so this week Geoff and I decided to talk to a recruiter for EPIK. EPIK is the system that places teachers in public schools throughout Korea, and it has the same processes as the hagwan's and universities...... except that it's run by Civil servants who get paid no matter how lazy they are.
The system is in theory the same. Jump through the many hoops of gettinga Korean E2 visa, then work at the school. However, once you are her ethere SHOULD be no problem extending or renewing a contract, especially as my criminal check is still valid and by degree has been verified in Korea. Hagwan's just want a signed contract, uni's are the same. EPIK on the other hand, wants me to start the process again, from scratch. This includes:
-getting a photocopy of your original degree verified by a notary public
-a national criminal background check
-two transcripts
-2 passport photo's
-your passport
-letters of reference from your previous hagwans
send them to the Korean consulate in Vancouver and we'll organise a formal interview in May for a position..... but we can't promise you it will be in Daegu.
Did I mention I currently live in Korea?
SOOOOOO. What they want is for me to organise everything that needs to be done in Canada from Korea and send it to Canada, from Korea, so that the Korean consulate in Canada can give me permission to come to Korea (sending my passport through the mail while I'm OUTSIDE would also be an interesting idea). They also refuse to guarantee me a placement in Daegu, despite my grade 1 salary being dependent upon me doing an MA, which I plan to do at Keimyung University..... in Daegu. While I would "most likely" get Daegu I would know for sure until AUGUST 20th.
The really sad thing is that many qualified teachers will lose out on teaching kids in the public schools and they will lose out on qualified teachers (esp. those who's parents don't have the money to send them to hagwan and thus will never have any other contact with native speakers) simply because of these hoops. I mean, I know people who are married and own apartments here with Masters in various teaching related subjects who aren't prepared to uproot their entire lives to go...... who knows? and so will stay at hagwans until they can get a uni job or else they will go home.
On the plus side, I am happy to see the Korean educational bureaucracy is as inefficient and unplanned as their western counterparts.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
saying hello and goodbye to the Korean teachers..... or not
About a week ago my friend David wrote a blog about the way business is done in Asia here. It was something that I can certainly relate to and it was only reinforced this week with the imminent departure of no less than three Korean teachers from the academy at the end of February (Monday is the 28th, then March 1st is a holiday, so after Monday they will be gone).
I have this information solely because one of them came and asked me for my email. She studied for four years in Toronto and did a summer programme in Vancouver and enjoys talking about Canada with me. She also teaches me a bit of Korean and has asked for my help proof reading some stuff for her. The other two, who admittedly have only been there for a couple of months, left without so much as a good-bye. This was made worse by the fact that no one in management bothered to tell us they were leaving. We just show up one day and they are gone. Now this happens all the time in Korea, and apparently one of the teachers whose last working day was Thursday (as in she's on the payroll til Monday but won't be back to the school) didn't even tell her Korean co-workers it was her last day, and no one in management mentioned anything. They just sat down to their after class meeting and she wasn't there. However, in most cases the Korean teachers all say good-bye and have a cake or something, but the westerners never seem to be invited or even told about it.
I was happy to hear from some former and soon to be former coworkers that they thought this was awful, but they are all in the 23-30 age range. The older generation seems to have no issues with the Korean workers/everyone else workers divide and it's this generation that is in power right now. Either way, for the moment it only serves to creat divisions and antagonisms that really don't need to exist.
Finally, the new teachers (some of whom I have interviewed) don't ever bother to introduce themselves or say hi once they start work. I just get a schedule at the beginning of the month with my name and a Korean teachers name. The problem is that unless it's one of the four teachers who have been there for a while I have no idea who it is.
While I think that the upcoming generation of Koreans are much smarter and more worldly that this generation, I think it'll be a while before these practices stop, to the detrement of Korea and Koreans
I have this information solely because one of them came and asked me for my email. She studied for four years in Toronto and did a summer programme in Vancouver and enjoys talking about Canada with me. She also teaches me a bit of Korean and has asked for my help proof reading some stuff for her. The other two, who admittedly have only been there for a couple of months, left without so much as a good-bye. This was made worse by the fact that no one in management bothered to tell us they were leaving. We just show up one day and they are gone. Now this happens all the time in Korea, and apparently one of the teachers whose last working day was Thursday (as in she's on the payroll til Monday but won't be back to the school) didn't even tell her Korean co-workers it was her last day, and no one in management mentioned anything. They just sat down to their after class meeting and she wasn't there. However, in most cases the Korean teachers all say good-bye and have a cake or something, but the westerners never seem to be invited or even told about it.
I was happy to hear from some former and soon to be former coworkers that they thought this was awful, but they are all in the 23-30 age range. The older generation seems to have no issues with the Korean workers/everyone else workers divide and it's this generation that is in power right now. Either way, for the moment it only serves to creat divisions and antagonisms that really don't need to exist.
Finally, the new teachers (some of whom I have interviewed) don't ever bother to introduce themselves or say hi once they start work. I just get a schedule at the beginning of the month with my name and a Korean teachers name. The problem is that unless it's one of the four teachers who have been there for a while I have no idea who it is.
