Hello, friends!

hello! I have been slacking on the blog lately. As it gets closer to October, the busier I have become. I am making plans and trying to figure out my next move! I will be departing Korea for Vietnam on November 11 and traveling through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. If you have any tips for me while I am visiting those countries, please pass them along! I will be home December 23rd. :) I am SO ready to come home and see you all. I am definitely ready to be home for a bit. My tentative plan is being home in the US until the end of March and finding some sort of job while I'm there. Then, coming back to Korea to teach for another year. AHHHH! I said it out loud. We'll see how everything comes together. I will start looking for jobs in October. I can't believe how fast this year as gone and I know the next 2ish months will go even faster!

I have come to my senses and I will NOT be running the half marathon. Enough said.

I went to Jeju at the end of July for our summer break. Jeju is an island south of South Korea. It is Korea's largest island. It's a volcanic island covered in volcanic rock (go figure). I would describe it has the Florida or Hawaii of Korea. It is beautiful- but the city isn't that wonderful.


We went to one of many waterfalls that are located on Jeju. perdy.


wimpy waterfalls.

The girls.

THE waterfalls.

The reason Korea makes me cringe.

I shall call this summer "the summer of dragon flies." They are EVERYWHERE. I USED to like them.



We took a ferry to a small island off of Jeju called Udo. We rented bikes for the day and rode around the island to the different beaches. It was gorgeous. I could stay there for a week. Bliss.




Seaweed was scattered everywhere along the coast. Grandmas and Grandpas were seen picking up the dried seaweed and placing them in piles to be picked up and then sold. I'm hoping they do some sort of cleaning process before we get them on our plates. Grody. Korean grandparents are hard workers. I don't think they retired until they are 80. Hopefully, I will remember that when I am their age. You can do anything, health permitting of course. It doesn't matter how old you are, it's how you feel.

Seaweed covering the ground. yum.

Grandma searching for sea creatures to eat or sell.


We went hiking up Mt. Halla. It was soo beautiful. I am not a fan of hiking, but I brought my ipod with me and zoned out to wonderful bumpin tunes. I have never been in a place that felt so mystical. The fog would come out of nowhere. Sometimes i couldn't see anyone in front of me because it was so thick. I felt like I was in the movie. I was hoping that I wasn't about to get eaten by a vampire. Let's just say I survived. We didn't have time to make it to the top. I was devastated. NOT. We hiked for about 6 hours that day and spent the first 2 hours running up the mountain trying to reach the halfway point before it was closed. Mission unsuccessful. Oh well.





tata for now. Off to watch my first soccer game in Korea. I can't wait. Speaking of sports, I am very angry about Brett Favre signing with the Vikings. They are lame. Brett Favre sucks. Traitor.

Hope you all are wonderful and enjoying the last few days of summer. Relax. Play outside. Have fun. :)


xoxo


ps. Congrats Eryn and Jeff!!! <3 love you!

Korean Wedding

Hello! Hope you are all fabulous. It has been a hectic few weeks here. I can't believe it is August! July always goes by so fast. I hope you all are enjoying your summer thus far and are able to enjoy the weather. The rainy season was said to be over here, but now we are expecting a typhoon to hit Korea in the next few days. I am not exactly sure what that means for us city-folk in Seoul other than ruining any plans we had for enjoying sunshine over the weekend. I swear, the Korea Weather Gods like to mess with us here because it has been raining so much over the weekends. ANNOYING.

Anyways, I attended a co-worker's wedding a week ago. Peter is from Wales and his new wife (Susan?) is from Korea. It is usually very difficult for bi-racial couples here. Most parents want their children to marry a Korean to keep the "pure" bloodline going strong. People are slowly starting to become more accepting of bi-racial couples, but they have a long way to go. I have another co-worker here who has been with a Korean woman for a few years and wants to marry her, but her parents forbid it. Basically, the relationship will never go anywhere. Most Koreans do exactly what their parents tell them to do, mostly because of the high respect for their elders.

ok, back to the wedding.

