GoodBye

Isn't saying goodbye one of the hardest things to get through?

All these feelings and memories popping up as you say goodbye not giving you a moments' peace.

Ugh.

It's getting harder and harder to write this post.

Apparently, I still haven't found my voice.

Now, this post isn't even a 'see you later' goodbye, but a 'I don't know when I'll ever see you again' goodbye. And I am literally the WORST at those kinds of goodbyes.

I never know what I'm supposed to say or do. I'm like that person who will go for the high five when you go for the fist-bump.

Oh dear god.

I'm that awkward parent trope that's trying to stay woke.

I know I act like a retired grandma who is 100% done with people's shit and wondering when I get my next nap, but really? Have I truly made it to the point that I can't do social interactions anymore?

**DEEP BREATH**

Okay. I can do this.

This post is about goodbyes.

This week, a majority of the Fulbright 2018-19 cohort are going home, saying goodbye to their time in Korea and hello to their next part in life. It's a kind of...bittersweet change. Though I wasn't very travel or social heavy like the rest of my cohort (retired grumpy grandma, remember?), it's still odd to think that after this week, they won't be in the country to reach out to. Those 79 people that survived an 8-week Orientation with, not crossing a river boundary, reluctantly obeying FEP dress regulation DESPITE the heat, battling for the washer and dryers, and enjoying soju outside the nearby 7/11s.

Mentioned in an earlier post, I described how I was at a loss of words during this transitioning time.

I'm still clearly affected, but...I can feel that I'm also just so much closer to my voice for the coming year.

On August 19th, 2018, I wrote about 79 goodbyes and 80 hellos. I wished my cohort all the best during their time in Korea. Now, as it closes out for most of them, I wish to extend similar well -wishes to them as they move to their next journey.

To those who are renewing a second year like I am, may this second year be just as fantastic (if not more) than our first year!

And to the new first years...may you forge new memories that you may never forget!

#SaveOurToya

To My Precious Sixth Graders

Though our time was short, I have seen each of you grow in different ways. I'm very sad that we won't be able to spend more time together, but I wish you the very best! I only ask that you always try in your English classes! Right or wrong, just try. You can do it, I believe in you! 화이팅~!

영어선생님이에요

Today my Vice Principal told me my teaching style has greatly improved. In fact, she said I deserve a certificate for being a real teacher.

And yet...I have mixed feelings about this statement...

One is joyful and the other one is resentful.

I'm well aware that I wasn't exactly a teacher when I first started out back in September. Before then, I'd taught only two classes with another English teacher. Outside of that, I've only given presentations to my peers (woo, class presentations~!). So, to hear that I've improved is fantastic!

But...why didn't she give me any tips or suggestions on how to get better?

Yes, I have a TEFL and TESOL certificate that say I am qualified to teach English to non-English speakers, but let's be honest...attending classes, drafting lesson plans, reading methodologies...theory is one thing, and the practical is a whole other beast.

Some days I struggled, other days I was able to keep my head over the water. There were even some days that I could stand in the water with confidence. Those first six months were rough, but they were doable. I'm proud that I was able to achieve what I have.

But...a little help would've been great. Not going to lie. Especially since I never really knew what I needed to ask to improve. Knowing what I do now, it was getting to know the students and having them know me. It was through this process that I was able to figure out what kind of teacher I was.

I connect with my students by being silly with them. I get my students improving by sticking to a routine. Heck, even the usage of my minimal Korean has shown my students that as they try to learn my language, I'm also learning their's. I kid you not, the second I told them to get out their 공책, they not only flipped out, they got more attentive.

Did I have to learn Korean to be a better teacher? Maybe. For the position that I am in, at the school that I am in, it did make me a better teacher. Had my circumstances been different, it may not have been what made me "better".

What did make me a better teacher was the amount of time I've put in for my students and for myself. I feel that at the beginning, I'd only been doing half of that. I was putting in too much effort for one of those, and it was hurting me. Until I figured out my balance, I wasn't doing anyone any good. Not my students, and definitely not me.

Six months to get comfortable in a new land.

Six months of teaching young children to first get comfortable with English.

Six months from when I left everything that I knew.

I can now say, with confidence, I am an English teacher.

영어선생님이에요.

#SaveOurToya

Host Families

May I be frank?

Because I think it's time we've had a real conversation about host families. It's such a big part of the Fulbright Korea experience, after all.

I've mentioned my host family in the past a few times already, both in a positive and not so positive light. I haven't necessarily hidden anything, but I think I've finally figured out how to describe a homestay.

