Afternoon Everyone,
So we've found our first PC Bang (or PC Bong = Room / internet cafe) here in Daejeon. It is dark, and everyone is playing video games, and the only foods available are potato and corn chips, and carbonated soft drinks. I am in heaven haha. (that's Joe talking)
Last night one of the supervisers from TILS Language school (Amy) took us out on the town. Her boyfriend Jason drove and we went with another teacher from school, an American named Tim. First we went to Costco for the first time, and had some of the best pizza we have had in a long time (both here and in Canada). It was 12500 WON (or about $12 CDN) for an 18" cheese pizza that was absolutely loaded! Delish.
Afterward we went shopping for a microwave and toaster. We also purchased a large block of Colby Jack Cheese, Mushroom soup, Macaroni and Cheese, and some liquor (the vodka was much cheaper at Costco than at the E-Mart ... but that was about the only alcohol that was cheaper).
After Costco we dropped our purchases off at our apartments, and headed for the Galleria (the restaurant and nightclub district). We will eventually get to posting photos of some of these places but time and the internet is not on our side right now. We do really want to post pictures because of the beautiful lights and bussling crowds, even late at night. It is a very energized area of the city and it was totally new to us.
We went to a slightly more expensive restaurant than usual, although it was still modestly priced. Our table bill came to around $60 CDN which included a plate of spicy teriyaki chicken and veggies, a cheese and crab omelette, a bowl of spicy Korean noodles, a seaweed and rice dish, 2 jugs of Soju, and about 4 pints of beer. All in all it was still a very affordable dinner, and we were all stuffed.
We wanted to mention the combination of food and drink because it is the common "thing" in South Korea to mix food and drink throughout the evening. We had a discussion last night about how North Americans "eat then drink (alot)", whereas Koreans drink, then eat, then drink, then eat, then drink, then eat, all night long. It's different, but definitely enjoyable! We are both glad however that it is relatively inexpensive food and drink or we would have an empty wallet very quickly!
After we finished at the restaurant we headed home in a cab and did our first laundry. It was actually quite easy since someone at the school had translated the very complex digital panel for us. Since it went so well, we were able to sleep soundly.
Ok, so we need to rap this up, but just wanted to mention that the experience is still going very well. We have yet to write a blog about other things we did, but they include visiting the Daejeon lake which includes a large dam and is surrounded by mountains. It was very nice, but Spring has approached and we both are awaiting the greenery and flowers to bloom so we can see Daejeon's full potential. We are also living close to the river that runs through Daejeon, so we have spent a nice Sunday strolling down it. Again, since Winter has ended and Spring and Summer are coming it should look a lot nicer soon. Also, the river is being updated to included separated bike and walking trails, as well as gardens and sports facilities. Hopefully we will be able to see the end results while here.
We hope to write some more blogs soon in further detail about the school and our kids because in the matter of two weeks we have already collected a lot of stories! But for now, its Saturday night and its another fellow employee's birthday so we are off to celebrate! Pics of night may or may not be included in this blog ;)
Have a good one, talk to you soon! xo
Joe and Nicole
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Beluga Whales and Dinosaurs
Afternoon All !
So I'm taking this brief moment of respite on a Friday afternoon to catch everyone up on my first week of teaching. Despite the couple hours of explanation and material we received Sunday night, Monday was still a difficult day and a blur. I felt very fuzzy for most of the day due to a troubled sleep (in bed at 9, tossing and turning, up at 5), but was able to make it through.
I began Monday with my Dinosaur Class (dinosaur class is 7 year olds who are in their 1st year at the school). I have a co-teacher named Jordan from the USA who teaches the Elephant Class (7 year olds who in their 2nd year at the school). We switch back and forth between mornings and afternoons. Soooo ... Monday morning I had the dinosaur class and taught things like Phonics (the alphabet and sounds), Comprehension (this is a cat, this is not an airplane), and Printing and Writing (trace these letters, now draw you own letters).
