#fulbright korea eta

[pasteltofus]

Finally went to Busan last weekend! We visited the Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Fish Market, Bosudong Book Street, and watched a Lotte Giants baseball game. I really dig all the fan chants and dance moves the fans have for each player. Towards the end of the game, we all tied up pink trash bags and wore them on our heads. 

Thank you Jeff for showing us around! 

[hellohaleyteacher]

Found these sweet notes on the board in my classroom! Lucky to have so many great students <3

[elleiam]

Fulbright Korea ETA: Fall Daily Schedule

I’ve been wanting to type this up for a while now, as I saw one on another Gakri blog from way back when that calmed a lot of nerves when I was looking forward to what life might be like past the bubble of Orientation. 

But, of course, if you are reading this right now either as a prospective applicant or someone who just found out you’ll be at Gakri (welcome to the chaos), keep in mind the mantra of Fulbright: it depends. My schedule is just one of 115 for this current year, and what my life is like at my placement has differences from everyone else’s, as theirs is different from mine. Regardless, this is what a weekday generally looks like for me!

7:40: Eyes open - it used to be 6:50 in September, 7:20 in October, 7:30 in November, and here we are in December. I still leave the house at the same time though. I no longer wake up to an alarm, just my host mom saying “지후! 일어나 일어나!” (Jihoo! Wake up! Wake up!) followed a minute later by a louder “지후!!!! 일어났어?? 일어나!!” (Jihoo! Did you wake up? Wake up!) She then blasts the news from the kitchen, which thank goodness for because that’s usually what’ll finally convince my brain that it’s time to start the day.

7:50: Eat breakfast - my host mom comes up with different menus every day. It ranges from manduguk (dumpling soup), to egg and spam sandwiches, to udon, to kimchi fried rice. 

8:00 or 8:15: Leave for school - I try to leave at 8 when it’s the start of a new lesson and I have to set up the computer for my first period class. The computer in my classroom is ancient and runs so slowly that it generally takes me 20 to 25 minutes to do the following four actions: 1) turn on the computer 2) open chrome 3) get to google drive 4) open my ppt. That’s crazy, right? My co-teacher and I both mourned together when her application to get a new computer was rejected. If I don’t have a first period, I’ll leave at 8:15.

8:15-8:29: Get to school - I’m supposed to be at school before 8:30 and I’ve yet to get to my office after the bell rang (go me!). Since I don’t have homeroom, which is from 8:30-8:40, it really doesn’t matter if I’m late, but it’s the principle of it! If it’s a set-up-a-new-lesson day, I dash to my classroom as soon as I drop my stuff off in the office praying the computer will cooperate.

8:50-12:20: The first four classes of the day. Each class is 45 minutes with a 10 minute passing period. Sometimes 45 minute goes on forever, and sometimes it’s like where did the time go?? I always have a co-teacher with me in the classroom but usually they just glare at loud students and help translate when I look at them pleadingly. They let me have full control of the classroom, which I really appreciate! I always feel like they’ve got my back but never feel like they’re crowding. #dreamteam

I generally teach 3-4 classes a day of 30-33 students each (that’s 500+ students total and no I haven’t memorized names), which means I have a lot of time at my desk. Up until November, I pretty much spent all my time lesson planning. I didn’t understand the concept of desk warming because I was always busy. As the semester comes to a close though, I definitely have a lot less stress and therefore a lot more free time at my desk. Usually I’ll do Infusion stuff (now that gmail consistently works woot woot) or read ~

12:00-1:35: Lunch officially starts at 12:20, but if I don’t have a 4th period, we get to go grab lunch 20 minutes earlier. It’s nice because then you can eat and hear your thoughts at the same time. Gakri is giant with over 1,000 students, so they have to make lunch 75 minutes in order to make sure every student eats. It’s such a long time, but so nice when you just ain’t ready to teach those afternoon classes just yet.

1:35-3:15: The next two classes of the day

3:15-3:35: Cleaning time! Gakri is a really dirty school. There’s just too many kids and they’re at that age where dirt just doesn’t bother them. They drag their shoes along the walls and roll around in the hallways even though it’s covered in dust and hair. shivers. Some lovely girls from class 9 are in charge of cleaning my classroom, and we usually have a good time. I’ll sneak them some candy, play music from the speakers, and complain about how gross the boys are... I love when one of them comes in and just goes “Uh, Lauren. What happened today? The classroom is so.... messy...”

