October 2011
1 post
Enchanted Rock
I’m no longer in Korea, but I’ll still be posting here occasionally. I spent all of September and a bit of October in my hometown of Austin living with my dad and playing with friends. Two weeks ago, my boyfriend Stuart and our dear friend (and photographer!) Brian came to see what the place that shaped me was all about.
Though a city girl through and through, I still relate to the...
September 2011
1 post
Traveling with cats
I’ve had a few people ask about my trip from Korea to Austin with Queso in tow. In the months prior to my departure, I researched online for the best ways to travel such a long distance with a cat constantly. Unfortunately little of it was comforting or all that helpful. Here I’ll outline the process as it happened for me. I know a few people in ROK who are bringing pets back soon, so hopefully...
August 2011
2 posts
2 tags
D A Y V M A T T T: TEN THINGS I LIKE ABOUT SEOUL,... →
dayvmattt:
Bathrooms - No matter where you are in Seoul, a bathroom is close by. This may not sound like a big deal, but for anyone who has traveled, being able to find a bathroom when you really “need” a bathroom can be a problem if you aren’t in a “touristy” part of town (and you aren’t a…
Just be sure to bring your own toilet paper into those public bathrooms!!
3 tags
Habits to break starting tomorrow.
Handing items like bank cards, drinks, scissors, anything to people using both hands and a small bow.
Bowing to people I know in cars. Bowing in general.
Sucking my teeth at every small annoyance or frustration.
Using “Assa!” “Aishh!” “Chinchaaa” and any other random Korean words/phrases I’ve adopted into my vocabulary.
Leaving my bags unattended in public spaces while I stand in line, go...
July 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Perfect Sunday
Stuart and I only had three shared vacation days this summer—he has camp when I have vacation and vice versa—so instead of taking a trip, we opted to stick around Seoul and explore this unwieldy metropolis a bit. Sunday found us wandering Jonggak under a muggy and cloudy sky. Following a city-wide search of four bookstores, I finally found a copy of George R.R. Martin’s A Clash...
2 tags
Aww, English teacher family portrait
I especially love how enthused my worker John appears.
June 2011
6 posts
2 tags
Happiness: Part 1 in a series: Tumblr
Over the next two months I want to write posts about the aspects of living here that have brought me happiness. It took me a while to find my rhythm in this country and I want to have a record of what made me feel my best if and when I read this blog in the future. They’ll be material and emotional, personal and universal. It’s for myself and what’s good about living here for...
1 tag
“Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I...”
– Jhumpa Lahiri (via rockandrollandrobin)
Open class 2011
Korean parents have a habit of grimacing during open class, making teachers all the more nervous. I tried to pretend they weren’t there…
Such a flattering angle!
Presenting their balanced meal to the class.
Antics
It was a controlled chaos, promise.
The class was a big success. I had a great time. The lesson was challenging but approachable. I wish I could pour that...
4 tags
SK Wyverns vs Doosan Bears
Hit up a baseball game on Saturday with a gaggle of friends. I didn’t bring my own camera, but here are some choice shots taken by more talented and better equipped friends. I’m still not sure what a Wyvern is, but our SK boys won 7-1. Olleh!
I have clearly been in Korea a long time—I can’t take a photo without throwing up my V for victory (no, it’s not a peace...
May 2011
14 posts
Namsangol Hanok Village
The computer teacher at my school and I have been conducting language exchanges for the past couple months. We practice speaking English and then she teaches me baby Korean. Instead of meeting for coffee after school as we have been doing, we decided to have a traditional Korean experience on Sunday. Neither of us had been to 남산골한옥마을. The place is super touristy but really fun. You can play Korean...
3 tags
“여기 오늘 물이 좋다!”
– Minsik’s sister taught me a new way to describe when I am in the presence of hot men.
(The water is good here today!)
*Edited for better grammar. ;)
1 tag
I don't care.
BUT TEACHERRRR, I DON’T WANT TO WORK WITH GROUP FOUR!!!!
I don’t care.
KATRINA TEACHERRRRR, I HATE BALTO!
I don’t care.
KATRINA TEACHERRRR, I DON’T WANT TO WRITE!!!!
I don’t care.
I don’t care.
I don’t care.
Sometimes I even sing the “I don’t care song” that came out last year.
2 tags
Fleeting Beat: 20 Things I Can Do To Be A Better... →
fleetingbeat:
20 Things I Can Do To Be A Better Multicultural Educator by Paul C. Gorski
I can learn to pronounce each student’s full name correctly. No student should feel the need to shorten or change her or his name in order to make it easier for me or anyone else to pronounce it. Being sure that I do not…
Thanks for the link. Using English names is a complicated issue in ESL...
Asianposes.com →
I have done far too many of these since moving here.
WatchPlease watch to get a glimpse of the lives of students in Korea and just two of the many pressures they face. If you like what you see, go to their Kickstarter and donate!
marisasseoul:
My friend is producing this documentary. I think it’s going to be really great for anyone interested in Korea or current Korean culture…check out the link, and donate anything if you can! They’re still in need...
Happy hump day, y'all.
Just elucidated the layers of meaning in the word “hump” to one of my Korean coworkers.
Ah, the joys of this life.
1 tag
At the most, I have 11 weeks left in Korea.
How on earth did that happen?
