Today is the last day of summer vacation for SFS teachers. My vacation was remarkable. I spent time in Hawaii with friends, New York with family, South Carolina with family, St. John's with friends and finally Florida with more family. I went shopping, diving, and bike riding. I visited Busch Gardens, Carrowinds, a volcano and an aquarium. I had all of my favorite home cooked meals and went to some of my favorite restaurants. I saw most of my family, middle school friends, high school friends, camp friends, college friends, and teacher friends. I made the most of 7 wonderful weeks and now I am looking forward to the start of the school year.
Even knowing that exciting times lay ahead I am reluctant to see my summer vacation come to an end. Today I started to settle into my school year Sunday routine. I went to Church at the Cathedral and stopped for groceries on the way home. I did some laundry, school work, and worked on my latest crocheting project. I also spent time catching up with my friends here and swam .5 miles.
As a school teacher in Korea I have the chance to have 3 New Year events. I have a new calendar year on January 1 like the rest of the world. We celebrate Lunar New Year at the end of January/start of February in Korea. And now the start of the school year. In addition to new academic beginnings I am hoping to start some new personal habits. I hope this is the year of fiscal responsibility, home cooked meals, and time at the gym. So far I have been going strong and I hope I am able to continue the trend as the school year and all of the accompanying demands begin. I am lucky to be supported by wonderful friends.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Night and Day
Arriving in Seoul this year has been a completely different experience than last year. The transition has been much more relaxed. I am gearing up for the upcoming school year rested, settled, and mostly stress free.
When I arrived in Seoul (4:20 am) I discovered that the first bus to my school didn't leave until 6:15am. I was faced with the idea of waiting another 1.25 hours for a bus that would take at least 45 minutes to get me home. After almost 24 hours of traveling I was saddened by this thought. Much to my delight my buddies (Kristen and Youngin) were minutes away from the airport. Getting picked up in person is much more fun than a bus ride. I hope to return the favor one day.
Wednesday is a blur of jetlag, unpacking, and visiting with old and new staff members. I went with the new teachers to Homeplus where I was able to pick up some groceries and help them out a bit all while having a ride to and from school. It was a nice trade off.
After a good night's sleep Thursday started off with a visit to the school gym. I was expecting the same old gym, complete with little light, cramped machines, and awful paintings on the wall (a zebra playing basketball, the PowderPuff girls, and Superman). Much to my surprise the gym was completely redone over the summer. The area was expanded so more room and more natural light, the walls redone with mirrors and woodwork in place of the paintings, and more air conditioners. The new gym is much more pleasant to work out in and I intend to spend more time there.
Thursday morning involved a trip to Costco and Homeplus with two wonderful science teachers. It was nice to pick up the things I forgot the night before and to catch up with my friends. I was also happy to find that Costco has chicken sausage and turkey burgers for sale. Tonight Colleen and I are going to try and turn turkey burgers into turkey tacos. This could open up many more meal opportunities. This is actually the first time that I have seen turkey available in Korea aside from on base at Thanksgiving.
Thursday afternoon I ironed all of my wrinkled clothes and met with the new science teacher. She has her doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. From what I have seen we are going to get along great and I am going to learn a lot from her. We are meeting again today as an IB BIology department to discuss this upcoming year.
Thursday night my friends and I went for Korean BBQ. While our group wasn't complete (Nate and Megan have yet to return) it was nice to catch up over a great dinner.
Sleeping Thursday night wasn't as easy as I had hoped. I woke up a few times, but was able to get back to sleep after a short time. A good part about being jetlagged is that I tend to wake up very early in the morning so I have already been to and from the gym this morning. I feel I have been quite productive and the day is just beginning. Up next, coffee, breakfast, and time at my desk.
So far, this is a great school year in the making.
When I arrived in Seoul (4:20 am) I discovered that the first bus to my school didn't leave until 6:15am. I was faced with the idea of waiting another 1.25 hours for a bus that would take at least 45 minutes to get me home. After almost 24 hours of traveling I was saddened by this thought. Much to my delight my buddies (Kristen and Youngin) were minutes away from the airport. Getting picked up in person is much more fun than a bus ride. I hope to return the favor one day.
Wednesday is a blur of jetlag, unpacking, and visiting with old and new staff members. I went with the new teachers to Homeplus where I was able to pick up some groceries and help them out a bit all while having a ride to and from school. It was a nice trade off.
After a good night's sleep Thursday started off with a visit to the school gym. I was expecting the same old gym, complete with little light, cramped machines, and awful paintings on the wall (a zebra playing basketball, the PowderPuff girls, and Superman). Much to my surprise the gym was completely redone over the summer. The area was expanded so more room and more natural light, the walls redone with mirrors and woodwork in place of the paintings, and more air conditioners. The new gym is much more pleasant to work out in and I intend to spend more time there.
