Saturday, December 3, 2011
Pictures of My Busan Apartment :-)
The weekend is here!!! :-) I did some cleaning today which made me feel ready to post some pictures of my pad. ALSO, I got Emma hooked on Californication. She had never seen it before. We watched 2 episodes last night and 5 tonight! I am hoping to have her caught up before the season 5 premiere in January. Ha. We made curry too!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
SO MUCH HAS CHANGED!!!
Wow. So this is the second time I am writing this. Last night I wrote a months worth of information and then the tab closed out while I was waiting for the pictures to upload... >:X Oh well. Here I go again.
So much has changed since I last posted! I have been so bad at updating. First of all, I am no longer at Lex Kim or in Seoul! On 10/27, Mr. Kim, the director of Lex Kim, observed a level 4 grammar class of Adrienne's and then a level 4 grammar class of mine. Adrienne and I had been sharing all of our ideas, lesson plans, and auxiliary texts. I mean we were a team at Lex Kim, right? WRONG. Ha. We had 20 classes/preps a week. Anyway, he observed our classes and we used the same worksheet which Adrienne had made because she taught a bunch of level 4 grammar classes. At the end of the day he didn't give us feedback, but he said he would on Friday morning. We never received feedback on Friday morning. No news is good news, right? Wrong! We went about teaching our classes. On 11/7 (a week and a half later), Mr. Kim called me into his office after school and told me he was "reminding me" that my contract was being terminated. "Reminding me?" WTF. He said that I collaborated with another teacher and shared a worksheet. I mentioned that I had no idea we weren't allowed to share worksheets because I was under the impression that we were a team and helped each other out. Whatever. Adrienne was called in next and got the same talk except he told her that Linda, the head teacher and a total robot, said she didn't like Adrienne. Adrienne was so happy about this. Ha. Linda was a super passive aggressive freak of a person who did a lot of "mmmm hmmmms" and nodding. She also never ate... so weird.
So we were set free! However, we still had to go to work until Wednesday. I can tell you it was not fun being there knowing I was so close to not having to go. On our last day, Shoomee, the Assistant Director and Mr. Kim's wife, invited us to lunch the next day. We agreed because we needed our release letters and she said she would give them to us then. As we were leaving she mentioned that she was jealous of Adrienne and me because we were free... What? She said that all she does is work and stay at home. She said they never go anywhere. They have had a car for a year and only have 10,000 kilometers on it because they only drive to and from work. Depressing.
We went to lunch at a Galbi restaurant (ribs). It was delicious. For a side dish before the food, they brought out raw intestine. We passed on trying it. However, I did eat cooked cow heart. It wasn't the worst thing I ever tasted. It was kinda bloody and had a different texture. Then we went to try to get me a new phone, but Adrienne mentioned that her eye was irritated that morning and she wanted to stop at a pharmacy for some eye drops. Shoomee insisted on taking her to a doctor instead. The doctor's office was out of this world. It was so nice and so high tech. When the doctor looked at her eye through the telescope thing, a huge projection of her eye was on a screen for me to see. So cool. Medicine is super cheap here too. Eye drops and the examine were like 8,000 won total. America needs to figure out their health care system because after being abroad I realize that Korea's and Canada's health care is where it is at.
I was really excited to get out of Lex Kim. I liked the job and stayed optimistic (probably because the pay was incredible). However, there were a lot of things I tried to ignore: they went through your trash, they checked your meals to see what you ate, they went into your apartments without telling you, they didn't follow through with the contract, they would pressure you into weekend day trips, and they were just manipulative and passive aggressive. Winter was coming up and the hours were going to change to 9AM-9PM. So glad I got out of there before that!
Mr. Kim gave us to 11/20 to stay in the apartment and find a new job. Finally the vacation I was promised in my contract! ;-) However, I spent it looking for a job. I interviewed at 2 schools in Seoul and got job offers at both of them. They were nice schools and so much more laid back than Lex Kim. I decided I wanted to check out the coastal city of Busan as well. Before I came to Korea, I did a lot of debating on whether to go to the big, bustling city of Seoul (20 million people) or the coastal, more laid back city of Busan (4 million people). I found a hagwon looking for a teacher and scheduled a visit. I asked the recruiter if I could speak to a foreign teacher there before traveling all the way to Busan. He gave me the e-mail and phone number of a girl who worked there and let me know that she went to Florida State. Pretty cool. When I talked to her we came to realize that we were both from West Palm Beach too! What a small world! She seemed to really like the school which made me feel good about it.
Rachel told me I had to get a camera if I would be traveling across Korea so I did. 99,000 won or about $82. Not bad. There is a company that offers free buses for foreigners from Seoul to other major cities. They are hoping to get tourism in other cities. I took them up on the offer. Check out how amazing the bus seats were. I slept the whole way.
The recruiter picked me up when I got to Busan. He dropped me off at my motel and gave me an hour or so before he took me to the school for my interview and sample teaching. The motel was across the street from the employee's apartment and just a block from the beach. It was nice taking a walk by the water.
