It’s a little discomforting when you learn of a fire in your building via a text message from a friend who isn’t even in the building at the time!
My friend, Katie, while at her Thursday ritual “Trivia Night” (I even almost caved and went along this time, despite my distaste for the venue and the fact that no one wants to have a conversation since they’re engulfed in the Questions of Useless Knowledge) texted me to let me know that there may be a fire in the building.
Apparently, there was a fire on the 11th floor (I reside on the 4th). So, my friend Jason (7th floor) and I decided maybe it’d be best to meet in the stairwell and head downstairs to go outside, just in case.
On our way out, whilst smoke wafted up our nostrils, we encountered several firefighters and some hotel workers in the hallway and stairwell – not a one of them urging evacuation whatsoever – in English OR Korean. Not a word. I sarcastically toyed with them, “Hey buddies: shall we inform any of the other patrons that they might want to evacuate the building?”
The sounds of gushing water whistled in our ears. It turned out to be coming from the elevator shaft. I guess we’ll be hoofing it for a while. Not so bad for me, being on the 4th floor, but 'good luck' to any old fogies in the suites, way up top.
Outside, a guy whose room was 3 floors directly beneath the one containing the fire, shared his experience with us: “I just happened to look out my window, and a guy on a crane motioned for me to get out. I didn’t hear any alarms or announcements or anything.” Yeah… ditto, pal. I didn’t have a friendly wave from a lurking Craneman, but ‘glad you did.
Firetrucks solicited attention. Silent firemen went about their business, rolling and unrolling water hoses. When they rolled it up one last time, I figured they were finished playing Fireman for the day, so Jason and I chatted a bit outside then decided to head back in.
The bitter stench would indicate to the Clueless that it wasn’t a typical day at the Co-Op. (Which, by the way, means “Nose Up” or “Up Nose” which I find humorous because it seems like “Stuck Up." Which, it ISN'T. :) )
Before all this happened, I was in the comfort of my box, with Tracy Lawrence crooning, “Time Marches On.” I was answering essay questions for a teaching application, off in my own little world – and even though everything turned out fine – I’m glad I saw the flashing light on my cell phone, informing me of possible imminent danger. What is comforting to know is that someone cared enough to save me from flames. Ha. :)
Yes, Mr. Lawrence, time does, indeed, march on…Unless, of course, you happen to be in a building that burns down and no one even considers telling you about it.
P.S. Katie always jacks with me, so, of course I had to take full advantage of the situation and tell her that all patrons were informed that they need to stay at a hotel down the street for the night, and also take all of their belongings with them. Poor Katie. :) ... She sends me a heads-up message to save my life, and I send her a mean prank. How can I live with myself? lol :D
She called me, moments later, freaking out - and before going to a quiet place to call me back, she had already announced to the entire group that they were gonna have to get their stuff out of the Stuck-Up Hotel, and move hotels for the night.
She called me the C-word, even. Ouch. lol.
That's how rumors get started... Because of C-words, like me.
:D haha
'Night, all.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Everybody...Cut...Footloose!
I was informed, today, that we had a banquet dinner to attend for school. Receiving any type of advanced notice for such occasions is not common, so I don't even expect it, anymore. I even had 1/2 plans to meet a friend but I texted and said "can't make it. school din." 'Nuff said from one foreign teacher to another - it's understood that you don't decline these invitations, no matter how much of an inconvenience the "last-minuteness" of it is.
I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the evening, however. Not only did we sit in chairs instead of mats on the floor (which is great and all, but for my out-of-shape-non-flexible-butt, it gets pretty uncomfy at these functions 'cause they last foREveR), but the food was super yum and the company couldn't have been better. After we ate dinner, a dj played songs for us to sing to - so, different groups of people would get up to sing. I conned my co-teacher MinKyung into going up there with me to sing "Footloose" and SuYeon and Mrs. Oh also came up as the backup dancers. It was hilarious. It was a lot of fun. Now, I'm quite accustomed to being "visual" in any way possible, teaching my Korean kiddos, 'cause you simply have to be. So, when the part, "kick off your Sunday shoes" was on, I'd kinda kick up my feet and tap my shoes. Anyone who has ever danced with me knows that I'm a goofball and I just do stupid stuff, anyway. But, later, the principal demanded all teachers get up to dance together to a specific song, and he kept pulling different people to the center of the circle...You know how the 'dance-off' scene goes - you dance in the middle for a little bit, then move out of the circle for someone else to get some unwanted attention for a while. :) Well, when he had ME go to the center, he kept tapping his shoes and pointing at me to do it, so at that point, I felt really stupid, because he must not have picked up on it that I was just jackin' around when I did it earlier... but I did it anyway. HA! (I even felt my face get hot. lol.)
