Here is an article talking about teenagers in North Korea. I find it very interesting because, I know I don't know much about communism but it seems to fly right into the face of what the North Korean regime is going for. It seems even in a country where food is scarce and there is little to no contact with the outside world, teenagers still desire items that clarify their status in the world. In this article, MP3s and USB sticks tell those around you where you fall on the financial totem pole.
USB sticks, when most teenagers don't even know how to use a computer.
The cutest plaid jumper when you're parents aren't eating.
I simply find this article fascinating. And it makes me wonder about children in Africa, to make a very general statement...hahaha....what are status symbols to the kids I met in Iringa and Tanzania? Did I miss that part of the culture. It's possible, because I spent most of my time with adults or with little kids....Fascinating.
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02900&num=5487
Teenagers, the Generation Keeping up with the TimesNew Trends of Teenagers – Part 3
By Moon Sung Hwee, from Jagang in 2006
[2009-10-07 18:38 ]
No matter how hard the Kim Jong Il regime tries to block the eyes and ears of the North Korean citizens with decrees and regulations, the spirit of the times will not be tamed. In particular, teenagers play the role of pioneers able to integrate diverse cultures and transmitters of information in their country.
▲ Will I become an outcast if I cannot follow the trends or keep up with the competition?
At the end of the 1980s, the style of clothing that was most popular among North Korean female middle school students and women in their 20s was a Soviet-made checkered jumper with a faux-French label. In fact, although it looked like a jumper, the item was actually a dress, and was distinguishable by its black and blue checkered pattern.
This item, which could only be purchased with foreign currency, initially cost 800 won, but subsequently rose to 1,500 won. In poor households, getting one's hands on the jumper was unfathomable and, in more affluent homes, it was a prized possession. In homes where the members of the household could barely eat three meals a day, parents were subjected to daily harassment by their children.
Back in the days when a kilogram of rice cost between five and eight won and the North Korean-made "Ssangma" sewing machine cost just 1,500 won, the fact that an item of clothing could cost just as much was shocking. However, many middle school student and women in their 20s went wild over it and ended up buying it regardless.
Even though some students came from homes with leaking roofs, where eating corn rice was a luxury and parents dressed in rags, they still donned the high-priced checkered jumpers. It was not until the beginning of the 1990s when a similar checkered jumper was produced in China that the price dropped and it went out of fashion.
Even the workout pants and t-shirt worn by Im Soo Kyung, who came to Pyongyang for the “13th World Festival of Youth and Students” in 1989, became a huge hit, according to defectors.
However, the era when clothing was at the root of the trends the 1980s, also described in the North as the "bygone era of Communism."
From a certain perspective, it is probably not too far-fetched to say that there exists no other group of people living in a completely closed society who are as conscious of trends as young North Koreans. However, the "trends" in North Korea differ slightly from the usual trends in capitalist countries.
For example, North Korean people are especially sensitive to accessories.
North Korean citizens are not only sensitive to the style of their clothing or shoes, but also the brands of their accessories such as bicycles and MP3 players.
The reason behind the North Korean special emphasis on such items is apparent in the North Korean adage, "What one eats is not as important as what one wears." It is not particularly evident whether one has eaten or not in the short term, but attire gives away the level of wealth in a household.
Just as household affluence is determined by the type of vehicle or house one owns in a capitalist society, the type of clothing or shoes that one wears, the particular brand of cigarettes in the pocket of a person or the kinds of objects one owns indicates the wealth of a person in North Korea and even decides the way in which a person is treated.
Two examples are the USB memory sticks and MP3 players which have started circulating there.An inside source in North Korea testified, “Teenagers nowadays may not know how a computer works, but will carry at least one USB memory stick along with their keys. Middle school students living in cities have to own at least one MP3 player in order to be acknowledged as coming from a middle class background.”
So, in order to cement or exaggerate their social positions, youths go out and get an MP3 player, even if it means foregoing meals, and the parents who do not want to see their children getting alienated will save every penny to buy these 'essential' items.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
learning korean
i love learning korean. there are many reasons but here are a few:
today walking to work i passed a shoe repair stand. these are everywhere on the streets in case you break a heel. but only today after being here a year and 7 months i noticed its called "shoe hospital" i was so surprised and happy that i realized it i just had this big dumb smile on my face as i continued on my way.
yesterday at baskin robbins she asked me how many spoons i wanted with my cake. trying to prove my new korean skills i said "십"means ten. but as we had just learned the day before in class- i had neglected to study she looked at me smiled and said "열개" which is the other counting set of numbers.....needless to say i was only slightly saddened but more happy when i realized i knew what she was saying when she corrected me! yes! :)
2 points amber well....um, 2 points korea...haha :)
its the small things in life~!
today walking to work i passed a shoe repair stand. these are everywhere on the streets in case you break a heel. but only today after being here a year and 7 months i noticed its called "shoe hospital" i was so surprised and happy that i realized it i just had this big dumb smile on my face as i continued on my way.
yesterday at baskin robbins she asked me how many spoons i wanted with my cake. trying to prove my new korean skills i said "십"means ten. but as we had just learned the day before in class- i had neglected to study she looked at me smiled and said "열개" which is the other counting set of numbers.....needless to say i was only slightly saddened but more happy when i realized i knew what she was saying when she corrected me! yes! :)
2 points amber well....um, 2 points korea...haha :)
its the small things in life~!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
new findings on swine flu
My student's report on Swine Flu:
Swing Flu
There was some Grandmother who died because of Flu. she was 7th victim because of Flu. she just came back to Korea from U.S.A. She was fat and family said she usually didn't wash her hand.
Problem: Flu is getting bigger
Solution: we have to pass the flu by hand sanitizer. and don't go place where many people are onorin.
~i should note that the student told me that they said on the news that the woman was fat. guess thats important?
:) why i like teaching
Swing Flu
There was some Grandmother who died because of Flu. she was 7th victim because of Flu. she just came back to Korea from U.S.A. She was fat and family said she usually didn't wash her hand.
Problem: Flu is getting bigger
Solution: we have to pass the flu by hand sanitizer. and don't go place where many people are onorin.
~i should note that the student told me that they said on the news that the woman was fat. guess thats important?
:) why i like teaching
Sunday, August 30, 2009
old and new
i like when things go full circle - so here is a picture from my first rugby tournament at the end of last august on the left. and then a picture from this years rugby tournament on the right. not much has changed in case you were wondering. :)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
a good day to kick some ass!
oh yes, it was a beautiful day of rugby on saturday. i am able to sit here and tell you that most likely due to
1. my hot yoga teacher liz who has helped me to become more flexible and able to take a hit or a crushing
2. the prayers of my mom for "tough skin and strong bones"
considering our last big game left me with 8 stitches above my left eye, which i am so proud of!
well yesterday another Hong Kong club team came to visit to give us some nice competition. the day was a big day in Korean rugby regardless. the morning started with
9:30am Hong Kong versus Korean Women's National Team
Colts (International School in Seoul) versus Hong Kong U18s
12:10 Hong Kong versus Seoul Sisters (my team)
Hong Kong Men versus Seoul Survivors (the foriegner mens rugby team)
Due to some poor planning and having people coming and going I ended up missing a very crucial practice and due to work, missed another practice....not good things when i really don't know how to play 10s...last game against a different Hong Kong team we played 15s and previously i played 7s in a tournament. So i really had no idea what differences there are. and skipping practice is not always a good idea when you have no idea what you are doing. but there was enthusiasm to watch the game from dee and liz, my coworker, so i just had to hope that i could dress out and sit on the sidelines.
well, this actually worked to my advantage, not coming to practice, and being a forward aka fatty aka a hitter, thats how i like to think of it. seeing that most of the time im not a flake when it comes to rugby and im fairly good at it, fairly being the important word. they asked if i would mind playing for Hong Kong or Korea for the first match for one of the 10 minute halves. sure, why not?
so genieve and i joined the hong kong team to warm up and play with them. how cool is that? i mean they spoke some english but not a whole lot. hahaha, it was so great he's giving the pregame speech and we've got a dude off to the side translating for us. at one point we are all in the huddle he said a bunch of stuff and me and genny are just smiling, and he's like, "do you know what i said?" "yeah!" genny pipes up."um, yeah ive got a positive vibe. um, get the ball, hit hard and don't f*&$ up." at this point they all crack up. everyone knows the f-word. plus genny is just funny. good ol' midwest girl.
so we play our hearts out that first half and we did well. the team did well. we were all they needed. just a few extra 50 pounds to take out some people - especially the seoul sisters that were playing for the korean team. but we ended up playing the second half, which we didnt expect. and considering how well the first half was, they asked me and genny to get the ball and just start plowing through people. first half we focused on taking people down. but now he wanted us carrying the ball. the second half? we were already tired and then this......
