The Next Chapter

Hi!

So, I decided to keep my blog going. It's like therapy and I love that! So here is what I have figured out, as of now (as far as life, no big deal). I am moving to Oregon. Back to Corvallis. Whether that be in two weeks or a month, by September I will be in Corvallis again. I am!

The last two days I have been applying to job after job. Everything and anything. I am hoping to find something before September. Then I will move up there, rent a room and set up camp. I feel like my whole life will be amazing then, I just love the West Coast, love Corvallis and love my friends...and Kyle! :)

Also this year I am running a marathon and starting with a half-marathon in Corvallis in October! So from now and until then, running is my new best friend! Its only 13ish miles, but I haven't run 10+ miles since last winter...so I need to really start busting it!

Anyways I am going to post lots of pictures, videos and keep everything super duper interesting! Hopefully you'll enjoy it! :)

What's a midnight run really like?

Okay so before I write this I should explain (for all y'all who don't already know...). A "Midnight Run" is a term used by ESL teachers in Korea...or maybe in Asia in general, but definitely in Korea. It refers to when you quit your job and leave without any notice. Usually you will leave on an evening (hence the name) or a weekend, I left on vacation. You also usually end up leaving bills or some sort of contract obligation behind. I left three weeks pay, so don't think I owe them anything.

Day #1:

Okay, so in preparation for my midnight run I looked up so many stories, blog entries, forum posts, comments about different midnight runs others have done. And now here I am running from Korea myself. So what is a midnight run really like?? Well, let me tell you...

So I am running tomorrow (okay so tomorrow in my time, by the time you read this I will already be in the U.S...I don't want to post it though, until I am for sure in the clear).

Today was my last day at work and I was just tired. Exhausted from being here. The kids were little s***s. And my co-workers...holy hell are they biatches. Especially my boss from New Zealand, not sorry I won't have to report to her anymore!

At the end of the day, my director (super nice woman, I am sorry I am screwing her over...) gave me all my documents to go get my ARC card. I told her I would get it done Thursday (I have only been here three weeks). I said Thursday because by that time I will be in the U.S.

I felt anxious and sweaty. My stomach hurt so bad I thought I could feel an ulcer pulsating. When I got the okay I rushed out of the office, pushing the elevator down button ten million times, and then the door shut button to avoid riding down with another one of my bosses. I ran to the nearest 7-11 and grabbed a chocolate bar...something to ease the nerves. But, it just made my stomach hurt worse. I read stuff about it being the most nerve racking experience ever, and it really is!

Then I went home and cleaned the house, blasted country music, and gathered all my clothes, folding them neatly. Country music definitely helped....I suggest it! :)

Luckily, my friend Andrea offered to help me pass the rest of the night. We went out (even though it was down pouring outside and flooding in the streets) and found some Mexican food. This made me feel better, yummy food and she calmed my nerves by saying exactly what friends should say...that all my worries were not going to happen and how excited I should be about going home!! Then I went back to my apartment.

Now I am at a cafe, because sitting in my apartment is just too nerve racking. I feel like I am James Bond or Jason Bourne. I know nothing bad will happen...nothing exciting. I am going to be nervous all day and then blah. Just the same, old ordinary thing...but knowing that doesn't help.

Now, I am planning on going back, turning on some good ol' "How I Met Your Mother" and taking some sleeping vitamins and just passing out....

I will keep writing this throughout tomorrow (although I won't post it until after obviously).

Goodnight! :)

Day #2:

So my alarm broke over the weekend, so I woke up late today. I was supposed to be up at 6:30, but was up at 7:20. I rushed out of the house, straightening the bed before I left. My bags were way heavier than I thought! I had to take elevators (even though I am so scared of them) and then had to have people help me...and even then I was drenched in sweat, out of breath and having the most difficult time managing all my bags!

I don't know how to take an airport bus, so I had to take the AIREX. I took Line 5 (purple) to Gimpo Airport and then the AIREX to Incheon Airport. The subway between Gimpo and Incheon is 3700 won. Then I found the most awesome breakfast buffet! It had eggs, pancakes, juice, cereal, french fries, fresh fruit, veggies, ketchup...toast...ahh it was amazing! After that I went down and found out I could check-in early! 7 hours early!!