While I think that the upcoming generation of Koreans are much smarter and more worldly that this generation, I think it'll be a while before these practices stop, to the detrement of Korea and Koreans
Friday, February 25, 2011
Graduation day at the academy
For Korean students, the new school year starts this March, and our school says goodbye to our oldest middle school kids, as they go on to High School and thus say goodbye to the world of hagwans. Last year they were all students that David (who had left earlier in February) had taught, so I didn't really know any of them. This year is different, as one of the girls I have now taught alomst every day since last February and 2 other girls and a boy I have taught off and on for months. This age group is probably my favourite to teach, as they are getting old enough to actually have their own personalities, opinions and attitides. It takes a thick skin to teach them, as they will just say whats on their mind. Also, Koreans don't have social issues with commenting on one's appearance, mistakes or other faults anyway so add that to a smart ass 14 year old and you can just use your imagination. However, they also have real ideas that go beyond "I want a cookie". The little kids are fun to play with, throw around, make faces at etc. but the older ones are fun to joke with and talk to. One student in particular I will really miss. Her English is as good as a few of our teachers and even though she is grossly over worked she still rarely shows annoyance or frustration (as I'm sure I would have at that age under the same conditions). She's also been a great source of info on the lives of Korean students. While I really admire/envy the Korean work ethic as an adult I have to admit that I am happy I was educated in Canada and lived there as a child.
Anyway, a few will be back on Monday before Tuesdays holiday, but some will not. The same goes for teachers. SEI has always had a phenomenal turnover rate for Korean teachers and the end of this month sees three leaving. While I've only had the opportunity to get to know one of them, I'm saddened that so many are leaving at once. I also wonder what the academy will do with so many vacancies. On the plus side, I do hope that I will be given a few more classes in March to fill the gaps.
Anyway, a few will be back on Monday before Tuesdays holiday, but some will not. The same goes for teachers. SEI has always had a phenomenal turnover rate for Korean teachers and the end of this month sees three leaving. While I've only had the opportunity to get to know one of them, I'm saddened that so many are leaving at once. I also wonder what the academy will do with so many vacancies. On the plus side, I do hope that I will be given a few more classes in March to fill the gaps.
Monday, February 21, 2011
the many job/school options
Well as I have previously posted, I am in the midst of a dilemma involving my future. I have made two choices that I will not waver from:
1- I want to stay in Korea. The missus, money and lifestyle are far better than what I could reasonably expect in Canada. While I would like to return one day for final postgrad work, I am making enough here that doing a doctorate in Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong will increasingly become reasonable options if the Canadian winters don't appeal to me by then :)
2- I am not happy to simply work at an academy and collect a paycheque anymore. I am getting too old to stagnate careerwise. School and/or a better job are a must.
With that in mind I am currently putting together several options that will all be a step in the right direction.
1) move to Seoul at attend university and complete an MA in a field that is relevant to what I want to do when I'm 40. It's a decent programme but it's fairly intensive. Cons include a move to expensive Seoul and massive money stress (or work at an academy and massive time stress). It's probably the best option long term, but I also like the idea of being able to travel and have a social life and at the end of the day, as my uncle John once said, "I don't want to be the richest man in the graveyard".
2) As mentioned before, Drew and Barry work at Keimyung University. Drew was hired with esentially the exact same degree and experience as I have partially because she plans to do her MA in TOEFL there. I talked to her for a while yesterday and it seems that it's hardly a sure thing, but if her co-worker decides to leave she will put in a good word for me. Working a uni job in Daegu and attending a two year MA programme in a field that pays me very well seems a solid idea.
3) I have also set up an interview for a public school position. These are great daytime jobs and, while the pay is less, the vacation time is plentiful. It would also give me time to do TOEFL courses online and even get an MA that way (and it's a one-year programme, so that's a bonus). While distance ed. is not seen as being as good as a degree done in a traditional way, (and with good cause I think) as a tool to get a better job to give me the time to do a full MA/PhD over a 5-6 year period while making good money it's a good option. I can do this distance ed programme while working public schools or academies, but just for resume reasons I want public schools (most uni's will look at public school teaching as experience but see academies as just babysitting and cheque collecting).
Anyway, what I do know is that all this won't start til September, and I have Taipei, Vancouver and a possible Beijing before that. It also means I have a bit of time (though not a lot) to get it all done.
1- I want to stay in Korea. The missus, money and lifestyle are far better than what I could reasonably expect in Canada. While I would like to return one day for final postgrad work, I am making enough here that doing a doctorate in Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong will increasingly become reasonable options if the Canadian winters don't appeal to me by then :)
2- I am not happy to simply work at an academy and collect a paycheque anymore. I am getting too old to stagnate careerwise. School and/or a better job are a must.
With that in mind I am currently putting together several options that will all be a step in the right direction.
1) move to Seoul at attend university and complete an MA in a field that is relevant to what I want to do when I'm 40. It's a decent programme but it's fairly intensive. Cons include a move to expensive Seoul and massive money stress (or work at an academy and massive time stress). It's probably the best option long term, but I also like the idea of being able to travel and have a social life and at the end of the day, as my uncle John once said, "I don't want to be the richest man in the graveyard".
2) As mentioned before, Drew and Barry work at Keimyung University. Drew was hired with esentially the exact same degree and experience as I have partially because she plans to do her MA in TOEFL there. I talked to her for a while yesterday and it seems that it's hardly a sure thing, but if her co-worker decides to leave she will put in a good word for me. Working a uni job in Daegu and attending a two year MA programme in a field that pays me very well seems a solid idea.
3) I have also set up an interview for a public school position. These are great daytime jobs and, while the pay is less, the vacation time is plentiful. It would also give me time to do TOEFL courses online and even get an MA that way (and it's a one-year programme, so that's a bonus). While distance ed. is not seen as being as good as a degree done in a traditional way, (and with good cause I think) as a tool to get a better job to give me the time to do a full MA/PhD over a 5-6 year period while making good money it's a good option. I can do this distance ed programme while working public schools or academies, but just for resume reasons I want public schools (most uni's will look at public school teaching as experience but see academies as just babysitting and cheque collecting).