And though you may not like what I'm about to say, its the honest truth.

A homestay family is what you make of it.

Each family is different. And that's the most important thing to understand. No one family is alike. They all have different situations going on, with different plans and ideas. They even have these preconceived ideas of who you are. They worry about what to feed you as they are required to feed you both breakfast and dinner. They make agreements with your school before your arrival.

Or not with your school and everyone finds out last minute or mid-way through your grant year.

Now, none of these statements are excuses. They are simply statements of facts that can and/or will affect your homestay life.

Does that mean that you live as if the other shoe may drop at any second?

Maybe.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

I already said it. Homestay life is what you make of it.

So, how do you handle moments that leave you- well...freaking out?

First, your freakout is totally understandable. There's nothing wrong with it. Nothing.

Its the next part that's a little harder. Making an informed decision of what to do next.

For example. Your homestay family just told you something that basically sounds like you're going to be homeless in a month or two due to them only agreeing to six months of housing you.

That's all they tell you and it's left you floundering for at least a week.

But there's more.

There's always more...

That is why making an informed decision is so hard.

So, you have to give it time, even though you don't want to give it time. No, that's the furthest thing from your mind of what you want to do. Time? Ugh, no. But time you must give. Because then you find out the truth.

The truth why you're only staying for six months.

It can take weeks before you get the full story, but at the same time, you're going crazy from all the thoughts.

Homestays can be hard, they can be challenging in ways you least expect them to be. But you can also have fun and have loads of inside jokes with your homestay family. Half a year can fly by and you don't even know it.

Make what you can at your homestay, and never not try to connect with the people that you live with. You may be surprised who you're living with, whether the situation is bad or good.

#SaveOurToya

Kicked Them Out

This is the day I kicked two students out of my classroom.

#SaveOurToya

Can You Not?

I feel like it's been years since I've written a happy post. Which is preposterous...this blog came alive in May. It's barely been six months. And yet...this feeling persists.

So, what brings me back for my latest update?

Christmas carols.

I bet you didn't see that coming.

And yes, I know, Thanksgiving hasn't come and gone yet, but here we are anyways.

My school is hosting a festival of sorts on 11/22 (yes, Thanksgiving day), and I was asked last month to get the kids ready to sing an English song.

My reaction: Um...okay? What song?

Now, take a moment to be in my shoes. It's been some odd years since I was in Elementary School. But, I'm pretty sure we never had a festival. Maybe a Christmas pageant, but even then...it was all done in one language that a majority (if not all) of the students spoke. I was so lost on what the school was looking for.

Teacher mode flipped on and I decided that I wanted to find an easy song that also ties in the season (making decisions like a boss). I landed on, 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'. Side note, did you know it was considered a Thanksgiving song back in the day? I didn't. And! There was a readily available ESL version. I was gonna have them all do an A Cappella version, like Christmas carolers. Being able to slide in a cultural piece, beautiful, right?

Well, I was told they needed to do more.

Brah...you want them to do two English songs?

And you want them to do Let It Go?

Somehow, I was able to scale the song back to them only having to sing a 30-second part of the song. The "easiest" part I could find.

They got it down with some struggles, but its good. Timing may be off a smidge, but they know the words.

Phew. Okay, easy breathing.

They're still struggling with We Wish You a Merry Christmas, but they're getting the hang of it. Slowly.

Mostly okay breathing, then.

This morning, when we did a final rehearsal, I was so proud of them. I sat in front of them and mouthed the words, but they did it! The whole way through without me having to fix pronunciation. Word order is still a bit off, but the pronunciation was good!

I even did a little happy squeal afterwards. That's how happy I was!

However...

The VP didn't approve...not completely. She wants to add music or a piano in the background to the song. And her reasoning, 'the timing is off'.

Honey, it's not the timing. It's their confidence in the words. It's an English song with words like 'figgy pudding' and 'good tidings' in it. And now, when they're finally getting the hang of the song, you want to introduce a piano to freak them out even more?

No.

Also, I told her I wanted to do the song in a traditional caroling way. Aka, no music, just voices.

But instead of respecting the culture that I'm introducing to your students, school, community, you'd rather add a piano because it'll make you feel better?

No.

I've recognized that for many people at the school, saying 'no' is hard to do. And sometimes, it is for me too, not wanting to disrespect them, their teaching experience, and their culture. All I ask, is the same be afforded to me.

And when it isn't...in what language do you want me to say 'no'. I got five I can give you, right here, right now.

