JUST CALL ME
"PROFESSOR"

 

 

 

I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past couple weeks (on a specific subject, not just the random barrage of thoughts that like to assault my brain), brought on in part because of the new year and in part because of my current situation, which I will explain. I knew my school was likely to close at the end of the school year seeing as it was having a lot of financial difficulty (which is a very long, drawn out story that I won't get into), but it wasn't a certainty until just recently. I'd already decided to search for a new school, knowing I wanted somewhere more stable with a more set curriculum than my current school (I've made enough work/activity books over the last year to fill a small library). That being said, I think the reason I'm putting up this post can be attributed to the mixed feelings of excitement, trepidation, and stress I've had over the past week as I've started my search for a new school.

 

I've found a few good possibilities, but it has yet to be determined whether one of these schools will take me on as a teacher (prayers, please?). While I was scrolling through eslcafe.com (an absolutely amazing site for anyone planning on teaching English in Korea), I found quite a few listings of job openings at universities. Even before coming to Korea, I'd heard of these coveted positions. Let me tell you about it a little, shall I? Just keep in mind this is general information and it will vary slightly depending on the university.

 

The first thing that might shock some is that as a foreigner teaching English at a university, you will be paid roughly the same as an English teacher at a hagwon (or a private English academy for 5-7 year old children who will often have classes for elementary, middle, and/or high school students in the afternoon). To put this in perspective, the hagwon jobs (on the whole) are the bottom rung on the ladder, the least wanted jobs because of limited vacation days (usually 6-10 paid vacation plus national holidays) and the fact that many hagwons are unstable (like the one I work for) and a variety of other problems. These private academies are not the fancy ones you might expect of a private academy in America. They are a dime a dozen. The next rung on the ladder are the public school jobs. You have better vacation days (I can't remember the exact number of vacation days, but it's something like two weeks in the winter and two weeks in the summer plus all the national holidays), less work (more desk warming--but who could complain about that when you could do something productive with it like writing blog posts or learning Korean or reading a good book), and on average better pay. However, they generally want teachers with TEFL certification or who have their bachelors in teaching. And the highest rung on the ladder are the university teaching positions. Depending on the university, you will have anywhere from 2-4 months paid vacation (can you say WOW?!), only 12-25 teaching hours each week (25 was the highest listed teaching hours I saw listed, and to put it in perspective, right now I have about 32 teaching hours a week) plus a couple required office hours, and let's not forget the title of professor (you now have permission to boast to all your friends and family). The yearly pay equals out to slightly less or equal to that of the average pay of a hagwon. However, I've also heard that you can teach more credit hours and receive overtime pay which can significantly boost your yearly income. In addition, all three of these jobs (hagwon, public school, and university) usually either offer free housing or a housing allowance they pay you each month if you want to find your own place to stay for those who are more picky about their living quarters.

 

So I think you now have an idea why university teaching postitions are so sought after. However, there is a catch. Most universities require minimum masters degree plus a couple years university level teaching experience. I don't currently have a masters degree nor university teaching experience. But notice the key word: MOST. Smaller universities will often hire English professors without masters degrees and university level teaching experience.

 

And that brings us to my plans for this and next year. Though I'd thought about it previously, I hadn't yet committed to the idea of preparing to teach at a university. It was just some vague wish for the future. This year I plan on making it a reality. There are a few things I'll need to do to make this even remotely possible. First, I'll need to beef up my resume a little more. Getting on with a well-known and reputable hagwon or public school teaching experience would help. I'm also planning on taking an online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course which will open up a lot more opportunities in this field including public school teaching. The next is to research so I can learn to plan and teach university level courses. I'd also want to work a lot more on my Korean because more than likely IF I get a university job, it will be in a lesser populated area which tend not to be as English friendly as the big cities like Seoul, Incheon, and Busan. Then, of course, there's the dreaded interview I'd need to prepare for.

 

At the university level, there are three stages for application. The first is sending in your resume, cover letter, and the paperwork for your visa (make sure to get this a few months in advance so you're ready). If they find you to be a suitable candidate, you move on to the second round: interview. Pass that and you are on to the final stage, which is the demo lesson (depending on the university, the last two stages might be switched). The demo lesson is what will make or break your chances of getting the job. This is where someone with a bachelor's degree might be chosen over someone with a masters. If you can put together and execute an amazing demo lesson, you're practically guaranteed the job no matter your qualification or lack thereof (except that you MUST have a bachelor's degree at bare minimum).

