Christmastime Abroad

Hello devoted and lovely readers! Thank you for checking in again and reading all about my life! :) Just so you know, I really appreciate it! It's a connection to home that I really enjoy having!

Korean "Make it Yourself" Ornaments...

You're the best!

Anyways, an update:  I've almost hit the two month mark!, which is crazy and scary all at the same time. I now only have 10 more to go, which at times feels long, but I'm looking forward to seeing what they behold.

For this post, I want to continue my "Things I've Learned..." for I have been making mental lists and need to post them before I forget them again... enjoy! :)

31.  I have started to play a mental game on subways or in public, and usually crowded, places. The game is "Which one is not like the other?" For I always stand out with my blonde hair. ... Did that make you laugh? .... It makes me laugh, anyway.

32.  BIRTHDAYS! I've been meaning to tell about this one for some time. The birthdays here are different. When a child is born in Korea, they are one years old. They don't count in months. So, when I ask my students how old they are, they usually say, "In Korea, 8...in America, 7."

33.  This one took me awhile to pick up on, but I've finally caught on. Plastic surgery is a big deal here. Most teenagers actually ask for surgery as a gift when they graduate high school. They want to look more like foreigners. The jaw line and eyelids are what they usually have done, to make them look more western. There are billboards all over showing before and after pictures...madness.

34.  Boys here in Korea have to serve in the military. It's a very interesting perspective to talk to some of these guys. Some are excited for it, but some are actually terrified. I feel for them.

35.  Christmas and New Years is straight up backwards here. My students told me that Christmas is more of the holiday that you spend with your boyfriend/girlfriend and friends, while New Years is the family holiday.

36.  Now, I want to just tell you about my favorite class. They are in 6th grade (I get this from my father - I just know it) and I adore them!  There are only seven of them, but I absolutely look forward to teaching them on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. This week, I had some tiny Christmas parties with select classes, and this one was a blast. (They were all great though, especially the little ones singing Jingle Bells to me...) But this class, E-AD, they're the best. They love to talk, and so usually, I just sit back and let them go...
Here's a picture of them (only 4 were there...but they're awesome!)

Clockwise from left: Gary, James, Alice, and Sally

Lastly, Merry Christmas! :)  As I write this, it's Christmas Eve...crazy! It hasn't really felt like Christmas much here, I think it's due to the fact that I worked on Friday 12/23 and will be back at work on 12/26... No rest for us here..., but I'm keeping my holiday spirit bright, as they say. :) I have my tree up, a few gifts under it, my twinkle lights glowing, Christmas music playing and hot chocolate on the stove. Sam is coming down from the Seoul area and I know it'll be so nice to see a familiar face for the holiday. But, to my family...I miss you all more than you know right now. I love you. 

Also! Happy New Year! Here comes 2012! Woot woot! I do get a mini break though during this week. I have Thursday and Friday before New Year's weekend off.  A few friends and I are planning on exploring the temples and fun sites that our lovely city Daegu (and surrounding areas) have to offer!

Until next time, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

I'm sending love and holiday cheer from afar! 

Love,

Cam

Mamma Mia Korea!

Oooohhhhh so much....it's been over one month and now, I realize...I really only have eleven to go! At times, I know a year sounds like a really long time, but then, I have a realization of how fast that can actually go....so....here's to the next eleven! :)

And, here's an update.

It's been a month and I'm finally starting to settle in and have fun. I'm starting to call this place "home." I've made my little apartment my own and now I really tend to enjoy it. :) I've put up pictures and wall stickers, bought a new comforter, and even bought Christmas lights (which the Irish call "fairy lights" so...I'm in love!) My friend Kate even bought me a little Christmas tree! :) I'm having fun decorating this place!

Although, with the ups come the downs. About two weeks ago, right before Thanksgiving, my Uncle Bob passed away. It was very hard to be away from my family at this time, and I so wished I could have been there to give my Grandma a big hug, but I know that we have a wonderful family full of support. Uncle Bob was such a kind man and he will truly be missed. I heard that his memorial was a great appreciation of his life, and I know it was a wonderful celebration of a wonderful man!

