Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas from the other side of the world.
Anyong Hasseo and happy Holidays from the Land of the Morning Calm.
I'm sorry for the lack of updates in recent days. I'm afraid that I'm running without internet of my own and wireless in this country seems to be a fickelt mistress. At times its there to support you in your communicative endeavours, while at other times it kicks you out on your ass and leaves you out in the cold, laughing while you you watch helplessly as your record collection goes flying from the third story window.
So I'm a teacher now, "James Teacher" to be precise. I teach kids of all ages, ranging from grades one and two in the morning, and grades five to seven in the afternoon and evenings. The picture above is my grade one class, the "Lion King" class (Hey, I didn't name them) and they're my favorite morning class so far. They've got a lot of energy and are really keen on learning. Though they yell and goof off a lot and are sometimes dificult to keep in line, but they are still pretty rockin!
Take this little Dude for example. His name is Hung Jun, and to be honest he's kind of one of my problem kids but I freaking love him. He just has so much personality to him, even at his age, and he's really adorable.
For Christmas I've done a few things to keep myself busy, I had a christmas sweater and yankee swap party on Tuesday, it was great time and I was "Lucky" enough to walk home with about a dozen cans of a no name Spam (Yay joke gifts. Pictured Below is myself and Tony, a fellow New Brunswicker as we show off our sweater love.
But more on that later, My wireless has been good to me so far and I'd like to get this posted before it dies on me. I love all of you guys and I miss you so much!
Till Next time!
J
Friday, December 19, 2008
Keep an open mind, that's all I can say.
I don't think this country is ever going to stop surprising me.
I went out for a walk between my evening classes tonight in hopes of finding some supper, preferable something portable and, as I am alone, something for one. I decided to try the street foods. I can't remember the Korean word for these guys, but its the same principle as the Fry Truck that hangs out downtown near the bars, except they're cleaner, nicer and generally have better food.
I was walking down one of the main streets of of my district and across the road I spotted an Ajuma (Old Lady basically, I'll go into this more later) with something steaming and I could see little sticks. Sticks are good, I thought, that means I can carry what I buy and eat it that way.
Well I walked over, pointed at this rectangular meat on a stick and asked if it was chicken, Or at least I think I did, but I'm not sure if I succeeded as I'm pretty sure what I got was fish. But this was a possibility I expected. What I did not expect was when she took the four meat stick things I was buying , dropped them into a bag and promptly removed my sticks! She then poured a cup of the broth this stuff was simmering in, into the bag, tied it off and passed it to me. I asked for some chopsticks (Read: I pointed and made sad gestures) and walked back to school. So here I was thinking I was getting some sort of a meat on a stick, and instead I find myself eating some sort of a soup, but it is tasty!
Anyways, off to class! I will try to give a longer and more complete update on what I've been doing when I have time.
Jamie
I went out for a walk between my evening classes tonight in hopes of finding some supper, preferable something portable and, as I am alone, something for one. I decided to try the street foods. I can't remember the Korean word for these guys, but its the same principle as the Fry Truck that hangs out downtown near the bars, except they're cleaner, nicer and generally have better food.
I was walking down one of the main streets of of my district and across the road I spotted an Ajuma (Old Lady basically, I'll go into this more later) with something steaming and I could see little sticks. Sticks are good, I thought, that means I can carry what I buy and eat it that way.
Well I walked over, pointed at this rectangular meat on a stick and asked if it was chicken, Or at least I think I did, but I'm not sure if I succeeded as I'm pretty sure what I got was fish. But this was a possibility I expected. What I did not expect was when she took the four meat stick things I was buying , dropped them into a bag and promptly removed my sticks! She then poured a cup of the broth this stuff was simmering in, into the bag, tied it off and passed it to me. I asked for some chopsticks (Read: I pointed and made sad gestures) and walked back to school. So here I was thinking I was getting some sort of a meat on a stick, and instead I find myself eating some sort of a soup, but it is tasty!
Anyways, off to class! I will try to give a longer and more complete update on what I've been doing when I have time.
Jamie
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Kids say the darndest things....
Oh wow, I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time.
