It's getting real: PLACEMENT

Today I received my COMPLETE placement for the TaLK program in South Korea. I already knew the province, Jeonnam. But as of today, I will be teaching in a town called Damyang and my school will be in  Changpyeong.

SHIT JUST GOT REAL.



See? Even Master Yoda agrees.

I mean, I know where I'm gonna be now. And now my family will know where to go when shit goes down and they decide to roll out like Autobots. So this means that geographically, I'll be pretty far from Seoul. My mother can rest easy knowing I'll be far from North Korea as well, because you know they don't particularly care for Americans... and I'm Black (and beautiful) too. :D

About my province, apparently, it's a tourist trap for Koreans and it's known for it's bamboo forests and... wait for it... HOT SPRINGS!!! Oh yeah, natural hot springs. I hit the jackpot. Beauty and hot springs. Damyang borders Gwangju, which is surrounded by the Jeonnam Province (seriously, how the heck did that happen?) and is therefore one of the more northern counties of Jeonnam. Geographically, it's not a bad place to be. Damyang also seems to be located between Jeonnam and Jeonbuk, but Changpyeong is definitely in Jeonnam territory, and it's right on a highway, helping it's attraction as a tourist spot.

I feel that I will be in a decent area, but I highly doubt they get very any foreigners, especially since I've never even heard of the county. But here's hoping that I make an excellent first impression.

I realize I posted something spontaneously AGAIN, but hey, this is good news!

For everyone who wants to know, I will not be giving out my address. I'm not stupid, not do I want random people showing up at my door seeking asylum. I WILL turn you away. Unless you're family or one of 7 select friends. I don't do moochers either. lol.

Now it's time for me to stop writing and figure out how to set up a VPN network. I refuse to live without netflix and hulu. Nope. Not when I need to watch Supernatural and they have all of Star Trek and Dr. Who.

Cheers!

Getting Excited

Hello loves!

This is more of a fluff post than anything else. I realized that I haven't posted anything in a while, and I decided to post because I started clearing out my clothes and I realized, Well shit. I'm gonna go live in Korea and teach for a whole fracking year. And the excitement started getting to me.




I'm one of those people who only look excited over stupid things, like when my co-worker gave me a few Reese's that she wasn't gonna sell (she runs the café at the institution I currently work for) or when I was geeking out when my brother gave me the Rogers and Hammerstein version of Disney's Cinderella (Where Brandy played Cinderella, Whoopi Goldberg was the queen, and Whitney Houston was the fairy godmother, I swear it exists). Those little things, I let the crazy out over. Big things, like going to Korea, don't make the "Go Crazy" list at all.

So I'll vent all of that here! I am so excited to go to Korea. In my previous posts I've mentioned I've traveled abroad before. I've been to Paris (the love of my life), Italy (my heart's mistress) and Japan (what can I say about the Anime capital of the world?!). However, this is the first time I will go anywhere and be completely unattended for the vast majority of my stay. When I went to France, I went with a summer abroad program through my school and we had a UC Davis (GO AGGIES!!!!) teacher and other students with us. The same thing for Japan. Italy was a side-trip after my Paris adventure, and even then I stayed with a good friend of mine. Enrico, if you ever read this, I miss you and I miss Italy.

Like I said, I've never been truly alone in another country. This will be my first time. Also, this will be my first time going to a country where I don't know the language. I know, I know... some of you may be thinking "Dis bitch speaks four languages?!" No. I Speak three languages at this moment in time. But I can assure you, after my stay in Korea, it will be four. Maybe five if I take the time to learn Spanish wile I'm there (so that I can teach abroad in Spain). But that's the excitement, isn't it? Going into a new place alone, discovering things for yourself, figuring out things by yourself, and embracing an entirely new culture without others is amazing.