3:35-4:20: The final class of the day. Thank goodness I only teach this period once a week because no student is ever thinking about school during this time.

Here is video evidence of that crazy. (I love this class btw). Things to note: the volume of the students and the fact that these two girls were straight up jumping like frogs back there before I threatened (and then obviously followed through) to film them.

4:30: Time to go home! Sometimes I’ll meet up with Louise, who teaches at a high school nearby, for tea. If not, I go home and just chill out in my bed for an hour... or two ~oops not productive~

Anytime between 5:30 and 8:00: Dinner time - because of hagwons and my mom’s job running her own class, our dinner times vary every day, but I think after four months I’ve finally figured out when we eat each day. Mondays 6:30, Tuesdays 8, Wednesdays 7, Thursdays 5:30/6, Friday 8. Boom. The dad eats at his company and comes home late often, so it’s just the four of us, but it’s nice to get this family time! 

After dinner: I often help with the dishes and then go back to my room to do any of the following: study Korean, watch youtube, do some stuff for Infusion, write a blog post, read. Sometimes you can catch me playing games or just talking with Jaehee, my host sister.

9:00: Four times a week I teach my host siblings English and Chinese, twice each. English is fun because it’s an excuse for me to dig into my host brother’s life and actually get him to tell me things about his life, sneaky huh. Chinese is a little more stressful because they knew nothing before we started, and I’ve never taught fundamental Chinese grammar before, what even is that! I worry that I often make it harder than it needs to be because I’m trying to figure it out myself still... 

11:00: Time for bed - Just kidding! Fooled ya. Actually in September and October I actually slept at this time, but now I’ll just tell my host fam that I’m off to bed and then stay up for another hour or two reading.

And that’s my day! Weekends are a whole different story, but generally from Monday to Friday you can find me following this pretty much to the tee. Gotta love that routine, amiright? And somehow because I’m in a different country not a single day feels quite like the one before.

[suga-kookiemonster]

hi just sending this because i’m tryna tell the whole world: i applied for a fulbright eta position in south korea and i found out today that i got it!! i’ll be working in korea starting january 2023 :’) very excited. it’s been a looooong journey to get here, LOL.

congrats! i hope it's everything you hope it will be and that you have a fabulous time and make lots of memories 💜

[germanfulbrighteta]

Some out-of-the-classroom highlights.

[ggumujigae]

hi friends! i’m trying to get more involved in the langblr community! i’m an aspiring polyglot. i’m fluent in english and at a lower intermediate level in japanese (i studied abroad there in 2018, so i’m a bit rusty now). i’m currently learning korean and studying basic spanish with my preschool students. i’m also applying for a fulbright ETA in south korea! my goal is to be at an upper-intermediate level in korean by december 2021, and brush up on my japanese enough to pass the N4 or N3 test. i also want to begin studying mandarin, vietnamese, ASL, russian, arabic, and polish.  if you post about any of the languages mentioned, please like this so i can follow you! :-) 

[jungjoobunny]

Highlights of 2010s: End of a Turbulent Decade

- Studied in Ecuador, Chile, Korea, Spain, UK. Unforgettable memories

- Graduated university and got my first job that I did not want 

- Years of abusive or manipulative things that I want to blackout; broke my mental capacity, stripped and broke my humanity, broke my heart

- Did a Fulbright ETA Grant in Korea to escape where I spent 2 years in average Cheongju

- Almost died. Caught active & progressed TB in which I was whisked off to the hospital and made national news in Korea and made all 500 student & staff get tested + changed national law in the process lol and quarantined for 2 months in hospital

- Went back to USA though I did not want to. Impossible situation. Cried everyday for 3 months straight. Couldn’t cry again for 2 years after that even though I wanted to.