we still did well, but we lost by one try. most likely because genny and i were running the ball and getting smashed and still trying to smash peopel. and we might not be in the best shape. hahaha but it was fun. i love language and communication. the girls were sweet and fun and just great to play with.
so after getting a one game break i was asked to play on hong kong's team for another quarter. ok. i was tired but we don't get games that often. but this meant that i wasn't going to get hit by korean girls, i was gonna get hit by the first string of our seoul sisters team. lets just say i like being on my team, not playing against them.
we, hong kong, got pumbled that first quarter. they scored like 10 tries on us. they were fast and big. and our defense was no existant. but we tried hard. granted most of the seoul sisters had yet to play a game that day and this was the second for hong kong. i kept playing hard by telling myself, this is not my team, work your tail off.
then after a break i switched over to the seoul sisters team for one quarter. it was fun. i was so tired but at this point my friends had made it to the game so i had to work hard so they could see me play. hehehe....too bad they weren't there earlier.
it was a great day for rugby. and personally i was really happy with it. im still working on learning offense. run straight. and i learned yesterday, stick your arm out and get them off you. i love watching the girls who know how to play take the ball down the field. fiona and mary are like demons, arms out, yelling, shoving girls to the ground as they head to the try line. mary kept telling me - amber you can do that. really? so i have my next goal.
but defensively i dont know where the energy came from but i was almost always where i needed to be and i made some tackles. with hong kong it probably helped that they were faster so they would already be on the girl but they needed the extra 50 pounds so i would come it and take em down. haha...but there were definitely some good plays where i was like, amber! you did it! this past year of playing is starting to register! hahaha
so right now nothing is broken. ive got a nice bruise on my chin. im sore but not immobile. another hot yoga class will cure that. as i said when i played with hong kong they would get there first and i would just swoop in to help with the take down, and then i more often than not ended up on the bottom of the pile. usually im on top because im too slow and hesitant. but this time i was on the bottom one person would roll on my head smashing it to the right and then another person would land on my body rolling it to the left and i was just like oh my gosh....so my back is a bit sore now. :)
funny story at half time of one of the games someone said, "man, this gravel on the field is ridiculous." i thought to myself, gravel? there is only grass. well next half as i ended up on the bottom of the pile with more girls fall on top of my. someone landed on my head smashing it into the gravel. at that point i thought to myself, "oh, there's the gravel." hahaha i guess in the spots where no grass was growing they just decided to put gravel. smart, eh?......
i had, am thinking about giving up rugby. not because of the sport but more because of the commitment and the social atmosphere. those girls love to party and drink, and im not so good at that. so i usually skip social events thus making it just a wee bit tougher to be socially cool with the girls on saturday morning. plus im kind of an all or nothing person. i dont like halfway crap. and i feel bad if i skip. so i thought maybe i should commit my time to something else for awhile. but the seasons almost over and like yesterday showed me that i am getting it. sure it would be easier to jsut play like pick up soccer on the weekends or something, but the beauty of rugby is that it takes so much of my intellect as wel as physicalness. so if i mess up physically i blame it on the mental part of the game. and vice versa. if i go to a sport i know, then its just that im lazy and out of shape. haha. but i dont know. i like it. its good stuff. plus, how often do you get to hit people? not so often.
thats all for now, from your bruised but never broken amber :P
1. my hot yoga teacher liz who has helped me to become more flexible and able to take a hit or a crushing
2. the prayers of my mom for "tough skin and strong bones"
considering our last big game left me with 8 stitches above my left eye, which i am so proud of!
well yesterday another Hong Kong club team came to visit to give us some nice competition. the day was a big day in Korean rugby regardless. the morning started with
9:30am Hong Kong versus Korean Women's National Team
Colts (International School in Seoul) versus Hong Kong U18s
12:10 Hong Kong versus Seoul Sisters (my team)
Hong Kong Men versus Seoul Survivors (the foriegner mens rugby team)
Due to some poor planning and having people coming and going I ended up missing a very crucial practice and due to work, missed another practice....not good things when i really don't know how to play 10s...last game against a different Hong Kong team we played 15s and previously i played 7s in a tournament. So i really had no idea what differences there are. and skipping practice is not always a good idea when you have no idea what you are doing. but there was enthusiasm to watch the game from dee and liz, my coworker, so i just had to hope that i could dress out and sit on the sidelines.
well, this actually worked to my advantage, not coming to practice, and being a forward aka fatty aka a hitter, thats how i like to think of it. seeing that most of the time im not a flake when it comes to rugby and im fairly good at it, fairly being the important word. they asked if i would mind playing for Hong Kong or Korea for the first match for one of the 10 minute halves. sure, why not?
so genieve and i joined the hong kong team to warm up and play with them. how cool is that? i mean they spoke some english but not a whole lot. hahaha, it was so great he's giving the pregame speech and we've got a dude off to the side translating for us. at one point we are all in the huddle he said a bunch of stuff and me and genny are just smiling, and he's like, "do you know what i said?" "yeah!" genny pipes up."um, yeah ive got a positive vibe. um, get the ball, hit hard and don't f*&$ up." at this point they all crack up. everyone knows the f-word. plus genny is just funny. good ol' midwest girl.
so we play our hearts out that first half and we did well. the team did well. we were all they needed. just a few extra 50 pounds to take out some people - especially the seoul sisters that were playing for the korean team. but we ended up playing the second half, which we didnt expect. and considering how well the first half was, they asked me and genny to get the ball and just start plowing through people. first half we focused on taking people down. but now he wanted us carrying the ball. the second half? we were already tired and then this......
we still did well, but we lost by one try. most likely because genny and i were running the ball and getting smashed and still trying to smash peopel. and we might not be in the best shape. hahaha but it was fun. i love language and communication. the girls were sweet and fun and just great to play with.
so after getting a one game break i was asked to play on hong kong's team for another quarter. ok. i was tired but we don't get games that often. but this meant that i wasn't going to get hit by korean girls, i was gonna get hit by the first string of our seoul sisters team. lets just say i like being on my team, not playing against them.
we, hong kong, got pumbled that first quarter. they scored like 10 tries on us. they were fast and big. and our defense was no existant. but we tried hard. granted most of the seoul sisters had yet to play a game that day and this was the second for hong kong. i kept playing hard by telling myself, this is not my team, work your tail off.
then after a break i switched over to the seoul sisters team for one quarter. it was fun. i was so tired but at this point my friends had made it to the game so i had to work hard so they could see me play. hehehe....too bad they weren't there earlier.
it was a great day for rugby. and personally i was really happy with it. im still working on learning offense. run straight. and i learned yesterday, stick your arm out and get them off you. i love watching the girls who know how to play take the ball down the field. fiona and mary are like demons, arms out, yelling, shoving girls to the ground as they head to the try line. mary kept telling me - amber you can do that. really? so i have my next goal.
but defensively i dont know where the energy came from but i was almost always where i needed to be and i made some tackles. with hong kong it probably helped that they were faster so they would already be on the girl but they needed the extra 50 pounds so i would come it and take em down. haha...but there were definitely some good plays where i was like, amber! you did it! this past year of playing is starting to register! hahaha
so right now nothing is broken. ive got a nice bruise on my chin. im sore but not immobile. another hot yoga class will cure that. as i said when i played with hong kong they would get there first and i would just swoop in to help with the take down, and then i more often than not ended up on the bottom of the pile. usually im on top because im too slow and hesitant. but this time i was on the bottom one person would roll on my head smashing it to the right and then another person would land on my body rolling it to the left and i was just like oh my gosh....so my back is a bit sore now. :)
funny story at half time of one of the games someone said, "man, this gravel on the field is ridiculous." i thought to myself, gravel? there is only grass. well next half as i ended up on the bottom of the pile with more girls fall on top of my. someone landed on my head smashing it into the gravel. at that point i thought to myself, "oh, there's the gravel." hahaha i guess in the spots where no grass was growing they just decided to put gravel. smart, eh?......
i had, am thinking about giving up rugby. not because of the sport but more because of the commitment and the social atmosphere. those girls love to party and drink, and im not so good at that. so i usually skip social events thus making it just a wee bit tougher to be socially cool with the girls on saturday morning. plus im kind of an all or nothing person. i dont like halfway crap. and i feel bad if i skip. so i thought maybe i should commit my time to something else for awhile. but the seasons almost over and like yesterday showed me that i am getting it. sure it would be easier to jsut play like pick up soccer on the weekends or something, but the beauty of rugby is that it takes so much of my intellect as wel as physicalness. so if i mess up physically i blame it on the mental part of the game. and vice versa. if i go to a sport i know, then its just that im lazy and out of shape. haha. but i dont know. i like it. its good stuff. plus, how often do you get to hit people? not so often.
thats all for now, from your bruised but never broken amber :P
the pack
so this past week has been a very interesting one as it brought the first of a few goodbyes. as the end of the summer rolls around everyone's contracts are up. its hard to believe some people have been here for only a year. it seems longer at times, and much shorter at other times. but lets just take a review of the posse as it is about to change and evolve.
in this picture from the left you have:
SALLY. the lovely, frank, strong, individualistic (shes teaching me alot) girl who went to high school with sarah. she just resigned in July and will continue working at her same hagwon for the next year.
