Almost Halfway Through the Year!

I have been in Korea for about 5 1/2 months, meaning I am unbelievably almost halfway done with my year contract!  I have just returned from my second vacation (which will have an elaborate post soon) and am excited to see my students again!

Right now is about the time I need to start looking a lot more closely about my options for next year, which are looking less and less like they will be back in the States.  Awe who am I kidding, I HAVE to continue this amazing experience, while I wait for the job economy to improve back home.  Whether that's an excuse or not, it's true, and I have many options for next year.  I may stay in Korea for a second year, or I may move on to another country.  However, after my recent vacation to Seoul and Jeju Island I am strongly considering a second year in Korea, but in one of those two areas, as opposed to Ulsan again (which I also love).

My other options include Japan, China and Taiwan.  There are other desirable options, but looking at this from a saving money/traveling perspective, Beautiful South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines) are basically ruled out.  My goal for the month of February is to get several application processes going, and to rank my choices, knowing I may not get my first choice.  If all else fails though, I am secured my current job a second year, as long as I commit by May, so I have plenty of time.

Oh, the possibilities!

Ferris Wheel!

There is a really cool Ferris wheel in Samsandong (New Downtown) that I have been meaning to ride ever since I saw it here in September.  I finally went and rode it the other day before my birthday dinner, since we spent a couple hours checking out stores and whatnot before dinner.  I have a couple pictures of the wheel, and a couple from on it.

Here's the "Lotte Wheel."  It is on the roof of Lotte Department store, which is one of the 2 companies that basically owns Ulsan (the other is Hyundai).

I love this picture!  There is Connie on the left, then Howard, and finally Julia who's just being awesome here.

This is Alex who paired up with me for the Lotte Wheel.  She is newer to Ulsan and the Hogye group, and is from England.  

That's me!

There's Howard across the way!

There is the other part of Lotte Department store and on the top left is Lotte Hotel.

Green Belt!

I just took and passed my Green Belt test, which was very exciting!  Normally the test just consists of the "basic action," the "poomse" for that test, a kick test and then breaking a board.  This time I did all 4 poomses that I've learned (had to go back and practice), and learn the basic action a little quicker than I would have liked.  It was pretty tricky, and I am going on vacation, so we decided two days ago that I would take the test today.  I actually think I did really good, except I almost bombed it with the board breaking!  Ahhh that's usually the easiest part!  But I got it :)

At the end I said "3rd times a charm" haha

On my way out Master Lee gave me a gift; a framed, cloth stitching of the belts!  He then got his phone out and showed me on his translator: "a high, noble goal," then said "Black belt."  That is quite exciting!  I have to earn the purple, blue, brown, red and then Black (the red-black is only for children).

Birthday Celebrations!

 My birthday is tomorrow (Jan. 17th) and I have already received 2 birthday cakes!  I was out to dinner with my Taekwondo instructor just over a week ago with his wife and a couple of their friends.  I have met their friends a couple times, and the guy is usually really nice and friendly to me, though he doesn't speak any English.  They took me out to a very nice Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood just to be nice (we had such a great time the first time we went out to dinner, so we'd been planning on going out again sometime).

This is a traditional Chinese liquor that is 50% alcohol!  I tried it, but opted to not drink more than a little shot.  (It didn't taste very good anyways.)  Also that is Master Lee's wife in the photo.

We were having a nice dinner, which was actually like 4 full dinners, and Master Lee's wife asked me how old I was.  I told them that I am 25 according to the international (or Korean) aging system, but 23 in the US.  Then I added that I would be turning 24 in ten days.  They all got very excited and exclaimed that we needed to celebrate!  Master Lee's friend ran out and bought a cake immediately!  I think they will be doing something for me tomorrow night at Taekwondo, though I'm not sure what.  We didn't eat the cake then, since we had all eaten to the point of no return (4 large courses), so I took home a whole cake, haha.  I shared a couple pieces with my neighbor/co-teacher Eunji, and there are maybe 2 pieces left that are probably ready for the trash by now.

This is Master Lee's friend who went and got me the cake!  The woman sitting was our server.  She and her husband both own the restaurant, and they are all friends.  It was not very busy so she sat with us most of the time.

