Conclusion: Teaching English in Korea is the best

Hello bloggity blog. This is it. This is the end of Anne in Korea. I am back home, snug as a bug in my parents beautiful home for a few days before beginning the next adventure. It's been an amazing time, and thank you so much for reading my blog!

Hopefully, throughout reading this you have come to the same conclusion as my title states. I had such an amazing time in Korea that I will definitely cherish for my entire life. It also was the experience that I feel changed me more than anything else, including university and other travels. There really is nothing quite like being a stranger in strange land, even when that land is insanely welcoming. 

So thank you Korea. Thank you students, your eagerness to learn and grow, and your innocence will remain with me forever. Thank you coteachers, your generosity and patience were beyond anything I could have expected. Knowing English was not something I earned, but something I inherited by living in the right place at the right time. I feel unbelievably grateful to have had such an amazing experience based on something I never even worked for!!

For newbies considering Korea: DO IT.

You will so not regret it.

Here's my final bits of advice for teaching English in Korea.

1. If you at all can, teach in a public school, not a private one. You get much more vacation, more pay, less work, and less instability. It's a win win win situation. I taught via EPIK - English Program in Korea. This is the most common way to teach public, though I hear there are some other ways. If you want to teach in Seoul, there's a special application to do as well. I believe GEPIK organizes teachers for the province surrounding Seoul.

2. Bring less. So much less. You will accumulate so much stuff it's unbelievable.

3. But do bring some... Things I found very difficult to find in Korea include the following:

• tampons
• toothpaste that tastes like toothpaste
• specialty clothing sizes (tall people,  larger footed people, and well endowed ladies, bring that special stuff from home. clothing usually will fit a small or medium, but not a large)
• deodorant (available but not many options)
• obviously you aren't going to find all your favourite brands, so if you're super picky about something bring that (but also stop being picky. you'll get it again when you go home. go eat kimchi and grow a little)
• cheese (this would probably not be an issue in bigger cities but in Gyeongju it was an exciting month if we found cheddar)

4. Websites to know

Waygook.org - A teaching website with tons of materials. A lot of it isn't great, but search and you get good powerpoints, and good ideas. Stay away from the discussion areas though unless you want to laugh at weird angry people. I used this less and less throughout my stay, but in those first few months it was a lifesaver.

iherb.com - You can find EVERYTHING on this website. Spices, coffee, teas, moisterizers with SPF, oatmeal, chia seeds, ANYTHING. Stop whining that you can't find something in Korea and just look on this glorious website and all your problems will go away.

gmarket - Ok so I never used this really, but my friend Tina was a pro and sometimes got stuff from here for me. This is a store for things like clothes or furniture. I got a neat spibelt running belt on it, and some awkward fitting dresses.

5. I've said it before and I'll say it again. CHILL OUT. Be flexible. Eat new foods, try new customs, get over yourself and just let it be. If you want everything to be the same as home, stay home. If you want an amazing life changing experience filled with adorable children, go to Korea with an open mind, open heart, and open mouth. Korean cuisine took about a month to get used to but now is hands down one of my favourite cuisines. Try as much as you can! (You have  my permission to skip the dog, live octopus or beondeggi if you're not feeling it though. Even many of my Korean kids were wary of those dishes)

The main street by my apartment where I conveniently
found everything I needed for two years.

My last day by the river was beautiful. Final gift
from Korea.

Yurim, my amazing school!

Beautiful Gyeongju. Miss it and will definitely
be back one day...

THE END.

Traditional Korean Medicine

In April, my knee started to act a little funny. It hurt after a run and was kind of sore for a while. It got a progressively worse, and frustratingly it didn't fit any online description of runner's knee or itl band syndrome, so I was unsure what to do. Eventually I realize I admitted I needed to rest it. The weekend Caroline came proved a perfect time to take a week off as I was busy with her and it was rainy. Sadly, when I tested it out a week later it  hurt even more than before! Desperate, I asked around if anyone know of a doctor. I wasn't even sure what kind of doctor looks at sore-but-not-incapacitating knee injuries. So I asked my very fit and athletic friend and neighbour who recommended I try our local Traditional Korean Medicine Clinic where she'd gotten acupuncture for her sore thighs.

