And both our principals were in attendance, one with a wedding gift. And I can't forget to tell you... there were well over fifteen 'professional' photographers. They photo bombed each other the entire time. ^^

Cheonan World Dance Festival 2012

Cheonan rocked it this weekend. There were over twenty countries represented and everyone brought their A game. The parade Saturday night turned into a giant dance party in the middle of one of the busiest streets in the city. I was on a bus home while this was going on since the wedding drained me.

But the best part was seeing groups from different countries dancing to Gangnam Style. I think I heard the song thirty times in two days.

I'll post about the wedding later this week!!

The Big Day (#3)

Today is the big day! We're going to experience a traditional Korean wedding! It's 8:55am on Saturday and we're waiting for our 9:30 pick up. Then we're off to Cheonan Samgeori Park near Cheonan Station Square. We have rehearsal then the ceremony then a little party after. I'm secretly hoping it ends up like the Glee wedding episode. Wish me luck!











Love,

Food Friday (birthday edition)

I completely forgot to mention my brother's birthday! It's weird... I feel like time stopped in America as my time in Korea picked up speed. I just have this feeling each day that nothing is happening at home. I'll return to Missouri in a year and our family will be on the couch watching the Olympics like they were on our last night in Springfield.

But that's not the case. It's 3:29pm right now and Missouri, you're sleeping (1:29am). Life is in fact going on. I'm missing you every day. Things are getting a little harder since I discovered Magic Jack. The more I call my family the more I wish I could pop in and visit them. Maybe I'm homesick... maybe that's why I've been making trips to Baskin Robins?!

My brother, as a derp cat,  enjoying some Fancy Feast.

Anyways as I was saying before, Missouri is not standing still. In fact my brother had his 28th birthday. Then my Grandma had her 89th!!!!! I talked to both of them on Magic Jack. I interrupted a family dinner and then I interrupted a game of beer die. Guess which birthday person cooresponds to each location? Well, this has been a good train of thought post. I think it counts as Food Friday since it includes Fancy Feast. **Speaking of cats and cat food; I miss Nuni so much I am extremely tempted to adopt a Korean Nuni. That's a whole new story. Next time.



See ya!
안녕히 계세요 
an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo

Nami Island

This past weekend we celebrated Chusok at a baseball game in Seoul! I'd say the game was comparable to the states with a little extra umph. Before each player stepped up to plate, the crowd would chant or sing to thirty seconds of an American song made Korean baseball song. It was pretty fun! We also unknowingly celebrated our three month anniversary. Time is going too fast! Once the game was over we stayed with our friends, Michael and Tera, at an apartment outside of Seoul. The owners were away in Japan so we were house sitting. 

When Monday rolled around Tera made breakfast and then we set off for Nami. This island is known for its beauty and being the location of a past series, Winter Sonata. So wrapped in its beauty was the pure cheese of the 'first kiss bench' and 'lovers lane' where the main couple often walked. If you look past the huge crowd, spontaneous bikers threatening to run into you, and the loud music playing near the 'swan boat rides' Nami  is pretty sweet. I'd love to visit Nami when it is completely empty. That'll be the day.

 

On  the ferry to Nami.

Lover's Lane.

Don't get in the way of these guys.

 Korea is so beautiful.

Winter Sonata obsessed.

Love,