LISA and DAVE. Canadians. haha.....our married couple friends who are always up for fun and craziness. they were coworkers with sarah and it was decided that they were on the level and cool enough for us to hang out with. :) they both signed a new contract in august and have after school public school jobs (which is one of the sweetest ways to go, i think) working 12 to 5 every day. oh yeah.
MIKE. aka Big Mike.houghton alumni and good friend of chris. fun, loud, beer loving teddy bear who doubts the legitimacy of "the Golden Compass" book series due to some run ins with polar bears. he has headed back to the US and is waiting to see what turns up, if he will head back to korea or stay in the states.
RYAN. houghton alumni and close friend to chris. married to carolyn, who is in the front row in the orange tank top. their contracts ended and the just left on monday back to the states. there they will stay for a year or so as they raise support in order to work with Food for the Hungry in Indonesia at the epicenter of where the tsunami hit. what will they be doing? developing an english language curriculum for the indonesian children. ...the irony. :) or providence?
ME. still here until February of next year. then well see what happens.
(front row) SARAH. otherwise known as nesbitt. houghton alumni, my university roommate for more semesters than i can count. i think ive actually shared a room with her more than my own sisters. :) in july signed to work at my school with me. hehe. so the two of us are working at Avalon and living near Sungshin Women's University maybe 500m apart. we have plans to dissect all of the restaurants, coffeeshops, hofs in sungshin. and perhaps posting our experiences. :)
CAROLYN. married to ryan. was houghton roommates with sarah and i. soon to be in indonesia.
now in the picture to the left you have :
D. another beautiful canadian. we met her through sally, as they were co
workers and sally decided she was cool enough to hang out with us and we all agree immensely! cute, with a quick wit and an obsession for books and hanging out.sadly, her contract ends in october, so we just celebrate as much as we can and don't think too much about it. but she hopes to return soon with bryan once he finishes his degree. maybe next march or september.
workers and sally decided she was cool enough to hang out with us and we all agree immensely! cute, with a quick wit and an obsession for books and hanging out.sadly, her contract ends in october, so we just celebrate as much as we can and don't think too much about it. but she hopes to return soon with bryan once he finishes his degree. maybe next march or september. CHRIS. houghton alumni. goofy good friend to the houghton alumnis. his contract ended and he just headed back to the states this morning. there are whispers he will return soon as his brother and sister in law are making plans to do so. but well see.
so thats the group that ive loved for the past year. as the new year starts for almost everyone but me. (i just celebrated my year and a half in korea anniversary on friday) there is no way to know who will join us, who will return to us and what mischief we will get into. all i know is that i love the adventure that is and the characters ive had the pleasure to meet along the way.
~amber
background information
at this moment i am in a "7 Monkeys" coffeeshop which is the first i have found in my area that openly advertises free wireless. whoo hoo!!! i will be a new favorite customer very soon. cooler atmosphere and more stimulating than the pc bangs. plus i can get some good coffee and use the internet...so i win both ways. :) the reason the internet is so important to me now is because i have most recently invested in a ASUS Eee mini computer. one of those small computers that you can carry in your purse. oh yeah baby. :) its cute, but very nice. perfect for me. im not much of a computer person. i was so happy when i turned it on the first time and already saw microsoft office, skype and internet explorer waiting for me. its like they know me perfectly! but this is probably the second time i have actually sat down to play with it. i plan on investing in some accessories like a cool mouse - in korea there are tons of cool mice. i mean i could buy a really normal one for 4 or 5 dollars, but id rather get a cute character. hehe....and a good cover will be important as i carry it around. but so far so good. im hoping all continues to go well.
but in order to buy this computer i made a deal with myself. one thing is that i must blog at least once a week. that seems easy enough i think. :) and i also must call someone on skype once a week. im waaaaay behind on my phone calls and i have to work on that. i have failed for this week but its been an interesting week, which ill explain in the next entry. so i hope to keep you more entertained in the near future. :)
but in order to buy this computer i made a deal with myself. one thing is that i must blog at least once a week. that seems easy enough i think. :) and i also must call someone on skype once a week. im waaaaay behind on my phone calls and i have to work on that. i have failed for this week but its been an interesting week, which ill explain in the next entry. so i hope to keep you more entertained in the near future. :)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
work...the good the bad and the ugly
im working at a nice big franchise hagwon that i actually fully supported and loved when i first arrived. and for many months since ive been here...until....
well they decided last month to fire one of my favorite coworkers. they said that she was getting too many complains. well let me share my friends story from what i know. i mean we talk alot so i feel its accurate. J had a lot of complaints in the beginning. her class was boring and no one liked her. so they told her. so she revamped it. she added a lot of games, and like we talked to gether about the games and other ideas to make it better. so it was, from what i can tell. regardless she made a big change.
then we all were told we played too many games. so we all needed to fix that. thats fine with me. whatever. (i was playing too many games) well a month or two passed. there was a complaint here or there with j. granted our boss is a bit awkward and doesn't really pull you aside to complain. just in the office. and then says that you got a complaint, fix it. so j kept asking, why and why and is a confrontational person. (wish i could be that way a bit more at times)...anyways, a few months pass.
out of the blue im told that j is getting fired. even my head foreign teacher is like, what? why? really the only reason we can think is because they just dont like her. granted she had some issues but she worked hard. whatever. shes ok. shes on to bigger and better things.
but this caused me to lose all faith in my hagwon. a job i once highly esteemed and thought of maybe a second year...well, well see what happens. its all about the money. the work is easy but whatever. its not what i thought it was. so im a little saddened by that, but whatever. thats how it goes.
but i must note, for a hagwon to fire 2, not 1 but 2 foreign teachers, is a bit unheard of. usually you have to like kill students in most places to get fired. but thats life. so its time to leave work and go hang out with some friends.
until next time~~
well they decided last month to fire one of my favorite coworkers. they said that she was getting too many complains. well let me share my friends story from what i know. i mean we talk alot so i feel its accurate. J had a lot of complaints in the beginning. her class was boring and no one liked her. so they told her. so she revamped it. she added a lot of games, and like we talked to gether about the games and other ideas to make it better. so it was, from what i can tell. regardless she made a big change.
then we all were told we played too many games. so we all needed to fix that. thats fine with me. whatever. (i was playing too many games) well a month or two passed. there was a complaint here or there with j. granted our boss is a bit awkward and doesn't really pull you aside to complain. just in the office. and then says that you got a complaint, fix it. so j kept asking, why and why and is a confrontational person. (wish i could be that way a bit more at times)...anyways, a few months pass.
out of the blue im told that j is getting fired. even my head foreign teacher is like, what? why? really the only reason we can think is because they just dont like her. granted she had some issues but she worked hard. whatever. shes ok. shes on to bigger and better things.
but this caused me to lose all faith in my hagwon. a job i once highly esteemed and thought of maybe a second year...well, well see what happens. its all about the money. the work is easy but whatever. its not what i thought it was. so im a little saddened by that, but whatever. thats how it goes.
but i must note, for a hagwon to fire 2, not 1 but 2 foreign teachers, is a bit unheard of. usually you have to like kill students in most places to get fired. but thats life. so its time to leave work and go hang out with some friends.
until next time~~
sometimes
so the other day my coworker and i were walking home and we were standing on one of the main streets talking. well complaining about our work and just the things that make us tired and worn out....i would like to expand but as i am at work, probably not a good idea. :)
but anyways, we are back and forth venting our frustrations standing in the humidity with a nice layer of sweat covering everything. then this old man walks over to us with his cane. i have to admit i kind of sighed inside because i didnt really feel like making polite conversation to help someone learn english. but both my coworker and i are very polite people and we talked to him. then after explaining his studying english on his own, he turns to me and says i have stars in my eyes. and that i look like kate winslet. well, though i stated that its probably because my pupils are dialated from my anger, i was never the less touched by what this man said, and well i decided that life is ok. haha....oh it always is.