At lunch we get to stay with the kids for 15 minutes while they eat. We are also provided lunch and can eat with them for those 15 minutes. (the first day we had rice, kimchi, seaweed soup, and some spicy dried thing that was delicious but I have no idea what it is) Then we have 45 minutes of spare time to prepare for the afternoon classes or relax, whatevs!
The morning runs from 9:50 to 12, and the afternoon runs from 1 to 2:35. In the afternoon, I taught the Elephant class Extensive reading (the kids read their own book with my help) and the Thematic class (this month's theme is friendship and I had them do a worksheet from a book that I found in the class.)
After the kindergarten immersion students go home at 2:30, we have a 30 minute break before the elementary classes start at 3:00. If you're lucky, you only have one class from 3 to 4:30 where the kids actually understand English and you teach things like Extensive Reading, Free Talking, or News in Education. On a long day, you teach two elementary classes from 3 to 6.
Both of our days have been 9 hours long and have been very exhausting, with all the prep. But, we are starting to get the hang of it and the staff is very helpful (for the most part). The other English speaking teachers are very nice, and we went out to dinner with a few of them on Thursday night. It was our first true taste of real Korean food, real Korean Soju (20% liquor kind of like Sake), and Korean night life! We had a big dinner, lots of beer, lots of Soju, french fries, and dried squid, and it only cost Nicole and I $45 Canadian!
Needless to say ... we both are really loving South Korea right now. We still have so much to do before we are set up and feel at home, but we have also already done so much this week that we already feel much more in control. Next stop? Easy Mart for more pillows!!!
Over and out,
Joe
Ok, Nicole here now. Joe went through pretty much the jest of school life, but I'll tell you my classes now because they are different (well the mornings). I teach the "Beluga Whale" class which is the new kindergartens (first time in English school) who are all 5. (Which is actually 4... Korean age is different, as everyone turns their next age at the begining of the year, Jan. 1, instead of their actual birth dates.. weird I know. And I refuse to be 26 already).
So, 4 years old, first time English kids is very difficult. They do not really understand anything. But I am very lucky because I only have 3 students! I could very well get more, but 3 is great because it can be very challenging with this age group. Its fun though because I pretty much just play with them, read to them and do fun arts and crafts type things. We are responsible for doing all lessons though, so I need to find new worksheets and cool games for them a lot to keep them interested. They have an attention span of like 15 minutes, so switching things up is essential. My 3 kids are soooo cute though. I will definitely post pics soon. So I have them until 2:30, then have the older kids, which as Joe mentioned are much more easier to teach. Most speak really good English, and one of my classes consists of only 3 girls who are the smartest, and the pride of the school. Those girls are very smart, and they will actually ASK for MORE homework!! I teach the News In Education class Joe mentioned, which is a lot of fun. They have these special newspapers to read called "Kid's Times" or "Teen Times" which cover so many topics. Lunch is really good here, and the cooks know I am a vegetarian so they make me a meatless meal! Actually, another teacher is also veg, so it works.
Ok, so we gotta get outta here and rest! This week has been extremely long and Friday is finally here... something we have been waiting for!! Miss you all, and I appreciate all the e-mails and messages! Hope to get you guys some pics soon!!
Cheers!!
Nicole
So I'm taking this brief moment of respite on a Friday afternoon to catch everyone up on my first week of teaching. Despite the couple hours of explanation and material we received Sunday night, Monday was still a difficult day and a blur. I felt very fuzzy for most of the day due to a troubled sleep (in bed at 9, tossing and turning, up at 5), but was able to make it through.
I began Monday with my Dinosaur Class (dinosaur class is 7 year olds who are in their 1st year at the school). I have a co-teacher named Jordan from the USA who teaches the Elephant Class (7 year olds who in their 2nd year at the school). We switch back and forth between mornings and afternoons. Soooo ... Monday morning I had the dinosaur class and taught things like Phonics (the alphabet and sounds), Comprehension (this is a cat, this is not an airplane), and Printing and Writing (trace these letters, now draw you own letters).
At lunch we get to stay with the kids for 15 minutes while they eat. We are also provided lunch and can eat with them for those 15 minutes. (the first day we had rice, kimchi, seaweed soup, and some spicy dried thing that was delicious but I have no idea what it is) Then we have 45 minutes of spare time to prepare for the afternoon classes or relax, whatevs!