Now I've always been a skeptic, but even I must admit that some naturopathy might have some benefits. While acupunture absolutely revolts and terrifies me, I was sure they might have some other form of treatments. The "doctor" was apparently an older marathon runner and iron man triathlon competitor, so I figured he must know how to keep his knees in good shape. Surely he would have a few good strengthening exercises to recommend. Also, the clinic is only a minute from my apartment.

Now for lack of a better word, I will hereafter refer the man who ran the clinic a "doctor" only because "witch doctor" is a little too long to type and slightly inaccurate because he was a male.  

So here's my experience...

I walk in. Already feeling nervous (is this the right place?? Amber said it had a green sign but maybe it's upstairs??) I was instantly hit by a waft of heat. It was a brisk day outside, but the stale air and my nerves instantly made me a clammy mess. The receptionist smiles, but we quickly determine we do not have a common language. She takes my alien card and I sit. I wait... I am very hot and uncomfortable.

I get called in and see the doctor. He is as I imagined: fit older man, white pony tail, surrounded by his marathoning medals. Surely this guy knows what he's doing.. right?

First thing he says is a disclaimer that his English isn't great, but that's common with humble people. I say my knee hurts from running. He says "Ah yes. Runner's knee." I tell him I don't think it's that, the pain seems to be related to my hamstrings (thanks for the tip, dad!). He says "Ah yes. Hamstrings. Ok!" And then stands up and points for me to follow him his assistant... I'm hoping it's to a stretching room...

They bring me to a bed.
"Ok, lie down please Miss."
"Ummm why?"
"Acupuncture!"
"Wait what? I don't want that!"
"Acupuncture! It is good."
"Can I just do a stretch?"
"Yes!|
"Really?"
"Yes! Acupuncture! Lie down please miss!"

This little round-about conversation goes on for a while. I like to think of myself as fairly brave but I am absolutely revolted by acupuncture. I can't get images from Final Destination out of my mind. But I can't see any way out of there, so down I go and in come the terrifying needles. I was so mentally revolted it took all kinds of breathing exercises not to pass out and vomit simultaneously. My leg was boiling hot and twitchy and I kept imagining someone tripping and falling into the needles, paralyzing me forever. I looked around me for my purse, but I couldn't see it. I needed my phone to play apps to distract myself ! But I also couldn't sit up and properly look for it. It turns out it was hung next to me, but in my state of distress I just couldn't see it. I was told to wait fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes. I have never been so happy to hear English radio because I listened to these random old country songs with every fiber of my being to avoid thinking about the hair thin needles toying with my nerve endings.

Finally, the bell rings. The doctor is gone, but an assistant removes the needles. Relief. I get up to leave, but she motions for me to stay. She speaks no English, and I no Korea, so it's rather terrifying to have no idea what is about to happen to you. I closed my eyes, lay on my stomach, and felt weird suction cups be placed on my hamstrings and knee. For another 15 minutes, I experienced weird pulsating machine cups of weirdness. It felt like hot and cold pins and needles were massaging me.

Finally, it's over. I snatch my purse. Still no sign of the doctor. Run to the front. I am given some witches' brew tea, pay the very cheap fee, and am about to limp out the door, when the receptionist say, to my horror... "See you tomorrow!"

I ask my friends and everyone tells me I must go back, that acupuncture isn't as shamanistic and I think and surely this will help. My knee felt better in the sense of there were no longer needles or suction cups attacking me, but surely it would feel even better had I never gone...

Begrudgingly, I returned the next day, ready to stand up to the doctor and demand to know 1)why did I have to come back and 2) no more acupuncture!

Of course I failed. All I learned was he wanted me to come back five times, and no matter how I protested, I was still lead to the table of horror. Prepared with my phone this time, the needles weren't as bad. However, it seems the suction cups were set to torture because they were so painful. I couldn't even text my friend because it hurt so much. It was horrific. I did manage, at least, to express that I would absolutely not be returning and that they should not expect me. The worst part of all this is I wouldn't even benefit from a placebo effect because I didn't believe in any of it!

I escaped, embarrassed to have been so foolish. But it wasn't quite over... The next day at school a co teacher came up to me said "I heard you were at the Korean hospital yesterday!" Instant blushing and awkwardness. "The doctor asked me to tell you that you need to come back for more acupuncture. And he must take out your bad blood." I thanked my coteacher, but  assured him there was absolutely no way that was going to happen. He laughed, as I probably couldn't look more flustered and horrified. Glad to have 100% confirmation that this clinic was absolutely poppycock.