:)
but anyways, we are back and forth venting our frustrations standing in the humidity with a nice layer of sweat covering everything. then this old man walks over to us with his cane. i have to admit i kind of sighed inside because i didnt really feel like making polite conversation to help someone learn english. but both my coworker and i are very polite people and we talked to him. then after explaining his studying english on his own, he turns to me and says i have stars in my eyes. and that i look like kate winslet. well, though i stated that its probably because my pupils are dialated from my anger, i was never the less touched by what this man said, and well i decided that life is ok. haha....oh it always is.
:)
i think alot but i just don't type
due to the fact that i have no computer and no internet in my home, i don't often find an intersection of having access to a computer with the "feeling" of typing in this blog...so where I used to try and type once a week has turned to every few months...not conducive if i want to write a book...hehehe
but im trying to fix it and doing some research to buy a computer.
most recently my sisters came to visit me. it was an amazing time. which i have to admit when i returned to my apartment after dropping them off i thought i would be relieved. but i wasn't. i was sad and noticed how quiet my apartment is.
the longer lasting effects have been even better. i seem to often live these seperate lives. like when i went to high school because it was all new people and a new place i just kind of revamped myself. then when i went to college it was all new people and a whole new place, so far from home that the only time they really mixed was at graduation. sometimes this is challenging to me because i like to an authentic person and i want to be the same no matter where i am. and when i like who i am in one place well i want to keep those characteristics and develop them even more fully.
so ive been in korea for about a year and half and there has been no mix of home and life here. i mean im horrible at writing at home thus rarely receive correspondence through the mail. ive even become horrible at keeping in touch with people through facebook and email...and in a world of skype, well there is little excuse. but i went home last christmas but even that was not a mixing of my lives. it was me removing myself from one life to go back into a different one.
but, coming back to my point, when my two sisters came here - Lindsay the second oldest and Lacie the youngest - i didn't expect this feeling i've had since they left. its like they kind of awoke a piece of me inside that has been missing. the day after they left i was walking to work and i just felt like me. like a lot of my insecurities were missing. i dont know why. its not like my sisters are especially loving in a very explicit (right word?) way. we don't really tell each other i love you very often. but something about having that piece of home with me just reminded me of who i am.
the insecurities of not having a boyfriend and not having a longterm plan for my life kind of just slipped away. they just reminded me of who i am without even meaning to. i feel more complete. which is shocking because usually i think im going to be annoyed with people in my korea, in my space...but the opposite. it kind of made it more real for me.
~~~rereading this... maybe they just reminded me that i am american amber in korea...im not korean (despite my best efforts at times) which sometimes leaves me feeling neglected and left out...i think they reminded me that im me. :) and im american. haha
does that mean i want to stay in korea for a few more years? haha...who knows. but i have all of a sudden gotten this great motivation to take a korean language class. for some reason i have the desire to do something crazy, maybe my sisters reminding me of how much i used to work and study and play sports and that it is possible to do all of that at once. i want to prove it to myself again i suppose....so i was looking into a korean language class at a university. go to class 9 to 1 and then work from 3 to 10. hows that for a nice struggle? the challenge i think is what has drawn me to this idea. but the price tag of 1,500,000 won - thats about 3/4 of a paycheck is a little daunting this next few months.
so no worries. i have found a solution. i will take a korean hagwon (academy) which is cheaper and shorter. oh yes, i think i will enter the same hagwon system that i work in now....except switch the languages...and maybe with adults the teachers will care more. haha, thats all i can think about are the days when i don't care and how i dont want to pay all that money for a teacher who doesn't care about me. buuuuuuut im an adult choosing this program where most of my students are forced to attend my classes and are often so overworked and sleep deprived that i look at their faces and feel pity for them.
but i figure lets do one month of this it will give me a taste. see if my korean does get better, if i can handle a class, my internship and work....and if its promising well follow up from there.
until next time~
but im trying to fix it and doing some research to buy a computer.
most recently my sisters came to visit me. it was an amazing time. which i have to admit when i returned to my apartment after dropping them off i thought i would be relieved. but i wasn't. i was sad and noticed how quiet my apartment is.
the longer lasting effects have been even better. i seem to often live these seperate lives. like when i went to high school because it was all new people and a new place i just kind of revamped myself. then when i went to college it was all new people and a whole new place, so far from home that the only time they really mixed was at graduation. sometimes this is challenging to me because i like to an authentic person and i want to be the same no matter where i am. and when i like who i am in one place well i want to keep those characteristics and develop them even more fully.
so ive been in korea for about a year and half and there has been no mix of home and life here. i mean im horrible at writing at home thus rarely receive correspondence through the mail. ive even become horrible at keeping in touch with people through facebook and email...and in a world of skype, well there is little excuse. but i went home last christmas but even that was not a mixing of my lives. it was me removing myself from one life to go back into a different one.
but, coming back to my point, when my two sisters came here - Lindsay the second oldest and Lacie the youngest - i didn't expect this feeling i've had since they left. its like they kind of awoke a piece of me inside that has been missing. the day after they left i was walking to work and i just felt like me. like a lot of my insecurities were missing. i dont know why. its not like my sisters are especially loving in a very explicit (right word?) way. we don't really tell each other i love you very often. but something about having that piece of home with me just reminded me of who i am.
the insecurities of not having a boyfriend and not having a longterm plan for my life kind of just slipped away. they just reminded me of who i am without even meaning to. i feel more complete. which is shocking because usually i think im going to be annoyed with people in my korea, in my space...but the opposite. it kind of made it more real for me.
~~~rereading this... maybe they just reminded me that i am american amber in korea...im not korean (despite my best efforts at times) which sometimes leaves me feeling neglected and left out...i think they reminded me that im me. :) and im american. haha
does that mean i want to stay in korea for a few more years? haha...who knows. but i have all of a sudden gotten this great motivation to take a korean language class. for some reason i have the desire to do something crazy, maybe my sisters reminding me of how much i used to work and study and play sports and that it is possible to do all of that at once. i want to prove it to myself again i suppose....so i was looking into a korean language class at a university. go to class 9 to 1 and then work from 3 to 10. hows that for a nice struggle? the challenge i think is what has drawn me to this idea. but the price tag of 1,500,000 won - thats about 3/4 of a paycheck is a little daunting this next few months.
so no worries. i have found a solution. i will take a korean hagwon (academy) which is cheaper and shorter. oh yes, i think i will enter the same hagwon system that i work in now....except switch the languages...and maybe with adults the teachers will care more. haha, thats all i can think about are the days when i don't care and how i dont want to pay all that money for a teacher who doesn't care about me. buuuuuuut im an adult choosing this program where most of my students are forced to attend my classes and are often so overworked and sleep deprived that i look at their faces and feel pity for them.
but i figure lets do one month of this it will give me a taste. see if my korean does get better, if i can handle a class, my internship and work....and if its promising well follow up from there.
until next time~
Thursday, June 25, 2009
ultimate smackdown
so i was yelling at my last class because they kept asking to go to the bathroom and to play a game and I was just getting tired of it, plus they just were not listening to me. So I said to them,
"Why do you keep asking to use the bathroom? Are you all kindergarteners? Do you want me to treat you like kindergarteners? Why are you acting like kindergarteners?!?"
Which the reply was, "Teacher....students mirror the teacher. You act like kindergartner!"
at this i had no response because it is absolutely true.
touche, one point JA class, zero points russian amber teacher....
dum dum dum..... :)
"Why do you keep asking to use the bathroom? Are you all kindergarteners? Do you want me to treat you like kindergarteners? Why are you acting like kindergarteners?!?"
Which the reply was, "Teacher....students mirror the teacher. You act like kindergartner!"
at this i had no response because it is absolutely true.
touche, one point JA class, zero points russian amber teacher....
dum dum dum..... :)
one time i was afraid
well afraid's not a good word...nervous. this is one of the few times i can actually remember feeling nervous towards the direction of fear.
the other night i finished work at 10pm but i was in the middle of an argument with a friend online (not really an argument, just a miscommunication, but i was fuming) and so i stomped the whole way home and then changed and headed out to the pc bang. once i got there we finished our conversation and my anger was released because it was unnecessary. but the boy sitting at the computer across from me kept staring at me. for a long time. he stood up like he was looking for someone and just stared at me for a very long time. annoyingly, but i am an avoidance person. then when i was leaving i was standing up packing my bag and he started staring at me again. to the point that it was making me angry, but i didn't know what to say. i was nervous that it was a pseudo stalker i have from the other pc bang.
anyways, i walked home a bit quickly because i thought i heard someone walked behind me and i didn't want this boy to follow me to my home because then i could never get rid of him. (i'm too nice!) anyways, i went into my gate and door as quick as possible. then i felt ok.
then about 10 to 15 minutes later there was this weird sound. i couldn't place it until about the 5th time when i realized someone was throwing rocks at my door. oh well, i live with 5 other girls, must be one of their boyfriends. but i think the persistence of it and the already elevated emotions from the pc bang situation, i was getting nervous. so i made myself angry. :)
i started swearing and saying one more and i'm going out there. so i pumped myself up thinking of all the korean i had to throw at this person, whoever it was! and he threw it again! so i whipped open the stomped out to see....nothing. there was one guy in a pink shirt with his phone open but i couldn't tell if he was passing by or he was the culprit. but there was no one else out there - except a big fat rat which reminds me to keep cleaning my house! :) hehe
it was weird. all that was left of that weird situation is 10 rocks laying near my door.
a secret admirer? i think not. i think it was a lost boyfriend. but either way i know my fears were unfounded, i was just emotional. but an interesting experience none the less.
