Thanksgiving

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!

I spent the weekend in Seoul with some friends. A bunch of us ate Thanksgiving dinner together at Chef Milis in Itaewon. For $36 per person, the German (or Austrian) chef and his Korean wife catered traditional Thanksgiving dinners throughout the weekend. The meal began with a beet soup followed by a plate of turkey (yes I ate it), stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, and a bit of cranberry sauce. For dessert, we each received a square of pumpkin cake with a side of berry-flavored cream. The dinner was alright. I don't really care for Thanksgiving food because the centerpiece is a dead bird and nothing is spicy. I did spend the whole week teaching the kids about what Americans eat for Thanksgiving, so it was nice that the week culminated in a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I really just wanted pumpkin pie.

Beet (and tomato?) Soup

Turkey with stuffing, carrots, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce

Pumpkin cake with berry cream

For my readers in America, please consider these holiday delights! I know that I'll be thinking of them until next year.

Holiday Dessert Choice:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies from Trader Joe's. This seasonal treat is a hybrid dessert between chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin bread. Perfect for your holiday sweet tooth!

Holiday Beverage Choice:
Peppermint Latte from your favorite coffee joint. Nothing seizes the holiday season like a hot coffee with a hint of mint!

Life is much more difficult without a laptop. (I'm currently blogging from my phone. Carpel tunnel is quickly setting in.) No more "Song of the Week." No more music in general. No more back-to-back episodes of Modern Family. No more opportunities to catch up on GLEE or Gossip Girl. Waiting for a page to load on my phone is like spending an eternity watching the little circle spin. I only have about an hour to use the computer at school before, in between, and after classes so I'm usually clicking everything like mad.
Today I was invited to play volleyball again. This time the teachers reserved the gym in another school to practice among themselves. What is with Koreans and volleyball? I spent the day thinking of ways to get out of playing, but couldn't think of a valid excuse. Everyone but me got the memo to bring an extra set of clothes, so my attire actually limited my range of motion. My boots were slippery on the hard wood floors, and my jeans were bound to fall off. I confined myself to one corner of the court like a gymnast preparing to tumble during her floor routine. During the break, a teacher offered to practice with me. My arms felt sore after half a dozen hits. I shook off my right hand, made a pained face, and left to eat tangerines with everyone else. I still don't understand how EVERYONE likes to play volleyball. The other elementary schools make their TaLK scholars play too. What's going on?

Old News: Korea Hates Me

Korea is a sadist and likes to watch me suffer. Overdramatic, but true! Prior to Korea, I have never had a digital camera just stop working. That happened in August, and the Sony Cybershot was brand new. I have never had text messaging issues with my phone. I resolved that issue yesterday at a Sky Service Center. After waiting for over an hour, the technician decided to reformat my phone, which cleared all of my conversations and applications. The phone is also brand new. My laptop has never been unresponsive. Then two nights ago, my computer indefinitely went to blue screen and says that there is a hardware malfunction related to the memory. Even though my computer is 4.5 years old and ready to be replaced, all of my struggles with technology have one thing in common: KOREA.

In other news, I was invited to play in a teachers volleyball game against Samho Elementary School. When I first walked into the gym, it smelled like feces, piss, and kimchi. In other words, it smelled like the bus ride to school every morning. The sideline offered a table full of drinks and snacks including, but not limited to: meat, kimchi, dried squid, and tangerines. The combination of sweaty teachers and "only in Korea" volleyball cuisine created a very unique aroma.

I missed the first game and arrived in time to practice with the teachers before the second game. My hits seemed promising, but after a few bumps, the tenderness in my wrists reminded me why I didn't like volleyball during high school PE. (Remember what I said about sadists?) Well the game began and anytime the ball would come near me, I would swear under my breath and move out of the way. Let's be honest. I'm not that coordinated. I would probably have a sprained ankle or a broken nose if I tried harder (or at all). I'm better at running and swimming aka I'm better at individual team sports.

Did we win the game? Yes. (My principal may look old and stiff, but he was keen on the court and dove for the ball a few times. Even the older ladies held their own.) Did I shuffle back and forth to make it appear as if I were playing, resurrecting old tactics from 9th grade PE? Oh definitely. Did I volley the ball? No. Is my right wrist swollen because they let me serve the ball? Yes. Did it ever go over the net? It successfully did not.

