Updates-

So in early November, I went to watch the leaves change color in this mountainous region 3 hours from Seoul. It was spectacular. They don't have those color-changing trees in Texas. It's okay, Texas sunsets are still the trump.

I started using the heater in my house for the first time 3 weeks ago. At first I thought it was broken; mainly due to it not heating the floor. (Yeaah... what??) But no, no, no, no.... after at least 4 visits from engineers and the "handy-man" guy at my school, it works, but just not that well. I think there's some type of governor on it. It's max is way less than my co-worker/neighbor across the hall. After about 2 hours, it get's warm. Alas, it's only mid-December and January and February will be colder.

Last week, right after the kids left, I started get a very mild stomach ache. That night, it transformed into the worst stomach pain I've experienced. It rivals the Earache of 2008 and the Headache of 2007. Henceforth, it shall be known as: Abdominal Pain of 2009! So it is written, so it shall be done! (Name that movie!) It really wasn't an aching in my stomach per se)! What are your thoughts on the matter? Stomach ache of 2009? Although it's not technically accurate??? Anywho... It was pretty bad. I used one of my sick days and went to the Ear/Nose/Throat Clinic (only clinic in near proximity). He thought I had appendicitis... which was one of my suspicions. I went to the hospital the next day, and after a blood test, x-ray and another test, it was 90% confirmed that it was not appendicitis, thank God. Seriously, thank You. I prayed so much on that painful night I tell you what...

My school had a Musical Night. Our kids were forced to memorize 10 songs with motions and a script play. These songs weren't kindergarten songs, either. Some were extremely fast, over their head, or just not appropriate. Their motions were advanced, too. Their poor little motor skills were not yet ready to take on these moves. They had 5 weeks to memorize all of this. We tried to talk some sense into the people in charge, but having sense is not their strong point. Core classes were canceled leading up to the big day (sometimes, letting us know the day of). ... I could keep going, but I think for what was set for my little Onyx students, they did a fantastic job during their musical premiere! It was sure tough, but they seemed to have fun and I (and I hope they) didn't take it too seriously.

3 more days till vacation!!!!
I'm going to Thailand on the night of the 23rd! I have work the day of...

I'm hoping to find employment with an international school (great pay, more similar education philosophies, more vacation), and school doesn't start 'till August; thus, I would have a few months to travel and visit home.

Keep ya posted... Until then

sofk,
Brandon

updating...ALL Hallow's Eve

Ok, so Halloween was fun! I dressed up as The Scarecrow and actually made me own hat! It was a good time!
REWIND to 10ishpm<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< At the station, we rent lockers to put our change of clothes in (including my cell phone and house key).
FAST FORWARD to 2:30am>>>>>>>>>>> Sadly we're callin' it a night as we go down the stairs to the station to retrieve our clothes. The station is locked. It does not open again until 5:30 am. Since my keys are locked up I have a couple options:
1) go to Jonathan's apt and come allll the way back here IN MY COSTUME in the morning... I don't think so.
2) Sleep at a nearby Jimjilbong, which is a public sauna that also has mats to sleep on. YES. I check in wearing my costume, well actually REWIND<<<<<< I go back to the club and see if anyone interesting is there, but no... so back to the Jimjilbong... I sleep for a couple hours and leave at 5:30. I walk down to the station and find out that I need a friggin' password to open the locker!! Now, who has this password - other peeps, not me. But can I contact them?... NoOooOo. Now trying to communicate to a Korean worker at 5:30am that you don't know the password to a locker is hard enough... doing it while wearing being a Scarecrow is something else. He probably thought I was another totally out of it.
Finally, after much waiting and gesturing, he retrieves the password and I am able to change out of those clothes. I get home at 7:30am. Yay Halloween!

More updates soon to come...

...CONTINUED...

Anyway, in a polite and professional manner, I address the issue regarding this mom's concerns about my correcting/teaching/philosophy. I then go on about how I am teaching as best as I am able with the knowledge and skills I was given and acquired over the last few years. The mommy had a mask of disbelief written all over her face -- like "how can this be happening?!" I did not use any "you" statements or put any blame or anything of the sort on her... used all "I" statements. :) Well, towards the end it looked like she was looking pretty fragile. Our conversation lasted about 3 minutes. Well, I later found out that she went to the principal's office in tears - which I felt bad, that was certainly not the intention I meant for it to have; or the response for that matter. The mommy accrued a couple more visits after the "incident." I wasn't worried... I said what needed to be said... what others could not do. The day after the fact, the principal told me she needed to talk with me, but wasn't ready to do so. It sure sounded fishy, but I knew I did nothing wrong. Finally, I asked her if she was ready to talk, so we talked.
((To summarize: "In Korea, teachers do not talk with the parents directly & vice-versa. Instead, they (parents) bring their concerns to the supervisors and then relay the message to the teachers." Well, here's a thought... let's cut out the middle man and get down and dirty! Let's be real... let's get honest! Also, "these parents have lots of money and they should be held higher (than you and I)... because they went to THIS school and grew up in THIS neighborhood... and are Korean." I told her that I wasn't down with that philosophy and actually guide the children in the complete opposite mentality. I told my principal that she hired an American, so you will get an American's point of view. She hired a certified teacher... same applies. She hired a man from Texas, I'll be more honest and I have my methods and strategies. Anyway, she asked me in not so many words to write an apology letter to which I declined to do so.)) BUT, to ease tensions... on both sides, I wrote an "I regret" letter instead. It was pure sweetness. To the untrained English eye & mind, it appeared to be an apology of some sort, but for us, ha, we know better. I got to "stick it" to someone in a respectful way and get over this ridiculous nonsense at the same time. Good stuff!

Things are better now! Keep it right, keep it tight!