For anyone who didn't know, drinking is Korean custom. Period. :) There is a whole ritual where someone will come to you with shot glass and a bottle of soju (or a nice bottle of whiskey!) in hand; they hand you the shot glass, pour a drink, you drink it (if they are older, make sure you turn your back while you drink it, out of respect - I just turn my back on everyone, just in case - haha - don't want to step on any toes :) ) and then you hand them the shot glass, pour them a drink (with two hands, don't forget!). And there ya have it...in a nut shell. So, of course, out of respect for my co-teachers and elders in general, I grabbed a bottle of soju (ew. ew. ew. lol) and went to them to offer them a drink. Of course, out of respect for me, they offer one back. So, you can bet I use my hand motions on this one - I hold up my hand and leave about 1/2 inch of space between my thumb and first finger, and pretty much hope like heck they know I mean "just a little, please." lol. If it's whiskey, I don't bother with the hand motions. lol. :)
It was a good day. I didn't even have to use my A.K.
I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the evening, however. Not only did we sit in chairs instead of mats on the floor (which is great and all, but for my out-of-shape-non-flexible-butt, it gets pretty uncomfy at these functions 'cause they last foREveR), but the food was super yum and the company couldn't have been better. After we ate dinner, a dj played songs for us to sing to - so, different groups of people would get up to sing. I conned my co-teacher MinKyung into going up there with me to sing "Footloose" and SuYeon and Mrs. Oh also came up as the backup dancers. It was hilarious. It was a lot of fun. Now, I'm quite accustomed to being "visual" in any way possible, teaching my Korean kiddos, 'cause you simply have to be. So, when the part, "kick off your Sunday shoes" was on, I'd kinda kick up my feet and tap my shoes. Anyone who has ever danced with me knows that I'm a goofball and I just do stupid stuff, anyway. But, later, the principal demanded all teachers get up to dance together to a specific song, and he kept pulling different people to the center of the circle...You know how the 'dance-off' scene goes - you dance in the middle for a little bit, then move out of the circle for someone else to get some unwanted attention for a while. :) Well, when he had ME go to the center, he kept tapping his shoes and pointing at me to do it, so at that point, I felt really stupid, because he must not have picked up on it that I was just jackin' around when I did it earlier... but I did it anyway. HA! (I even felt my face get hot. lol.)
For anyone who didn't know, drinking is Korean custom. Period. :) There is a whole ritual where someone will come to you with shot glass and a bottle of soju (or a nice bottle of whiskey!) in hand; they hand you the shot glass, pour a drink, you drink it (if they are older, make sure you turn your back while you drink it, out of respect - I just turn my back on everyone, just in case - haha - don't want to step on any toes :) ) and then you hand them the shot glass, pour them a drink (with two hands, don't forget!). And there ya have it...in a nut shell. So, of course, out of respect for my co-teachers and elders in general, I grabbed a bottle of soju (ew. ew. ew. lol) and went to them to offer them a drink. Of course, out of respect for me, they offer one back. So, you can bet I use my hand motions on this one - I hold up my hand and leave about 1/2 inch of space between my thumb and first finger, and pretty much hope like heck they know I mean "just a little, please." lol. If it's whiskey, I don't bother with the hand motions. lol. :)
It was a good day. I didn't even have to use my A.K.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
City girl, afterall?
It took me about 6 months. But I am totally in love with this place. Don't get me wrong; I'm still not a city girl. :) Large crowds still kinda irk me. But ... it's tolerable.
More details later. :)
More details later. :)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Life is good…Paula says so
They say: “Once a Texan, always a Texan.”
Being born a Texan, I have been faced with this idea my entire life; however, I have been fighting it off ever since returning there from living away for several years, only to find that the people I was then surrounded by were superficial. Granted, it was high school, in which case, probably no matter where you are, it's pretty messed up :) ...