 

So, there you have it, folks! I have so much to do, but hopefully I can keep myself motivated so I can achieve this goal (even if it does take me more than a year to do). Like I mentioned before, teaching at university level is something I would absolutely LOVE to do. I like teaching, but I've found teaching children may not be my calling. There are parts about teaching kids that I love and will probably miss, but there are many things I will not miss at all.

 

Well, wish me luck, everyone!!! I've got my work cut out for me.

 



GOODBYE 2014...

HELLO 2015!

 

Gotta love some Calvin and Hobbes. Anywho, I'm sure you all know what this post is going to be about. Each new year is a great reminder that we have a chance to change. Some people are going for the stereotypical changes in lifestyle like eating healthier and working out (I believe those two are probably the most common). Others go for huge life changes be they related to home, family, or career. I made my big "career" change last year and I'm planning on staying strong on that this year (I plan on teaching in Korea for at least another year, perhaps more, but I'll decide that when the time comes) so no changes there.

 

So down to the resolutions. I have a few small ones, a few big ones, but I decided this year I wanted to make changes (even if they are only small ones) in each aspect of my life: physical, mental/intellectual, social, environmental, emotional, and spiritual. 

 

Environmental:

 

In Korea, it's fairly easy to be environmentally friendly. They have strict recylcling laws and seeing as I don't drive a car, but use the subway, I feel like there's not a lot left to do in that area. Now, talking about my everyday environment like my home and my workplace, there are some improvements to be made. My first goal in this area is to keep my home and workplace clean. I'm guilty (as many other singles are) of letting my dishes pile up a little too much, putting off cleaning the bathroom, letting my paperwork pile up, etc. My goal this year is to keep up with cleaning. It's essentially keeping to the rule to put things away when I'm finished using them instead of procrastinating and letting everything pile up. I always feel better with a clean home. The other one kind of related to environment is I want to grow a plant. I haven't decided what kind, but I think a plant will liven up my apartment a bit.

 

Physical:

 

The next one is physical. I'm the kind of person who loves to make goals but hates to put in the effort to fulfill them. So this year, I'm going to try something a little different. Instead of making a goal like lose so many pounds or get a gym membership, I wanted to make the goal a little more fun and a little less daunting. My exercise goal (to start with; it'll progress more as the year goes on) is just to dance everyday. I'm not a trained dancer, but I love to dance. So essentially all I need to do is put on some music and start moving :) My other goal, food-wise, is portion control. I have a terrible habit of just sitting down with a bag of munchies and munching them all up. Before I realize what I've done (okay, that's not always true. Sometimes I'm perfectly aware of what I'm doing), I've consumed the entire thing.

 

Mental/Intellectual:

 

This one was easy to think of, but I know the execution will be very difficult for me since I'm not very good at self-motivation and self-discipline. The first is to study Korean more fully. I've dabbled here and there, but none too seriously. I need to buckle down with this and get to work since I plan on staying in Korea for possibly the next 2-4 years (maybe more depending on what's in the cards for me). I have plenty of resources, I just haven't kept up with it. My next goal is to start writing more regularly. I've decided to do writing prompts three times a week to start with and work my way from there.

 

Spiritual:

 

This doesn't always have to deal with religion, for those of you who aren't religious. But I am religious, so that's what mine will focus on. I admit, I've slacked a lot on my personal scripture study and my personal prayers (most especially my morning prayers which always seem to slip my mind). It works out perfectly because my branch's goal this year has to do with perfecting the saints. Our branch president challenged us all to read the scriptures everyday and to finish the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. I decided to accept the challenge.

 

Emotional:

 

This one will be a little tough because I've discovered a whole new side to myself working with children so much. I used to consider myself a patient person, but now I've discovered I'm not as patient as I thought. My first goal, in regards to emotional health, is to smile more both in and out of class. To go along with that, I will work on getting to know each of my students better and relating to them on a more emotional level rather than just mental and physical. The other thing I want to work on is meditation. All through elementary, middle, high school, and college I would deal with emotional build up by escaping through books. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I want to work on a way to control rather than escape from my emotions.