I waited in line and the whole system went down...so I wait a lot more... and behind me was the girlfriend of Adam from Man Vs. Food...she is very pretty (came here to get a nose job) and definitely seems like a girl he would date.

When I finally dropped off my bags and headed to security, ten minutes later I was facing immigration. The ultimate showdown. I picked the nicest looking guy and stepped up. He did not ask questions about me not finishing my visa or me not having an ARC. Instead he just smiled, stamped my passport and waved me through.

Now, I am for-sure free! I am at my gate, waiting for the plane. I leave in two hours! I am not posting this till I get to the U.S. though... and at that same time I will e-mail my boss. Then I will ignore all of her replies, bask in the United States' sun, while I eat fresh fruit and veggies, speak English and breath in fresh air. Ahh so happy! :)

Day 4:

So I have been home 2 days. When I got in at midnight Eastern time I had a severe fever, had not slept for 29 hours, and had spent 17 hours on airplanes. I had lost all my baggage, been delayed twice and on the plane from Seoul to San Francisco (11 hours) the TVs were broken. PLus, the worst customer service I have ever received. Overall, I do not recommend United or Continental. And I definitely recommend sleeping, that's what caused my fever I think.

I also e-mailed my work. They e-mailed me back saying if I was not back in Korea by August 4th (the first day after vacation) they would sue. I told them I was not coming back, I knew my rights and that they should be kinder to the next person if they ever wanted to find a good replacement. I doubt they will actually sue, and I don't even think they can. So, I am not worried.

Now, I am applying for jobs in Corvallis and counting down the days till Kyle calls. Hopefully in a few months I will be well adjusted at a nice job, in a nice apartment, on the West Coast, spending weekends with Kyle. That would be the perfect ending! :)

Oh and I think I will change the name of this blog, but keep it going. I really like blogging, and even if no one reads it, I like writing it. So, stayed tuned (if you are tuned in in the first place) for more blogs! :)

Reflections

So right now I am sitting at a cafe across from my apartment, just so that I can soak up some human interaction. Nope I am not here with anyone, I am sitting alone, but seeing people and hearing people is just like a drug for me! I need it! It sucks when your only friend is Barney from How I Met Your Mother...and he is accompanied by annoying Korean subtitles. :/ I miss my friends, especially Bethany, Amy, Randi, Courtney and Lili. I miss Kyle too. But, that is a whole 'nother story.

Anyways, I am sitting here reflecting on my life. Kind of much for a Friday night. But, I am 22 and in the last five years have lived in Slovakia, Biddeford, ME, Cleveland, OH, Corvallis, OR and Seoul, South Korea. What does that say about me? That I can change? That I am brave? I don't think so...

Right now I am hating change. I would rather be in the same old apartment I lived in for the last year, or Kyle's room in which I lived in the last two months than here. Am I brave? Well, I am living in a city of ten million people and am scared s***less and have never felt more alone. So again, I would say not.

Kyle says he loves that I never give up. But, I am pretty close to giving up on Korea... have I changed? I don't know. I have hit a crossroads in my life and I just don't know where to go next...

I don't think Korea is for me. I think right now what I need is stability. Korea is very mobile. Kyle is stable, my parents are stable, my friends...stable. I just want that, I want that sameness.

I really miss writing papers (Kyle would cringe), but I love it. Maybe school IS in my future...

One thing I know for sure is that I HATE being alone. I cannot do it. I miss people, talking, cuddling, sleepovers, girly movies, Indian dinners, oh and PANCAKES!! Will moving to Ohio fix this?

I don't know... pancakes, Indian dinners, cuddling - all in Oregon. Parents, family, job, money - all in Ohio. So what to do? I guess I have no options now. Right now, I HAVE to go to Ohio. But, how long that will last I don't know...

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my family!! I don't know where or who I would be without them! They give me strength constantly and are my number one support system. I just am so lucky to have my parents...they love me so much and would do anything for me. Yet, I feel like I am a ball of yarn. Maybe the center of my yarn is in Ohio, with my family. But, there is definitely quite a few strings in Oregon, Korea, Maine and Slovakia (among other places) and I just don't know which strings I need to cut off and which ones I need to chase down....

