2016 Resolutions

"We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears" 

- Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Welcome 2016. I haven't met you yet, but you seem to hold more promise and potential than your cousin 2015. You're younger, prettier, and from what I've heard, a lot more fun. Let's take it slow and see where this relationship goes.

I have several concrete and several abstract goals. Here are some of them:

1.) Be conversationally fluent in Korean by the summer of 2016

2.) Budget my spending and save half of my earnings every month

Ways to Save Money

Less weekend getaways; save for big trips
Prepare more homemade meals
Wait until stores are 50% off before splurging on skincare products
Have more weekend activities instead of shopping and brunch, such as basketball, working out, and volunteering
Host movie and wine nights instead of going out for movie, dinner, and drinks

3.) Treat my friends and family better by keeping in touch and remembering birthdays and special occasions. Also, be more thoughtful with gifts than just gift cards and alcohol.

4.) Donate blood

Grade 6 New Year Resolutions

Tuesday Dec.29th 11:29 a.m

I just finished teaching my sixth graders for 2015. I still can't really believe that they're going to graduate and I won't be teaching them next school year. We'll say goodbye in February, but I already miss them. A lot of the sixth graders are great kids - bright, cheery, considerate, hilarious, and lovable. If only the elementary school system in Korea follows the one back home, I could teach them until they graduate in grade 7.

For our last class of the year, we wrote new year resolution lists, and students took turns reading them and having the class guess the owner of the paper. They had a tough time pronouncing the word resolution. We got revolution, revelation, and relosution a few times.

Afterwards, we finished watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Grade 5 Post-Christmas Wish Lists

Yesterday, I had my last classes with the fifth graders, until next February when I see them again. After doing the mandatory textbook pages, the students wrote down what they wanted for Christmas, and checked the box beside the item if they got it.

The sweetheart that's just grateful.

The greedy youngster.

Perhaps the girlfriend is the most realistic.

Another sweetheart who enjoys the simple things in life.

A child who understands the importance of regular bowel movements.

Christmas Weekend in Seoul

Friday, Christmas morning

We had to wake up at 6:45 to get ready and make sure we get to the airport on time for our 10 am flight. With puffy eyes and puffy jackets, my mom and I took the subway to Gimhae airport.

We were staying at the JHill Hotel located in the Myeong Dong district for two nights. It was a tiny room, but the convenience made up for it. It's location is on one of the bustling shopping streets in the maze that is Myeong Dong.

We did a lot of shopping and snacking before heading to Seoul Station. I wanted to see the miniature Christmas train display at the Millennium Hilton Hotel.

And after dinner we went home to do face masks and watch T.V.

Saturday

Myeong Dong was still sleeping even after we finished breakfast at the hotel. So we decided to check out the Gangnam district for a little bit.

We wandered around for a bit before heading to the Hongdae area. There were a lot of street performances happening while people milled around, watching.

Students dancing and rapping.

It took forever to get to the restaurant, but their brunch is bomb.

We went to Itaewon to grab dinner, and see the area decked out in Christmas lights, but it was pretty average. The wine tasted like water, and the servers weren't very nice.

Sunday

 Our flight was at 4:30, so we slept until check out time, and grabbed brunch at a place nearby before taking the shuttle to Gimpo airport.

We finally got back to my apartment around 6pm. We were going to join my friends for dinner, but they were meeting at 7:45 and we were already hungry. Say it with me, in 3, 2, 1: instant noodles!!!

It was a hectic weekend, but I was glad to get to spend it with my mom. She's staying for another 2 weeks, and then I'll be flying out to Hong Kong for my winter vacation, where a lot of my family will be. It's nice to be with my mom for at least another month. I forgot what it was like to have someone remind you to bring your gloves and put on another layer for warmth. I forgot what it was like to not come home to an empty apartment. I also forgot what it was like to have a sparkling clean washroom and a meticulously organized closet. Thanks mom, love you!!!

A Little Bit of Christmas Cheer

I went to Nampo a few weeks ago with D and E for some Christmas shopping.

Just a little something for my co-teachers.

Cards and Ferrero Rochers for the principal and vice-principal.

I bought face cream that I don't need just to get Moomin into my life.

Look into those eyes; how can you say no?

For my afternoon classes, I attempted to make pop-up cards with the students. My classes with 8 students or less went spectacularly, while the classes of 20+ students drove me insane.

Getting into the Christmas spirit myself, I made a card for my mom. I haven't made her anything since I was in the 5th grade, but alas, my handiwork hasn't improved much.

My single strand of Christmas lights and fake poinsettias.

My mom flew in from Hong Kong last night, and tomorrow we're off to Seoul for the Christmas long weekend. I have a festive itinerary planned, so hopefully everything will go smoothly. Toodles, and Merry Christmas Eve!

Secret Santa at Sam's

Secret Santa, White Elephant, whatever the game goes by, Sam hosted it at her place for the girls. Delicious finger foods included blueberry bread and cream cheese, chili sauce chicken, homemade hummus, homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies, Vietnamese style vegetarian pho wraps, kiwi vanilla ice cream yogurt, and lots more, but everyone was already digging in before I could get pictures of all the food.

I managed to get one.

The protagonist of the party. All hail the snowman berry ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins!

Not quite ready for the group shot.

"Let's do a cheerleader pose."

Sam opened my gift of Christmas PJ's and a purse, but it was ultimately stolen from her.

I was super excited to open a bottle of wine and 2 wine glasses. (I actually requested wine glasses when Em asked for gift suggestions). Alas, Sam the alcoholic stole it from me.

Still, I got C's adorable package of beauty products and sweets. Thanks! 

K actually got mad when A stole the necklace and H&M gift card that was specifically bought for her lol. Secret Santa should be in harmless fun, but you can really tell what people's true characters are like when the wine is flowin' and the gifts are openin'.

Afterwards, we all headed over to Thursday Party in Seomyeon for drinks and dancing.

December Rush

I had big plans for December blogging. Posts about sprucing up my tiny apartment, Christmas shopping, wine-cheese pizza-sex and the city marathon-girl's nights at my place, and weekend parties. I did all these things, and was too busy to post about it.

After a majestic first two weeks in December with lots of cancelled classes and desk-warming, came a week of EPIK teacher training from 3pm to 6:50 daily. I left my school everyday that week around 2pm and went to the Nescafe in Yeonsan to meet up with other teachers to split a cab to our destination. The building in which the training workshops were located was literally on a mountain.

I learned later that our training center is about a 5 minute walk from a school for children with physical or mental disabilities. Tells you a lot about the Korean culture's way of thinking, doesn't it?

No, we're not ashamed of our children with disabilities at all. 

We just make them attend a special needs school located at the top of the mountain somewhere in the outskirts of the city.

It reminded me of volunteering at that orphanage for children with disabilities. They weren't orphans; they were just left there by their biological parents because it's still considered shameful to have a child with any disability. For a country that's so advanced, Korea can be so behind. I've seen Koreans visibly recoil from anyone who has a disability, whilst texting away furiously on their newest phone models.

It was great being able to see some familiar faces everyday, and getting to leave school early, but since the workshop wasn't mandatory, I probably wouldn't sign up for it again next year. It was a positive learning experience, but it really wasn't worth going home three hours later for.

Not much else to say about it, except that I didn't really enjoy it.