Here's the other thing...why am I constantly told, "respect the Korean culture", when the same is not told to the workplace that has requested a foreign teacher to respect the foreigner's culture? Do they not get a training session on what to do when you have a foreigner in your office?

Perhaps this is my own privilege/entitlement coming out right now...I definitely can see how foreigners back home can feel intimidated, startled, uncomfortable, and coerced with a few words. This is definitely a learning moment for myself for when I get back home.

Moral of the story, I'm irritated. This isn't the first time I've been put in an uncomfortable situation due to cultural differences, but it is the first time I've had enough and won't let it slide.

#SaveOurToya

Curious whether I'm about to burn a bridge with the VP or not, hit the 'FOLLOW' button to find out!

Those Little...

You ever get so frustrated to the point of wanting to cry, but you can't because you're just so angry?

As of right now, I'm not sure what's going on anymore. I'm pretty sure common sense has been forcibly thrown out the window and children are having run of the town...uh, school.

How else can all the crap that has happened...well, happen?

These kids need a whole lot of stability and consequences.

These kids need a super nanny.

But what these kids have is baby-glove-consequences.

And me.

And I don't know about those baby-glove-consequences, but I'm ready to do this. These kids can either act right, or go down to the Staff room and tell the adults why I sent them. Hell, I might even go over to Daiso, find myself some nice stationary, so I can write down the truth (because I can't trust them to tell them why they were sent), and then tell the student to go bring it to the VP.

"Today, I told the teacher she'll die."

"Today, I told a student if they wanted to die."

"I'd rather scream across the classroom than listen to the teacher."

"I decided to assault another student."

This list could go on.

No, really...it can.

I don't know about other English teachers abroad, but is this common behavior in your classes? I can only speak of my own teaching experiences and what I remember from when I was in school. I can never remember things getting so OUT OF HAND...

And back in the states, we had a whole list of consequences. There was no tolerance for violence in school.

Detention.

In-school suspension.

Out-of-school suspension.

Expulsion.

You can ask me if these things exist at this school, and I can honestly tell you that only one does...and its explusion.

Listen. I understand when things go bad, you want to get rid of the problem. And sometimes, that's what you have to do. But before you do that, you have to work with the problem. And I mean actually work with the problem.

Not just hope for the best.

For good behavior, reward it.

For bad behavior, acknowledge it and work through it. Together.

Clearly, a kid has anger issues. And clearly, many of the students don't know how to express themselves without getting physical, period.

So...less baby gloves and more actually helping these kids.

At this point, you might be wondering, "Damn Toya, that's a good point. But what are you doing to make a difference in these kids lives?"
Fair question, Fam.

And I'm not saying that I'll hold a culture class titled, 'mad, black woman' and teach them the ins and outs of where that stereotype came from, but these kids will learn something new about me.

I've already instilled my 'heads down' policy. I only use it when it gets too loud and no one is listening. Today, all I wanted them to do was write their vocabulary words. Instead, I had shouting across the classroom and students not staying in their seats. Three minutes in, I had had enough. Yesterday, a student assaulted another student with some scissors. This child could've been very badly hurt. Thankfully, there's only a few scratches. I have no idea what started that altercation or who said what, but frankly...it shouldn't have gotten that far to begin with.

That's why, three minutes in, heads down was activated. But, it was a little different than normal...

I put a touch of...'if ya'll don't put cho'heads down r'ght now, I'mma give you a reason ta be screamin' across this room' into my tone. It was the quickest I've ever seen them shut up and quiet down.

Oh ho ho, Toya-teacher don't play.

And what a wonderful lesson to learn!

That being said...

I'm about to go teach a class with all of my students in it, so that's roughly twenty students, and it's to practice singing an English song for the festival next week. And we both know, things are about to get wild.

#SaveOurToya

If you wanna keep up with the shenangians that are...well, my students at this point...go ahead and hit the 'follow' button on the right! And if something spoke to you at all during this post, please don't hesitate to leave a comment!

How does this KEEP happening?!

PC: Ashley

November is here, the leaves are changing, the heat mats are coming out, and I have climbed yet another mountain.

I'm not...mad...or anything.

But how do I keep finding myself on a mountain?

It's as if Korea has evoked the hiking enthusiast out of me. And today's hike was an adventure. 

Where do I even begin?

Let's start with how I'm feeling now, shall we?

PC: Ashley

My feet hurt, but my ankle is mostly fine. As you know, I had to go to the hospital a couple months ago to have it checked out. I had been a bit too active for my Achilles' taste and discovered I had tendinitis. The doctor told me to rest it for a month.

Well that month was up as of November 3rd. 