I am NOT ready to leave. Plus, leaving here will be considerably worse than leaving the States was—I won’t be coming back this time.
5 tags
School Children's Day
Last Wednesday the whole school was bussed over to an activity center about 30 minutes from our town. We spent the day playing games, making bubbles, jumping from high places, eating samgyeopsal, and enjoying hanging out with the kids outside of the classroom. Here are a few pics.
Children's Day
Perfect perfect perfect.
Alien puppets/musicians
GRASS! I took off my shoes shortly after this picture was taken. Opportunities to sprawl out on a nice lawn are few and far between around these parts.
My friend Eunji—the style she’s sporting on her head is called an apple.
I wish I had brought a change of clothes so I too could have scampered across these water...
April 2011
9 posts
1 tag
I had a Korean lesson with the computer teacher at...
I am the worst at learning this language. The worst.
Sunday
After eating at one of the best brunch places in Seoul (Suji’s), Jessica and I headed to Geongbukgung, a royal palace. It’s high on the list of places to visit in Korea, but I somehow have lived here for 14 months without seeing it. I’d love to go back for a picnic again soon.
All photos via Jessica Gold.
It was hot so I decided to scandalize some Koreans with my bare...
Saturday
My friend Jessica and I hit up the Yeoido cherry blossom festival on Saturday. It was the nicest, warmest day we’ve had all year. I’ve recently realized why people so worship spring. I intend to enjoy every warm and sunny day we have until I leave.
Some photos via Jessica Gold
We sat by this wading pool to cool our feet and watch kids splash.
SWAN BOATS!
View from the...
Welcome!
Seoul Bookworms is here! Join on goodreads!
seoulbookworms:
Please join the bookclub on goodreads.com!
Please email me at kmartin87 at gmail dot com if you have any questions.
Calling Seoul bookworms: book club?
I’ve been talking with some friends on tumblr and off about starting a Seoul-based book club. We could meet once a month in Seoul to discuss and organize the whole shebang over goodreads.com.
If you’re interested, leave a reply or send me a message!
4 tags
If you compare a woman being raped by a rapist...
We are surrounded by people who drink the rape culture kool-aid and think it’s logic.
Here’s a quick lesson. Violent crimes committed against women, namely rape and assault, are NOT the same as theft. Rape is not theft. A body is not a commodity to be stolen off a shelf.
God! I forget that men just can’t fucking HELP THEMSELVES FROM RAPING WOMEN wearing revealing clothing! HOW...
1 tag
March 2011
14 posts
I never wrote a reflection about my completing one year in Korea. I suppose with my decision to extend my contract, it seemed moot. Life here no longer feels like an experiment. My first months felt like a test I had put to myself—something I needed to prove to regain self-respect. It was a challenge, not much else. I didn’t love it here for a long time. I was merely making it work and...
Lately
Despite a rough cold and a yearning for spring like I’ve never felt, life is pretty peachy lately. My classes are going well. The first graders are precocious, curious, and smart as whips. My other students are all doing great in their classes and seem to be enjoying them more than last year. I’m able to patiently deal with problems and have helped institute department-wide policies...
1 tag
South Korean teens' social skills among worst in... →
Can’t say I’m shocked.
When you stick students into study rooms or classrooms 12-18 hours in a day, don’t be surprised when they lack the ability to socialize properly. I know this isn’t the only reason for this low rank, but it’s undoubtedly a big one.
As discussed with a friend last night, if I could change anything about Korea, I think I’d ban work or...
2 tags
The Year of Korea: You Know You're in Korea... →
whoisjing:
clairebearmalik:
1. Pedestrians share the sidewalk with cars and motorbikes.
2. Walking to work in the morning you see at least five drunken people stumbling around or sleeping on a ledge.
3. Eating out is less expensive than cooking at home.
4. Scissors are an eating utensil.
5. People always ask what you had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
6. You...
He Cooks, She Eats: Role Reversal: She cooks →
Holy moly, I took to the kitchen for once.
hcse:
In an effort to be a Nice Girlfriend on White Day (think Valentine’s Day part 2), I offered to make Stuart tomato basil soup on Monday. Yet, as many such offers go, I ended up bringing over take out instead because I’m lazy. By Wednesday I was feeling a bit more motivated to cook, albeit not…
Picnicking
Stuart and I started a food blog—He Cooks, She Eats. We’ll focus on making (and in my case, eating) food that is gluten free, vegetarian, and made with ingredients easily found in South Korea. We’re lucky that our parents send us care packages with specialty foods, but we’ll always tell you how we sourced our ingredients.
Enjoy!
hcse:
One thing Stuart and I miss most...
soniassi:
Hillary Clinton’s War for Women’s Rights
“I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century,” Clinton tells Newsweek….
While Clinton views the subjugation of the world’s women as a moral question, she plants her argument firmly on the grounds of national security, terrain she knows is far less likely to be attacked as “too...
1 tag
Things Korea has taught or reminded me: part 1
I am as bad at cutting in a straight line as I was in elementary school, which is really bad.
Pear juice is delicious.
Pineapple Fanta masks the taste of soju as much as you could hope.
Freshly laundered clothes do not feel so fresh when you lack a dryer.
Inefficient and incompetent people in positions of power irritate me to no end.
Sitting on the floor is fun.
Heated floors (ondol)...
February 2011
12 posts
