Friday is the Lunar New Year and a huge holiday in Korea. Similar to Chuseok, this holiday is a family holiday, with many going to their hometowns to celebrate the three day holiday. Tomorrow starts the festivities, and the beginning of the ancestral rituals (Charye) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charye). Koreans honor their ancestors by performing formal bows and preparing and presenting food to their ancestors. The children also perform formal bows to all of the adults and they receive money for their bows. I hear it can be quite expensive for the adults, especially if they have a lot of kids in their family.
Another big practice during the New Year is to eat Tteokguk on the first day of the new calendar year. Tteokguk is a soup that is supposed to grant luck for the forthcoming year and give the one eating it an additional year of life. Additionally, after eating the soup you are one year older. Koreans have birthdays (the day they were born) and the New Year birthday, which is where everyone ages an extra year. So, in Korea many people say they are 2 years older than they actually are. (For instance, I am 26 but in Korean age I am 28). This is because of the extra birthday Koreans have on the Lunar New Year. And Tteokguk is an important part of the birthday.
I might be going to my boyfriends house for the Lunar New Year and observing a formal celebration. However, it is still up in the air (things are always last minute here, which is something I had to get used to). His parents are okay with it but his family is huge and he has to double check some things. If I go, I will post about my experiences and what it was like.
Cheers!
and
Happy New Year!!!!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Huge Personal Data Leak by Korean Banks
Many of the top banks in Korea had their customer information stolen, and sold. Which is a scary thought when in ones home country but much worse when you are in a foreign country. Apparently, when the major banks were redoing their security systems, a guy kept a copy of all of the data and proceeded to sell it. It blew up over the weekend and shut down the main bank sites on Monday, with all the people checking to see if their information was leaked. Here is a link about what happened (http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140119000340&mod=skb).
The big problem wasn't the leak itself but the lack of support or help the foreign community got. There are about 1.5 million foreigners in Korea (factory workers, teachers, etc.) and the only thing they had available to check to see if your information was leaked was a Korean link, which you couldn't even access without knowing how to find it on the Korean site. I have been in Korea for a little over 4 months and only know a little Korean, so trying to find the site was a hassle. It was a hot mess. And there is backlash over the lack of support for foreigners, whose info was stolen right along with the Korean info. (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2014/01/488_150133.html)
The only real option foreigners had (at least the teachers that I talked to), was having their co-teacher or a Korean friend help them. I luckily found the site and went through the steps myself but actually finding the site was a hassle and pain. The other option (which I was told by my co-teacher who didn't want to help me with the Korean site) would be to go to the bank and talk to them. You are lucky if you have a bank teller who can speak English, let alone help you with what you are doing. To make matters worse, the banks have been so packed for the last two days. You would be stuck at the bank for at least an hour because of all of the people. It is crazy.
Like I said, I found the site and put all of my information in. I was one of the lucky ones, my information was not leaked! But the process and lack of foreign help made it horrible. This was the biggest leak of personal information in Korea and they know they have foreign customers, they didn't even try and help them or apologize to them for the leak. It is pathetic and really disheartening.
The big problem wasn't the leak itself but the lack of support or help the foreign community got. There are about 1.5 million foreigners in Korea (factory workers, teachers, etc.) and the only thing they had available to check to see if your information was leaked was a Korean link, which you couldn't even access without knowing how to find it on the Korean site. I have been in Korea for a little over 4 months and only know a little Korean, so trying to find the site was a hassle. It was a hot mess. And there is backlash over the lack of support for foreigners, whose info was stolen right along with the Korean info. (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2014/01/488_150133.html)
The only real option foreigners had (at least the teachers that I talked to), was having their co-teacher or a Korean friend help them. I luckily found the site and went through the steps myself but actually finding the site was a hassle and pain. The other option (which I was told by my co-teacher who didn't want to help me with the Korean site) would be to go to the bank and talk to them. You are lucky if you have a bank teller who can speak English, let alone help you with what you are doing. To make matters worse, the banks have been so packed for the last two days. You would be stuck at the bank for at least an hour because of all of the people. It is crazy.