Today was my first day teaching a whole day of classes, but my second day teaching most of the kids in my afternoon school. I'm not sure why but for some reason EVERY class in the afternoon decided today would be a great day to grill James Teacher on his personal life. For the most part I answered the basics but stayed away from any long discussions and went to the text book.
But my last class this afternoon was different. These kids are fun and they are smart! Like they're eleven years old and can spell the word "extraterrestrial" in a language they only started learning six years ago (By the way Whit, Lindsay, one of the girls goes to Songwon and knows you two). So when the questions came out I decided to use the oportunity. Instead of trying to pull them back to the subject at hand, I let things roll and asked them to try again if their grammar or structure was wrong. They asked me about my parents, my country. And then came the question that everyone asks: Are you married?
Being 23 and single in North America is normal, here its effin wierd! The kids are so amazed by the fact that I do not have a wife and children. They asked me if I had a girlfriend. Any other class I would have said "No, now open you books to..." But like I said we were having a great conversation so I said "Not now, I used to"
Bad idea... but I didn't know it
They asked what her name was, and I told them. They asked why we weren't together, I seriously glossed over the answer and they took it, so one bullet dodged. They asked how she cut her hair and if she was pretty, I explained and said yes.
And then from the back of the room, comes the meek voice of Minnie, one of the most innocent girls you will ever see...
"Teacher! Kate is... sexy?"
I lost it, I couldn't keep a straight face and just fell against the white board laughing.
So this is my life for now... at least it has its entertaining moments. Time to go back to class,
Catch you guys later!
J
Today was my first day teaching a whole day of classes, but my second day teaching most of the kids in my afternoon school. I'm not sure why but for some reason EVERY class in the afternoon decided today would be a great day to grill James Teacher on his personal life. For the most part I answered the basics but stayed away from any long discussions and went to the text book.
But my last class this afternoon was different. These kids are fun and they are smart! Like they're eleven years old and can spell the word "extraterrestrial" in a language they only started learning six years ago (By the way Whit, Lindsay, one of the girls goes to Songwon and knows you two). So when the questions came out I decided to use the oportunity. Instead of trying to pull them back to the subject at hand, I let things roll and asked them to try again if their grammar or structure was wrong. They asked me about my parents, my country. And then came the question that everyone asks: Are you married?
Being 23 and single in North America is normal, here its effin wierd! The kids are so amazed by the fact that I do not have a wife and children. They asked me if I had a girlfriend. Any other class I would have said "No, now open you books to..." But like I said we were having a great conversation so I said "Not now, I used to"
Bad idea... but I didn't know it
They asked what her name was, and I told them. They asked why we weren't together, I seriously glossed over the answer and they took it, so one bullet dodged. They asked how she cut her hair and if she was pretty, I explained and said yes.
And then from the back of the room, comes the meek voice of Minnie, one of the most innocent girls you will ever see...
"Teacher! Kate is... sexy?"
I lost it, I couldn't keep a straight face and just fell against the white board laughing.
So this is my life for now... at least it has its entertaining moments. Time to go back to class,
Catch you guys later!
J
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Oh the geekiness!
I don't think I need to worry about being disconnected from home, even with the prospect of no phone line until tomorrow and no internet hooked in for a few days. Why: Well A: because I've got some amazing friends that will let me use their computers and their phones. But even if its 4 in the morning I can still get online...how? The PC Bang.
(Korean lesson: Bang means room. So if you hear someone say NoraehBang, as an example, it means "singing room" but there is no Korean word for "PC" so it's PC Bang)
You will see these places everywhere! the two letters "PC" big and coloful, normally with a floor number beside it. These neon signs have become both an annoyance and a godsend because they are one of the only signs I've been able to understand from the start, but they are everywhere!
I only stepped into one once before this moment. On my first night. Because when I tried the computer in my Motel room and everything was in Korean, I walked into the first PC Bang I found, looked at the poor sixteen year old behind the counter (Poor because he looked terrified by the white boy, and because he was working at 4 am! when the hell do these kids sleep?!) and I said "English?" And he shook his head and that was it, I decided to return to my sketchy but clean Motel and try to crack the computer code. And I did. I still can't read the stuff, but I can make keyboards make english and I can muddle my way through changing websites.