- Got myself in 55k debt and went to grad school just for my safety. Still not sure if good decision 

- Jobless after grad school and still in debt while back in same unsafe situation... last of my humanity and faith broke

- Finally returned to Korea thanks to Minerva job and still in debt and recovering

- Made friendships, ended friendships 

- Found affordable therapy to invest in myself. Sometimes you need therapy, not just faith/Christianity.

[afropolitan-abroad]

this wrap-up post is several weeks late, but i’m a true believer of the maxim: better late than never!

it’s been almost a month or so since i returned to the u.s. and in that time, i’ve been making some moves. literal moves. i’m moving the last of my things into my studio today and tomorrow. during this brief downtime, i thought i’d share some last thoughts on my 2 years as a Fulbright Korea ETA now that this time has come to its end.

i’ve said it here before: the last 2 years have brought about some of the most transformative and amazing experiences of my life. through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, i never once regretted making the decision to accept the challenge and move across the world, break out of my comfort zone, and try something new. though i often found myself in situations beyond my control, and though i was often at a loss for words, longing for the familiar comforts and support systems i had left behind, i can honestly say that i loved my time in Korea. in fact, i have every intention of returning someday as a better, better-prepared version of myself.

not only did i cross off all the items on the bucket list i wrote so long ago--which can be read under “to-do list” on this blog--but i also added new items to my list of life goals, including becoming a better teacher and a more fluent speaker and translator of Korean. for that reason, i’m excited that a) i’ll be starting a fully-funded MFA program in English/creative writing where i’ll also b) work as an adjunct professor of composition, teaching writing to university students, and c) serving as an editor/pinch-hitter translator for a really cool online journal of contemporary Korean literature. i hope i learn a lot from the next 2 years that i can bring back to Korea with me.

the photos above are only a small fraction of the memories from my last days in Korea, when victor came to visit again! i got to say my goodbyes to Seoul and to Korea overall. those final days were an amazing note to leave off on. victor and i are planning more travels in the future in between struggling to stay alive in our respective grad programs. for more updates on those travels, catch us on our travel Instagram @ pictor_perfect.

for now, i’m saying farewell to this blog. but i know this isn’t the end. it’s just the first of many, many adventures to come. <3

[thoughtsofatck]

Being “White”: SE Asian Colorism and the ‘campur’ status

March 4, 2020

Location: SMK - - , Semanggol

It’s officially March! Two months have come and gone and I’m feeling much more comfortable in my placement and school. The majority of my time in our bilik guru (staff room) is spent listening to Malay and having to speak in Malay with non-English-teaching teachers. In lengthy conversations, some teachers may reference how surprising it is that I understand Malay so fluently if I was not exposed to it IN Malaysia, despite recognizing my ancestry. They often will say it is still weird or that they feel nervous because they still see me as a foreigner - which I am. On regular occasions, (especially by the male teachers), they call me ‘campur’ or mixed - the connotation as positive or negative I’m still deciphering.  I always thought that the nervousness came from the worry of inadequate English proficiency, especially since the past two ETAs at my school knew no Malay. However, it seems that it is the title of ‘American ETA’ and that I present more Caucasian-looking in Asia which ultimately stands at the forefront of my interactions at school. The following piece of writing discussing this comes from a reflection on my first month at school - a monthly requirement by Fulbright. 

February Reflection

As we reach a month in placement, I think about a peculiar (on-going) transformation that I recognized through a road trip conversation with my housemate. Growing up in the United States as Asian-Americans, we quickly became cognizant of the different physical features we had compared to the majority Caucasian peers we were surrounded with in school. In my case, I was very self-conscious of my nose, my eyes, and my height through my adolescence - noticeable differences that made me stand out as one of the few Asian-Americans in school. Globally, many Asians look to the West for the standard of beauty - fair-skin, double eye-lids, “Roman” noses, and height reaching 6 feet. Even within Asia, many Southeast Asians regard the Far East Asians (China, Japan, Korea) as prettier because of their porcelain-like skin and taller stature.  While staying in Kuala Lumpur, I slowly began feeling a sense of unremarkableness. While logically that might sound negative, this feeling of undistinguishable characteristics at a first glance was refreshing. I began to notice that people on the street had the same nose as me, the same eyes. My height in Asia is common, where I actually am taller than some other males. This exposure to a new majority of individuals with similar features not only has made me feel more secure in my appearance but has allowed me to be more comfortable looking in the mirror - a big achievement on my end. A sense of pride in the nose I was passed down from my ancestors has grown in me as I notice facial familiarity in the interactions I have daily.  Settling into Bagan Serai and our schools, my housemate and I quickly noticed how often we were complimented on how “handsome, good-looking, and husband material” we were. Though we quickly dismissed it initially as just kind words to the “foreign American”, I eventually ventured into seeking why. 