Anyway, what I do know is that all this won't start til September, and I have Taipei, Vancouver and a possible Beijing before that. It also means I have a bit of time (though not a lot) to get it all done.
the rest of the weekend
well my relaxing of last post lasted til about 9, when I left to meet Jeff and his two friends at Sydney's. I had a rum and coke and then we headed to an old hof/soju, formerly known as Happy Liquorpia, but now as @+, which apparently is just happy liquorpia with smaller menu's and higher prices :( It was a good night, and I was happy to get home still feeling good.
Sunday I got up early and fired off job/school applications (that will be another post). The missus then came over and we spent the day near my place and the uni. Having Japanese food and enjoying the unseasonably warm February weather. I can certainly handle this weather after last yeares unending winter *knock on wood*
Finally Monday we got up, showered and cooked a huge breakfast. Overall it was a good time.
Sunday I got up early and fired off job/school applications (that will be another post). The missus then came over and we spent the day near my place and the uni. Having Japanese food and enjoying the unseasonably warm February weather. I can certainly handle this weather after last yeares unending winter *knock on wood*
Finally Monday we got up, showered and cooked a huge breakfast. Overall it was a good time.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Great 48 hours to get over the work week blues
Not often do I write about what I great two days I just had early on a Saturday afternoon, but today I will make an exception.
Thursday night was my relaxing night this week. Every night I've been out so having a night to chill was great. Friday morning I went to the Sony service centre is to get my camera repaired. Good news is a new lense will only run me about $150 including service and it will be ready (and tested) by Monday morning. Sometimes I just love Korea (that would be two weeks back in Canada and no way it would be that cheap). Also, if it can't be fixed, no charge. Then to the phone shop to get my new phone set up with a proper plan that I can use this year and next. When I'm in China and back in Canada I'll just have to pay even when I don't use it, but having to constantly buy minutes is getting really boring. So I have a sexy new touch screen phone. After that I went to an old style duck restaurant, and man was it old style. I mean half the menu was still in hanja (so was probably 15 years old at least). Food was okay, but the kimchi was amazing :P
Then was work with my usual zero-two classes (I'll save a rant about work, but suffice to say that unless they start throwing more classes my way I'll be happy when my contract is up). After work I had planned to go home but Drew was calling me down to Sydney St. so I caved and went down for a beer or two. It was a great time with her and her fiancee Barry. Mostly darts and conversation but after a LONG work day it was much needed. They also mentioned that Keimyung was looking for new staff for the summer and had a masters in TEOFL proramme that Keimyung employees could take at a discounted rate. I believe I will apply :) Also met their coworker William who seemed like a solid guy. Here's hoping, Barry and Drew would be epic coworkers :)
This morning I woke up to meet Ji Won (my language partner). She has to give a presentation in English on Monday so I helped her go over it and then we had lunch. Now I'm sitting around at home looking at laptops to buy and picks of Taipei and chatting to Paul on skype. Angela is coming in from Cheongju tonight but they want to go downtown dancing/clubbing so I will probably give it a miss and catch up with them next time (I didn't enjoy clubbing much at 22, let alone 29).
Good times :)
Thursday night was my relaxing night this week. Every night I've been out so having a night to chill was great. Friday morning I went to the Sony service centre is to get my camera repaired. Good news is a new lense will only run me about $150 including service and it will be ready (and tested) by Monday morning. Sometimes I just love Korea (that would be two weeks back in Canada and no way it would be that cheap). Also, if it can't be fixed, no charge. Then to the phone shop to get my new phone set up with a proper plan that I can use this year and next. When I'm in China and back in Canada I'll just have to pay even when I don't use it, but having to constantly buy minutes is getting really boring. So I have a sexy new touch screen phone. After that I went to an old style duck restaurant, and man was it old style. I mean half the menu was still in hanja (so was probably 15 years old at least). Food was okay, but the kimchi was amazing :P
Then was work with my usual zero-two classes (I'll save a rant about work, but suffice to say that unless they start throwing more classes my way I'll be happy when my contract is up). After work I had planned to go home but Drew was calling me down to Sydney St. so I caved and went down for a beer or two. It was a great time with her and her fiancee Barry. Mostly darts and conversation but after a LONG work day it was much needed. They also mentioned that Keimyung was looking for new staff for the summer and had a masters in TEOFL proramme that Keimyung employees could take at a discounted rate. I believe I will apply :) Also met their coworker William who seemed like a solid guy. Here's hoping, Barry and Drew would be epic coworkers :)
This morning I woke up to meet Ji Won (my language partner). She has to give a presentation in English on Monday so I helped her go over it and then we had lunch. Now I'm sitting around at home looking at laptops to buy and picks of Taipei and chatting to Paul on skype. Angela is coming in from Cheongju tonight but they want to go downtown dancing/clubbing so I will probably give it a miss and catch up with them next time (I didn't enjoy clubbing much at 22, let alone 29).
Good times :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Koreans and the dog meat debate
Well seeing as two of my students chimed in on this one for their essay class, I felt I should do the same. Korea has, for some inexplicable reason, become famous as a place where you can get dog meat, leading to many a bad comedian joke or humourous remark (from people not trying to be humourous). So here's the facts:
Bo Shin Tang, or dog meat soup, was eaten at a time when Korea was a destitute, 3rd world nation (think Cambodia today). It was made the exact same way a chicken soup is made in the west, but with dog meat. It is extremely hard to find in Korea today outside of the country towns (and even there you have to go looking for it) but it does exist in a few major cities if you REALLY go hunting for it (in Daegu, population 3 million, I have seen ONE dog meat restaurant). It is actually outlawed in Seoul municipality and Incheon (where the airport is). I know very few Koreans who have ever eaten dog and most think it's disgusting.