The second day I was here I met a girl that God definitely brought into my life. I was on the train to church and she was too. We had similar stories, and she said she just knew that God brought here for a reason. At that I almost cried, because I felt the SAME way! It was - perfect. And now I have to ask - why? Why am I here and what is next? I just don't know... but I cannot wait to be home and for Kyle to get out of OCS. I need my partner back, and I need my friends.

I need to figure out where to next. I just feel like I cannot do it alone. And I know I am not alone, but in Seoul, the city with 10 MILLION people... quoting an earlier statement, I have never felt MORE alone...

Lazy Saturday (and Sunday)

Hi Y'all...

Still hating on Korea! But, my weekend wasn't bad. I spent Saturday searching for an English bookstore and bought some awesome cheap used books! The bookstore was in Itaewon and called "What the Book?". The books were all $5 a piece! I bought Dean Koontz "Velocity" and three Jodi Piccoult books. If I am going to survive in this little apartment, all alone I need some company, hello fictional friends!

Then I met up with Andrea and ate some Middle Eastern food...yum!! Falafel for the win!! Here is the restaurant (wait can't find my camera cord, so I guess I'll edit them in later...)

I also picked up a Hanbok for my NEW niece! SO excited, yup I am going to have a NIECE!! Due in November!!! I cannot wait to dress her up!! Prepare yourself Amy and Jason, this "cool" Aunt is getting ready!

Today, I went to Hongdae and tried to find this ice cream waffle place, and failed epically... so then I came back and ran to this American who lives nearby. We took an hour walk to Gimpo airport, and he showed me around. In the end I ended up eating these Korean dough ball things, with spicy food inside (really I have no clue what they were...) and french fries, oh and a blueberry McFlurry, which was WAY too sweet and syrupy! Yay for healthy food! Lol

Then I Skyped with my momma for an hour and now I am watching crappy American TV (gotta love MTV reality shows, I can almost forget I am in Korea...)

Anyways, another 9 hour day tomorrow taking care of the rascals, night world! :)

Crap, Crap, Crap

So, Korea...yeah not really liking it.

Here's my rundown. I am supposed to live within 5 minutes walking of my school with other foreign teachers. I live at the end of a subway line, 30 minutes by train from school all alone. No one around, its a super sketch area! The other day a guy was peeing in my hallway (and it was in the middle of the evening, not early a.m., not late at night!). Oh p.s. I have cockroaches (yipee). Oh and my light doesn't work, I have holes in the walls and my stove...not really there...

I cannot eat here, because there isn't really a way cook anything, and I am scared of attracting more bugs, so I have been living off bakeries near by (Dunkin Donuts you are my hero)!

At school things are ok...the kids are exhausting, but adorable! My co-workers are super unfriendly though! They only care about business...I talked to my head teacher about how uncomfortable I was at my apartment and she said "this is Korea, deal with it" and then I told her how lonely I was and she said "don't expect to have friends, go home at night, sleep and then come back to work and concentrate on your job"...she said more, but that is basically the gist of it.

Andrea, a girl I met on spring break, is here researching and I hang out with her sometimes. But, she lives on the other side of town and whenever we meet up it takes us 30-40 minutes to get to a meeting point.

But, the other day we met up with a Korean student at Yonsei and we had some yummy cold noodles (although they were in this odd soup thing with hard boiled eggs and some had raw beef too...). And then we went to this other place and had some pie. Korean pie is pretty different too, it is really cold and hard (we had apple and pumpkin cheesecake). But, the best part about this pie place is that with the pie I had a hot chocolate iced, which was super duper amazing!!!

The noodle restaurant

Andrea, Andrea's Korean friend Annika and I at the pie place

My iced hot chocolate!! :)

And then Thursday we went to see Harry Potter (a day before the U.S., haha suckers!) and that was pretty awesome! There were more foreigners than Koreans (HP is really unpopular in Korea) and the theater was very empty (and it was the first day, crazy!!) The movie theater was so cheap too! For $5 I bought a large pop and carmel corn (you get the choice between carmel corn and popcorn, awesome!) and then we had this killer Indian food!