"HOMEY DON'T PLAY DAT!"

Korean moms. Wow. Sumaschedshee!!!!!
So, I had my parent-teacher conferences last week; they seemed to go swimmingly. During one of the meetings, one parent pondered (in her broken English) why there were mistakes in her daughter's writing; her daughter is 5 years old. I explained to her that although I guide them in their writing and give them some verbal ideas (ooo I had to stop writing for a bit b/c I got so angry!... grrrr... ok...), they will make mistakes... they are children and they often learn through their mistakes. I then went on to tell her that usually after they write their first draft, I correct it while giving them a new paper for them to finalize their "composition." I then added, “Since every child has different strengths and needs, there’s going to be more mistakes in some than others…” I finished up by saying since there’s only a limited time for our writing class, I don’t want to neglect other areas and subjects by staying on one too long. At this she gave many nods and an awkward smile. She then noticed another paper which had the term, "gonna." I told her that sometimes kids will use that word because they hear it from others and they’re probably writing it phonetically, but stated that I do not teach that word... obviously. She then said, "Yes, please teach the proper English." to which I said, "Oh, I do!" nodding many times for reassurance. She then went on and said, "...because I no want her learn those words... so please, please teach the proper English and not that one..." I again insisted that I do. Two minutes later while speaking about her family's recent trip, I heard, "... we gonna go to..." I ALMOST STOPPED her and said, "Excuse me, you just said 'gonna'. Do you see? Kids hear others say it and pick it up." SUMASCHEDSHEE RODITALEE!

Anyway, that was just the beginning. The next day, my supervisor comes in and says that they've received many complaints about my PTCs. I was absolutely shocked. After 10 minutes, I found out that it was mainly from the mommy above. BTW, these supervisors and administration don't back you up worth &*$#! They will always bow down to their little mommies wishes... literally too I'm sure. They run the school…err… business. The supervisor informed me that this little mommy was concerned about my teaching methods and how there were mistakes in her daughter's writing. BTW I ADORE her daughter, can't say that about the mom however... I have some other words in mind... maybe I could use this moment to teach this mommy about antonyms for the word "love." Eh? I was infuriated that this mommy, again, demeaned my intelligence, concerning English and teaching. Remember: Worsmitum? Just a smidge? Fib? –same mommy. It's one thing to be involved, but it's another thing to be intrusive. I'm leaving out many stupid, angry parts of the story, but I don't have time. After calming down, I vented to my fellow teacher and told her I was going to speak with this mommy. After talking with her a couple times and writing down my thoughts so I would be as polite and professional as possible... the mom walks in to pick up her daughter. As I step out into the hall to greet her, I say, “May I have a word?”

TO BE CONTINUED...

Beijing!

This could be a little long-winded...

So a few days before our voyage to Beijing, we found out that our ferry to China had some mechanical problems, and there was a 90% chance our reservations on said ferry would be canceled; thus, we made other arrangements on a new ferry. Turns out it was canceled, but everything worked out. On Saturday afternoon, we (Jonathan, Kristie, Foster, and I) departed Seoul on our ferry.

After leaving port and sailing off, we all engaged in numerous activities, one including a game of Phase 10. During this game of TOTAL Brandon Domination, Kristie had cleverly slipped out of the room to devise a secret and treacherous plan, well, perhaps it wasn't treacherous, but I like saying that word. When I heard a knock on the door, I opened it to find Kristie holding a plate full of 초코파이 (Chocolate Pies... equivalent to American Twinkies in their natural and organic state :P). I was crossing the Yellow Sea on my birthday; therefore, according to my previous statement and various scholars, I reverted back a year and turned 23 years of age. I guess I did not technically turn 2_ until reaching China, due to those so-called "timezones."

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We landed in Yuntai, and from there we tried to find transportation to Beijing. Now, just to let you know, I don't remember a lot of our transportation plans for 2 big reasons: 1) I'm pretty indecisive. 2) It doesn't really matter to me. I'm pretty lax about almost anything on a vacation trip, that is why I let the others duke it out concerning where to go, when to go, how to get there, etc.. I just sit back and enjoy the ride! (However, there were 2 instances where I voiced my 2 cents: the 10km hike up The Great Wall and getting a massage afterward - I didn't care what any one else did, but I was participating in both of those activities!)
I believe we took a 5-10 hour bus ride (see don't remember specifics) to _____ and then took a VERY exciting train ride to Beijing. I will elaborate more on this train ride.
So, we get down to the platform and finally make our way to our train car. As we slowly make our way up the steps, we notice that there are many people standing around these close quarters. All the seats are taken, but not only that, the floors are SWAMPED and COMPACTED with people sitting and standing up in the aisle! We don't have seats. Hmm, no wonder our train ticket was only equivalent to $14 for a __ hour trip. Oh... how long was the train ride you ask? I'll get to that momentarily. So, I'm in the back of the group (remember, I go with the flow and tag along behind b/c usually the peeps that take charge and make the decisions make a wrong turn - yeah so I'm hoping we got on the wrong train)... yes, so I'm in the back of the group and it looks like we'll be taking our places in the aisle for the duration of our ride. Oh, btw... we departed at 12:30am and arrived 6am in Beijing. Foster, Kristie, and Jonathan were able to sit next to each other on the floor; although, I was only separated by a gentleman laying between the chairs. As I noticed the other 3 in my group sitting "criss-cross applesauce" or those of you who are not teachers, "Indian style," I could only dream of having that much space to expand my legs. I was sitting with my knees touching my chin. Little did I know how lucky I was sitting in this position. As my legs became cramped, I stood up to stretch... the train stopped... the doors opened... more people - came - on - the -train. Are you kidding me?! More people!? Someone took my sitting spot and I had the pleasure of standing up for the next hour. How much space did my two size 12 shoes have you ask? I could almost turn 180 degrees. I loved watching the other 3 sitting on the floor... Jonathan and Kristie leaning against one another for support... Foster, drawing pictures for the sweet children... what luxuries! haha I know it sounds bad, but I went on the train with the mindset: I'm in China on my birthday, who cares if I'm inside a sardine can... this is an experience I'll never forget and a story will blossom! Anywho, this nice Chinese girl lent me her seat for about 30 minutes - so this was extreme bliss. We talked a bit and she wrote the Chinese form for "thank you" in my crossword puzzle book I had with me. Oh yes, thanks Kristyn - I finally started this book you gave me "Christmas 2003!" hahaha. RECAP : We've been on the train for 2 hours. I then stood up for the next 2 hours... yay! I then found a spot open on the floor and attempted to sit and fall asleep for the remaining hour of our trip.