But...it did hurt for a while on the hike. I'm going to take that as a 'not completely healed yet' sign.

My head is killing me, as it usually does when I'm out in nature for a long time. I have nothing against nature, in fact, I love it. It's really peaceful and wholesome! 

PC: Ashley

However, my head still hurts.

Moving right along...despite the few aches and pains, I feel...GREAT! I climbed a mountain. I finally made it to the top of a mountain, despite my trash-talking. 

PC: Ashley

Oh yes. I trash-talked on the mountain. In my defense (not sure if it's a good one...), my foot hurt and my muscles burned and I had been promised we'd reach the top 'soon'. Well, 'soon' meant in an hour. 

And no. We hadn't just started walking. (Don't be rude.)

That being said, I couldn't have climbed that mountain with a better group. We were...I don't think I actually have a word that describes us. Except, CHAMPIONS. (Since you know, we climbed a mountain...and listened to Queen while doing it.)

Look at this view. You're welcome.

PC: Ashley

The four of us are all English teachers, but unlike myself, they're not from the US. And let me just say, that it's wonderful how you can meet people from all around the world no matter where you go! And while others were invited on this outing, they were unable to join us this go-around. But that's okay! I'll be seeing them Wednesday for our weekly soccer match anyways!

Here are some more pictures from today's hike!

To the top!	The Champions~!	The water...so clear...much wow
Break time	Loving nature	Found some wings again~!

If you wanna keep up with my latest shenanigans, hit the 'FOLLOW' button on the right!

#SaveOurToya

The Mini-Break

During my hiatus, I thought a lot about my status of renewing my contract or not. We had October 3rd off for 개천절. And thank goodness that we did, because I was emotionally dead by that point.

It's why I was thinking about renewing my contract. It got real rough at work.

Given, I've been here for a short time in the grand scheme, and it's not something I need to make decision about now.

But.

My thoughts still wandered and I decided to give it some serious thought. Especially since I was on a hiatus and was taking the time to care for myself. Ignoring my thoughts or feelings is the exact opposite of what I told myself I needed to do.

Now, as many of you know, I want to do all three years with Fulbright.

At least...I did...

And I'm not saying that I'll switch over to EPIK or maybe go to a different country. I've seriously contemplated going back home after this year.

Crazy! I know!

But, at the current moment, that's just where my head is and I wanted to make note of it. I'm not disregarding this feeling or thought because I made it during a not so good time for myself. It's still a very real feeling.

It's not shade at Korea or anything.

I'm just contemplating if teaching is really my thing...

It's especially hard when you're faced with misbehaving children. And I'm not talking about tantrum-ready, screaming children. I'm talking about kids who are quicker to curse you out and call you a pig. I've always said kids were mean, but sometimes...they can be particularly vicious.

Behavior like this is hard to correct. It's doable, but hard. And since we have a language barrier between each other, it's even harder. But you can be proud of me. I did not let it stop me. I'm not afraid to stop a lesson midway through and get serious. 

And why should I be afraid to do that? It'll ruin the lesson? Let's be real. The misbehavior has already ruined it.

I had had enough and pulled a full halt on everything. I cut them off. I stared them down. I spoke over them. I made sure I had everyone's attention. Then in as simple as possible with words I know they know, I told them: "No. I do not like bad words. You will not say 'fuck you', 'what the fuck', or 'mother fucker'. That is bad. No more."

Of course, there had to be that one kid who called me a 'pig' to lighten the mood. Shut that right down as well.

I've yet to escalate this to their homeroom teachers or my coteacher. Honestly, I don't know why I haven't. Maybe, it's because I want to try to handle it on my own, as I hadn't tried yet. It could be because of anything. As far as I see it, if it does happen again, I'll get serious again and bring it up to their teachers then.

I did not fly all the way across the planet to be disrespected or made fun of. And yes, kids are kids. But it doesn't mean they have to be horrible. That crap won't fly in the real world. And frankly, it doesn't matter that they're only elementary school kids, because they're still in the real world. I'm in the real world.

This behavior definitely will play a part in influencing whether I want to be here another year or not. To do three years would be beautiful, but...if reality is telling me differently, then it's telling me differently.

Are any of you having these thoughts of renewing your contracts or staying at your place of employment for another year?

If you wanna see what else I get up to while in Korea, please hit the 'FOLLOW' button on the right!

#SaveOurToya

Week 8 - Consistency is a Thing of the Past...Apparently

For a second there, I didn't know what I was going to post about...

But then I remember something that happened during Day 2 of teaching.

