Christmas Lesson: *Snowflakes*

Another last minute lesson before we pack up and head out for the Winter Holidays!

The students particularly enjoyed the scissor cutting :)

I first showed them a quick PowerPoint presentation about how snowflakes are formed.

*click here*

Then we watched a "how to" video (*its on the last slide in the ppt but also click here*)

[cincopa A0IAEYq4Z56T]

*Christmas* Lesson ideas

As the school term slowly draws to an end, I have finally convinced my co-teacher to leave the textbook and do some fun Christmas themes lessons for the last few days. Here is one of my ideas :)

First I brainstormed "Christmas" on the board:

Then I showed them a great Powerpoint presentation about Christmas:

click here

Then I showed them a quick powerpoint detailing how we would make the Christmas Tree:

click here

And the above pictures are evidence of what the kids accomplished :) They had to write 5 words about Christmas from those that we brainstormed together, on each of their "fingers" that they made

Here is also a great *bomb game* made by the Lovely Sally... if you have extra time:

click here

Teachers Friendship Trip ~ Geunsan

This weekend it was time for our  Teachers Friendship Trip. This time we headed to Gunsan, a city in the North Jeolla Province, on the Western coast of South Korea. The biggest reason we headed there was to check out the seawall;

South Korea formally marked completion of the world's longest seawall in April 2010 , the first step in a massive project aimed at reclaiming the ocean for industry, tourism and agriculture by 2020.
The 33.9 kilometre (21 mile) Saemangeum seawall encloses 401 square kilometres (160 square miles) of seawater or tidal mudflats, about two thirds the size of Seoul.
"Saemangeum is the largest-ever engineering project in this country and will change the country's landscape," said President Lee Myung-Bak at the televised inauguration.
The government has so far spent 2.9 trillion won (US$2.6 billion) on the project, which began almost two decades ago but was repeatedly suspended amid a lawsuit by environmentalists.
Another 21 trillion won in state and private spending is envisaged over the next decade to reclaim land, build infrastructure and create giant freshwater reservoirs.
Lee called the structure, which incorporates a road, "the Great Wall on the sea", saying it would become an economic highway for South Korea to reach the world beyond Northeast Asia. Channel News Aisa

Ummm well ya, it's even in the Guinness Book of records! Anyway, we couldn't really see much, but anyways, it was great to have said I was there :)

After a few stops along the way, it was lunch!

After lunch at Kun San Seafood restaurant, it was time for some more picture stops...

And finally back on the bus for Noreabang (* karaoke* with ALL the teachers screaming at the top of their lungs and bouncing around the bus...beers in hand...and yes....I had to sing too)

Christmas Party at Onnuri Church!

For everyone here in Daejeon South Korea, who is starting to feel a little homesick  this Christmas time, why don't you come and celebrate this special day with the wonderful people at Onnuri Church (click here for their website).

Onnuri English Ministry is holding a really fun and festive afternoon with loads of great food and even greater people.

Bring your friends and join in the festivities!

Where: Onnuri Church, Dunsandong.

Directions: City Hall Subway Stop, exit 4. Walk towards TimeWorld. Onnuri Church is on your left hand side just after Mr Wang's Chinese Restaurant. The party will be held on the 4th floor.

When: Saturday December 25th 4:30 -7 pm

Bring: yourself and a smile :)

For any other questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Bhatta at:

brbhatta@gmail.com

*Go away Big Green Monster* go away!

This song, from the book by Ed Emberley is a great way to teach colours to esl kindergarten students.

Even better, make up motions to go with the song, the kids will love it!

Here are some of my students singing the song:

*click here for the actual music video and song*

*Winter Wonderland* snow in Daejeon...

As a South African, the closest I've come to snow is the few hailstones we had back in '01 (ok I might have made up the year but you get the picture...snow is rare in South Africa! Hence most of the facebook status updates about snow will be from the South Africans here in South korea).

So here are few pictures of the first of the 'real' snow that we've had here in Daejeon, South Korea.