We were greeted by Peter when we entered the church. I almost started laughing because he was wearing so much makeup! He said they had been getting beautified since 7 am and it was now 11:45. HOLY COW. He doesn't have any hair, so I have no clue what they could have possibly been doing for that long. Although he had ridiculous makeup and it was really distracting, I have never seen someone look so happy before. This is a guy who barely said 5 words the 9 months that I worked with him and now he wouldn't shut up. Ohhhh, love. The strange things it does to people.

I had never met Susan(?) before the wedding. I walked into the sanctuary and was shocked to see her sitting on a chair surrounded by cameras. She welcomed us and then we took a photo with her in her photo shoot, which she did with all the guest. That would be my worst nightmare. It was all very strange. I then realized the need for all the makeup. They wanted their pictures to be flawless. If you hadn't picked up on it, Koreans are very self-absorbed. They are always taking pictures of themselves and are very fashion conscious. They must look perfect at all times, especially for their wedding. They have a professional photo shoot months in advance of the wedding where they spend 8 hours taking crazy pictures. The bride and groom have multiple outfits changes (wedding dress/suits) in the pictures, but the clothing is always borrowed from the photographers studio. I guess it would be somewhat similar to engagement photos that most people in America take, but taken to levels no one should go.

During the ceremony, people were very rude. No one was really listening to what the pastor was saying. People were on their cellphones or talking to the people next to them. I was warned before hand of people's rudeness, but I didn't really believe it. Clearly I was mistaken. I wanted to stand up and in my best teacher's voice tell everyone to pay attention, but I thought I would get a few strange looks and cause more disruption than good.


The bride and her father.

There was no " Kiss the bride" at the end of the ceremony. The couple bowed to both sets of parents and then to us. Peter bowed all the way down to the floor to both sets of parents and us, which is the utmost respect. The lower you bow, the more respect you are expressing to someone. Of course, everyone cheered when he did it.



When the ceremony was finished, all the people at the ceremony got together and took a photo together. Then the bride and groom threw the bouquet and finally kissed.

The ceremony was over in about 30 minutes total and then we went up stairs for a buffet lunch. I thought we were in the wrong dining area because there was about triple the number of people there. However, we were correct and most people usually skip the ceremony and only go straight to the food. WOW. I'm so glad people aren't selfish or anything. At least they still give the couple money for their wedding present. Gifts are not common. Show me the money, duude.

Swimmin

Last week, I went on a field trip with the kindergartners to a hotel pool. In Seoul, it is required that all swimmers wear a swim cap when you are in the pool. All the kids' swim caps matched their swim suit. Pretty cute! It was a lot of fun, but completely exhausting. Plus, ate at an amazing buffet in the hotel. I will always be won over by great food. ha.




No, she isn't "flicking you off". She is giving the peace sign.


Can you feel the love?




Twins. No matter what country they are from, they are still trouble makers. FYI, my brother and I were perfect.




Spiderman??

Guess not!


Boys pushing their Korean kindergarten teacher in the pool.

Dog Dung

My students have been complaining about how much homework their public school teachers gave them for their summer vacations. Most of them have just been whining about it in class. However, my student Eric wrote a page about it in his diary. Here is an excerpt from it. I almost peed my pants laughing. He is so clever. I'm wondering how long it took him to look up words in his translator dictionary to express how he feels about his teacher. He is a rock star.

"I'm annoying the holiday tasks. I think not vacation. Because most holiday task, I go to school is same! I'm angry! Class teacher is a rascal, fool, dunce,imbecile. Class teacher is my play vacation spoil. My teacher is a mongrel, dog dung,sea anemone, the pang."

- Eric, age 12.



Of course my students are rock stars, with a slight country edge. Duh.

Oh, Harry!

Hello, there! How are you? It has been a little while since I have talked to you. Last week I moved to a new apartment, which I am happy to report has NO ANTS! YAHOO!! It is a nice change of scenery, especially because I now have a COUCH, a TV that WORKS, and a tiny glass wall that separates my shower from my toilet! HOLY COW! LIFE IS GOOD!

