End of the first term at Tanbeol...

My first term at Tanbeol has ended and I'm so glad. This term has been so difficult for me and I'm glad it's done with.

Let's see what do I remember...well, again I landed with an obnoxious co-teacher..now nicknamed Tummy. Tummy is annoying she asks me ridiclous questions and her jokes are awkward. She thinks she knows everything and sometimes beats the kids. Everyday my tolerence is tested and thankfully my wit goes over her head. I'll start to note some of the ridiculous things she says. No where near as intrusive as Jang but I think it's because she also has things she wants to hide... I think she may be divoirced...a big taboo in Korea....oooohhh.

New friends.... got some new friends...but I deeply miss my old ones. There are holes in my life that only certain people fill...I really hope I see them again.

Dad! My dad is ok. He's quite amazing overcoming brain surgery in 3 weeks!! My dad's illness took over my life for a month. I cant remember much only that days were blurred and overwhelming feelings of fear and saddness filled my mind.

Whatelse...Students. My students are charming and nice. I've taken a liking to a special needs kid whom Tummy bullies. His name is Hyungun. He lives in world of his own, he likes to fold paper and when he's frustrated he makes lots of passive agressive noise...periodic banging and hums.

Now it's summer camp. I teach alone and I leave early.

I feel the future is bright. Been looking at MA courses in Scriptwriting.. EXCITING!! (Need to write some scripts for my entry application... need to write more!) Looking forward to some travels to Latin America and hopfully having enough cash to do everything I want. My plans change all the time though...

posted under , | 0 Comments

Why are there so many blogs about Jesus???

I am not religious and I dont really talk a lot about not being religious.... but let's say when I'm surfing blog websites and I wanna find something fun and interesting and all I get are "I love Jesus and here's my bible group" blogs... fuck it's annoying....

posted under | 0 Comments

Update ....and fuck I lost all my work thanks to a virus on my school computer!!

Life in Taejon-dong continues. It’s a drone for sure!


What you can see form my roof....

I go to school I teach all day and the free time I get I spend lesson planning or I stick my headphones on and listen to Shakira or other Latin music. I’m in an office with another 5 people yet I barely talk to them. I finish work and, sometimes, have coffee with Sally... which is nice. I’ve never had a job where you don’t have time to have a friendly chat. Tanbeol school is a hostile place.

What make it bearable are the kids!! My students are lovely really lovely! They make me laugh every day. My co-teacher is somewhat funny even though she tries not to be. Her English is a mountain I climb every day. She tires me out and sends me a little crazy. All I can do is laugh, I laugh at her all the time, she never knows why and I don’t tell her why.

This year has been shit. Shouldn’t have come back. Should have just stayed in Yeosu and I would have almost finished my time in Korea. Would have spent more time with people I like. I miss my friends every day. There are no friends here.

In other news my dad had brain surgery. It was a very tense time. He’s on the mend and but still has a few leg issues, perhaps he can’t work again, he sometimes get confused and I think he has developed a slight stutter. Who knows it’s only been a week since his tumour came out; it’s not cancer so he’ll be ok. I’ll see him again in a few months which makes me so happy.

I’ve started my Spanish studies again. I’ve met a girl who speaks fluent Spanish and is willing to help me learn, GREAT!! I’ve also realised I’m sick of East Asia. I’m fed up with their bullshit! Definitely time to move on.  Two places come to mind... Singapore or Spain.... hmmm undecided as of yet.

So what’s going on right now... well Ste and Ollie are recording music, the weather is grey and sticky. Upstairs are arguing again and their baby is crying. I’m gonna study some Spanish after this and I promise I will update more often. I really enjoy writing about my daily life it helps me filter all the junk going on in my head....

posted under | 0 Comments

Quick one before bed...

I've just spent the last hour skipping through itunes and watching national geographic. I think the saddest image I saw tonight was a shark sinking to the bottom of the ocean because some people had cut off all it's fins.

posted under | 0 Comments

I'm proud of British food and I too get sick!



I’m not particularly patriotic but sometimes being in a foreign country for a long time makes your pride come out. I’m proud that being a modern Brit means that’s I am aware of different cultures. Unlike some Koreans I have got to know or more precisely being obliged to get to know. What has started my “I’m so cultured” rant? Well, food! This person pissed me off to fuck!

 
Yum!! Steak and kidney pie, chips, mushy peas and gravy!! Lovely!

It started when I was explaining that “restaurant” is originally a French word and me showing my students my rusty French pronunciation which gives them a vital cultural awareness which is one of the main reasons why we “foreign” teachers get jobs in Korea. Anyway a certain other non- student (look no names) had a conversation with the students in Korean while I was left standing there trying to figure out what exactly what going on. May I emphasise that one of the main reason why we foreigners are hired in Korean is to give the students a POSITIVE impression of other cultures. 


So when I saw the students gasp, look embarrassed and then look at me with their adorable sorry face I wondered what had just been said. Thankfully this other non-student has no tact and just repeated what had been said in English which went something like this:


Non-student :  “France food is the best yes?”
Me: “one of the best “
Non -student: “Yes the best and I told them that England is the worse! Hahahahahaha!”
Me: “No! not true!”
Non-student: “Yes, it’s the worse I know!”
Me: “You’re being mean, students don’t listen!” 
 