VIDEOS: Crazy Kids

The only song that I've played more than "Love You Like A Love Song" is "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes." Here's a glimpse into my 1st grade class on Thursday:

Some of the kids trickle into class early to ask me questions in Korean, draw hearts on the white board, pounce on the desks, and hijack my phone. Warning: Watching this video may induce motion sickness.

Classes begin with the "Hello Song" and a series of questions that test their listening skills: How are you? What day is today? What day is tomorrow? What month is it? What is the date today? How is the weather? Then I segue into a review of the previous lesson's material. This week we finished learning the vocabulary for body parts. Here's a clip of the 1st graders singing and dancing to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes."

"One more time!"

It helps that they know how to restart the video. The kids basically teach themselves!

By the 3rd, 4th, or 5th time, the kids go ape-shit. For the most part, the girls just want to learn the song and dance perfectly --without being interrupted by the boys. The boys find amusement in disrupting the girls, screaming at the top of their lungs, wrestling each other, and pouncing on the desks.

My 5th grade class went a little bit differently. I was teaching a brief lesson about types of weather, which was impossible to get through because the boys wouldn't stop talking. I turned to the boys and asked, "Why are you talking?" One boy spoke back and said, "I'm talking." I responded, "No, I'm talking. Listen." I didn't have everyone's undivided attention for long. When the boys started talking again, I asked, "Why are you still talking?" Granted, there is a 50% chance that 50% of the kids understood exactly what I said, but the tone of my voice should have communicated what I meant. Another boy mocked me, "Why are you still talking?" I was annoyed, "Are you mocking me?" He repeated, "Are you mocking me?" My inner homegirl was about to snap my fingers in a Z-formation with my neck moving side-to-side. Oh hell no. I rhetorically asked, "Do you want to leave?" and pointed at the door. He tried to copy what I said and started to laugh. My co-teacher Hannee backed me up and scolded him in Korean. Then, he got up to leave. Everyone was so quiet. You could hear a pin drop in the classroom. The next vocabulary term in my lesson was "thunder & lightning." Now that's ominous.

In contrast, today 5th grade went very well. There is one boy who casually roams the class like a lost cat, but rarely participates during my lessons and refuses to play the games. It's weird because he always comes to class on time, if not earlier than most kids. He even pokes his head in and says "hi" during the 3rd grade class and throughout the week. But when he's in class, he confidently says "no," when I ask him to participate. Well today my inner homegirl wasn't going to let that happen. "You're playing" "No" "Yes" "No" "Yes" "No" -- I knew no one could understand this, but I asked, "Why are you even in this class if you're not going to speak English?" I considered kicking him out. It's fun having a superiority complex. I decided to let it go, but then he agreed to play the game. Surprisingly, he seemed to have a lot of fun. I guess he is really ticklish, so a few other boys started knuckling his head and tickling him. He would immediately roll over and squeal like a pig or laugh like a screaming monkey. It was hilarious.

T.G.I.F.

Song of the Week: "Love You Like A Love Song" - Selena Gomez

MUSIC VIDEO: "Love You Like A Love Song" performed by Selena Gomez

I've played this song at least two dozen times this week. The synthesized beats underlying the chorus strum in a way that exudes an electro-funk / Eurodisco vibe. The music video sets Gomez in multiple timeless places: a Japanese karaoke bar, a beach, the clouds, a convertible in outer space, on tv, in a field. She is indoors, outdoors, out of this world, and in the virtual world, transcending physical, temporal, and imaginary spaces. Ironically, this makes time feel ethereal and multi-dimensional. In addition to creating a mystical and dreamy effect, the purple and violet color palette no doubt pays homage to her celebrity boyfriend, Justin Bieber. Purple wasn't even recognized as a color until he made it his image.

