Preparing For Practicum 2

Hello, hello, hello~ Time for a new post! Unfortunately, I have no pictures for you. So I'll use one from the internet.



Last time I talked about Practicum 1. We literally had another practicum three days later. We had two days of classes (Tuesday and Wednesday) before we had our next practicum. There is no rest for the TaLK Scholar. No, really, no rest.

But we did have those two days of classes. After the big hurrah of finishing practicum 1, we were told about practicum 2, which is for co-teaching. We were going to present the lesson plan together and share the responsibility of every aspect to the presentation. I was happy to get my girl Amariah, she's someone I'm already close with and we agreed on our teaching methods that same day. Verbally, we had our lesson done and planned before dinner. It was awesome.

So, on Tuesday, we had lectures. As I told you. An as some of my readers already know because they were there. Everyone was dead tired form preparing for Practicum 1, celebrating the end of practicum 1 (noraebang* and drinks, but I didn't join in), and then beginning to freak out about practicum 2, but everyone tried their best to stay away. Our classes are actually really interesting. I feel bad when I even think about dozing off because our lecturers are good and entertaining. There was, however, one lecturer who had a very different class... that elicited a unique reaction. I'll leave it at that.

Aside from that, the courses were interesting as ever. There were a lot of lectures relating on effective communication with our Korean co-teachers and how to plan and execute lessons. This helped A LOT with our preparations with the second practicum. At point in time, I would like to commend the teachers on their dedication and their excellent lectures. I will definitely use as much of your advice as possible as a TaLK scholar. For real.

Anyway, We still had to use what little remaining time we had to prep for Practicum 2. We did have 3 hours of class time dedicated to that, but Amariah and I decided non-verbally to do it all before them so that we weren't stressing out right before our practicum. Our topic was family members for 5th and 6th graders. I know that may be basic, but the students we are teaching are really low level and they barely have any conversation practice. They could know the mechanics of English better than a native speaker, but they won't know how to speak a lick of it. My job is to change that.

Moving on.

We made our lesson plan mentally earlier, so all we had to do was write it out. Anad amke materials. I wrote things, Amariah drew and colored things, and I helped her. We only colored in the drawings during Practicum prep.

They were cute. I'll probably post scans up later. If you want to see them, drop a comment or something. Props to Amariah's excellent drawing skills.

On Thursday, we was the day for practicum 2. I think that more scholars were more prepared for this one than they were for the first practicum. In the morning, we had 3 hours to prep. Leo, Amariah, Saya and I area all in the same class (along with a bunch of other people in our class that I love). Saya and her partner, a lovely girl named Autumn, were making materials. Amariah and I were finishing up and then we practiced our practicum material. This practicum was supposed to be 20 minutes. We were sure we weren't even going to finish. It's hard to condense a 40-minute lesson into 20 minutes.

Our practicum teacher, Joseph (he's awesome), gave us a paper as well. On that paper was a mission. It was a mission to be some sort of problem child. Mine was funny. I'll tell you later.

After lunch began the practicums. We were the second group to go. That also meant our class hadn't completely got into our "I'm really a Korean child and English learner" mode yet. You know, that moment when you return to your childhood state because you have to pretend to be a kid and you really become a kid because we're all kids deep deep deep deep DEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPP down inside? Yeah. That moment.

I made a hello and goodbye song for the practicum (that I will probably be using in my real classes) and I also made a song about family members and their titles. I was commended for my effort, but I was told my song was a little to long. In real life, I'd teach it in sections or cut it shorter. Most likely teach it in sections. Amariah and I have different teaching styles, and I think it made for a dynamic class. I think we did okay, and the feedback was good, in my opinion. That's one of the things I really like about practicum.

My problem student was someone (I think it was Autumn) who pretended to be in a bad situation, so Amariah and I constantly checked up on her throughout the lesson. Jospeh said it was a good thing. He also said he liked how we were constantly weaving through and giving feedback to our students.

Once again, I'd have to say Saya's lecture was one of my favorites. Her and Autumn also have different teaching styles, but they melded really well into an entertaining class. Saya's drawing skills were once again put to good use. They did a lesson on the weather and they were very fun. They learned the "rain rain, go away" song with an Autumn and Saya twist. My next favorite class was with Elaine and Leo, where they used Baymax from Big 6. I still haven't seen the movie, but in my child mode, I was super excited.

OHMYGOD Leo killed Baymax.

So Leo was wearing a poorly made Baymax mask and pretending to be Baymax. children can be really gullible, so they fell for it. I kinda did. Like... I knew it was Leo, but it was still Baymax. Anyway, we played a game with Baymax, and at the end, we had to say bye to Baymax. At that moment, Leo ripped of the mask and EVERYONE screamed at Leo killing Baymax. We were all like "YOU RIP BAYMAX'S HEAD OFF!" I swear, I almost cried. I didn't even know this character! But it was really emotional. If adults act like that when they're pretending to be children and you do that, definitely don't rip off a character's head in front of children. It's traumatizing. Leo, this will follow you forever.

R.I.P Baymax. You were an excellent English teacher.

Anyway, all in all, our practicums were pretty good. They were all entertaining and I got a lot of good ideas. The general orientation is almost over. I finished my practicums and my classes, and I will go to the provincial orientation.

