I'm a feminist. Proud and strong. It has been a revolving theme for me lately. I just finished an amazing book by Jessica Valenti entitled Full Frontal Feminism. I highly recommend it!
I finished it at the beginning of school today...after tripping UP the stairs. Who does that?! A male teacher was assured that I needed to go to the nurse...I was in no way in need of medical attention.
Today...wasn't bad. I just think it is time for a break...like I said before. I need a break.
I had an open class today to do with a second grade teacher...luckily I was only a brief puppet and got to be an observer for most of the lesson. She has a good class...one of my favorites and she is a good teacher! Incredibly kind and soft-spoken.
I went to guitar lessons at 2:30PM. I really enjoy guitar lessons. I will miss them next year if I move to Seoul. I'll be able to find lessons, but I'm a big fan of my Wonju teacher.
The meeting tonight was a disaster. I was so frustrated by the end of it that I was ready for second round with a vengeance. My group was utterly opposed to talking. The topic was quite good, but the conversation was intolerable.
I am wearing the new earrings that I bought from the Bean Club tonight. They always have earrings for display (handmade, I believe) and I always look at them...well Katie and I finally bought some tonight. We have incredibly different styles, but they fit our personalities.
The topic tonight: Personalities. It's a hard topic for me...so I suppose it is acceptable that we didn't get incredibly in depth with our conversation...yet it had the potential to be a great conversation. Sadness!
Something else bothered me about tonight. It was more subtle than the very obvious horrible conversation. The leader of the meeting for this month had the group leader move to another couch (opposite to me versus next to me), then when Lauren came he wanted her to move to another couch away from me...to split up the native English speakers (one at each table), then after Madeleine came he moved me to the middle table instead of letting me stay where I wanted to. I wanted to stay at the table with Lauren and Chan (the leader of WEC), but I was moved. The problem with this is that my purpose in going to these meetings is to not only interact with Koreans but to have good conversations as well (sometimes I miss having decent conversations..in depth conversations). I knew that I wanted to stay at the group I was initially with because I knew that I would have a good conversation there (and I would feel more comfortable talking about the topic of personality with that group) and by being moved, I was moved into a group where the conversation was quite the opposite of good and I was incredibly uncomfortable. Next time, I'm going to stay with the group that I want to stay with.
Second round was fun...like I said...I was ready for it. I sat next to Madeleine, Katie, and Lauren. Sometimes you need that foreign interaction...anyone who has lived abroad would most likely understand. I denied it for a long time, but it is truly nice to just be fully verbally understood sometimes. Especially after a week like mine. (*I'd like to add that sometimes I just need that Korean interaction as well...time AWAY from foreigners, so it goes both ways.) Madeleine and I talked about many things including relationships and feminism.
I'd like to point something out. In our current society, we (young women) are taught that we are not supposed to like sex or even have it for that matter. We are not supposed to make out. We are supposed to remain in the perfect virginal state of being that we were brought into the world with until we are married. The world doesn't really work like that. We like sex. We like making out. And it's going to happen whether society makes us feel like shit for it or not. When men have sex with multiple partners, they are players or they are doing what nature made them to do ("spread their seed.") BUT when women have sex with multiple partners, they are sluts, they are broken, they are worth less! Bullshit! Is this really what we want to be teaching young men and women? That the most important thing about a woman is her virginity?! There is something inherently fucked up about that.
I am a feminist. I shave my legs. (When I feel like it.) I don't hate men.
I want equal rights for men and women.
I want women and men to receive equal pay.
I don't want men (or women for that matter) to think that women exist solely for the purpose of pleasing men.
I don't want the rape of a woman to EVER be her fault.
I don't want women to EVER have to be ashamed to tell their families and friends that they have been raped for fear of family expulsion (because women are nothing without their virginity, remember?)
I want women to have sex AND enjoy it.
I don't want the government to have a say in what a woman does with her body. The government wouldn't dare dictate what is acceptable for a man to do with his body.
I want women and men to have full access to intelligent sex education. Condoms DO NOT cause cancer!
I don't want pharmacists to be allowed to make the personal decision of whether or not a woman should be allowed to receive birth control.
I want young women to be respected to make intelligent decisions about themselves, their bodies, and the people around them. Give us some credit. I promise...we won't fuck things up too badly.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Significant - Thursday May 29, 2008
What was significant from today...everything really, but I'll only talk about the uber important stuff.