Once you are over here you realize how rare it is and the big moral debate comes when you see how the dogs bred for food are treated (it's actually really disgusting how they are treated and killed). I know many a westerner and many a Korean who won't eat dog meat because of the unethical treatment of the dogs, not because of what it is. However, these standards apply to cows and pigs as much as to dogs. Frankly, unless you are a vegetarian I don't see how you have the right to complain about eating dog meat or criticize it.
A few points:
- food is cultural. Many Koreans think eating lamb is just disgusting. It's a dare to people when they travel to western countries to eat lamb. The Chinese eat dog as well, they also eat cockroaches. In Burma you still find people who eat monkey. Heck, soilent green is still a dish in parts of Papua New Guinea TODAY.
- we are spoiled. Westerners today are almost unique in our history in that we can actually pick and choose what we want to eat, how it's prepared etc. For most of human history vegetarians, vegans and people who would not eat animal prepared in certain ways... well, strarved to death. Places like India that had many vegetables had vegetarian cultures, but places like Germania, Manchuria, Siberia etc. ...... Just because we are so lucky today to be able to be so picky doesn't give us the right to attack what people who were not so lucky ate when the alternative was starving to death.
- I have personally eaten raw silk worm, recently prepared octopus (as in dead but still moving), spider, unprocessed crab (as in it looks just like a small live rock crab but it's been cooked and is in a dish) and grasshopper. That's no more or less disgusting but there's no cultural taboo so it's considered a cultural experience.
I have not eaten dog meat yet, but it's the preparation process that stops me, NOT the fact that it's dog meat.
Bo Shin Tang, or dog meat soup, was eaten at a time when Korea was a destitute, 3rd world nation (think Cambodia today). It was made the exact same way a chicken soup is made in the west, but with dog meat. It is extremely hard to find in Korea today outside of the country towns (and even there you have to go looking for it) but it does exist in a few major cities if you REALLY go hunting for it (in Daegu, population 3 million, I have seen ONE dog meat restaurant). It is actually outlawed in Seoul municipality and Incheon (where the airport is). I know very few Koreans who have ever eaten dog and most think it's disgusting.
Once you are over here you realize how rare it is and the big moral debate comes when you see how the dogs bred for food are treated (it's actually really disgusting how they are treated and killed). I know many a westerner and many a Korean who won't eat dog meat because of the unethical treatment of the dogs, not because of what it is. However, these standards apply to cows and pigs as much as to dogs. Frankly, unless you are a vegetarian I don't see how you have the right to complain about eating dog meat or criticize it.
A few points:
- food is cultural. Many Koreans think eating lamb is just disgusting. It's a dare to people when they travel to western countries to eat lamb. The Chinese eat dog as well, they also eat cockroaches. In Burma you still find people who eat monkey. Heck, soilent green is still a dish in parts of Papua New Guinea TODAY.
- we are spoiled. Westerners today are almost unique in our history in that we can actually pick and choose what we want to eat, how it's prepared etc. For most of human history vegetarians, vegans and people who would not eat animal prepared in certain ways... well, strarved to death. Places like India that had many vegetables had vegetarian cultures, but places like Germania, Manchuria, Siberia etc. ...... Just because we are so lucky today to be able to be so picky doesn't give us the right to attack what people who were not so lucky ate when the alternative was starving to death.
- I have personally eaten raw silk worm, recently prepared octopus (as in dead but still moving), spider, unprocessed crab (as in it looks just like a small live rock crab but it's been cooked and is in a dish) and grasshopper. That's no more or less disgusting but there's no cultural taboo so it's considered a cultural experience.
I have not eaten dog meat yet, but it's the preparation process that stops me, NOT the fact that it's dog meat.
Winter week
It's been an interesting week here in Daegu, at least from a weather point of view.
After an unseasonably warm lunar New Year we were hit with a foot of snow and three days of miserable weather. Now it has warmed up again, and it's actually quite nice out (for winter). Here's hoping we don't have a repeat of last year, with miserable weather well in to April.
The week itself has been okay.
My langage exchanges are also going really well. Ji Won is a great teacher and I'm getting pretty good at making more complex sentences (well less terrible anyway). It also has me out and about a bit earlier, which I really like. She is also great company and so her English conversation classes where I am the teacher are really enjoyable as well.
The weekend is also looking good, so here's hoping to a quiet Friday.
After an unseasonably warm lunar New Year we were hit with a foot of snow and three days of miserable weather. Now it has warmed up again, and it's actually quite nice out (for winter). Here's hoping we don't have a repeat of last year, with miserable weather well in to April.
The week itself has been okay.
My langage exchanges are also going really well. Ji Won is a great teacher and I'm getting pretty good at making more complex sentences (well less terrible anyway). It also has me out and about a bit earlier, which I really like. She is also great company and so her English conversation classes where I am the teacher are really enjoyable as well.
The weekend is also looking good, so here's hoping to a quiet Friday.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
jinxed it.... twice
well let this be a lesson to knock on wood.
1) After noting with joy the warm spell in Korea this February I awoke today to find a blanket of snow on the city. As of 3pm it is still coming down, though much lighter than before. This is not unseasonable weather, but it did seem as though the worst of wintr was behind us. Although the -15 of January isn't here, it's still unpleasant.