But Damn.

We're going to have another practicum in Gwangju.

Oh well, it's good practice.

Cheers~!

Vocabulary:
noraebang: korean karaoke room

Classes and Practicums

I am back with a new post! Yay! *Does a little dance.*

As I've said in my last few posts, TaLK has been keeping me as busy as a bee, so I have been either too busy or too tired to update this blog as often as I would like, but I can say I'm happy the program is run like this. We are learning a lot of teaching skills that we can use while our tenure as TaLK scholars. But enough of that. Time to talk about what we actually did this week.

I mentioned our practicum, or our lesson plan demonstration. On Monday, we had our first Practicum Class, where we prepared our own lessons and presented them to our class. We basically pretended we were teaching a class. This practicum was an 8-minute presentation.  I practiced my practicum before, so I was confident that I would be able to do it.

Monday morning, the cafeteria was dead. There were NOT a lot of people because the night before, people were finishing up and perfecting their lesson plans. I feel for those people because most of the scholars had no experience teaching before, so some people were constantly revising their lesson plan. We had a regular lecture in the morning, but the next class was lesson prep, where we made materials for our class because w weren't allowed to use technology unless it was to print out our lesson plan. Personally, I think that the lesson prep was fun. We were all drawing and coloring and making things. Since we're teaching elementary schools, I felt like I returned to that state of mind and it helped me a lot.

The practicums began during the next class period and I was lucky enough to go first. But let me tell you how it happened. During the prep class, our practicum teacher, Joseph, gave us all chocolates as a late Valentine's day gift. BUT! There was a twist. There were slips of paper that had numbers on them. Those numbers determined the order we went in. I originally pulled 10 and then I traded for 6. Then, near the end of our practicum prep, Joseph asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to be first. I proudly volunteered as tribute. Better to be first, in my opinion.

Anyway, for my practicum, I had to do a short activity for first and second grade kids involving prepositions and I prepared a chant to teach my "students" and went through it. I prepared pictured to help facilitate. I think it went well, overall. we received evaluations about our performances. That day, my favorite practicum lessons were from my friend Saya, who did a lesson for kindergarten kids, and from Elaine, another classmate who prepared another class for a kindergarten class as well. I just realized that both my favorite lessons were for kindergarten. What does that say about me?

Moving on.

We all had lunch before doing the rest of the practicum lessons. We finished our practicums early, but we couldn't run off to freedom. We still had a class to go to afterwards on Korean Culture. I felt really sleepy, but I managed to stay awake for the presentation because it was pretty interesting. We were taught about the Lunar New Year, Seollal, in Korea. It's very important and pretty much every store is closed for Seollal. People head home and get together to greet the new year. We were taught how to greet the family properly. Women in hanbok (traditional Korean garb) showed us how to bow. Women bow with their right hand over the left, and for men it's the left hand over the right. For funerals, the hands are reversed. Interesting, no? The culture is very intricate.

After the  Korean culture class, we all rushed off to dinner and ate our heats out. Chef, man, Chef. He seems to know what we're thinking. Always the right meal. Anyway, after dinner, we went to Korean class. I was dead tired, but Korean class has a way of getting me all hyped up for no reason. We learned about... wat for it... prepositions! Yes, they came back to haunt me, but this time I wasn't the one presenting. Kekeke. Anyway, we learned a little song to remember the basic Korean prepositions and played a few games and I got a twix bar for being awesome. JK. But I did get a twix bar. I gave it away though. I'm not a fan of twix. I don't like wafers.

Anyway, That's all I'll add for now. I'll post again about the rest of my week and my second practicum. Until then, see you.

Cheers~!

P.S. I have added a few new pictures to the photo album. Click on the link to the right.

Business in Busan

(me and Ryanne, that's ma girl)

Yo, I'm back with another post, this time one where I voluntarily went to explore Busan after sleeping all morning, but let me start from the beginning.

I woke up at about 7am and just surfed the net until 7:30, when I went down to go get breakfast. I was tired, but it was a free meal and Chef knows how to cook. I called my mom while waiting for breakfast, just because I knew she would worry like all mommies do. Yeah, I still call my mom mommy when speaking. I am not ashamed. I sat with a bunch of the other girls in the program and we had a really interesting conversation about multiculturalism and how mixed kids get the short end of the stick sometimes (we were all mixed, but some of us were more obvious than others). After breakfast, I went back upstairs, talked to my mumzy, and went back to sleep for about an hour and a half before getting up and preparing for my day in downtown Busan.

Today, one of us was meeting a boy for the first time, but we decided to roll out in force to make sure that the dude wasn't shady. He was kinda off, but overall he seemed nice. But we're still gonna chill with them the next time, we gotta take care of our own.

Anyway, we took the subway in Korea all by ourselves and it was our first time taking it, and it was successful. We got off at the right stop and waited for the dude, who will be called Manager Kim, to show up. When he did, we went to a mall and checked out the merchandise. It was a high-end mall, and I don't got that kinda money, so we only looked. There was one store that had Korean-style hip-hop clothes and they had pretty nice jackets. But I can't afford to drop $50 bucks on them jackets, nor do I want to. I'm gonna take my cheap but to the train stations and buy the $10 clothes. That stuff is cute too.

