Surprise!

Okay, okay!!  Resurrected due to constant needling and nagging popular demand!  This blog ain’t dead yet!  Going by the date of the last posting….it’s been a while (to put it simply).  Let’s try and get up to date smoothly, efficiently, and thoroughly.

During my stay in Korea, I enjoyed teaching my students.  Some were awesome and made me really enjoy coming to work to see them, and some ended up on that list that all teachers have but never talk about with other people (except fellow teacher confidants).  Regardless of my opinions of some of my students, when it came time to say goodbye, I was given some of the sweetest goodbye notes from the students.  Even those I thought for sure reviled my existence, gave me some of the most heartwarming messages.  It made it really hard to leave, in the end. 

Apart from my work, I also came to appreciate and embrace the Korean pop music and entertainment industry.  I gotta admit, Korea knows how to churn out the pop idols.  Being able to talk to my students about something they knew and liked definitely fueled my interest.  Well, that and it’s just really really catchy music that comes complete with slick dance moves, attractive performers, and flashy concerts.  I learned the popular groups, the member names, fan club names, current idol scandals, the major entertainment production companies, and so much more.  I also attend several concerts, much the envy of many of my middle school female students.  Here’s a list of the performers I've seen in Korea:

Incheon Korean Wave Festival-this was a concert I attended very soon after I arrived.  It was in the city I lived in and it had about 15 of the top pop groups performing.

Rain- we caught his farewell concert before he went to the army for mandatory service

2pm- this video is from the Incheon Wave Festival I was at

YG Family- this was a concert for the members of the YG production company, including

Big Bang, 2NE1, and PSY (pre-Gangnam Style fame)

FTIsland- best concert I went to HANDS DOWN

BEAST- this group is probably known as the group of throwaways that made it big.  Several of the members tried out for other groups and were rejected, then picked up by their production company and are now a hit group.

Besides pop music, I also ate a lot of new foods.  Korean food is AWESOME!  Go eat some Korean bbq and try and tell me differently.  I dare you.  I learned to cook some of my favorite Korean meals and also continue to make them outside of Korea.  I also got to travel.  I went to Tokyo for a quick weekend trip, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.  I rode elephants, ate spicy curry, enjoyed fresh sushi, watched Chinese acrobats, saw Muslim women sporting Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana head coverings (they may be devout, but cheap they are not!), and rode in special train cars reserved for women only (they were monitored by train staff on occasion and they would forcibly remove any males that happened to be in the car).

I was very happy in Korea.  I am glad that I got to live there for a year.  All I will say is that if the school management happened to get a new director in my time, I would have considered extending my contract.  If I ever get the opportunity to return in the future I will most certainly consider it. 

Now, moving quickly up to the present time….I was excited to find an opportunity to teach in Taiwan and was able to line up a new contract upon completion of my Korean employment.  I also returned home to the U.S. for about 1 month and then left for Taiwan, the next chapter in this adventure……..(to be continued)