In an interaction on Sports Day, I was hanging out with some Form 3 boys. “You’re handsome, sir,” one said. “You think? Then we’re all handsome! I look like you guys,” I replied. “Yes, well uh no. Your skin.” He pointed to his arm to which I slowly nodded with reluctant acceptance and said, “Give me two months,” pointed at the sun and laughed, anxiously trying to bridge the social gap. Though my students find many similarities with me, the lightness of my skin and because of that, the social implications that indicate I’m not orang kampung*, make them look at me the way I did many Caucasians in the United States growing up. Colorism is evident here in a way I haven’t had to think about in the U.S. and yet presents its own dichotomy towards me depending on the individual themself. In my first week, a teacher with a fair complexion remarked, “You must have gotten your face from your father, but your skin color from your mom.” To provide context, I also had spent three days in the sun in Penang right before then. This presumption that I should be more fair-skinned perhaps because I do present more Caucasian features in an Asian majority has made me recognize that we all look for surface level similarities in one another and hold our own values in terms of what is deemed beautiful or attractive. The pieces of my physical appearance that I so desperately sought to feel comfortable in are now automatically validated here and the parts that I had never worried about or really noticed now have become the focus of dissimilarity - namely the (relative) fairness of my skin. During our nightly dinner outing to the hawker stalls near the house, I usually glance over to the TV screen playing a TV3 drama Melayu. Drama Melayu had been one of the ways I grew up listening to Malay and I learned to love the mediocre script writing and over-dramatic acting. In all of those years, I had never truly noticed these actors’ lighter skin tones until I refocused my view to the real life surroundings I was planted in now. As ETAs, we jokingly say that we become instant celebrities in Malaysia because everyone knows who we are and wants a picture with us. At the end of day, we stand under a spotlight that allows us to disrupt the narrative that our physical appearances determine our self-value and outward behavior toward one another. In moving forward, I want to be intentional with how I uplift my students’ self-esteems and while I cannot stop them from comparing themselves to me or that I present desired physical features in this contextual environment, I want them to know that attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder and can also be recognized in the work that we do, the kindness we extend, the effort we show, the passion, determination and motivation that fuels us, and the love that we give. 

*This term has been frequently used by teachers in my school and although I can recognize classism in the phrasing, it is clear that students hold this piece of identity close to them and find pride in the upbringing they come from. 

On advertisements for beauty products, almost all feature skin-whitening as an added effect and show models with fair skin, some ads even blatantly using Caucasian models for traditional Malay wear. When Americans are flocking to tanning salons and planning multiple beach trips in the summer, most SE Asians are worried about being in the sun for more than five minutes at a time.

It had taken me a long time to accept an identity that was my own and not projected on to me by my school forms, my peers, or the country I necessarily grew up in. Though identifying with much of the social issues of Asian-Americans, colorism was a topic I had few words to reflect or speak on - I mean how could I as a biracial individual with fairer skin. Now being presented in this environment, I observe the subtle ways students treat each other because of their skin color and the way I am treated especially with strangers that I see me as local. Hearing ‘campur’ or mixed growing up always made me feel ‘other’ because I wasn’t within a label that other people had. Being called ‘campur’ here hasn’t quite settled within me yet. Some see it as positive, some still view me as different. However, as these differences overall appear more stark in contrast (due to subtle social cues, dialect barriers, background knowledge, body language, mindset...I digress), being mixed HERE has let me access my physical identity to its full potential. I am just enough Malaysian passing on the street for no one to do a double-take, but I also can feel comfortable when some recognize that I am more than just Asian - a validated balance . 