Like I said, I found the site and put all of my information in. I was one of the lucky ones, my information was not leaked! But the process and lack of foreign help made it horrible. This was the biggest leak of personal information in Korea and they know they have foreign customers, they didn't even try and help them or apologize to them for the leak. It is pathetic and really disheartening.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Housewarming Party
Last night my friend Sophie and her fiance had a housewarming party for their new home. They are getting married in February, so right now only her fiance is staying at their home. Nonetheless, Sophie wanted a bunch of us to get together and celebrate her new home. Housewarming parties are pretty much the same in Korea as they are in the States, with one exception: the gifts. Traditionally you give wine, or something house related to the new homeowners in the States. Well in Korea, you give toilet paper. It has something to do with fortune or something like that. Sophie did get some toilet paper but not from me. I gave her some Chinese beer that she likes but cannot find in Korea (or at least she has a hard time finding it in Yeoju). The perks of dating a bar owner I guess.
All in all it was a wonderful night, with wonderful people. And I am looking forward to Sophie's wedding in February (and the girls night that is going to happen before that).
All in all it was a wonderful night, with wonderful people. And I am looking forward to Sophie's wedding in February (and the girls night that is going to happen before that).
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Off Season Fruit
I am in love with the strawberries here. Back home you can only get good delicious strawberries during the summer time and the ones you get after that are gross/not ripe. Korea has it figured out. The winter strawberries are some of the best I have ever had. Every time we have them at lunch I ask for more. They are just like the ones you get when the season is at its peak in the US, and it is the middle of winter here.
I commented on it today to the VP and a horticulture teacher and found out why. Apparently, they grow the strawberries differently during the wintertime. First, they are grown in a green house, which helps with the growing. The second change comes with what they are grown in. According to the horticulture teacher, winter strawberries are grown in a water based device thing (this part was in Korean so I am a bit confused but I got the main point), while summer strawberries are raised in the soil. It makes the strawberries sweeter and able to grow during the winter. You learn something new everyday.
I commented on it today to the VP and a horticulture teacher and found out why. Apparently, they grow the strawberries differently during the wintertime. First, they are grown in a green house, which helps with the growing. The second change comes with what they are grown in. According to the horticulture teacher, winter strawberries are grown in a water based device thing (this part was in Korean so I am a bit confused but I got the main point), while summer strawberries are raised in the soil. It makes the strawberries sweeter and able to grow during the winter. You learn something new everyday.
I love my students!
I love teaching, which is partially why I came to Korea. Those who know me know that I did not want to teach high school kids, and that I was trying to get a job teaching elementary age students. I had a really good feeling about the co-teacher I was going to work with at this school though, and decided to take the position because of her. I was apprehensive of teaching high school because I had heard horror stories of Korean high schools and I knew things about American high schools. Teens will be teens, no matter their location in this world.
Anyways. I tried to come with an open mind about the teenagers that I would be teaching. Give them the benefit of an open mind. To tell the truth, I never expected them to be as awesome and amazing as they are. They make Korea that much better and teaching all the more fun. They are nothing like the horror stories I have read and heard about. They treat me with respect, just like they do with the Korean teachers. They also joke around with me, just like they do with the Korean teachers. Really they treat me no differently than they do the Korean teachers at my school and I love them for that. They are spunky little smart-asses and it is wonderful. I really could not ask for a better group of students or a better school for that matter.