I had my class from hell today...I literally dread having to teach them. They listen not to a word I say and I usually end up more frustrated than ever imaginable because of their class alone. Thursdays are NOT my good teaching days!
I did, however, sit around and talk with some of the teachers after school for a few hours and it was incredible. I talked to 1-5 teacher about the Gay Pride Parade I'm going to on Saturday. She was much more open minded than most Koreans...she is in general, more open minded. I talked to Hyae-in last night about it as well. She didn't seem surprised at all. She is quite liberal as well. I am so lucky to have Korean friends like this. Anyway, in the first grade office, we talked about gay clubs, homosexuality, and drag queens. It is nice to be able to talk about these things without being judged...as if being judged would stop me from talking about these things.
Anyway....tonight I went to another movie with Hyae-in and Ji-hee. Ha! We went to see "What happens in VEGAS." It was a good movie...cheesy, but good. It's a romantic comedy with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. It's cute and fun.
Afterward, we went out for toast (Korean toast...a very different concept compared to Western toast). It was delicious...as is all food late at night! ^_~
We talked about the movie and many things related to the movie.
I found out tonight that my co-teacher has had a bf for 2 years. She never told me! She didn't really want to disclose that she is in a relationship. Eh...understandable.
I walked home. It was nice to walk because I haven't had Jazz Dance or Yoga at all this week...absolutely no exercise...but a whole lot of eating. ^^ Lots of cake today...I don't even like cake. Haha!
I had my class from hell today...I literally dread having to teach them. They listen not to a word I say and I usually end up more frustrated than ever imaginable because of their class alone. Thursdays are NOT my good teaching days!
I did, however, sit around and talk with some of the teachers after school for a few hours and it was incredible. I talked to 1-5 teacher about the Gay Pride Parade I'm going to on Saturday. She was much more open minded than most Koreans...she is in general, more open minded. I talked to Hyae-in last night about it as well. She didn't seem surprised at all. She is quite liberal as well. I am so lucky to have Korean friends like this. Anyway, in the first grade office, we talked about gay clubs, homosexuality, and drag queens. It is nice to be able to talk about these things without being judged...as if being judged would stop me from talking about these things.
Anyway....tonight I went to another movie with Hyae-in and Ji-hee. Ha! We went to see "What happens in VEGAS." It was a good movie...cheesy, but good. It's a romantic comedy with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. It's cute and fun.
Afterward, we went out for toast (Korean toast...a very different concept compared to Western toast). It was delicious...as is all food late at night! ^_~
We talked about the movie and many things related to the movie.
I found out tonight that my co-teacher has had a bf for 2 years. She never told me! She didn't really want to disclose that she is in a relationship. Eh...understandable.
I walked home. It was nice to walk because I haven't had Jazz Dance or Yoga at all this week...absolutely no exercise...but a whole lot of eating. ^^ Lots of cake today...I don't even like cake. Haha!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I'm Famous! - Wednesday May 28, 2008
Ok...not really...let me explain...
First.
I just realized that the only reason I know the date when I blog is because I teach it three times a day. Ha..
Now back to me being famous. So, I got to school today and found out that classes were starting 20 minutes early. This came as a huge shock to me considering I then had 15 minutes to create a lesson plan instead of the insanely short 35 minutes I had initially planned to do it in. I then find out that someone wants to take pictures of my second period class...yes, the one that I had yet to do a lesson plan for.
So, I scurry over to my computer and frantically and quite fabulously pull a lesson plan out of wherever the hell frantic, fabulous lesson plans come from and prepared for my first class to walk in the door.
As my second class came in (the class that was about to receive the frantic lesson plan), I was still creating the number cards that were to be part of the game that accompanies the lesson. I teach the entire class...no camera. I end class and here comes a camera man walking in...with a camera? Oh no no...a video camera. I then had to replay part of my lesson with my kids so they could film part of my lesson.
I teach my last class of the day in which I yell at louder than I have ever yelled at a class before and immediately feel like shit for having done so. This is usually the way this works...just don't.
I finally have a break before lunch!
About 30 minutes later, I get an IM from a teacher in the office saying that lunch is waiting for me. Right. Since classes started early...as does lunch.