As a side note, I would like to acknowledge that this post may be viewed problematically by some. Yes I believe that we should treat ALL people with respect, that skin color should not matter in the way we interact with one another, but I want to point out that no matter what, our physical appearance (among other things) does have an impact on the opportunities we are given, the way people are treated in my contextual environment, and all humans are conditioned in one way or another to recognize attributes of beauty, universal and nuanced. 

[mileynwen]

I’ve finally landed in Korea and right after a 14 hour flight we started orientation!

(Disclaimer: We were told to say that the writing that follows is completely my own and does not reflect the thoughts and beliefs of the US State Department or Fulbright.)

After my flight to Korea landed, I went through customs in a breeze and I made my way to the arrival gate where we were going to meet our orientation coordinators. I was pretty hungry and tired, so I went to the konbini (not sure what the Korean word for it is?) to get a drink and a snack. I picked up a cute peach drink because I love peach flavored things and the drink was in a cute can. I went over to talk with some of the other just-arrived ETAs, when I noticed my drink tasted kind of funny. I was only a few sips in when I realized that the drink was alcoholic... I was not looking to get lit before meeting the 79 other ETAs, so I had to pour it out. So yes, my first purchase in Korea was alcohol, what a surprising turn of events.

And we hit the ground running. We took our Korean language placement test, which I already knew that I knew nothing, so it was quick. We also had some cultural lessons and did a lot of housekeeping stuff. We were all so tired and ready to take naps... it was all really interesting stuff though.

We also get our meals provided for us, however, the cafeteria cannot accommodate vegetarians. I was told by a coordinator that I was being given a couple extra dollars to pay for food. Basically I have to fend for myself, so we’ll see how that gets on.

All in all, orientation has been a whirl wind of exhaustion, trying to remember names, trying to remember Korean, etc. I’m still super jet lagged and we have class tomorrow at 8am... yup. Korean language classes five hours a day, 4 days a week. My room mate is really chill and nice, and I think we’re going to get along well. I’m falling asleep as I write this, so I should probably end this. I’ll try to blog more in the future because I have lots of thoughts, but I’m just sooooo tired.....

[pasteltofus]

We are Back in Business Baby

Spring—The start of the new school year!

This year I’m teaching the new first-years. My first-years from last year have all gone on to become second-years… how time flies. I see them around the halls now and it’s so nice recognizing faces.

New 교무실

I’ve also moved gyomushils! I like my new office and desk a lot better. It’s more lively and has more natural sunlight. I’m slowly becoming friendly with all the other teachers too. I sit across from my coteacher so it’s super convenient to communicate and also means I can utter sounds now in the office. (I was pretty much a mute last semester)

I’ve escaped the radioactive grass colored desk at last. 

Unfortunately, there are no cute young male teachers so I can’t live out my dream of a cute office romance like Hana from A Good Day to Be a Dog.

Do you see that?? *Hisses* Texting from your desk, accidentally making eye contact then looking away quickly, being excited to see their face at school everyday…don’t I deserve that too?? I’ve been in this country for 8 months and I don’t even have someone to call 오빠! I’m getting ripped off.

New students

THEY ARE CUTE. VERY CUTE. I’ve only taught three classes so far (out of 16) but I’m already crying because of how sweet they are. Okay except for the one kid who lied and told me the song he wanted to play was in English when the only English it contained was “what the f***!”

So far, some highlights with my first years

1-3 was late 20 minutes to their first class. I panicked and ran all over the school. Turns out they were lost and sitting in another classroom...I wonder if they thought I was the one who had ditched class. The same thing happened with 1-4. Silly freshmen. 

The kids are actually making an effort to speak in English amongst each other, even when I’m not helicoptering! Last semester this task was impossible so I’m shook.

I debated whether or not to include some hobbies (embarrassing ones like anime vs. safe ones like “reading”) in my introduction slides, but decided it’s worth embarrassing myself if I can make a few connections with my students. It was a good call. A lot of my students like Haikyuu! and most of them giggled at the gif I included of the principal’s wig falling off.

I have some of Lauren’s boys that graduated from Gakri Middle School, and they all love her. I’m pretty sure one of them was telling his friend in Korean how pretty and kind she is.