On the way to the school, Don, the recruiter, told me that I was 90% hired already. He also mentioned that he tried to call Lex Kim for a reference and they would not speak to him! Mr. Kim told me he would be a reference and do whatever he could to help me get a job. When they called the school, the school said that it was against their policy to give out any information. They simply asked if I worked there and the school still wouldn't give them an answer. Don said that in all of his years recruiting that has happened maybe once before. What jerks. Anyway, the interview went well, and I got to do my sample teaching with actual students. It was a lot different than the hagwons in Seoul. The kids here seem to know a lot less English. Later, Stephanie (the teacher from WPB), Emma (another teacher who has been there for 2 months) and I went out for Vietnamese food. I had never had Vietnamese. It was really good. We then went to a bar and had a few drinks. Here are some pictures of Busan/Gwangalli Beach at night.
View from the bar
A huge light up fish on the beach.
After a drink at the bar, Emma and I drank Somec (soju and beer) while walking her dog John. Emma volunteers at an animal shelter in Busan. She had been fostering John for 2 months. He had been at the shelter for 3 years! She decided to foster him because he had heart worm and if he didn't get treatment outside of the shelter he would die! How nice of her!
The next day, I accepted the contract in Busan. I was offered more money in Seoul, but the hours were shorter in Busan and the people and beach got me! I spent a lot of time partying with my friends in Seoul before I left. I really miss them and hope they come and visit me soon! I mean I can see the beach from my window!
Adrienne rocking out in my Bassnectar T before we headed to another Epic night at Noreabang!
Funniest night!
Noreabang!
My last night at Vudu with Rob, Brent and Nate!
I went to lunch with the girls the next day. Here is a little octopus. He was so delicious.
I traveled to Busan by bus with 3 suitcases and 2 large boxes. It was a hassle. I stayed in a motel for a week before the teacher who was leaving was out of the apartment. I went out a few times and it was a lot of fun.
We found a bar serving Thanksgiving Dinner too!!!
It is so different teaching at this school, Corem, than Lex Kim. This is actually EFL which I have never taught before AND I teach a few kindergarten classes! It is a challenge just to keep them on task. A lot of time things will happen in the classroom and I will be reminded by just how little they know. For instance, I will say "say door" and they say "say door" instead of "door." I did a whole side lesson on what the word say meant with pictures and acting it out... I think they got it but only today will tell!
The day I moved into my apartment (Sunday) I agreed to take John off Emma's hands. A week ago she took in another shelter dog named Murphy. I told her I would take John while we continued to find him a home. He was such a doll. Yesterday we found him a home! It was so sad and wonderful at the same time. I am really inspired by what Emma is doing for these adorable little pups.
View from my apt.
Well that is all I have for now except 1 more thing... I AM GOING TO THAILAND DEC. 25-DEC. 31!!!! You know, because I have vacation now. I booked the ticket by myself, but Elena is now coming to! We are going to go to Phuket and Koh Phi Phi. It is so beautiful there I can't believe it!
So much has changed since I last posted! I have been so bad at updating. First of all, I am no longer at Lex Kim or in Seoul! On 10/27, Mr. Kim, the director of Lex Kim, observed a level 4 grammar class of Adrienne's and then a level 4 grammar class of mine. Adrienne and I had been sharing all of our ideas, lesson plans, and auxiliary texts. I mean we were a team at Lex Kim, right? WRONG. Ha. We had 20 classes/preps a week. Anyway, he observed our classes and we used the same worksheet which Adrienne had made because she taught a bunch of level 4 grammar classes. At the end of the day he didn't give us feedback, but he said he would on Friday morning. We never received feedback on Friday morning. No news is good news, right? Wrong! We went about teaching our classes. On 11/7 (a week and a half later), Mr. Kim called me into his office after school and told me he was "reminding me" that my contract was being terminated. "Reminding me?" WTF. He said that I collaborated with another teacher and shared a worksheet. I mentioned that I had no idea we weren't allowed to share worksheets because I was under the impression that we were a team and helped each other out. Whatever. Adrienne was called in next and got the same talk except he told her that Linda, the head teacher and a total robot, said she didn't like Adrienne. Adrienne was so happy about this. Ha. Linda was a super passive aggressive freak of a person who did a lot of "mmmm hmmmms" and nodding. She also never ate... so weird.
So we were set free! However, we still had to go to work until Wednesday. I can tell you it was not fun being there knowing I was so close to not having to go. On our last day, Shoomee, the Assistant Director and Mr. Kim's wife, invited us to lunch the next day. We agreed because we needed our release letters and she said she would give them to us then. As we were leaving she mentioned that she was jealous of Adrienne and me because we were free... What? She said that all she does is work and stay at home. She said they never go anywhere. They have had a car for a year and only have 10,000 kilometers on it because they only drive to and from work. Depressing.
We went to lunch at a Galbi restaurant (ribs). It was delicious. For a side dish before the food, they brought out raw intestine. We passed on trying it. However, I did eat cooked cow heart. It wasn't the worst thing I ever tasted. It was kinda bloody and had a different texture. Then we went to try to get me a new phone, but Adrienne mentioned that her eye was irritated that morning and she wanted to stop at a pharmacy for some eye drops. Shoomee insisted on taking her to a doctor instead. The doctor's office was out of this world. It was so nice and so high tech. When the doctor looked at her eye through the telescope thing, a huge projection of her eye was on a screen for me to see. So cool. Medicine is super cheap here too. Eye drops and the examine were like 8,000 won total. America needs to figure out their health care system because after being abroad I realize that Korea's and Canada's health care is where it is at.