Lunch didn't suck...as much...as usual. We had quail eggs (amongst standard Korean kimchi, rice, and soup)! Yummy! As I'm sitting there, I'm informed that the footage from my class will be showing up on the local news of my PROVINCE. Apparently the news is spotlighting my elementary school.
Let me explain how shitty I looked this morning. I really did look like shit classroom shot. I woke up late, but luckily I shoved my hair straightener in my purse knowing I that didn't have time to deal with the hell that are my bangs in the morning. I then grabbed an umbrella and walked to school in the POURING rain....wearing flip flops (I always wear flip flops). The thing that sucks about flip flops and rain though...dirt goes flip skirt flop skirt flip skirt flop skirt (meaning that by the time I got to school...I had flip flopped dirt speckles all over the back of my skirt). Luckily with the power of shelter, it dried and I got most of it off.
Also, while sitting at lunch, I find out that I'm supposed to help with a game show in the gym at 1:00PM. It is now 12:30PM. Haha! I get my English script. Around 1:00PM, I wander on down to the gym...there are PROFESSIONAL cameras set up, there's a talk show host, there are parents everywhere, there are a crap load of kids...this game show was for the same news show!
It was like Korea's Golden Bell...it's an educational game show where students are slowly weeded out if they don't know the right answer to a question. It was a really long game show! I read my two dialogues after the talk show host tried to ask me questions in Korean that I didn't understand. Ha!
Anyway...I survived the whole ordeal. And I'm going to be on tv apparently everyday next week. Only semi-terrifying.
Later tonight, I went out with my co-teacher Hyae-in after my guitar lesson. I invited her out because we are kind of part of a movie club. I don't know how it happened, but her and a friend of hers and I started going to a ton of movies together. Well our third cheated on us and went with some fellow teacher friends to see Indiana Jones. Well Hyae-in and I had to see it, so I invited her out. It was the weirdest damned movie ever, but it wasn't bad. It is worth seeing, and that is my final opinion. It's Indiana Jones and it is worth seeing.
Afterward we went out to Kimbap Nara, the ultimate of all cheap restaurants in Korea. It's comparative to that of a 2:00AM Hardees run. I had bibimbap and Hyae-in had lakboki. One of my Fulbright friends and I always joke about how we are starving at 1:00AM...well finally I was actually able to eat at 1:00AM and it was AMAZING! Food tastes so much better at 1:00AM! If you haven't tried it...please do so soon!^^
First.
I just realized that the only reason I know the date when I blog is because I teach it three times a day. Ha..
Now back to me being famous. So, I got to school today and found out that classes were starting 20 minutes early. This came as a huge shock to me considering I then had 15 minutes to create a lesson plan instead of the insanely short 35 minutes I had initially planned to do it in. I then find out that someone wants to take pictures of my second period class...yes, the one that I had yet to do a lesson plan for.
So, I scurry over to my computer and frantically and quite fabulously pull a lesson plan out of wherever the hell frantic, fabulous lesson plans come from and prepared for my first class to walk in the door.
As my second class came in (the class that was about to receive the frantic lesson plan), I was still creating the number cards that were to be part of the game that accompanies the lesson. I teach the entire class...no camera. I end class and here comes a camera man walking in...with a camera? Oh no no...a video camera. I then had to replay part of my lesson with my kids so they could film part of my lesson.
I teach my last class of the day in which I yell at louder than I have ever yelled at a class before and immediately feel like shit for having done so. This is usually the way this works...just don't.
I finally have a break before lunch!
About 30 minutes later, I get an IM from a teacher in the office saying that lunch is waiting for me. Right. Since classes started early...as does lunch.
Lunch didn't suck...as much...as usual. We had quail eggs (amongst standard Korean kimchi, rice, and soup)! Yummy! As I'm sitting there, I'm informed that the footage from my class will be showing up on the local news of my PROVINCE. Apparently the news is spotlighting my elementary school.
Let me explain how shitty I looked this morning. I really did look like shit classroom shot. I woke up late, but luckily I shoved my hair straightener in my purse knowing I that didn't have time to deal with the hell that are my bangs in the morning. I then grabbed an umbrella and walked to school in the POURING rain....wearing flip flops (I always wear flip flops). The thing that sucks about flip flops and rain though...dirt goes flip skirt flop skirt flip skirt flop skirt (meaning that by the time I got to school...I had flip flopped dirt speckles all over the back of my skirt). Luckil
Also, while sitting at lunch, I find out that I'm supposed to help with a game show in the gym at 1:00PM. It is now 12:30PM. Haha! I get my English script. Around 1:00PM, I wander on down to the gym...there are PROFESSIONAL cameras set up, there's a talk show host, there are parents everywhere, there are a crap load of kids...this game show was for the same news show!