The busy highways, and the big fake boobs, and the teased hair, and the need for acceptance at any and all costs , along with the ‘two faces’ I’d been faced with at that time in my life, generated a genuine disgust for the Lone Star State. However, I can now block that stuff out, because I have been away from it for so long, it seems. Forgive and forget, right?
Well, at least forget; I’m good at that part.
Tonight, I sit, in a small yet dynamitic country in Asia…so far from Texas, and so far from anything once familiar to me. And this very night, Texas Country rings in my ears, and I realize that it’s true: “Once a Texan, always a Texan.” I think that I have a love for this music that most people can only sense from having been rooted in it.
If I could be anywhere right now, I would be at BillyBob’s Texas and I would be two-stepping with Rodney, just like we did the first night we hung out “as adults;” two grown people experiencing the excitement of a new attraction.
I look out my 4-story window at a factory across the alley of this busy city, and I see two Korean “kids” ( I say “kids” ‘cause they appear to be younger than I am), taking a break from life, from the high demands of Korean society workforce, indulging in an innocent game of Ping Pong.
So, I guess, if I can’t be at BillyBob’s right now, I’d want to be in on that match.
But, I’m here… in a hotel, sitting in a room, that so conveniently serves as my apartment for one year’s time. I’m not playing Ping Pong across the alley with Koreans, and I’m certainly not two-stepping at BillyBob’s with the love of my life, but by golly, I have experienced both of these, and I have had the luxury of experiencing so much more than just that.
I’m content.
Aneo. Content-aye-oh.
Being born a Texan, I have been faced with this idea my entire life; however, I have been fighting it off ever since returning there from living away for several years, only to find that the people I was then surrounded by were superficial. Granted, it was high school, in which case, probably no matter where you are, it's pretty messed up :) ...
The busy highways, and the big fake boobs, and the teased hair, and the need for acceptance at any and all costs , along with the ‘two faces’ I’d been faced with at that time in my life, generated a genuine disgust for the Lone Star State. However, I can now block that stuff out, because I have been away from it for so long, it seems. Forgive and forget, right?
Well, at least forget; I’m good at that part.
Tonight, I sit, in a small yet dynamitic country in Asia…so far from Texas, and so far from anything once familiar to me. And this very night, Texas Country rings in my ears, and I realize that it’s true: “Once a Texan, always a Texan.” I think that I have a love for this music that most people can only sense from having been rooted in it.
If I could be anywhere right now, I would be at BillyBob’s Texas and I would be two-stepping with Rodney, just like we did the first night we hung out “as adults;” two grown people experiencing the excitement of a new attraction.
I look out my 4-story window at a factory across the alley of this busy city, and I see two Korean “kids” ( I say “kids” ‘cause they appear to be younger than I am), taking a break from life, from the high demands of Korean society workforce, indulging in an innocent game of Ping Pong.
So, I guess, if I can’t be at BillyBob’s right now, I’d want to be in on that match.
But, I’m here… in a hotel, sitting in a room, that so conveniently serves as my apartment for one year’s time. I’m not playing Ping Pong across the alley with Koreans, and I’m certainly not two-stepping at BillyBob’s with the love of my life, but by golly, I have experienced both of these, and I have had the luxury of experiencing so much more than just that.
I’m content.
Aneo. Content-aye-oh.
“Small Face”
The first time I heard the phrase “small face,” I was quite confused. In fact, the first time I heard it, it sounded like an insult.
I’d walked into my classroom for the first time in Korea with a ponytail, after a tough morning of waking up later than planned, among other setbacks, and my co-teacher, Linda, said to me, “Oh, you look like you have such a small face!”
Although I instinctively wanted to say, “Well, screw you, too, sister” with visions of ‘Beetle Juice’ dancing through my head, I refrained. Within seconds, she explained that having a “small face” in Korea is an attribute of beauty. Who would’ve thought it’d be worded in such a manner? More so, who would’ve thought I’d have been granted such praise on a morning when I looked like Hell’s giant windstorm picked me up and twirled the crap out of me, then threw me back on Earth?
I just got back from picking up a 5,000-won pizza (basically, 5 bucks, so you can bet it’s not gourmet, but goodness to heck, it does the job, and cheaply, delightfully so ;)).