I don't think you'll ever guess what happened. (Unless we happened to speak to each other during this week.)

Five minutes before I was about to teach my last class of the day, literally FIVE minutes, I get a "Toya-teacher, hi. Can you teach for three hours...straight?" (There was a lot more stop and go, with mistranslations and lots of confusion. But it boils down to that.)

Please note, that I only had a single lesson plan in my hand, wasn't even that good of a lesson plan, that would last for 40 minutes.

Now, I haven't had a math class in quite some time...BUT! Crazy thing, I do know that 40 minutes does not equal three hours.

In my head, "FUCK."

What I actually said, "Three hours? Where? The computer room? Okay!" And skipped my internally freaking out behind back to the first floor where the kids were waiting for me.

Y'all...I really don't know how I survived it. But somehow...I did it.

Looking back, I can hear what one of my favorite coworkers use to say all the time. "Consistency is key!" Out of everyone in our office, she was the one to remain consistent for the two years that I was working there. And she has a point.

Consistency is so important. It helps keep things organized and succinct.

But the way I'm feeling it while being in Korea...not so much.

But before we get all 'rawr rawr' about it, there are some things to keep in mind. Yes, it was day two, and WTF!?, but also. It was Day 2. My schedule is still tentative as they try out having a full-time English teacher. And yes. I am the English teacher. Not the assistant.

There is definitely a language barrier. And that can be really intimidating on getting information across quickly and confidently. Not that it's an excuse, but it is a factor that plays a role whether we like it or not.

Also, did I mention I was their first full-time ETA? Yeah. It's all a bit crazy.

Hopefully, things get better for next week!

So, I want to hear your thoughts! Do you think you'd be okay with someone springing a three-hour class on you all of a sudden? What are your thoughts on consistency? How would you have handled this situation?

If you want to get updates on the latest #SaveOurToya shenanigans, please hit the FOLLOW  button to the right. I mean, why not?

#SaveOurToya

First Day Nerves

This is it. 

Today is my last night before I become a real teacher at Jusang Elementary School. What makes me finally 'real', you must be wondering?

I'm finally teaching a literal class tomorrow. 

I'm teaching four classes and yes, I am nervous as fuck.

Not so much in my teaching ability, but if I lesson planned well enough? Does that even make sense? 

If not...here's my defense: I've been sitting in the living room of my Homestay for the last 4 hours, making out my lesson plans. And before that, I was making a powerpoint for about an hour or so. It would've been less time, had I gotten more accurate information on where to start my lesson planning to begin with. 

The hardest part in a new job is the starting point. 

The messier your information, the harder it is to get your mind around everything.

I do pride myself in being able to sort out things out quickly and efficiently. But still...I'm allowed to be nervous!

It's normal!!!!

At least that's what I keep telling myself. 

So here's what I'm jumping into:

There has never been a Fulbright ETA at this school before me. They have one traveling teacher, who jumps between three schools. I am in contact with her, and bless that I am. Knowing where the kids left off before their break is much better on where to start, than suddenly being two chapters ahead. 

Which was the information I got on Friday. And on Friday, I banged out like four lesson plans, they were beautiful. But now...nevermind. Gotta use them later. Maybe in October?

I almost forgot!!

Don't let it fool you. This is not set.

Annndddddd, let's not forget that I don't even know my full schedule yet. I'll find out tomorrow. 

During go time. 

I feel like I'm a new driver with one foot on the gas, the other on the break, and another on the clutch. It's like I have three feet, two legs, with the street signs blown away by the typhoon. 

Gah.

So. Much. Gah.

Lesson learned (pun NOT intended): At the end of each class, semester, year, whatever...write where you left off. It's not only a good benefit for yourself, but also the next person coming in. You definitely want your administrative staff to be aware as well. 

Communication is so important, folks. I mean...don't leave home without it, important. 

There's so many other things going on, why make it harder?

My next post will be on Week 8 to talk about my first week in class. Any predictions on what's going to happen? I'd love to hear about it!

If you want to get updates on the latest #SaveOurToya shenanigans, please hit the FOLLOW  button to the right. I mean, why not? 

I'm a peach.

#SaveOurToya

First Day Lesson Planning

Before Orientation ended, we had to create a lesson plan for our first day. I was trying to be all smart and proactive by creating it on Google Slides so that I'll have access to it wherever and whenever.

But guess what I found out a few days ago.

No wifi.

So, no internet in the classroom...unless I'm willing to use my phone has a hot spot. Mmm, Mama ain't got that kinda data plan.