Moving on... we get to Beijing and immediately scrounged for our hostel, Sitting on the City Walls, and fell fast asleep. This was one of the BEST hostels I've ever been to. So, if you're ever in Beijing... book it! After recovering from the train ride, we walked around a nearby park (Jingshan Hill) and then... The Forbidden City! ...Many go in... not everyone comes out, ALIVE! ok jk about that last part. The Forbidden City was cool. It was much larger than I expected, and yes, it did look like The Forbidden City in Mulan, just not as many steps. It's always neat to be standing on or inside something that is hundreds of years old while mentally placing yourself in that time period -it's very groovy.

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We then made our way to Tiananmen Square and chilled there for a bit. There was not much going on there so we just sat down like everyone else. Being a long day, we took it easy during the evening and went to bed early. Early meaning 11pm.
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On Tuesday, we all visited the Olympic "Bird's Nest" Stadium and Water Cube. In the evening, we booked a ticket to see an acrobatic show at Tandi Theatre. The best part, and most impressive I believe, is when 14 women got on 1 bicycle and pedaled in circles... WHOA! That "whoa!" is in the voice of Joey Lawrence by the way. Ah, this is also the day of the discovery of a unique fashion trend or status-thing that Chinese men do... see for yourself:

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The GREATest day of all was on Wednesday, in which we went to The Great Wall of China!! Instead of going to the more "famous," which I say 'popular', touristy wall (which most people visit), we went to Jinshanling and Simitai Great Walls - which are far less crowded and far less restored and... dare I say it, treacherous! This was the best! It was a grueling, but exhilarating 10 km hike (12km if you didn't take the cable car, which gives one a nice aerial view) - we took the 2km cable car! It was the most captivating feeling, just being there. To say you are on The Great Wall of China is amazing. We also saw some men working to restore some parts of the wall, and darnit, I wanted to help build the wall!... So I did! I gestured to the gentlemen if I could help pour some cement and I did! So, you all can now say that your friend/brother/cousin/son/nephew/grandson what-have-you BUILT The Great Wall of China!!! hahaha
During our long hike, some Chinese ladies were following us, aiding us through the hike. They fanned us off when we stopped for water, held our hands as we made our way up the stairs, etc... of course they wanted something back - they hiked 5km with us! They said they do this everyday, I don't doubt it. When they said this was there stop, we bought a couple Great Wall books, but that did not suffice. They finally persuaded us to buy a fan. They started out at $20 (equivalent) for each... we talked them down to $6 each. We most certainly could have gone lower, but we wanted to go and reach our destination and rendezvous spot on time. Ya know, punctuality is key with the Moores.
We near the end and Jothin and I decide to take a zip-line down to the river. It was pretty sweet.

[[pictures]]

After we left and made our way back to Beijing (the wall was a 3 hour bus ride), Jonathan, Kristie and I headed out to find a massage. We found a nice place and Jonathan and I asked for the foot reflexology. It was a little painful, but great all the same. During our massage, we had the luxury to order meals and drinks for free! Not too shabby. The massage was 90 minutes for ~$31. If you come in before 5pm it's only $18! If you want cheap stuff... go to China!

Thursday was shopping day! We went to a place called, Silk Street. This 6 story building has fake or stolen name-brand clothing. I wish I would have brought a video camera to capture the workers there. Sales personnel at the malls working on commission got nothing on these gals. All the workers of these different small shops were all young, sometimes cute Chinese girls. You walk down an aisle and you hear 20 voices calling out to you (sometimes a little inappropriately) to buy their products. I was laughing or smiling every time I walked down an aisle... it was hilarious! I bought some jeans and a few polo shirts. I think it was like $50 altogether. Not too shabby since RL polos are $70-90 a pop.
Anyway, we spent a few hours there and returned to our hostel and packed it up!

So, we managed to catch a train all the way back to Yuntai (destination point of our ferry). The train was packed like last time; however, we had SEATS!! Initially, Kristie and Jonathan were across the aisle from us and Kristie was on the aisle seat. LOL... she was holding her nose because the guy standing beside her stunk really badly.. it was totally from a Seinfeld episode! We convinced the passengers across from us to switch seats so then J & K were across from us. This train ride was a whopping 13 hours! I stayed awake the ENTIRE time, for 2 reasons: #1 we had food, ipods, and sunglasses, etc... out on the table and our backpacks were above us or across the aisle above the seats - so I took watch. #2 I knew that if I fell asleep, it would be an un-restful, uncomfortable one. When we arrived in Yuntai, we hit up a hotel for 7 hours before our ferry departure. We only had to pay $6 each for the room - pretty cheap for a good sleep and a shower.
Well, the ferry was the ferry, so there's not much to say about that.

I think that pretty much sums up our sweet trip to Beijing and back! It was quite the experience. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Two things to recommend if you go: 1) Climb the non-touristy parts of The Great Wall! & 2) stay at Sitting on the City Walls hostel!

