12-30
Annyong haseyo!
Took me a bit longer to get to this week's update, last week was pretty busy over here. I know you all were busy over the holidays as well, I hope everyone had a great one and had/are currently enjoying a pleasant break!
Not going to lie, while I had a great time this past week, it was tough being away from home last week. Three events that I've looked forward to over the past few years came and went without me in attendance. First was the Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis where the Illini continued their domination over Missouri. Second was of course Christmas and its eve. Lastly was the annual Salem barcrawl with my friends that takes place in the days surrounding Christmas. I spent Christmas day with people I had known for less than a month, actually less than a week instead of with family and friends that I've known for years. I can talk all day about having fun over here, but I still would have preferred to be with you all this past week. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone at this time next year!
It was a very good week at work. My listening classes continue to improve as I get better with the class structure. I'm now having the problem of getting to everything in a timely manor instead of worrying about finishing class too quickly. I have my last training workshop of the term tomorrow, where I will sit down with the head instructor and go over some of my teaching tapes to discuss my strengths and weaknesses. I haven't watched myself teaching on tape yet, so it will be interesting. I'd like to think I already know what will be discussed, but there is a reason for this ongoing training...to fine tune all the aspects of my teaching ability. I joked around a lot with my students this past week, I think a continuing sign that we're getting comfortable around each other. Also, though it was awkward, I couldn't help but laugh when a couple of my students called me handsome and cute on Friday! Last week was the final week for the first books we covered in memory English classes (Hamlet and Journey to the Center of the Earth). This week we started The Day of the Purple Cow and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's funny to see these kids avoid the topic of love when it was mentioned in the latter...then they tried to get details of my personal life out of me without any success. They like to joke about 'Joe Teacher going to night clubs with girlfriends.'
On Christmas day, I jumped on a train and went to visit a new friend in Suwon. Believe it or not, it was the first time in my life that I had been on a train. I have of course been on the El in Chicago and the metro-link in St. Louis, but never an actual train. It was a bit of an ordeal to get to the train station, get a ticket, and make sure I was on the right train...but now that I've done it once I have confidence that I can do it again. I took the subway system back to Cheonan the next afternoon in time for work. The train took 40 minutes, the subway took an hour. A KTX train, one of the fastest trains in the world, would have taken less than 30 minutes. I'll be getting on that on the 10th of January for my first trip to Seoul for an overnight venture with my co-workers. We're going to the area of Seoul that has the most English-speakers. Plan is to start at a bar that offers all you can eat and drink in three hours for ~$25. I'm definitely going to get my money's worth!
I didn't get the usual Friday evening e-mail out this past week due to having to get up early on Saturday to teach. We did get Christmas day off, but had to make it up Saturday morning. It made the weekend feel really short...I would have preferred to have worked on Christmas day in favor of a two-day weekend, but oh well...it's done now. Saturday night turned into a crazy affair of soju and beer pong at a co-workers apartment. Probably my 'wildest' night over here so far..actually it was by far which speaks volumes for how much has changed for me since my college days. I might just be growing up after all. ...okay, maybe not. :)
I forgot the term for it, but I learned that Koreans are just about shocked that someone (American) actually goes for drinks without eating something with it. Every bar has food and it's available all night. They just cannot comprehend it. Even if you say you don't need/want any, they will get up and buy you food to eat with the drinks. They are definitely light weights in regards to American drinking prowess, but it's just one of those cultural differences that I've learned about.
I woke up at 3 AM this morning to watch/listen to the Bears game as well as the Illini game. That said, I also went to bed at 7:30 PM last night, which is the earliest I have been to bed since...probably when I was in diapers. I would have been better served staying in bed. The Illini won despite playing poorly (Leah had the scores for this morning's game as well as the Mizzou game for 20 CDI points...another girl, Alice, had the score for the Mizzou game for 10) and the Bears choked away a golden opportunity. What a craptacular ending to my football teams' seasons. Both the Illini and da bears didn't accomplish what they should have. I am looking forward to watching the big bowl games coming up. One of my co-workers is a big Southern Cal fan, so I'm going to represent the Big 10 against him with their matchup against Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
While I've certainly had some interesting injuries over the past few years, at least I haven't broken a nose by running into a glass door that I thought was open. I met someone who did that a few weeks ago on Saturday night. Crazy injury stories are fun. I still have a leg up on most though, I believe. I'm half-amazed that I've gone 6 weeks here without anything happening (*knocks on wood*).