The thing is, when you're with other foreigners, you tend to miss out on a lot of things you wouldn't have if you just went by yourself. When I went to France, Professor Scherr required that we go out and find historic points in the city and explore. I often did this by myself (and later my classmates would drag me out to take them to those places because I already knew where to go) and I found so many little treasures because of it. There was this nice little café on Rue Mouffetard that I adored. There was also this awesome thrift shop in Belleville where I got this awesome leather jacket that my mom monopolizes (sadly, it looks better on her). I also found some of the best restaurants in the city (in my opinion). I didn't have that option in Japan because the course was much more structured and regulated.

I find I like the freedom to explore more. And I find it's best to do it alone, or in a small group if you're afraid. Getting lost is always better with a friend.

This aspect of adventure was still marred by the fact that I had a teacher to call if anything happened. I was never truly on my own, and I didn't have to rely on myself for everything. I was pretty independent, but I wasn't totally independent.

Now some people may be thinking "what about your mentor or co-teacher?" They aren't solely responsible for me. Yes, they'll help be get set-up, but it will be expected that I do as much as I can on my own after that. My co-teacher or mentor won't hold my hand when I get lost. I'll have to find my own way home. I'll have to shop on my own, figure out what things are on my own, and learn how to integrate myself into Korean society on my own.

It's all so scary... and that is what makes this trip exciting.

It's the thrill of adventure and the anticipation for the rough times ahead. It's the thrill of discovering new things. It's the thrill of discovering if I'm actually willing to become a teacher. I've wanted to be a teacher for a long time. This opportunity will be a great step towards that. If I find my experience to be solidifying, I know I've chosen the right course for me. So far, I've worked with students. I get frustrated, but I've found it very rewarding overall. I will have time to develop actual pedagogical skills and see where it leads me.

It has always broken my heart when I see students who aren't up to par, who have been overlooked. Perhaps this can be the first step to my dream of helping students who need it, to help them realize their potential and stop feeling stupid when they're not. Anyone can learn, the question is simply how.

Many of my friends haven't even left the country before. I urge them to do so, but it's hard for most people and I acknowledge that. For anyone who reads this who has never been away from their home country, find a way to do it. it IS possible, and the experience does more than open your mind to new possibilities, it gives you a better perspective of your own country and of yourself. I hope to learn something about myself while I'm abroad. I'm sure I will.

So I'm excited. This is probably one of the most important things I'll do under the age of 30 in my whole life. it will determine whether or not I'll continue on my path or switch to astrophysics or engineering (both of which I find fascinating).

And even if no one sees it on my face or hear it in my voice, they can see my thoughts in writing, in these blog posts. My excitement, my anguish, my curiosity... everything I wouldn't normally express in words.

I'm Excited.

Buying a Plane Ticket

Hello, loves!

Next in my series of preparations is buying a plane ticket. I'm flying out of SFO (the San Francisco International Airport) and as such I needed to find flights out of my area and into my assigned airport in Korea. Selecting a ticket could be difficult, especially if you don't know the do's and don'ts of flying. When it comes to international Travel, this isn't my first rodeo, and I have already given some of my fellow TaLK hopefuls a few hints as to what to do.

There are a few things to consider when booking a flight:

1. Cost
2. departure time
3. arrival time
4. layovers
5. baggage

COST

The first and foremost is cost. Only book a ticket you know you can afford. I had to ask my mother for a bit of help, but ultimately, my ticket cost about $610. Airline tickets can be pretty expensive. I saw tickets towards $1300. Don't pick those, they are first-class and unless you're a rich son of a bitch (pardon the language, I don't think any of you are bitches), don't go for it. It's not worth it. If you're on a budget, it's as my mother says: you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. Because TaLK does everything very slowly, you won't have the time to book months in advance. You won't even know when you have to fly in until about 2 months after your acceptance. You won't even know the final airport until about a month before you need to leave. But start checking immediately when you do know. And search every site you possibly can.

For checking cost, I use two main websites when it comes to booking flights: CheapoAir and Air Fare Watch Dog.

http://www.cheapoair.com/

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

CheapoAir is my first stop, usually you can find some pretty good deals. I used it when I moved from California to New York and when I planned my trip from California to France, and France to/from Italy. I got really good prices. However, if you're really bargain-hunting, AFWD is the way to go. it lines up a bunch of airfare search engines to onto one site so you can find the cheapest prices. Hence the cheap ticket I got. You don't have to type in individual searches with AFWD, it's all there. All the sites with all the prices, including CheapoAir. 