TIME NewsFeed : Justin Bieber Nail Polish sold 1 million bottles by February 2011

Seoul Survivor

Spent the weekend in Seoul with a friend (Andres) and a couple that lives in the city. Andres met them on a previous trip to Seoul. Danny & Katrina own a small house slightly bigger than my one room apartment. Danny insisted it was a house. They are both from South Korea, but in one year they will be moving to the world's 8th most livable city: Perth, Australia! Note that on the same list, The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Melbourne, Australia as #1. Danny works as a civil engineer. He claims that engineers are not as highly regarded in Korea as they are in Australia and earn as much as (if not less than) construction workers. Like me, he studied in Australia in the past and always knew that he wanted to go back. He eventually wants to open his own business. Katrina doesn't speak English ... yet. She chose her English name just two weeks before I met her. While Danny likes business & science, Katrina is more interested in art --and cats! If we shared a spoken language, I think we would have gotten along very well. Danny & Katrina just returned from their first trip to Perth taking a tour of the region that they will eventually call home. They showed us sunny pictures of port-side mansions on the harbour. I want to go, too!

Danny & Katrina are the nicest (and only) English-speaking couple that I've met. I swear these opportunities never reveal themselves to me because I look Korean    *rolls eyes*    Not only did they allow us to stay at their home, but they also brought us little stuffed koalas from Perth. Best souvenirs ever. They also fed us fruit and helped us navigate a 10-hour day tour of Seoul.

Statue Illusions

The statue is carved to look distorted. It's trippy.

View from the side.

Playing an old traditional Korean game where you throw arrows.
You can barely see Seoul Tower in the back.

We walked 2.6km up to Seoul Tower --1.2km of which were just stairs. Everyone was exhausted, but I was determined to get to the top!

Resting on a bench. Looking up at Seoul Tower.

There were 2 things worth seeing after the 2.6km hike ........

1. A panoramic view of Seoul

2. A LIVE Mexican band!!!! Reminded me of home.

People stick locks & plastic tags onto these trees with notes about
love, promises, friendship, blahblahblah

Behind me, an old beacon of war!
(the brick tower, not the man)

My legs were all wobbly after walking down from the Tower.

Next, we went to Cheonggyecheong (Stream) to observe the 3rd Annual Seoul Lantern Festival. The walk up and down the stream comprised another 2.6km. By this time, everyone was beyond exhausted, but I wanted to see every lantern lest we missed a good one.

Robot Taekwon

Koi Fish & Clown Fish

Statue of Liberty --AMERICAAA!!!

Dolphins

Lotus Lady

We set our alarms for 5:30am on Sunday morning because Danny & Katrina needed to travel to a wedding by that afternoon. I dismissed all 3 of my alarms and woke up spontaneously at 6:45am. It was quiet. Turns out that everyone else in the other room also overslept their alarms. We left an hour later than originally planned. Katrina left us with a bag of tangerines and chestnuts to eat at the bus terminal. She and Danny were so nice. We might make plans to see each other again sometime, but we'll see how things go!

Playlist for Seoul

Headed to Seoul this weekend.

Playlist for the bus ride:
- "We Found Love" perf. by Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris (of course)
- Kaskade's new album, "Fire & Ice" (It's been getting great reviews on Facebook, but let's see how it fares by my judgment.)
- Above & Beyond's podcast: Trance Around the World #394, #397

Song of the Week: "We Found Love"

- NOW PLAYING -

"We Found Love" performed by Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

Even though the world has heard enough of (and about) Rihanna, "We Found Love" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #1 on my playlist. I never liked Rihanna in the past. In America, I upheld a No-Rihanna Policy in closed spaces, so I that wouldn't be boxed in by her whiny voice. In late 2009, I found refuge by listening to more electronic music with an understanding that underground house music existed on a different wavelength than America's Top 40. Meanwhile, Rihanna continued to dominate the surface with releases of her chart-topping hip hop and R&B singles such as "Hard" (2009) and "Rude Boy" (2010). 

In September 2010, Rihanna released "Only Girl (In the World)" as the lead single of her 5th studio album, Loud. Unlike her previous singles, "Only Girl" creatively embraced the dance-pop genre with elements of Europop. Occasionally the bass would interject 4-on-the-floor beats as the backdrop of Rihanna's shrill voice. Still whiny, but dance-able. "S&M" (2011) sounded equally promising because it fell within the Eurodance and dance-pop genre. Her music began to show some potential as audibly palatable as her singles conformed to the electronic dance music (EDM) genre, a loud shift indeed towards a pop cultural revolution. 

The simultaneous release of LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" (2011) and its overwhelmingly positive reception indicates a brewing and unprecedented peak in demand for electro-pop music today. ("Party Rock Anthem" held the #1 spot on Billboard.com for 6 consecutive weeks, sharing the 2011 record for the most weeks at the top with Lady Gaga's "Born This Way.") 