It was like Korea's Golden Bell...it's an educational game show where students are slowly weeded out if they don't know the right answer to a question. It was a really long game show! I read my two dialogues after the talk show host tried to ask me questions in Korean that I didn't understand. Ha!
Anyway...I survived the whole ordeal. And I'm going to be on tv apparently everyday next week. Only semi-terrifying.
Later tonight, I went out with my co-teacher Hyae-in after my guitar lesson. I invited her out because we are kind of part of a movie club. I don't know how it happened, but her and a friend of hers and I started going to a ton of movies together. Well our third cheated on us and went with some fellow teacher friends to see Indiana Jones. Well Hyae-in and I had to see it, so I invited her out. It was the weirdest damned movie ever, but it wasn't bad. It is worth seeing, and that is my final opinion. It's Indiana Jones and it is worth seeing.
Afterward we went out to Kimbap Nara, the ultimate of all cheap restaurants in Korea. It's comparative to that of a 2:00AM Hardees run. I had bibimbap and Hyae-in had lakboki. One of my Fulbright friends and I always joke about how we are starving at 1:00AM...well finally I was actually able to eat at 1:00AM and it was AMAZING! Food tastes so much better at 1:00AM! If you haven't tried it...please do so soon!^^
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Host Fam!! - Tuesday May 27, 2008
My day at school was better than yesterday. We had a disaster drill...which I didn't know about until it happened. Ha...go figure. ^_~ I talked to a friend online and she mentioned that she was having one at her school. As I went downstairs, I started to notice that every kid in every classroom was underneath their desks. I figured it our pretty quick...nation-wide disaster drill. After they were made to crouch under their desks for 20 minutes. The school set off red smoke bombs to signal a fire drill. It was utter chaos! The smoke smelled HORRIBLE, children were playing with the cans where the smoke bombs had gone off and were still emitting smoke, there were children running and going back into their classrooms after their classmates had left. I sat out there for a while and then went back inside (the "burning" building) because I couldn't stand the smoke outside.
I had Korean tutoring today...I skipped it last week because I was preparing for the Burma talk for the GIC. My tutor is so nice! She bought me a birthday present! Lotions and body wash. I will definitely take her out to dinner before I go back to the states for the summer. She has been so incredible!
When I got home, I got to spend time with my host family (eat as a family) and I played with my host sister. We played Go Fish, and I taught her two forms of Solitaire. We then did some yoga, and I spun her around on the floor by her legs with her back and head on a pillow! Haha!
I called my mom to apologize for being a jerk on monday. I talked to her when I wasn't in the best of moods, and I was then upset about her and my family going to see the American Idol concert tour two days after I get home without even offering for me to go. Honestly, I realized I don't care about the concert...it would be nice to go, yes. But I'm more bothered by the fact that 1) I wasn't asked and 2) My family is leaving two days after I get home. Sadness!
I went to guitar lessons and am slowly and painfully learning where notes are in different octaves. It'll get easier... I'm working on a song that I requested, so all the more better. I couldn't handle anymore music that I should know because it is really famous. Famous American songs in Korea are very different from famous American songs in America.
When I got home, my host family was still awake which is quite unusual as of late. My host father came home at around 11:30PM (from Seoul...that's where he lives and works now) so perhaps that is why my host fam wasn't asleep yet.
Peace out.
I had Korean tutoring today...I skipped it last week because I was preparing for the Burma talk for the GIC. My tutor is so nice! She bought me a birthday present! Lotions and body wash. I will definitely take her out to dinner before I go back to the states for the summer. She has been so incredible!
When I got home, I got to spend time with my host family (eat as a family) and I played with my host sister. We played Go Fish, and I taught her two forms of Solitaire. We then did some yoga, and I spun her around on the floor by her legs with her back and head on a pillow! Haha!