Now, I’m fully aware that British food has a bad reputation but ask yourself non-Brits… what British food have you actually eaten?… and for my non-Brit friends who have experienced PROPER British food and not just fish and chips, I think you’ll find that they love it! So fuck you that nob who thinks they have the right to comment on my country just coz they went to London for 4 days! Fuck you! You don’t know shit! Not once have I said I hate Korean food not even when live octopus and seaworm has been put in front of me or when (tonight) I was pressured to eat boiled octopus heads!!!


AND!!! Not just that! Not 20 minutes later…


All day I’ve been feeling like shit and getting worse and worse so when that same person says…
“Oh you feel sick?”
Me: “Yes.”
That same person: “do you have a fever?” – Checks my forehead - “oh no! No fever!”
Me: “Yes but I feel terrible and my voice has almost gone…” eyes roll…
That same person: “What do you call someone who thinks their sick all the time …?”
Me: “A hypochondriac?”
That same person: “Yes that’s you”


Aghhhh – Ever felt like putting someone’s face through a car window? I have.

posted under , | 0 Comments

Children's day 2010

I’ve been back in Korea for 2 months and last week I finally got internet! Hence delays in blog updates.

I live in the other Gwnagju. Which is apparently 20 mins away from the big city… well, in reality it’s 40 mins away from the edge of the big city and that’s if you get a bus straight away and the traffic is ok. Which it never ever is.

Update –

School: My school is called Tanbeol Elementary and it’s the biggest elementary school in Gwangju. Which means we get two foreign teachers which is nice. I’m also working so much more than I wanted… expecting to be able to study, write and facebook in the afternoon I was quite disappointed to be teaching 30 hours per week. However the extra money is nice. There are 6 English teachers, Louise, Miyoung, Haeleon, Mrs Bae and Sally. Sally and I have become good friends and as she has a beast car we drive around a lot! The kids are nice… and I mean nice. They even do their homework, mostly. I have to catch a 15 min bus to school every day which enables me to grab a latte and be early for work for once coz getting the 7:45 bus means I get a seat and avoid heavy traffic.


Ste’s school: Is practically perfect the only thing they don’t do is let him off early and clean his boots. He’s having a great time at Taejeon school and they really appreciate him. He also only has to walk 2 mins to his school but that also means his students see him all the time and walking into taejeon on a Sunday afternoon means being shouted at from every direction….”Suuteebunn!... Hi!” they’re very cute.
Apartment: we have a good apartment. We live in the apartment that Ste’s school has provided as the one that my school provided is just for a single person, single bed and one chair. But Ste’s apartment has a separate bedroom.

Moving: We left a lot of stuff in Yeosu and so we went to pick it all up. Crazy! Driving down was fun. Moving the stuff was tiring and stressful. And our most prized possession, the amazing pavv tv got smashed. Ste broke the news to me, and I cried. Thankfully the very nice people at Samsung helped us out and fixed it! Everything else got here ok.


Being back in Korea: Well it certainly feels like nothing has changed. I’m not in city I’m in a coutry-ish place near the big city and going to the city is a big effort. Leaving early and wanting to stay late but having to come home early. It’s kinda like being in Tod. It’s not what I want. So staying here for another year is really unlikely at this point. The apartment is great! The schools are great! The place is a dump! There isn’t even a coffee shop in walking distance from my apartment or a gym…two things I need. The little Kimbab place is crap too. The first month here I really hated being here, and now that I have cable and internet at home life is a little better.  We’ll see how it goes.

posted under | 0 Comments

City it is!

I’m sat watching one of my favourite episodes of Sex and the City (Coulda Woulda Shoulda) and a thought came into my head. I’m moving to the big city...again! Alright alright it’s not New York or London not even close but I think Seoul has plenty to offer.

Lisa was telling me about her first weekend out in Seoul and I was utterly jealous of her shenanigans. My lungs are full of excitement of having my own space and a place to stomp around in. Yeosu is a great little place but I know I’m a big city gal now. I grew up in a small country town where you know everyone and everyone knows you and who you have a crush on, how much your shoes were, if you got on a bus, if you shaved your legs that morning.

As a child it was great to have all your friends around you all the time and it seemed like you’ll be best friends forever. That is until you hit puberty and your best friend is kissing boys and drinking cider and you’re left wondering “when will I get boobs”. Then you get boobs and realise that your best friends are actually kids you just happened to be placed with at the same school. It’s rare to actually grow up with a friend and remain friends for the rest of your life.

So I left little old Tod as soon as I could, and moved to London. Being a poor student in London wasn’t the “big city” experience I had hoped for, although I loved it a million times more than my home town. I was a very poor student and the city… :(
 
Then I moved to Yeosu Yeosu beautiful Yeosu. It was great!... for a year. Once I knew all the best restaurants and quirks it soon became like my other home town… everyone knows you and who you have a crush on, how much your shoes cost, if you got on a bus, if you shaved your legs that morning. This time it was worse, we stood out! Being a foreigner in a small Korean city means nothing is private or personal and be dammed if you have a secret.

So what of Seoul? This time I will have a well paid job, a decent apartment and a few very good friends. Of course my Ste will be there too which means whatever issues may arise I can overcome them, as I did in Tod and London.

I’m excited. The big city again.

posted under , | 1 Comments
Older Posts
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

About Me

My photo
I like writing, reading, art and Hello Kitty. I'm not religious but I really want fairies to exist. I like all living things except mosquitoes. I get really grumpy at times.

Followers


Recent Comments