Greetings from Gwangju!

Arrived in Gwangju not too long ago via 3 hour bus ride with the other scholars who will be teaching in the Jeonnam Province. We are in the middle of no-where. The sky is overcast, and it is humid because we are further south. I read that Jeonnam has the warmest weather in South Korea. There is no shortage of rolling hills covered in endles pine trees. It's like Christmas Land everywhere we go.

Lunchtime was overwhelming. They catered a huge buffet, and there was heaps of good food such as kimchi, kimchi pancakes, smoked salmon, 3 different soups, noodles, fresh watermelon / pineapple, etc. It was also my birthday, so everyone in the dining hall sang, and the program gave me a cute ice-cream cake from a local French bakery called Paris Baguette. I shared it with my friends, and then I had to run to get my luggage from where I left it in the basement onto the bus. Everyone's last good-byes were sweaty and rushed from all the bustling, and before I knew it, we were in Gwangju.

For the next few days, we will be attending more lectures and coming up with mock lessons. We are staying in what I think is a place designed for conferences. We are all living in pairs, dormitory-style with our own bathrooms. On Saturday, they organized a mixer where we will have the opportunity to meet our Korean TaLK Scholars (other college-aged people who will be helping us in the classroom a few days per week -- some of us do not have Korean TaLK Scholars which sucks....but luckily I do). We will also meet 4th, 5th, and 6th generation Jeonnam TaLK Scholars (I am 7th generation), who can answer our questions and give us advice. Then we depart on Tuesday and go our separate ways within this province.

Dinner is in less than half an hour, and I am starving. I wonder what the cafeteria here has to offer. Since it is my birthday, they also organized pizza, chicken, and cake later on in the evening. Yum.

All in all, it has been a very dynamic birthday and past few weeks. Orientation has definitely been a blast, and I feel very lucky to be in South Korea as a TaLK Scholar. Applying for this program was a pain in the ass, but all of those struggles were more than worth it. Just based on the orientation, I would highly recommend this program to friends who are interested in taking time off to teach abroad whether it be 6 months or 1 year.

In my spare time, I plan to teach my self how to read and write in hangul. I also want to be proficient in Korean because it sucks not knowing how to say anything besides "hi" and "thank you." It would also help to know what people were saying even if it's just numbers and money. Whenever I buy anything, I always have to look at the screen on the register because I don't know any numbers in Korean....

Till next time!

Last Day in Jochiwon

Today is my last day in Jochiwon! Woke up early to finish packing and had 8:40am briefing as usual. We received our TaLK Scholar identification cards & certificates for completing orientation. Shortly, we will be attending the closing ceremony in the main auditorium followed by lunch in the cafeteria. Then we will all be going our separate ways in South Korea. I'm going to Jeollanam-do (or Jeonnam), which is south west. I think my bus ride will take at least 2 hours. It sort of sucks to be so far south because everyone else is either north or centralized, you know? My Jeonnam orientation will last 6 days and 5 nights in Gwangju, the 6th largest city in South Korea. Not sure where we are staying yet, hopefully in a hotel! I heard that some people in other provinces are staying in a temple for their first night and then relocating to a hotel. We'll see how we go.

Yesterday, we had a taste of what teaching English was like. We paired off and taught two 45-minute lessons and one 30-minute lesson at an English camp not far from here. My partner and I worked with 4 kids, who were 13 years old and mostly played games to encourage them to speak English. I think that the kids know a bit, but can't pronounce the words very well. All we taught them were emotions (i.e., "I feel happy" / "I feel tired") and likes/dislikes (i.e., "I like candy" / "I don't like homework"). It was exhausting, but pretty fun. I wish we could team-teach out in our individual schools!

I'm no longer dying of sickness. I sort of recovered from the worst of it in a day, and now I have a cough. But at this point, everyone has a cough, so it's all the same.

