Gaeksa

Last night I went to Gaeksa it is a resturant entertainment district with shopping and eating and stuff. It was a lot of fun. Some of the prices were really good others of them were really expensive. It was very crowded and people just drive on the side walk and will go through pedestrian walkways so it can be very dangerous. Taxis and motorcycles especailly are really bad for this.

However it was fun and I was able to get a coat for only $5 so I will be warm here since the weather is getting colder.

Thoughts on the First Week

So I have been in S.Korea for exactly 1 week come tonight. It has been a really rough week. I feel lonely and homesick constantly and more than anything just want to hug my family and pet my dog Sandy.

Asides from the emotional roller coaster the job itself is okay. The kids are well behaved and most of them really want to learn. I work about 30 hours a week and have spent the rest of my time working on applications for school and trying to get financing for when I go back to school in the fall.

Most websites and resources I found online say that homesick is the worst in the evening however I find the opposite to be true. Ever morning I wake up at 3am in a panic confused and disoriented. I know that these symptoms will get better in time as I get more busy and establish a routine, however until this happens it is upsetting.

Rain Rain Go Away

So Right now it is Thursday afternoon at 2pm which means back home it is 1am in the morning. One of the biggest adjustments since being here is the weather it is constantly raining so much to the point that the streets are often flooded. I am still so new in town that I have not found anywhere to buy an umbrella so I always end up at work soaked and cold.

The rain is very think and the wind is warm so the rain sticks to me in a weird way it is very uncomfortable because you cant just rub it off. I live a 10 minute walk down the street from the school and it is intense and feels like much longer.

The other thing about walking anywhere is the drivers. I have found since I have been there that there is not much respect for human life. No one where seat belts and most cars the backseat don't have seat belts. Also people will be on their mopeds without helmets just handing onto their babies, banking corners and driving fast. Taxis are the worst cause they will drive fast and not look when turning the corner causing me to have to jump out of the way several times.

Things I Like About Korea

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/maps/map_country_koreasouth.html

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Okay so when you are in a new place it is really easy to think about the negative and compare what you don't like to what is good and you enjoy at home. So this is my attempt to be a proactive positive thinker and enjoy my new experience. So I am going to list as many things I can think of that I like about Korea in the next 3 minutes. I am a pretty good typer (but a bad proofreader since I go so fast) so sit back and enjoy the list of good things about South Korea

1) everyone smiles and waves at the oegugins (Foreigners)

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2) the city is clean

3) the kids are really cute

4) they have yummy fruit

5) prices are fairly cheap

6) the Internet connection is really good

7) there are a lot of other Oegugins in the area

8) the language is much easier than Chinese to learn to speak

9) everything is close within walking distance

10) technology is really advanced

11) the cars are cool some have 3 wheels

12) their is a lot of history to the country

13) entertainment is pretty cheap

14) the chalk is like white out but it just whites off

15) they are eager to learn

16) It is really safe in general

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okay so 3 minutes is over I am still really home sick to the point I am sick every day almost constantly however looking at the bright side is important. Also setting small goals and time lines to get through to the end.

Welcome To Jeonju

Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.
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Culture
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eonju bibimbap, a traditional local food, is well-known across South Korea. There are also several very popular vegetarian restaurants serving Jeonju style food and pine wine.
The National Jeonju Museum exhibits ancient relics from the Baekje days.
There are extensive royal museums, temples, a castle fortress on a hillside, and a well-known paper museum, as well as an annual paper fashion show highlighting both the latest style and traditional Korean clothing made of paper.
The Jeonju International Film Festival draws about 50,000 visitors annually.

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History
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Located in the fertile Honam plain, famous for strawberries and exceptional produce, Jeonju has been an important regional center in the province for centuries. Once, the city was capital of Hubaekje, which was founded by Gyeon Hwon. The city was regarded as the spiritual capital of the Joseon Dynasty because the Yi royal family originated there.
The town was occupied by the Donghak peasants' rebellion in 1894. Jeonju was given metropolitan status in 1935, and the city was founded in 1949.

