Booked Flight Home!

I am excited to share that after 9 months in Korea, I have officially booked my plane ticket back to the States!  I actually booked it 2 weeks ago, but I am just as excited about it (and visiting home) today as I was then.  I have to say that 9 months has gone by pretty fast, but on the same token I feel like I have been here in Ulsan for quite some time now.  Every once in a while I go back through my blog archives and can't believe how long ago orientation seems to be at this point.  I have already had so many amazing times and made so many great memories, and I'm honestly in no rush to stop making them!  I do miss my friends and family back in Ohio, but once I have my visit I will be more than ready for another year here in Korea!

Below is my flight itinerary from Busan to Cleveland (it almost takes 24 hours with layovers!!):

Leave Sat, Aug 25 23hr 56min Total time Depart Busan United Airlines 7988 Economy | Airbus A320 215 mi | 1hr 0min 7:20 AM Kimhae (PUS) | Terminal D Stop 1 Seoul 8:20 AM Incheon International (ICN) Seats: | Seats are pending airline approval. Flight 7988 Operated by ASIANA AIRLINES Change planes. Time between flights: 4hr 20min Depart Seoul United Airlines 890 Economy | Boeing 777 758 mi | 2hr 20min 12:40 PM Incheon International (ICN) Stop 2 Tokyo 3:00 PM Narita Airport (NRT) | Terminal 1 Seats: 35-J | Seats are confirmed. | Meal: Snack Change planes. Time between flights: 1hr 0min Depart Tokyo United Airlines 838 Economy | Boeing 747 5,130 mi | 9hr 20min 4:00 PM Narita Airport (NRT) | Terminal 1 Stop 3 San Francisco, California 9:20 AM San Francisco Airport (SFO) | Terminal I Seats: 35-K | Seats are confirmed. | Meal: Dinner Change planes. Time between flights: 1hr 25min Depart San Francisco, California United Airlines 415 Economy | Boeing 757 2,157 mi | 4hr 31min 10:45 AM San Francisco Airport (SFO) | Terminal 3 Arrive Cleveland, Ohio 6:16 PM Hopkins International (CLE) Seats: 25-F | Seats are confirmed. | Meal: Food for purchase

I will be home for 2 weeks, in which time I will visit Painesville, Cedar Point and Toledo.  I plan on going home Saturday to sleep off my ridiculous jet lag (losing 13 hours + traveling) and then visiting friends and family until Wednesday.  That is when I plan on going to Cedar Point, and the goal is to meet up with some Toledo friends there in order to catch a ride to the Glass City for a visit.  I will stop by the University of Toledo, and hopefully see lots of friends while I'm there!  My brother Pat Manary will come out and visit Toledo Friday evening, so that we can spend that Saturday together while making our way back to Northeast Ohio (making a stop in Cleveland for who knows what).  I will then be able to enjoy the labor day weekend with my family and some close family friends.  The final week in my hometown is still a clean slate at this point,however I expect to have a full schedule seeing old co-workers and friends.  I hope to go to the beach a couple times, maybe go camping, and definitely see a concert or two.  When Saturday morning rolls around I will be making my slightly shorter, but still very long journey, back to Ulsan.

Return Sat, Sep 8 20hr 15min Total time Depart Cleveland, Ohio United Airlines 5897 Economy | Embraer RJ135-145 310 mi | 1hr 25min 10:50 AM Hopkins International (CLE) Stop 1 Chicago, Illinois 11:15 AM O'Hare Airport (ORD) | Terminal 2 On-time performance: 70% | Seats: 14-A | Seats are confirmed. Flight 5897 Operated by EXPRESSJET AIRLINES DBA UNITED EXPRESS Change planes. Time between flights: 0hr 41min Depart Chicago, Illinois United Airlines 851 Economy | Boeing 777 6,571 mi | 13hr 44min 11:56 AM O'Hare Airport (ORD) | Terminal 1 Stop 2 Beijing 2:40 PM Beijing International Airport(PEK) | Terminal 3 Seats: 35-A | Seats are confirmed. | Meal: Lunch Change of airlines. Time between flights: 2hr 10min Depart Beijing Asiana Airlines 316 Economy | Airbus A320 765 mi | 2hr 15min 4:50 PM Beijing International Airport(PEK) | Terminal 3 Arrive Busan 8:05 PM Kimhae (PUS) | Terminal I Overnight flight.