~amber
the other night i finished work at 10pm but i was in the middle of an argument with a friend online (not really an argument, just a miscommunication, but i was fuming) and so i stomped the whole way home and then changed and headed out to the pc bang. once i got there we finished our conversation and my anger was released because it was unnecessary. but the boy sitting at the computer across from me kept staring at me. for a long time. he stood up like he was looking for someone and just stared at me for a very long time. annoyingly, but i am an avoidance person. then when i was leaving i was standing up packing my bag and he started staring at me again. to the point that it was making me angry, but i didn't know what to say. i was nervous that it was a pseudo stalker i have from the other pc bang.
anyways, i walked home a bit quickly because i thought i heard someone walked behind me and i didn't want this boy to follow me to my home because then i could never get rid of him. (i'm too nice!) anyways, i went into my gate and door as quick as possible. then i felt ok.
then about 10 to 15 minutes later there was this weird sound. i couldn't place it until about the 5th time when i realized someone was throwing rocks at my door. oh well, i live with 5 other girls, must be one of their boyfriends. but i think the persistence of it and the already elevated emotions from the pc bang situation, i was getting nervous. so i made myself angry. :)
i started swearing and saying one more and i'm going out there. so i pumped myself up thinking of all the korean i had to throw at this person, whoever it was! and he threw it again! so i whipped open the stomped out to see....nothing. there was one guy in a pink shirt with his phone open but i couldn't tell if he was passing by or he was the culprit. but there was no one else out there - except a big fat rat which reminds me to keep cleaning my house! :) hehe
it was weird. all that was left of that weird situation is 10 rocks laying near my door.
a secret admirer? i think not. i think it was a lost boyfriend. but either way i know my fears were unfounded, i was just emotional. but an interesting experience none the less.
~amber
Monday, May 18, 2009
the blue spot
this weekend was fabulous first of all because i have been in korea for now a year and 2 months - 14 months...haha...and i was invited to go to a wedding with my good friends vivi and q. the wedding was of a friend i met when i first arrived in korea- we all went to the folk village together. it was and is still so cool to me to see things come around full circle. that being here a year and changing jobs - though difficult on me at times to move away from my support circle, its still there. its very encouraging!
plus vivi, q and i are very comfortable. they are naturally very laidback and comfortable people, but the longer you are friends with people the nicer and easier it (should) becomes. and i was talking to her about various issues i am dealing with and just her listening appearance and her advice, it was just beautiful. and like vivi and i still have a lot of communication issues just both due to our lack of knowledge - but at that moment i didn't feel or notice anything. her expression said it all and i was just so relaxed and peaceful and happy. even now, thinking about that moment makes me so happy.
but onto the weekends events:
we went to the east coast for the wedding and it was so much fun - well it was rainy and really cold actually so not so fun at first. haha, went to the beach and a lighthouse but spent most of our time inside eating with fiona and chonho - the couple to be. :) we had this fantastic soup which is "ugly fish soup" but its like kimchi chigae with fish and it was delightful! and jjangjjangmyeon which is classic.
after site seeing and freezing - which the beauty of the rain is NO PEOPLE! amazing! but we went back to our pension which was adorable - you could see the sea from the windows and it seemed almost foreign. the couple who owns it likes to travel and make things- and you can totally tell. a lot of rough wood work, which was beautiful and then all this furniture from other countries. we sat there drinking coffee and feeling like we left Korea. then some reading and napping oh it was beautiful! :)
after feeling nice and relaxed we went down to the fish market to buy some live fish which you buy from one lady and then take them to the next lady that slices and dices them up as you watch, for a mere $3...amazing! i watched in fascination as she chopped the heads off with ease. and they cracked up because i was watching intently. :) then we bought some vegetables and some sauces and had a sashimi dinner in our otherworldly pension. after eating and talking and again at our own pace, we walked up the hill in the rain to sneak into a lighthouse.
vivi asked me if i had ever seen a lighthouse with its light on - and i realized i have been to lighthouses but they never had their lights on. it was really cool. pictures soon to come!
the next day was the wedding which was beautiful and humorous and enjoyable. and the sun was shining! so we had a nice walk to the beach and then another fantastic dinner! mulhae which is pretty much seafood soup but you get a bowl with seafood (raw) some vegetables and then they bring out a bowl with what looks like iced spaghetti sauce, which the more i think about it - i might really enjoy! haha, and you just pour as much as you want. sooo good! so cold and spicy and utterly delicious! i loved it! and their kimchi was off the wall! q says that maybe i am just a korean person who speaks english really well. (and forgot all of my korean...)
anyways, we headed back home on the bus whenever we got around to it and promised to go back as soon as possible.
good times.
plus vivi, q and i are very comfortable. they are naturally very laidback and comfortable people, but the longer you are friends with people the nicer and easier it (should) becomes. and i was talking to her about various issues i am dealing with and just her listening appearance and her advice, it was just beautiful. and like vivi and i still have a lot of communication issues just both due to our lack of knowledge - but at that moment i didn't feel or notice anything. her expression said it all and i was just so relaxed and peaceful and happy. even now, thinking about that moment makes me so happy.
but onto the weekends events:
we went to the east coast for the wedding and it was so much fun - well it was rainy and really cold actually so not so fun at first. haha, went to the beach and a lighthouse but spent most of our time inside eating with fiona and chonho - the couple to be. :) we had this fantastic soup which is "ugly fish soup" but its like kimchi chigae with fish and it was delightful! and jjangjjangmyeon which is classic.
after site seeing and freezing - which the beauty of the rain is NO PEOPLE! amazing! but we went back to our pension which was adorable - you could see the sea from the windows and it seemed almost foreign. the couple who owns it likes to travel and make things- and you can totally tell. a lot of rough wood work, which was beautiful and then all this furniture from other countries. we sat there drinking coffee and feeling like we left Korea. then some reading and napping oh it was beautiful! :)
after feeling nice and relaxed we went down to the fish market to buy some live fish which you buy from one lady and then take them to the next lady that slices and dices them up as you watch, for a mere $3...amazing! i watched in fascination as she chopped the heads off with ease. and they cracked up because i was watching intently. :) then we bought some vegetables and some sauces and had a sashimi dinner in our otherworldly pension. after eating and talking and again at our own pace, we walked up the hill in the rain to sneak into a lighthouse.
vivi asked me if i had ever seen a lighthouse with its light on - and i realized i have been to lighthouses but they never had their lights on. it was really cool. pictures soon to come!
the next day was the wedding which was beautiful and humorous and enjoyable. and the sun was shining! so we had a nice walk to the beach and then another fantastic dinner! mulhae which is pretty much seafood soup but you get a bowl with seafood (raw) some vegetables and then they bring out a bowl with what looks like iced spaghetti sauce, which the more i think about it - i might really enjoy! haha, and you just pour as much as you want. sooo good! so cold and spicy and utterly delicious! i loved it! and their kimchi was off the wall! q says that maybe i am just a korean person who speaks english really well. (and forgot all of my korean...)
anyways, we headed back home on the bus whenever we got around to it and promised to go back as soon as possible.
good times.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
life in general
so i have a few ideas for some posts i want to make as i climb deeper and deeper into somethings for example rugby, north korea and life in general. just got home from the lantern festival to begin the celebrations for buddha's birthday. i went last year as well and it nice and fun.
as for other things - i am stoked for a real rugby match on saturday! we are playing a team from hong kong- this is for real. we will be playing 15s which i havent played before so i am nervous but excited because it seems a bit easier to me. but well see if everything i cram in my head at practice will come out...or at least if i can knock some hong kong girls around it will be awesome. :)
also working on going to japan with the rugby team to play! how cool is that?!? working on it while i also plan bringing my two sisters over here. hehehe....who needs to ever pay off their credit cards? debt may just be something i carry with me forever. but i really dont regret any of those past purchases except the wisdom teeth! oh peace corp!
anyways, life is going well. im busy doing some exciting projects. i have more pictures to post and hopefully soon getting internet in my house, as ive decided i should work at work and not play on the computer. hehe. oh well.
i hope all is well in your world...until next time.