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People and Everyday Life

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Education is a major industry in the city, but it does not have the manufacturing or heavy industries found in other Korean cities. Given its rural location, the local mountains and parks are popular for outdoor recreation. There are also various historical sites in the area. The city also has a zoo, a large park, and the Samsung Sound and Culture Hall, a large, modern concert complex on the Chonbuk National University campus.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeonju

First Day of Work

I will have to come back and add pictures because I forgot my Camera on the first day.

Anyways I will start by saying the school is absolutely beautiful it is a very modern school and it is very idyllic of what they think that the schools are like in North America. Each class sits up to 12 students in a U shaped formation of desks. There is a really cool hybrid black board at the front that is the colour of a black board but uses white white board markers that are dust and allergy free to write on the board. Each of the rooms is named after an ivy league collage in either Canada or the USA. So my first classes yesterday were in Yale, Harvard, UCLA, MIT, UofT etc.

The other thing that is important to mention is that the school is not an actual school it is more of an extra curricular school. Accept for the Kinders are 2-5 and do accelerated English school and the 2 0'clock special class that gets credits for their English work, the school is more a just an extra curricular option.

The way that this works is actually very similar to when I taught swimming lessons. There are there types of classes these are your regular level classes where they go through English phonics books, than there are the classes I think 6 or 8 levels of easy reader books, than there are special classes that you teach everyday, and they are usually no more than 3 or 4 students. Than there are also private lessons for students who want to accelerate their English or need remedial assistance.

So the school is a lot of work there are on average 8 classes a day on Mon, Wed, Friday and on Tuesday and Thursday only teach part or half days. The students are for the most part really cute. They try so hard with their English. One of the cutest things that they do is so many of them when you ask a question will end their answer with "that is all". "You will be like How was your weekend?" they will answer " It was good, I practiced piano and went to math academy, that is all."

The other thing that takes a lot of getting use to is the cultural differences students and education standards are very different in Korea. The Students will randomly pull out a cap gun in class and start shooting each other. Or they will have a plastic sword fight in class. I find it so different from back home because at home that would get someone in a lot of trouble, here all I can do is ask them to put it away.

My New Digs

So today has been a tough morning, I am so frustrated because I feel trapped... Literally my room mate is very different than I am and she enjoys the country's night life I prefer to spend my nights sleeping. Since there is an alarm on the door I am stuck. I have unpacked already and have set up my room and now there is nothing to do.

I made a small video of the apartment however for now my computer is not being willing to upload. So instead I have posted pictures of the view from my window. I like the Church across the street the cross lights up at nights and gives me a sense of peace and security. Also the mountain is really pretty they are tall and surround the entire city. Meaning that there are millions of hills to walk up and down.

So for now I have mixed feelings about this whole new situation. I am not sure I am loving it so far, however at the same time I think of my lack of alternatives. I think I miss my family so much because I love them so much and since we are all so close it makes it even harder to be away.

Saying Goodbye and the Loooong Trip over

For every decision there is an opportunity cost involved. So to explain... if you go left you give up going right, or if you go to Florida for vacation you sacrifice California and so on. For me to go to S.Korea the opportunity cost was leaving my friends and family back home. Yesterday when I got onto that plane and left I keep thinking about the high opportunity cost and everything that I would miss while I was away. I thought about my dog Sandy, birthdays, Christmas, lying of the floor in the dinning room and having "mom time" and sleeping in my own bed. I guess the best way to describe my emotions is I mourned for the loss of what was and could have been. My biggest on going challenge and probably will be for the rest of my time away. Not being home for thanksgiving or seeing my Grandpa-clause for a whole still makes me sad when I think about it however there is also an opportunity cost gained through being away.

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When I am away I am making new friends and experiencing a whole new culture I would have never had the chance to otherwise. I am also gaining Independence and proving to myself that I have skills in more areas than I thought. While I am away I am making good money that I can use to pay for myself to go back to school and to study to become whatever I want to be. At the same time I am sad or upset my family is only a phone call away and that is good to know. That even when I can't be there in person no one at home is forgetting about me. That is what makes this all okay.

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SO..... ON TO THE FLIGHT!

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The best way to describe my travels is to give a chronological time line of how things happened.