I have to say I am excited about everything right now.  I'm excited to go home, I'm excited to come back, and I'm excited to continue my journey after Korea.  I just received 3 job offers from my applications to Taiwan, but they will have to wait until the Fall of 2013 for me!  Seeing that (and the pay raise that it would give me) is really exciting, because I know I am just scratching the surface of my journey through life.  I can't stress enough how lucky I feel to be in this situation, and as I have said before: definitely seize the opportunity to travel and work abroad if it ever presents itself, you won't regret it!

Red Belt Down, One To Go!

I got one step closer to achieving my current goal in Taekwondo last night by earning my red belt.  I went in pretty confident about poomses 5, 6, 7 and 8 that I was to do, along with the kick test which was actually really easy.  The only part I was a little worried about was the board breaking portion, but that went fine.  The reason I wasn't sure about this part is because I would normally kick the boards with my right foot, but it is still hurting a little from when I injured it, so I had to go lefty.  Everything went well though, and I am happy to say that my form has really progressed over the months, and I feel that I am ready for the black belt test next month.

Here is poomse 8, or 발 정.  I didn't take videos of the other poomses since they are in past posts.  I hope to have my black belt test in its entirety on here though, so you can see how they all look in polished form.  This one is brand new for me, so it isn't 'perfect,' but I feel that I did pretty good.

Here is the board breaking portion.  You can see after I did the second one that it hurt like son of a gun, but was still pretty awesome to do!

I will take the black belt test on June 30th, just over a month away.  I am really excited for it, and will train more than usual over the next month so that I am fully prepared.  The test will start with poomse 8, and then they will call out random poomses (in Korean) that I will have to do right on the spot, along side several others taking the test.  So no pausing, no slowing down, just doing them as they call them out.  There will also be a sparring portion, that I can't wait for!

Another cool thing is my friend Keenan (bass player/singer in my band) has been wanting to get into Taekwondo ever since he came, but has not joined a studio yet.  I guess I have inspired him to finally come out, so he will be joining MY Taekwondo studio next week.  It's pretty cool because I came there the lone foreigner, and now number 3 is joining in!

Sports Day!

A couple Saturdays ago was Kids Day in Korea, so almost all of the schools had a Sports Day on the Friday before that weekend to celebrate.  I knew this was coming, but was uncertain as to my role in the event.  All I knew is that I had no classes that day (even though I love my job and my kids, that is a nice little treat at the end of the week) and that I would maybe help a out in some way.

Notice how they are in lines squatting down.  This is an example of how they keep them 'in line' during assemblies and such as I mentioned in the last post.

It actually started off fairly boring for me in the beginning, as it was held like an official ceremony entirely in Korean.  I stuck it out through the long-winded speeches given by the principle, vice-principle and head teacher; then watched as the excited kids began running their relay races.  It was really fun to watch because I used to love racing kids when I was that age (my old T-ball coach used to call me Flash... it was kind of a big deal).

Here's a real nail-biter!

The younger students ran just half a lap, and the older students ran a whole lap.  They also had to put on the blue or yellow shirt for their leg of the race (which was maybe the best part, as some of them ran most of the way still trying to put it on).  

Here is a shot of the relay races from the stands.  There were many of these races, each having 1 or 2 students from each grade per team.  I'm not sure how they picked the teams, but they sure were competitive!

Next was the event I didn't expect: the staff verses 6th grade class in Tug-of-War!  I was helping to stretch out the huge rope not realizing that I was about to be a participant, when it suddenly became very clear that all of the teachers were gathering on my side of the rope!  I wish I had some footage of this, however I do not.  They put me at the very front of our team, which made it a lot of fun (of course I had to egg on my students on the other side!)  Since I was unaware of my participation prior to the start, I failed to warm up or stretch in any way.  I nearly dug a hole in the sand from tugging at about a 30 degree angle from the ground AND strained a muscle in my chest (no stretchy), all in a failed effort :(  We went two times, and I guess they had the numbers on us, and a bit more collective determination.  In any case, it was still really fun, and definitely not boring!