2) I have been discussing the quality of my camera to two different people this week, how I bought the whole thing for $600 over 5 years ago, taken it everywhere and it was still working great. So when I went to load up the pics from my vacation yesterday afternoon I was saddened to see the lense had been hit by..... something and was no longer working. I honestly have no idea how it was hit hard enough to dent the lense and effectively break the camera. There is a Sony service centre near Gamsam so it's not too hard to get it looked at, but unless it's a cheap repair I'll probably invest in a newer model camera before Taiwan.
Let that be a lesson to you :)
1) After noting with joy the warm spell in Korea this February I awoke today to find a blanket of snow on the city. As of 3pm it is still coming down, though much lighter than before. This is not unseasonable weather, but it did seem as though the worst of wintr was behind us. Although the -15 of January isn't here, it's still unpleasant.
2) I have been discussing the quality of my camera to two different people this week, how I bought the whole thing for $600 over 5 years ago, taken it everywhere and it was still working great. So when I went to load up the pics from my vacation yesterday afternoon I was saddened to see the lense had been hit by..... something and was no longer working. I honestly have no idea how it was hit hard enough to dent the lense and effectively break the camera. There is a Sony service centre near Gamsam so it's not too hard to get it looked at, but unless it's a cheap repair I'll probably invest in a newer model camera before Taiwan.
Let that be a lesson to you :)
TAIWAN :)..... and the rest of the weekend
well it's official. Tickets Seoul to Taipei are booked for May 5th. Jeff and I are getting 6 days on Ilha Formosa to see Taipei and Taroko Gorge (a two day jungle trek not dissimilar to the one I did on Penang in Malaysia, but that was like 4 hours not two days). While it's hardly enough time to see it all it seemed like a good compromise for a 6 day trip, as on mainland China it's founding of the People's Republic week (something I'm reasonably sure won't be celebrated in Taiwan :P) where everyone has a holiday and heads out to see things like the Great Wall or the Forbidden City making Beijing or Shanghai less attractive. Japan was also discussed but price and the short time made it seem less appealing. I've also heard nothing but amazing things from people who have been to Taiwan, and it seems that it really is the undiscovered gem of Asia. I suppose I'll find out in 3 months :P
We also found a great Indian restaurant near the north gate of Kyungpook Uni. Our friend Barry told us about Maya out there so after booking Taiwan we headed out there to try it. It was amazing and I'm sure I ate too much, but finding good Indian food in Korea is difficult (emphasis on good, you can get kimchi curry and "Indian" bokimbap at a few places). Then we went to the WaBar downtown, which adds another WaBar to my list (I think I'm at 8 now :P)
Sunday I talked to my Dad to wish him a happy birthday and also managed a chat to Ingolf. The actual day was low key, which after two weeks of travelling and working was nice.
Overall a nice weekend )
We also found a great Indian restaurant near the north gate of Kyungpook Uni. Our friend Barry told us about Maya out there so after booking Taiwan we headed out there to try it. It was amazing and I'm sure I ate too much, but finding good Indian food in Korea is difficult (emphasis on good, you can get kimchi curry and "Indian" bokimbap at a few places). Then we went to the WaBar downtown, which adds another WaBar to my list (I think I'm at 8 now :P)
Sunday I talked to my Dad to wish him a happy birthday and also managed a chat to Ingolf. The actual day was low key, which after two weeks of travelling and working was nice.
Overall a nice weekend )
Friday, February 11, 2011
a bit of February
Well after our unseasonably warm winter break it's realy dropped back down to regular February weather. So much so that today we had snow for the first time since December. While it didn't stick it was disheartening, as I am ready for spring weather again. I know parts of North Korea and northern China are being dumped on right now, so I guess I should be grateful we are just getting flurries. I know many people love snow, and so do I, provided I can stay home with the heat on and watch it fall. I felt this way in Canada where roads are salted, it is even more true here.
I'm also getting more than a bit excited for this weekend. Saturday we are booking Taiwan and Sunday is (sort of) Valentines Day. I think after it's booked I will have a lot more to write about with that.
I'm also getting more than a bit excited for this weekend. Saturday we are booking Taiwan and Sunday is (sort of) Valentines Day. I think after it's booked I will have a lot more to write about with that.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
My 29th
well as of Feb 9th I'm in to the last year of my 20's. How time has flown by. In many ways, I still feel like I'm 22 or maybe 26, which is a good thing. In other ways I am aware that I am not, and am starting to feel pressure to get back in to a classroom or in to a suit (naturally, I'm choosing the classroom :P)
For the actual day, being that is was a Wednesday and my last class ended at 9 I didn't get up to too much.
The Tuesday night before I went out with Jeff and Kurt down to Sydney St and then to a hof/soju. We had meant to do Trailer Park Tuesdays, but Mark had a good crowd, including Barry and Drew, an Irish/American couple who I met a few weeks ago and who I really like (I could listen to their African adventures all day) so we decided just to hang out and chill for a bit talking. The three of us then left for a hof/soju where we had some food and a drink.
What I'm really excited about is that 29 is shaping up to be a great year of my life. I'll end my 20's on a high note I think :)
For the actual day, being that is was a Wednesday and my last class ended at 9 I didn't get up to too much.
The Tuesday night before I went out with Jeff and Kurt down to Sydney St and then to a hof/soju. We had meant to do Trailer Park Tuesdays, but Mark had a good crowd, including Barry and Drew, an Irish/American couple who I met a few weeks ago and who I really like (I could listen to their African adventures all day) so we decided just to hang out and chill for a bit talking. The three of us then left for a hof/soju where we had some food and a drink.