The candles: I <3 YOU; 24

My cake at home.  A great breakfast ;)

My second cake came last night, when I had a very small celebration with my closest friends here.  We met in Samsondong, or "New Downtown" around 4pm, and walked around until 6.  Then we met a couple others at an amazing Indian restaurant called Namaskar.  Everyone (except for me) had been there multiple times, and I had just never made it until last night.  I have been MISSING OUT!  Oh it was amazing food with a very cool server.  My friend Julia bought my meal, and at the end my friend Katherine brought out a delicious blueberry cake!  I think everyone in the restaurant chimed in when they sang me happy birthday, it was really great :D

Here's Katherine bustin' out the cake!

It was really good!

Julia lighting the candles.  That's Howard next to me.

I was really happy about all of this :D

After dinner about half of the group went home and the other half went to a norebang with me.  I've described norebangs before, but they're basically a private karaoke room which are EVERYWHERE in Korea.  We stayed there for 2 hours and then went home.  Julia paid for me there as well!

A quick glimpse at the norebang.

Tomorrow I will probably have some kind of celebration at Taekwondo which will be nice.  My grandma Ehrman has sent me a card and is sending me more delicious cookies for my birthday as well!  I really don't ever expect anything for my birthday, unless I'm throwing myself a party (college years), so these have been really great surprises!

Winter English Camp!

 Right now I am at school showing Toy Story II as part of my Winter English Camp, giving me a chance to post about the camp itself.  The students are on a 6 week vacation, during which the school is holding a 3 week English camp that my co-teacher Eunji and I teach.  We work normal hours (9-5) but have more classes, so we are getting paid a nice bit of overtime (financing my next little vacation) before regular classes start up again February 1st.

Students drawing their friends (during Family week)

My drawing of my friend Walter!

Their drawings!

It is the end of the 2nd week of camp today, and it has been going amazingly so far!  I get to teach on my own, since there is a high level (group A) and a low level (group B) that Eunji and I trade off on.  At first that was a little scary since I don't really speak Korean, and I wasn't sure if the students would go rouge on me, but they've been really good!  It's really cool because I get to essentially teach whatever I want instead of exactly what the textbook says.  The first week was a family theme.  This week has been "Around the World" where we used Google Earth a few times and learned a lot about Western vs Eastern culture.  Next week will be food themed, which is good coming off of this week's theme, looking at cuisine and etiquette from around the world.

Students with masks for role playing!

Role play for introducing your friends (from week 1)

Every Wednesday is sports day, and they created a really cool sport a couple days ago.  I introduced them to American Dodgeball the first week, and they made one up where you have to kick the ball at the other team (like soccer).  I didn't think that it would really work but it did!  It was great times!

Friday is Market/Movie Day.  We watched Toy Story last week, Toy Story II today, and we will watch Toy Story III next week.  I show it in English, with Korean subtitles for the lower level students, even though the higher level students don't really need them.

Eunji setting up the Teacher's Market

The market is really cool.  I give out fake monopoly money throughout the week for participation, correct answers and prizes for games.  The students collect money throughout the week, and then have to spend it all at the market on Friday.  First there is an open market where the students can bring things in and sell them between themselves.  After that round we open up the "Teacher's Market" where the students can buy candy for "$5" or any number of things.  For $75 they can 'buy' lunch with the teachers.  I believe 3-4 students had enough for this last Friday, but only 2 of them opted to go to lunch with us.  So on Monday Eunji and I took the two boys out to a fried chicken place down the street, truly a win-win!

Round 1 of the market, students bartering for their toys and fake cash!

Eunji with some of our awesome students!

It has been really fun so far, and I'm excited for today's market.  However it is a lot more work than I normally have to do (6 lessons plans a day as opposed to 5 per week), but it is worth it.  By the time regular classes start again, life will seem a little less exciting, and a lot easier.

Thailand ROCKED!!

My Thailand vacation was an absolutely amazing and unforgettable adventure over the holiday season!  There was one little set-back, of a lost wallet, but that did not stop me from having an awesome time.  Luckily I had amazing friends with me on this trip that did not hesitate to loan me what little money they all had to make sure that we continued to have a blast!

The highlights of the trip include a Muay Thai kick boxing event in Bangkok, the night Bazaars of both Bangkok and Chaing Mai, the awesome travelers that we met in our hostel "We Bangkok," the Jungle tour in Pak Chung, [the bus ride to Chaing Mai where I lost my wallet out of my back pocket], the elephant ride through the jungle in Chaing Mai, and of course the FOOD!!

I have a few videos I have put together and a slide show of the pictures.

I do have a few more videos to put together still, and will put them up in another post.  All in all the trip was fantastic, and I can't wait to go back and travel south to Phuket some time and get more of that amazing food!!