As for my knee? I took another week off, and eventually it did start exhibiting more classic symptoms of runner's knee. I have been doing some stretches and strengthening exercises I found online, switched routes, ice it post runs, and no longer go two days in a row. It's feeling great and is almost back to normal.

All's well that ends well, and I have definitely learned my lesson!

Black Day

As you may remember, Black Day is Korea's Single's Day. It occurs two months after Valentine's and one month after White Day. In elementary, I haven't really noticed any mention of it and only know about it from foreigner friends telling me. When I asked my middle school students if they celebrated, only a few said they did and only one said she cried (jokingly, don't worry.) So I don't think it's quite as ubiquitous as Valentine's or White Day.

Still, pretty hilarious that there's a day to wallow in singledom sadly. You'd think a "Single's Day" would be full or partying and dates? Some friends and I went for the traditional Black Day dish of Jajangmyeon, Korean-Chinese black noodles.

Pre-mixed noodles and sauce.

Sad loser single

On the way home, I passed this
Chicken Live Club.
I only see chickens in clubs
if they're live. 

Scan.dal.

I have often felt like I could do no wrong in Korea. I've worn sleeveless tops and gotten compliments, gone to work with hair that puts Medusa to shame, and basically bumbled around with an astonishing lack of  language skills . While I always try my best to be polite, I've noticed I definitely have a permanent get out of jail free card when it comes to customs like bowing or the double handed pass. And of course, regardless of whether or not my lesson was a success, I am constantly swarmed with love and admiration from students. So again, I felt like I could do no wrong.

I did so wrong.

With the spring weather currently upon up, it's a little tricky dressing for school. Mornings are cool, and the school hallways can be very chilly, however midday and some classrooms are hot. So when I was getting dressed yesterday I was pleased to discover a pair of thin tights I had forgotten I had. I put them on and noticed a little hole on the back of one knee. I considered changing, but thought such a small hole certainly wouldn't be noticed, and definitely not on invincible, foreigner, beautiful Anne.

I was so wrong.

The snickering that burst throughout the classroom when I turned around was so intense I was absolutely convinced I had tucked my dress into my underwear. I kept running my hand down my back to reassure myself that it wasn't. It couldn't possibly be the tiny hole, could it? I had seen another teacher wearing a dress so short I actually saw her bloomers underneath, so surely a tiny back-of-knee back was nothing to worry about? But no. Soon, the good students were motioning me towards them with a look of panic.

"Teacher! Stockings! HOLE!!!'

I spent the rest of the day being followed by giggles and urgent whispers. "Hole Teacher!!" "HOLE!" Of course, as I should have known, the hole did nothing but get bigger throughout the day.

I swear I felt like I was walking around naked with a skull and cross bones tattoo across my back. It was very, very frazzling.

Lessons learned: Mom was right, no holes allowed in stockings!

Making Kimchi!

Super exciting! Today I got to make kimchi! Kimchi is made once a year, and many of my students told me that this was their weekend plan. I was envious. Super last minute, a friend of mine, Candi, who is married to a Korean man, Taek, invite me along to their kimchi making! I am so happy! It was so fun, and joining in with a family is always much more exciting than doing a tour group. The family owns a restaurant, so they need a lottt of kimchi. We were six people working and we covered 70 cabbages. They are doing 150 more tomorrow!!

Anyways it was super fun. We worked with Taek's mother and some family friends. I managed to impress one woman so much with my kimchi making skills she said I should meet her son! I also was brave and ate the offered oyster wrapped in kimchi. Quite an intense breakfast. Of course, we were fed until bursting and given giant tupperwares of kimchi to take home. I will let mine ferment and then experiment with some Korean cooking!

So kind of Candi and Taek to invite us along! 

Cabbages are cut into quarters and left to soak
in salt water as step 1.

I imagine step 2 is making the kimchi
paste, but we didn't see that. So all we
did was smear the paste onto the leaves.

While making these, we snacked
on the little leaves that fell off.
Fresh kimchi is tasty too!

Teacher Hike - NaeyeongSan, Pohang

Oh dear I actually went on this hike two or three weeks ago. Seriously worst blogger. Anyways, it was a beautiful day and my school took some teachers one a hike! I never say no to free cultural events, especially if there's a likelihood of free food at the end ! Add the lovely company of my coteachers and you have yourself a wonderful afternoon!

