Entries in October 2009
Halloween Fantastic-ness
Written by Bessie on Saturday, October 31, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' excited
(We've been keeping busy on a big project, so photos are a bit late, but they're too fun not to share!)Feelin' excited
We spent more time this year making Halloween costumes than I think I ever have in my life. They weren't just any costumes, we were robots. Kyle, me, and two of our co-workers, Jesi & Brian, spent an entire day hacking apart, piecing together, spray-painting & decorating amazing robot costumes.
A Failure in Pet Store Marketing
Written by Kyle on Monday, October 26, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' scared
It seems as if the pet store is a little desperate to sell thier cats.Feelin' scared
A Korean Home Cooking Lesson
Written by Bessie on Saturday, October 24, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' excited
My favorite thing about being in Korea is the food. It's healthy, chock full of flavors, and spicy - something I've finally learned to appreciate since travelling.Feelin' excited
I was pretty pumped when a Korean mother and friend of ours, Helen, invited Kyle and I over for lunch & a little cooking lesson. She of course prefaced it all with a humble, something along the lines of "I can't cook everything", but man, she can cook. And it was super adorable, she had it all set up like a cooking show with all the glass bowls with the foods already prepped: the onions finely chopped, garlic minced, and eggs already cracked.
How to get a job teaching English in South Korea
Written by Bessie on Monday, October 12, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' normal
I've answered the question a few times of "hey, my friend/ sister/ cousin wants to get a job teaching in South Korea, any advice?" Here's my response:Feelin' normal
A Primer
Teaching in Korea can be a fun, fairly easy way to spend a year, if you can handle the culture shock & living in another country - one teacher worked at our school 1 day, and then flew back home. Be sure you're ready for the every day routine of being in a classroom, although once you're in the routine of it, it's not too bad to manage. I know teachers that take the teaching part seriously & really care about their students, and then there are others that show up to work hung over and don't put forth much effort. You need to be a native Engiish speaker & have a university degree, outside of that, it's pretty easy for anyone to get a job.
DMZ Tour: Part 1
Written by Kyle on Sunday, October 11, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' excited
It's hard to understand much about the DMZ unless there is some history behind it, so let's start there.Feelin' excited
History
This whole mess started after WWII. During and before WWII, Japan had occupied Korea and effectively ruled it as part of Japan. After Japan lost the war, the US and USSR argued over the land, eventually splitting it in half at the 38th parallel. That was all good and well, until North Korea, aided by the USSR tried to unify the country by force and basically had control of most of the country, except for the most southeastern tip. At that point, the US got heavily involved and pushed North Korea back to nearly the Chinese border. The Chinese then threw their weight behind North Korea and pushed back to the current border, which roughly follows a river through a valley. The border is called the MDL (Military Demarcation Line) and on each side of the MDL there are 2km that is "demilitarized". In reality, there are guns in the DMZ but the types of weapons are restricted according to guidelines set on both sides.
On to the DMZ!