I am now 26 years-old. I had a great b-day of Indian food, rice cakes, and cake with wonderful friends! The wife of the restaurant owner (I think), gave me a hand-made journal from India. It is pretty amazing and I am saving it to use on my long travel adventures in November. Also, I ended the evening seeing the new Harry Potter movie. It was awesome! FYI- this is the second b-day that I watched a Harry Potter movie opening night. I am so cool. PS. One of my students told me the ending of the last book, which will be the next movie. I think I am going to give him an F on his next grade report. What a punk!

Yeah, we were bored and waiting for the movie. Dude, it was my b-day. Don't judge me. I can act like I'm 5 if I want! Yes, I made a wand out of straws.




Just hanging out with the Potter clan. Be jealous.


Now, back to being somewhat of an adult. I have made a big decision. I will be spending another year abroad! I'm not sure if I will stay in Korea or go to another country. I'm still trying to figure it out, but I will not be looking for jobs in the US. I am really excited and fired-up about it! Nothing is set in stone, and things could change, they always do. However, right now I do not feel like my place is back home. I feel like my soul needs a little more time in this ever-changing, extremely challenging, wonderful, and constantly stimulating environment. I'm not sure what is around the corner, where I will go, who I will meet, or what I will do, but I am currently content in that. I have wrestled with this decision for months. I have been trying to tell myself that I should go back home and be "normal" like the other 26ish year-olds and stay in one spot for more than 1 year, but who I am kidding. I have always known that I am not that average or "normal" speckled girl (I won't refer to myself as a woman. Women are old). So, as much as I will miss you all and am counting down the days to see you, I think there is a path for me else where for another year. Hopefully, through faith, it will be revealed to me soon. I will still be home for a month or so and hope to get a job in February. We'll see!


Korea moments... Did you know...

- Superstitions-
* Do not eat eggs or seaweed before a test because eggs break and seaweed is slippery- so you will fail.
* Eat rice cakes before a test. They are sticky and you will do well. Knowledge will stick in your brain.
* The number 4 is unlucky. 7 is lucky.
* Do not sleep with your fan on. It will either suck you into it and kill you or take away all your oxygen and kill you. Either
way, it is VERY bad to sleep with a fan on.
- My student got hit from his mother because during his talent show, he didn't read his English story loud enough and didn't
win. He wrote about this in his diary.
- A 5th grade student named Steven asked another boy, Eric, if he was the one who farted in class. Eric said, "No" but Steven
didn't like his answer, so he made Eric stand up from his chair. Then, he proceeded to smell his chair for evidence. Eric was
clear, the farting student has yet to be caught. Boys are GROSS, but hilarious.
- Koreans find it very odd that my female friends and I actually run. On numerous occasions, people literally stop and point at
us shocked- sometimes with mouths open. Sweet. I love feeling like a circus show.
- I have a new student in my class who greets me everyday by trying to rub freckles off of my arm. He still doesn't
understand that they don't come off.
- Sunday afternoon, I witnessed two guys carrying a drunk guy off the subway tracks. The train came MAYBE 20 seconds later-
from both directions. I guess he was walking and he fell. He was pretty banged up, but he was moving and able to sit
up. I'm so glad I didn't see him fall. It was tramatic enough watching them save him. He was one lucky guy.
- A Korean friend of mine was studying at his university, when he was interrupted by a group of 3rd graders who were getting
a tour. They asked him what they needed to do to prepare for university. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I didn't think about college
until high school. Talk about pressure.... Can you imagine?
- For last last month, it has been monsoon season. This is no joke. Today was the first day of sunshine in weeks. I have never
seen so much rain in my life. It down-poured for days. My clothes took days to dry due to all the moisture in the air. I went
to class soaked numerous days.
- My students fall off their chairs daily and I always laugh. It's hilarious. Am I a bad person?
- I have two new students, who happened to be identical twins and they are identically weird. They won't keep their shoes on
and their feet are always touching their face or in their mouths. Gross. At least they are flexible. Thankfully, I only have them
two days a week.
- I ate sea urchin a week ago, while I was hanging at this beach town for two days. It wasn't good. The little feelers were still
moving- just like the tentacles of octopus. The "insides" were like lumpy, runny pudding that tasted like the sea. Hmmm...
yummy?