~your amber
as for other things - i am stoked for a real rugby match on saturday! we are playing a team from hong kong- this is for real. we will be playing 15s which i havent played before so i am nervous but excited because it seems a bit easier to me. but well see if everything i cram in my head at practice will come out...or at least if i can knock some hong kong girls around it will be awesome. :)
also working on going to japan with the rugby team to play! how cool is that?!? working on it while i also plan bringing my two sisters over here. hehehe....who needs to ever pay off their credit cards? debt may just be something i carry with me forever. but i really dont regret any of those past purchases except the wisdom teeth! oh peace corp!
anyways, life is going well. im busy doing some exciting projects. i have more pictures to post and hopefully soon getting internet in my house, as ive decided i should work at work and not play on the computer. hehe. oh well.
i hope all is well in your world...until next time.
~your amber
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
a moment in the life
teaching older students who speak english raises alot of interesting situations that are hilarious at the time...like i'm literally rolling on the floor, but i somehow can never manage to get them from the classroom to the computer whether here or in emails. but last night while chatting with my friends i remembered one of my highlights of this week.
so i have one class of 5 kids and i walk into class setting things up and they ask me,
Teacher! Teacher!
Yes.
america if i say f*** you (said in a very cute accent) and do this (gestures to middle finger) someone shot me?
what? what are you talking about? ~at this point im thinkig about yelling at them for saying a word that could possibly be f**** but i can't really tell plus they are all attentive and looking at me inquisitively.....
teacher! ~they explain again and then procced to draw a pick of one person flipping the bird and the other person with a gun
oooooh! so you mean, if you say f-u-c-k and give someone the middle finger will you get shot in America?
yes teacher!
ummm~ at this point i dont know what to answer....hmmm, maybe. its definitely not a "no" answer hahah...i picture one of my students walking down Times Square and turning to someone and saying that and what the response would be? they could get shot. maybe if i tell them they will get shot they will stop saying it....hmmmm
well, kids, maybe.
maybe? what maybe?
yes.
yes teacher?!?
no, not yes, yes and no.
what teacher?
well maybe they will shoot you and maybe not. like if you said f-u-c-k (spelling it out) to me i wouldn't shoot you. i would just look at you liek "whaaaat?" maybe i would punch you.
oh punch teacher! yes, yes so if you say f*** you and do this you will be punched in america.
yes, maybe.~ummmmm
teacher all black people have guns?
~ oh dear.......but this question is easier to field
no! white people do too! many people do!
oh, ok teacher.
crisis averted. one small step forward for my JB english class and one giant step forward for the korean view of american culture...errrr....
other small highlights of note, because i truly love the usage of the english language by my students.
when making fun of another student who they were calling psycho:
no, he's not psycho, he's super-psycho. he leveled up!
~too many video games?
and everytime the kids get lost in my class i yell
PAY ATTENTION!
teacher detention?!??!? ~a look of fear washes over the crowd
no, no, pay attention!
detention! teacher why?
no! no! no!i said P-A-Y ATTENTION and NOOOOO detention
ohhhh, ok teacher.
ill try to do a better j0b of sharing these wonderful highlights of my day. ;)
so i have one class of 5 kids and i walk into class setting things up and they ask me,
Teacher! Teacher!
Yes.
america if i say f*** you (said in a very cute accent) and do this (gestures to middle finger) someone shot me?
what? what are you talking about? ~at this point im thinkig about yelling at them for saying a word that could possibly be f**** but i can't really tell plus they are all attentive and looking at me inquisitively.....
teacher! ~they explain again and then procced to draw a pick of one person flipping the bird and the other person with a gun
oooooh! so you mean, if you say f-u-c-k and give someone the middle finger will you get shot in America?
yes teacher!
ummm~ at this point i dont know what to answer....hmmm, maybe. its definitely not a "no" answer hahah...i picture one of my students walking down Times Square and turning to someone and saying that and what the response would be? they could get shot. maybe if i tell them they will get shot they will stop saying it....hmmmm
well, kids, maybe.
maybe? what maybe?
yes.
yes teacher?!?
no, not yes, yes and no.
what teacher?
well maybe they will shoot you and maybe not. like if you said f-u-c-k (spelling it out) to me i wouldn't shoot you. i would just look at you liek "whaaaat?" maybe i would punch you.
oh punch teacher! yes, yes so if you say f*** you and do this you will be punched in america.
yes, maybe.~ummmmm
teacher all black people have guns?
~ oh dear.......but this question is easier to field
no! white people do too! many people do!
oh, ok teacher.
crisis averted. one small step forward for my JB english class and one giant step forward for the korean view of american culture...errrr....
other small highlights of note, because i truly love the usage of the english language by my students.
when making fun of another student who they were calling psycho:
no, he's not psycho, he's super-psycho. he leveled up!
~too many video games?
and everytime the kids get lost in my class i yell
PAY ATTENTION!
teacher detention?!??!? ~a look of fear washes over the crowd
no, no, pay attention!
detention! teacher why?
no! no! no!i said P-A-Y ATTENTION and NOOOOO detention
ohhhh, ok teacher.
ill try to do a better j0b of sharing these wonderful highlights of my day. ;)
Monday, April 6, 2009
lenten traditions
So for Lent I decided to give up drinking. This was a bit spur of the moment as I discovered Ash Wednesday on Ash Wednesday. But I decided I would do my best to give up all alcohol including all Korean ones as well. This I knew, would be a big test of my character and persistance. And it has been, and I have one more week and half a weekend to go. When I made the decision I had a few thoughts in mind of how I would learn from this season of abstinence, but its actually been a lot more revealing than i thought originally. so i thought i would share about it since this is my blog, and i need to quit avoiding the issues that are really on my heart.
so when i began this endeavor here is what i thought i would learn:
1. how often i really do drink
well, i knew was slightly unbelievable. it has saturated our time together in so many ways. and so by not drinking, its really changed my view on what to spend my time doing
2.how much money i spend on drinking
this is not quite so bad considering how cheap drinking in korea is...
3. how people view you if you don't drink
this was kind of shocking, not with my miguk friends, because i expected that and you go between people - oh come on! just have a drink! and the others, ok thats cool. but it was harder with my korean friends. i think probably the reason for that was my attitude for it, i didnt want to explain why or talk about it. i just wanted to not drink and have that be ok. but its so cultural that if you dont have a shot with them, its like...what? so that was harder for me as i jumped into the culture with a cultural drinking attitude which slowly mutated and transformed.
4. my attitude toward drinking
this is where i really began to discover things i had forgotten over time. Lately ive been reminded of how i said its ok to drink but not get drunken. (during high school before entering the drinking culture of 21.) oh its easy, you know, just drink slowly so you are participating and part of it, but no one feels left out and you dont get drunk.
granted ive attempted to draw new lines on what it means to be drunk and buzzed and the excuse- oh, i was just so tired, i didnt really drink that much.i wasnt drunk.
i got to the point where i liked the feeling of being drunk and dancing around. these habits i think i gathered in my first experiences here and never really thought about them since then. which leads me to my next revelation
5. Drinking makes it easier
this i never thought would occur - but it did. i have found myself drinking to get along better with other people. these people - my own friends! in general to make it easier to start and contiue conversations. when i drink- as many other people - the first thing that occurs is the laugh. it comes easily and frequently perhaps for things that just aren't that funny.
how long ive been using alcohol to be lazy in my relations with other people!
do you know why we haven't filmed a funny video in a long time? because we are always drinking. our minds are soak in liquid and lazy. i always praised myself on the fact that i dont need to drink to be fun or goofy and yet i have found myself looking forward to it as a way to become more fun and goofy! ahhh!
it kind of makes me laugh inside when i choose not to drink and i can hear and feel the awkwardness because when you drink you just relax and say whatever. I watch my coworkers change from quiet people to loud swearing laughing fun people. i'm not syaing whether this is good or bad. its just an observation. and when you don't drink you become keenly aware of it.
for me it makes me want to work harder. i used to be a good conversationalist - enjoying trying to find a topic of conversation that can include the most amount of people as possible and last longer than a yes or no question. with drinking its easier, but not drinking...well thats the challenge.
so when i began this endeavor here is what i thought i would learn:
1. how often i really do drink
well, i knew was slightly unbelievable. it has saturated our time together in so many ways. and so by not drinking, its really changed my view on what to spend my time doing
2.how much money i spend on drinking
this is not quite so bad considering how cheap drinking in korea is...