As time went on I began playing catch with one of the other teachers while some of the students watched.  I haven't played baseball since 6th grade, and every time I've done one of those speed pitch things at the fair I usually miss the strike zone by a mile.  However, taking it nice and easy I managed to avoid throwing any wild pitches, and even showed off a gaudy wind up for the students for every throw!  It was a good time, and made me want to get a baseball and glove again some day.  All in all I did enjoy my first Sports Day, and I look forward to the next one that my school has!

Teacher's Day :D

I just had my first Teacher's Day this week, and it was really nice!  It may be one of the least celebrated holidays ever, but the students in South Korea definitely made me feel special on this day.  As I walked up to the school I was greeted by two whole classes of excited students ready to say "Ryan Teacher!  Happy Teacher's Day!"  They crowded around me (as one student pinned a paper made Carnation on my shirt) and talked to me using their beginner level conversational English.

After I made it to my classroom I noticed hundreds of students passing by my room towards the gymnasium.  When Mr. Park arrived I asked him if there was an assembly for Teacher's Day.  He said no, there will be a ceremony with all of the students in the gym, to which I said, ahhh, yeah we call that an assembly (lol).  Mr. Park is actually my best student!  Almost every time he learns something new from me, I notice him using it the next time or two that I see him (if only all of my students did that!)  So I made sure that I wasn't expected to speak at this ceremony (they sneak things like that up on you here), and proceeded to the gymnasium.  It really is impressive how they can keep 400 students all in perfect order, standing in an open area.  (This is when I realized that they use commands similar to those seen in military movies.  They have different ways to stand and, in a sense, salute.)  I'm going to remember that, however I'm not sure that will work out super well in American high schools..  At this ceremony a choir of students sang the "Teacher's Day song" and then all of the students sang Yangjung Elementary's Alma Matter which was very nice.  Several students went around giving the teachers real Carnations, and I actually received mine from a 6th grade boy that was imitating me in the "I'm Yours" video.  I guess I forgive him now :P

After the ceremony we had about 20 minutes to relax, and then got our 2nd period class.  At the beginning of that class a little boy by the name of 김병짐 (Kim Byong Jeem) brought Mr. Park and I each a gift bag that had candies in it.  This boy is one of my favorite students, because he doesn't know much English, but he tries extremely hard.  We have an after school class four days a week (I only teach three of them), and he always comes early to study for at least an hour before class.  One day Mr. Park and I were leaving school to go for a walk, and the boy's mother stopped us to talk for a minute.  She really just talked to Mr. Park, but was so happy and thankful because 병 짐 had never showed interest in English before, but now studies on his own all the time.  So I'm pretty sure she sent him in with the gift bag, which was so nice of her!

The rice cake assortment (and Mr. Jung).

The final treat for Teacher's Day came at lunch.  All of the students pitched in to buy the teachers a beautifully displayed rice cake.  It was actually many little rice cakes dressed up to look like one large cake.  It was very delicious, and I was even given a couple wrapped ones to take with me (that I just enjoyed while writing this).  As a teacher it looks like I'll have plenty more days like this in my career, but I think this one will be the most memorable!

Ryan Teacher in the News!

The Ulsan Whale Festival and Dragon Boat Races are a big deal in our city, so of course the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) had full coverage of the event.  Due to my enthusiasm and outrageous attire, I was selected to be interviewed before and after my first race.  I didn't count on actually making the news, nor did I plan on seeing it if I did, however a Korean friend of mine messaged me the other day telling me that she saw me on the news (and that I was going to be a star, lol).  I thought that that was great, but didn't think I'd ever get to see it.  However today my friend posted in one of our (many) Facebook groups of foreign teachers here in Ulsan, sharing the link to the KBS website with the video!  They put both clips of me in there, and even took footage of me getting my oar and walking to the boat!  It is pretty cool, and now I'm hoping they cover my band's first concert (at an outdoor festival) this Saturday, because then I really might turn into a star here!  haha

To view the video might be a little tricky, but if you really want to see it just follow these directions:

http://ulsan.kbs.co.kr/tv/today_vod.html

1. Click on the link above ^^^
2. Click on the link that says "2012-5-14"
3. Click on the little 'TV' symbol that says '300'
4. You need to log into the website, so use the following account:
1. Username: ulsannarwhal
2. Password: blubber123
5. Once you have logged in you should be able to view the video.
6. It is 16 minutes long, but the part my friends and I are in starts at 5:40 and ends at 7:40, so you can skip ahead.