What I'm really excited about is that 29 is shaping up to be a great year of my life. I'll end my 20's on a high note I think :)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Winter Vacation 2011
Well winter vacation was a blast. It was essentially a tour of Chuncheong-do, taking in a few major cities and some small towns. The weather was amazing the whole time, even in places that were snow covered the daytime highs were 7-10 degrees and it was sunny when we got there. Anyway, the trip went a little something like this:
Tuesday night Geoff and I met at DongDaegu St. at 10 and took the KTX up to Daejeon. We grabbed a hotel room in an area that was clearly near the red light district (who'd have guessed a $30 motel near the train station would be sleazy?). After escaping several Madam's looking to take us to their "bar's" we then hit a German ice bar (it's a bar where they have a frozen cup holder built in to the table) in the downtown area to get food and a beer. Daejeon itself is an okay city. A smaller version of Daegu with a bit more of a working class feel. I'd like to go back for a night out there, but there's not exactly a lot to see besides the people. We then went back to our rooms and crashed.
Wednesday we got up early and took the bus to Gongju to meet Angela. Gongju is one of the capital cities of the old Baekje kingdom, one of the three kingdoms that pre-dated unification. The big thing to see there is the Gongju fortress and the tomb of King Muryeong. Jeff and I got up and went to the Starbucks for real "drip coffee" and then headed to the bus station. We were supposed to meet Ange at 11 but there was either a miscommunication or a scheduling issue as she got there around 10 (about thirty minutes before we left Daejeon). However we did meet and after a brief setback when Geoff forgot his camera on the bus and we had get the company to track the bus down we managed to make it to the castle by about 1. The fortress itself was not quite what the hype had made it out to be. There were many areas fenced off with signs saying "this is where __________ stood". It was cool but after seeing the ones in Suwon and Jinju it was a bit of a letdown. However we had a lot of fun just walking around and the views from the walls are actually fairly amazing. We then went to Muryeong's tomb, which is famous as much for the fact that it escaped grave robbers and was only discovered in the 1970's (with instant "Korea's King Tut" references being made) as for the site itself. Again, the park and city were far more charming than the place itself, as were the people there who tried to teach us a few traditional Korean games. We then went in a very roundabout way back to the main road at the front of the museum where I was sure we would find many taxi's to take us back in to town. Finding no taxi's we began the walk back in to town which was enjoyable but after a day of hiking we were getting tired. Eventually we got a cab and took the bus back to Cheongju where Ange lives (she was going to put us up for the night. Being new to Cheongju (and Korea generally) she wanted to go out and meet a few people so we hit the western bars. It really reminded me of the bars back in Ulsan and, to be honest, I thought they were about as much fun (insert sleeping/yawning noise here). However, I think Geoff and Ange were having a better time so I tried to get a bit more in to it. Ange was especially enjoying it as I think she was making a few new friends in her own city, and partied hard.
Thursday I woke up feeling okay, as did Jeff. Ange did not. Jeff and I hung out playing old 70's layed back albums (10cc, Supertramp, Steely Dan etc.) and went out shopping. Ange was sleeping :) Thursday was the actual New Years holiday so virtually nothing was open and travel was a bit of a nightmare so we decided to hang out another night in Cheongju, it was more of a watching Futurama day.
Friday we got up early and began the 3 hour jouney to Danyang. Danyang is a beautiful mountain town that really reminded us of a town in central BC. We had to take a 90 minute bus ride to a small town called Chungju (I think people in this province deliberately make all their town names almost identical) and then connect to Danyang. As we left the city behind we were greeted with snow capped mountains and a huge, partially frozen lake. When we got there we found just about the most beautiful town in Korea. Being that it was already mid afternoon we decided to just walk along the lakeside promenade and get dinner and drinks at a meat restaurant. The meat was fantasic and the beer was Korean. We then went to a small pub and enjoyed the views of the lake and bridge, which was all lit up.
Saturday we got up early and went to the Gosu caves. They are the largest cave complex in Korea and are amazing to see. The best part, with it being a national holiday weekend we only got stuck with one Korean tour group. As a quick aside, Korean tour groups seem to me to be like army slogs. File in, see the caves, take a picture at designated picture taking spot, move along, get back to the bus, next location. I'm more of a absorb the beauty at a slow pace type. Anyway, the caves themselves were amazing, with rock formations that look like they should have David Attenborough commenting on them. The caves took about an hour and we then left and went to a restaurant which, as it turned out, was a vegetarian restaurant where we had fried ginseng and a pajeon. After some souvenir shopping we walked back in to town over the bridge, grabbed a coffee and relaxed by the promenade. Jeff had bought these reflexology sandals and we were admiring them. So much so that Ange wanted to go back. They wanted to go back but I was sure there would not be enough time with only 40 minutes left so they decided to go while I stayed, watched the bags and tried to figure out how to tell our bus driver that my friends were coming but were going to be late in Korean. 20 minutes later they returned with three pairs of sandals. I felt rather foolish though I must admit I was suitably impressed by their speed. We then boarded the bus back to Chungju where Jeff and I parted from Ange and transferred to the Daejeon bus. With a two hour stopover in Daejeon we managed to get a coffee and dinner before boarding the KTX back to Daegu.
I had a great time and I think they did as well. I'm also happy to know that I have two people I could easily spend a trip with again. In fact, as a confession, I was probably the most difficult person of the group. I was trying to use my new found Korean skills when getting around but found the accent in rural Chuncheong-do incomprehensible (like trying to understand Welsh accented English) so there were a few times when Jeff or Ange were asking me to ask the (bus driver, motel manager, waiter) a question as the (bus driver, hotel manager, waiter) was talking to me in a language I don't have a real grasp on in an accent that is very difficult. Having three people talking to you in two languages at the same time can be a bit much, especially if you have been travelling a lot or are a bit hungover and I think I got visibly annoyed a few times, though I was much more annoyed with my own inability to communicate with the Koreans than anything else. There were a few times when pantomime seemed to get things done faster. Well, it's just insentive to study more. My Sunday was supposed to be spent doing just that, but my language partner texted at 830 to cancel. I think I have had to cancel on her a few times so I wonder if she is a bit annoyed with me on that one, but I have another one Tuesday morning that is consistent and very helpful. So this Sunday can be spent relaxing and maybe going for a walk in the unseasonably warm February weather.
