Beijing!

Oh, vacating, its beautiful. I started my vacation at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 29th, as my Dad took over the last 30 minutes of my English Camp. 8 Sixth graders were hounded by this MEAN Doctorate of Education. He, literally, almost hit a kid.

Haha, poor kid. It was good times though, he was on skype and I had my students ask the computer "can you visit" and he said "no, I'm in Texas." He was right down the hall, and just walked in, munchkins went CRAZY!!!

Then, it was to Seoul, to fly out here:

We left Mokpo the night before to catch our 11 AM flight to Beijing, in the communist China. It was $170 visa for Americans, $40 for everyone else.

You can see how communist they really are with the way they live - lined apartments after apartments.

At 'half-past noon' (as tim the brit would say it, dont forget the air quote)...we got into China and met out tour guide Brian. It was brilliant, I had spent about $1300 bucks on this tour, and as Jon said last night at moes. "There is and a place time to do it on your own, and there's the time to put down the dough, to take the stress out."

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/package/beijing.htm (in case anyone wants to go to China without stress)

Brian was amazing, he picked us up right outside baggage claim, dropped us off at the hotel and made sure the tour was about us. It seriously took everything that is annoying about traveling out of it, we didn't have to find a cab, or a train, or a horse carriage - we had a personal driver. It was SO worth it.

Tiananmen square:

That is the gate into the Forbidden City, where the
commoners were not allowed - hence Forbidden ;)
...it was a bit later that night obviously

Its also where that happened...

...and China's 'compensation' - wait I mean their show of Military force...

This was inside the forbidden city, obviously, gorgeous in there!!!

So, this was the Temple of Heaven at the end of the Forbidden City. There's this street that goes from this Temple through the Forbidden City all the way to the Bird's Nest. Which is where the 2008 Olympics were. China was very hardcore about making this one street, it kind of signifies their existence. According to our tour guide - I think he means, it means we build really long roads through really cool stuff. Below is the birds nest...again, only called the birds nest cause it looks. like. a birds nest.

....anyway

this was on the way to the T square to our restaurant, cool building eh?

...damn, good, food.

...but i had to pee...in this. EWWW




Then, we did the Zoo o' Beijing. Twas amazing, be sure to see the Panda video at the bottom...




This dude cracked me up!!






After the Zoo we did the AMAZING Summer Palace for one of the Kings way back when. (this was before I got my coffee.

It was so cool there, literally, these crazy kids were on the freaking lake. There was about a foot of ice beneath them, so its not like they could have died - but seriously, who does that. Crazy northerners.

This palace was built as a get away from all the stress that was the forbidden city. Basically where the Kings did their King...thing. Ya know, KINGED around. Haha, it was damn cool though.

Haha, pandas...haha, the opera. Hm. just...hm

Jen: "Asia 10, mikey 0" hahah

Gotta admit, Muju was awesome. That is almost everyone, right to left we've got....Jo, Marie, Steve (superman, or clark kent) alex, roger, liam, shelly (bending down), emily, sarah, amy, me, jon and jen.

There was a sign that said: "Muju Ski Resort, Its a happy time!"

It was an amazing trip, its about 3 hrs away
from Mokpo and freaking cold! I had to do my winter camps with the 6th graders so we left the 2nd to last weekend of January before the padre came to Korea. It was pretty freaking amazing, though I did get stuck on a black diamond on accident.

Stevo and I were riding the lift to the other side of the mountain, as we thought...ended up going to the top....

...whoops.

We asked these Koreans if this is advanced or beginner...it was 'advanceeed.'

Whoops, tis a bit steep...

Haha, I went anyway, this poor kid thought I was taking a pic of him...

Nope, just the black diamond I went down!!!!

Seriously about a 10000 mphs, I said "just don't knock out your teeth"

There were a LOT of people, and we got lift passes from 10:00 PM to midnight, around 70 bucks. it was a bit scary for the rookies of skiing...

Let me paint you a word picture...

Liam was on the bunny hill (right there) and I was way far away and I heard in his Georgia accent..."there are too many damn koreans!!"

...we're in Korea buddy (jen, hahaha)

Seriously can't believe I'm alive after skiing this...

So when I was flying down, I missed the exit for the hill Steve was on, and I just fell to the ground in awe that I was alive and this dude goes....

Korean Guy: Have a happy time??

Me: ahhh, bahhh, ahhhhh, ohhhh, AMAZING!!!! 2nd time, 2nd time

Korean Guy: bahh, pable...!

‘Pable’ in Korean means stupid…haha, down he went on the green.

Anyway, I've got the week off so I'll throw up a few more blogs about China and Vietnam...

Cheers from Mogggie mokpo!!!

...teacher game

...don't leave a bear costume out at a bar. this will happen!

0 0

Just like the PC room, the Training was a HAPPY TIME!!!