Trouble shooting:  

• One friend claimed that it only worked for him using Internet Explorer.
• Pop-up blockers can be an issue.
• If it doesn't work, make sure you're signed in, then try the link again (or refresh your browser).
• If you don't see the 2012-5-14, try going back in the archives.
• It is all in Korean, so hopefully these directions serve you well! 

ENJOY!

Dragon Boat Race!

2 Weeks ago I participated in the annual dragon boat races here in Ulsan, which is a part of the annual Whale Festival.  I agreed to join the team 2 or 3 months ago, and was hoping to get a lot of practice in with the team so that we could have a shot at winning.  Unfortunately we only had one practice, and it was held on a rainy day 3 weeks ago.  I would have gone to practice in the rain (like 3/4 of our team did), but I was working an English camp that Saturday, which I do once a month.  I showed up to the race both excited, and as you might expect, ready to laugh at our performance.

Our team was the called the Narwhals, and we tried to all dress sort of like psychedelic medieval vikings, so at least we had THAT going for us.  I did not take our theme lightly, and I got completely "neoned" out from the post-its down my legs, to the paint on my face and arms.  It was intense.

Here is our team getting ready to leave port.  I really enjoy this group of people, they are a lot of fun.  I am a little disappointed in Rich (up front) and Roseanne for not getting the Narwhal's trademark 'helical tusk.'  The rest of us embraced this Unicorn-looking whale's natural beauty.

My friend Penelope took this photo of our boat as I was waving my oar at her and heckling her team.  

Still doing it.

Out of 15 teams we were in the 2nd of 3 heats.  We looked like we were going to tip the boat over on our way to the starting line, but did surprisingly good!  We stayed straight, and were almost neck in neck with the 1st and 2nd place boats of our heat.  Unfortunately we fell into the slow (redemption round) heat, and failed to have such 'good' results.  The important thing about rowing in these dragon boats is timing and rhythm.  We had that the first time, however we did not have that during the second heat.  Prior to the start we all agreed to watch the paddler in front of us, and just after the start some guys began yelling for everyone to follow the drummer!!  (There is a drummer to keep the rhythm on each boat as you can see above.)  This made our teammates focus on different things and we did pretty awful.  Regardless it was a lot of fun, and a great experience (especially for the next time I do something like this).  After us foreigners got done racing the (very serious) Korean teams took the oars, and we enjoyed free food, beer and entertainment in exchange for our 10,000 won entry fee.  A pretty good deal if you ask me!  All in all it was really fun, and I didn't lose too much sleep over not winning.

There's our boat rolling back in after that first heat.  Good times!

Americano!

There is a funny/cool song that has become extremely popular here called Americano.  I am actually curious to hear if it has been played back in the States at all.  I cannot find the original music video that was shot in a coffee shop, but here is a performance of the song I came across on Youtube.  If you have paid enough attention to my past posts, you might remember that to order a coffee you just need to say coppee americano (juseo/give me please).  That is all this song is about!  haha and 'juwaa juwaa juwaa' is I like, I like, I like.  It is funny to me because he also sings 'bagel juseo' a few times in the song (give me a bagel please).  Enjoy!

Dad Is Coming To Korea!

I am super excited for this fall.  I will go home to visit both my hometown of Painesville, Ohio and my college town of Toledo during the last week of August and the first week of September.  That will be so great to see everyone, tell some of the stories I have from my travels, and see how weird America seems after a year in Korea (reverse culture shock!)