Before the games this morning, I ran next door to the Sun Mart to get some sprite and nachos for game viewing. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to purchase them because the guy manning the store was passed out behind the counter. I tried raising my voice nearly to the point of yelling (EXCUSE ME!) to get him to wake up. I tried ringing the bell on the door loudly for a few seconds...all to no avail. I then had the moral dilemma of just walking out with my supplies or going down the street to the other convenient store, which doesn't have sprite. I had to settle for orange fanta instead of sprite. :(
I did some cleaning of the apartment on Sunday. I'm glad for the hardwood floor so I don't have to vacuum...makes it much easier to clean up after my shedding, which apparently I do more of than I thought.
I'm frustrated that I have an important package stuck in customs right now, but at least that isn't as bad as my co-worker J who had his luggage sent to Cairo instead of Seoul on his return flight connection in France (departing from London) this past weekend.
A guy I met Saturday night (also named Joe) is leaving in a month or so and is trying to sell me his scooter. It's a reasonable price and you don't have to have a driver's license to ride it. I've always said that I'd never ride a scooter or motorcycle, but it would be a good way to get around over here and see things that are not within walking distance (like the temples in the mountains). I might have to see if he'll accept half payment next month and a wire transfer for the remainder in February. The chances of me doing that, however, are probably less than 20%.
I'll try to have New Year's resolutions in the next update. Until then, I hope everyone has a safe holiday this week. Be crazy, but be safe!
Have a joeun day!
Joe
Took me a bit longer to get to this week's update, last week was pretty busy over here. I know you all were busy over the holidays as well, I hope everyone had a great one and had/are currently enjoying a pleasant break!
Not going to lie, while I had a great time this past week, it was tough being away from home last week. Three events that I've looked forward to over the past few years came and went without me in attendance. First was the Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis where the Illini continued their domination over Missouri. Second was of course Christmas and its eve. Lastly was the annual Salem barcrawl with my friends that takes place in the days surrounding Christmas. I spent Christmas day with people I had known for less than a month, actually less than a week instead of with family and friends that I've known for years. I can talk all day about having fun over here, but I still would have preferred to be with you all this past week. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone at this time next year!
It was a very good week at work. My listening classes continue to improve as I get better with the class structure. I'm now having the problem of getting to everything in a timely manor instead of worrying about finishing class too quickly. I have my last training workshop of the term tomorrow, where I will sit down with the head instructor and go over some of my teaching tapes to discuss my strengths and weaknesses. I haven't watched myself teaching on tape yet, so it will be interesting. I'd like to think I already know what will be discussed, but there is a reason for this ongoing training...to fine tune all the aspects of my teaching ability. I joked around a lot with my students this past week, I think a continuing sign that we're getting comfortable around each other. Also, though it was awkward, I couldn't help but laugh when a couple of my students called me handsome and cute on Friday! Last week was the final week for the first books we covered in memory English classes (Hamlet and Journey to the Center of the Earth). This week we started The Day of the Purple Cow and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's funny to see these kids avoid the topic of love when it was mentioned in the latter...then they tried to get details of my personal life out of me without any success. They like to joke about 'Joe Teacher going to night clubs with girlfriends.'
