What We Think ...A Grade 7 Blog

I am in the process of creating a new project for my Grade 7 class ...it's an ESL Writing Class and I figured hey - I'm having fun with my blog ...why not bring it into the classroom!

Check out our progress so far and see what my students think about some fun topics:)

And actually, I believe it is an absolutely delightful project ...(dad, that ones for you!)

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The Nora Bong

Translated, Nora Bong means - Singing Room.  In my language it means - Singing & Dancing Room.  Which equals fabulous.  Seriously, I have no idea why we don't have these in Canada.

And I am certain that the majority of you are thinking to yourselves, "we do, you dumbass, it's called Kareoke," well friends ...this is so much more than Kareoke.

The Nora Bong consists of a small room, somewhat similar in size to a family room (perhaps smaller) with a large couch, a table and a screen facing the couch and table, and a large area for getting down!  Which is what I love to do.  Your group rents an entire room and you can have a party all by yourselves.

The room is rented by the hour and it's more fun than a lot of things that are rented by the hour.

It's worth coming to visit us for ...

Yes, you are seeing this correctly - they give you Tamborines!

There are books FULL of music, and there is even English songs ...tons of them. That being said, we know our share of Korean songs now too because of the Nora Bong.  And while I may be able to sing them, I definitely do not know the words.

I swear, I am doing the dance here that goes with the song.  Just check out everyone else, I am doing exactly the same thing ...or at least I thought that I was, I see now that it may look slightly different.

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What I Have Learned So Far

What I have Learned So Far:

• Let's get this over with - I can still only say "Thank You" and a handful of random words (rice, trash, crazy bastard)
• That in some ways living across the world is like living on another planet, while in other ways - the world is exactly the same
• There is no better way to test a relationship than to live in a 2 by 2 box together

I think at the end of the day, what I am beginning to learn is something extremely simple.  It's the importance of finding a job and a balance in life that allows you to work to live, not to live to work.  I have had the job that drove me to work 50-60 hours a week and to have my cell phone on me and be checking emails even on my off time, and the truth is - I loved it.  But on the flip side, I don't think I had found out that the true meaning to life isn't in the work, but in the people that surround you and you fill your life with.

I will be the first to tell you that work is extremely filling, and that having a job that challenges you and drives you is both motivating and empowering.  I don't knock that side, but now that I have tasted the other side - the side where you leave work at work when you leave, the side where you love what you do but you don't stay up at night stressing about it ...I like this side.  I have been able to find other passions in life (writing, photography) and there is more time for people.  And at the end of the day, people are what matter.

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Note to Home

To Family & Friends,

This blog was created for many reasons.  It is a way to capture and save all of the memories that we are making while in Korea, as well as a way to share it with the people that we are missing.  In a way, I think it keeps those that we love close to us and to our experience, and the communication makes me feel a part of your world as well. 

So thank you for taking the time to read and look at our pictures.

Know that you are missed every single day and that when this adventure is over, we are excited that we will be coming home ...because if there is one thing that this experience has taught me, it's the importance of home and that family & friends are what makes home, a home.

Love Lori & Wayne

xoxo

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New Face, Same Old Blog

I just wanted to introduce everyone to the new face of my blog!  I am getting really into this blog world and am loving expirementing with new templates and gadgets and all that fun stuff.  I figured while I was at it with my other blogs, I should give our Korea one a new (and hopefully by your standards - improved) look.  Let me know what you think:)

I also wanted to report that I was completely convinced that we were done with the snow here and that our winter was going to be so much better than home ...and then pow, hit with a snowstorm today.  Not loving it and not enjoying the wet feet I had by the time that I trudged through slush on the way to school.  The only thing worse than snow itself, is the mild temperature that turns snow to slush the second it hits the ground.

Boo!

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Cheong-ju

When Wayne & I were in China we met an incredible couple.  If you can remember (and if you follow my blog closely ...haha) our entire tour was Korean and we were extremely out of our league in communication.  This couple was the first to talk to us - our first conversation starting with them asking us if we spoke any Korean and chuckling at our answer.

Over the course of the trip they befriended us and were complete life savers, always making sure we at least knew when to meet the bus so that we weren't left behind.  The couple has 2 young kids, a girl and a boy, about 8 and 11 respectively.  At the end of the trip they asked us to give them English names because they hope to live in either Canada or the US for a few years in the future.  We named the father - Derek (because he is a doctor and Wayne named him after McDreamy,) the mother - Olivia, the little boy - Kevin and the little girl Emily.  It's soooo much fun to give people names, you have to stare into their faces and imagine
who they would be with all of the different options.

Anyways, we sent them an email after the trip to thank them for all of their help and to exchange pictures and they ended up inviting us to their home in Cheong-ju for a weekend.  It was only a couple hour bus ride away and since we enjoyed their company so much in China we thought it would be fun and an authentic Korean adventure!

So we set off Saturday morning and arrived in Cheong-ju around 1 in the afternoon.  We started with a fast food lunch and then headed to a museum.  We started by making pottery, which was actually a ton of fun ...Wayne & I both made mugs and the kids made some soap and then little bowls.  We actually have to wait an entire month before we can get them because they need to dry and then be cooked in the kiln.

Then we did the tour of the Museum.  It was all about how Korea gained its independence and all of the struggles that they went through in their history to get where they are now ...and mainly how they dealt with and overcame the Japenese invasions.  Now, I will be the first to admit that history bores me, and I can remember being dragged through exhibits such as this one with my family (my dad in his glory,) and hating every minute of it. But I actually liked it, I can honestly say that I learned a lot and have a new appreciation for this side of the world.  That being said, after 2 hours of it, I was extremely happy to see the exit sign ...I had, had enough.