While I was waiting for my pizza to get baked, I popped into the convenient store next door, hoping to get some Black Beer Stout (the best Korean beer you will find, and although that’s not saying much, it’s pretty good stuff) to go with it. No Black Beer, but I did find a decent ice cream cone for dessert, so I picked it up, and while I was paying, the two young Korean boys behind the counter flirtatiously toyed with me.
Now, I’m not bragging that two cute high school kids were flirting with me, don’t get me wrong. I just call ‘em as I see ‘em. Lol!! :)
So, anyway, one kid says, “Do I have a small face?” and I laughed and said, “Yes, you have a very small face,” and looked at the other one and said, “And so do you.” But both of them strongly contested that, and the guy I said it to even pulled back his bangs to show me his five-head while saying, “Not small! Big!” and I laughed and said, “Big head means big brain. You are a genius!” and they both chuckled with contentment -- one with the looks, one with the brains. :)
When I walked out the door, one of them hollered, “See you again, beautiful girl!”
I guess it doesn’t take much to please kids these days, huh? Anything foreign will do.
Works for me. :)
I’d walked into my classroom for the first time in Korea with a ponytail, after a tough morning of waking up later than planned, among other setbacks, and my co-teacher, Linda, said to me, “Oh, you look like you have such a small face!”
Although I instinctively wanted to say, “Well, screw you, too, sister” with visions of ‘Beetle Juice’ dancing through my head, I refrained. Within seconds, she explained that having a “small face” in Korea is an attribute of beauty. Who would’ve thought it’d be worded in such a manner? More so, who would’ve thought I’d have been granted such praise on a morning when I looked like Hell’s giant windstorm picked me up and twirled the crap out of me, then threw me back on Earth?
I just got back from picking up a 5,000-won pizza (basically, 5 bucks, so you can bet it’s not gourmet, but goodness to heck, it does the job, and cheaply, delightfully so ;)).
While I was waiting for my pizza to get baked, I popped into the convenient store next door, hoping to get some Black Beer Stout (the best Korean beer you will find, and although that’s not saying much, it’s pretty good stuff) to go with it. No Black Beer, but I did find a decent ice cream cone for dessert, so I picked it up, and while I was paying, the two young Korean boys behind the counter flirtatiously toyed with me.
Now, I’m not bragging that two cute high school kids were flirting with me, don’t get me wrong. I just call ‘em as I see ‘em. Lol!! :)
So, anyway, one kid says, “Do I have a small face?” and I laughed and said, “Yes, you have a very small face,” and looked at the other one and said, “And so do you.” But both of them strongly contested that, and the guy I said it to even pulled back his bangs to show me his five-head while saying, “Not small! Big!” and I laughed and said, “Big head means big brain. You are a genius!” and they both chuckled with contentment -- one with the looks, one with the brains. :)
When I walked out the door, one of them hollered, “See you again, beautiful girl!”
I guess it doesn’t take much to please kids these days, huh? Anything foreign will do.
Works for me. :)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Jump Carter!
I’m sure many of you have heard of the oil spill that occurred recently that has greatly affected Koreans. I am attaching an article to this blog post for your information.
Thousands rally for compensation over SKorea oil spill
31 minutes ago
SEOUL (AFP) — Thousands of people hit by South Korea's worst oil spill staged an angry protest in central Seoul Wednesday to demand swift compensation.
Some 3,000 marine farmers and other residents carried oil-coated oysters, fish, anchovies and seaweed, while a few protesters pelted the headquarters of Samsung, operators of the barge which caused the spill, with oil-covered fish.
Others used hammers to smash Samsung-made washing machines, TV sets and refrigerators which they had brought to the rally.
Protesters demanded that parliament and Samsung, South Korea's biggest conglomerate, swiftly compensate them for their threatened livelihoods.
Three people in the worst hit district have committed suicide following delays by local officials in making payments, including one protester who drank poison and set himself on fire last week.
"Samsung Group should promise unlimited accountability and unlimited compensation," the crowd chanted at the rally outside Seoul railway station.
A few blocks away, scores of police buses barricaded the group headquarters. Thousands of riot police were on standby in the area.
The accident happened on December 7 when the Samsung barge carrying a construction crane snapped its towing cables to two tugs in rough seas and rammed the anchored 147,000-ton supertanker Hebei Spirit off the west coast.
The Hong Kong-registered tanker was holed in three places and spilt 10,900 tonnes of crude.