The morning runs from 9:50 to 12, and the afternoon runs from 1 to 2:35. In the afternoon, I taught the Elephant class Extensive reading (the kids read their own book with my help) and the Thematic class (this month's theme is friendship and I had them do a worksheet from a book that I found in the class.)
After the kindergarten immersion students go home at 2:30, we have a 30 minute break before the elementary classes start at 3:00. If you're lucky, you only have one class from 3 to 4:30 where the kids actually understand English and you teach things like Extensive Reading, Free Talking, or News in Education. On a long day, you teach two elementary classes from 3 to 6.
Both of our days have been 9 hours long and have been very exhausting, with all the prep. But, we are starting to get the hang of it and the staff is very helpful (for the most part). The other English speaking teachers are very nice, and we went out to dinner with a few of them on Thursday night. It was our first true taste of real Korean food, real Korean Soju (20% liquor kind of like Sake), and Korean night life! We had a big dinner, lots of beer, lots of Soju, french fries, and dried squid, and it only cost Nicole and I $45 Canadian!
Needless to say ... we both are really loving South Korea right now. We still have so much to do before we are set up and feel at home, but we have also already done so much this week that we already feel much more in control. Next stop? Easy Mart for more pillows!!!
Over and out,
Joe
Ok, Nicole here now. Joe went through pretty much the jest of school life, but I'll tell you my classes now because they are different (well the mornings). I teach the "Beluga Whale" class which is the new kindergartens (first time in English school) who are all 5. (Which is actually 4... Korean age is different, as everyone turns their next age at the begining of the year, Jan. 1, instead of their actual birth dates.. weird I know. And I refuse to be 26 already).
So, 4 years old, first time English kids is very difficult. They do not really understand anything. But I am very lucky because I only have 3 students! I could very well get more, but 3 is great because it can be very challenging with this age group. Its fun though because I pretty much just play with them, read to them and do fun arts and crafts type things. We are responsible for doing all lessons though, so I need to find new worksheets and cool games for them a lot to keep them interested. They have an attention span of like 15 minutes, so switching things up is essential. My 3 kids are soooo cute though. I will definitely post pics soon. So I have them until 2:30, then have the older kids, which as Joe mentioned are much more easier to teach. Most speak really good English, and one of my classes consists of only 3 girls who are the smartest, and the pride of the school. Those girls are very smart, and they will actually ASK for MORE homework!! I teach the News In Education class Joe mentioned, which is a lot of fun. They have these special newspapers to read called "Kid's Times" or "Teen Times" which cover so many topics. Lunch is really good here, and the cooks know I am a vegetarian so they make me a meatless meal! Actually, another teacher is also veg, so it works.
Ok, so we gotta get outta here and rest! This week has been extremely long and Friday is finally here... something we have been waiting for!! Miss you all, and I appreciate all the e-mails and messages! Hope to get you guys some pics soon!!
Cheers!!
Nicole
On the Ground, Safe and Sound
Annyong Haseyo !!!
It's been a long time coming, but we finally have managed some time to update our loyal friends and family in Canada! Needless to say, its been a long week and we are too exhausted to attempt a clever, or even structured way to start this blog, so let's just dive in!!
We arrived at the Seoul airport at about 3:30am. Flight was pretty good. Really cool "free stuff" like slippers and a tooth brush. The in-flight entertainment was sweet too; we got to catch up on some missed movies from home like The King's Speech, Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Never Let Me Go. Also, the remote for the TV flipped over and turned into a video game controller and Joe played Tetris! But anyways, enough about flight... so 3:30am at airport, exhausted. We had someone meet us which was nice because we did not have to worry about the next step. So this man (we don't know who he was really, we assume the school hired him) got us our bus tickets and waited for us to get on our bus. Bus left at 6:00am so... more waiting!! Our directer met us at the bus stop and drove us to our apartment with all our luggage so that helped out HUGE. Apartment is very nice. It is of course small, but for Korean standards, and compared to other Korean apartments we have seen, its safe to say we lucked out in that department. Only downside was the lack of furniture, which we are still waiting to get. So far we have one cabinet, one small table with shelves, and one bed. We will post photos of the apartment soon, which will give a much better visual than our words. After a short cat nap Sunday during the day, our director picked us up at 5 for dinner and a little run down of things at the school. She also took us on the bus to show us all the stops we needed, etc. We were so glad to get some time at the school to get schedules and more preparation for teaching since we started the NEXT DAY.