But not I've got a break between 5 and 6 before my next class and I've just been moved into my new place, so there is no internet for me. But I was sitting in the teachers office (yeah, we all share one, its cozy) and I looked across the road out the window and saw "PC." Why not, I thought, and walked over to do a little updating.
First of all the price: It isn't bad, at basically a dollar an hour, it isn't fantastic either. But this place is insane. I should have realized how geek centered Korea was when I saw that there are not one but TWO networks dedicated to Starcraft (okay one plays Warcraft sometimes) But these are high quality machines, top of the line monitors and chairs that look like I should be a starfleet captain to sit in. THIS is what Korean kids do all the time!? How are they not huge!? I mean if America (Canada included) had these kind of places our children wouldn't be fat, they would all be morbidly obese.
That little rant aside, they're comfy, have a smoking and non smoking section and are quick enough that I can keep up with the world back home until I get settled in.
Well time to go back to teaching, catch you guys later.
J
(Korean lesson: Bang means room. So if you hear someone say NoraehBang, as an example, it means "singing room" but there is no Korean word for "PC" so it's PC Bang)
You will see these places everywhere! the two letters "PC" big and coloful, normally with a floor number beside it. These neon signs have become both an annoyance and a godsend because they are one of the only signs I've been able to understand from the start, but they are everywhere!
I only stepped into one once before this moment. On my first night. Because when I tried the computer in my Motel room and everything was in Korean, I walked into the first PC Bang I found, looked at the poor sixteen year old behind the counter (Poor because he looked terrified by the white boy, and because he was working at 4 am! when the hell do these kids sleep?!) and I said "English?" And he shook his head and that was it, I decided to return to my sketchy but clean Motel and try to crack the computer code. And I did. I still can't read the stuff, but I can make keyboards make english and I can muddle my way through changing websites.
But not I've got a break between 5 and 6 before my next class and I've just been moved into my new place, so there is no internet for me. But I was sitting in the teachers office (yeah, we all share one, its cozy) and I looked across the road out the window and saw "PC." Why not, I thought, and walked over to do a little updating.
First of all the price: It isn't bad, at basically a dollar an hour, it isn't fantastic either. But this place is insane. I should have realized how geek centered Korea was when I saw that there are not one but TWO networks dedicated to Starcraft (okay one plays Warcraft sometimes) But these are high quality machines, top of the line monitors and chairs that look like I should be a starfleet captain to sit in. THIS is what Korean kids do all the time!? How are they not huge!? I mean if America (Canada included) had these kind of places our children wouldn't be fat, they would all be morbidly obese.
That little rant aside, they're comfy, have a smoking and non smoking section and are quick enough that I can keep up with the world back home until I get settled in.
Well time to go back to teaching, catch you guys later.
J
Anyong Hasseo! (Translation: Hi!)
Well hello everyone, greetings from a really strange land on the other side of the world.
I'm updating from the faculty computer at my afternoon school, So it won't be a very long or complete update, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I get set up in my new place for a more complete update.
Living in Korea is hard! I want to put this out right now that it doesn't matter how much prep you put yourself through, it is rough. I'm not saying it's insurmountable or that its something I can't do. I don't know the answers to these yet. But it is dificult. Furthermore for those considering coming, if you can come with someone that you care about and trust then I reccomend it. I think having that other friendly and familiar face would make all the world of difference. You would still cry and feel lost for the first bit I'm sure, but I don't think you would feel as alone.
That said I don't want to make it sound all bad in my little window I'm giving right now. My director is fantastic and the people I work with have been wonderful to me, and the kids, while a handful are absolutely adorable. I tried to put up a picture, but no such luck for now.
More from me later!
Jamie
Well hello everyone, greetings from a really strange land on the other side of the world.
I'm updating from the faculty computer at my afternoon school, So it won't be a very long or complete update, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I get set up in my new place for a more complete update.
Living in Korea is hard! I want to put this out right now that it doesn't matter how much prep you put yourself through, it is rough. I'm not saying it's insurmountable or that its something I can't do. I don't know the answers to these yet. But it is dificult. Furthermore for those considering coming, if you can come with someone that you care about and trust then I reccomend it. I think having that other friendly and familiar face would make all the world of difference. You would still cry and feel lost for the first bit I'm sure, but I don't think you would feel as alone.