So basically, the last week had been pretty terrible, with some minor happy moments. I really hate Korea, and I hate my apartment and I dislike my co-workers...but I love Andrea (too bad she is leaving in a couple weeks...).

Also to add,

The reasons I dislike Korea in general are: air pollution, you cannot breath! its so gross, the river here is like poop-colored brown! Disgusting! You can't drink it (it being water) and I am always so dehydrated! Also, it rains all the time and the sun never shines! Then Koreans are very introverted, will not speak to you (especially if you are a foreigner) and will just completely ignore you.! Also it smells really bad here! And the food yeah, I need something more than carbs!

And about photos, I haven't been really in the mood to capture my daily life, but I have some, here's a few. I think I will take pictures of my students next week.

Squats suck!

In conclusion, I am ready to go home and I have only been here a week...to quote the title: crap, crap, crap

Teaching in Korea makes me feel like an uber d-bag

This blog is about "teaching in South Korea"....yet I haven't even written one entry about my job! Well, watch out! I am about to blow your cork, because here is the BIG shabang! (nope I don't know what that means...but here I go...)

My work is six stops away by the subway (the subway is literally RIGHT underneath my apartment) and a ten minute walk after that.

Every morning when I get there I prepare my room. I usually get there between 15 - 30 minutes early (I have to be there at 9). To prepare the room I sanitize (yup sanitize) the toothbrushes and water cups for my homeroom (yup toothbrushes). Every room has a sanitizer that is about the size of a mini-fridge, or box shaped microwave (yup sanitizers...).

Then I greet the students. I go downstairs with one other foreign teacher (we are on the 7th floor, underneath a Korean kindergarten and above a hospital) and when the buses of students come we help them off and say good morning (there are three, and they are orange short buses haha).

I teach between 4-7 classes a day, each 40 minutes. The number of students range between 1 and 7, and the ages from 3-6. The classes are reading, storytelling, conversation and song and chant (the last being a song, that we sing over and over and over and over ....yeah you get the idea). Each class is 40 minutes long. My co-workers stay past 6, but I am out the door usually as 5:59 ticks by.

My homeroom class is Jupiter class and it has four students: Kenny, Gloria, Sophia and Daniel. They are three and four years old American. Koreans count the womb as a year, so they are a year older than us. They also change a year older in January, not on their birthday. SO, I am 24 Korean age and will be turning 25 in January...yeah not impressed with that system!! Anyways, back to the students. They are super cute, but a handful! Here are some pictures.

Gloria (3 years old American)

Kenny (4 years old American)

Sophia (4 years old American)

Daniel (4 years old American)

Jupiter Class

I won't go through my whole day, because that is LONG and would be uber duper boring, but here are some things I do want to share.

-Gloria and Sophia argue all the time and are very jealous of each other!

-Kenny is my new favorite because at the end of the day Monday, he came into the teacher's room and passed all the other teachers and gave me a giant hug! And then proceeded to turn-a-round and ignore the other teachers again...haha

-One of my afternoon classes is two boys who don't speak any English (I teach more than just Jupiter, its just that I mainly teach Jupiter) and on Monday one of the boys spent the WHOLE class crying and doing his work under the table...

Under the table boy...Tony...very pleasant boy (doesn't he look it? ;) )

I also love Kelly, she is in Neptune and everyone else thinks she is a little devil, but I LOVE her! She is great for me and she is by the cutest at the school!!

Kelly!! My favorite!! Isn't she ADORABLE?

Ok now for the bad part, why I feel like an uber d-bag for teaching in Korea...

The students are only 3, 5 and 6. But, they have to get up at 8 a.m. go to hardcore school till 6 p.m. and then some go to a different kindergarten till 10 p.m., while the majority go home and study. During the day they don't play. They repeat vocabulary, they do math problems and they write sentences...ALL day.

