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2010/08/30

Day 421 - Finances and Fail

My school has decided I won't get an August paycheck, but rather those two weeks will be paid on the next paycheck. Very unfortunate. Suddenly, that 10kg box of sweet potatoes is looking pretty tasty. For breakfast, lunch, *and* dinner.

Overall, the past week or so has been complete fail. Not in a "omg I'm so depressed" way, but in a "omg, are you serious?" way.

First, the lack of an August paycheck leaves me with about 50,000W ($50) to feed, transport, and entertain myself for three weeks. Womp womp.

Then, after feeling confident about the beginner level Korean proficiency exam, I took a practice intermediate test. It turns out, there is an infamous, huge jump between the two, according to the websites I've checked. It's not just me that went from ~90% on the beginner to just-barely-above-random-guessing (30%) when moving up from beginner to intermediate. To pass the intermediate test and receive a level 3 placement, I need to get at least a 50%. I have 12 days. Wish me luck.

With finances and the exam weighing me down, I suddenly remembered last night (Sunday) that I had two new classes this semester, both of which needed a lesson plan and power point. So starting from scratch, I worked until a little after 2am, making a nice lesson. I then prepped the second lesson, since Monday morning is the teachers' meeting, which runs right up to first period (my first class).

Usually.

Except this week, the new English teacher never showed up, so two of my classes today (one of which was that new class) were canceled. And the teachers' meeting was postponed until tomorrow. So all that work was completely unnecessary and I could have done it this morning, well-rested.

fail. :(

Anyway, I went to the Gongju National History Museum and to see Piranha3D yesterday with DY. Here's a sticker photo while we waited for the movie to start.

And here's a picture of a dude that was supposed to be escorting a group of school children through the museum. This was in the short-film room, where a brief history of the archeological dig was showing. Leading by example, I like it.


2010/08/26

Day 417 - Students' "About Me" Poems

For this first week of classes, I'm giving my kids a break from self introductions. I hammered that into them last year and I didn't want to get the same canned responses as I did in the spring semester. Instead I'm having them write "About Me" poems, acrostics with their names or a short fill-in-the-blank style. Here's some of my favorites, whether due to creativity, impressiveness (is that even a word?), or hilarity.



JURI
Juri is very lovely.
U love me?
Really?
I have boyfriend.


MINJI
My name is Min-Ji!
Is from Korea!!
Not married!!
Join in ITGL ((editor's note: one of the two majors at my school))
I love Korea <3


YEONSOO
Yadong is very good.
English is very good.
Oh, my God!
Nonsan is not good
Starcraft2 is very good.
Oh!
Oh, my eyes!


SEULKI
Speaks Korean
English is very hard ㅠㅠ
Unbelievable development!!
Lives in Korea
Korea!!
I love you!!~ <3


Yuri
cool, hot, people, smart
sister of no (only one)
Lover of Super Junior
Fears school
Needs money
Gives love
Wants to see people
Lives in Yeonsan, Korea
Yuri


JONGMIN
Joker
Ork [sic]
Nice
Guy
Monster
Ice cream eater
Needs something


HYEANSU
Hi
Yeah
Enjoy my life
A boy
Need a sexy girl
So so
Um....


KIM SUNGBONG
Korea is god, I think....
I don't like many eating
Money is very very good
Skin is Hm..... brown?
Unique
No married
Boy
Orange
Name is SunBongKim
Good game (g.g)


KANG SARANG
Korean! I'm Korean.
And my
Name is Saran.
Girl! I'm Girl
Sexy girl ~ wo ~
Ah~ I'm sexy?
Real I'm Korean sexy girl. actually....
A-->
Ngel I'm
God!


GUNWOO
Good boy
Ugly but good boy ^^
Now. i'm so tired.
Wear a school uniform
O M G ...
Orange...

INBEOM
I'm In Beom
Now! My introduce.
Brother is a little boy
Energy full!!!
Oh my god.
My Mom call me....


KONG TAEHEONG
Korea is my nation
Oing?
Needs money
Going university for my dream
Turn it up loud~
Age of 21th
E~ EEEgg
Have a good time?
Egg
Oing?
Not married
GOGOSING MY future


YOUNSOO
You like me
Oh my God
Unbelievable
No I don't like you
Sorry but you like me
One day, we will like each other
Oh~

2010/08/21

Day 412 - Back in Korea

I'm back in Korea now, and have decided that I'll be continuing my day-numbering instead of starting over again. Big news, right?

I've started moving into my apartment, but there's still 6 or 7 boxes at my old homestay. Tomorrow night when DY gets off of work we'll go over and grab those and my hands will be officially cleaned of all that. Hurray!

So far, I've been back in Nonsan for about 2 days -- yesterday I met up with Bora, a Korean who teaches English at the local university. She's going to be a big factor in whether my dreams of a Korean-English exchange club at the university works out or not, so I was really encouraged that she was still enthusiastic about things like that.

Today I was a giant load and did absolutely nothing. I've already unpacked, but my TV's at school and my plug converter for my (battery-dead) laptop is packed away in a box at the homestay. Which leaves me nothing to do but stare at the walls in my apartment. Gooood times.

Other than that, I'm just waiting for school to start on Monday. I already prepped my lesson back in America, so I just need to decide what kind of punishment/reward system I want to use this semester and print out some bingo cards.

21 days until I take the Test of Proficiency in Korean. I should be spending all this free time studying...

2010/08/14

A Month In America Condensed into Lists

10 Things I Did


1. ate way too much food
2. shopped
3. watched lots of TV and movies
4. cooked
5. went to the beach
6. went to Boston
7. went clubbing
8. met friends
9. spent time with family
10. regrouped


10 Things I'll Miss

1. variety (e.g., people, food, TV shows, music)
2. driving a car
3. shower curtains
4. tanning
5. English everywhere
6. fluffy mattresses
7. vibrant colors
8. shopping malls
9. giant ovens
10. family and friends and my doggie (obvs)


10 Random Things I'm Bringing Back To Korea

1. dry soup mixes
2. bouillon cubes
3. shake'n'bake
4. spices (e.g., garlic powder, nutmeg)
5. cranberry sauce and stuffing
6. gum
7. toothpaste
8. mac and cheese
9. jello and pudding
10. quick-cook oatmeal