Fast forward one year from the release of "Rude Boy," and the title "We Found Love" speaks for itself. I know that I love house music, and I know that I couldn't care less about Rihanna. Yet, Rihanna collaborated with one of my favorite DJs, Calvin Harris. This British singer-songwriter produces the most amazing beats and has recently gained a lot of momentum as a headlining DJ. Something had to give. 

Well, Rihanna finally got it right. Her previous work has been showered with awards beyond a doubt of her accomplishments, but I think that this song marks a major turning point in her career. The intersection of the underground and the mainstream raises a flag in the revolution. Rihanna actively chooses a lead single featuring a DJ. Not Ne-Yo. Not Jason Derulo. A DJ. The pop star-DJ duo demonstrates a new, strategic formula for popular music development, one seen previously when David Guetta borrowed Rihanna's vocals for "Who's That Chick?" (2010) and lent his talents to the Black Eyed Peas to produce "I Gotta Feeling" (2009). Considering the escalating preference for electronic music (more commercially distributed as electro-pop), Rihanna successfully satisfied the trend, which happens to be aligning itself with my taste. 

Similarly, Calvin Harris found the opportune platform for media exposure. "We Found Love" marks his debut on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, he cannot return to the underground. Like David Guetta and Afrojack, he is transitioning into a household, or rather vehicular, name via radio airplay. Everyone is going to rave about his forthcoming projects and show their new-found support at actual raves, thereby boosting the economy for music festivals. (Check out this article from TIME Magazine about music festivals on the rise.) 

In the end, everyone appears to win: Rihanna will sweep up the nominations (maybe a few awards, but who can really contend with LMFAO?) Calvin Harris will continue to collaborate with chart-toppers -- with any bout of irony, Chris Brown will be next. I get to listen to electronic music on the road. And as soon as everyone asserts their fanatical ownership over "We Found Love" --'oh mah gawd! I love this song! This techno is soo gooood!'-- I will need to accept that the integrity of electronic music itself is headed towards a 'hopeless place' as it feeds into the jaws of the consumerism and the finicky commercial music industry. Check out this song by Calvin Harris, "Feel So Close." The cheerleading uniforms are from my high school back in La Crescenta. Random, I know.

"Feel So Close" produced & performed by Calvin Harris

Cheerleading uniforms from Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS). Represent!

"Stereo Hearts" performed by Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine

- SONG SUGGESTIONS - 

"We're All No One" produced & performed by NERVO feat. Afrojack and Steve Aoki
NOTE: These DJs are walking a fine line between underground & mainstream.

- NERVO opened for Britney Spears' Femme Fatale in June 2011.

- Afrojack is radio fodder today with his hit "Take Over Control" feat. Eva Simmons, which might I add was one of my favorites a year and a half ago.

"Big" performed by Sneaky Sound System

"From the Music" performed by The Potbelleez 

Wednesday Night Dinner (11/09)

WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER with NARI & JOANNE
짬뽕 (jjampong) : Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup
with a side of 단무지 (danmuji, yellow pickled radish), 양파 (onion), and 김치 (kimchi)

8 Highlights from Today

8. All caught up with "Gossip Girl" and "GLEE." Just started watching "Modern Family," "Up All Night," and "Whitney." Gracias Sidereel.com! I very highly recommend "Modern Family."

Catch "Modern Family" on ABC! Check your local listings.

7. This is my 3rd month of teaching, and I have taught well over 100 classes.

6. At least 10 new students signed up for English class on November 1st. Now I teach approximately 85 students throughout the week. I'm either raking in good reviews or there's something in the water ...

5. How to exhaust rowdy kids: Make them do 4 different versions of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes" for 10 minutes. Let's just call it an early introduction to online workout videos. My 4th graders were dying.

First I start with this reaaallyyyy sloowwww version

I thought this video was stupid at first, but the kids love it

Everyone's least favorite version of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes"

I thought The Wiggles were popular!

The kids love this last one. It's fast, upbeat, and full of anime-like characters

By the end of this week,  I will have sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" at least 100 times. I kid you not. Witty and comedic American television keeps me sane.