So next we'll move on to teaching, because the arrival day is somewhat of a blur with jet lag, new sounds, new sights, and way too much squiggly lines to "read" on all of the buildings.
Cheers,
Nicole
It's been a long time coming, but we finally have managed some time to update our loyal friends and family in Canada! Needless to say, its been a long week and we are too exhausted to attempt a clever, or even structured way to start this blog, so let's just dive in!!
We arrived at the Seoul airport at about 3:30am. Flight was pretty good. Really cool "free stuff" like slippers and a tooth brush. The in-flight entertainment was sweet too; we got to catch up on some missed movies from home like The King's Speech, Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Never Let Me Go. Also, the remote for the TV flipped over and turned into a video game controller and Joe played Tetris! But anyways, enough about flight... so 3:30am at airport, exhausted. We had someone meet us which was nice because we did not have to worry about the next step. So this man (we don't know who he was really, we assume the school hired him) got us our bus tickets and waited for us to get on our bus. Bus left at 6:00am so... more waiting!! Our directer met us at the bus stop and drove us to our apartment with all our luggage so that helped out HUGE. Apartment is very nice. It is of course small, but for Korean standards, and compared to other Korean apartments we have seen, its safe to say we lucked out in that department. Only downside was the lack of furniture, which we are still waiting to get. So far we have one cabinet, one small table with shelves, and one bed. We will post photos of the apartment soon, which will give a much better visual than our words. After a short cat nap Sunday during the day, our director picked us up at 5 for dinner and a little run down of things at the school. She also took us on the bus to show us all the stops we needed, etc. We were so glad to get some time at the school to get schedules and more preparation for teaching since we started the NEXT DAY.
So next we'll move on to teaching, because the arrival day is somewhat of a blur with jet lag, new sounds, new sights, and way too much squiggly lines to "read" on all of the buildings.
Cheers,
Nicole
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Lost and Found: Joe's Scotland Scarf
Afternoon Everyone!
This will be the first post of many on this blog page dedicated to the adventures of Joe Grant and Nicole Heaney on the other side of the world in South Korea. We are expecting to leave this upcoming Friday or Saturday after some strenuous delays. Finally it feels as though the wait is over and our clenched stomachs and sweaty palms are prep'd and ready for the 14 hour flight to our new home!
What sparked this early post (as this was supposed to be a Korea blog) was a ridiculously long and unexpectedly gratifying yesterday afternoon.
After returning from the Korean Consulate in Toronto, we ran some errands to stock up on a few last minute items. (ranch dressing, hershey chocolate, natural sleep aids, tea, a notebook, and a travel game called Bananagrams!) When we were leaving Zehr's, I realized that I was not wearing my Scotland scarf! "Oh No!" I exclaimed. We quickly ran to her car to find that the scarf was not there either. Devastated, we began to backtrack our steps to find the elusive scarf.
If anyone is wondering why I was "devastated" by the loss of a scarf, please note the following:
1) Nicole got me the scarf early in our relationship
2) Nicole thoughtfully bought the scarf in my ancestral home of Scotland
3) Nicole thoughtfully bought a scarf that had my Grant clan Tartan on it
4) It's the only scarf I've ever owned or ever worn
5) Both the scarf and Nicole mean the world to me.
Now back on track. We first went to Chapters in Waterloo, checked the lost and found, and searched the parking lot with no results. Then we moved on to Nature Pharm around the corner, searched the parking lot, and queried the store staff. Again, no scarf! We then went back to Zehr's and searched the store (including under a number of display cases), checked the lost and found, and did a brief scan of the parking lot. With no scarf in site, and very distraught, I wandered into the "Joe" section in Zehr's hoping beyond hope to find a woefully inadequate but similar looking scarf. All they had were purple and grey Thermo-silk scarfs or something like that. Awful.
