Monthly Archives: February 2012

13 cents

Posted on by

It finally happened… after living here for over two and a half years. The public transportation prices WENT UP.

I was flabbergasted yesterday when my t-money card wouldn’t transfer from the subway onto the bus I had to take for church. I was informed (through very broken English and the help of some kind Korean Americans) that if I didn’t have enough money on my t-money after I transferred I had to pay the whole price of the bus ride. I didn’t realize I wouldn’t have enough money because no body told me the price went up!!! Why didn’t anyone tell me?

I wasn’t too upset, just a little. I was also a little surprised at the bus driver’s lack of grace, but you know- it’s his job to make sure people pay for their ride. After a small amount of thought, I came to the conclusion that public transportation prices don’t often change in Korea. For me to be here for almost three years, and this is the first increase (of 150 won, which is about 13 cents)… well, if you think about it, that’s not bad. Not bad at all.

Here are three pictures that have absolutely nothing to do with this post or each other. I just like them.

Something about the way all of these tables and coffee cups lined up, I just loved it.

I got the privilege of having a mini-photo shoot with my girl Hannah (from hannahgram.com)

Fresh flowers on Paul's dresser. LOVE.

“Little Talks”

Posted on by

I don’t normally post youtube videos… and this will be my second post in a row doing such a thing. I will get back to putting up some great shots I have taken soon, promise!

I have not been able to stop listening to this song my friend Hannah posted on her blog (hannahgram.com) since I read her post about it last week. I have been listening to it on repeat on my way to school, while I am preparing my classroom for the day, during my prep time, on my way home, on the subway into the city, well you get the picture. I love the trumpet, and the beat, and saying “hey!”

TED talks

Posted on by

A couple of weeks ago I started taking a preaching class at my church (I know, why not add one more thing to the every expanding “to do” list that is my life???). This class has been amazing.

Today I listened to one of the assigned podcast (every respectable course has homework right?), and instead of a typical sermon (as all the other podcasts are) this was actually a TED talk. Ever since I heard Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk in 2007 asking if schools kill creativity, I have been hooked on TED talks. That being said I tend to forget about things unless they are in my face constantly (not people though, just THINGS) and so I don’t watch too many TED talks.

I want to put it out there for everyone to watch this TED talk by Brene Brown. It’s good. Really good.

I love all of my bloggies.

Posted on by

I’m afraid my new teaching blog is hogging all of my attention…oops! It is just so exciting to start something new you know? In other news, my phone broke. I have to go to an apple service center to get it fixed (augh)… I am pretty sad, for various reasons. But, it IS kind of nice to have no connection to the world- as much as it is terrifying and I hate it, I also find an interesting feeling of liberation in not have the world at my finger tips anymore.

One of my students came up to me the other day with a stomach-ache… before I sent her to the nurse I asked if I could pray for her. She said, “Yes, please.” I put my hand on her stomach and said a simple prayer, and with habit I bowed my head and closed my eyes. When I looked up I saw that a student who was sitting nearby had stood up and came over to place her hands on the girl’s shoulder. She saw me staring at her and she gave a nervous giggle and immediately went back to her work (it was writing workshop time). I am pretty sure I will never lose that visual of opening my eyes to a little girl bowing her head with her eyes closed, both hands on her friend’s shoulder. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.

Some random pictures from my life. Why? Because I love pictures.

A cool typewriter, saw it at a store. I want one!

kitchen gloves

janice made cookies!

home-baked goods = a rare, rare treat^^

*update: I took my phone in and got a new one, and since it was within my year warranty it was FREE. I will now regularly back up my iPhone, since I now am missing the last two months of my life… TT (I taught my mom this week that two capital t’s are crying eyes…. learned that in Asia!).

ringing in the new year with a new blog :)

Posted on by

2.02.2012

Yesterday (oops, this post is totally late, I had to wait until I uploaded photos!) was the official launch date of:

The spark that ignited this flame came from a great friend of mine, who also happens to be a co-worker, Jee Young. She came to me with the idea of co-authoring a blog last fall and we have been planning and preparing ever since.

I am completely and totally psyched to be doing this with a colleague that I admire and trust. Jee Young has taught me so much over the past two years, and I can’t wait to share what I have learned with the education community! Click on the picture above and check out our blog, you will not be disappointed^^

Here are pictures from preparing for the launch, and then the LAUNCH PAR-TAY! We have a great group of supportive friends (most of whom are ALSO co-workers, DUDE teachers rock my socks off!):

I am so lucky to have Jee Young in my life, check out our blog… do it! Do it now! (Which means you have to scroll back up and click on the two apples icon, which I made… woot woot!)

the end of an era

Posted on by

On August 20th, in the year 2009, one hundred expats were thrown together for an intensive ten-day training on what to expect from life as you lived and taught in South Korea. We were told (by many speakers) that it was either going to be like a living nightmare, or as if you were lying on a bed of roses… this didn’t freak anyone out, obviously… :/ We had three sessions a day of different workshops , and survival Korean lessons at night. We were bunking with strangers, taken to a popular Korean show, discovering noraebang (singing all night in a room with a disco ball? SICK), thrown in a bus on a three-hour drive to a Korean folk village, and ate rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I mean, I had to learn how to use metal chopsticks,  metal… or I couldn’t eat my food (okay, okay… they provided forks, but I was in Asia! I had to use chopsticks…)

What I couldn’t possibly have known at the beginning of those initial ten days, was that when it was over… I would have made amazing friends (as cheesy as this will sound I have to write it) for life.

My Seoul Family was born at that orientation. Six friends, so different from each other that you would have never, in a million years, handpicked us to form a family, have lived so much life together over the past two and a half years… it is truly special. Along the way we have added additional family members, and said several goodbyes. Out of the core six, one left after the first year, and has already been back to visit us.

the original six:

But now, it is the end of an era. This past Sunday evening was the last time (I wrote this forever ago, so it was actually two Sunday evenings ago…), for a long time, that five of the original seoul family, got together.

Kathleen, the mother hen of the group, is moving to Australia. What a lucky country. I am going to miss you boo. Can’t wait until Paul, Sam, Tami, Eric, and I come to visit you and Steve!

Until we meet again.