Lessons Learned by Tess

...on the word "Cute"

2009-12-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure what it is about this word, but I despise it. The word sends shivers down my spine, and bile up my throat. I know it seems like a compliment, but it isn't to me. There've been many times when I've been called "cute" or something that I've done is "cute", and it makes me want to vomit!

Okay, maybe I sound a bit overly dramatic, but I guess the word "cute" and I have an off and on again relationship. Babies are cute. Dogs are hella cute. Hello Kitty stationery is 'cute'. I, on the other hand, a 27 year old woman...am not CUTE! Pretty, even beautiful should suffice. Hahaha...

Having said that, this past weekend I found myself using the word left, right, and center! I was called out my friends for it too. What is it about that word anyway? Perhaps it's the go-to word to describe everything? It simply rolls of the tongue. "Awwww look at that baby! She's soooooo cute!" "Look at this t-shirt! Don't you think it's cute???"

Ugh. Boo on you "cute" and your easy usage. I will forever hate the sound of you, and your application to anything that has to do with me. I will, however, continue to use you. Thanks.

...on "Choice"

2009-12-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

choice: the right, power, or opportunity to choose; option

So, today I have to participate in a Korean Language Competition. There will be 4 components: reading, writing, listening, and free speech. I was only told about this competition last week, so I'm a little bit annoyed with the situation. I had little choice in the matter...when I asked my co-teacher if I had to go, she said yes. This is one thing I will NOT miss about Korea. I had to chuck out my freedom upon entering this country. I'm not a person who causes conflict...I try to avoid it at all costs. Especially living in this country, where "yes" is the answer to everything.

Last year, we had this competition, but was provided with material to study from. Well, not this year. Much like last year, my co-teacher has provided no help at all; expecting me to represent our school the best that I can. This year, I'm sure I will not place. Although, that's not really my goal this time around. I plan on just getting through this horrendous day of mockery. One of the last times that I will be used as a "pet English", as my friend Rachel would say. It's true! Sometimes I feel as though I'm a sideshow freak, especially during these instances.

Thank the heavens...they say that there will be no TV cameras this year, but there's only one way to find out. I figure, if they have cameras again, I will refuse to participate. We didn't sign any consent forms to have our faces plastered on TV last year!!! There's no way in hell, I'm putting myself through that again...only to be laughed at. At first, I was quite optimistic with the competition. It was the aftermath that got me heated. We were told that the show segment would appear on TV that Thursday, so I looked out for it!

Well, let's just say that I felt as though I were part of a circus! Have you ever watched one of those really cheesy and humiliating comedy shows? They're popular in this part of the world, so why shouldn't Taebaek take a hit at it! The show was riddled with laughing tracks, and mixed to show our inability to read what seemed like Shakespeare in Korean. Needlesstosay, the competition left a bitter taste in my mouth, which seems to be resurfacing this year.

I have agreed (unwillingly), to participate in today's competition. I've prepared a stupid speech where I speak about things that Koreans want to hear, like: how much I will miss this country, and how beautiful the mountains are. Hey! I have a reputation to uphold! LOL. Anyway, wish me luck! I'm shooting for last place, maybe my dreams will come true!

...on Christmas

2009-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm officially in Chrismas mode. To make my days a little more like Christmas time in Toronto, I've started listening to Christmas carols on http://www.chfi.com/. I love that I can still feel the warmth of the season through music. In Korea, Christmas feels like any other day of the year. Aside from the handful of shops in town that have decorated their store fronts, and the marketing ploys that businesses have decided to capitalize on, Christmas here is just not as important as it is back home.

Maybe I should clarify that. When I say important, I'm not referring to the importance of gifts, and all the money spent on making us want to buy the next technology; I'm talking about family, and friends, and wanting to be in the presence of the people you love during the season. Although it may seem like we've lost our way, and forgotten about the real, and underlying meaning of Christmas, I haven't forgotten in Korea. Perhaps, it's because I haven't been home for two Christmases, and have realized what the season is really about. I crave the nearness of people and being able to just sit and have coffee with my best friends back home.

Last week, I put up my Christmas tree, and it just wasn't the same. I remember putting up the Chrismas tree with my mom, and listening to the old Tagalog Christmas carols she happens to have on a cassette tape! That's right, people...a cassette tape! I've also been reminiscing my highschool days. During this time of the year, our highschool choir would be preparing for the annual winter caroling trip to Ottawa, and of course, Christmas mass and assembly.