Oh yeah, and it's my birthday today! Two years ago, I celebrated my 20th on a rainy day in Melbourne. Last year, I celebrated my 21st with my Oxy friends (and helped with Oxy's international orientation). And now I'm headed to Gwangju for my 22nd! Exciting times ahead.

Cheers mates!

Sicky

I don't have much time to answer individual messages, much less update the blog.

Very quickly...

I got sick over the past few days. It started with a 3-day sore throat and gradually developed into a dry cough, exhaustion, congestion, and no voice. I've been taking my vitamins religiously, and a friend helped me get an herbal remedy from the campus convenience store yesterday evening. I also got excused from lectures and slept all of Monday. The nurse gave me some pills for my cough last night, and they helped with everything in general. My voice is slowly returning, and I am hoping that if I stay in one more night that I can go out on Wednesday; it will be our last evening together in Jochiwon (and the night before my birthday!)

I have one more lecture today then a lesson planning workshop after lunch. I'm due for laundry, so I'll have to figure that out this evening.

I finally got my banking account established yesterday afternoon (in the midst of my sickness). The bank nearby doesn't accept traveler's cheques, so I either have to find my way to the Nonghyup Bank near Jochiwon Station, or figure it out when I get to Gwangju in a few days. Complicado....

The sun finally came out, and the weather feels just like Cali. The humidity subsided drastically, and sometimes the weather almost feels like autumn.

The mosquito bites on my legs are abundant, and my legs/feet look awful because I've been scratching them.

Headed to lecture. Peace out.

Kapsa Buddhist Temple & Mud Experience

Last weekend, most TaLK scholars ventured off to Seoul, but about 30 of us stayed in Jochiwon and participated in a couple of optional field trips organized by TaLK.

We traveled by Korea Tour bus for 1.5-2 hours to the Kapsa Buddhist Temple. (To be honest, I don't know if we drove north, south, east, or west.) The bus ride allowed us to see more of South Korea. I get the feeling that most of the land is undeveloped because all we see are green fields (for agriculture) and rolling hills covered in evergreen pine trees. One could say that the sights are very homogeneous and peaceful.

Korea Tour Bus

Rolling hills + Lots of GREEN

On the bus -- the lights up top fascinate me

In the boooonies

At the temple, we watched the locals pray and stood by for part of their ritual ceremony. Then we walked around the grounds and took heaps of pictures of the landscape and of the alters scattered around. We were instructed not to speak, so it was very quiet aside from the ceremony. The air was very fresh -- a little too fresh for a girl from LA.

Buddhist Meditation

Lotus Pond

A small group of us hiked up a rocky trail that led to a waterfall. The hike was tough for me because I wore my red flippy floppies. I was also wearing my swimmers under my summer dress (because they told us to bring swim wear), but a sign said not to swim in the waterfall ... we wouldn't have had time anyways   =|

For lunch, we ate vegetarian bibimbab with a vinegary seaweed soup. Then we made Buddhist prayer bead bracelets and did some print-making indoors. And that was about it for the Temple ....

A few of my new friends! <3
Andres, me, Zyna, Joe   :)

Bibimbab lunch yummmmy

Printmaking

I actually don't know what I am doing

Prayer Bead Power!

---------------------------------------------

On Monday, we took a 2.5-3 hour bus ride towards the western coast to participate in a 'mud experience.' We drove through a lot of no where and through a couple of towns. The entertainment on the bus was mostly Korean pop music videos; all of the songs sound the same to me  x.x The bus driver got lost, which is why it took half an hour longer to maneuver. But when we finally reached our destination, we were quickly loaded onto a huge wagon that was pulled by something that looked like a tractor. We rode to the mud flats, which were vast and expanded out to the horizon. The view made it look like the ocean, but I think that the sea was just beyond the mud flats. They instructed us to remove our shoes before stepping into the mud. In actuality, the 'mud' was more like sand, and once you dug into it with a small shovel, the dark sand underneath was more like clay. A few friends and I separated ourselves from the tour group and walked further out. We came across some locals digging furiously for clams. They were surrounded by many holes and caught loads of clams. We found about 15-20 clams and gave them to the family.