Signin' off from Korea...


PS- I'll post the pictures later!

Past & Future Voyages!

Alrighty then, let's get to it...

So last week the boys (and girl) and I went to the Mud Festival, apparently the largest festival in South Korea - who'd've thunk it? It was a good ol' time. So basically they ship in tons of mud/clay to this town, which gets undoubtedly 90% of its income from 2 Saturdays in July, so foreigners and natives can bathe in its splendor and walk around dirty like it's no big thing. There are super slides, a jailhouse, vanities, mud pools and super-sized tubs where you can get as little or as much mud on your person as you desire! There's also the ocean "one small step, one giant leap..." away, thank you Armstrong, to rinse away your troubles. It was a pretty sweet, gunky time. I've never seen ocean waves that big before - I was excited.
After getting cleaned up at our hotel, we went to eat seafood, what else? We had clams, oysters, and some bulgogi (steak)... don't forget the kimchi! We then wandered off and bought some WAY MANLY *~sparklers~*~!!!! Ending our legendary night, we pursued the treacherous games of the carny. After being hornswoggled to and fro, up we go... we thanked them kindly and went on our merry way.

*Some names, times and events have been altered to protect the innocent, including, but not limited to, bumblebee bats and arachnids.

Okay, so we're leaving for China tomorrow afernoon! We're traveling south through SKorea and hopping on a ferry to take us to China. So I might be in international waters on my bday! This means, according to various scholars, that I won't turn a year older, but consequently, revert back a year. It's a new law of physics... and space travel, don't question it.

I shall return 1 week from Saturday! Good luck to all... I hope I run into some Russians!

reDirection

AIE

Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 "24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

As The Fixx would say, "One thing leads to another"...

environment
intake
desire
passion (motivation)
patience (endurance)
discipline (dedication)
strength
transformation
new creation (devotion)

Man in the Mirror

Man that was crazy about Michael Jackson dying.... was a loyal fan in the 90's! Still think he was awesome!

So a couple weeks ago we had our OPEN HOUSE at my school. We've been preparing for this for about a month now. Open House in Korea is nothing like OH back in the States.
Back there, it's at the beginning of the year and the parents and students meet their prospective teachers and see the classroom and perhaps a brochure is provided concerning the class.. idk. At my school... it's a show, filled with songs, dances, interactive learning, skits, costumes, and whatever else you can think of. I was a little nervous. The kids worked really hard; however, I knew their excitement would throw off their game... it did for a select few. But anyway -- it was a pretty good experience-- now that's it's over of course.

The other day, a parent had a concern that was brought to my supervisor's attention and then forwarded to me. The concern was my English skills basically (This coming from a mommy who is in the beginning stages of the English language). The concern popped up from something she heard during Open House. Okay, back to the story... my supervisor said that a mommy told her I was using "slang" words such as: "worsmithum." Yes, hahaha that made me laugh, too. I told her that was not a word and some of my fellow proficient English teachers backed me up and laughed. My supervisor then relayed the message from the mommy that I used particular words that “only a lower-class white person from the west” would use. HA… Yes, believe it. I got a wee-bit on the defensive side and communicated my stance of such an outlandish statement. Unfortunately, the majority of Koreans don’t know the concept of sarcasm or the meaning of tact. I was pretty upset that a mommy who spoke very little English was questioning the authority of a native English speaker. The statement that the mommy finally remembered the kids saying was “just a smidge.” The mommy said her husband ‘went to a very good school in America and… blah, blah, blah… that is slang…’ I told the supervisor that this was indeed not slang and that the word “smidge” is used in telling someone ‘how much’ – like a tiny amount of something, etc… It’s a freaking synonym. I went on about teaching synonyms, and frankly in retrospect, I shouldn’t have had to explain myself. I finally informed my supervisor that she “hired me because I have a degree in Early Childhood Education and am a native English speaker. That mom questioning me is like me saying, ‘Oh Ms. ____ your Korean is getting a little sloppy, you could work on that pronunciation…’ …This is nonsense and is a waste of my time. This incident should have never come to my attention. It would be nice if you supported me and had given me, THE NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER & teacher, the benefit of the doubt and informed the mommy that you’re sure the teacher knows what he’s doing and will monitor the situation.” --- I went on for a little bit longer… I left some stuff out about how the supervisor was telling me how much money this family had and they expect high-quality, 1^st class English, and I was teaching my supervisor/mommy about formal written English and conversation English… and some other ridiculous things the mommy had to say. Oh, another crazy day at GATE school. It’s run like a business… the mommies get what they want; unfortunately, Mr. Brandon stands up to mommies with money… Homey don’t play dat.

Haha on to new business. This 4^th of July weekend, we celebrated Independence Day… well first with my Korean lesson… and then Jo’m, Kristie, Foster and I went to Everland, a good-sized theme park. The big rollercoaster was the best! We ate way too much food and then watched the fireworks; many of which were red, white and blue!

Welp, I'm actually off to my Capoeira class and then perhaps a Norebang (Korean Karaoke) or seeing Transformers!

Sweet & Sweaty

So 2 weekends ago, Jo'm, Kristie & I went to a prison that Japan used to hold and torture Korean patriots back when Japan took control of Korea (1920ish-1960ish?). It was pretty graphic, but interesting.

This weekend we did a grip of stuff. Hmm can't remember what I did Friday... oh yeah, Jonathan and I went to Costco & E-mart and I bought a jump rope and matt (I gotta get in shape), another dresser, a fan (cuz it's super humid), and a cooler pad for my laptop. Saturdays I usually have my Korean lessons - they are really fun and I'm learning a lot I believe. Sunday after church, Jonathan, Kristie and I were going to go to a Tomato Festival, but instead we toured a sweet palace and saw a girl with hairy legs - she was American. We then went to a few other places to shop around and walk. Somewhere in there we visited a museum, ate too much food, walked too much, sat down for a concert on the street, and hit some balls in a batting cage.