I am required to yell at them when they run around even during break-time (some kids aren't even allowed in the gym during their free period, because they get too "wild" (they're kids! And it is a PADDED room...who cares if they get wild???)

They can't cry or they get yelled at and punished (punishment is a sticker is taken away from their sticker-board and/or a talking with the director). They have to eat ALL their food at lunch, that we dish up for them, or they get yelled at and have to stay there until they finish, missing their free period, in which they MIGHT be allowed in the gym, and sometimes they get a punishment too (as if that wasn't enough). If they vomit, yelled at and punished. If they pee their pants (they cannot go to the bathroom during class) yelled at and punished.

We are going camping on Monday and we cannot play any games that they might get hurt at. This includes Red Roover (they could fall), soccer (they could get hit in the head), no running (they could fall), no Capture the Flag (they could fall).. seriously..? WTF?

Apparently Korean parents will get plastic surgery if their kid gets a scrape, but I really put a lot of blame on the school too.

Here's why.

My school makes us write daily, weekly and monthly lesson plans. Then there is monthly and 3-month evaluations. All of this is overseen by my head teacher. I just wrote my evaluations on Thursday and they were not nice enough, she wanted something that the parents would like to see. Then I re-wrote them and they were way too nice (more realistic is what she wanted). Okay, so yup I re-did them again and I think they were pretty darn perfect if I do say so myself....

But, my point is that things here (and its not just evaluations) are very serious. Our lesson plans are all around repetition, repetition, repetition. "Games" are approved of, but not so much the playful kind. Everything needs to be really academic. No joke my head teacher told me to play a game with them the first day I was here. The game was, get this, I asked them their name, how old they were ect... and if they answered in a full-complete and perfect sentence they got a sticker....yeah super fun woot woot....not.

My problem is that these students, especially Gloria, my three year old, want to run around. They want to play, and talk in weird languages that no one understands (Daniel loves being a monster, but he gets yelled a lot, because his monster voice is not nice, pronunciation wise, English). They want to make-up imaginary friends, and play house. They want to build things with blocks and push around cars and trucks. They don't want to sit at desks for eight hours telling me vocabulary and reading books. Yet, that is what is being asked.

I feel like I am denying these kids the childhood that I was (fortunately) given. At four I was throwing my stuffed unicorn, off the porch, into my front yard in Seattle, so that he could fly. That is what these kids need.

I jokingly said to my co-worker the other day that we should read Harry Potter to the kids. Not-so-jokingly I think it would be a great idea. They need some time for imagination, play and they need to run around.

One kid, Justin comes from a broken home. His parents are divorced and both are married to their careers. He is constantly getting yelled at for acting out and is punished on a daily basis. He is banned from the gym because he is "too wild" (repeat, the gym is padded...). Today he finished a test, and nearly got a perfect score. Afterwards he really wanted to play a running game (a running game that involved vocabulary no less...), but I had to ask permission. Both my co-teacher Margaret and one of the head teachers said I definitely could not play any sort of running games in the classroom and that he was definitely banned from the gym (even though the gym was empty at the time). I felt so bad! This is what I am talking about...so I rewarded him by watching youtube videos of car racing... but I would much have rather let him run around :/

Anyways now its the weekend and luckily I have two more days until I feel like a d-bag again...

As a parting goodbye, I hope this gave you insight into my job. Lots of love.

-M

Oh and here is some more random pictures...

My apartment hallway...at the end is near where the guy peed. Isn't it creepy? Like a mix between a prison and a hospital? It smells like cigarette smoke and muggy, dirty air. Yum.

My subway station.

Subways in Korea are LEGIT! They are decorated with plants and paintings. They are super clean and always look new. The bathrooms are also incredible! At times I would rather use my subway bathroom than my apartment bathroom...TMI..sorry lol

Overpriced Middle Eastern restaurant in Itaewon (the foreign district - the foreigners outnumber the Koreans.... literally).

I love me some Middle Eastern food. Falafel...heckkk yeahh! :)

The new hanbok for my now official, but still unnamed (well unnamed to me) niece!! :)

This is Uranus class. They are the brightest of the bright at the school. They start off their day writing 10+ sentences and have homework every night (and they are six...)