I called my mom to apologize for being a jerk on monday. I talked to her when I wasn't in the best of moods, and I was then upset about her and my family going to see the American Idol concert tour two days after I get home without even offering for me to go. Honestly, I realized I don't care about the concert...it would be nice to go, yes. But I'm more bothered by the fact that 1) I wasn't asked and 2) My family is leaving two days after I get home. Sadness!
I went to guitar lessons and am slowly and painfully learning where notes are in different octaves. It'll get easier... I'm working on a song that I requested, so all the more better. I couldn't handle anymore music that I should know because it is really famous. Famous American songs in Korea are very different from famous American songs in America.
When I got home, my host family was still awake which is quite unusual as of late. My host father came home at around 11:30PM (from Seoul...that's where he lives and works now) so perhaps that is why my host fam wasn't asleep yet.
Peace out.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Crappy day! - Monday May 26, 2008
I had kind of a crappy day today...at school I was out of it and really didn't want to be there. This past weekend frustrated me in many way but is something I'm trying not to dwell on. I'm feeling more and more lately like I just need a break. I need a break from everything. This isn't necessarily a bad thing...it's simply something that I need to maintain my sanity. I love South Korea, but at the moment I feel like I need to get out. I need to move but be still simultaneously.
I love Korea...that's why I'm coming back next year. It's the same way I feel when I'm in the states for an extended period of time without travel...trapped.
Luckily visiting the orphanage put me in such a better mood. I find myself occasionally lackadaisical in the thought of going, however, when I get there, it's almost always a positive experience. We learned animals today. They drew pictures of their favorite animals, we did role playing where they drew a piece of paper with an animal name on it and they had to act it out, and we played Duck Duck Goose!^^ It's so great to hear them laughing and seeing them have fun. I love the kids there!!
Coming home was good too. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with the host fam lately and it was starting to get to me. I'm trying to spend more time with them. We ate dinner together because I chose not to go to Yoga today. My Yoga and Jazz Dance classes are canceled this week all accept today, but I needed to relax. I will, however, still go to guitar lessons each day this week.
Oh, I got to talk to four of my best friends today which definitely helped remind me that I have people that care about me! I'm excited to see them this summer. Honestly, I was really hesitant for a long time about going home this summer...but I find myself looking forward to it more and more. It'll be nice to see family and friends!
I love Korea...that's why I'm coming back next year. It's the same way I feel when I'm in the states for an extended period of time without travel...trapped.
Luckily visiting the orphanage put me in such a better mood. I find myself occasionally lackadaisical in the thought of going, however, when I get there, it's almost always a positive experience. We learned animals today. They drew pictures of their favorite animals, we did role playing where they drew a piece of paper with an animal name on it and they had to act it out, and we played Duck Duck Goose!^^ It's so great to hear them laughing and seeing them have fun. I love the kids there!!
Coming home was good too. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with the host fam lately and it was starting to get to me. I'm trying to spend more time with them. We ate dinner together because I chose not to go to Yoga today. My Yoga and Jazz Dance classes are canceled this week all accept today, but I needed to relax. I will, however, still go to guitar lessons each day this week.
Oh, I got to talk to four of my best friends today which definitely helped remind me that I have people that care about me! I'm excited to see them this summer. Honestly, I was really hesitant for a long time about going home this summer...but I find myself looking forward to it more and more. It'll be nice to see family and friends!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Oy Vey
I really have become horrible at writing on my blog. Since the last time I updated...
I signed on for a second year with Fulbright. I was considering applying for a language program at a school near Seoul, but I decided that I wanted to try teaching for another year. I hope I made the right decision.^^ I'm still trying to decide whether I will stay in the same city or move to Seoul. It's a difficult decision for me. Each day I think something different. I could be happy staying in Wonju...I'm familiar with it, but part of me knows that I should be pushing myself to experience a new situation.
We had field day at school. Every single student and teacher were out on the dirt field. It was a massive event. It was fun, plus we got the day off from school! At one point the third in command below the Principal and VP decided that it would be a outstanding idea for me to announce some of the games in English. Um...the notes were in Korean, I had absolutely no idea what was going on because I spent the majority of my time hanging out with first graders, and nearly nobody would understand me even if I did announce anything in English...BUT it was their incredible idea to show off their native English speaker. ^_~
I've been spending time at the Sharing House (the house where 7 former "comfort women" live...the women who were taken as sexual slaves during WWII by the Japanese) a few times a month. We had training there a few weekends ago. We spent the night getting to know each other, eating dinner with the halmoni, just hanging out with one of the them, and falling asleep to the Vagina Monologues documentary that one of our friends put together of our show.^^ It was a good day. We slept on the floor in the main meeting room with the heating system under the floor (Oan-dohl - 온돌).