(Us walking. You can see Saya, Amaria, and Mina.)

Anyway, after that we were hungry, so we went out to eat at this great meat place and the nice old lady fried the meat for us. She was so nice. I was tired, so I was having trouble with my chopsticks, and she started putting meat on my plate for me and showed me the best food combos. I think she was happy because I kept saying it was delicious. It really was, though. Manager Kim didn't eat much, so we had to keep putting food on his plate. He was also nice enough to pay for our meal. Really, though. That was a hefty bill, approximately $65. Way to go, Manager Kim.

One thing about Manager Kim though, he had no sense of direction. I know he isn't originally from Busan (he's from Daejeon) but he could not follow a map and he could not re-trace his footsteps. He kept going places even though we told him it was the other way. We ended up showing him around Busan instead of the other way around (although he tried to be pretty stubborn about it, definitely a blood type B man). It was a bit annoying, but he was alright.

After that we went to the Korean National University to find the mythical cheap shopping near the area. I think we went to the wrong area, we only found cafes and a churro place. A churro place. Yea, it was there. and I got me a churro. Churros are for real. That churro was amazing. I'm going back.

Anyway, after that we went to another large mall, just to use the bathroom, before heading to a cafe called Caffe Pascucci and had drinks and, for a few of us, pastries. I had a hot chocolate and while it was good, I determined I'll buy my own at home from now on. $4.50 is way too much for a cup of hot cocoa. Naw bruh.

(From left to right: Saya, Amariah, Manager Kim, Mina, Ryanne, me)

After coffee at Pascucci's we went back to campus and were hella tired. Like really, I'm delirious right now, I kept tripping and dropping and spilling things, it's bad. I don't know how I typed this. Well, we're gonna practice our lesson plan demonstrations. I'm gonna stop typing. I added a few more pictures to the Photo Gallery. Check 'em out.

Cheers~!

Week 1 of Orientation: I survived

(Group C. We da best.)

Okay, So I haven't been updating about my week, but I have a good reason. A very good one. I have been so busy! Every  day we were grinding, orienting, learning about teaching and learning the actual Korean language. Like really, I was tired.

On Tuesday, it wasn't so bad. Except for the part that I had to get up early for a medical examination and they had us pee in a cup. That shit's just uncomfortable, and the cups didn't have tops. I don't want no one seeing that! Anyway, the basically were checking if we were doing drugs or alcoholics. I am not. Clearly.



But what upset me the most was when I got my blood pressure checked. It was a little low, and they were worried I couldn't handle getting my blood drawn for a test. They asked me if I was lightheaded and made me drink water and the nurse even considered not letting me get my blood drawn. I felt fine! She asked me if I was lightheaded but I wasn't. I could tell she didn't believe me. the things was, they completely threw off my normal morning routine. I usually drink a ton of water (more like 2 cups) and I eat breakfast. I was denied food since 10 at night and it was about 9:30 in the morning. Of course I would be a little different. It wasn't normal.

(This is me waiting to get my blood pressure checked the second time. I was not happy.)

I understand why they were worried though. Public health is taken much more seriously in S. Korea than in the States. Anyway, I was cleared for drawing my blood and I found I was an O+ for blood type, so I'm the universal donor. Which would be great if I were heavy enough to donate. Even in S. Korea, I'm a tiny bit underweight. But I'm still healthy, people. I'm healthy.

Anyway, after that it was all good. i went to lunch and stuffed myself because the Chef is amazing and he hooked it up for us. Afterwards we went into lecture for all 116 scholars. We had 2 lectures in the big room in Trinity Hall, and then we got out and almost literally ran to he cafeteria for dinner. Chef though. Chef is amazing. After dinner, we went to a department store called E-Mart that is basically JC Penny's with a food section and much cheaper. It was awesome, really.

On Wednesday the schedule was much the same, Except in the after dinner (which was amazing. Chef is Bae. I hate the word bae, but for Chef, it's appropriate) we had Korean classes. I was up from 6:30 to 11 at night. For anyone who knows me, that is not normal. I don't function like that. I usually take a nap in the afternoon and I am always in bed between 9:30 and 10:00. I was tired. This went on for Wednesday as well. Four 90-minute classes a day and an additional class after school, and we have things we HAVE to finish in the breaks in between? I never even felt that way during college. I must be getting old. lol~

On Friday, Chef hooked us up with the best stone-bowl sizzling bibimbap I've had in forever.

This is why I gave Chef a Valentine. He gets us. Food is the way to my heart.

We had no classes after dinner, but we had to work on our lessons plans for our first practicum, our first teaching demonstration, on Tuesday. So last night, I sat my but down in the study room in the dorm we're staying in and typed up a practice lesson on prepositions. If people like it, I'm keeping it for future lessons and tweaking it. Yes. Anyway, I went to bed tired AGAIN because I've been sleeping less than normal with no naps. Not cool. And I have to get used to it.

Anyway, today, Valentine's day, we had a field trip around Busan. I found out that Koreans call Busan the California of Korea. I don't see it, but Busan is indeed beautiful. It's freaking gorgeous. First we went to this tiny little neighborhood and died cloths. I died a single dread at the same time. It now shines yellow in the sunlight. We then went into the building next door to make ceramic cups. I seem to have lost a lot of my ceramic ability in these years of absence in visual and creative arts. I ended up making a cup-bowl hybrid. It will be delivered to us on Tuesday.