Today after school, I went with a co-worker to a martial arts class called, capoeira. It combines music, martial arts, and music into a "staged fight" type of thing. Monday is the only time I can go... Monday is conditioning day... I'm going to be so sore in the morning. It was so intense. But this "intense" day is still dwarfed by my INTENSE 1st day of work - HA.

Anerway... Happy Father's Day to all and I hope y'all are doing swell!!!

PS - I think we're going to China for our summer VACA!

B-MO's Back!

Alright... back for round 2. Another month has swiftly flown by and much has happened.

For starters... I got an A/C! It's used but it totally works! I also ordered 5 tshirts from bustedtees.com! Since it's pretty hot during the summer, and I hate dressing up... I'm going to wear tshirts every DAY! Eventually, I plan to try to slip in an extra jeans day in a couple of months. Sly.

So you all remember the time when my silly sisters waxed my neck bc I hate shaving, right?? Well, I had another opportunity to rid myself of that crazy hair. Maybe it's called electrolysis, but one of my student's moms is a physician and I went to see her. Initially I went to get a mole checked out... the one on my left arm. The doc said he didn't think it was cancerous - so I got it removed.
So, they wrapped my face in this jelly stuff for 45 minutes last Friday. Then, I was ready. I went into the lab or whatnot and the guy said "just a little bit of pain... bearable pain." HA! It hurt!! He was burning it off with this bright, hot light! Then they wrapped my face in this blue mold... and "la la lalalala..." I was a smurf. OH yeah... I broke out, again. It was gross. The procedure was like $250 PLUS the mom (who is really good looking btw) gave me 2 ointments that were $60 each..... I didn't have to pay for ANYTHING. That's the cool thing about being a teacher here... so many perks... the parents give you so many gifts.

Last week, I also had dinner with a celebrity. The girl's name is Yoona and she is a band member from the group Girl's Generation. She is Jonathan's girlfriend's cousin. We all went to dinner on her birthday. It was cool to say I had dinner with her...(b/c the Korean girls at school were really jealous)... but it was weird and awkward b/c I was the only one who couldn't speak the language and I couldn't really laugh or comment on anything they were saying, so I just sat there, thinking about my lack of water.

So at school there is this special class called, Theme. The theme for Theme for May-June is Ecology. It's way better than the last one... "Myself and MY Family"... haha so egocentric dont ya think? Anyway, I've been watching many episodes of Captain Planet. MAN, what a good cartoon! I get chills every time the theme song comes on. Lastnight I stayed up an extra 2 hours looking for a really good tree to plant whenever I settle down whereever that may be. Finally, I think I want to plant a sycamore. And not just b/c I like saying the word sycamore, well, maybe that's a good half of the reason. But man trees are so important! I've decided I want to see a Redwood someday. It ranks right up there with seeing a blue whale. Two of the largest living things on Earth.
Alright, so if any of you see a house for sale that has a sycamore tree, redwood, oak, weeping willow, & a white/pink/purple crape myrtle, lemme know.

So yeah... N Korea... I don't knowww... I have no plans to come home.. I don't feel in any danger right now (although the potential is there). Plus... vaca is coming up in July and I want to go to Russia!
I'm still taking Korean from my teacher, and I think I might buy a jump-rope... for aerobic reasons... maybe a bike, but let's not get too crazy! :)

PS - I live in Asia dude.

сумасшедший! Craziness

Alrighty, back again...

So, what happened this weekend? ...Went to a museum. There was a special exhibit featuring Ancient Egyptians and their gloriousness, it was actually pretty cool. After that, we went and ate some sweet food at an American restaurant. Best burger in Seoul! Big and juicy. This is where the story gets interesting... I know you were waiting for it... I saw you creeping to the edge of your seat... anticipating, no... yearning for some action/drama/suspense/thriller... horror? Anyway, Jomapin's girlfriend, Kristie, accidentally left her cell phone in the back seat of the taxi. We called it, several times it rang... no answer. After 4 minutes -max (seemed much longer), the cab driver answered it and the conversation started. He SAID he had just picked a customer up and was going (basically) to the farthest place from where we were in Seoul... like 45 minutes. Well, Kristie said that he could drop off his customer at his destination and come back this way when he was done - she'd wait. He said to call back in 5 minutes. She called back and he said he dropped him off in some werid location (not to his destination) and was coming to bring the phone. He wanted $50 now because he lost his customer... BS! That 5 minutes was to think of a lame story. He was like 2-3 miles away max when he answered the phone the first time. Anyway, Joshin and I were like... "don't give him $50, give him like $10 or $20... I'll (Brandon) stand in front of the car in case he tries to drive away, Jonathan will get inside the car and shake him down for being such a jerk... oh and make sure you get the phone first before giving him the money... " We had this whole scenario planned out determining if he wanted the money first before giving up the phone and vice versa. Well, the guy arrives and I stand in front of the car and the driver actually gets out of his cab... ha, back mistake my friend. He gives the phone back and wants $50... Jonathan hands out a $10. The guy is pissed and starts yelling at Kristie. Jonathan communicates that it's his money and she doesn't have any. I stand right next to the driver with my hoodie pulled over, trying to intimidate him. After much yelling from both parties, we give him $30 and he walks away. Joshin and Kristie said that if we weren't foreigners then this guy might have hit or pushed Kristie because of the whole "I'm older than you-- I demand respect and a bow" thing... most likely that didn't happen because maybe he knew foreigners don't swing that way and would have hit him back.... a Korean guy might have just stood there because the cab driver is older; therefore, correct in all his ways. Homie don't play like that. Anyway, that was a night.