Wednesday Jan. 20^th

9:12 AM

Woah, its been a while but this month and a half has been NUTS. I went literally, from having 2 months off to…one week, to one month…back to two months off. Now it looks like I’m done next Friday until March. Giving me all of February off. Which is good…

Again, its hard to complain when ya got a month off…

Anyway, we’ll start in Seoul for this ‘orientation’ that would have been BRILLIANT 3 and a half months ago – but after doing this, I knew a lot of what they were lecturing us on.

For instance, we were told how to co-teach for 3 hrs. Cool pics outside the dorm though.

Basically, be professional. I met some good people up there, the most interesting a guy named Jim.

Living the American dream – 9 to 5, nice car and house, 33 years old working in Insurance. Making damn good money…but he ended up bailing for Korea about a month ago. Gotta love that.

I met a bunch of South Africans too, mistaked them all for Australians…which is kinda near it eh? (eh: gotta stop haing out with canadians). It was rough, 8 in the morning til 8:30 at night. We had a midnight curfew too. Like, they would lock the doors with a chain…seemed like a fire hazard if ya ask me. All I'm saying, make sure not to leave a bear costume out a bar, someone WILL put it on...

Then got back to Moggie, and started my English camp. Last week was all 3^rd graders which were ADORABLE. God they make me laugh. Taught them 4 non-blondes, “what’s going on”

Ahaha, hahaha….HAHAH.

First we went to the National Museum of Korea:

Haha, a friend of our's Brian got talked into talking to students. He was hysterical!

The frozen "swimming" area...

The old school coffins. They were never Jewish...right?

I like to think, that if I lived in that time, and there was a statue made after me...I'd be this guy.

We went to the Korean War Museum:

Quick pic of the DMZ...not the real one ;)

(A mash unit)

I think that's hawkeye above!

...woah

It says: fight or die. there was a huge battle a middle school in Busan before the UN got involved. this helmet was recovered off a middle school girl who was fighting. once the north took over busan, the UN and everyone got involved. I do mean everyone. Its crazy how far this country has come.

A lot of countries were involved...

The total casualty report. Including the UN and Korea

Just the people killed from Texas....

This was a tear drop of dog tags of the soldiers killed - if you can see it, the sand makes a ripple.

Friday Jan. 22^nd

1: 54 p.m

Week went well, lessons kicked some buuuut! Kids had fun. Vice Principal had fun watching me, bit intimidating. I think he’s trying to learn too…I don’t know.

...never give a camera to the kid in the first row. this will happen, i was in the middle of saying: "exactly"

We were playing this game called 'directions' (be sure to air quote on that). Kid puts on a blindfold, and the students YELL "left, right, strait, backwards." Then, it was Mike teacher's turn to go. So, I look at the clock, its noon.

I get taken outside by a 3rd grader, says: "mike teacher, goodbye, i come back..."

Then, they created a maze for Mike teacher to go through. Requiring, kneeling (not crawling, just knelling). Then, crawling...then I had to pass the 'gate keeper': rock paper sissors. Had to win first. All whilst blindfolded. Kids are loving it and SCREAMING english, it was pretty amazing. They knew every word for every action Mike teacher was doing.

The vice principal was watching the whole time, laughing his little korean booty off.

Have my back man, help me out, the maze was tricky.

Anyway, this is my: "what are you trying to say little one" face.

Well, anyway, that's mike teacher...

목포에서 환호!!!!!!!

Dad I hope you read this from Korea!

Predictibility is Boring

Opie (a korean guy) also said my head is like texas - no plants (no hair) and no animals...and VERY BIG

Monday Dec. 21^st

8:33 A.M

According to Friday, the 18^th….I’ll know nothing what kind of teaching I’m looking at during the ‘vacation.’ (don’t forget the air quoting)…

8:43 A.M

Oh how I hate it when my co-teacher’s on the phone – looking at me, saying my name…

에 따르면 어떤 가르침을 바라보고 금요일, 알고 있는 어떤 가르침을 바라보고 있어를 방학 동안겠습니다."(을 잊지 말Mike을 인용해 공기 오는 걸 보면 직장 동료와 교사 전화를 - 내 얼굴을 보면서 얼 어떤 가(miker teacher)르침을 바라보고 굴을 보면서

8:58 A.M

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, nothing yet…gotta teach!

12:44 P.M

Good lunch, still no word! No worries, just a bit nervous. Here, look at pics between Mokpo and Seoul, good train trip!

Still no idea about January…

3:44 P.M

Hahhaha, ohhh poor homegirl. So she comes over to me with a piece of paper, written WORD for WORD about what she wants to get across to me. The exact transcript of our conversation I feel so bad, so, so bad.

Poor, poor girl.

Anyway, I’ve commendered the piece of paper that she wrote down what to say to me. She just left to go give my new schedule to the Principal.