Rainbow lights whoaaaa

Overfull car on the highway

K-Pop all day e'rrrryday

The Shire?

Pumped to experience the mud!

Instructions ... Rule #1: Remove your shoes

Bus mates & new friends   :)

clams

fresh seaweed everywhere

Gorgeous landscape

We're diggin' the mud

dead crabs everywhere

Our first catch

If you can't tell, I had a blast

Zyna caught the grand-daddy of all clams! Woot!

Meanwhile, the rest of our group was rolling around in the mud and having mud fights. We showed up just in time to take the group picture, then headed indoors for lunch. A few women were in the kitchen and made us heaps of dishes that smelled so good. We were all starving and more than ready to dig in.

By 3pm, we were back on the bus and headed back to Jochiwon for another 2.5 hours. Fin!!

Backed Up on Updates :(

Sorry, I haven't been able to update my blog in ages! And sorry to disappoint you, but I still won't be able to write a lot as I have lecture in 10-15 minutes. But to be brief, I am really enjoying my time here in Jochiwon! I am making HEAPS of new friends and the food is delicious -- I love it more everyday. The people that I have met are so nice. They are from all over the (English-speaking) world: lots from Canada, New York, New Jersey, Iowa, Los Angeles, northern California, England, Australia ... just to name a few. And I enjoy going to lectures with them and going out to the benches / Noriban at night. I can't say that I have a set group of friends because I like to challenge myself to meet new people. I try to sit by different scholars in class everyday because I never know who I will meet. It's really fun   :)

The weather is still humid, and I haven't seen the sun in a week. No, I'm serious. The sun doesn't come out because it is permanently cloudy (and rainy) in these parts.

Anyways, I have to go to lecture. I hope all of my readers are doing well! x

Updated FAQ

:)

Let the 3-Day Weekend Begin!

The long-awaited medical exam took place on Saturday morning. My group was scheduled for 9:40am, but due to a power outage, the exam got pushed back to 10:40am. Everyone was complaining because we hadn't eaten since the evening before, and we had to wait until after our medical exam to receive juice / snacks to hold us over until lunch.

The exam was very thorough. We pee'd in a cup. They jabbed us with needles and took our blood. They checked our eyes / hearing / blood pressure / height / weight / chest measurements (don't ask me why). And the exam culminated in a chest x-ray, which was literally inside of a bus. The moments leading up to the blood test were brutal. Blood? Needles? Hell no. However, the nurse was very good, and my arm isn't even bruised or sore.

There's no better way to start life in Korea than with a 3-day weekend -- holla! Most folks -- and I mean hundreds of scholars -- booked train rides out of the boonies and are staying in Seoul for the weekend. The campus has been quieter than ever, but I actually like seeing fewer people because it's less chaotic. I am spending the weekend going on field trips organized through the orientation instead.

I finally ventured outside of campus! Everyone has seen the town outside of Korea University except for me, so it was great to see what lies beyond the forest-covered hills outside of my window. Some girls and I took a $4 taxi to Home+, a store comparable to Walmart or Target. It is several stories high and sells everything from groceries to clothes and all of the essentials of life ... well almost. I wanted to scope out the swim suits because we are going on a mud experience tour on Monday, and I didn't want to mess up my current swim wear. Their swim wear selection appeared very limited and not flattering at all. I ended up buying a plain t-shirt that I won't mind getting dirty. I also bought a pink digital stopwatch, probably the best 19,800 Won I will ever spend.

At night, a bunch of us went to "the benches," a local hangout spot on the edge of campus, that is conveniently located in front of a convenience store. I met my new best friend, Soju. One bottle is only 1,100 Won, which is about $1.10 -- so cheap! Afterwards, we ventured further into the town looking for a bar or a Noriban (Korean karaoke). So much fun! I can't wait to do it all again. Everyone is so friendly, and it's great to be meeting so many new people. Each day gets better and better, as does the food, the photo ops, and the friendships.