That said I don't want to make it sound all bad in my little window I'm giving right now. My director is fantastic and the people I work with have been wonderful to me, and the kids, while a handful are absolutely adorable. I tried to put up a picture, but no such luck for now.
More from me later!
Jamie
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Cookin with the King
Hey guys and gals,
Just a short update, since I reformatted my computer, all my internet codes have been lost and I'm not really trying that hard to get them back, so things will be a little sporadic.
And just a note: I really, really, REALLY love cooking to Elvis Presley music, and I have no idea why.
More to come at a later time/date/soon-ish!
J
Just a short update, since I reformatted my computer, all my internet codes have been lost and I'm not really trying that hard to get them back, so things will be a little sporadic.
And just a note: I really, really, REALLY love cooking to Elvis Presley music, and I have no idea why.
More to come at a later time/date/soon-ish!
J
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Now why can't I have an acting agent like this!...or you know, at all.
Greetings Bloggers.
Well I'm sitting in the coffee shop in rainy downtown Fredericton, the first part of my last stack of comics sitting beside me (The new shipment just came in when I got there, I asked Derrick to put my regulars aside for me one last time) and enjoying a nice cup of green tea. I know I should really be sorting through my belongings and getting rid of as much as possible, but I've always been a bit of a procrastinator. And I really want to enjoy the things that I find enjoyable or important in this city while I can, and reading comics in Read's is definately one of them.
I'll be honest, I'm not really in a mood to write anything right now. I want to write a bit about how long I plan on going to Korea for, but not right now. And I want to take the time to write about my experiences getting to this point, but that's going to take awhile and I just don't feel like writing it all out, maybe later tonight.
But I would be absolutely remiss if I did not take the time to throw a huge thank you out to my recruiter, Dan Henrickson, and his company: Teach ESL Korea.
This is the deal: If any of you ever think about following me across the world then you must go here: www.teacheslkorea.com
Dan has been helping me through this since the start and I really don't think that I would be here without him. His website is one of the most informative I've read through and he's always ready to help and answer any questions whether they are important or not. He is there for you 24/7 and always with a smile in his voice. Even if you accidentally call him at 5 in the morning...(Sorry Dan!!)
He taught me how to count in Korea after I expressed a frustration at trying to learn the system, and he pulled it off when no other site I found could make it make sense to me.
Any time a job fell through for me, and let's be honest, this happened a lot. Dan was always there with advice, words of comfort and most importantly another job offer. He never pushed me to take a job I didn't want or was uncomfortable with, he even offered to proof read my resume when we found out a company almost turned me down because they thought my british spelling meant I had an accent.
But the icing on the cake came yesterday. I had promised Dan in an earlier email that when I made this Blog I would toss the address over to him. Well I did and received a prompt email later that night. Now as I've said Dan is a really nice guy so I was expecting words of encouragement, "great Job James, Looks good, keep it up" You know the general stuff. Which was there. But on top of it Dan sends me website links and advice on how to try to get pizza with Hamburger and Bacon in Korea! Admittedly with the footnote that neither of these meats are plentiful, but still!
So in honor of Dan I have a mission now. Whereas before I resigned myself to being cut off from my pizza of choice, I now swear that before I leave Korea I will eat a pizza with hamburger, Bacon and extra cheese!
Until next time guys.
J
Well I'm sitting in the coffee shop in rainy downtown Fredericton, the first part of my last stack of comics sitting beside me (The new shipment just came in when I got there, I asked Derrick to put my regulars aside for me one last time) and enjoying a nice cup of green tea. I know I should really be sorting through my belongings and getting rid of as much as possible, but I've always been a bit of a procrastinator. And I really want to enjoy the things that I find enjoyable or important in this city while I can, and reading comics in Read's is definately one of them.
I'll be honest, I'm not really in a mood to write anything right now. I want to write a bit about how long I plan on going to Korea for, but not right now. And I want to take the time to write about my experiences getting to this point, but that's going to take awhile and I just don't feel like writing it all out, maybe later tonight.
But I would be absolutely remiss if I did not take the time to throw a huge thank you out to my recruiter, Dan Henrickson, and his company: Teach ESL Korea.