Oh, so there's this Korean teacher at my school who asked me if I wanted to learn Korean, right? Anyway, she's totally sweet and cute.... (I mentioned this in a previous blog.) Anyway, the last couple weeks she has been buying me candy with little hand-written letters attached, and I've returned the favor a few times. She has also been texting me pretty regularly with things such as, "Have a nice day, NICE guy :)" & "I'm shy to talk to you.... let's talk later..." & "I'm shy of your blue eyes" lol - all these messages include like hearts and winks, etc... Another time, she texted me about forgetting her umbrella on a rainy day and said "we should talk sometime..." Well, I give her a call and bring her an umbrella... So, I walked with her to her bus stop and that was that. Then a couple days ago, she asked me if I wanted to go to an art exhibit this coming Saturday and I'm like yeaaah, for sure. Later that night she texted "SWEET DREAMS" with all these stars. lol --- SO, I'm thinking she likes me, right? Surely I'm not "reading into" anything... seems legit. WELL, today while I was scrounging for some books in the library, she brings me another bag full of goodies, and I'm thinking 'wow, she's really sweet.' --- She hands me the neatly wrapped candy and says, "My boyfriend made this for you." (((WHAT))) lol "Your boyfriend, huh (?) that's - so - niiiiice," I say with a freaked out smile. I'm thinking - what - the - heck - just - happened. I'm completely bamboozled. I sit there in the library, puzzled. I walk back to my room and offer my Korean teacher some of my awesome candy. She replied, "oh I have the same one, too!" I then ask what the note attached says. She said it said something like "Happy anniversary ___ and ___... blah, blah, blah.." I lost interest in the rest. Seems like the boyfriend sent them to all the teachers at my school and probably to all of Korea, who knows? Seems like a nice guy. Wow, what a shocker, huh? lol I sat there laughing for like 20 minutes about the entire situation and how it led up to THIS.

Yeah... what a crazy world. School here sucks - the workload and the given time is unrealistic. Sometimes I think of quitting, but other times I think I'm here for a reason and need to tough it out and figure what I'm doing wrong. Love the kids. Supervisors... not so much. Anyway...hope you all enjoy that one! Tomorrow is a holiday!

Schlakum

First off, I wanted to start out by figuring out how much I spend on food - right now, as we speak.

This next part might be kind of boring to you, but not for me!
So, I eat cereal for breakfast everyday, so each bowl (including milk) is probably around $0.75. I eat lunch everyday for free provided by the school, so M-F lunch money is n/a. During the week for dinner, I usually have cereal or a PB&J... mmm. Each of those sandwiches are around $1.50.
SO - from Monday's breakfast until Friday's lunch, I am spending about ~ $10-13 max. Purty good I would say.
Now the weekend is where this changes dramatically. Friday night's meals out with "Big Spender Jothin" are like $15 on average. Saturday morning is cereal and lunch might be around $10. Saturday night's meal might average $15 again. Sunday morning is cereal and lunch could be $10. Sunday night could be $10 or cereal or PB&J, so we'll just say $5 dinner.
So, I guess I'm averaging $75 on food a week. That sounds kind of high. I think this week might have been more about $100... I'll try to cut down on those expensive meals.

So, I got my first bill this week. It was for electricity, gas, and water. Since I only turn on the heat to use the shower, and rarely use the lights, my first monthly bill was $18! haha I've been checking my meter box against my next-door neighbors, and theirs outputs 3X's the amount of kilowatts than mine.... girls.

This Friday, Jopim, Kristie, and I went to this performance called, "Nanta" which was extremely humorous and entertaining. They actually pulled me on stage to help them. It was pretty sweet. Check out their website. We then went to eat at this place called, Butterfinger Pancakes, and their pancakes rival my favorite, Cracker Barrel.

One of Jo'm's friends are leaving Korea to voyage back home for a while, so we had dinner at this place called, Tutti Matti. I don't know if I mentioned this place in a previous blog, but an Australian owns it, and J and I were given a tour of the place by the owner, Locklin several weeks ago. Well, we finally go and check out his place and bring in some customers. Now, you've got to realize I live in Apgujeong... the richest part of Seoul (that does not mean I make huge wads of money, I just teach their children)... thus, the shops are expensive. I forgot the meal's name, but it was amazing Australian steak meat with noodles that was $27 + a $10 glass of house wine. So that was my most expensive meal so far in Seoul.
Later that night, we all went to a Jimjilbong. Jimjilbongs are known for saunas, massages, and overnight sleeping. The co-ed part (saunas) are clothed, but the separate facilities are bare booty.... anyway, it was sweet. I would tell you all about it, but I'm tired.

On Sunday, we went to this market, and I got a backpack... haha... wow this sounds totally boring. We did much more than this, but I don't feel like writing about it, sad day.

Korea is pretty sweet. The exchange rate kina stinks because when I do send money back, I'll lose about $300 to ever $1,000 I send.

Alright, someone leave a comment already.. .just so I know I'm not just writing this for fun, because fun is not allowed. Hope whoever (or whomever?) reads this is doing well!!

Slokes 'n bomes

Well, I guess I'm a little behind on the updates.
Last weekend, Jonathan, Kristie, another couple, and I went to the cherry blossom festival in Yoidi (a small island) in Seoul. On the way, we saw some police decked out in their full-riot gear regalia because of a transportation protest nearby. On this warm day, I decided to bust out my red bandanna for such an occasion. Anyway, as we walked by the riot police, I noticed many of them staring at me - I presumed my foreign fashion looked silly to them... so I stared back, unbeknownst to the reason for their watchful eyes! As we got closer to the protest, I noticed that all the protesters were wearing a little special something on their heads.... YES, a red bandanna! lol I have this entire thing on video, too - the stares, the realization, the laughter.
On Easter Sunday, we went to the Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Christian church in the Milk Way, what-what. Jonathan, Foster (a Canadian), and I, aboot, did the cherry blossom walk again and threw the ole foosball around.