Tuesday night Geoff and I met at DongDaegu St. at 10 and took the KTX up to Daejeon. We grabbed a hotel room in an area that was clearly near the red light district (who'd have guessed a $30 motel near the train station would be sleazy?). After escaping several Madam's looking to take us to their "bar's" we then hit a German ice bar (it's a bar where they have a frozen cup holder built in to the table) in the downtown area to get food and a beer. Daejeon itself is an okay city. A smaller version of Daegu with a bit more of a working class feel. I'd like to go back for a night out there, but there's not exactly a lot to see besides the people. We then went back to our rooms and crashed.
Wednesday we got up early and took the bus to Gongju to meet Angela. Gongju is one of the capital cities of the old Baekje kingdom, one of the three kingdoms that pre-dated unification. The big thing to see there is the Gongju fortress and the tomb of King Muryeong. Jeff and I got up and went to the Starbucks for real "drip coffee" and then headed to the bus station. We were supposed to meet Ange at 11 but there was either a miscommunication or a scheduling issue as she got there around 10 (about thirty minutes before we left Daejeon). However we did meet and after a brief setback when Geoff forgot his camera on the bus and we had get the company to track the bus down we managed to make it to the castle by about 1. The fortress itself was not quite what the hype had made it out to be. There were many areas fenced off with signs saying "this is where __________ stood". It was cool but after seeing the ones in Suwon and Jinju it was a bit of a letdown. However we had a lot of fun just walking around and the views from the walls are actually fairly amazing. We then went to Muryeong's tomb, which is famous as much for the fact that it escaped grave robbers and was only discovered in the 1970's (with instant "Korea's King Tut" references being made) as for the site itself. Again, the park and city were far more charming than the place itself, as were the people there who tried to teach us a few traditional Korean games. We then went in a very roundabout way back to the main road at the front of the museum where I was sure we would find many taxi's to take us back in to town. Finding no taxi's we began the walk back in to town which was enjoyable but after a day of hiking we were getting tired. Eventually we got a cab and took the bus back to Cheongju where Ange lives (she was going to put us up for the night. Being new to Cheongju (and Korea generally) she wanted to go out and meet a few people so we hit the western bars. It really reminded me of the bars back in Ulsan and, to be honest, I thought they were about as much fun (insert sleeping/yawning noise here). However, I think Geoff and Ange were having a better time so I tried to get a bit more in to it. Ange was especially enjoying it as I think she was making a few new friends in her own city, and partied hard.
Thursday I woke up feeling okay, as did Jeff. Ange did not. Jeff and I hung out playing old 70's layed back albums (10cc, Supertramp, Steely Dan etc.) and went out shopping. Ange was sleeping :) Thursday was the actual New Years holiday so virtually nothing was open and travel was a bit of a nightmare so we decided to hang out another night in Cheongju, it was more of a watching Futurama day.
Friday we got up early and began the 3 hour jouney to Danyang. Danyang is a beautiful mountain town that really reminded us of a town in central BC. We had to take a 90 minute bus ride to a small town called Chungju (I think people in this province deliberately make all their town names almost identical) and then connect to Danyang. As we left the city behind we were greeted with snow capped mountains and a huge, partially frozen lake. When we got there we found just about the most beautiful town in Korea. Being that it was already mid afternoon we decided to just walk along the lakeside promenade and get dinner and drinks at a meat restaurant. The meat was fantasic and the beer was Korean. We then went to a small pub and enjoyed the views of the lake and bridge, which was all lit up.
Saturday we got up early and went to the Gosu caves. They are the largest cave complex in Korea and are amazing to see. The best part, with it being a national holiday weekend we only got stuck with one Korean tour group. As a quick aside, Korean tour groups seem to me to be like army slogs. File in, see the caves, take a picture at designated picture taking spot, move along, get back to the bus, next location. I'm more of a absorb the beauty at a slow pace type. Anyway, the caves themselves were amazing, with rock formations that look like they should have David Attenborough commenting on them. The caves took about an hour and we then left and went to a restaurant which, as it turned out, was a vegetarian restaurant where we had fried ginseng and a pajeon. After some souvenir shopping we walked back in to town over the bridge, grabbed a coffee and relaxed by the promenade. Jeff had bought these reflexology sandals and we were admiring them. So much so that Ange wanted to go back. They wanted to go back but I was sure there would not be enough time with only 40 minutes left so they decided to go while I stayed, watched the bags and tried to figure out how to tell our bus driver that my friends were coming but were going to be late in Korean. 20 minutes later they returned with three pairs of sandals. I felt rather foolish though I must admit I was suitably impressed by their speed. We then boarded the bus back to Chungju where Jeff and I parted from Ange and transferred to the Daejeon bus. With a two hour stopover in Daejeon we managed to get a coffee and dinner before boarding the KTX back to Daegu.