This is the deal: If any of you ever think about following me across the world then you must go here: www.teacheslkorea.com
Dan has been helping me through this since the start and I really don't think that I would be here without him. His website is one of the most informative I've read through and he's always ready to help and answer any questions whether they are important or not. He is there for you 24/7 and always with a smile in his voice. Even if you accidentally call him at 5 in the morning...(Sorry Dan!!)
He taught me how to count in Korea after I expressed a frustration at trying to learn the system, and he pulled it off when no other site I found could make it make sense to me.
Any time a job fell through for me, and let's be honest, this happened a lot. Dan was always there with advice, words of comfort and most importantly another job offer. He never pushed me to take a job I didn't want or was uncomfortable with, he even offered to proof read my resume when we found out a company almost turned me down because they thought my british spelling meant I had an accent.
But the icing on the cake came yesterday. I had promised Dan in an earlier email that when I made this Blog I would toss the address over to him. Well I did and received a prompt email later that night. Now as I've said Dan is a really nice guy so I was expecting words of encouragement, "great Job James, Looks good, keep it up" You know the general stuff. Which was there. But on top of it Dan sends me website links and advice on how to try to get pizza with Hamburger and Bacon in Korea! Admittedly with the footnote that neither of these meats are plentiful, but still!
So in honor of Dan I have a mission now. Whereas before I resigned myself to being cut off from my pizza of choice, I now swear that before I leave Korea I will eat a pizza with hamburger, Bacon and extra cheese!
Until next time guys.
J
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Are you excited yet?
Hey everyone,
If there is one question that I am asked over and over again by just about everyone that I bump into, run across or stumble by, it is this: Are you excited to be going?
My answer is always the same, "Sometimes I'm excited and other times I'm terrified." I figure that this is a pretty normal response because of course I'm excited, there are days where I can not wait to get onto the plane and get this adventure started. There are other days where I think that I've lost my mind for even consider this and want to call the whole thing off, I mean I'm moving across the world!
Its the little things that make this fact sink in. Take pizza for example. Anyone who has been close to me for an extended period of time knows that my pizza order never changes: Hamburger, Bacon and Extra cheese. Sausage if they have it. Sure I'll get peperoni or meat lovers if I'm lazy and buying by the slice or for a bunch of us, but if its just me then I will always order the same. This is an order that has not changed since I was at least 4 years old, probably earlier. Just the other day I was reading through my favorite blog that's being written by a couple over in the city I will be moving to. They were commenting that their co-workers had ordered pizza for lunch again and the topings of choice were shrimp or squid. "That's gross," I mused to myself, "But I can always order my...oh poop"
You have to understand that I had certain requirements when I chose to make this move. I wanted a city with a large enough expat population that I wouldn't be entirely lost in translation, but a city where I could really experience Korea and its culture. I've promised myself that I will try everything! Someone puts fried scorpion in front of me, I will eat it. Someone drops a plate of octopus down on my table, I will take a bite. But I always had the comfort that if I really missed home I could splurge and grab a burger or a pizza. I've realized that While I can, it might not be the pizza I expect.
I'm sure this seems like small potatos but for me its a pretty serious deal. I've always lived a transitory life and so the few things I look to for grounding are important to me. But as always I'm sure I will adapt.
I have another thought process on how long I'm going for, but I'm afraid that will have to wait for later.
See you!
J
If there is one question that I am asked over and over again by just about everyone that I bump into, run across or stumble by, it is this: Are you excited to be going?
My answer is always the same, "Sometimes I'm excited and other times I'm terrified." I figure that this is a pretty normal response because of course I'm excited, there are days where I can not wait to get onto the plane and get this adventure started. There are other days where I think that I've lost my mind for even consider this and want to call the whole thing off, I mean I'm moving across the world!