Our little scarfs look like bodies in contaminated water.

After that we went to the beach and had lunch, we had deep-dish pizzas. One was called a "Chicago" pizza, and it was delicious, but my heart belongs to the Bulgogi pizza. It's basically Korean cooked meat on pizza, and it tasted like they had something similar to barbecue sauce and it was AMAZING. I was satisfied.

After the beach, we went to a Buddhist temple high in the mountains. I think I would have been more excited if I wasn't so tired. The beach has a way of draining you and I was already tired. I'm still tired. Damn. Anyway, the temple was beautiful, but we only had 20 minutes to see it before we got home and had dinner.

That was my dinner. If y'all want photos, please look to the left of this post and find the link that says "Photo Gallery" and enjoy. There are too many photos to put on this blog, so all my photos will be added there. I'm out, I'm sleepy, and we're having Karaoke time unofficially in this study room.

Cheers~!

For those who don't know, "bae" in this case is used as "before anything/anyone else." AKA, awesome or jjang.

How to use Netflix in S. Korea: Yes, it's possible

By popular demand, I've decided to do a post for Netflix. None of us want to cancel our subscriptions, right?



What I did was just add an extension to Google chrome called "Gom VPN."

It's not exactly free. Only the first seven days is free. I actually just finished my free 7-day trial. However, it does work. It's only 3 dollars per month, so it's a pretty small amount (even though I was averted to getting it in the beginning) but how else am I going to O.D. on Supernatural and Star Trek? There are also other extensions as well, I don't know how they work, they just do. Also, it works for Hulu.

As for what sort of software you need... it's simple. Long story short for the matter, you need Google chrome, so if you're anti-chrome... sorry bro.

However! There are other avenues. I have Gom because I'm currently using a Chromebook, and the OS is basically the Google chrome browser anyway. I can't download other browsers and the like to this little thing, but I don't mind. If you search online, you can find other people who worked it out. It may not be free.

I have also just been informed of a free portal called ZenMate, which i will also try. I promise I will let the world know if it's good, but fellow 14th G scholars have said it's legit. This is also an extension for Google Chrome, though. Sorry, Chrome haters.

BUT! Not all hope is lost. There are other avenues for PC users. I'm sorry, Mac users, I have no advice. The good thing is that you can still download chrome.

One thing to try is Ultrasurf. A friend of mine told me about it, but I've never used it. When I have to renew Gom, I'll try switching to Ultrasurf to see if it's legit (and free). I'll keep you all updated, I promise. Ultrasurf has a program for windows and an extension for chrome. The following is a link to the Ultrasurf website:

http://ultrasurf.us/

There are also other bloggers online who figured it out. Here are a few links:

http://zannahinkorea.blogspot.kr/2013/11/netflix-in-korea.html
http://aubreystravels.blogspot.kr/2012/10/how-to-use-netflix-and-hulu-in-south.html

But let's not forget the old stanby: just run a google search.

If you type in "how to use netflix/hulu in South Korea" and be amazed once again. Google, man. There's a reason why it's the best search engine ever. For real.

Anyway, this is all I got for now. All my fellow 14th G TaLK scholars know how tired I am. I'll post something about my first week later, after I catch up on my Z's, cuz I ain't had no time for nappin'. Anyways, later days.

Cheers~!

Day 1: Introductions and the Opening Ceremony

Hello friends, family, and the occasional random stranger who stumbles upon this blog in the future.

Today was my first day of orientation. Officially, anyway. It was a bit interesting and I made a bunch of new friends. I also met someone who is going to be in the same province as me. Here's to you, Leo, I can tell we'll be hanging out a lot.

Anyway, our classes were held in Trinity Hall on the BUFS campus and for our first class we went over how orientation will work and the TaLK orientation staff. Our group leaders are all foreign TaLK scholars, as well as most of the staff, so it's pretty cool. We took a Korean test so that we could be placed into language classes. Seeing as I speak like, no Korean, I'd understand if I was placed in the Beginner level. Whatever. I plan on taking classes at GIC while I'm in Damyang anyway and I know I'm a total Korean Language newbie.

After the language test we proceeded with a couple of icebreaker games, some of them we can play with the kids, like the frying pan game which is all about rhythm and memorization. I intend to use games I played as a kid like Telephone and the like, I bet the kids will really like it. I even thought turning vocabulary into cards and playing card matching games (like card concentration? I don't know exactly what the game is called) where the card is flipped upside down and they can match synonyms or just words in general. Like maybe the English to the Korean word, synonyms, cards that belong in the same group, that kind of thing. We also decided to go with themes for holidays for our respective countries (the TaLK program accepts teachers from 7 English-speaking countries), like Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day (or Armistice day), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I think it would make lessons a whole lot easier.