Someone asked me to introduce myself in Chinese and after my very simple and nervous “大家好，我是周露希。今年二十三岁。很高兴认识你们。” they all clapped politely orz I’ll prepare something more impressive next class.

One kid recommended the Taiko rhythm game and said “I think you’ll love it :)” That makes it seem like WE’RE CLOSE ALREADY.

After class ended one kid yelled “TEACHER I LOVE YOU” and made a mad dash out of the classroom. My heart is full. 😌

Second years

I high fived a second-year on the way into the school. It was very satisfying but also nerve-wrecking because we were both walking very fast.

I ran into a student (who I played badminton with before) and she opened up for a hug!! I was so emotional. 😭

I bumped into two of my old second-years on the stairs and asked them where I could get a CWHS pin and jacket. They had trouble communicating the details so they grabbed another friend and soon a whole posse of second-years were helping me figure out how to buy a jacket. Finally, the stuco prez walked by and everyone flagged him down. If all goes well I’ll have my jacket sometime in April! I’m SO EXCITED.

New Foreign Chinese Teacher

MY ANGEL, my saving grace. There’s a new Chinese teacher and Chinese foreign teacher who teach the second and third years. I can’t wait to crash one of her second-year classes and see my old students speak Chinese. We’re the same age and we both like Taiwanese/Chinese dramas. I found out when I told her I was listening to this audiobook called 最好的我们 (It’s super cute and if you know Chinese you should check it out. It’s on the Ximalaya app) and she freaked out and told me the male lead is exactly her type. She also gave me some White Rabbit candy. Wow, having a friend at school. What a concept. The POSSIBILITIES. WE CAN WALK AROUND AFTER LUNCH. OR PLAY BADMINTON. I don’t have to sit alone in front of my computer!! 

^Literally me last semester. 

Lesson Plans

I’m definitely going to repeat a few lessons from last semester, but there were some lesson plan ideas I didn’t get to try out last time so I’ll still post about new lessons.

My Bucket List for this semester

Teach a lesson on slang/texting/memes

Teach a lesson on UX design

Find out where the nurse’s office is (do we even have one?)

Create an English Board Game Club

Get a CWHS jacket

Have a Korean conversation longer than ten exchanges with all the teachers in my gyomushil

Try on the CWHS school uniform (before they switch to the ugly summer uniform)

Perform at the end of the semester school festival

Finish my research paper for my grant (uh yeah haven’t even started to define the scope)

First Week of School 끝! 

[hellohaleyteacher]

I taught my students the phrase “life is like a box of chocolates” a few months ago when we were doing a unit on idioms. Now whenever anything surprising happens, they start to yell “Teacher! Real Chocolate box!” This morning I overheard two girls in my class talking about a school couple that broke up last night, and one girl responded with “와 대박. 진짜 chocolate box이다.” (Wow. That’s a real chocolate box). I couldn’t help myself and busted out laughing. Happy Friday, y’all~

[elleiam]

Orientation Week 1!

Welcome to my year in South Korea!

We have officially finished week 1 and begun week 2. We had a weekend with less programming, which was a wonderful time to catch up on some rest, a Korean drama, and to hang out with some of the other wonderful ETAs. 

Our arrival at Incheon Airport was very smooth. I had stayed over the night before at the capsule hotel within the airport since I flew in from Taiwan. (I highly recommend it! It was incredibly comfortable and had clean showers). Early the next morning, at 5AM, we all met to officially begin orientation. Name tags were distributed, forms, signed, pictures taken. The meeting-new-people thing had begun and even now, nine days in, I still have yet to meet all 80 ETAs. At the airport I did meet my wonderful roommate Louise. She is also from the Bay Area and actually went to high school the next school district over.

^ Here is just some of our luggage taking up the arrival area!

Day one was incredibly busy. We arrived at Yonsei University’s Songdo campus and immediately went to our rooms to nap. At 11 AM we began the festivities with a meeting and a cultural workshop where we learned how to insa, a respectful bow.

2PM was the placement test! We had the option to walk out if we did not know any Korean, but I was determined to at least try. I began using apps like Lingodeer and Memrise after finding out about my Fulbright in late March, but because of the LSAT really only started using those apps seriously two weeks before the arrival date. So.... my Korean is not great. It was roughly 20 multiple choice questions and I muddled my way through maybe 7 of them. I’m glad I did though because it was enough to get me placed into the Intermediate Low class! Definitely a challenge, but that’s what orientation is for, right?