3. how people view you if you don't drink
this was kind of shocking, not with my miguk friends, because i expected that and you go between people - oh come on! just have a drink! and the others, ok thats cool. but it was harder with my korean friends. i think probably the reason for that was my attitude for it, i didnt want to explain why or talk about it. i just wanted to not drink and have that be ok. but its so cultural that if you dont have a shot with them, its like...what? so that was harder for me as i jumped into the culture with a cultural drinking attitude which slowly mutated and transformed.
4. my attitude toward drinking
this is where i really began to discover things i had forgotten over time. Lately ive been reminded of how i said its ok to drink but not get drunken. (during high school before entering the drinking culture of 21.) oh its easy, you know, just drink slowly so you are participating and part of it, but no one feels left out and you dont get drunk.
granted ive attempted to draw new lines on what it means to be drunk and buzzed and the excuse- oh, i was just so tired, i didnt really drink that much.i wasnt drunk.
i got to the point where i liked the feeling of being drunk and dancing around. these habits i think i gathered in my first experiences here and never really thought about them since then. which leads me to my next revelation
5. Drinking makes it easier
this i never thought would occur - but it did. i have found myself drinking to get along better with other people. these people - my own friends! in general to make it easier to start and contiue conversations. when i drink- as many other people - the first thing that occurs is the laugh. it comes easily and frequently perhaps for things that just aren't that funny.
how long ive been using alcohol to be lazy in my relations with other people!
do you know why we haven't filmed a funny video in a long time? because we are always drinking. our minds are soak in liquid and lazy. i always praised myself on the fact that i dont need to drink to be fun or goofy and yet i have found myself looking forward to it as a way to become more fun and goofy! ahhh!
it kind of makes me laugh inside when i choose not to drink and i can hear and feel the awkwardness because when you drink you just relax and say whatever. I watch my coworkers change from quiet people to loud swearing laughing fun people. i'm not syaing whether this is good or bad. its just an observation. and when you don't drink you become keenly aware of it.
for me it makes me want to work harder. i used to be a good conversationalist - enjoying trying to find a topic of conversation that can include the most amount of people as possible and last longer than a yes or no question. with drinking its easier, but not drinking...well thats the challenge.
Friday, March 20, 2009
more internship information
http://eng.nkhumanrights.or.kr/bbs/bbs/board.php?bo_table=FNN_News&sca=FNNArchive
here is the website to see past FNN articles and newsletters. you can sign up to receive these newsletters as well if you are so inclined. but i realized my post from last friday makes no sense if you don't know what i am writing about or what i am doing. so if you are interested, here is the info. enjoy! :)
here is the website to see past FNN articles and newsletters. you can sign up to receive these newsletters as well if you are so inclined. but i realized my post from last friday makes no sense if you don't know what i am writing about or what i am doing. so if you are interested, here is the info. enjoy! :)
korea gym
so as everything is changing i feel i must evolve or well what other option is there? so one step is to join a gym. i personally love the outdoors so i oppose gyms and treadmills but i have yet to find a good running place so i joined a gym for one month. they kind of speak english there. i kind of speak korean, so we have a really good time.
yesterday i signed up and did my thing. well this morning i went in because i had plans after work. so i go in and run on the treadmill for about 20 minutes. i went to get some water before heading downstairs to look at the weights and not really do much of anything, when one of the trainers comes up to me. she asks me some questions and points to some machine in a room. i hear something about fat but really thats about all. something about did you come yesterday...yes but only for a little bit. so i just agree to join her in the room. she asks me to take off my shoes and then wipe the sweat off of my feet - i just assume thats what she says. but i am quickly making a list of new words to learn to make life easier. :) so this machine without intrusion at all, gets my Body mass index, ratio of waist to hips, fat, etc, etc and gives her a nice little printout. might i add that i am currently the same weight as when i played soccer in high school (whoo hoo) - but i eat too much ice cream and ddoekpokkee. so she said only a little bit now. hahaha!
so after trying to explain the printout to me we decided to head downstairs to the weight machines. here she had me do each of the machines and helped me checking which muscles i was using - you know the stuff that a trainer should do. in america i feel like i would have to pay alot of money for that! but its all included in the 60,000won price - basic. unless she asks for something later. hahaha! so she went through the machines and then left me to finish on my own, including the 30 more minutes of running she wanted from me. oye.
but after it was over she came up to me and thanked me - why, i don't know. but she will study english - and i will study korean i told her- which by the way i need to figure out how to say i will study korean in korean...and she is happy to work with me. overall it was a great time. surprising, entertaining and fruitful, both a mental and physical workout.
i love this place.
yesterday i signed up and did my thing. well this morning i went in because i had plans after work. so i go in and run on the treadmill for about 20 minutes. i went to get some water before heading downstairs to look at the weights and not really do much of anything, when one of the trainers comes up to me. she asks me some questions and points to some machine in a room. i hear something about fat but really thats about all. something about did you come yesterday...yes but only for a little bit. so i just agree to join her in the room. she asks me to take off my shoes and then wipe the sweat off of my feet - i just assume thats what she says. but i am quickly making a list of new words to learn to make life easier. :) so this machine without intrusion at all, gets my Body mass index, ratio of waist to hips, fat, etc, etc and gives her a nice little printout. might i add that i am currently the same weight as when i played soccer in high school (whoo hoo) - but i eat too much ice cream and ddoekpokkee. so she said only a little bit now. hahaha!
so after trying to explain the printout to me we decided to head downstairs to the weight machines. here she had me do each of the machines and helped me checking which muscles i was using - you know the stuff that a trainer should do. in america i feel like i would have to pay alot of money for that! but its all included in the 60,000won price - basic. unless she asks for something later. hahaha! so she went through the machines and then left me to finish on my own, including the 30 more minutes of running she wanted from me. oye.
but after it was over she came up to me and thanked me - why, i don't know. but she will study english - and i will study korean i told her- which by the way i need to figure out how to say i will study korean in korean...and she is happy to work with me. overall it was a great time. surprising, entertaining and fruitful, both a mental and physical workout.
i love this place.
Friday, March 13, 2009
internship
so part of my new job here in korea is an internship with north korean human rights. my mom sent this great email so i have decided to post it along with my response. this email is the reason i am doing this. the search for answers, the sharing of perspectives. i like it.
Ok,so I've been trying to wrap my head around the Human Rights group you are working for. I think many folks would consider the North Koreans like Hitler and the germans. Most people would not think that North Koreans deserved Rights. But when I looked through the newsletter your focus was not necessarily on Human rights but on Religious persecution and Christian refugees. One would have a hard time understanding that maybe there are a few Christian N. Koreans and that they are not all communist.But at the same time, if I am the receiving country and I have fought life and death, tooth and nail to keep those commie bas---ds out of my country, do you think I'm going to be compassionate towards the ones who "claim" they are not communist but Christian??During the Vietnam war, children were given explosives because the soldiers were not afraid of the children until they learned that the children could and would kill the soldiers. Then ALL children had to be considered dangerous and were shot before they had a chance to kill the solider.I'm sure that these surrounding countries, China, S. Korea, are dealing with this same stigma.You are in an interesting situation with this agency. Good luck!Love, Mom xoxox
hmm, this is a good, thoughtful email. thanks mom! yes north korea is a communist country, or at least there is a communist regime in charge. and i think it was all going well until the 1990s when they had a famine. since then they cannot support themselves so many people are trying to leave the country for a better life. i actually never looked at the situation as you are describing it here, so i like that. i have just looked at it as there are people who are trapped in this country where there is no food, no health, education is expensive and no one has any money. if someone escapes and is caught (in china or north korea) they are sent back and are tortured or imprisoned. but you are right. at the same time these people worship Kim Jong Il or his father at least. i haven't really heard any stories about the repercussions (spelling?) of their mental state after believing and being taught stuff for so long and then having to deal with the rest of the world telling you how crazy it is. i need to find out more about this. there are lots of materials to read at the office but they have to stay there. but yeah, right now i focus on the refugee issues. what happens to them as they are trying to escape to a better life. and yes sometimes they are liars and they are spies in korea when they arrive. that happens. i dont know how the agency i works for feels about that when it happens. what great questions! more lunch discussion!
thanks for this email, you have given me a whole new way to look at this. and it also explains a lot more about the big argument right now which is like the Six Party Talks with Clinton and many people said she should not focus on the nuclear weapons instead we need to focus on helping those peopel in the country. but like the US makes a new stipulation, there must be korean speakign monitors in teh country if we are going to provide food aid and north korea wont comply. instead they talk about testing missiles. from what i have learned thus far we are only concerned with helping those suffering in north korea, especially children who have no way to help themselves. :) this is what i like.