Mike,

Are you busy now? I am sorry to say, but our principal has decided on a different plan that you and I have chosen to take. I feel very bad to say this on you but its time to deliver the news. Please don’t hate him or me, but you must have a mandatory teaching time in January. The Vice Principal said you must teach 2 and a half weeks, he said like that. I’m sorry, but I hope we can work an out.

…sigh.

Oh well, what are ya gonna do? Now, for the days that I'm not teaching. Do i have those days off? Am I staying from 9-5 but only teaching from 10 to 12:30....?

(its hard not to love it here)

Tuesday Dec. 22^nd

12:22 P.M

Poor kid, he’s been ‘chosen’ to compete in the district wide English Speaking Test. Homegirl didn’t know about it til 3:30 yesterday and she asked me to write out a dialog for him. I made it as simple as I could and everything would be perfect.

Well homegirl wanted something harder.

And he had to memorize it…

And I have to come up with 26 to 32 lesson plans in a week and a half.

And go to a conference…

Sigh, now they want me to teach 3^rd graders…

Make that 40 lesson plans in a week and a half.

Or lots, and LOTS of hangman.

3:13 P.M

Woah, so after an interesting day to say the least. Looks like I have to teach from Jan 14^th til Jan 29^th. Still no idea yet, I could end up teaching the 3^rd graders from Jan 3 til the 6^th. Still no idea, but I’ve been lesson planning for 3 hours.

Trying to get ready, for something…not that I know what it is?

3:58: P.M

Apparently there’s a new and old contract now. Hopefully my school doesn’t expect me to sign into a new contract, but they (national offices) are trying to make all the proviences do the same thing. So I may have a new contract….hmmmm.

Honestly I can’t say I’m that worried about it. I just expect 26 days off in February, my pay – my rent paid, and a bonus at the end of the year. And the 22 hours of teaching a week, as I signed into.

In America, lots to expect, Korea…could be the same pretty soon…:-\

Here's my take on it all:

At the end of the day though, I’m having a hard time bitching about not having January off. I came over here to teach, and figured I’d be doing it. Besides, predictability is boring…I wanna see how far I can be pushed in a Korean classroom. Teaching alone is one thing, but for 2.5 weeks, could be another. Plus, no co-teacher...or CD to go off of. All me...There is only one way to find out if I can handle it/do it…

I’m ok with teaching, just don’t take away my ‘mandatory vacationing time.’ This is crazy, but fun. I feel weird complaining about what I do here.

I see the private teacher’s who’ve got 10 days off the ENTIRE year. They also don’t have a co-teacher, or a curriculum to work with. They’ve gotta do what I just did all day – for a year. Its hard to bitch when ya hear some of their stories. Friend of mine just got fired from her job because no one liked her, and she’s the sweetest person in the world. We’ll just see what happens over the next few days – it’ll be fun!

Sunday Dec. 27^th

Ok so I’ve got the next week and a half off, not as I assumed…I’d be teaching. I thought.

Right before I left Friday, I was told I AM teaching 3rd graders, but for the week I was going to teach 6th graders. So now I must re-lesson plan...I like to push these kids, but thats a bit much.

I’m stuck with the old contract, which is a good thing.

Apparently there will be no more suprises.

We’ll see…

Strait answers are overrated!

oh how I love KOREA!!!

Tuesday Dec. 8th

8:43 a.m.
The vacation goes like this. Dec. 24th til March 2nd….buuuuuuuuut.

So I may have just lost all of January, I may have to teach when my school is closed. I'm not sure (of course) yet. And neither co-teacher knows whats up. I got an email from the director over here saying something about teaching while I'm on 'vacation' - that most every school will do the same thing. So I may have to do an english camp….

4:23 p.m.
After Kor-english with homegirl, I've understood that I'm obliged to do a camp for parents and teachers of the school. It could be in January, maybe Feb. maybe even every Friday in March. No. Idea. Yet.

it is snowing though...

Haha, sooo, there's no point in planing….EVER. Either way, I will have off for 26 days in february, maybe all of it depending on what happens with January.

The school doesn't know about the 'mandate' to make us English teacher's come in when the school is closed - if I MUST teach, I'd rather do it when the school is 'open.' Maybe teach every Friday in March for an hour or two. Open to who ever wants to come. Now its up to tomorrow to decide if that is 'ok.'

4:51 p.m.

I've been trying to kill a fly for 10 minutes…

it snowed ALOT

Friday Dec. 11th

Still no idea what I'm doing in January...but I'm off to Seoul tomorrow!

Sunday Dec. 13th

Woah, good times in Seoul...

So here's the deal, it was amazing. We didn't get in til about 7 PM in Seoul so we didn't have anytime to go see stuff...but I'll be up there again in January so we'll do much sight seeing then...







I'll be honest though, I got some GREAT pictures on the way back...