Two weekends ago, was an amazing weekend! Oh, it was so incredible! On Friday, I went to my usual Korean English meeting where I get to spend time with some amazing people, then I went to a going away party for a friend at a bar nearby. On Saturday, I went to the Sharing House . I'm still training as a volunteer. I'm hoping that soon I will be competent enough about the situation to give tours of the on-site museum. Anyway, I met 2 other people from Indiana, one from Iowa...I was shocked! That is the first time I had met ANYONE from Indiana in Korea!! We took a break after the museum tour because we had performers come to play for the halmoni (halmoni=grandmother...we don't use the term "comfort women" for the women). One of the guys who performed played guitar, the harmonica, and the banjo. He sang songs about politics, peace, and anti-war!! The other guy who performed is Irish and he sang Irish folk songs. They were both just incredible and it reminded me of being back at MC. I miss sitting outside, listening to music, and just the atmosphere of it all. Afterward, we all sat around talking to one of the halmoni. This halmoni hates everyone! She loves Japan (that's where she was taken as a sex slave) and she hates Korea (where she now lives) but she's Korean. She was all smiles on Saturday. We sat in a group talking with her as some of the other visitors watched a filmed testimony of another of the halmonis. There was such a diverse group of people hanging out. My Irish friend was speaking Korean and English, I was speaking Korean and English and the bit of Japanese I can remember, there was a guy from Tajikistan who knew Russian and sang a song with the halmoni in Russian (because somewhere she actually picked up a Russian song), there was a Mexican/American girl there who spoke Spanish and sang a Spanish song with the halmoni, there was a guy from France and the halmoni was angry that he didn't know the French song she did...haha. Afterward, we went to an Indian restaurant to celebrate my Kiwi friend's birthday. He was turning 35. The food was amazing! A few of us stayed until around 3AM just dancing and talking and drinking and hanging out with the owners of the restaurant. I hope that I see Dara (the Irish guy) and Manja (a Canadian/Indian who was helping cook but didn't actually work there) again. I along with my Kiwi friend and a Korean friend (she has lived in Korean, Saudi Arabia, India, and Mexico...she speaks three languages fluently) spent the night at the apartment of two of my Canadian friends who are dating. On Sunday, we all went back to the Indian restaurant and had brunch...we stayed there talking for about 6 or 7 hours. There was Manja (the hilarious, not so PC Canadian/Indian), the Canadian couple, Michael (He's from the states. He is interning at the Human Rights Commission in Korea. Then he is going to work in Chile for a year. Then he wants to apply for a Fulbright grant in Cambodia.), Maria (the Korean who lived in Mexico for a good portion of her life), and me. Haha! We talked about everything...
Oh...yah...I had my bday.^^ At school, the the first and second grade teachers, my co teacher, and another friend of mine surprised me with a cake and a few presents! It was amazing! I then had to be part of an open class (not my favorite thing because I always end up in random costumes and not completely knowing what I'm supposed to be doing). Well for their real life English situation, it was a party for me. There was a second cake.^^ Then my host mom offered to cook for my birthday and said I could invite 3-4 friends over...she kind of told me the day of, so I asked my co teacher and two other teachers, but only my co teacher was able to come. It was completely fine with me. I love my co teacher!! My host mom made spaghetti, salmon, broccoli, spicy shrimp deliciousness...it was a great dinner. I then went to English club. The topic was about English in Korea...for which I have many things to say. I attempted to keep my mouth shut, but that didn't work. At one point, a girl asked me about 4 questions right in a row somewhat in an attacking manner (she was new.) One of those questions being, "English native speakers don't have to learn another language, I hear they're proud of that. Is that true?" Uh....