My wonderful co-teacher, 정히 (Cindy)

The view from my window at school

My Apartment in Daejeon

Farmboy and I don't live together, so here are a few pics of my apartment :)

These are afew updated pic's of my apartment with EPIK in Daejeon. For a quick video tour & photo's of Farmboy's apartment click here!

This is what they call a "studio apartment". It has 2 rooms, one the main bedroom, and then an attached kitchen area. And of course the usual "washroom" which housed the toilet and the standing shower...hence the name "wet-room"...things never quiet stay dry in there :)

The internet came with the apartment and so I pay a minimal fee every month and it also includes all the DSTV (extra) channels

The kitchen (not too much happens in here...I'm a bit of a lazy cook)

The basic furniture came with the apartment (ie. was supplied by the school *bed/tv/bedding/cupboards/desk/internet/mirror*). But the extra decorations, a few of the kitchen things, the side tables etc were all bought by me...

*so there you go!*

Freezing *Inside*

So...no doubt about it, its Winter in Korea. This morning we had our first few snow flakes here in Daejeon, and with the sun gently poking through the clouds it was so beautiful. That sure brightened my mood...well that might have been the fact that my school *f*i*n*a*l*l*y decided to put the heat on in our classroom. Doesn't sound like much but TRUST me when I say it has been unbearable in here for the past month or so. I come to school wearing at least 4 layers, thick socks and stockings, a warm scarf and fluffy gloves. I don't take anything off the whole day! and I still feel like an ice-block by the end of the day...and when I leave school, its usually really pleasant outside, so what is going on with my school?!
Well, I know my Principle is super stingy, and doesn't feel the cold (*weird!*) or the heat. So we freeze in Winter and overheat in Summer as the aircon is never turned on.

I came across a rather interesting bit of useless information from "Ask the Expat" regarding another strange thing about my fellow Korean co-workers in Winter. They also like to open all the windows, regardless of the temperature outside...nuts i tell you...click here for a very interesting discussion about this strange phenomenon.

Anyway, the heater has been turned on and for once, I have taken my jacket & gloves off and am feeling rather nice and toasty, enjoying watching the snow gently fall outside. Lifes good :)

**Sparkling Wine** Party

Saturday night found me and Sohee (my lovely Korean friend) heading out into the cold and darkness of Daejeon in search of a "Sparkling Wine" party we had been invited to.  2 buses, a taxi and a long walk later, we arrived at Ingi's (the wonderful host of the party) doorstep. What awaited us was  flowing bottles of Wine/Juice/Champagne/Home-mad Soju and the most delicious assortment of foods I have ever laid eyes upon! I now present to you....

Party for a Purpose...in aid of Korea Women's Hot line

*S*p*a*r*k*l*i*n*g *W*i*n*e*

December 2010

Tae & hubby Ben :)

Our wonderful host Ingi and a fellow South African...

*Lovely ladies*

This was taken during "pass the parcel". When the music stopped, the person holding the parcel got to unwrap the package and then was either presented with treasure (a yummy chocolate dipped spoon) or horror (green chiles) *can you guess which one i got?!*

The Christmas tree Rosalie & her Present James :)

For more information about Korea Women's Hotline click here

Please vote for this wonderful charity on 10Magazines website *click here*

Korea…*where & what*

Thought I would do a  post on *where* exactly South Korea is and offer a few insights into life & the people here...

This is done with the help of Karl Lee Stratos...thanks so much for the great info!! Hope you don't mind me re-publishing your words :)

Seoul in 1950

Seoul today

Modern Korea is an amazing place. Look at the first picture above.  That's how Seoul looked in the early 1950s, when the Korean War broke out. Now, look at the second picture. That's how Seoul looks at this point. If you think about it, jumping from one of the poorest countries to one of the richest (GDP ranking 15th, 2010 August) in sixty years is not a natural phenomenon. People in Korea literally worked to death in order to climb out of poverty. For instance, when they were building factories for the Pohang Steel Company (POSCO - now one of the largest steel companies on earth), construction workers vowed that they would "bury themselves at the spot" unless they finish the task several times faster than what was "possible" (fortunately, they made it). Korea has exited the status of a developing country long ago, and today is one of the leaders in the electoronics (Samsung, LG) and car industry (Hyundai, Kia, Samsung), with cultural products ('dramas', movies, music, food) that are becoming ever more popular. It has successfully held the Olympics (1988), the World Cup (2002), and has just  hosted a G-20 Summit.