Less than 1 month after I arrive back in Korea my father Mike Manary will be making the long flight to Asia for a visit!  He will come during the Chusok holiday (similar to American Thanksgiving), so I will have a couple vacation days to show him around.  My mom Theresa is a little too uncomfortable flying, especially for a crazy long 13 hour flight across the world, so she is staying behind (she's just happy she will see me that month anyways).

Here is a picture of me, my Dad, my Mom and brother Pat that was taken last summer.

It is still 5 months away, but most of that week is planned!  Dad will arrive Saturday evening in Busan, and we will do something easy going in Busan or Ulsan.  Sunday morning we might go to Mr. Park's parents' house for his Chusok family gathering.  During the afternoon Mr. Park and his family will visit their relatives graves, while Dad and I go exploring Ulsan.  I will have Monday and Wednesday off that week, so if the weather is good we will probably go on a hike or visit Paraeso Falls on Monday.  Tuesday he will come to school with me, and I will do a special class that involves him in some way (he can even give a lecture if he wants!  hint-hint ;)  Wednesday Mr. Park will take us to see some temples or parks all day, and then will have us over his parents' house again for a traditional Korean dinner.  Thursday we will go to school again, but this time I will be teaching my normal classes, so he can observe how I normally teach.  One of those nights we will go out with my friends for dinner, so he can meet a lot of the people I hang out with.  It will be an awesome time!

Here is Mr. Park and his family.  This is at a temple that he took me when I was new to Ulsan.  He is more than happy to help visitors experience beautiful places like this.

I am very excited for my father's visit, and it looks like my brother might make a trip out here sometime next year!  If anyone has the time and money to come out and visit, you are more than welcome!  I have a friend here from England, and 4 of his friends surprised him by coming for a visit, so it is an option every/anyone!

Irene :)

So I am pleased to share the news that I have recently met a wonderful woman, Irene.  We met about six weeks ago, and she agreed to be my girlfriend almost a month ago now!  I have been here for about 8 1/2 months, and I have finally found the one Korean girl that.. they broke the mold to make.  She has traveled all around South East Asia, has lived in Australia for 2 1/2 years (during three different trips), and is interested in seeing the rest of the world like I am.

This is Irene!

This is some delicious food she made for me.  It is really cool that we both like to cook (well.. she likes to cook for me at least lol), because we treat each other all the time!

 I think it is important to tell all about Irene Gang, or Gang Soon Mi (강순미) because in the month and a half I have known her, I have been able to experience Korea in such a different light!  I have been comfortable here, but I really have been interacting like a foreigner.  When I am with her I really act, shop and eat out like a Korean!   In Korea I sort of feel like an American ambassador so it is hard to be myself in public, especially because of the language barrier.  I guess I didn't realize how I was acting differently until now.. and it is hard to explain.  I think I am OVERLY friendly here, and I use caution when saying that, because my personality is to be friendly.  Being overly friendly is.. maybe annoying?  (haha)  I'm not sure how to really explain it, but how I've been interacting wouldn't seem normal if I was in America, and it wouldn't be normal if a Korean was doing it here.  It is very normal and acceptable as a foreigner, but now that I am dating a Korean girl, I feel much more like a local.  It is really nice (and different).

This is an example of acting oneself at a store!  I would do silly stuff like this in America, but not in Korea.  

Here is a combination of a delicious meal Irene made for me and a bit of her funny side :)

We have done lots of neat things together so far, including seeing a movie, going on the giant ferris wheel downtown, going out with my friends, having a picnic with some of her family, and so on.  She has met my parents a few times on Skype now, and is getting along great with all of my friends here.  One obstacle is that she lives in Daegu, about an hour and a half bus ride from Ulsan, but we visit at least once per week.  She is really helping me with my Korean language studying, and I am helping her with her English (which is already really good in my opinion, and of course not so good in her opinion).  I am also teaching her guitar, and she is a great student!  She already bought a guitar and practices at least an hour each day.  I am very happy to have met her, and I hope that things continue to go well!

This is at her sisters house.  I had a holiday a couple weeks ago (National Election Day) so I visited her in Daegu.  We had a great BBQ with her two sisters, her two nieces, and her brother in law!

Here is a picture of Irene and I :D