Which is why these last two days, I've been reworking my lesson plan to a none online source, that isn't Microsoft Powerpoint (since I lost access to it due to a whole other problem).

Y'all, my life is a hot mess and I don't know why...

#SaveOurToya

Week 6 - 79 Goodbyes...80 Hellos

Wow. I don't even know where to start...

Usually I have a good jumping off point (at least, I feel like I do...), but today...I'm truly lost in what to say.

Let's start with some facts.

1- Week 6 is the final week of my Orientation period. That's right friends and family, I have been here for 6 weeks, and my Orientation is officially up.

2- I have completed 110 hours of Korean Language Instruction at Yonsei University at the Songdo Campus. Still need to work on it though...

3- I taught in two separate English classes at an English Summer Camp (FEP). Which had been nerve-wracking at first, but has made me more confident as a teacher in the long run~!

4- I was at the US Embassy in Seoul where I met the Ambassador. Was not expecting that...

5- Vacationed in Sokcho for a weekend. Will definitely be going again!

6- Had a fantastic roommate for the whole Orientation period. Truly. Thanks again, Kaby! These last six weeks would've been a different kind of adventure if it weren't for you.

7- ...

You know what? I think I'm going to stop this list here. Because at this rate, I'll just keep going with no end in sight...

But, bonus points...I figured out what I wanted to write about!

My cohort.

Looking back, I don't think I've really spoken about them...not really...right?

It's not because they're horrible people. Far from it. It's because I had no idea on how to discuss 80 people in a single post without it being excessively long.

Spoilers: ...I can't.

80 people is way too long to give individual shoutouts. You can trust me on this. We have to count to 80 for attendance. (We spice things up by counting down to 1.) Even something as small as saying a number can be a challenge...apparently.

So unfortunately, I won't be giving individual shoutouts.

Now then...this cohort...the 2018-19 Fulbright Korea cohort...

In a single word?

친구 - Friends

What had once been 79 strangers are now 79 people who I can look to for support, laughter, exasperation, safety, and even irritation. For what is family without someone to be irritating?

This week- no...these six weeks, the 80 of us have gone through so many challenges and have come out better for it in the end. I am proud to be in this cohort, regardless of the passive aggressive memes. I am happy that we had six weeks to orient ourselves in this country as much as we could before going to our placement. In some way or another, each person has inspired me to be better.

Do better.

Even those individuals who I've barely spoken to. Crazy as that may sound, there are some individuals that I've barely spoken to in this cohort. It's not because of avoidance, but just...so much is happening that I'm already at Week 6/heading to my placement before I had the chance to really sit down catch my breath.

Where has the time gone, Fam?

Before I get all emotional and start crying on my laptop, I want to send warm wishes to my cohort! We'll all be in separate corners of this country, some lucky enough to be in the same city- or by ourselves (like me!), but we'll still be connected to each other because of these six weeks.

I know we'll have our good days. And definitely our bad days.

But I want you all to know, you're not alone. You have 79 guaranteed friends that are a group chat away. Share with us the good. The bad. The ugly. The beautiful. Let us laugh with you. Cry with you. Hold you.

You will all be wonderful and talented teachers!

So really, this isn't 79 goodbyes.

It's 80 hellos to new places. New experiences. And new memories!

#SaveOurToya

Week 5 - Finals...ugggghhhhh

This week's post is going to be rather short. I'm not gonna lie. It was a little hard to sit down and write a post for today. Not because it was emotionally draining, I was just really- really busy.

Between preparing for Finals, taking my final, going to Seoul, meeting the Ambassador, Dynasty Bonding, and seeing Mamma Mia 2, I didn't have much of a chance to sit down and write out a post.

Each of these highlights deserve their own post, but I'm ready to move to the next part of my time here.

My placement.

This time next week, when my Week 6 post goes up, I will be settling into my placement!!!

That statement deserves three exclamations marks- I don't care what you say.

But, I should give some spotlight to what I went through this week.

Finals- Oh my gawd. I think I failed. I barely understood anything on that exam. What
evvveeeeennnnn?!?!? The night before, I studied for a eight hours, but nothing stuck. It was really bad. I'm just going to leave it here.

Seoul- We took a train to Seoul, which was fine. But I think I need to get better shoes. My feet would start hurting almost immediately. Taking the subway here includes lots of standing, lots of stairs, but barely any money. So, there are small favors there. We went to Seoul to go to the Fulbright Building, KAEC is one of the few (very few) commissions that has their own building, where we heard a doctor explain extra medical things to us. Good stuff to know. But afterwards, we went to the embassy for a pool party and had American food again. Which was great! And it was at that time we met the Ambassador.