 

Social:

 

Last but certainly not least. This one, I think, will probably be the most challenging for me. For those of you who know me well, I like my "me time." I get drained by being around people for too long (which sometimes makes me wonder why I chose to teach), so having that alone time is necessary for my sanity. But at the same time, I will often use that as an excuse not to go out with my friends. My first goal is in regards to that issue. I currently live about an hour and a half away from the center of Seoul (which is where most of my hang-out group gathers for activities), which makes it hard to go do anything during the week. I maybe make it up to Seoul (not counting Sundays for church) maybe once or twice a month to hang out with friends. I'm going to up that to two to three times a month even if it's just for a lunch date or some shopping. Second, I want to make more Korean friends (outside of work). This is going to be the most difficult, I feel like, because it's not like I can just walk up to strangers on the street and be like, "Hey, you like an awesome girl/guy. Wanna be friends?" I need to find ways to meet more Korean people my age. There are groups I've heard of that cater to building friendships between Koreans and foreigners. I just need to find some first then commit to going.

 

So there you have it, friends! My new year resolutions. And I'll be very surprised if very many of you made it through reading all of this. If you did, thanks. If not, it's okay, see you for the next post :)

 

P.S. If anyone reading this knows of any awesome Korean peeps who'd want to be my friend, let me know. I feel like I may need some help in that area.

 

"We will open the book.

Its pages are blank.

We are going to put

words on them ourselves.

The book is called opportunity

and its first chapter is New Years Day."

 

-Edith Pierce

 





IT'S THE MOST
WONDERFUL TIME
OF THE YEAR!

 

"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.

Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a

little bit more."

 

-The Grinch

 

 

Christmas has come and gone and what a Christmas it was! It was very different than any Christmas I've ever had before because of two things: I was away from home for the first time during Christmas and, the most obvious, I was in Korea. The festivities started right around my birthday (a week before Christmas). We were preparing for our Christmas party at school, which meant lots of Christmas music with some dances to go along :) My class was practicing Jingle Bell Rock and (yes, I know it's not a Christmas song) Dancing Queen. We ended up having a little dancing/singing contest between the different classes. I only caught a little of the performance with my phone, but here are the bits I got (be prepared for cuteness overload). This first video is from our Infinity class (one of our two 7-year-old classes) and they are doing a rendition of Jingle Bells.

 



 

The next video is of the same class, but this time they are dancing to Jingle Bell Rock.

 







 

 And now we move on to Universe class (our second 7-year-old class, which is also my class!!!). This first one is Dancing Queen.

 



 

And I saved my favorite for last. This is Universe class again, but this time doing Jingle Bell Rock. Eeeeek, so adorable!!!!!! On a side note, if you notice the boy in the green sweater with tan pants, that's Daniel and he wants to be a kpop star when he grows up. He might have a chance with how well he performs. Just watch him :)

 



 

Following the dance competition, I needed some pictures with my cute kids.

 

These three cuties are from my afternoon elementary class. They're
all very silly and VERY active. They keep me on my toes.

Cute little Anna with a huge personality that somehow fits
into that tiny body of hers.

Ever the princess, Betty.

Daniel, the class clown.

Logan, the quiet, camera shy one. He's super adorable though
and though he pretends to hate it, he loves to be tickled :)

Paul, the do-gooder of the class.

And last, Tristan, the trouble-maker. He can still be quite cute though.



 

After our Christmas party, I went to the Nutcracker ballet with some friends of mine. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the actual performance, so I only have a few pictures from before and after, The theater was absolutely beautiful though.

 

A view from the outside of the theater.

They had some gorgeous chandeliers.

We were in the very back row, but the theater was fairly small,
so it was okay.



Group picture with some old and new friends.

And of course, we had to get a group picture by the
Christmas tree :)

We got to enjoy a Christmas party at our branch president's house and we were also invited over for Christmas dinner. At the Christmas party we decorated some gingerbread houses.

 

Confession: this was the first time I ever attempted making
a gingerbread house. And I forgot to get the pictures of me
with the gingerbread house from my friend, so you'll just have
to deal with my friend frosting the Christmas tree.

Some more of our gingerbread-house-making crew.

They even let us help decorate the Christmas tree!

Christmas dinner was absolutely delicious (so much home cooking!!!!!), and we all had a great time talking and laughing up a storm. And thank you to Yong for some of the amazing pictures (his are the higher quality ones, some of which I might have snuck off his facebook...).