Stay tuned for my next entry! I will be describing my experience at the Kapsa (or Gapsa) Buddhist Temple. The air was so fresh that I could hardly breathe!

First Full Day

I can't get the taste of kimchi out of my mouth. We eat in the cafeteria at set meal times 3x's each day. They call it "prison style," where you grab a tray (with little dish-sized compartments built into them) and serve yourself. The food is actually really good; it's like eating at an all-you-can eat Korean restaurant everyday. I'll have to take a picture later, but there is usually a tray of rice, some sort of meat in a stew (to go over the rice), dumplings / chicken nuggets / spam (aka more bite-sized meats), squid & radish / kimchi (aka side-dishes). Then at another station, they have lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery ... maybe some sort of potato salad or fruit and dressing. (The fruits and vegetables are really sweet & fresh!) And at another station are a beverages: tea, water, maybe soda (I don't venture that far.) Some people have complained about the food because they've been eating it for several days, but after eating at IH for one semester, anything will taste good by comparison. I think it's healthier than Oxy food too.

I hear that my province is one of the more (if not the most rural) areas. It's not known for anything besides the really good (and hopefully cheap) food. In my spare time, I should learn how to make kimchi or cook delicious meals. Korea town will have nothing on me!

While everyone is feeling familiar with life at Korea University, I'm still playing catch-up. Finding the classrooms, maneuvering the dining hall, meeting new people. I'm in Group 6, which is comprised of scholars going to Jeonnam (my province) and Incheon. Everyone already knows each other, so it sort of sucks to be a week behind everyone blahhhh

Korea University Campus

Breakfast started at 7:40am, followed by a 9 hour day (6 hours of lecture, lunch, 20 min breaks in between), and an optional Korean Language Activity/Class that I signed for after dinner. My jet lag kicked in during the second half of the last lecture, which was around 5pm here and 1am (aka my bed time) back in LA.

Lectures are boring. Don't get me wrong, they are very informative. We learn about classroom management, how to engage the kids, how to teach them effectively through simple songs & games, and what to expect when teaching in rural areas. Most scholars do not have teaching credentials and only really took this opportunity to go abroad and take a year off. (Hey, that sounds familiar.) The guest lecturers give us heaps of creative game ideas to teach English and even make us play them to help us understand how the games work. Oftentimes, I felt like the lecturers were talking to us like kids. Mix that with jet lag, and you'll understand why I felt like I was losing my sanity. I tried uploading a video snippet, but I accidentally recorded it in AVCHD and my computer doesn't recognize that. waahhh, ok well I'm sure there will be more to record next week, so I'll keep ya posted.

View from the elevator. I live on the 7th floor.

View from my room.

View of my room  :)

Greetings from Seoul! (I think)

I arrived safely at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. The flight was 12.5 hours and felt just as long. I thought that the guy who processed my ticket was kidding when he said that I would have to help the stewardess in the event of an emergency. He wasn't. The stewardess indicated that I was sitting next to the emergency exit, so she pulled out an emergency pamphlet for me to read and kindly gestured to me in broken English.

For my first meal, I ate bibimbab with a bowl of soup, a small side of kimchi and sweet potatoes / pumpkin (?), and tubes of sesame oil and chili paste. It was a real Korean meal as far as plane meals go.

I ate dinner with my good friend, Justin Bieber, whose movie was available on demand. (Don't judge me.) I may or may not have watched parts of it more than once.

For my second meal, I ate (baby) shrimp penne pasta with a side of (regular) shrimp rice-shaped pasta. It was basically a pasta dish with a side of pasta salad. Not the most creative idea. The only other option was meat-based.

