Well folks, my normal has become somewhat abnormal, and yet… we’re going with it. My life in South Korea has reached a point where I feel pretty comfortable navigating my daily surroundings. I moved to Korea over two months ago. Some days it feels like I’ve lived here for two years, and some days I feel like time is slipping through my fingers like {unfiltered Korean} water.
My new job title as an ESL Teacher brings with it an entire new world of notable things in my {not-so} normal life. I hope this years ‘Notable Normalcies’ will shed a light on some of the challenges and rewarding moments I receive on the daily. And for those teaching English in Korea {or planning to}, I hope these tidbits of information will help you along the way.
Without further ado, let’s get into it {with some new categories added to the list}:
Daegu
Taking the place of ‘New York’ in this category, is my new home in Daegu, South Korea. I have spent a majority of my time in Korea here in Daegu attempting to explore the city of 2.3 million people {and provide you all with some valuable information — coming soon}. Daegu is a popular destination for expats {there is a university here, an American army base, and a large ESL teacher population}.
Most recently, I attended a Samsung Lions baseball game. As you may {or may not} know, baseball is my absolute favorite sport. Growing up, my dad and I would attend every opening day at the San Francisco Giant’s stadium. While the skill level here in Korea is noticeably lower than that of MLB back home, I must say the Samsung Lions kept me entertained for the duration of the game. Home runs, rallies, and an entire cheering section {cheerleaders included} had me on my feet multiple times throughout the afternoon. Koreans know how to show team spirit, that’s for sure!
Bites
Two of my best girl friends here in Korea came to visit Daegu for a second time, and as usual we made the most of our weekend. One of our outings included dinner at a magnificent restaurant in downtown Daegu: 나빌레라 (Nabilera). I have never been anywhere like this place before. You walk down {wine bottle lined} stairs to what would appear to be a dungeon. Fear not, you are actually entering an enchanted underground fortress complete with colorful, hanging lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Each ‘booth’ consists of stone-like material and is quite private creating an intimate environment. Seating is traditional Korean style with comfortable cushions placed on the ground. This is one of those you-just-have-to-go places that no pictures will ever do justice.
K – Beauty
Because who needs a basic ‘Beauty’ category when surrounded by all of this K-Beauty? Yes, Korea is the capital of the world for skincare. Yes, I am obsessed. My research began with sheet masks — all the rage these days. So far, my most beloved sheet mask comes from Innisfree — specifically the Manuka Honey My Real Squeeze Mask. Manuka honey is produced from bees in… wait for it… New Zealand.
Fun fact: When I lived in New Zealand, I lived near a Manuka honey farm! I paid it a visit, got to check out the bees hard at work, and purchased some pure, fresh honey for myself. Perhaps I should have been slathering it on my face, because this sheet mask is the bidddness. I woke up and instantly saw a difference in my skin. It was supple, smooth, and my acne had completely cleared. JUST. LIKE. THAT.
Teaching Tools
Now that I have the important role of molding the minds of ESL students, I am doing my best to create an efficient and effective learning environment in the classroom. That being said, I’ve never done this before… So I would be lying if I said I didn’t have some help. Like, a lot of help. This category is for my ESL teachers, both present and future. Sites such as waygook.org and korshare.net are well-known resources within the ESL community. If you haven’t utilized these websites yet, that’s where you should begin.
Waygook used to be a free website, but has recently started charging users {much to the disapproval of current members}. Therefore, Korshare was created to once again provide a free service to ESL teachers. Waygook members have transferred materials from Waygook to Korshare in disapproval of the new policy. Korshare is where I get most of my teaching material {or at least ideas to branch off from}, and it is an extremely helpful resource. This category will include additional resources that I find online and of which I incorporate into my lessons.
Korean Surprises
Any expat living in Korea will be familiar with Korean Surprises, especially those within the ESL community. The most accurate piece of advice I received before moving to Korea was the idea that you cannot have any expectations about how things will play out on a daily basis. Things are constantly changing here in Korea, and normally you will be the last one to know.
The most recent Korean Surprise I received was showing up to school today and having all six of my classes cancelled. I arrived prepared to teach my Grade 6 and Grade 4 students, but my lesson plans were worthless. Being sick {once again}, this was such a huge blessing. I spent my afternoon resting my voice and planning for the rest of the week. This was one of the better Korean Surprises — the opposite has occurred where I am teaching six classes instead of three. You just never know!
Tunes
Ah, music — the universal language. I recently watched the Jay-Z episode of David Letterman: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction on Netflix. Its comes highly recommended from me. I was absolutely blown away by a featured artist on the episode {just go watch it and you’ll see}. Her name is Madison Ward and her song ‘Mirrors‘ is incredible. She wrote the song and it has such powerful lyrics.
I only have a select number of songs that make me cry when I hear them: My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, Train Wreck by James Arthur, Always On My Mind {Michael Buble version}, and the opening credits to The Notebook. So, I was shocked when I heard ‘Nice To Meet You‘ by SeeB and instantly burst into tears on the public subway. I think, sometimes, we hear a song that just hits you in the moment — it’s what you need to hear, it’s tells a story you can’t put into words yourself, it reminds you of a chapter of your life. Whatever it is, it touches you.
Some more hits on the list of constant repeats include: ‘No Tears Left to Cry‘ by Ariana Grande, ‘Space‘ by Shae Jacobs, ‘Let Me‘ by Zayn, ‘In Between‘ by Scotty McCreery, and of course ‘Freaky Friday‘ by Chris Brown and Lil Dicky.
I plan on spending the next weekend in bed, drinking tea, editing, and blogging — with a chance of posting up in a coffee shop one afternoon. I have been sick for an entire month, with the exception of a week. This girl needs some rest because the following weekend I head out for a road trip with Gena along the southern section of the peninsula!