Thursday morning involved a trip to Costco and Homeplus with two wonderful science teachers. It was nice to pick up the things I forgot the night before and to catch up with my friends. I was also happy to find that Costco has chicken sausage and turkey burgers for sale. Tonight Colleen and I are going to try and turn turkey burgers into turkey tacos. This could open up many more meal opportunities. This is actually the first time that I have seen turkey available in Korea aside from on base at Thanksgiving.
Thursday afternoon I ironed all of my wrinkled clothes and met with the new science teacher. She has her doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. From what I have seen we are going to get along great and I am going to learn a lot from her. We are meeting again today as an IB BIology department to discuss this upcoming year.
Thursday night my friends and I went for Korean BBQ. While our group wasn't complete (Nate and Megan have yet to return) it was nice to catch up over a great dinner.
Sleeping Thursday night wasn't as easy as I had hoped. I woke up a few times, but was able to get back to sleep after a short time. A good part about being jetlagged is that I tend to wake up very early in the morning so I have already been to and from the gym this morning. I feel I have been quite productive and the day is just beginning. Up next, coffee, breakfast, and time at my desk.
So far, this is a great school year in the making.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tioman Island
My friends and I are about to leave for our Tioman Island vacation. 8 days and nights of tropical island fun and SCUBA certification. I can't wait. When I return I'll make it a point to add photos and updates.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Florida holiday
Almost two weeks into my trip and I don't know where the time went. I have seen high school friends, college friends, camp friends, brothers, sisters, parents, a niece, nephews, and dogs. I have eaten great food, opened gifts, gone to Harry Potter world, ridden roller coasters, shopped, and pampered myself. Now I sit in the Tampa airport awaiting my flight to Baltimore. 3 nights there then back to Tampa for two nights before heading home to Korea.
It has been a great trip. I love teaching in Korea but I hate being so far from all of the awesome people in the States.
It has been a great trip. I love teaching in Korea but I hate being so far from all of the awesome people in the States.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Packed and ready to go
Tonight I pulled out my suitcase. Usually I pack the day of/night before. Not this time folks. I am packed and ready to go. Granted, I literally only packed 3 outfits, it still counts.
I decided that I am going to add to my wardrobe during my Christmas visit, and as incentive I only packed 3 outfits. If nothing else I'll be doing a lot of laundry while at home.
So, what did I do with the rest of the space? I filled it with gifts and knick-knacks from Korea, China, and Hong Kong. I have consumables, jewelry, clothing, toys, foreign currency, newspapers, postcards, and other random things. I laughed at some of the things I purchased as I put them into the suitcase and I know my friends and family will enjoy them too.
Now all I have to do is finish proctoring and grading my exams and then get to the airport. The wonderful HR man arranged to have a driver pick me up at my apartment and bring me to the bus stop. From there it is about an hour to the airport, the normal 2 hours in the airport before boarding, and a mere 20 hours more of flying before I arrive in Florida.
Yea!
I decided that I am going to add to my wardrobe during my Christmas visit, and as incentive I only packed 3 outfits. If nothing else I'll be doing a lot of laundry while at home.
So, what did I do with the rest of the space? I filled it with gifts and knick-knacks from Korea, China, and Hong Kong. I have consumables, jewelry, clothing, toys, foreign currency, newspapers, postcards, and other random things. I laughed at some of the things I purchased as I put them into the suitcase and I know my friends and family will enjoy them too.
Now all I have to do is finish proctoring and grading my exams and then get to the airport. The wonderful HR man arranged to have a driver pick me up at my apartment and bring me to the bus stop. From there it is about an hour to the airport, the normal 2 hours in the airport before boarding, and a mere 20 hours more of flying before I arrive in Florida.
Yea!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Purple sweet potato gnocchi and other domestic tasks
Ah Sunday, a day of rest and relaxation, a day of procrastination, or a day of panic before the start of another week? For me it has been all three.
I tried to start the day off with a trip to Costco. That didn't work so well as all the cars had been checked out already. Instead Myleah and I walked down to the local store only to find it closed. We lingered in a coffee shop until it opened, made our purchases and returned home. When I returned home 5 hours ago I had big plans for my day. I was going to go to the gym, finish organizing the slides in my classroom, finish my lessons for this week, and clean my apartment. In reality I have watched some tv, played some computer games, cleaned up part of my apartment, made several trips to storage, made purple sweet potato gnocchi and vegetable soup stock, cleaned out my fridge, and filed or deleted all of my October e-mails. I feel I was productive, but I didn't really make a dent in my list of to-do's.
I have a little over two hours before making something to go with the gnocchi. Part of it will be spend cleaning off my dining room table. Hopefully the other part will be filled with highly productive powerpoint creating.