Then, dinner.  For dinner we were treated (and I mean treated because it is extremely expensive and very rare to have this type of meal) to beef.  It was literally (and I am not exaggerating) the best beef that I have ever eated in my life.  The Keg has nothing on this meal.  It was cut into little pieces and we cooked it individually on the little bbq in front of us, topped with seasalt, it was to die for.

Then back home for some games and then drinks.  The game was interesting, pretty much like Monopoly, but all in Korean so I didn't do much more than roll the dice and partner up with Emily who ran the show.  Then the drinks started - and the running joke was that we were drinking drinks from around the world.  We started out with Japenese beer, moved onto red wine from Chile (I stopped here,) the men then decided to partake in some Chinese rubbing alcohol (56% horrible, horrible stuff,) and then finish with Korean makali. 

The next morning was painful.  And definitely not made better with a greasy breakfast - nope, traditional Korean breakfast it was.  White rice and fish soup.  I dare you to eat that with a hangover.

We struggled through the next sighseeing element - going to see Korea's past President's summer home.  Which was actually quite beautiful, and if Wayne & I weren't dealing with thumping heads and gurgling stomaches I am certain we would have enjoyed it much more:)

Then we said our goodbyes, promised to talk soon and got onto the bus for the trip home.

Overall, Cheong-ju was actually quite different from Incheon & Seoul.  It felt slower and much more relaxed.  We were told that the real estate is cheaper and that it is still in the growing phase. It is the 6th biggest city in Korea and there were parts that were extremely beautiful ...we plan to head back in the spring, and everything looks better when it's green and growing!

These 'messages' were left in the grass with piles of leaves ...

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Movie Day

You know that I miss planning events when I throw myself into planning a Movie Day at my school.  On the flip side, I think a great deal of my inspiration and motivation came from the utter chaos and extreme confusion that surrounded the past couple of events that Dong-A threw.  What I really dreamed about was an event that throughout it and at the end of it, didn't leave me needing alcohol, and didn't leave the kids scarred for life.

Okay, slightly overdramatic, but what is life without a little drama.

I don't think that either Wayne or I realized the amount of work that would go into a simple day ...but it did end up being a ton of fun.

Every single day the kids strive for one thing and one thing only, and it's not an amazing, well rounded education - it's stickers.  You can pretty much coax them into doing anything for a simple, tiny little blue dot.  Who needs handcuffs and shot guns when you have stickers.  They will put their hands up and answer in class, they will sit down when told, they will even do their homework.  So at the end of the month, when we put on these events, we turn their stickers into money ...and this currency is what is used to enjoy the event.

For movie day we broke the seating down into 4 sections: VIP, Gold, Silver & Bronze.  VIP was the ultimate in luxury - up close and personal with the screen, padded and comfortable chairs and complete with your own personal servants - Wayne & I.   Bronze could barely see the screen.

We set up the seating area, popped 64 bags of microwave popcorn, made posters, put up balloon displays, sold tickets, invited guests, and taped together lollipops.  Oh how I love the movies.

That being said - top of my list to actually see one day, the movie
'Up.'

And my personal favourite ...

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Month 5: January 2010

Even after a month it still feels very strange to me to be writing '2010', almost as strange as it was to type - 'Month 5.' How did that happen?

It's funny, before I came I was certain that the time was going to absolutely inch by, that the days would feel like months and the months like years ...but it's funny, time is the same here as it is anywhere else in the world. Who knew.  Every week you go through your work week, happy to make it to the weekend.  On Sunday night you start to get that sinking feeling about starting your work week the next day ...apparently nothing is different on the other side of the world.

In terms of time anyways ...I can notice a few other small differences:)

Well, this month was an extremely busy one.  The kids here have 4-6 weeks for their Winter Vacation, so (typical Asian style) there is no sense allowing them to enjoy it - take the opportunity to throw them into extra classes at Private School!  Which means that this month we were teaching 'special classes,' which really just means, classes on top of our normal ones, typically without any books or materials.  Which equals = a whole lotta fun.  And I am extremely thankful that it's over.

It was fairly busy socially too ...here are some highlights:

There were a lot of birthdays this month ...which means a lot of cake!

The month started with New Years ...and here is the funny story from that night.  We walked into a bar around 11:45, and we were met with a HUGE line of Koreans. But for some reason we were let right in, in front of them.  When we asked what was going on we found out that they were all 20, turning 21 (the legal drinking age) at midnight (since all Koreans age on the same day ...New Years!) ...and waiting to start drinking!  Let's just say that by 12:45, there was a line up in the girls bathroom to puke. I used a different bathroom.

These were special shots ...if I remember correctly there was beer in the glass, coke in a shot glass and soju in a shot glass.

This was a Palace in the middle of Seoul.  Cost $1 to get inside and took 10 minutes to walk around the entire thing.  But we did see one thing interesting ...we met the man on the $10 bill!

Then we went out for a birthday celebration with some Foreign friends.

Not really sure what night this represents below ...but it`s always a highlight.

And then there was the night where we visited a good friend`s `farm`house. Which was more like a shed on the outskirts of Incheon and 10 minutes from Seoul.  It was rustic.  I had to pee in the bushes.

  But they cooked us dinner (korean style - over a bbq) and it was delicious!

And they uncorked the wine we brought.

Overall it was a great month, with our last weekend spent in Cheongju visiting a family that we met while we were in Seoul. I will post a blog later on, but it was an incredible (authentic) experience.

Oh - and this month, like every other ...there was a whole lotta dancin`...

All for now ...miss everyone!

xoxo

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