On Thanksgiving weekend, a few of us got together and made a variety of foods and had a dinner together. We had green bean casserole, noodles, spaghetti, cabbage, kouskous, and I made Grandma's famous mashed potatoes (although they were not as good as hers!) But, it turned out to be a good time nonetheless. It was very fun mixing 4 Americans, 3 Irish, and 1 Canadian together to celebrate this assortment of food over some very delicious mulled wine!

As for school, sorry, "Academy" life....my students always have to remind me that this is not school, it's Academy...it's going well. I'm definitely still adjusting to the hours (and the students) but I'm starting to get the hang of it. It's almost kind of a monotonous life in a way... But, it's alright. This education system here is crazy though. There was a Time article all about the hagwon system and I cannot help but agree with it. I feel bad for my students. They do not have social lives. I've realized that teachers see these kids more than their parents do. They even go to school on Saturday and Sundays! There's no such thing as after school activities or Saturday soccer....which is really sad. I've watched my students fall asleep in class, beg for nap time, and write about how all they want in the future is to be free. (here's the link to the TIME article if anyone is interested in reading it:
(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2094427,00.html)
BUT! I'll tell you one thing, the middle schoolers have been testing at their public schools this week...so, I haven't had all of my classes...which has really rocked! But I do still feel bad for them....

It's the holiday season and even though it's weird to hear Jingle Bells in Korean, it's still in the air. I've loved being able to skype with all of my family and friends...it makes it feel like I'm there, even though I'm very far away. But, thank God for technology, it's really helped! I'm usually eating lunch with my parents while they eat dinner over skype or watching movies with Beth! :) It's a blast!

And to end this post, I'd like to add to the "Things I've Learned So Far..." :)

21. Everything is done with two hands here. When you hand something over (like a paper, change, water, whatever) it is with two hands. Hands can be cupped together, or one hand giving while the other is crossed over the chest, or one hand gives while the other rests on the inside of the elbow of the giving hand. Normally this is a sign of respect, so younger generations do it to older, but I still get flustered when some of my students will do it to me and then I try to do it back to them...I'm working on it.

22. When people want to say "no" here, they make an "X" with their arms. I don't know why, but this cracks me up.

23. When the Korean's say, this is the "Korean" way....be prepared to waste 15 minutes. The "Korean" way takes forever. Which brings up another point...I've noticed that they like to take the elevator or escalator everywhere. At my Academy, we work on the 2nd and 3rd floor, which is literally only like 30 steps, but my Korean co-teachers will take the elevator up and down...why? I feel kind of pointless...but then! they will run, and I mean RUN, to catch a crosswalk signal....once again, I'm still catching on.

24. Korean commercials are the best and I don't think I'll ever be able to watch a show in America again without these entertaining ads. Also, when they play movies on the tv, they'll show half of the film with only like one commercial every 10 minutes and then halfway through they'll show a block of like 30 minutes of commercials and then resume the film.

25. I miss dryers...I'll never take drying my towels or clothes for granted ever again. Promise.

26.  Samsung and Hyundai are from Korea...and don't you forget it! :)

27. Cellphone charms are CRAZY cool here. I wanted to not fall into the trap, so I promised I'd never buy one. (I just find it annoying having something hang from my cellphone) But, Kate bought me one...so...I gave in.

28. NAMES! At the Academy, the kids can pick their English names, sometimes the teachers help but mainly it's the students picking, and they happen to pick some of the funniest names! As of right now, my two favorites are Obama and H.P. (short for Harry Potter). :) awe.some.

29. I've picked up a few more words in Korean, and the main thing I can kind of generalize is that it's a yelling language. If you tend to stretch out the ending of words, you'll be fine!
Ahnyunghasay-yooooooooo. :)

30. And then, there is the FRUIT MAN! :) it's more than just one man, sometimes it's a woman, but it's these people selling fruit in a car or a cart, but they have a mega phone and they practically scream in it...although sometimes they sing! I have no idea what they are saying, but I imagine it goes something like this...."buy my fruuuuuuuit, it's so goooooood. this fruuuuuuit is verrrrrryyyyyy gooooood!" :) I start to hum along as well....


until next time.....

 love.