I found my luggage and my way out of the terminal fairly quickly. I made friends with 2 other TaLK Scholars from northern California and England   :)   At 8pm, we took a bus from the airport to Cheongju, a ride which took another 2 hours.There, we were met by a guy named Josh who drove us another 20 mins to Korea University. According to Wikipedia, Korea University is still in Seoul, but I gotta tell you, we are in the middle of no where. I mean, there are buildings around, but nothing spectacular, and Josh tells me that my province (Jeollanam-do) is even more rural. Whyyyyy.

The weather is very humid. I can feel my pores clogging already.

Everyone thinks I am Korean, but then start practicing their Chinese on me when I tell them otherwise.

A 500mL bottle of water is only about $0.50 at the airport. I can get used to these prices.

From what I gather, the people that I have met in / from Korea don't find my jokes funny  =|  either that, or they are experiencing difficulty understanding sarcasm through the language barrier. And then they become quiet and I start laughing because they don't understand what I am saying at all. They must think that I'm a complete lunatic.

Anyways, I am living in a double dorm room now. My roommate (if any) hasn't arrived yet. The desk, closet, and bathroom are really nice compared to Oxy, though the room is a bit smaller. It gets unbearably humid in here, but gets way too cold when I turn the AC on......but anyways, I'll stop complaining about the temperature and go to bed. I need to get up in less than 5 hours.

Pinch Me, I'm Leaving!

My plane for Asiana Airlines just arrived, and my flight departs in just over an hour. (Picture also posted of Korean Air.) I can't believe I'll be in South Korea by late tonight. And I can't believe I'm missing the season finale of "Love in the Wild" wtf! </3

I've been sitting on the floor of the terminal hogging a plug. I'm one of those tech nerds, who can't stop touching their phones.

I also chugged a bottle of water before passing through the security check point and now I really have to use the bathroom -- for the 3rd time.

I'm also getting hungry ... hungry for plane food nom nom nom

I managed to snag the last window seat, which happens to be by the emergency exit. More space to spread out, hell yeah! So stoked.

<3

Peace Out America

I'm leaving for South Korea today! My bags are all packed and I am waiting for the SuperShuttle to come pick me up.

By a strange bout of luck, I have come to meet a lot of great people in the past few weeks, and I am bummed that I am leaving just as I've started to make so many new friends! My last month in LA has been really entertaining and eventful with Khaos Parts I & II (with my Oxy friends) and all the the shenanigans in between. I will miss everyone a lot, but I look forward to continuing what I started in 2012. I'm not quite done with you, LA!

Friends in America: Keep in touch! Email me. Facebook me. Skype me. Pleeeease. Care packages also welcome :) ... (partially jk)

Friends in Asia: Reunion!!!

-chonga

Last Daze in LA

Packing Problems

I spotted a huge spider the size of a quarter in my bed. Frazzled, I tried to brush it off, but it sought shelter under my bed sheets. I frantically pulled off my sheets until I saw the spider ... but just as it reached the edge of my bed, IT FELL INTO MY SUITCASE. Whyyyyyy. I took everything out of my luggage, but I have no idea where it crawled to. I shook off my clothes and packed everything back. Now I just hope that it doesn't lunge at my face when I open my suitcase in Korea. Fml.

Flight Frenzy

My flight is officially booked for Wednesday (August 10) at 1:40pm. I will be flying Asiana Airlines.

Also, mark your calendars because I will be back in 2012 on Friday, 27 July!!!

New Beginnings

I wanted to wait until I was officially accepted into the TaLK Program before I started posting in this blog. Well check this out ... better late than never!

Thank you everyone for your kind words of encouragement. I think some of you are more excited than I am; I'm sure it will hit me when I am in Korea. I apologize if I was mean/grouchy to anyone in the past 4 weeks. It's been insanely frustrating trying to get the green light for all of my official documents and not knowing (and still worrying) if things are going to work smoothly. You guys ask (and ask and ask) a lot of questions, and trust me, I will do my best to keep you posted. If I ignore you, it's because I don't have an answer yet. I appreciate your patience, and I promise that I will work on being more responsive as well.

Cheers x