2018-19 Fulbright Korea Cohort at the Embassy pool party

Dynasty Bonding- Took up most of my Sunday, so there wasn't any time to write my post.

Mamma Mia 2- It was such a feel good movie~! I'm glad I went. Anni and I decided to hop over to Megabox and had quite the experience. Garlic popcorn. That's all I have to say on that front.

I'll do better next post! See you around, Fam~!

#SaveOurToya

Week 4 - FEP

안녕하세요!

Hope you've all been well since the last post. No technical difficulties on my end, that's for sure. I am officially my own IT team. I should make myself a certificate or something. Make it official.

Y'all must be wondering what I got up to this last week. Well, this post I'm actually going to focus on a program I took part in for two weeks during my orientation. It's called: Fulbright English Program, or FEP for short.

It is a summer camp for students to come to and be immersed into the English language (well, as much as one can be while staying in country). The program has six classes with roughly 13 students per class. That's roughly 78 students running around for two weeks.

Lord, I haven't been surrounded by so many kids since...

...I actually don't know.

Haha, that might sound a bit bad, what with me being a teacher in three weeks. (Three weeks!??!?!)

But that's why I'm a bit thankful that FEP is held during orientation. It was really nice to interact with the kids and be able to stretch that teaching muscle I've been working on. For two weeks, I was surrounded by elementary to high school age kids, who are restricted to only speaking English (as are we) and learning about each other!


I gotta say, a lot of these kids started off very shy, but a the minute you take a breather, it's like they took a complete 180 and you're balancing three different conversations.

I'm very proud of all of the kids who came to FEP this year. While I haven't had the chance to meet them all individually, the ones that I interacted with, their confidence grew in the couple of weeks we were together.

FEP from a Fulbrighter's Perspective

First things, first. The dress code.

Where to start...well...I went from a relaxed, college environment to the 1800s. We have to be covered up, and as a Floridian, layering your clothes = heatstroke. So the fact that I even have cardigans is a miracle. (Also, money? What is money?) No shoulders, no toes, and no more than two fingers above the knee.

Guess who rolled in from a weekend in Sokcho in short shorts, a T-shirt, and some sandals. Spoilers: Iz me.

I have been cruising around in slacks and long sleeves. Which would be fine, when the A/C is on and the weather was at least mildly comfortable. Which...good luck on both those fronts.

Korea is very pro eco-friendly, which is lit. I love how thoughtful they are...but...A/C is pretty lit too. Not much we can do for the outside, but inside the building, a little cooler air in the hallways would be nice.

Like really, really nice.

Dress code aside, I had a lot of fun teaching during FEP. As I mentioned, FEP is a summer camp for students to come and be immersed in the English language. It happens alongside our orientation as it is also an opportunity for us to teach as well! I taught two classes that had a mix of ages and experience with English. I had a co-teacher for both lessons, and together, we created some fun and interactive lessons for the kids to enjoy! (Despite my computer having an early life crisis...)

I'm really glad we had the opportunity to teach before we went to our placement. It allowed me to realize where my weak points are in teaching and what I need to work on. Such as my Teacher's Voice. I may small classes, but it's important to catch student's attention quickly. Also, if I have any rambunctious kids, I'll need to be able to effectively handle anything that may pop up. One can only finesse so much.

Another thing FEP allows us to take part in, is Night Fun and Activity Weekend. And hour to two hours where we get to hang out with the kids outside of the classroom. These kids are so awesome! And creative! Some of the things they say, you never see coming!

Honestly, these students are cute!

They make me excited for my soon to be students!

These last two weeks really have been a great learning opportunity for everyone and has truly made me even more excited to teach.

Make good choices.

#SaveOurToya

Sokcho - 속초시

Oh my gosh! A post that isn't on Sunday!?

Haha, yeah it's been a while...a little over a week....maybe?

You might hate me, but I've finally got around to making my post about Sokcho! (All pictures can be found at the end of the post if they are not strategically placed within the post~!)As you can see in the header of this post, I even included the Korean spelling! Sokcho is a city on the east coast of South Korea. If you were to google it, you'd see that it's pretty close to the DMZ. In fact, it was the only time I actually saw military anything while being here.

And even then, it wasn't like they were armed. They were going to the convenience store for a snack or waiting for the bus. Nothing crazy army-like.

Sokcho is known for its beaches and back in July 2016, it was the only place in South Korea where you could play Pokémon GO. Government mapping restrictions...according to Wikipedia.

And if you know me, I don't play Pokémon GO, but I do like going to the beach!