Anyway, after class we had lunch and then changed into our formal attire for the opening ceremony for the TaLK orientation. It was held in the same building as our classes, Trinity hall. There were speeches given congratulating us and thanking us for taking a year of our lives to teach children in rural areas. Tania (did I spell it right?) gave an awesome speech as the representative for the 14th Generation of TaLK scholars. We also saw a performance from a traditional Korean percussion ensemble and I'm a bit mad that I didn't record it, it was pretty awesome. Anyway, after that we had a break and I decided to take some pics with my classmates:

From the left to right: Kirk, Leo and me taking a selfie (or should I say Selca now, because that's what they say in Korea?). Leo is Korean, but spent a significant amount of time in the States. Kirk is from South Africa, I believe.

Me and Saya. And two more girls in the back, but sadly their names escape me at the moment. Sorry... T_T

Me and Sebastian. He told me he likes taking weird faces. The camera loves weird faces. He's a pretty cool guy and he's from Australia.

Anyway, after the break we had one more presentation from a guy who had been living in S. Korea for almost 17 years and he gave us some advice about life in S. Korea. Korea is really fast-paced, the people are blunt, they love singing, Korean fashion, and drinking culture.

Drinking culture is important to me because anyone who knows me knows I don't really drink much (unless it's wine). However, drinking is HUGE in south Korea and refusing to drink with others could really put a damper on your relationships with your co-workers. Now, in the US, it's advised that you reserve that kind of things for your friends, not your co-workers and definitely not your boss. I don't even drink, so I'm worried about it. I don't mind taking a few shots of soju, but I will definitely cut it off early. It was confirmed that I can refuse to drink by leaving a little in my glass. I think it's the most polite way to stop drinking. Why the heck would I want to be drunk in front of my fellow teachers anyway?

After the opening ceremony we all went and had a delicious dinner and I found another kpop fan like myself. They're coming out of the closet now that they're in Korea. Why hide it? Anyway, afterwards me and a few girls gathered in my room and had a long conversation about anything and everything. It was pretty cool how everyone was able to have a calm discussion. I think our generation is overall a pretty cool group. I haven't talked to Everyone, but they all seem cool.

Anyway, I'm gonna end it here. Peace, love, and Ice-Cream.

Cheers~!

Trip to South Korea: An Adventure of it's own... Part 2

Okay guys, so I made it safely to Incheon International airport.



That's right, I survived my 12-hour flight to South Korea. Y'all can stop thinking I died along the way. Anyways, The flight was super uncomfortable. Well... You imagine having to stay seated for more than 2 hours. It's hard, right? And I couldn't stay asleep for the life of me. Once again, I flew delta. The food was actually pretty good, I had bibimbap with assorted fruits and the staff were very good about passing by every hour to see if we needed anything, though I think it's because they were as restless as I was.

Anyway, when I finally landed in Incheon, the first thing I though was "I feel like I'm back in college." Really, there were a shit-ton of Koreans, a few foreigners, and like, 4 other black people. Just like my Japanese courses. No lie. Anyway, Incheon airport is pretty nice. I didn't get to eat anything though, because I had to rush to the other terminal and then go through airport security for a second time.

Oh yeah! It turns out I had a pair of scissors in my backpack, in my pencil case, that I COMPLETELY forgot about, and they had me pull it out to check. How the heck does Korea catch that but the US airport security not? I thought the US is like... 5 times more paranoid with all of that. Anyway, after that, I went strait to my boarding area and waited a good 20 minutes before boarding my final plane to Busan. It was a short, 50-minute trip and it would have been comfortable if I hadn't just spent the last 12 hours on my bum, but what the heck, c'est la vie.

I passed through customs without a problem. That kinda surprised me, but I will not question a good thing. When I went to collect my bags, I didn't know which turnstile to go to because they displayed he wrong flight number, so I just watched out for the big burnt orange bag. I was like "If I see that, that's where I need to be." It was turnstile one, so I didn't have to travel very far. Leaving baggage, I saw two people with the TaLK signs and I was like, yup, dems my peeps, and went up. For my particular group, I was the first to arrive, so I just had to wait about 30 minutes for the rest of the people to arrive. There were about 15 of us in total.

The ride to the Busan University of Foreign Studies, where I will be staying for 2 weeks of orientation, was at night, so I couldn't see much of Busan, but the night skyline was pretty and I could tell this is a mountainous region. We got settled into our rooms and I was delighted to discover we all have our own rooms with bathrooms during orientation. Apparently this has never happened before. We got lucky! Hells yeah, I can dig it.



Anyway, They ordered McDonald's for dinner. That's right. Ordered. As in it was delivered. McDelivery, yo. They have it in S. Korea. They need it in the States. After eating, a few of us went outside to explore the campus. It was night time, so no one was there, and it was cold, so we didn't go far. But there were a lot of stairs and we were like "Now this is the reason why most Korean people are so damned skinny" because there really were a lot of stairs.

Anyway, after looking out at a lit-up Busan, we headed back into the dorms and got ready for bed. That was yesterday. Today I explored a bit of Busan and found 7-Eleven, a few other nice convenience stores, a hanbok (traditional Korean clothes) store, and a row of boutiques. I also met a lot of other scholars who were placed in Jeonnam, where I will be teaching. Tomorrow is officially the first day of orientation, so I don't know what to expect. I'm gonna bring the books they gave me, my tablet, and a pencil+highlighter just in case. I may have been out of college for a while, but that doesn't mean I've kicked the habit of carrying around certain supplies just in case.

Anyways, that's it for tonight, loves. Gonna hit the hay and call it a day.