I am quite lucky that my school got funding for the next year, since GEPIK cut half of the Native English Teacher's budget for 2014. They are serious cuts, with over half of the NETs losing their jobs. Prior to me moving to Korea, almost all GEPIK middle and high school positions had been cut and now the elementary schools are being cut. However, I am lucky because they made the cuts only to big cities, and places that are rich. The poorer areas (ending in -eup) got to keep their funding because these areas have children who may not be able to go to Hagwons and the only place they can meet/talk to a NET is in their school. Got to hand it to Korea, they are trying to be fair to the underprivileged students. It is not a perfect system but for now it is what it is. And I am lucky to be employed and at this wonderful school with these wonderful kids!
Anyways. I tried to come with an open mind about the teenagers that I would be teaching. Give them the benefit of an open mind. To tell the truth, I never expected them to be as awesome and amazing as they are. They make Korea that much better and teaching all the more fun. They are nothing like the horror stories I have read and heard about. They treat me with respect, just like they do with the Korean teachers. They also joke around with me, just like they do with the Korean teachers. Really they treat me no differently than they do the Korean teachers at my school and I love them for that. They are spunky little smart-asses and it is wonderful. I really could not ask for a better group of students or a better school for that matter.
I am quite lucky that my school got funding for the next year, since GEPIK cut half of the Native English Teacher's budget for 2014. They are serious cuts, with over half of the NETs losing their jobs. Prior to me moving to Korea, almost all GEPIK middle and high school positions had been cut and now the elementary schools are being cut. However, I am lucky because they made the cuts only to big cities, and places that are rich. The poorer areas (ending in -eup) got to keep their funding because these areas have children who may not be able to go to Hagwons and the only place they can meet/talk to a NET is in their school. Got to hand it to Korea, they are trying to be fair to the underprivileged students. It is not a perfect system but for now it is what it is. And I am lucky to be employed and at this wonderful school with these wonderful kids!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Winter Camp Day 2
Today did not go as planned but that is okay. I think the kids had fun. One can hope. Although they thought some of the music videos were too sexual. I guess for Korean standards they might be. Heck one of them was for American standards as well. Oh well. We will see if they like the scavenger hunt I have set up for them tomorrow.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Winter Camp
Even though it is winter vacation (it started on January 1st), I am still teaching classes. This is because Korea has a thing called camp. Essentially the students come to school during vacation (all vacations: summer, and winter) to take extra classes. Usually these are the classes they are having trouble with but sometimes it is the classes that they like. For instance, the students in my winter camp are in my class because they enjoy English.
The length of the winter camp varies by school as well. My school has a 3 week long winter camp, with 2 hours per subject. Some schools go for a week with 8 hour long days. It is crazy and varied.
Sometimes these camps have a set schedule that the NET (Native English Teacher) must teach. However, I am not one of those types of camps. I got to pick what I would cover and how I would divide the class. I wanted it to be a fun class, with the students learning but doing fun things at the same time. So I decided to do a Music themed camp. We are going to make music videos and do a lot of other stuff related to music. I am looking forward to these videos and to the rest of camp.
Today was the first day of Winter Camp and it seemed to go over well. We formed our "bands" today and did some basic introductions, since I have both first and second years in my class (not everyone knew each other). Hopefully it continues to go well and the music videos come out awesome.
The length of the winter camp varies by school as well. My school has a 3 week long winter camp, with 2 hours per subject. Some schools go for a week with 8 hour long days. It is crazy and varied.
Sometimes these camps have a set schedule that the NET (Native English Teacher) must teach. However, I am not one of those types of camps. I got to pick what I would cover and how I would divide the class. I wanted it to be a fun class, with the students learning but doing fun things at the same time. So I decided to do a Music themed camp. We are going to make music videos and do a lot of other stuff related to music. I am looking forward to these videos and to the rest of camp.
Today was the first day of Winter Camp and it seemed to go over well. We formed our "bands" today and did some basic introductions, since I have both first and second years in my class (not everyone knew each other). Hopefully it continues to go well and the music videos come out awesome.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year from South Korea
Just wanted to say Happy New Year to my family and friends back in the States. Hope this year is wonderful for everyone!!!
<3
<3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)