It should be clear that I very much admire these feats. However, in order to truly understand the context of modern Korea, one must understand the dark as well as the bright sides, to the ultimate purpose of overcoming them.

The Group Mentality

In schools in the United States, one can easily find a group of Korean students moving about themselves, talking among themselves, and gossiping within themselves. Even in Korea, the boundary between 'our team' and 'your team' is as clear as the DMZ.

At the very top level of abstraction, one finds that Korean people are simply extreme. Since Christianity (which happens to support a strict distinction between good and evil) was introduced in Korea, churches have overwhelmed all corners of the society, including village communities, social activities, and even politics. South Korea is one of the most fervent followers of capitalism, whereas North Korea is one of the few remaining countries still sticking to communism. Korean immigrants have a reputation for working their ass off and managing to become rich and prosperous. The congressmen in Korea are famous for their fist-fighting in the National Assembly.

The reason for such extreme-ness is complicated. First, one might consider the geographic position of the Korean peninsula; it is surrounded by countries whose size is much bigger. Historically, the dynasties in Korea have defended themselves against those in China, and imparted cultural influences oversea to Japan. While doing so, it had to keep an extreme stance towards its neighbors, because otherwise it would have been swept by other cultures and lost its identity. It is nearly a miracle that this small peninsula has succeeded in not only developing its own culture, but played a major role in balancing the forces of East Asia for millenia.

The biggest reason for the extreme-ness (though this geographic analysis is still closely relevant), however, is that there is simply no room in the society to afford not to be extreme.

A Society with No Room

It is not hard to see why everything in Korea is so 'urgent'. The nation has raced breathlessly to develop itself economically (often by sacrificing human rights and the low tiers of the social hierarchy). It is still divided in two halves, each of which is spending a lot of energy to stay alert on a potential conflict. Finally, it is a small land (more so because it's divided) with a lot of population, which is concentrated in even smaller areas.

Consequently, this feeling of 'no room' is pervasive in the society, which you can experience immediately in the streets, subways, and department stores. Every service is ever so quick, everyone is rushing to wherever he is heading, and the only thing a person can care to defend is himself and his family. All middle school students are competing fiercely for high school, all high school students are competing fiercely for college, all college students are competing fiercely for jobs, but few of them know why they do what they do.

What to Do

It takes time for a society to become truly advanced, because some aspects of a wealthy society (creativity, generosity, curiosity) cannot be obtained without a little 'laziness'. Korea has managed to develop itself incredibly fast economically, and now it's time for it to develop itself in other ways. In fact, this is already happening. As there is more wealth, people are starting to look at 'optional' areas such as the world peace, environment, and academic advancement. But there are several obstacles to overcome.

First of all, unification of the two Koreas is the most urgent issue. There are some people who think South and North Korea are two quite separate countries, so we need some clarification. There is only one Korea. Just as Germany was considered (more or less) one country when it was split in East and West, Korea should be regarded one country that is waiting to be reunited. There are many political forces involved to prevent this re-unification, but it must be done for Korea to go anywhere beyond the present state. Then the energy and money spent on defense can be redirected to more productive causes; the army conscription, which as seen is a major reason for many ailments of the society, can be reduced or even removed; and the relatives and families who are split across the peninsula can be united again. Rather than trying to prevent this from happening for national interests, other countries must support and collaborate with Korea to make it happen for humanitarian and, in a long run, economic reasons.

Given more time, we will observe that Korea will slowly morph into a truly advanced nation which is solid not just in economic and military power, but in humanitarian and cosmopolitan efforts.

Thanks again Mr Stratos for that great insight. Now my 2 cents :)

What has been said above is evident today even from my own limited, "Foreign" and therefore "outside" view of Korea.