 On the walk from the parking lot to the hill, we passed through a little street lined with restaurants and shops. Shops sold trinkets common to most hiking areas: fans, walking sticks, water, knick knacks... and something I hadn't seen before..

Wait a second.. something's a little
weird with those bottles for sale in public....

 My coteacher's saw me taking photos (and giggling at the bottles) and insisted I take a picture of this lady making traditional noodles. When I commented on the industriousness of the Korean elderly, I was told that the latter said "If I do nothing, I will get sick." I laughed and said the Western mentality was usually more along the lines of "I am sick, so I will do nothing!"

Persimmon tree! Very tasty fruit.

Waterfalls!

Cool rocks

Ok so now we're on to the dinner part of the story. Dinner started off amazingly, with scrumptious kimchi and tofu and veggies to snack on.

We had a pumpkin (squash) savory pancake which was so delicious we ate it before I took a photo. I saw the menu had duck and squash, and I got all excited for this duck pumpkin dish that sounds amazing but I haven't had yet. But then, sadly, we were served one of the only Korean dishes I don't like!

This is a soup. It's called Samgyetang. Accoding toWikipedia, this means "chicken ginseng soup," but I call it "bland chicken carcass soup." Fun fact, ginseng is not actually that good.  It's not bad, but it's the only flavour in this incredibly boring soup. Also fun fact, the whole chicken is just plopped in there. So you get to dismember it with chopsticks and never know if you're eating meat or sinew or whatever else is in a chicken carcass. I mean, I guess it's nice they remove the feathers and innards, but I could really do without seeing the sad neck flopping around. Anyways, this soup was actually slightly different than the bland chicken carcass soup I'd previously had because it had another special ingredient...

Abalone.

Oh abalone. So expensive. So gross.

Bland chicken carcass soup was followed by bland rice goo. I think it's similar to congee? 

Add caption

While eating various bland chicken/rice stuff, this really freaky bit of fish was staring at me. I was too discouraged to give it a try.

HOWEVER While I complain, do remember I inhaled pumpkin pancake and seafood pancake along with all the sides so quickly no photos were taken. I just really don't like this weird soup, and I reallly don't like watery rice.

But I love you Korea and I love all your other food!! (ok not the bugs)

Korean college entrance exam

As you should all certainly know by now, I teach elementary. So I wasn't really affected by the college entrance exam, but it's definitely an interesting aspect of Korean culture I thought might interest YOU my devoted blog readers.

This week, all students in high school grade 3 (aka grade 12 in our nomenclature) took a college entrance test. It is similar to American SATs - the scores determine which university you go to. Except from what I understand, these scores matter more than anything else in determining your university, and which university you go to determines your entire career, so safe to say these exams are a big deal.

For example, the exams are NINE HOURS long.

Here is an article with some more information. It explains the various ways the government help the students out, from delaying adult working hours to 10am to reduce congestion, to offering rides to students. Even our elementary school had no bells on test day, to reduce noise pollution in the area. I can't even begin to imagine the stress these kids must go through. My coteacher explained it is a culmination of all they have learned for twelve years, so they had better be ready. Yikes.

An interesting cultural side my coteacher also explained: it is traditional to give students sticky candies or sticky rice cakes before the test. This is because around 20  years ago, students would first apply to university before taking the test, and would actually take the test at the university they had applied to. Sticky rice cakes were given to help the students "stick" to the uni by doing well on their exams! Nowadays the test is done before applications, but the sticky treats are still given!

Seriously though, as much as I loved exams (I know I was weird deal with it) I don't think even I would have enjoyed one lasting nine hours. Nine hours. NINE HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adorable performance

This week I have no classes so have just been hanging around planning summer camp (I made some pretty awesome powerpoint animations to explain card games) and reading my awesome Kindle. So today my grade 5 coteacher asked me to join her to see a performance.

It turns out there were a few Japanese exchange students coming to our school to spend a few days. So we went to the welcoming ceremony. All the grade 5's and a few kids from other grades were sitting on the floor. As we walked in, I was suddenly blown AWAY by kids screaming "ANNE TEACHER!!!!" in extreme excitement. I have no idea why they were so excited! I see them in class weekly and and always around the school. It was insane! As I walked through them they were even reaching up to touch me. I felt like a celebrity walking through my fans. Funny kids!!