Cheers~!

PS: My travel adapters for France also work here. Score.

The trip to S. Korea: An Adventure of it's Own... Part 1

So I finally began my journey to SFO. This particular post is written after each leg of my journey. I'm flying Delta Airlines and I began in SFO (San Francisco), I'm currently in SeaTac (Seattle), then I will fly to Incheon, and finally land in Busan at around 6:20 KST. That's right. TWO layovers. But you know what? My ticket was only $600 dollars. Booyah.

Anyway, my flight was at 7AM and a good friend of mine, Judith, who I mentioned in my previous post, and her dad dropped me off art about 11 last night, so I waited until 4AM to check in. Let me tell y'all what happened. So, I finally get in line to check my bags, happy and all that, when the guy tells me I only get one free checked bag. And the second bag was $100. 

HOLD UP! Let's take a look at that. Hmm... I know I was supposed to get 2. Mind you, I called Delta about the baggage right after I booked my flight and again 2 weeks later. I also checked online repeatedly to see if there were any policy changes. There weren't. On Delta, one is allowed 2 free checked bags when travelling between the US and South Korea. I told him, but he said this wasn't the line to argue so he sent me to the Special Service line to argue with someone else.

This second guy was much nicer. He checked my ticket, also said I only get one free bag. I pulled up the information on the website about getting 2 free checked bags and I also informed him that I called about the luggage twice to make sure I hadn't misinterpreted anything. He took my tickets and went to the back to ask his manager because I was really beginning to stress out. I ain't got the funds to be wasting $100 on baggage and I ain't got nobody who can come and pick up my extra bag in a moment's notice. So anyway, the guy (his name was Reggie) comes back and then tells me that I was good to go and I was right about getting 2 free bags.

So what had happened was when I booked online through Orbits, they hadn't updated their systems for the changes in the baggage fees and policies, so they made it look like I had to pay for my second bag, but my new uncle Reggie fixed that for me, tagged my bags, and sent me on my merry way. So I avoided a heart attack and proceeded to wait another 2.5 hours for my flight to SeaTac, where I am now. I've never been in SeaTac before, but they make it fairly easy to navigate (much easier than JFK and let's not get started on LAX) so I quickly found the gate for my plane.

So here I am, waiting on my plane, thinking I should probably get some Starbucks while it's still cheap (it's twice as expensive in S. Korea). And typing this blog. This was part one of my journey and I hope it eases everyone's worries about me while I make this trip. After all, this is the first time I'm travelling to a country, by myself, where I don't speak the language or have a friend to help me navigate (This is for you, Enrico). But I'll keep calm and carry on.

And that's it for now. Peace, love and ice-cream.

Cheers~!

PACKING!: Part 2 - This Spring Wardrobe

Back again!

This post is for those of us left who haven't finished (or started, you know who you are) packing. This is for suitcase number 2, the spring/summer ensemble! This is not really too important, I actually think this is more for people who don't go shopping a lot, because I wholly intend on shopping while in South Korea. (Says the girl with 2 stuffed luggage bags).



This is the more difficult bag for us girls because we have so much we can wear! Now girls, let us start with shoes. We only need to bring one pair of flats that are professional looking. You can bring heels if that's your cup of tea, but only 1 pair. I know you'll be tempted to bring a bunch of cute sandals and the like, but no, we're trying to save space. Furthermore, you will need one pair of sneakers. This is obvious, you may need them. Sneakers have many uses and they are far more comfortable than flats in most cases. Also, one pair of flip-flops (or whatever you call them). I think that's about it.  Men, please bring one pair of sneakers and one pair of flip-flops. Your already packed your oxfords in the winter ensemble, so you're golden.

Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. This first part is for both genders. You will need professional slacks, perhaps 3 pairs, and maybe a pair or two of cut-offs, not jeans. Also, be sure to wear appropriate shirts. Bring plain tees, they can have color, but keep the graphics to a minimum. I would say to bring 7 shirts. If you have blouses and button-ups, make them your priority. Also, you can pack 2 cardigans. Cardigans are unisex, by the way. You can have 2 light pull-over sweaters (professional looking) in lieu of cardigans as well. IF you want to bring your graphic tees for weekend use, bring only 3 max.

Girls, don't bring a lot of low-cut shirts. If you even suspect that cleavage is being shown, it's too low. Korean fashion deems the upper body as too sex, which also means that showing your shoulders is a big no-no. This is why I say bring cardigans and sweaters with your cute shirts. Furthermore, we all want to bring skirts. Your skirts should be longer in nature. You all remember that rule in school where the shirts and skirts had be at least as long as out fingertips when we had them strait down our sides? That's what you need for working at a school. Also, remember the difference between body-con and pencil skirts: one you're likely to wear to a club and the other is the type you see those female lawyers wear in Law & Order. Bring 3-4 skirts.