Everyone is in a hurry, everyone feels, and therefore acts like they are in a race for something bigger and better, but always just out of reach. When I was chatting with one of my co-workers about her life's dream she said to me that she doesn't have one. She is a teacher now, and that means she has to be a Teacher for the rest of her life. She has no idea what other opportunities lie out there for her. I was chatting to her about what I wanted to be when I left Korea, and I said to her that I had no idea but that there are many options for me, even if I haven't studied in that particular field. I also chatted to her about the new trend of young people "Inventing their own jobs".  I was telling her that many of the most successful people today didn't even go to University. This amazed her, she told me that before she could even consider a job in her field of interest (facial massage) she feels like she needs to study extensively at Fancy Universities etc. I realized that when I get an idea of what I want to do with my life, it never even occurs to me that I need to study a whole degree for it. I just think that I will pick up the skills along the way, and do  short courses to help me get there.

What different mindsets...This goes back to Mr Stratos' point about the high school and University students here in South Korea. Most of them study loooonnnggg hours, and Im not just talking about cramming the night before a test. High School students here got to school from 08:30 until around 3pm. Then they head to Hagwons (Private Acadmies) to continue studying in subjects such as English, Maths, Music, etc. Most of them only get home at around 11pm, and thats 6 days a week. They are all gearing up for the Final Year exams, which determine who will get into the best Universities. So what happens to the students who don't get in? There aren't many options. Unless they can speak perfect English (unlikely as who wants to learn English anyway hey?) then options to go and work abroad are scarce. This means more and more jobs in Middle Management positions. BUT there are only so many of these jobs available. I have also heard rumors of tension existing between young, male Koreans and the young, male Foreigners who come over here to work as English Teachers. The Korean men feel that the Foreigners have it 'easy'. Coming over to Korea, getting paid a whole lotta money for doing very little. I don't blame them. There are also highly qualified Koreans who are battling to find jobs that pay as well as being a Native English Teacher. I'm just just surprised this animosity hasn't appeared sooner. And with more rumors that they will be phasing out us Native English teachers out, the Korean youth won't have to worry for much longer....

Anyway, thats my 2 cents about life here in Korea :) I  thought it would be cool to mention one or two things that shape the lifestyle of your average middle class Korean person. It really helps to have a vague understanding of this in order to help one come to grips with the everyday frustrations we have as a Foreigner (and to give my Granny and Gramps a little glimpse into the culture of Korea).

*the above is just mine and Mr Stratos' opinions, if you feel differently please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you*

*Korean Friendships*

One sunny afternoon while making my way to Korean class on the always stuffy and crowded bus, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a very smiley face clutching a cellphone and pointing it in my direction. I wasn't quiet sure what exactly i was suppose to do with the phone, so I took it and saw that   a long message had been typed on it for me to read. In English. Feeling slightly intrigued I began to read...

"Hello. I hope you don't mind but I was hoping that you could be my friend. I would really like to chat with you and improve my English skills and it would be a great pleasure to speak with you. If you are free, lets meet together"

And that was the start of a wonderful friendship with my new friend Sohee! She invited me to her new house a little while ago where she feed me the most delicious food! Not only does she get the opportunity to practice her English, but I have gained a lovely friend and am learning a whole lot more about Korean culture too :)

Me and Sohee :)

The dinner she so lovingly "prepared"...

Home cooked samguypsal :) and one or two sneaky prawns. Unfortunately, the gas died in the cooker (thats why the meat is looking a little under-cooked...but never fear...mom to the rescue with her frying pan!)

Dessert...yummy!

An American-Italian *Birthday*

Last night was a very special friends birthday, and to celebrate a couple of us girls headed to EAT ME in the TimeWorld area to stuff our faces with yummy food! What a great way to spend a chilly Thursday evening!

The birthday girl~ Christina

Me, Amy & Jennifer

Joanne, Jenny & Claire

Salmon Salad

Any birthday just wouldn't be complete without a Paris Baguette cake!

Make a wish!

*I apologize for the very bad quality of these pictures, the more I realize the quality of my snap&shoot little canon the more I am persuaded to get myself a proper DSLR like Claire's awesome*awesome*awesome*new Nikon D3100! Soon soon soon I hope!*