The thing is, different sites get different deals from airlines at different times. Sometimes airlines play favorites and offer better deals to some sites, and not to others. Also, you have to think that they are businesses. They want that commission. So check every available site on AFWD. Trust me, you may miss out on a deal if you don't.

DEPARTURE TIME

Pick a time that works for you, that you can swing. I was low on choices, so I chose a 7AM flight out of  SFO, but I live about 2 hours away. I have to find a ride (which I did, props to my big brother, yo!). If you're going to teach, chances are that you're going to have to get someone to take you there. Be sure you're not putting anyone out too much. Also, be sure that it's a time you can make. For international flights, I like to be there 3-4 hours early. Even though my first layover is in the US, I still want to make sure I have everything ready to go.

ARRIVAL TIME

TaLK has airport pickup from 11AM to 8PM on the designated fly-in dates. If you fly in before 11AM on the morning, great! Just chill until it's time for you to check-in for the pick-up service. If you get in after 8PM (really, after 7:45) you're gonna have to ind a place to stay.

I realize it could be very difficult to get in before 8PM sometimes, but that's why you have to look hard. I saw a flight with a 16 hour layover in Incheon. I had to spend the night to arrive 2 days after I left rather than the usual 1 day. Hell. No. Sure, I could have stayed at the jjimjilbang (community bath house) at the airport (I've been told there is one) but I didn't want to wait that long. So I found a flight that gets me there at 6:20PM. Much better. Look hard, young padawons. The force will bring you the right ticket.

LAYOVERS

Layovers are a pain in the ass sometimes. Really. Flights with more layovers might be cheaper, but a Layover can kill you. The thing about layovers is timing. Never book a flight with a layover time less than 1 hour. NEVER!!! There are many reason for this:

1. Your plane could be delayed while in air and thus you can miss your connecting flight
2. You want to ensure there is enough time to transfer your bags between planes
3. you want to make sure you have enough time to use the bathroom between flights (airport bathrooms are usually pretty clean)
4. you want to stretch your legs for REAL

Okay, so the first two are the only really important reasons, but since they are like, 90% of the reason to schedule a slightly longer layover, do it. I don't mean that nasty 16 hour layover. If you can have one between an hour and 4 hours, that would be ideal. If you have to choose between a 16 hour layover and a 30-45 minute layover, I would choose the 16 hour one. At least I'll know I won't miss my connecting flight.

BAGGAGE

Okay, so this is important. TaLK recommends that you bring two large luggage pieces (28") and a possibly a carry-on. I recommend definitely bring the carry-on. I can give you horror stories about losing my luggage (they found it, but still). Bring extra clothes on your carry-on no matter what. The probability of losing you baggage is low, but don't ever take that chance. It happened to me on my first international flight and I had to waste money on new clothes. Luckily it was in Paris, France, and they were fashionable clothes, but it was still a heart-attack experience.

Also, if you're a shop-a-holic, don't pack too much. Definitely bring 2 large luggage pieces, but don't fill them up too much. Me? I like shopping. I know I'll buy some clothes while I'm there (even if I'm not all that into Korean fashion) and I know I'll need that extra space on the return flight.

Also, please be aware of baggage fees. On most Asian airlines, at least your first checked bag is free. On most US airlines, your first bag is $25-ish and your second is $35-ish. Another reason why I chose such a cheap flight is to balance out my baggage fees. I'm looking at $70-$100 in baggage fees. But I can afford it because my ticket was so cheap.

Okay, so that's my 2 cents on travelling. I haven't traveled to Korea yet, but I know that this will help some people with planning their trips. I'm not saying I'm a travel expert, but I do have at least a little experience. I've had plenty of bad ones. I hope that I can help you avoid making those mistakes.

Cheers!