I had a great time and I think they did as well. I'm also happy to know that I have two people I could easily spend a trip with again. In fact, as a confession, I was probably the most difficult person of the group. I was trying to use my new found Korean skills when getting around but found the accent in rural Chuncheong-do incomprehensible (like trying to understand Welsh accented English) so there were a few times when Jeff or Ange were asking me to ask the (bus driver, motel manager, waiter) a question as the (bus driver, hotel manager, waiter) was talking to me in a language I don't have a real grasp on in an accent that is very difficult. Having three people talking to you in two languages at the same time can be a bit much, especially if you have been travelling a lot or are a bit hungover and I think I got visibly annoyed a few times, though I was much more annoyed with my own inability to communicate with the Koreans than anything else. There were a few times when pantomime seemed to get things done faster. Well, it's just insentive to study more. My Sunday was supposed to be spent doing just that, but my language partner texted at 830 to cancel. I think I have had to cancel on her a few times so I wonder if she is a bit annoyed with me on that one, but I have another one Tuesday morning that is consistent and very helpful. So this Sunday can be spent relaxing and maybe going for a walk in the unseasonably warm February weather.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Kpop post.
Kpop is the new wave of Korean pop music. It is HUGE, not just in Korea but all over most of Asia. In fact, about the only place it isn't popular is in the west. Anyway, a lot of it is full on pop, but it's catchy, and it has more listeners than Justin Bieber. It's hard to talk about Korea without talking about this. So I thought better to just show you. This has been top hits for me for the last 2 years.
PS- it is mostly girl groups, not just my bias :)
These have been the BIGGEST songs of the last 2 years. Like everywhere:
Nobody
Choco 사랑
Bo Peep
Abaracadabra
Run Devil Run
this one was really popular in Thailand, but less so in Korea:
See Ya
other popular ones:
boys-
뻑이가요
Heartbreaker
Lollipop
Again and Again
Girls-
HUH
Good Girl, Bad Girl
Lupin
Chu
치티치티 방방
Muzik
La Cha Ta
토요일 밤에 (a throwback to Korea (and Asia) in the 80's)
My real wish is that Frank Zappa had lived to see this.
Anyway, it's not an exaggeration to say that based on number of listeners, this is the most popular music in the world today. Enjoy :)
PS- it is mostly girl groups, not just my bias :)
These have been the BIGGEST songs of the last 2 years. Like everywhere:
Nobody
Choco 사랑
Bo Peep
Abaracadabra
Run Devil Run
this one was really popular in Thailand, but less so in Korea:
See Ya
other popular ones:
boys-
뻑이가요
Heartbreaker
Lollipop
Again and Again
Girls-
HUH
Good Girl, Bad Girl
Lupin
Chu
치티치티 방방
Muzik
La Cha Ta
토요일 밤에 (a throwback to Korea (and Asia) in the 80's)
My real wish is that Frank Zappa had lived to see this.
Anyway, it's not an exaggeration to say that based on number of listeners, this is the most popular music in the world today. Enjoy :)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
all Vancouver in Korea
Well final numbers are in and this winter vacation will be an all Canadian group, heck it'll be 2-3 people all from Vancouver that will head all over Chungcheon-do for the next four days .I have to admit that that doesn't bother me too much. While I love having friends from all over the world here, it is sometimes nice to just chill and talk about where you are from. Also, with all of my co-workers being Korean or British it means I can spend days without talking to someone from Canada (or even North America). While it rarely bothers me I have to admit that I do look forward to being able to talk about experiences that are more than two years old with people who can actually engage (as opposed to telling stories to each other). Actually, as much as the destinations themselves I think I'm looking forward to that.
To muse a bit (skip paragraph if disinterested) one of the things you trade when moving abroad is having a group of people with the same experiences. By and large I love it. I have a best friend from New Zealand, I have good friends who are Korean, Chinese, American etc. That doesn't happen if you stay at home. Talking cricket with my English co-worker or the state of nutrition in upstate New York with Kurt, or how New Zealanders marvelled at the horseless carriage when it arrived in Auckland in 1978 (couldn't resist) is great. However, you do trade something for it. "I miss a pint at the Cambie", "Gordon Campbell is a schmo", "why is French an official language in Vancouver but Cantonese isn't?", "remember that time at uni when we got loaded on the patio and .......". You can't really do any of that. Also, with so many people coming and going you don't get the same opportunity to reminisce about life here. I only know a few people from my life in Ulsan that are still here (Paul, Jenny and Kwang-ho) and even of my Daegu life many have come and gone. The upside is that I'm constantly exposed to new people, new experiences (never just the same old group from school) and that is something that I still find very exciting. However, sometimes.... just sometimes, I really get excited about sitting back with a coffee or a pint and chatting about life before 2008.
next stop, Daejeon.
To muse a bit (skip paragraph if disinterested) one of the things you trade when moving abroad is having a group of people with the same experiences. By and large I love it. I have a best friend from New Zealand, I have good friends who are Korean, Chinese, American etc. That doesn't happen if you stay at home. Talking cricket with my English co-worker or the state of nutrition in upstate New York with Kurt, or how New Zealanders marvelled at the horseless carriage when it arrived in Auckland in 1978 (couldn't resist) is great. However, you do trade something for it. "I miss a pint at the Cambie", "Gordon Campbell is a schmo", "why is French an official language in Vancouver but Cantonese isn't?", "remember that time at uni when we got loaded on the patio and .......". You can't really do any of that. Also, with so many people coming and going you don't get the same opportunity to reminisce about life here. I only know a few people from my life in Ulsan that are still here (Paul, Jenny and Kwang-ho) and even of my Daegu life many have come and gone. The upside is that I'm constantly exposed to new people, new experiences (never just the same old group from school) and that is something that I still find very exciting. However, sometimes.... just sometimes, I really get excited about sitting back with a coffee or a pint and chatting about life before 2008.
next stop, Daejeon.
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