 

Enjoying the food :)

Picture in front of the Christmas tree. We had a few people
comment that three of us look like sisters :)

A sampling of some of the desserts.

We kind of filled the room. But oh it was wonderful!!!

After Christmas dinner, I ended up going home so I could Skype the family while they opened presents. While I missed spending Christmas (in person, anyway) with my family, I have to say the experience of Christmas in Korea was a great one. It brought me closer with friends, old(ish) and new, and reminded me of what is truly important during the Christmas season.

 

I hope everyone else has had a wonderful Christmas season and a happy New Year!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





A KDRAMA

RECOMMENDATION

 

The most expensive thing in

the world is...

TRUST.

It can take years to earn

and just a matter of seconds to shatter.

 

It's been quite a while since I've done a book recommendation, so here we go. Except this time, I'm going to be recommeding something different (and if you're smart--which I know all of my readers are--you'll have noticed I'm recommending a kdrama this time instead of a book). For those not familiar with the terminology, kdrama stands for Korean drama. I don't generally recommend kdramas to many people because I know, for the most part, they are an acquired taste (they generally range from cheesy romances to extra super cheesy romances). But somehow they still manage to suck you in and you end up loving the cheese. 

 

As I've mentioned in the past, I used a lot of kdramas to help me start learning Korean. I've seen quite a few, so if you ever want a recommendation, let me know what kind of shows you like, and I may be able to find a kdrama to fit your preferences. Anyway, back to the recommendation. As I was saying, I don't normally recommend kdramas, but this one was just absolutely amazing! There's actually not a lot of romantic cheese to this one, actually I can only think of one small instance in the series that has an overtly "Oh, these characters are totes going to end up together" vibe. The name of the drama (I know you've been in utter suspense waiting for it) is Liar Game. Here's the promotional poster.

 

 

I'll try to give you a brief description of the drama without giving too much away. The main character of this drama is a girl named Nam Da-Jung who is extremely trusting and loyal. She is selected to participate in a TV show called Liar Game. The premise behind the show is that a number of contestants will compete in various challenges to win 10 billion won (the equivalent of roughly $10 million). Each challenge is essentially a battle of wits, and all the players are trying to decieve each other so they will end up with more money by the end of the round. The last man standing gets the 10 billion in prize money.

 

There are three very key players in this drama. The first is the afore mentioned Nam Da-Jung played by Kim So-Eun:

 

 

The second is who you might call her partner in crime, Cha Woo-Jin played by Lee Sang-Yoon:

 

And the third is the mysterious creator and host of the game itself, Kang Do-Young played by Shin Sung-Rok:

 

 

The reason I love this drama so much is because it doesn't focus entirely on the romantic side of things (like I mentioned before, it barely touches on it), and it focuses more on the psychological aspects. I'm also in love with the undertones of trust/distrust between not only close friends and family but of complete strangers. It delves into the multiple questions dealing with human behavior in regards to trust. Twists and turns are incorporated into every new challenge. Things almost never came out the way I expected them to. This drama did a very good job of throwing in the unexpected and leaving the viewer almost completely unaware of what might happen next. And then of course they throw in the characters' pasts and suddenly you have a whole new mess to try and figure out on top of the game. But that is what is so attractive about it. It's a puzzle you're trying to solve and when you think you've started to figure it out, something new is revealed and you find yourself no closer to solving the mystery than at the beginning of the show. I would venture to say it is the Korean equivalent of Sherlock in its complexity (especially since most kdramas don't pay attention as much to the minute details as this one does). It also leaves you agonizing for the next season (for those unaquainted with kdramas, very few of them have second seasons). So that's why you'll understand why I was both extremely frustrated that I was left with somewhat of a cliff hanger and also elated to find out that meant they HAD to have a second season. I'm more than thrilled to watch another season as long as the promise of a similar intensity level is satisfied in the second season. Dare I even hope for a third season?

 

*For anyone who wants to watch it, there are a few sites with English subtitles available. The best ones I've come across so far are dramafever.com and dramafire.com. Enjoy!!!

 

P.S. I would love to hear feedback from anyone who watches the drama or who has already seen it. I'd like to know your thoughts, theories, and also feel free to throw out other recommendations. I'm always on the lookout for new series :)