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SEPT 19, 2008

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05:15am - Wake up and finalize last minute packing things

05:22am - into the shower (cause I like being clean when I travel)

05:40am - Dad tells me he is ready to leave and that I am taking too long (this is true)

05:45am - Changed brushing my teeth and ready to go.

05:50am - make my bed one last time than out the door.

05:53am - A tough goodbye with mom, David and sandy :(

05:55am - on the road with dad

07:12am - Arrive at the Airport Terminal 1 Gate A

07:15am - Realize my flight is at Gate J and take all my suite cases to the other end of the terminal

07:30am - Check into my flight and ditch my 74lbs of suite cases

07:38am - Proceed through airport security

07:42am - forget to take off my shoes so have to redo security again

07:45am - Finally it is determined that I am not a risk to national security.

07:50am - Proceed to Gate 173

08:00am - Grab a bagel and orange juice from Tim Hortons in the airport.

08:30am - Watch to news

09:00am - realize Airport news in on a 30 minute loop and get bored

09:00am - Call my mommy from the airport and tell here I love her

09:10am - Explore the terminal and little over priced shops only get a bottle of water ($3!!!)

09:40am - Finally get to board the plane

10:00am - Take off while almost (missing person holds up plane takeoff)

10:15am - Now flying (I pick a non window seat since I get claustrophobic)

10:20am - Safety demonstration in 3 languages (E,Fr,Kr)

10:30am - Entertainment becomes available so I watch Kung Fu Panda

12:00pm - Some microwave chicken thing is served for lunch it is okay not great

01:30pm - Need a new movie so I watch the sex in the city movie (okay not great)

04:00pm - Getting fidgety so I get up and walk ohhhh and i peek in first class (NICE!)

05:30pm - Soup for dinner good ol' cup of noodles.

06:00pm - watch some TV episodes on demand more tired than anything but I can't sleep

07:00pm - Watched the Helen Hunt Movie than she found me.

09:30pm - Dinner is served more airport microwave dinners but i am too hungry to care

11:30pm - Custom cards are handed out to all passengers.

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THE NEXT DAY - SEPT 20, 2008

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12:50am - AC 065 to S.Korea makes final approach and lands at Inechon Int'l airport

01:30am - Finally get out of the plane and take a Train to the baggage claim

01:35am - Get in line and clear customs no problem because of the visa.

02:00am - Have my baggage and have exchange some cash now need to catch a bus to Jeon Ju

02:02am - put my luggage on the bus and find a seat

02:05am - Get kicked off the bus because I am on the wrong one NOOO one speaks English

02:1oam - Finally on the right bus

05:00am - stop at some really gross rest station in the middle of no where I think I have 15 minutes but I am not sure since they don't speak English

6:10am - Finally Arrive at the Core Hotel in Jeon Ju

6:30am - Rose the Director of the school and Scott a fellow teacher pick me up to go back the my apartment.

6:45am - I meet my roommate Shawna

8:00pm - the 2 of us plus 2 other teacher go out to dinner at pizza hut very different but yummy since I was soooo hungry.

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So Until Next Time I will be sleeping off the Jet Lag

Sooooolong Trusty

What a heart wrenching tear jerker of an afternoon. My beloved car Trusty a 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier has become the latest casualty of my new adventure. Due to obvious reasons there was no practical way I could keep my car and pay insurance and all other expenses while I am not here to use it. So as a result Trusty had to go.

Trusty and I first met about 4 1/2 years ago. I was 17 at the time. I had amazingly huge ambitions and one of my dreams was to have a car before I was 18 and went away to university. My parents even though they are supportive of my goals were skeptical of my ability at such a young age to understand everything that having my own car entails. Knowing my parents and the sort of people they are begging and pleading was out of the question a reasonable level headed approach is required in order to negotiate. One of my key bargaining chips was the fact that it was offset by the fact that I would live at home instead of staying in residence. In addition I would "help" to transport my brothers to their various functions I think what finally helped my case the most was the fact that I kept asking to borrow the car and both my parents being career people were not always able to share the cars. In the end we agreed to look it the idea however it had to be 1 million % my cost and that meant EVERYTHING! Not only the initial cost but gas, insurance, repairs and anything else that may be needed, and trust me it was a lot.