This weekend, I went to Costco and E-Mart and bought some stuff, including my first frying pan! I can now almost make spaghetti (I just need a pot to boil the noodles). I am planning on buying a convection oven soon so I will be able to bake cookies and lasagna. I also bought a dresser and other knick-knacks paddy whack give a dog a bone.
Yesterday, I also bought some draino stuff at E-Mart because the drain in my bathroom sink was slowly draining. I let it work its magic, and then when I pushed down on the "drainer-majig," the entire pipe under the sink collapse and the best smelling stuff made its debut. It was splendid. I relieved the pipes of its clog - hair and gunk basically. My next-door neighbor, who works with me, had the same problem, and she said the landlord replaced all the pipes in her bathroom, so... here's to hoping.

Oh, a Korean teacher at my school will soon be teaching me 'the language' starting in May. As of right now, I can read it, but usually have no idea what it says.

I'll post pics and videos when I have time. Such a busy bee in KO-rea. Oh, here's my cell phone number: (806) 589-0127. Since it is a Lubbock area code, it won't cost any of you Me-gooks (Americans) a thing, only me... remember I'm 14 hours ahead.

List

So here's what I did this week:

-Went to a Korean Folk Village (Korean life 150 odd years ago). It was pretty interesting.
-Walked around the "Great Wall of Korea", ha not really known by that name, but it was a massive, long fortified wall
-Had a sweet meal on the floor
-Visited the biggest (member) church in the world: 650,000 members? They had special headsets that were translated into English, Russian, Japanese, French, Spanish, and perhaps Vietnamese... no love for my Germans
-Went to this sweet aquarium where I saw Nemo, Dora, and that totally rad Turtle
-Damaged North Korea's missile with my slingshot

I'll post pics lata... peace

Discovery

"This week Wild on E! host, Brandon Moore, travels to Seoul!..." jk. Old aspiration I once had, then again, I am traveling the world - just a little differently.

Anywho, this week I have almost the whole Korean alphabet down (pronunciation, and writing), and actually bought a study book with Jothin's assistance. It came to my attention early this week that I would be getting a new Korean assistant teacher in my room. The one I currently have (until Tuesday) is leaving because the commute is much too long. I've already met and been working with my new one (Michelle) this whole past week.

On Thursday, I got to skip some of my classes, :P and drop by a hospital to take my medical exam. That went swimmingly. You know, being one of the tallest people in Korea is funny. There's not too many people 6 ft or taller here. If I were a mere 3 inches taller, I would undoubtedly be the tallest person ever to have walked on this Asian soil. I'm probably exaggerating just a tad, but, nah... it's probably true.

I still don't own any pots or pans, a microwave, or an oven (or toaster oven for that matter) - ooh, those are luxuries. I DID; however, find some American light brown sugar and vanilla (to make my cookies). I also purchased some spices so that when I DO get some pots, I will be able to cook some spaghetti and other junk. In recent weeks, the Korean milk industry has seen significant profits since I immigrated in. I'm their biggest consumer. Of course, they don't sell milk in gallons, so I have been purchasing around 5 one-fourth gallons a week. So, for you mathematician genius faces out there, that's like... 3.1415 "loads" of milk per week.

About 15 minutes have passed now because I just heard someone screaming bloody murder close by. I've heard it a few times before, but brushed it off as a tv or someone playing around. This time I went out of my apartment and it was coming from the next apartment. It was wild! I rang the doorbell and the screaming suddenly dissipated. I waited a few seconds, and then knocked on the door. I then hear a weeping sound, and a door inside slams shut. Pretty freaky. I went downstairs, found a couple Korean ladies, and communicated my message with gestures. They came up and rang the bell. I gestured if we needed to call someone (I don't know who or what number to dial). After a couple minutes they departed. Called Jothin, he gave me the number to call the police... called them, they didn't speak English... Jothin got his friend to call and tell them the scoop. The police just came and rang both my and the "perp's" bell. They asked me if I was alone and said goodbye while the "perp" opened their door and the police went in and talked for 10 minutes or more. I guess that's that. UPDATE: I just now saw them walk out again. They must have been in there 30 minutes. Jonathan called me and the police said that it was a mother and daughter arguing. I don't know about that... sounded pretty intense.

Wow, what a turn in my story. Well, I guess I'll just cut it off here. What an ADVENTURE you'll have living in Korea... Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Well, week 2 and the weekend are now over. My classes are progressively getting easier to manage... I've organized all my classes, etc... into a binder - much better. Actually, demands are still pretty high and unrealistic at school, and every Friday there is a foreign teacher's meeting including the Korean principal and 2 other Korean supervisors. This is when all the teachers vent, big time. Even the vets that worked here last year were saying how much more stressful this year is in regards to duties and expectations in the time we are given. The Korean supervisors keep piling it on and that's not gonna cut it. ha It's like I'm in a union; us versus the Koreans- it sounds bad, but this is what hagwons are like. Korean private schools are run like businesses (people with degrees in business, not education)... trying to milk you dry so they can get there money's worth out of you. Jonathan and all of his friends have said the same thing... you just have to say no sometimes or they'll just keep piling it above the brim.

Anyway, I've attached some pictures of my apartment. Today, I did my first load of laundry - water flooded the room, then I realized the hose (to release the water) wasn't even hooked up properly ((shakes head)). I'm still waiting for them to install an A/C - it'll be getting warmer soon, and the tv doesn't work either... I'm timing it.