I tried to start the day off with a trip to Costco. That didn't work so well as all the cars had been checked out already. Instead Myleah and I walked down to the local store only to find it closed. We lingered in a coffee shop until it opened, made our purchases and returned home. When I returned home 5 hours ago I had big plans for my day. I was going to go to the gym, finish organizing the slides in my classroom, finish my lessons for this week, and clean my apartment. In reality I have watched some tv, played some computer games, cleaned up part of my apartment, made several trips to storage, made purple sweet potato gnocchi and vegetable soup stock, cleaned out my fridge, and filed or deleted all of my October e-mails. I feel I was productive, but I didn't really make a dent in my list of to-do's.
I have a little over two hours before making something to go with the gnocchi. Part of it will be spend cleaning off my dining room table. Hopefully the other part will be filled with highly productive powerpoint creating.
Friday, November 26, 2010
The quest for goodness
Today was an amazing day. Here in some chronological order is why.
1. I woke up sans alarm clock and it was sunny outside. I finally feel like I am getting enough sleep, and I just LOVE waking up to the sun shining in my bedroom.
2. I skyped with most of the family. I had some face time with Mom, Dad, Savannah, Chris, Laurie, Patrick, April, Kelan and Aidan. I saw a lot of Kelan, including his smile, and a moment of Aidan.
3. Had a venti Starbucks latte. Yum.
4. Went shopping with some of the girls. We went to Insadong and Namdemun. I purchased some Christmas gifts (Mom, Mary, and Chris), a wedding gift (JP and Nora), and some things for me. For myself I purchased some hanji coasters, gloves, ear muffs, and a table top Christmas tree.
5. I had leftover Thanksgiving food for lunch. Yum (again).
6. I went to Itaewon where I had a massage and an adjustment by my chiropractor.
7. I had an early dinner at Quiznos (you guessed it, yum)
8. I explored part of the city via subway system.
Here is where the actual story begins. Upon returning to my subway stop I got turned around and ended up taking a different exit than I had planned. I knew where I was, I just wasn't where I wanted to be. Well, on my way up to the street level to catch a cab home I spotted several folks with Auntie Anne bags. I had seen them before but hadn't really given them any thought. Tonight it was different. I decided to find the Auntie Anne's and purchase a soft pretzel. Well, I went up and down 10 stories in two buildings before i came to the food court I had been in yesterday. I had looked around yesterday briefly so I knew that Auntie Annes' wasn't there but I figured another look around wouldn't hurt. I noted the Japanese place, the Kraze burger, the Mister Donut, and then with nothing but a line of people in front and two vats of lemonade I found the Auntie Anne's. I ordered an original pretzel, cheese, and lemonade. Good thing they understood my pointing and that I learned the word for cheese in Korean last week (~chees-a). I had my pretzel then found a taxi and came home. Bonus finds during my wandering include a Smoothie King, a Friday's and a Bennigan's.
I hope that tomorrow is just as good as today and that I get some homework done.
1. I woke up sans alarm clock and it was sunny outside. I finally feel like I am getting enough sleep, and I just LOVE waking up to the sun shining in my bedroom.
2. I skyped with most of the family. I had some face time with Mom, Dad, Savannah, Chris, Laurie, Patrick, April, Kelan and Aidan. I saw a lot of Kelan, including his smile, and a moment of Aidan.
3. Had a venti Starbucks latte. Yum.
4. Went shopping with some of the girls. We went to Insadong and Namdemun. I purchased some Christmas gifts (Mom, Mary, and Chris), a wedding gift (JP and Nora), and some things for me. For myself I purchased some hanji coasters, gloves, ear muffs, and a table top Christmas tree.
5. I had leftover Thanksgiving food for lunch. Yum (again).
6. I went to Itaewon where I had a massage and an adjustment by my chiropractor.
7. I had an early dinner at Quiznos (you guessed it, yum)
8. I explored part of the city via subway system.
Here is where the actual story begins. Upon returning to my subway stop I got turned around and ended up taking a different exit than I had planned. I knew where I was, I just wasn't where I wanted to be. Well, on my way up to the street level to catch a cab home I spotted several folks with Auntie Anne bags. I had seen them before but hadn't really given them any thought. Tonight it was different. I decided to find the Auntie Anne's and purchase a soft pretzel. Well, I went up and down 10 stories in two buildings before i came to the food court I had been in yesterday. I had looked around yesterday briefly so I knew that Auntie Annes' wasn't there but I figured another look around wouldn't hurt. I noted the Japanese place, the Kraze burger, the Mister Donut, and then with nothing but a line of people in front and two vats of lemonade I found the Auntie Anne's. I ordered an original pretzel, cheese, and lemonade. Good thing they understood my pointing and that I learned the word for cheese in Korean last week (~chees-a). I had my pretzel then found a taxi and came home. Bonus finds during my wandering include a Smoothie King, a Friday's and a Bennigan's.
I hope that tomorrow is just as good as today and that I get some homework done.
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