Scores of marine farms and miles of beaches, notably in Taean county about 110 kilometres (69 miles) southwest of Seoul, were devastated.
The central government sent about 60 billion won (63 million dollars) from state coffers and private donations to the region. But regional authorities have been at odds as how to divide the money.
"We are in total despair," said fisherman Park Mong-Kyo, 52. "We just don't know how many more months or years we must go on like this."
Prosecutors on Monday indicted five people -- the skippers of the barge and of the two tugs and the tanker's captain and chief officer -- on charges of negligence and violating anti-pollution laws.
Samsung Heavy Industries and Hebei Shipping, a Hong Kong corporation which owns the tanker, were indicted on charges of violating anti-pollution laws.
Owners and managers of the tanker protested against the decision to charge its crew. Robert Bishop, CEO of British ship management company V.Ships, expressed "dismay and disappointment" in a statement.
Bishop said the Hebei Spirit crew had carried out all instructions from South Korean maritime authorities before the accident and taken every possible measure to minimise the outflow of oil afterwards.
He said evidence showed the captain "acted in an exemplary manner and in the highest possible traditions of the merchant marine."
The Hebei Spirit officers are charged with failing to follow safety orders from navigation authorities.
The owners and insurers of the tanker, along with the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund, have set up a centre to handle damages claims.
Under an agreement with South Korea's maritime ministry, the insurer will pay up to 12 billion won towards the cost of cleaning up the shoreline.
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Scary Eyes
If there’s one thing a teacher needs in order to be successful, it’s scary eyes. I mean, come on, instilling a little bit of fear in students never hurt anything, right? ;) Classroom management comes first, after all, and then the lessons will follow. What better classroom management tool than scary eyes??
I recently worked at an English Camp in Daechon, near the sea, for two weeks. More than one student at camp told me that I had scary eyes. One little girl revealed this opinion of hers at dinner one night, and I just laughed, thinking, “Okaaaay,” certain that she was a wee bit off her rocker since no one had ever unveiled that to me, before.
Then, later in the camp, during a lesson, we were brainstorming things that fell under the category of “scary.” Students were sharing answers anywhere from spiders to roller coasters, and even ghosts. Then, one boy raised his hand and said “Catie Sung Sang Nim” (“Catie Teacher”). I chuckled and said, “Really?” and although I slightly hesitated on adding my own name to the list, I knew it wasn’t my place to discount his contribution to the classroom discussion, and so I wrote it on the white board along with all the other “scary” things. While I wrote it, he pointed to his own eyes, saying, “Yes, Catie Sung Sang Nim…your eyes are scary…they are blue!”
It was apparent that he had no malicious intent.
Instead of letting it bother me that he was basically putting me in the same class as Frankenstein and Brown Recluse, I just wore dark sunglasses until my brown contact lenses came in. J
I’d never thought of myself as having scary eyes, before. Different, maybe. But scary?
Come to think of it, I guess we have witnessed far too many instances in the world where that which is different, does, in fact, scare the living daylights out of us.
I recently worked at an English Camp in Daechon, near the sea, for two weeks. More than one student at camp told me that I had scary eyes. One little girl revealed this opinion of hers at dinner one night, and I just laughed, thinking, “Okaaaay,” certain that she was a wee bit off her rocker since no one had ever unveiled that to me, before.
Then, later in the camp, during a lesson, we were brainstorming things that fell under the category of “scary.” Students were sharing answers anywhere from spiders to roller coasters, and even ghosts. Then, one boy raised his hand and said “Catie Sung Sang Nim” (“Catie Teacher”). I chuckled and said, “Really?” and although I slightly hesitated on adding my own name to the list, I knew it wasn’t my place to discount his contribution to the classroom discussion, and so I wrote it on the white board along with all the other “scary” things. While I wrote it, he pointed to his own eyes, saying, “Yes, Catie Sung Sang Nim…your eyes are scary…they are blue!”
It was apparent that he had no malicious intent.
Instead of letting it bother me that he was basically putting me in the same class as Frankenstein and Brown Recluse, I just wore dark sunglasses until my brown contact lenses came in. J
I’d never thought of myself as having scary eyes, before. Different, maybe. But scary?
Come to think of it, I guess we have witnessed far too many instances in the world where that which is different, does, in fact, scare the living daylights out of us.
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