Needless to say, I went to take a breather outside where another group was meeting. After that, Lauren, George, Alex, and I went to Beer Plus for a foreigners' trivia night. It was the first time I had been...I don't really feel the need to go again. I don't feel a great need to be around that many foreigners....nor do I have much of a desire to be around that many foreigners. It was a strange atmosphere...not bad...just strange. We stayed there for a short time and then went to Munchen bar where another friend of ours was having a bday party. Her bday was last weekend. I got to throw ice mugs at a wall!^^ If you hit the target, you get a free beer...alas I didn't hit the target. Oh, my favorite part was the two separate lines...one for the girls, and one for the men...yes I know how I phrased it...and if you know me at all you can imagine my reaction to that shit. Anyway, the night was fun. I spent a bit of time talking to Alex (from England) and Ryan (from Scotland). I got home around 3AM. I then had to wake up to take a 8:00 bus to Gwangju. Margaret, Rebecca, and I met at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from where we were presenting. We presented about Burma/Myanmar at the GIC building. We had about 30 or 40 people show up. The presentation went pretty well and we answered questions afterward. I was a little surprised at the lack of donations (we were collecting for the school we volunteered at as well as a monastery in Yangon that is in need of $28,000 for repairs). After the presentation, we went to a guitar concert. The guy performing is from France and he was AMAZING! I have become much more interested in watching guitar performers since I started studying guitar. I then went with Margaret to an annual concert being held by the GIC because the offered to continue collecting donations for Myanmar. Rebecca had to go home, but we stayed for the entire concert. I'm glad we went because we got quite a few donations!^^ Afterward, we went to WA Bar to hang out, karaoke, and celebrate Jacie's bday which was three weeks ago. We were there until about 3AM. We found a "love motel." ^_~ There were four of us who stayed there. I was supposed to get up at 5AM to head to the other Gwangju to go to the Sharing House, but I couldn't do it. The bus ride would have been another 4 hours. So, I let them know that I couldn't make it even though I'm really sad I didn't go.
Anyway...that's my life in a nutshell at the moment.
I signed on for a second year with Fulbright. I was considering applying for a language program at a school near Seoul, but I decided that I wanted to try teaching for another year. I hope I made the right decision.^^ I'm still trying to decide whether I will stay in the same city or move to Seoul. It's a difficult decision for me. Each day I think something different. I could be happy staying in Wonju...I'm familiar with it, but part of me knows that I should be pushing myself to experience a new situation.
We had field day at school. Every single student and teacher were out on the dirt field. It was a massive event. It was fun, plus we got the day off from school! At one point the third in command below the Principal and VP decided that it would be a outstanding idea for me to announce some of the games in English. Um...the notes were in Korean, I had absolutely no idea what was going on because I spent the majority of my time hanging out with first graders, and nearly nobody would understand me even if I did announce anything in English...BUT it was their incredible idea to show off their native English speaker. ^_~
I've been spending time at the Sharing House (the house where 7 former "comfort women" live...the women who were taken as sexual slaves during WWII by the Japanese) a few times a month. We had training there a few weekends ago. We spent the night getting to know each other, eating dinner with the halmoni, just hanging out with one of the them, and falling asleep to the Vagina Monologues documentary that one of our friends put together of our show.^^ It was a good day. We slept on the floor in the main meeting room with the heating system under the floor (Oan-dohl - 온돌).
Two weekends ago, was an amazing weekend! Oh, it was so incredible! On Friday, I went to my usual Korean English meeting where I get to spend time with some amazing people, then I went to a going away party for a friend at a bar nearby. On Saturday, I went to the Sharing House . I'm still training as a volunteer. I'm hoping that soon I will be competent enough about the situation to give tours of the on-site museum. Anyway, I met 2 other people from Indiana, one from Iowa...I was shocked! That is the first time I had met ANYONE from Indiana in Korea!! We took a break after the museum tour because we had performers come to play for the halmoni (halmoni=grandmother...we don't use the term "comfort women" for the women). One of the guys who performed played guitar, the harmonica, and the banjo. He sang songs about politics, peace, and anti-war!! The other guy who performed is Irish and he sang Irish folk songs. They were both just incredible and it reminded me of being back at MC. I miss sitting outside, listening to music, and just the atmosphere of it all. Afterward, we all sat around talking to one of the halmoni. This halmoni hates everyone! She loves Japan (that's where she was taken as a sex slave) and she hates Korea (where she now lives) but she's Korean. She was all smiles on Saturday. We sat in a group talking with her as some of the other visitors watched a filmed testimony of another of the halmonis. There was such a diverse group of people hanging out. My Irish friend was speaking Korean and English, I was speaking Korean and English and the bit of Japanese I can remember, there was a guy from Tajikistan who knew Russian and sang a song with the halmoni in Russian (because somewhere she actually picked up a Russian song), there was a Mexican/American girl there who spoke Spanish and sang a Spanish song with the halmoni, there was a guy from France and the halmoni was angry that he didn't know the French song she did...haha. Afterward, we went to an Indian restaurant to celebrate my Kiwi friend's birthday. He was turning 35. The food was amazing! A few of us stayed until around 3AM just dancing and talking and drinking and hanging out with the owners of the restaurant. I hope that I see Dara (the Irish guy) and Manja (a Canadian/Indian who was helping cook but didn't actually work there) again. I along with my Kiwi friend and a Korean friend (she has lived in Korean, Saudi Arabia, India, and Mexico...she speaks three languages fluently) spent the night at the apartment of two of my Canadian friends who are dating. On Sunday, we all went back to the Indian restaurant and had brunch...we stayed there talking for about 6 or 7 hours. There was Manja (the hilarious, not so PC Canadian/Indian), the Canadian couple, Michael (He's from the states. He is interning at the Human Rights Commission in Korea. Then he is going to work in Chile for a year. Then he wants to apply for a Fulbright grant in Cambodia.), Maria (the Korean who lived in Mexico for a good portion of her life), and me. Haha! We talked about everything...