I guess you can say that this is most certainly my favourite time of the year. There's something about this time of the year that brings people together. Perhaps Christmas reminds us of the importance of our relationships, and the equal importance in our efforts to keep those relationships alive. I know that for me it's been a difficult two years being away from family and friends. It's funny, but I would say that I'm closer to everyone now more than ever. Being so far away from the people I love, has challenged me to work on keeping that distance short in every way possible (Skype, email, etc.)

Listening to Christmas music as I type this, I feel a little bit of home...in my home away from home. Christmas will be different this year, but special in many ways. The foreigners in town have decided to do a gift exchange, Christmas dinner, caroling, and brunch on Christmas day. I offered to make Christmas brunch at my place. I'm sure it'll be great, being surrounded by my fellow teachers, exchanging gifts, laughter and music.

I may not be home for Christmas this year, but I'll be okay. This year has brought on new people, new experiences, and memories to last a lifetime! I wouldn't change it for the world!

Season's Greetings! Love Always - Tess <3

...on Cozy Cafes

2009-10-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

What is it about tea that brings us to sweet serenity? Or coffee that causes orgasmic outbursts? There's something about that perfect cuppa Joe that melts all the stress away. Personally, I'm a tea type of person. Iced or hot, it completes me. My affinity for all things caffeine related dates back to the first day I discovered Caffe Certo (and yes, that's how it's spelled). I was introduced to Mr. Park's establishment about 6 or so months into my first year here in South Korea. It's a shame that I didn't know about it sooner. This cozy cafe has become my second home in my second home of Korea. There's nothing like winding down after a long day at work (haha), sipping on a piping hot pot of Earl Grey tea made Mr. Park styles.

Mr. Park and the staff at this cafe have become my Korean family. I feel welcome and warm when I arrive, and it awesome that I don't even have to finish my order before any of them say: “Lemon Iced Tea and cheesecake?” Why, yes! That's exactly what I had in mind. Everything that is served up at this cafe is to die for! It's one of only few cafes that prep actual espresso made coffee. Mr. Park roasts, grinds, and brews his own coffee beans. He's become quite the artist with his beans from Bolivia, Guatemala, Columbia, and other coffee countries. Aside from his divine coffee, he also boasts great desserts like: cheesecake, muffins, and homemade ice cream (that's right! HOMEMADE). This man is my hero!

The best part about Caffe Certo is the ambiance that it offers. It's theme colours are red and green...but not like Christmas! The sofas and chairs are lazy and comfortable. The music hits the spot. I actually 'shared' a CD with Mr. Park. So, now he plays Wouter Hamel at the cafe. I love walking in only to Wouter belting out 'Breezy'. You'll also hear random 'western' music played. This may be due to the youngens that work here. All the girls are quite lovely, and always have smiles on their faces. They are no longer shy, and may even ask us questions about English homework. It all works out for both parties, cause I've also asked them questions about the Korean language.

The place is almost always bustling with people looking to get their caffeine fix. Even as I sit here now, pretty much the only customer in the vicinity, there is no pressure to leave. I love that! I hate feeling rushed. Caffe Certo is definitely the opposite of that! There have been many a time when I've spent hours upon hours sitting here on my laptop. That's right! Free WIFI...doesn't get any better than that! Mr. Park just upgraded to a higher speed, so it's awesome! There have also been plenty of times where a group of us Waegukins (foreigners) walked in, ordered our 'regulars', then played cards. Mind you, we are hardly EVER quiet individuals. I guess it's our way of letting loose! Never once have we been kicked out, or told to simmer down. Mr. Park is a kind and generous man, and often hands us freebies or “service” when we are in. He may give us a sample of ice cream, a biscuit, or even an espresso shot of the latest roasted bean. Yummy!

This is the best place in town, hands down. Others may disagree and go with some of the bars in town, but I guess to each their own! Where else can you collect stamps towards free desserts and coffee? I think I may have gone through about 6 stamp cards since discovering Caffe Certo. I guesstimate (and yes, that's a word!) that each card is worth about 100,000 won; which means that I've spent at least 600, 000 won? Wow. Well, at least I know that my money is going towards a worthy cause...towards the education of Mr. Park's beautiful children! LOL

Seriously though...if you ever get the chance to come to South Korea...and you just happen to be in the small mountain town of Taebaek, don't forget to visit Caffe Certo and say hello to Mr. Park and friends!

...on Snail Mail

2009-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

There's no greater feeling than opening your mailbox (like the one in the lobby of your apartment, or that box outside the front door of your house, remember those?) and finding a letter, postcard, or package written out in your name. Aside from the slew of Korean flyers and bills, I HARDLY ever get snail mail (*wink wink nudge nudge*).

Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it could be to find time to sit down and write an actual letter with ink and paper. I understand that in this day and age, it's quite easy to just jump on the internet and write a quick email with a hello; God only knows, I've been guilty as charged. When I do get the chance to write (that's right people! no typing!), I enjoy the thrill of knowing that the letter will travel thousands of miles, and will soon be in the hands of my loved ones.

The best thing about writing letters in Korea is the stationery! If you walk into a stationery store in town, you'll find one aisle devoted to beautiful paper and envelopes. I smile as I look down the aisle cause I know I will find some priceless artifacts; priceless Konglish on paper. That's mainly the reason why I buy stationery. Not because I want to write to my family and friends, but because I want to have evidence of the weird English that is found on the most mundane of items. I once read on a t-shirt: "Run to eat...I run to eat then if what should I eat before I run?" Oh, this too: "Always hear white & clear". Reading sentences like that on t-shirts and stationery is what I crave for when I step into Barunson and Morning Glory. I try to find the most hideous linguistic mistakes and buy the items just for that! Crazy, I know!

Anyway, to my fellow friends and family: I know you may not have the same crazy stationery as I do here in Korea, but send me a letter or even a little message written on a napkin. I'd love to hear from you!

...on Mother Nature

2009-10-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

The recent events in Indonesia, Philippines, American Somoa, and India, have got me thinking that Mother Nature is trying to tell us something. Earthquakes, landslides, typhoons, and flooding, oh my! I can't help but feel helpless when I see the pictures and videos of people in chest deep water. Having been in the Philippines only a few months ago, and experiencing SOME flooding, I can only imagine what it's like right now.

Thank God, my family is alright. My mother was able to get into contact with my cousin who reported that the condo that we rented during our stay was flooded up to the second floor where we stayed! When I heard this, my heart broke. From my guesstimation, that would be about 10-12 feet of water! That would mean that most of the businesses and homes would be under water. My memories of the markets and streets, were now replaced by water, endless amounts of water. I guess all we can do now is pray and hope.

After Typhoon Ondoy, who could've imagined that a few days later, another Typhoon by the name of Pepeng would follow? God willing, the people of the Philippines will pull through. I've just read that Canadians have donated a little over $5 million dollars to the relief fund. I'm only hoping that ALL the money gets to the victims of this crisis. The Philippines has its share of corrupt and selfish people, and I'm hoping that their eyes, hearts, and minds are open during this time. My prayers are with all Filipinos at this time. Laban! (Fight!)

P.S. This fellow Filipina has provided numerous ways in which to donate towards the relief. Please check it out!

http://moongirl.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/donating-to-manila-from-abroad/

...on Thanksgiving

2009-10-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

As Thanksgiving approaches in Canada, the Harvest Festival (much like Thanksgiving) in Korea has passed. Chuseok, the Harvest Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. On this 3-day holiday, families travel by the masses to their hometowns to pay respects to their ancestors. Much like Thanksgiving back home, the celebration includes a feast (of Korean traditional food).

In the spirit of this festival and the arrival of Autumn, we (the Taebaek Waegukins - foreigners) decided to have a celebration of our own. My day began with cleaning the apartment...a much needed clean! My cooking began at 1 pm, with the chopping of vegetables and the boiling of potatoes. My agenda: cook veggies, make mashed potatoes, last minute dessert idea (apple crisp - yum!), and prep for the arrival of guests. Let's just say that cooking went on til the last minute, literally until the guests arrived and shortly after. I forgot about the gravy! You HAVE to have gravy on Thanksgiving, right?!

Armed with more veggies and two roasted chickens, Rachel (another teacher in town and a good buddy of mine) entered my apartment looking exausted and hungry, as did the other guests. Not to worry! Our spread was ready, and smelling wonderful. I'm not sure what it is about sharing a meal with other people, but there's nothing quite like it. Having spent alot of my time here in Korea eating meals alone, it was nice to share a feast (chicken, salmon, mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn, couscous, gravy, and apple crisp) with my waegukin family.

Tummies filled and satisfied, we continued the festivities with a game of Phase 10 (if you haven't heard of this very addictive card game, go out and get it! It's totally worth the couple of bucks). Cards in hand: Rachel, James, Jaye, Brian, and Kat played to the death! Rob, on the other hand, was strumming on his acoustic guitar, while I sang along.

Good food, good company, music, and a little bit of competition, made for an awesome night! What am I thankful for? I'm glad to have made the choice of moving to Korea, meeting an awesome clan, and having been able to experience what I have til now. I'm most thankful for the people that I've met, and for the great support system that I have in Canada. God is good!

Happy Thanksgiving/Chuseok!