I was really excited to get out of Lex Kim. I liked the job and stayed optimistic (probably because the pay was incredible). However, there were a lot of things I tried to ignore: they went through your trash, they checked your meals to see what you ate, they went into your apartments without telling you, they didn't follow through with the contract, they would pressure you into weekend day trips, and they were just manipulative and passive aggressive. Winter was coming up and the hours were going to change to 9AM-9PM. So glad I got out of there before that!
Mr. Kim gave us to 11/20 to stay in the apartment and find a new job. Finally the vacation I was promised in my contract! ;-) However, I spent it looking for a job. I interviewed at 2 schools in Seoul and got job offers at both of them. They were nice schools and so much more laid back than Lex Kim. I decided I wanted to check out the coastal city of Busan as well. Before I came to Korea, I did a lot of debating on whether to go to the big, bustling city of Seoul (20 million people) or the coastal, more laid back city of Busan (4 million people). I found a hagwon looking for a teacher and scheduled a visit. I asked the recruiter if I could speak to a foreign teacher there before traveling all the way to Busan. He gave me the e-mail and phone number of a girl who worked there and let me know that she went to Florida State. Pretty cool. When I talked to her we came to realize that we were both from West Palm Beach too! What a small world! She seemed to really like the school which made me feel good about it.
Rachel told me I had to get a camera if I would be traveling across Korea so I did. 99,000 won or about $82. Not bad. There is a company that offers free buses for foreigners from Seoul to other major cities. They are hoping to get tourism in other cities. I took them up on the offer. Check out how amazing the bus seats were. I slept the whole way.
Here is a picture of the countryside of Korea. I had never been outside of Seoul. I didn't know this much green existed here! :-P
The recruiter picked me up when I got to Busan. He dropped me off at my motel and gave me an hour or so before he took me to the school for my interview and sample teaching. The motel was across the street from the employee's apartment and just a block from the beach. It was nice taking a walk by the water.
On the way to the school, Don, the recruiter, told me that I was 90% hired already. He also mentioned that he tried to call Lex Kim for a reference and they would not speak to him! Mr. Kim told me he would be a reference and do whatever he could to help me get a job. When they called the school, the school said that it was against their policy to give out any information. They simply asked if I worked there and the school still wouldn't give them an answer. Don said that in all of his years recruiting that has happened maybe once before. What jerks. Anyway, the interview went well, and I got to do my sample teaching with actual students. It was a lot different than the hagwons in Seoul. The kids here seem to know a lot less English. Later, Stephanie (the teacher from WPB), Emma (another teacher who has been there for 2 months) and I went out for Vietnamese food. I had never had Vietnamese. It was really good. We then went to a bar and had a few drinks. Here are some pictures of Busan/Gwangalli Beach at night.
After a drink at the bar, Emma and I drank Somec (soju and beer) while walking her dog John. Emma volunteers at an animal shelter in Busan. She had been fostering John for 2 months. He had been at the shelter for 3 years! She decided to foster him because he had heart worm and if he didn't get treatment outside of the shelter he would die! How nice of her!
The next day, I accepted the contract in Busan. I was offered more money in Seoul, but the hours were shorter in Busan and the people and beach got me! I spent a lot of time partying with my friends in Seoul before I left. I really miss them and hope they come and visit me soon! I mean I can see the beach from my window!
Adrienne rocking out in my Bassnectar T before we headed to another Epic night at Noreabang!
I traveled to Busan by bus with 3 suitcases and 2 large boxes. It was a hassle. I stayed in a motel for a week before the teacher who was leaving was out of the apartment. I went out a few times and it was a lot of fun.
Emma and Stephanie did this with their students at school.
A really cool Indian place we ate at.
I had Mexican on the beach! It was pretty interesting. It came with fries and fruit!
It is so different teaching at this school, Corem, than Lex Kim. This is actually EFL which I have never taught before AND I teach a few kindergarten classes! It is a challenge just to keep them on task. A lot of time things will happen in the classroom and I will be reminded by just how little they know. For instance, I will say "say door" and they say "say door" instead of "door." I did a whole side lesson on what the word say meant with pictures and acting it out... I think they got it but only today will tell!
The day I moved into my apartment (Sunday) I agreed to take John off Emma's hands. A week ago she took in another shelter dog named Murphy. I told her I would take John while we continued to find him a home. He was such a doll. Yesterday we found him a home! It was so sad and wonderful at the same time. I am really inspired by what Emma is doing for these adorable little pups.
On the way to drop off John with his new parents!
View from my apt.
Well that is all I have for now except 1 more thing... I AM GOING TO THAILAND DEC. 25-DEC. 31!!!! You know, because I have vacation now. I booked the ticket by myself, but Elena is now coming to! We are going to go to Phuket and Koh Phi Phi. It is so beautiful there I can't believe it!
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