On Christmas day, I jumped on a train and went to visit a new friend in Suwon. Believe it or not, it was the first time in my life that I had been on a train. I have of course been on the El in Chicago and the metro-link in St. Louis, but never an actual train. It was a bit of an ordeal to get to the train station, get a ticket, and make sure I was on the right train...but now that I've done it once I have confidence that I can do it again. I took the subway system back to Cheonan the next afternoon in time for work. The train took 40 minutes, the subway took an hour. A KTX train, one of the fastest trains in the world, would have taken less than 30 minutes. I'll be getting on that on the 10th of January for my first trip to Seoul for an overnight venture with my co-workers. We're going to the area of Seoul that has the most English-speakers. Plan is to start at a bar that offers all you can eat and drink in three hours for ~$25. I'm definitely going to get my money's worth!
I didn't get the usual Friday evening e-mail out this past week due to having to get up early on Saturday to teach. We did get Christmas day off, but had to make it up Saturday morning. It made the weekend feel really short...I would have preferred to have worked on Christmas day in favor of a two-day weekend, but oh well...it's done now. Saturday night turned into a crazy affair of soju and beer pong at a co-workers apartment. Probably my 'wildest' night over here so far..actually it was by far which speaks volumes for how much has changed for me since my college days. I might just be growing up after all. ...okay, maybe not. :)
I forgot the term for it, but I learned that Koreans are just about shocked that someone (American) actually goes for drinks without eating something with it. Every bar has food and it's available all night. They just cannot comprehend it. Even if you say you don't need/want any, they will get up and buy you food to eat with the drinks. They are definitely light weights in regards to American drinking prowess, but it's just one of those cultural differences that I've learned about.
I woke up at 3 AM this morning to watch/listen to the Bears game as well as the Illini game. That said, I also went to bed at 7:30 PM last night, which is the earliest I have been to bed since...probably when I was in diapers. I would have been better served staying in bed. The Illini won despite playing poorly (Leah had the scores for this morning's game as well as the Mizzou game for 20 CDI points...another girl, Alice, had the score for the Mizzou game for 10) and the Bears choked away a golden opportunity. What a craptacular ending to my football teams' seasons. Both the Illini and da bears didn't accomplish what they should have. I am looking forward to watching the big bowl games coming up. One of my co-workers is a big Southern Cal fan, so I'm going to represent the Big 10 against him with their matchup against Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
While I've certainly had some interesting injuries over the past few years, at least I haven't broken a nose by running into a glass door that I thought was open. I met someone who did that a few weeks ago on Saturday night. Crazy injury stories are fun. I still have a leg up on most though, I believe. I'm half-amazed that I've gone 6 weeks here without anything happening (*knocks on wood*).
Before the games this morning, I ran next door to the Sun Mart to get some sprite and nachos for game viewing. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to purchase them because the guy manning the store was passed out behind the counter. I tried raising my voice nearly to the point of yelling (EXCUSE ME!) to get him to wake up. I tried ringing the bell on the door loudly for a few seconds...all to no avail. I then had the moral dilemma of just walking out with my supplies or going down the street to the other convenient store, which doesn't have sprite. I had to settle for orange fanta instead of sprite. :(
I did some cleaning of the apartment on Sunday. I'm glad for the hardwood floor so I don't have to vacuum...makes it much easier to clean up after my shedding, which apparently I do more of than I thought.
I'm frustrated that I have an important package stuck in customs right now, but at least that isn't as bad as my co-worker J who had his luggage sent to Cairo instead of Seoul on his return flight connection in France (departing from London) this past weekend.
A guy I met Saturday night (also named Joe) is leaving in a month or so and is trying to sell me his scooter. It's a reasonable price and you don't have to have a driver's license to ride it. I've always said that I'd never ride a scooter or motorcycle, but it would be a good way to get around over here and see things that are not within walking distance (like the temples in the mountains). I might have to see if he'll accept half payment next month and a wire transfer for the remainder in February. The chances of me doing that, however, are probably less than 20%.
I'll try to have New Year's resolutions in the next update. Until then, I hope everyone has a safe holiday this week. Be crazy, but be safe!
Have a joeun day!
Joe
posted by JayD at 11:55 AM
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