Ok,so I've been trying to wrap my head around the Human Rights group you are working for. I think many folks would consider the North Koreans like Hitler and the germans. Most people would not think that North Koreans deserved Rights. But when I looked through the newsletter your focus was not necessarily on Human rights but on Religious persecution and Christian refugees. One would have a hard time understanding that maybe there are a few Christian N. Koreans and that they are not all communist.But at the same time, if I am the receiving country and I have fought life and death, tooth and nail to keep those commie bas---ds out of my country, do you think I'm going to be compassionate towards the ones who "claim" they are not communist but Christian??During the Vietnam war, children were given explosives because the soldiers were not afraid of the children until they learned that the children could and would kill the soldiers. Then ALL children had to be considered dangerous and were shot before they had a chance to kill the solider.I'm sure that these surrounding countries, China, S. Korea, are dealing with this same stigma.You are in an interesting situation with this agency. Good luck!Love, Mom xoxox
hmm, this is a good, thoughtful email. thanks mom! yes north korea is a communist country, or at least there is a communist regime in charge. and i think it was all going well until the 1990s when they had a famine. since then they cannot support themselves so many people are trying to leave the country for a better life. i actually never looked at the situation as you are describing it here, so i like that. i have just looked at it as there are people who are trapped in this country where there is no food, no health, education is expensive and no one has any money. if someone escapes and is caught (in china or north korea) they are sent back and are tortured or imprisoned. but you are right. at the same time these people worship Kim Jong Il or his father at least. i haven't really heard any stories about the repercussions (spelling?) of their mental state after believing and being taught stuff for so long and then having to deal with the rest of the world telling you how crazy it is. i need to find out more about this. there are lots of materials to read at the office but they have to stay there. but yeah, right now i focus on the refugee issues. what happens to them as they are trying to escape to a better life. and yes sometimes they are liars and they are spies in korea when they arrive. that happens. i dont know how the agency i works for feels about that when it happens. what great questions! more lunch discussion!
thanks for this email, you have given me a whole new way to look at this. and it also explains a lot more about the big argument right now which is like the Six Party Talks with Clinton and many people said she should not focus on the nuclear weapons instead we need to focus on helping those peopel in the country. but like the US makes a new stipulation, there must be korean speakign monitors in teh country if we are going to provide food aid and north korea wont comply. instead they talk about testing missiles. from what i have learned thus far we are only concerned with helping those suffering in north korea, especially children who have no way to help themselves. :) this is what i like.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
floating fingers
so i know its been a really long time...and things have been crazy. some of you i have seen since my last post, some of you may think i dropped off the face of the earth. well good news is i am hoping to continue posting on this blog considering how much more time i am near a computer with my new job and i am kind of lonely at the moment. i dont think lonely is a good word...rather i am always at a computer or my phone so i can check it and its a sad feeling to look and see nothing. but thats life. especially when your email is continuously up.
there have been some crazy changes and let me say this year will be a totally different experience here in the lovely city of seoul. on monday i started a new job. i am now working with avalon which is a big franchise hagwon. its huge. this particular branch hasn't even been open for a year and its a nice new building with lots of teachers in it. there are like 7 other foreign teachers, i think thats elementary and middle, im not sure...so if im wrong, well then there are even more teachers. and there are about 15 to 20 korean teachers. its big. we each have our own computer. we each have to input grades and attendance into the computer. ive gone from the vern's general store to the walmart of hagwons....dun dun dun....
this even includes my apartment. i moved from a massive family apartment to a box. its a nice box though! haha. but my favorite part is not the inside...but the quirky outside. we have a gate you have to use to go in and out with that green carpet/fake grass stuff like grandma schrenkel used to have on her porch. then we have a ROOF! hahaha! its awesome. but i have to admit, if i die it will be coming down those stairs. but totally worth it. plus my little quirk of a place is right next to Sungshin Women's University, as in like at the base of the hill on the same street! and next to the shopping area there - like im finally living in the college town that houghton never had...which I am thankful for because i can already feel my money slipping from my fingers without a good sense of discipline.
ive thrown the discipline out the window at the moment as i have no food in my apartment, no furniture except a bed and 2 tiny bedside tables and bags and bags of my crap. so i just walk next door and buy some ddoekpokke and then go and buy a cup of coffee as im trying to adjust to my new work schedule of 3pm to 10pm. this is a joke. i work from 5:30 to 9:45....the rest is free to do whatever. how sweet is that?!? and no one questions anything....well i mean so far. i wonder if they will wonder about me. luckily i have the youngest students but even those students stare at me like im crazy when i give them a high five. i plan on bringing my "kindy-ness" to this business place. please don't let me grow up!
actually my new manager who helped me move was saying how he saw a plastic sword in one of my bags (from my halloween power ranger costume) and he was wondering if i taught kids or if i was being taught. good. thats my style. i have a plastic sword, plastic snakes, games, bouncy balls and lots of clothes....but no frying pan, or even a bowl to my name. ;) thats how i roll. and i like it. i like kids. even those who are being institutionalized.
i also have started my internship which so far so good. a lot of computer work so hopefully i can prove myself and move onto the bigger and better things that i like. but im learning a ton even so far. so its perfect. so my mornings i go out to insadong to work at the NKHR office and then stop home, get a nap and some food and then head out to Avalon until 10pm. busy. fun. enjoyable. though i am looking for one nice long day to just work on house stuff and once thats in order i will feel alot better...especially if i get some food in my house. :)
so thats the story for now. i met a museum curator this morning when i was just studying one of the maps while waiting for the subway. he thought i was lost. i wasn't. but apparently he got his MA from University of Chicago and works for some sweet museum out on the East Coast (like near the beach) of Korea. He might need help with some proofreading his english. i might need help with some summer beach action. i love the randomness of life! :)
so i hope you enjoy this post and i will try to do this more often which i think will be very possible especially once i wrap my head around this work schedule that is just too easy. and prepared for me.
always, your amber
there have been some crazy changes and let me say this year will be a totally different experience here in the lovely city of seoul. on monday i started a new job. i am now working with avalon which is a big franchise hagwon. its huge. this particular branch hasn't even been open for a year and its a nice new building with lots of teachers in it. there are like 7 other foreign teachers, i think thats elementary and middle, im not sure...so if im wrong, well then there are even more teachers. and there are about 15 to 20 korean teachers. its big. we each have our own computer. we each have to input grades and attendance into the computer. ive gone from the vern's general store to the walmart of hagwons....dun dun dun....
this even includes my apartment. i moved from a massive family apartment to a box. its a nice box though! haha. but my favorite part is not the inside...but the quirky outside. we have a gate you have to use to go in and out with that green carpet/fake grass stuff like grandma schrenkel used to have on her porch. then we have a ROOF! hahaha! its awesome. but i have to admit, if i die it will be coming down those stairs. but totally worth it. plus my little quirk of a place is right next to Sungshin Women's University, as in like at the base of the hill on the same street! and next to the shopping area there - like im finally living in the college town that houghton never had...which I am thankful for because i can already feel my money slipping from my fingers without a good sense of discipline.
ive thrown the discipline out the window at the moment as i have no food in my apartment, no furniture except a bed and 2 tiny bedside tables and bags and bags of my crap. so i just walk next door and buy some ddoekpokke and then go and buy a cup of coffee as im trying to adjust to my new work schedule of 3pm to 10pm. this is a joke. i work from 5:30 to 9:45....the rest is free to do whatever. how sweet is that?!? and no one questions anything....well i mean so far. i wonder if they will wonder about me. luckily i have the youngest students but even those students stare at me like im crazy when i give them a high five. i plan on bringing my "kindy-ness" to this business place. please don't let me grow up!
actually my new manager who helped me move was saying how he saw a plastic sword in one of my bags (from my halloween power ranger costume) and he was wondering if i taught kids or if i was being taught. good. thats my style. i have a plastic sword, plastic snakes, games, bouncy balls and lots of clothes....but no frying pan, or even a bowl to my name. ;) thats how i roll. and i like it. i like kids. even those who are being institutionalized.
i also have started my internship which so far so good. a lot of computer work so hopefully i can prove myself and move onto the bigger and better things that i like. but im learning a ton even so far. so its perfect. so my mornings i go out to insadong to work at the NKHR office and then stop home, get a nap and some food and then head out to Avalon until 10pm. busy. fun. enjoyable. though i am looking for one nice long day to just work on house stuff and once thats in order i will feel alot better...especially if i get some food in my house. :)
so thats the story for now. i met a museum curator this morning when i was just studying one of the maps while waiting for the subway. he thought i was lost. i wasn't. but apparently he got his MA from University of Chicago and works for some sweet museum out on the East Coast (like near the beach) of Korea. He might need help with some proofreading his english. i might need help with some summer beach action. i love the randomness of life! :)
so i hope you enjoy this post and i will try to do this more often which i think will be very possible especially once i wrap my head around this work schedule that is just too easy. and prepared for me.
always, your amber
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