The next few days were filled with Korean classes, cultural and teaching workshops, and more meeting people. 

^ On Monday I received my official Korean name! 로렌!

On Tuesday, we had some good fun in the morning with dynasty bonding. We’ve been split into different dynasties to facilitate getting to know each other, and that morning was spent doing some relay races to get to know everyone better! It was a lot of fun. Highlights included a blindfolded maze, making a human table, an egg drop, and flipping a tarp while everyone is standing on it. Our dynasty, 고려, killed it and got first place (no big deal). 

^ The championship round of Ninja with the winners from all eight dynasties. It got pretty intense...

Director Shim came later that night to visit us so we got to dress in business professional. She brought a lot of wisdom and validation in her speech; in fact, I did tear up a bit. This is Director Shim’s last year with Fulbright after 40 years of dedication, so it was definitely a bit bittersweet listening to her speech. She told us not to compare our time in Korea with those of others. Every time we are envious of someone, someone else is envious of us, so we must not forget that and make the most of our situations. Going along with that, she said it was inconsiderate to constantly share the good, knowing that undoubtedly others may be struggling in their placements. I will definitely keep this in mind throughout my placement, as I know I am someone who generally compares myself to those around me.

Thursday night we had dynasty bonding again. This time things got more serious and we all shared what our journey to Fulbright has been. I think I had been building up all this emotion (both good and bad) since arriving in South Korea, so I had already been on edge for a long time. This night was honestly quite cathartic and a great opportunity to truly be vulnerable in front of my peers and receive more support than I think I deserve. The people here truly make all the difference.

Friday I got popsicles! Just a few minutes walk from campus is this small popsicle store that sells wholesale popsicles. That means each one is maybe 40 to 70 cents USD. I got two - mango and yakult - and man oh man were they good.

^ Top is just one of many freezers of ice cream! Bottom is the storefront. Check out that giant inflatable ice cream cone.

Saturday we had our first lesson plan due. In a week the Fulbright English Program is beginning! During this time we each get to teach two lessons, the first of which we will co-teach with another ETA. I got paired up with Louise, my roommate. How crazy! We are doing a lesson on personality traits and spent most of Saturday finessing it. I think it’ll be good. I’ve never been at the front of a classroom before, so I am definitely happy to have her by my side. We’ll see how it goes! As long as the students enjoy the lesson, I will be happy for my first one.

Week one definitely went by quickly, and I am sure the rest of the days will too. I have to take advantage of the time I have here to study as much Korean as possible and build relationships with the ETAs. As I’m writing this, I will know my placement within 24 hours, so.... here goes!

[bibimbijou]

these are some of the friends i've made in korea -- so incredibly blessed!

[pasteltofus]

Hi! I was awarded a grant for this upcoming year 2019-2020 and so I found your blog through a summer 2018 orientation video :) I was wondering whether you might be able to tell me what the orientation was like in terms of: did they take you to Seoul? Did you have free weekends to go places? Were you allowed to be visited during that time by people you knew who were also in Korea? I am super excited and thrilled to go to Korea but I guess am just anxious about all the uncertainty. Thank you!!

Hi there anon!! First of all, congrats on your grant! 🤗 Thank you for your questions!

So there were a few optional activities that we could sign up for (i.e. cooking class, rock climbing, kpop dance) and some of those were in Seoul. Note: you do have to pay for these activities yourself. We also went to Seoul once to visit the Fulbright building.

But other than those excursions, they made it explicitly clear that we couldn’t run off to Seoul on our own. In fact, there was a “river boundary” in Songdo that we couldn’t cross. Anyone who did so would be sent home. 🙃

There are some weekends without planned activities and for those you can submit a form to go to Seoul.

People are free to come visit and you will have free time to hang out with them but they can’t come into the dorms. There isn’t that much to do around Songdo but there’s an outlet nearby!

I hope this answered most of your questions! Again congrats!! I’m so excited for you :)

[pasteltofus]

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