Oh...yah...I had my bday.^^ At school, the the first and second grade teachers, my co teacher, and another friend of mine surprised me with a cake and a few presents! It was amazing! I then had to be part of an open class (not my favorite thing because I always end up in random costumes and not completely knowing what I'm supposed to be doing). Well for their real life English situation, it was a party for me. There was a second cake.^^ Then my host mom offered to cook for my birthday and said I could invite 3-4 friends over...she kind of told me the day of, so I asked my co teacher and two other teachers, but only my co teacher was able to come. It was completely fine with me. I love my co teacher!! My host mom made spaghetti, salmon, broccoli, spicy shrimp deliciousness...it was a great dinner. I then went to English club. The topic was about English in Korea...for which I have many things to say. I attempted to keep my mouth shut, but that didn't work. At one point, a girl asked me about 4 questions right in a row somewhat in an attacking manner (she was new.) One of those questions being, "English native speakers don't have to learn another language, I hear they're proud of that. Is that true?" Uh....
Needless to say, I went to take a breather outside where another group was meeting. After that, Lauren, George, Alex, and I went to Beer Plus for a foreigners' trivia night. It was the first time I had been...I don't really feel the need to go again. I don't feel a great need to be around that many foreigners....nor do I have much of a desire to be around that many foreigners. It was a strange atmosphere...not bad...just strange. We stayed there for a short time and then went to Munchen bar where another friend of ours was having a bday party. Her bday was last weekend. I got to throw ice mugs at a wall!^^ If you hit the target, you get a free beer...alas I didn't hit the target. Oh, my favorite part was the two separate lines...one for the girls, and one for the men...yes I know how I phrased it...and if you know me at all you can imagine my reaction to that shit. Anyway, the night was fun. I spent a bit of time talking to Alex (from England) and Ryan (from Scotland). I got home around 3AM. I then had to wake up to take a 8:00 bus to Gwangju. Margaret, Rebecca, and I met at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from where we were presenting. We presented about Burma/Myanmar at the GIC building. We had about 30 or 40 people show up. The presentation went pretty well and we answered questions afterward. I was a little surprised at the lack of donations (we were collecting for the school we volunteered at as well as a monastery in Yangon that is in need of $28,000 for repairs). After the presentation, we went to a guitar concert. The guy performing is from France and he was AMAZING! I have become much more interested in watching guitar performers since I started studying guitar. I then went with Margaret to an annual concert being held by the GIC because the offered to continue collecting donations for Myanmar. Rebecca had to go home, but we stayed for the entire concert. I'm glad we went because we got quite a few donations!^^ Afterward, we went to WA Bar to hang out, karaoke, and celebrate Jacie's bday which was three weeks ago. We were there until about 3AM. We found a "love motel." ^_~ There were four of us who stayed there. I was supposed to get up at 5AM to head to the other Gwangju to go to the Sharing House, but I couldn't do it. The bus ride would have been another 4 hours. So, I let them know that I couldn't make it even though I'm really sad I didn't go.
Anyway...that's my life in a nutshell at the moment.
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