Its the little things that make this fact sink in. Take pizza for example. Anyone who has been close to me for an extended period of time knows that my pizza order never changes: Hamburger, Bacon and Extra cheese. Sausage if they have it. Sure I'll get peperoni or meat lovers if I'm lazy and buying by the slice or for a bunch of us, but if its just me then I will always order the same. This is an order that has not changed since I was at least 4 years old, probably earlier. Just the other day I was reading through my favorite blog that's being written by a couple over in the city I will be moving to. They were commenting that their co-workers had ordered pizza for lunch again and the topings of choice were shrimp or squid. "That's gross," I mused to myself, "But I can always order my...oh poop"
You have to understand that I had certain requirements when I chose to make this move. I wanted a city with a large enough expat population that I wouldn't be entirely lost in translation, but a city where I could really experience Korea and its culture. I've promised myself that I will try everything! Someone puts fried scorpion in front of me, I will eat it. Someone drops a plate of octopus down on my table, I will take a bite. But I always had the comfort that if I really missed home I could splurge and grab a burger or a pizza. I've realized that While I can, it might not be the pizza I expect.
I'm sure this seems like small potatos but for me its a pretty serious deal. I've always lived a transitory life and so the few things I look to for grounding are important to me. But as always I'm sure I will adapt.
I have another thought process on how long I'm going for, but I'm afraid that will have to wait for later.
See you!
J
Welcome to CTG, version 2.0!
Hey everyone, Jamie here!
I would like to welcome you all to the newest edition of my blog: Comedy, Tragedy, Geekery.
I'm sure those of you who have been following my online livelihood are wondering why I decided to start up a new blog when I already have two others floating around the net, that I never update. Furthermore why I'm using the same name as the last one.
There are a few reasons for this, the first is that this rendition of CTG is most likely going to be viewed by a much larger group of people then the last because it will be my space to write about my upcoming adventures in the Land of the Morning Calm. So I wanted a fresh start and I wanted a URL that was easier to remember, or at the very least made sense in the context of the site.
For any newcomers here, this blog isn't my first. Comedy, Tragedy, Geekery originally started early this year in March over at wordpress.com and was a blog on my life as both an actor and as an avid member of the gamer culture. Hence the name of the site. If you aren't aware, Comedy and Tragedy are the names of the smiling and sad mask that you see in theatre all of the time.
So CTG has moved to its new virtual home, and soon I'll be moving to my new home as well. I leave for the city of Gwangju South Korea on the 13th of December.
I'm going to try to update this blog regularly in the coming weeks so that I can get myself used to it and to let everyone know what getting ready to move to another country is like. I'm curious what you all think of this? Any advice to give? Questions you might have? Please ask away and I'll do my best to answer.
If you're at all interested in the earlier portions of my life, they can be found at CTG's first home, located at: rennick.wordpress.com and at my old livejournal account: ookamishadow.livejournal.com
I warn any who dare brave the LJ, the further back you go, the more sappy and emo it gets.
I think that will be all for the first update to CTG in Korea, talk to you guys soon!
J
I would like to welcome you all to the newest edition of my blog: Comedy, Tragedy, Geekery.
I'm sure those of you who have been following my online livelihood are wondering why I decided to start up a new blog when I already have two others floating around the net, that I never update. Furthermore why I'm using the same name as the last one.
There are a few reasons for this, the first is that this rendition of CTG is most likely going to be viewed by a much larger group of people then the last because it will be my space to write about my upcoming adventures in the Land of the Morning Calm. So I wanted a fresh start and I wanted a URL that was easier to remember, or at the very least made sense in the context of the site.
For any newcomers here, this blog isn't my first. Comedy, Tragedy, Geekery originally started early this year in March over at wordpress.com and was a blog on my life as both an actor and as an avid member of the gamer culture. Hence the name of the site. If you aren't aware, Comedy and Tragedy are the names of the smiling and sad mask that you see in theatre all of the time.
So CTG has moved to its new virtual home, and soon I'll be moving to my new home as well. I leave for the city of Gwangju South Korea on the 13th of December.
I'm going to try to update this blog regularly in the coming weeks so that I can get myself used to it and to let everyone know what getting ready to move to another country is like. I'm curious what you all think of this? Any advice to give? Questions you might have? Please ask away and I'll do my best to answer.
If you're at all interested in the earlier portions of my life, they can be found at CTG's first home, located at: rennick.wordpress.com and at my old livejournal account: ookamishadow.livejournal.com
I warn any who dare brave the LJ, the further back you go, the more sappy and emo it gets.
I think that will be all for the first update to CTG in Korea, talk to you guys soon!
J
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)