It was a nice reminder of home, to be honest.

Temple we went to

Friday: The bus ride was nice going there. It was roughly four hours long, with a stop around mid-way through. When we got there, it was a little bit past noon. We had limited programming, where we learnt about Buddhism and Korea. It was rather interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the Buddhist temple afterwards. Despite the hot humidity and glaring down on you sun, it was a nice temple visit. We even had dinner at the temple, which was a unique experience in itself!

All I gotta say is: dem potatoes tho!!!!

After the temple, a few of us found our way to a 7/11, grabbed a variety of soju bottles and snackies, grabbed a table outside and had fun. After two intense weeks of Orientation with two following weeks of FEP, we needed a moment to just relax and realize that we were definitely not in America anymore.

Before I forget, we stayed in the Class 300 hotel!

We off to the beach~!

Saturday: The relaxation continued. Some of us found our way to the beach (me) whereas others went hiking (definitely not me - waaayyyy too hot for that). What was supposed to be a quick trip to the beach turned into a four to five hour stay. My tanning game was as strong as ever and I easily got four to five shades darker. Unlike others, who got sunburnt (No shade, fam!).

Angelina's birthday cake

Saturday was also a good friend's birthday. And because it was their birthday, a few of us wanted to surprise them with a cake! That was when Crap-How-We-Going-To-Finesse-This-Happy-Birthday-Plan came alive. While (Anni) was tasked with distracting the birthday bae, Tae Hee and I finessed a birthday cake.

It took a little bit to find the bakery, but when we did. Oh thank Jesus for air conditioning and pretty cakes! I wish I had taken a picture of the cakes, but I did get a picture of the cake we ended up picking. 😀

Angelina Beelina, thank you for letting us celebrate your birthday with you!

Grilling AT the table

There was also went to a really yummy place for dinner. It's the type of place you go to where you can grill your own meat at your table. I have to give a shout out to my girl Anni, who looked like a literal pro as she cooked for us. (I also think she was the youngest at our table..., which works out nicely.)

We ended the night at 노레방. Or as we like to say in English, Karaoke. It's not what we know it as though. Karaoke in Korea is where you and your group of friends get to go into your own rooms, and have your own karaoke party. Whereas in the states, you perform in front of a crowd. A lot less pressure. BUT! at 노레방 we were being scored. That took me by surprise. Haha~!

At the end, we went our separate ways back to our hotel room.

But. In Tae Hee, Angelina, and my room...karaoke continued. We didn't get to sleep until around midnight.

Sunday: We left Sokcho a little bit after breakfast. And I thought it would take a nice comfortable four hours, like it was on our way up.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead...it took us eight hours.

4 hours < 8 hours

You may be wondering why...good question.

Honest answer: 2 museums, 1 lunch, free ice cream (thanks KAEC!), a bus stop, and traffic. Lots and lots of traffic.

And the kicker, the bus had no A/C. After the museums and lunch, I happened to wake up after falling asleep. After looking around, I found myself in the middle of a sleepover. Everyone, except for the bus driver, was out cold.

#FulbrightKoreaGrantees

Whether it was because of the heat, the adventures from the days previously, delayed jetlag, or the activites from that day alone, but we were all exhausted. [see image to the right]

When we got back to the Orientation site, we couldn't hang around as most of us were inappropriately dressed for FEP. So we went to our floor (7th Floor) and either crashed in our rooms, changed and mozied about, or something.

I honestly didn't pay too much attention to what the others were up to. I was tired and nasty. I took a shower and went to bed.

Overall, Sokcho is a nice place for a mini-vacation. The beach was nice, if a bit odd from my perspective. Back home, you can pretty much go swimming all along the coast. But here, there were designated swimming areas and barely any waves. The only waves that really came at us were the ones from the boats or jetskies zooming about.

The water was also really cold...

I think I'm going to see if a few of us ever want to go back for a weekend or another place along the coast. Can't go too long without seeing the beach!

Make good choices, Fam~!

#SaveOurToya

The pictures are a little all over...please bear with me until I figure this out!)

Look at our hotel room~!

View from the 15th floor dining room

Look how close we were to the ocean!

Anni!

  

Some of these views...just wow~!

Catch they next album in stores near you

That's the Pacific right there

Tae Hee looking all happy

Kristy~!

A different kind of beach-going

Back at it again

Featuring Toya

Chris and Curtis make an appearance too~!

Lilly pond~!

Anni didn't cook this time, but we still ate good~!

Kisses~! :*

A typical trip to 7/11