4. The cafeteria served a side of cheesy spaghetti at lunch. I am 90% sure that I am going through dairy withdrawals.

3. Hannee helped me teach Kindergarten for the first time and made my job a million times easier.

2. A kid brought cotton candy to class.

1. The 2 sixth grade girls that I have been tutoring during lunch twice per week for the past two months *WON* the 영암 (Yeongam) English Speech Contest! 8 students (out of ~27) won the Grand Prize: An opportunity to travel abroad! I'm not sure if they are going to study or sight-see, but it's pretty exciting. I don't take credit for the girls' accomplishments because they actually do study really hard. I just facilitated some weekly review sessions. At only 13 years old, studying completely consumes their lives. One girl is taking Korean, Chinese, and English. She is the student body president and already knows that she wants to be a diplomat. (A what?) She also applied to a middle school in some far away town that has an International Relations concentration. The other girl wants to be a doctor. 

PHOTOS: Yummy Foods & Broken English

PHOTOS from LAST WEEK

WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS WITH JOANNE & NARI (11/02)
PIZZA HUT: SPICY CHICKEN PIZZA with SALAD BAR

Can you spot the mistake?

What does this even mean?

SATURDAZE (11/05) with JOANNE
Shabu Shabu at a "Vietnamese" restaurant in Mokpo

Late lunch / Early dinner

Lots of veggies to stuff into a little rice paper wrap -- yum!

SPOTTED AT YP BOOKSTORE
"Fill the glass. If the alcohol is quite lovely drink
more delicious and exciting happening."

"Fill the glass. Oh lovely cup of distorted.
You're just caught in hand!"
The glass really is dented.

SUNDAZE (11/06) : Dinner with Joanne & Johanna in 목포 (Mokpo)
Spicy seafood 비밤밥 (bibimbap)

Yogurt Waffle from Yogur Presso on 장미길 (Rose Street)

Song of the Week: "Tomahawk"

AUDIO: "Tomahawk" produced by BT & Adam K

More than 9 minutes of pulsating progressive house and shades of trance, exploding in beats typically brandished by Deadmau5.

Fall Jeonnam POE Cultural Trip

28-30 October 2011

Every semester, TaLK scholars are taken on a multi-day cultural trip with the other English teachers in their province. Our group of 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th gens traveled to Busan and Gyeongju for 3 days and 2 nights. Food, transportation, and hotels all inclusive! Plus, we got Friday off.

Photos taken with my new camera and my cell phone.

My thoughts on the trip? It was nice. Relaxing. We hit a bit of traffic, so we spent a lot of time sitting on the bus and sleeping. It takes about 5 hours to travel to Busan, 5-6 to get to Gyeongju. We covered a lot of ground in 3 days. And I'm to lazy to write much else...so here are some pictures. Enjoy!

FRIDAY (28 October)

6:35am bus from Mokpo to Gwangju

5am woke up at the buttcrack of dawn. I wanted to throw my comforter in the laundry, then hang it up to dry before heading off to Gwangju. I also burnt my last piece of toast in the frying pan.

Mokpo -- Gwangju -- Baekcheon-sa Temple -- Jaeseung-dang -- Cable Car (Mt. Mireuk) -- Tongyeong

Joanne & I ate Halloween donuts from Dunkin Donuts in the Gwangju Bus Terminal

Baekcheon-sa Temple

Baekcheon-sa Temple

Baekcheon-sa Temple

Baekcheon-sa Temple

Baekcheon-sa Temple

We went on a boat ride and walked around an island at Jaeseung-dang

Jaeseung-dang

Cable Cars up to Mount Mireuk in Tongyeong

View from Mount Mireuk

Panoramic view from Mount Mireuk

Jackie Chan, what are you doing here?!

SATURDAY (29 October)

Busan Aquarium -- Haeundae Beach -- Bulguksa Temple -- Seokguram -- Gyeongju

Otters at the Busan Aquarium

Moon Jellyfish

Sting ray

Shark tank

Seokguram

SUNDAY (30 October)
Gyeongju Museum -- Cheonma Burial Mounds -- Cheonseungdae

Gyeongju Museum: I learned about these Buddha statues in Intro to Asian Art.
Too bad I don't remember anything from that class. 

Cheonma Burial Mounds

The BEST Korean Buffet ever!