Slowly making my way out of the store, feeling down in the dumps and apologizing to Nicole for my horrible memory and poor attention skills, we headed for the car. More to cheer her and myself up than anything, I started spinning around and frantically scanning the parking lot again for the scarf.
But wait! What's that?! I spotted a small bundle of red about 100 feet from where we parked under the front of a cheap Honda Civic. I raced toward it, a spark of hope growing into a bonfire of wonder and disbelief. There was my scarf! My slightly dirty, slightly frozen, Grant Tartan plaid scarf! Oh what a time to be alive!!!
It immediately brightened both of our days, and I took it as a positive sign for our journey ahead. Then we went home and watched Friends.
The End
Best from both of us,
Joe
P.S. If anyone has seen "A Very Long Engagement" (Nicole got me to watch it the other day and it was very good), early in the search for the scarf I pealed a Clementine in the car and said "if I don't break this orange peel I will find the scarf". I did not break the peel. Coincidence? Perhaps. Awesome? Definitely.
Cheerio
This will be the first post of many on this blog page dedicated to the adventures of Joe Grant and Nicole Heaney on the other side of the world in South Korea. We are expecting to leave this upcoming Friday or Saturday after some strenuous delays. Finally it feels as though the wait is over and our clenched stomachs and sweaty palms are prep'd and ready for the 14 hour flight to our new home!
What sparked this early post (as this was supposed to be a Korea blog) was a ridiculously long and unexpectedly gratifying yesterday afternoon.
After returning from the Korean Consulate in Toronto, we ran some errands to stock up on a few last minute items. (ranch dressing, hershey chocolate, natural sleep aids, tea, a notebook, and a travel game called Bananagrams!) When we were leaving Zehr's, I realized that I was not wearing my Scotland scarf! "Oh No!" I exclaimed. We quickly ran to her car to find that the scarf was not there either. Devastated, we began to backtrack our steps to find the elusive scarf.
If anyone is wondering why I was "devastated" by the loss of a scarf, please note the following:
1) Nicole got me the scarf early in our relationship
2) Nicole thoughtfully bought the scarf in my ancestral home of Scotland
3) Nicole thoughtfully bought a scarf that had my Grant clan Tartan on it
4) It's the only scarf I've ever owned or ever worn
5) Both the scarf and Nicole mean the world to me.
Now back on track. We first went to Chapters in Waterloo, checked the lost and found, and searched the parking lot with no results. Then we moved on to Nature Pharm around the corner, searched the parking lot, and queried the store staff. Again, no scarf! We then went back to Zehr's and searched the store (including under a number of display cases), checked the lost and found, and did a brief scan of the parking lot. With no scarf in site, and very distraught, I wandered into the "Joe" section in Zehr's hoping beyond hope to find a woefully inadequate but similar looking scarf. All they had were purple and grey Thermo-silk scarfs or something like that. Awful.
Slowly making my way out of the store, feeling down in the dumps and apologizing to Nicole for my horrible memory and poor attention skills, we headed for the car. More to cheer her and myself up than anything, I started spinning around and frantically scanning the parking lot again for the scarf.
But wait! What's that?! I spotted a small bundle of red about 100 feet from where we parked under the front of a cheap Honda Civic. I raced toward it, a spark of hope growing into a bonfire of wonder and disbelief. There was my scarf! My slightly dirty, slightly frozen, Grant Tartan plaid scarf! Oh what a time to be alive!!!
It immediately brightened both of our days, and I took it as a positive sign for our journey ahead. Then we went home and watched Friends.
The End
Best from both of us,
Joe
P.S. If anyone has seen "A Very Long Engagement" (Nicole got me to watch it the other day and it was very good), early in the search for the scarf I pealed a Clementine in the car and said "if I don't break this orange peel I will find the scarf". I did not break the peel. Coincidence? Perhaps. Awesome? Definitely.
Cheerio
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