Good Day, Bad Day

Hi Guys! So Sunday I woke up at my usual 4:30 a.m. (screw you time change) and contemplated going to church...I dilly dallied on the computer, watched the one english channel on my TV and ate my bowl of cereal. Then at 9 I decided I was going to go. Well, while walking the less than 1000 feet to the subway I met this American girl (second foreigner I have seen in my area of Banghwa). She was going to church too and invited me along. We made introductions on the hour and a half trip and she is super cool, a musical theater actress who trained in Korea and moved back to teach to be with her Korean boyfriend. Anyways the church was amazing! And I had a great morning! Oh and she told me about a gym in my area, which I desperately was in search for! Overall A++ morning!

Then I came back, dropped off my stuff and got ready for my work meeting, while waiting for my boss I met more Americans! They meet every Thursday and Friday night, so hopefully I will become part of the group...

My work meeting went well, quite nervous for teaching, but heck no turning back now right?

That is when my day turned bad...my co-worker left and I decided I would go buy some longer shorts (my shorts are too short, its like 85 degrees and so I need something longer, that’s not full pants to wear to work). On the subway I saw numerous Americans, but they all just ignored me...it was so weird. Foreigners here are such a holes sometimes. They don’t want to be bothered with new people...so shopping was incredibly lonely and I was thrown into a big bout of homesickness...

Now, its 6 a.m. I leave for work in 2 hours and I am hoping that today stays good, and that I meet people! Its incredibly lonely to not speak the language, understand anything, and have no one talk to you..but people tell me it will improve and I have faith in God it will! So here’s to a super awesome day!!

Lots of love,
Marilyn

I'm HERRRE!! :)

Hey everyone I am in KOREA! The plane ride was so so long! And for the record Asiana Airlines is NOT as good as Korean, go Korean Air!

When I got there Jay (my recruiter Simon's business partner and Simon) picked me up and we got in there small white sedan and headed to Seoul! I was pretty much like ETF...the whole time.. WTF am I doing here,

WTF is that, WTF did I do...I was pretty much dazed and confused (which I may use to explain the luggage cart tipping over if front of everyone...)

Then we went to my school and I met everyone! I love my co-workers! I have this awesome New Zealand co-worker and then some great Korean girls too! I saw the classroom and was introduced through pictures my FOUR students! Yup, that's right FOUR! Am I the luckiest girl in the world or WHAT? I can totally handle four adorable Korean kids! (and don't worry Amy, Bethany and Randi!)

Then I went to my apartment, which is big actually! And I LOVE it! It has no key, just an electric pin pad (what if the electricity goes out....?) Then I left and walked around, found a 7-11, drank some yogurt (yup they drink i

t here...) and then came back unpacked, slept, woke up at 2 a.m. and then unpacked the rest and then slept and now I am at Gimpo airport subway station in Seoul, on my way to E-Mart (their Korean Walmart), need to get me some rice! :)

That was a quickie, but that's what I will leave you with today! Lots of LOVE! Byeeee

P.S. pictures!!

The best part of Asiana airlines: they give you menus!

And this is my subway stop! :)
And lastly that is outside my apartment, I live over this on the 7th floor (and yes I take the stairs, those elevators are freaky! Plus if I got stuck how would I explain it? I don't know Korean!)

YouTube Channel: THE American Kimchi

So yesterday my old camera broke, sad sad day... but it was her time (yup, she was a she). She had been sick (breaking) for a long, long time and then she just kind of went into a coma yesterday (the lens stopped working, I lost the cord, and it would power on and off randomly). Therefore, today I bought a NEW camera! A camera that films in HD! So, I decided I am going to take video blogging more seriously AND I created a YouTube channel, just for my adventures in South Korea!

It is youtube.com/THEAmericanKimchi

I love it! Haha AmericanKimchi was taken, but THEAmericanKimchi wasn't! So be warned I am not just any American Kimchi, I am THE American Kimchi! :)

Anyways, I am going to post a video at least once a week (starting with an introduction video this week, and then a video from the plane next Thursday), so subscribe! It will be much appreciated! Love y'all byeee! :)