Bring underwear, and toiletries, which will be split between your winter and summer bags. The list was on the post for winter packing, but here it is again for your convenience:

1. Deodorant: I hear it's available in Korea, but not only is the selection terrible, but the prices are what some might call daylight robbery. I suggest bringing a couple of sticks.
2. Toothpaste: Korean toothpaste doesn't have fluoride, and some people find it doesn't work like the one's we're used to. Bring 2 or 3 large tubes with you. Experiment later.
3. Lotion: This is important for me. Koreans simply have different skin types than some of us. I'm a black woman, and my skin tends to get ashy. There is no way that Koreans have the right kind of lotion for me. So I'm bringing a few bottles of Jergens Shea Butter with me. I don't wanna look like snow on Christmas morning if there was no snow. If I can find it there (there are a few brands out there, just a few), better. But I'll bet it's expensive.
4. Shampoo: Also for people with differently textured hair. I have nappy hair (like I said, I'm Black), so I need certain products for my hair. Chances are, you may not find your favorite brand out there. Bring a bottle or two, and then search your local stores to see if they have it. If not, ask your family for care packages.
5. Toothbrush: this is optional, but I prefer certain kinds of toothbrushes. until i am certain i can find what I'm looking for, I'm bringing some extras with me.
6. Feminine products: obviously, guys can skip over this. But girls, sometimes certain brands are not there yet. Bring a box of your favorite products, just to be safe. Then you can learn if your product is there or not, and decide whether you want to add it to your care package or not. This includes midol as well. It's good to bring the bottle so that you can talk to a pharmacist about what to substitute it with.
7. Make-up: I don't wear make-up, but for girls that do, this could be important. Darker tones will not be accommodated. Black and Brown girls, bring your own foundation! Even I plan on bringing a little (never know when I gotta get dolled up). Don't assume that they'll have your tones, because Koreans are definitely on the light side of the spectrum, and this is one of the most ethnically homogeneous first-world nations in the world.

PACKING part 1: Winter Ensemble

Well, here it is ladies and gents! The packing post!



I'm gonna go ahead and say that this post is generally for girls, but that doesn't mean that guys can't get a few pointers for packing as well. like I've said, I've traveled around. The hardest part of getting ready to go is packing because you want to take everything with you! I can honestly say this is something that both guys and girls have in common. that stereotype about boys packing whatever? Depends on the boy. I should be saying man, right? Hopefully people leaving are fine young men off to explore a new culture.

The winter suitcase.

This one is surprisingly simple and complicated at the same time. I would recommend bringing 3 pairs of jeans, but no more than 6 if you're having a hard time choosing. Really, space fills up really quickly in a bag, so try to keep it down to 3. If you feel you need more bottoms, you can conserve space by taking more leggings and thick tights. That way you can bring more variety for the same amount of space. For men, just go ahead and bring a few extra pairs of jeans, as tights and stockings aren't currently a trend or socially accepted. if you wanna bring some, I'm totally cool with it and I will not judge you. Girls, you can also bring a few winter dresses, like sweater-dresses, but only a few. You will need the space. keep it to 5 maximum. Both genders need to bring at least 4 pairs of slacks, but 6 max.

As for shirts, i'd recommend bringing about 5 long-sleeved tees, and 7 semi-formal shirts. Remember peeps, most anything can be dressed up with a blazer or cardigan/sweater and nice bottoms, so pick something that you can wear on the town and in the office at the same time. Especially you men out there. I know plenty of girls who have a thing for guys who look good in (semi) formal wear. This includes me. Don't be shy and just take it. Blouses and button-ups are preferred.Also, Bring about 2 sweaters/cardigans and 2 semi-formal blazers.

SHOES! I love shoes, and I know I will have an extremely hard time with this, but it must be said. This is for both GUYS and GIRLS. You need indoor shoes/slippers, 1 pair of sneakers, one pair of winter shoes (rain boots, snow boots, whatever works), and one pair of semi-formal shoes to wear to work. Sure, you'll have indoor-shoes, but we have to be real, what if we're out after work and we're wearing our tennis shoes with semi-formal work clothes? Like a pencil skirt or slacks? No. Not kosher. Korea is a very visual country and they take looks very seriously. Even for someone like me who has a great many days where I wanna say "fuck it, yoga pants and tennies," there are some things that we should just do. We're gonna acclimate anyway, might as well do it now. In some cases, you can combine two categories. I don't know about guys, but for girls there are plenty of cute winter booties that are water-proof and good in the snow. I'm sure there are options for guys.

For formal wear, girls, I recommend either a women's dress suit consisting of a skirt and blazer, or a sheath dress. I happen to have both, but only one is necessary. Think "that sexy lawyer who still looks completely appropriate." Don't think body-con skirts that are super-short. Formal wear is acceptable for clothes just above the knees. Also, if you're bringing the suit, make sure the accompanying shirt is a nice one, with a soft color, depending on the suit. 

Girls, don't bring anything low-cut. We generally will get the "waegugin" pass in most situations, but even in America, business formal means no bust. If you're so generously endowed it's impossible to keep the ladies from peeking out, cover it with a cute scarf. We're girls. We accessorize. Make sure you have a nice pair of pumps as well. Pumps are a versatile pair of shoes, and you will feel glad you bought them. Unless you are high-heel savvy, keep the height below 3 inches.

For the men-folk, you are stuck with a simple business suit. Sorry. Not much going there. However, for really formal situations, I'd suggest a black suit, white shirt, and a colorful tie (just one color, not multi-color). The tie makes the outfit stand out much more. Also, make sure you bring a nice pair of oxfords, ready and polished. Now a man in a suit is my definition of sexy, so make sure you have a nice one! And you only need one nice suit. The rest of the time, you'll be dressing semi-formal, so you may be able to make due with a nice sweater or shirt with a every-day blazer with some slacks.