Trusty has not always been my best friend there have been times where she has been very draining on me... especially my wallet. Over the last few years I have basically rebuilt the car the head gasket, the brake lines, and fuel lines, the transmission, the ignition just to name a few. However overall I have loved having my own car. For me it was never about having bragging rights or having the "coolest ride" instead Trusty represented so much more. She represented the Trust I had earned from my parents. she represented freedom and independence and for me she also represented growth and maturity.

So I will miss you my friend, through the miles we shared and the roads that we travelled it was the journey not the destinations that mattered.

Let the Journey Begin

My New School in Jeonju, Jeon Buk, South Korea

Wednesday September 17, 2008 (10:16am) - Countdown 25 Hours and 34 minutes till I board the plane to my new life.


I am getting ahead of myself. Let me first start by saying how this adventure all began. I graduated on June 21, 2008 from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. I was in the Bachelor of commerce program where I specialized in Marketing particularly E-Marketing and high tech innovations. I since the time I was little always loved school. Some kids will pretend to be sick to get out of school, I was the opposite I would pretend to not be sick to go to school. I love to learn and have come to the conclusion that I am my own greatest asset. During my last year of school I worked hard to get good grades and applied diligently to a number of post graduate programs. However through a series of events none of those dreams never came to be and I got mad at myself and frustrated by the way things were.

I knew I was not ready for what is considered to be a "real job" where I would have a 9-5 work day and all the other circumstances that surround normalcy. I went to a number of job fairs and a handful of interviews however I was generally discouraged by the whole scene and knew that was not the path for me (at least not yet). So here is my situation, no school, no job and parental pacient wearing thin. The idea to go overseas had been something I had considered for awhile however if you know me you know that my personality is very conservative and that I generally am got the "lets go on an adventure and move to the other side of the world" type of person, so for me this was a huge deal. I had been working with an organization called Canada2Korea and there was so much to do to get ready! My goodness. Let me just outline some of the steps I needed to take.

1) Find and apply to the Agency (http://www.canada2korea.com/)
2) Internal interview with the Agency
If Passed
3) Start filling paper work
1. Resume
2. Application
3. Personal Essay
4. Official Medical Report
5. Two Letters of Recommendation
6. Diploma ( Original ) or notarized copy
7. Passport copy ( photo page )
8. Two Passport_size photos
9. Two university Sealed Transcripts
10. A Document of proving teaching career ( if you have )
11. A background criminal check
12.A signed contract. ( Three Copies )
Than...
4) you take the degree and the criminal reference check to the lawyer and have them be notarized.
5) once that is done you go to the Korean Consulate (555 Avenue Rd. Toronto) and have them stamped.
6) than you send all of that to the agency
7) Once that is done your profile gets set up the website
8) Schools and organizations looking for teachers will contact you for an interview
9) once you pass the interview with the school they may ask you to do a telephone English test
10) After that you sign the contract and it is sent to Korea
11) than your School director (principal) will sign the contract
12) at this time all the work you have been doing to get ready will be transferred by courier to South Korea and to the director
13) the director will go to the ministry of justice and get a (E-2) visa number issued
14) than you go back to the consulate with the visa number and a certified check for $55 dollars and they set you up with let another interview time
15) you go to the interview at the consulate and it is like going through customs you are asked questions again about your health, what other traveling you have done and such.
16) you wait yet another week to see if your visa is issued (because there is a chance even now that you may not be allowed to go)
17) pick up your visa and scan a copy of the visa to the agency
18) once they have proof of the visa they will get your airline ticket.!

YIKES!

NOTE **** - For anyone who is interested to going overseas and teaching make sure you start planning at least 6months to a year in advanced. There are a lot of steps and delays are frequent so keep that in mind.

So for me even after that amazingly long and grueling process I still was determined to go this. During University I worked for one of my professors who gave me so many amazing opportunities. Including last summer I went to China to do research at Fudan University and participate in an international symposium hosted by Boeing Phantom on computer privacy. That experience let me know that I enjoyed the Asian Culture and made me more interested in pursuing other similar opportunities.

Okay so this has gotten long but stay posted as my journey continues!