Yesterday, Jonathan and I (other peeps) went to this really cool Taekwondo performance (They were all 3rd degree blackbelts). I WISH I would have brought my camcorder - it was pretty sweet. They choreographed fighting scenes, broke wooden planks, bricks, etc... The guy that took us (Metari?) is from Ghana and is a 6th degree blackbelt and teaches classes in Seoul.

I almost understand all of the Korean letters, except for a few combination letters. Anywho... watching a movie and then it's on to looking over some lesson plans, peace!

Speaking of Endurance...

So Monday was the first day of school, and let me tell you... I'm not sure if any one has ever been, as overwhelmed to say the least, to the degree as I was on my first day of teaching.
I was thrown into a chaotic whirlpool of erratic Koreans.

Since I was late and missed the 1 1/2 week orientation/observation/prep time, I was being handed papers left and right while being told what needs to be done for each class, each day, each week, each month, etc... and this is while I am trying to teach (really?.. teaching!?) a class called Leadership or Good Neighbors or Theme in which I wasn't even aware of the objective or know really where to begin. I was being told that I needed lesson plans turned in on Fridays, personal communication letters sent home thrice a week, monthly newsletters, and monthly phone calls. On top of all this, I'm trying to communicate my need for reimbursement for a flight to Houston for my visa, my relocation allowance, set up a Korean bank account, learn names of all the people these other people are telling me to speak with....AH! During my short breaks of people walking in and out of my room (while I'm supposed to be teaching), I'm trying to become aware of class procedures and routines on my own. I was on the brink... the edge of it all, wavering like Superman's cape in a bizarro world of education.

Well, the first week of school has now ended and... wow what a "unique" school (hagwon). Expectations at this school are high, and realistically, they are undoubtedly unrealistic. For example, on Thursday afternoons I will be teaching GT science with 9 students (ages range from 4-5 American years). Now at this point, the only thing I knew about the class is the name. I have not been given a head's up to what the class mission/goal/objective might be. Around 10:30am, one of the Korean supervisors hands me a couple of books and a blank lesson plan sheet. She wants to be describe what the class is designed to do, what we will be generally doing throughout the year, as well as plan out the next 2 months worth of lesson plans - type them out - and have them ready to send home with the students (to show their parents) at the end of the day... yeaaah riiight. At this point, I am still trying to grasp my other duties and comprehend the lessons of my core classes. I readily say that the expectation for me to turn in quality work given such short notice is impossible. Man, I was bewildered that she would even ask that of any teacher. We (the foreign teachers) later had a meeting about these unrealistic expectations and that these short notices were impractical.

Anywho, we left that day, and I was able to get to know my fellow teachers (Foreign English teachers) as we blew off some steam and relaxed at a nearby restaurant called Two Two Chicken. I am the only guy teacher... what a shock, right? Actually there are a lot of guys who do teach English with the prek - elementary level here, just not currently at my school.

Yesterday, we (Jothin, me, friends) went to a pot-luck party. I made my homemade cookies with whatever ingredients that were available. The brown sugar and vanilla were very different, sooo they tasted way different. People seemed to enjoy them however.

Anywho... I'm about to leave to catch a subway and meet little brother... My next post will include pics of my apartment... I've been really bad regarding taking pictures... I usually forget to bring my camera!

Aching Seouls

SOOO... I've just experienced my first weekend in South Korea. I'll start from the beginning and be as brief as possible for my sake.

Waiting to board Korean Air in the DFW on Thursday, I happen to catch some CNN... some of you might have, too. Well, N. Korea threatened danger to South Korean passenger planes flying near its border... hmm I'm flying within 20 miles of the N. Korean border... little freaky. Anywho, I was fine.

I arrived in Seoul on Friday afternoon and little brother Jonathan was there to receive me and all my splendor (whatever that means :o ). First, I went by the school and was "debriefed," if you will. Then, Jonathan and I explored the city, and I got a cell phone, T-money card (a device to use the Subway). Well, we get to my apartment, and of course it's small - but MAN did it smell foul, I tell you what! It was filthy to say the least. Dried up food remains behind this, dust and dirt behind that, mothballs here, hair there, ghetto windows, rusted slippers, medicinal pills (I think), rubbish, no remote = unwatchable tv, no A/C, and perhaps the previous occupant's bedspread and comforter, on and on, etc, etc... This place was so gross I had to sleep at Jothin's place. I slept on a small 4 foot long couch with no cushion.

On Saturday, we went to Costco, E-Mart, G-Mart, dollar stores, etc... to equip my apartment with the necessities. Costco was grand. Two floors of amazingness. Like Sam's Club, there were food samples galore. This day I explored the subway with J and learnt some Korean symbols. ... I get stared at quite often, not too many foreigners where I live.. or people that speak English.

On Sunday, Jonathan, I, and some friends of his went to church at an English speaking service. The pastor reminded me of Keanu Reeves, but he had a great message (he was Korean-American btw). After, we ate some kimchi, some Korean-style Schnitzel, and other pretty good food. We then called a Filipina lady (maid service) to clean my apartment. She was very nice. We left her at the apartment for 3 hours while we explored and came back to a fresh, clean residence! It was very niiice. I should have taken before/after pics. :/ We then ate more Korean food, explored, learnt Korean letters, yada yada... I'm leaving tons out, but am tired because today was the first day of school... I'll post that tomorrow or something!

Sorry if this sounds like short ramble - it is... too tired to write eloquently. The blarney has rubbed off.

Philippians 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 "²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

environment
intake
desire
passion (motivation)
patience (endurance)
discipline (dedication)
strength
transformation
new creation (devotion)