Under wear. Bring it. Bring enough for 2 weeks at least. And girls, I don't have to tell you to being your bras, right? Good. And socks. Also enough for 2 weeks. The flyer says 1 week, but seeing as socks seem to vanish into thin air all the time, this will give us some extra comfort.

Extras:

Other things to bring are basic hygiene products, which can be split between the two bags accordingly:

1. Deodorant: I hear it's available in Korea, but not only is the selection terrible, but the prices are what some might call daylight robbery. I suggest bringing a couple of sticks.
2. Toothpaste: Korean toothpaste doesn't have fluoride, and some people find it doesn't work like the one's we're used to. Bring 2 or 3 large tubes with you. Experiment later.
3. Lotion: This is important for me. Koreans simply have different skin types than some of us. I'm a black woman, and my skin tends to get ashy. There is no way that Koreans have the right kind of lotion for me. So I'm bringing a few bottles of Jergens Shea Butter with me. I don't wanna look like snow on christmas morning if there was no snow. If I can find it there (there are a few brands out there, just a few), better. But I'll bet it's expensive.
4. Shampoo: Also for people with differently textured hair. I have nappy hair (like I said, I'm Black), so I need certain products for my hair. Chances are, you may not find your favorite brand out there. Bring a bottle or two, and then search your local stores to see if they have it. If not, ask your family for care packages.
5. Toothbrush: this is optional, but I prefer certain kinds of toothbrushes. until i am certain i can find what I'm looking for, I'm bringing some extras with me.
6. Feminine products: obviously, guys can skip over this. But girls, sometimes certain brands are not there yet. Bring a box of your favorite products, just to be safe. Then you can learn if your product is there or not, and decide whether you want to add it to your care package or not. This includes midol as well. It's good to bring the bottle so that you can
7. Make-up: I don't wear make-up, but for girls that do, this could be important. Darker tones will not be accommodated. Black and Brown girls, bring your own foundation! Even I plan on bringing a little (never know when I gotta get dolled up). Don't assume that they'll have your tones, because Koreans are definitely on the light side of the spectrum, and this is one of the most ethnically homogeneous first-world nations in the world.

Fiasco at LaGuardia

So, I was in New York city for almost 5 months during the TaLK process, but my dear Mumzy (mother) wanted to see me before I go. So, I booked a flight to good old California for a few days before officially setting off to South Korea. My flight was this past Monday, on February 2nd. Unfortunately, on the 1st, there was a snow storm that crept up on me. I had to catch a taxi from the Bronx to LaGuardia ($50 buck that could have been spent elsewhere) and when I got there, tons of flights had already been cancelled due to the storm.

Fortunately my flight hadn't been cancelled, so I was good to go. I had a problem checking in, I had gotten a new, Korea-friendly, bank account and I was still using the temporary card because I used my mom's address in California as my address instead, but come to find out my card wasn't working, and I was flying United Airlines. They don't take cash payment to check your bags. I had to take money out of an ATM for a different bank (bye bye, those 3 bucks, I needed you) and the purchase a debit card (another 5 bucks) and then use it to pay for my checked luggage. Woe was my life.

After I finally got checked in and everything, I finally got through airport security (which is ridiculously complicated in the US, mind you) I proceeded to my gate to catch my flight.

However, my flight kept getting delayed. I got to LGA at about 11:30. My flight was supposed to be at 3:38, and I had a connecting flight in Denver to take me home, but it got to the point where there would be no way I was going to make my connecting flight tin Denver, so I went to the service desk and asked them to change my ticket. They did. My connecting flight in Denver was delayed to the next morning. The delays continued... and continued. When our plane finally landed and the previous passengers were off the plane, we waited for it to be serviced. At about 8:30, they told us... our flight was cancelled!

Are you kidding me? I was at the airport that long to tell me my flight was cancelled? I was, needless to say, a bit ticked off. I had to rush to the ticketing counter and re-book a flight (luckily it was free because they kept us all hanging for so long) the next morning at 8AM. Also, they took all of our baggage out, so I had to take go pick it up and re-check it in the morning. I know there was a storm, so I can't entirely blame United, but they kept us waiting for hours. They should have just cancelled the flight anyway, so that we could re-book earlier, and find a hotel to crash at for the night.

And I had no where to go that evening. I had to spend the night at LaGuardia Airport. It was NOT comfortable. The thing is, the chairs inside the security checkpoints are actually pretty comfy. However, before you reach the gates, the chairs are anything but inviting. I barely got any sleep that night. I kept tossing, turning, waking up and watching movies (Lord of the Rings) before finally getting up at 5AM and going to go check in. Thank heavens I didn't have to pay for my luggage again. I would have thrown a fit.

Anyway, things were smooth from there. LGA to Denver. Denver to California. I got home and my Mumzy picked me up and we spent less than 24 hours together before I went to my friend's house in the Bay, where I am now, and she will drop me off at SFO. Thank you, Judith. You're a saint.

Tomorrow morning I will begin my flight(s) to Busan, where my year in Korea will begin.