...on Time Well-Wasted

2009-10-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm into my fourth week with my half cast, and I must say...I'm totally over it! I can't wait to get it removed and be done with it. I have a few more days until it's removed, and I move on to physiotherapy; seems like this is neverending!

Having been in my cast for 4 weeks now, I've been "lucky" (and I use that term loosely) to have alot of time on my hands. The first two weeks were spent in my apartment for the most part. On the computer Facebook-ing, YouTub-ing and the like. I've also been fortunate to have great friends in this small-ish city of Taebaek, who have taken me out for groceries and to play cards at Caffe Certo (yes...that's how it's spelt in Korea).

Long gone are the days of teaching. I think it's been about 5 weeks since I've last taught an English class. I haven't even thought of it much, which is scary since I'm back in the groove next week. Even so, I still sit here at my desk, without much of an ounce of energy put into lesson planning. It feels as though I've been on an extended vacation, and I know it'll be hard to get back into it.

Needless to say, I'll be wasting time this week (again) on watching movie, catching up on television shows, playing cards, and sipping on earl grey tea...but what's new? lol.

...on Health & Safety

2009-09-18T05:03:00.001-07:00

In recent months, I've been taking care of my body by exercising at the local fitness center. I've been quite active; trying to workout as much as I can around my schedule (three times a week between my private English classes...shhh! They're supposed to be a secret!)

When I was in Canada, I was a member at a gym as well; where I was trained to do the following workout session: 15-20 minutes of cardio (warm-up), 15-20 minutes weight training, and 15-20 minutes of cardio. I'm pleased to say that I've been able to follow this strict regiment to the minute, up until two Thursdays ago.

My Vice Principal approached me one day trying to ask me a question and relay a message. In his very limited English, and my equal amount of Korean, I had agreed to clean along with my students everyday at 3 pm. Two Thursdays ago I decided to venture out on my own and clean as promised. Armed with long tongs and a shopping basket, I was quite pleased to be outside in the sun with the backdrop of Korea's most beautiful mountains. My enthusiasm came to a standstill as I stepped on to a concrete step and ended up twisting my foot. This was followed by a crack, and a sharp pain in my right foot and leg. I knew something was seriously wrong.

I managed to hobble back up to my school, where I was greeted by my boys who thought I was joking around. Hopping into the teachers' office, I was noticed my the head teacher who was immediately concerned. I plopped into my chair and started crying in pain, removed my right shoe and sock, and noticed that my foot had already begun to swell. Within minutes all the teachers (and a few of my students) had surrounded my desk, with looks of dismay and genuine concern.

Long story short, an ambulance was called and I'm taken to the nearest hospital (only a 4 minute drive away); where my foot is xrayed, and it is determined that I had fractured my 5th bone. The xray was shown to me, and I have to admit I was frightened with what I saw. Never in my life had I broken a bone! All I could think was: How am I supposed to break this to my mother in Canada? Actually, my first thought was: Darn! Can't go to the gym anymore! Seriously. That was all I could think of. The last three months of hard workouts were now for nothing.

So, here I am, about a week and a bit later; in a half cast and hopping around in crutches. Oh! I've also put my office chair to good use. Thank the heavens to those who came up with rolley chairs. They are truly my heroes. Looks like I'm out for the next 4 weeks....what to do? Well, I COULD create lesson plans, but that would mean I'd be using my time wisely (who does that any more?). I figure I could catch up on some TV shows, and movies (but that wouldn't be out of the ordinary). This injury hasn't stopped me from going out to my favourite cafe in town called "Caffe Certo" to sip on some freshly brewed lemon iced tea, chomp on cheesecake, and play a game of Phase 10 with my fellow teachers.

Moral of the story: If you're in a foreign country where you do not speak the language, and the locals don't speak YOUR language, try not to agree to anything! It may just lead you to the hospital, and being caged up in your apartment for 4 weeks. Wait! I swear I'm not complaining...sighs. I guess I should get back to slacking.

...on Procrastination

2009-08-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! I'm live again. This is my third attempt at keeping a blog, and I hope that it will continue for the sake of my small fanbase, and me. I guess I've always been a procrastinator. I remember not reading the necessary material for English in my highschool years, then rushing to the library to grab the most recent Coles Notes for said material. Yeah, we've all been there right? This continued into my university/college years, with more intensity and stress attached. Perhaps procrastination will follow me wherever I go. I thrive on the feeling that I may or may not get my act together; I assure you that the former is always the case. Living in a different country and being a conversational English teacher, has not changed my ways, but I'm hoping to work on that...hmmm...maybe later though! There's a tall glass of iced tea and a slice of cheesecake waiting for me at Cafe Certo...I'm out.