I hope you are all enjoying your month of July. Hopefully, you are able to get some relaxation time to enjoy the sun or a BBQ with loved ones. I miss you all SO much!

I have been in Korea 9 months! 4 months until I get to see you! :)

xoxox

Happy Birthday, Grandma. We miss you.

INTERVENTION

Dear Kim Jon-il,

As a teacher and former nanny, I believe that you need some tough love, which most people would call a time-out. I'm not sure what kind of time-out you would prefer- crabby corner (this is one my parents' favorite options), crabby stool/chair, go to your room and come out when you are feeling "normal" again (the normal thing might be difficult for you), or go to a deserted island and never come back. I am completely against spanking, but I will make an exception for you. Please note, I do not want to touch your bum, so I will have someone else administer it. You may pick either or all of them, but choose wisely.

Also, I am deeply worried about your lack of social skills. You won't show your face to the media other than old pictures or staged outings. Have you become vain in your old age? Are you worried people will say you aren't aging gracefully? Your sons seem to have their own issues, which worries me. I hope you are giving them time-outs when they need them, so they do not repeat your own mistakes. If you aren't aware of any mistakes being made, we (the world), will gladly let you know.

I wanted to thank you for firing off missiles in celebration of the USA's Independence Day. I was so surprised that you fired off 7 of them! WOW! It was very thoughtful. However, next time, fire works will be just fine. Actually, please send over some sparklers. Our children miss them.

I would also like to give you some more advice. My parents always told me that I have chosen my friends very wisely and that they are wonderful people. I'm not sure what your parents told you, but I think you chose very poorly. China and Russia do not have the greatest reputations, thus maybe they are pressuring you to be someone you aren't? Your friends sometimes reflect who you are. Maybe you need some new friends. If you would like, I can call Barack and maybe we could schedule a play date. Just a thought. Let me know.

As your neighbor in Seoul, I would prefer that you and your family choose the deserted island option (see above). Actually, I think the world would like that option. My parents would sleep easier at night and your fellow citizens would like to eat.

Please take everything that I have said to heart. I live only 1 hour from you. I've seen your stomping grounds through a telescope. I used to play soccer. I have a strong, forceful kick. Just sayin'.

With love,

xoxoxo
Ms. Schwartz

Happy Sparkler Day!

Hello, July! Yes, it's July, just incase you weren't aware. For you, it is Fourth of July weekend coming up- full of celebrations. For me, it is just another weekend here in Korea. As far as I know, there isn't any special events going on. I'm sure if I looked hard enough, I could probably find something Americanish. Nahh....

I think I'm going through a quarter life crisis...errr... almost 26 years-old --closer to 30 crisis. I know some of you just rolled your eyes and said something not-so-nice, but seriously, I think it's true. I just dyed my hair VERY dark and yesterday I signed up for a half marathon on August 30. Ok, so changing my hair is not a big deal but HALF MARATHON. CRAP! I haven't really been working out at all, so it is going be brutal training. I called 2 of my friends last night and got them to do it as well, which sucks because I woke up this morning thinking that was one of the dumbest ideas of the century. SO, now I have to do it being they are. Geesh. Someday, maybe I will learn not to make decisions in the moment- not likely.

I am officially done with tutoring in the morning for the next month! YAHHOOO!! I have my mornings free, which is awesome. I can breathe again.

Yesterday I had to explain to my students for the billionth time what my freckles were. After the discussion, David raised his hand and said, "Teacher, Raymond is make freckles.. (then proceeded to gesture how he was picking his nose and putting the boogers on himself and David) I no want the freckles." I love kindergartners... most of the time. How can you not laugh at that?

I am an countdown mode for the last week in July. I am going to have a visitor!!! Yahooo. Brianna, my good friend from Colorado is coming! I'm excited to make her do things and eat things that she never thought she would encounter. Mwahhahaha! Good times.

Anyways, not a whole lot going on here. Sorry for the not-so-interesting post. Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Wish I could share a sparkler with you.... and BBQ on the grill... my mouth is watering. Yum.

xoxo