The performances were cute! First, a sixth grade class played on their recorders. They had regular recorders, but also crazy looking bass and bassoon like recorders. 

Then a group of adorable grade 5 boys did some taekwondo. Finally the bedazzled grade 4's did a dance to none other than Gentleman by Psy. It was lovely. You can hear me laughing in the video because the uncensored Psy just sang "You so f***ing sexy!" And here I was wondering why all my kids have been fond of that word recently!

It was also neat to see the Japanese kids! My coteacher said they didn't speak English, or Korean, so they were having some trouble communicating. I'm sure they managed just fine though, I know the usefulness of miming!

Each boy performing is adorable. It was nice to see
a bunch of my favourites perform!

"Swimming"

I went to "California Beach" and Gyeongju World with the grade 6s on Friday. California beach is a water park, and I was pretty excited. I brought 'swimming clothes' with every intention of swimming with the kiddos.

Call me crazy, but sweating in a mandatory life jacket while wading in hot thigh high water is not my definition of swimming. There were rides, but the lines were 50-100 minutes long. I felt massively claustrophobic, one of my first "Ohmygod I'm in massively overcrowded Asia" moments for a while. SO I just hung out with the teachers and ate pat bing su, a Korean icy dessert. Not a bad day!

Patbingsu - a Korean dessert that originally
baffled me. Ice cream, sweetened red beans,
fruit, rice cakes, and cereal all piled
on top of shaved ice? Like most
other Korean foods though, I now
love it. Especially since the weather
has consistently been "feels like 45"
the past few days!!

Lotus Blossoms and Gourd Tunnel

Yesterday I biked downtown with my friend, Samantha, to go see the lotus blossoms. While I have been eating their roots for months now (delicious), I've never actually seen a real lotus flower. We both dressed in our most extreme heat appropriate clothes, slapped on some sunscreen, and ventured out into the extreme humidity for an adventure.

 First, on our way down, we passed some vine covered tunnels. I had seen the scaffolding of the tunnels in winter, and had assume they would plant flowering vines on them. But I was wrong! They planted amazing gourd vines! Photos really don't do these tunnels justice. I absolutely felt like I was on another planet. It was particularly amazing how these massive gourds were so strongly held up. I could hit them and swing them and they didn't fall. I even saw some little gourds that back home we use as decorations. It was totally awesome.

Magical gourd tunnel!

Anne and gourds

"I love you"

Decorative gourds!

Exterior view of the gourd tunnels.

Next, we continued on our way to the blossoms. Suddenly, we had to get off our bikes because a large group of women seemed to be having a picnic in the middle of the sidewalk. As we passed by, I peeked over to see what they were up to. They saw me and began frantically inviting me to sit! So Samantha and I saw, and these lovely ladies fed us lotus tea! The tea was a steeped blossom, which they poured into big lotus leaves, and then we drank through lotus stem straws. It was unbelievable. We comminucated a big through our tiny bit of Korean, and their limited English. They insisted on giving us cookies too. I even managed to spill a bunch of tea on myself and was instantly given a bunch of towels. Luckily, I was so insanely sweaty that dropping tea on myself didn't really make any difference to how wet I was.

The woman smiling behind me is a perfect example
of the amazing hospitality of Korea. 

Behind us you can see some Korean pedestrians also
being given lovely tea. Note the snazzy parasol.

Thank you ladies!

Next we walked through the lotus garden. Amazingly beautiful. I have been waiting to see them since I got here!

I'd love to learn about the biology of these crazy
water plants. Look how alien that stamen is! 

Not a lotus, but look how neat this flower looks
when closed?

Same flower as above. What is it, mom?

Amusingly decrepit bathroom. Two men and
one woman? What kind of crazy design
is that!

I tried to take a picture with my hand to show how
huge the leaves were. 

I don't think Buddhism could have picked
a more beautiful symbol.

I think this is the money shot. Gorgeous.

Teenage ducks hiding as we walked by.

This photo truly encaptures all that is Korea.
Mountains + historical buildings + hilarious cute-ness.

Finally, on our way back I took this set of pictures. I still find it interesting seeing relics of Korea's impoverished past mixed with their prosperous present. The photos are of two adjacent buildings.

All in all, it was an excellent day and a lovely impromptu adventure. I can't express how insanely sweaty and hot we were, but with the right mindset and knowing we were going home to showers, that isn't too bad.