just a quick plug for kassandra's artsy film... i'm actually in it, (around 7m30s mark) so all the more reason to post a link... check out photosynthetic.
you should also read her blog, she's brilliant.
Thursday, 30 November 2006
photosynthetic
korean commercials
i've been meaning to write about this since i stopped watching korean tv about a month and a half ago... yes, i have a tv in my apartment and it's not even plugged in. when i first got here it was my saviour. i could find many an american show to watch; friends, gilmore girls, alias (not that i did), everybody hates chris, sex and the city, and many many more.
for the first two weeks i could deal with the commercials by changing the channel or using the oh-so-convenient 'mute' button on my remote. as time passed, however, i got so sick and tired of the commercials that i just started downloading tv onto my computer - commercial free.
so, what makes korean commercials so bad? well, first, they aren't interspersed throughout the show like in NA - they are on for about 15-20 minutes straight. they often repeat the same ad several times, and sometimes the same one is on back to back. second, korean commercials (a lot of them anyway) are much akin to north american informercials - a man and a woman standing in front of a product and (to my ears anyway) yelling at you to buy it OR they have really bad K-pop (korean pop music) playing.
but the number one reason i stopped was cause i couldn't get the sunkist lemonade ad song out of my head. even after not hearing it for weeks it just pops into my head and i have to go buy some lemonade. the kids at school sing the song in the halls too. there is no escaping it. so, for your viewing/listening pleasure, here it is. it's slightly different than the one that i saw on tv, but you get the idea. argh!
for the first two weeks i could deal with the commercials by changing the channel or using the oh-so-convenient 'mute' button on my remote. as time passed, however, i got so sick and tired of the commercials that i just started downloading tv onto my computer - commercial free.
so, what makes korean commercials so bad? well, first, they aren't interspersed throughout the show like in NA - they are on for about 15-20 minutes straight. they often repeat the same ad several times, and sometimes the same one is on back to back. second, korean commercials (a lot of them anyway) are much akin to north american informercials - a man and a woman standing in front of a product and (to my ears anyway) yelling at you to buy it OR they have really bad K-pop (korean pop music) playing.
but the number one reason i stopped was cause i couldn't get the sunkist lemonade ad song out of my head. even after not hearing it for weeks it just pops into my head and i have to go buy some lemonade. the kids at school sing the song in the halls too. there is no escaping it. so, for your viewing/listening pleasure, here it is. it's slightly different than the one that i saw on tv, but you get the idea. argh!
now try to tell me that you'd keep watching after hearing that two or three times in a row ten times a night!
Tuesday, 28 November 2006
boats and birds - B is the letter of the day
a couple of weekends ago Kat and i were in Busan. it was Remembrance Day in Canada and we went to the UN Memorial Cemetery, but we also went on a boat tour to the Oryuk Islets. They are really big enough to be called islands - really they're only giant rocks sticking out of the water. But, they are one of the ten prides of Busan - two down and eight to go!
anyway, it was a pretty interesting ride. we paid like twelve bucks to get on this little boat with a whackload of koreans - we were the only waegooks (foreigners) on the ride. i like boats - a lot- and was actually more excited than i let on. i was, however, a little worried about the cold wind that would be attacking us while sitting on the open deck. actually, i think that the cold that has been clinging to me for weeks is a cause of that wind... but i digress.
the boat from the dock.we got prime seats for the ride. there was a couple sitting in front of us, and the guy kept trying to talk to us, though he didn't really know any english. i thought he was drunk, but can't be sure.
the boat load of Koreans on the trip with us.We were expecting the wind, the people, maybe even a little splash of the cold water, but we were not expecting to be cast as extras in a re-make of "the Birds". i've seen it a bunch of times (kat has apparently never gotten through it) but never wanted to be IN it. i once saw it at Place des Arts in Montreal at an outdoor film festival - the screen was the size of the building (maybe 8 stories high) and it scares the hell out of me every time. anyway, the first half of our boat ride was exactly like the parts of the movie where the birds are flying towards you in the audience and you feel like they're going to come flying out of the screen - only this time they were real.
this is nothing, there were hundreds of them...to make matters worse the "drunk" guy in front of us, and all the korean actually, were throwing food off the side of the boat for them all. the woman in front of us kept holding shrimp chips in her hand, maybe in hopes of getting a shit-hawk to land on her arm... i don't know, but it didn't make for easy picture taking of the landscape... but i did manage to get this shot of Gwangalli Bridge with a pretty sailboat:
not bad considering the birds were in the way most of the time.
not bad considering the birds were in the way most of the time.The Oryuk Islets (according to the 'dynamic busan' website) are the symbol of Busan "Busan citizens think that the sea is like a living stage, expressing their happiness and sorrows." that is SO korean... ;)
the Oryuk islets consist of "Pangpae Islets, Suri Islets, Songot Islets, Kull Islets, and Patt Islets. The history of this name is that sea rises to the saddle of Pangpae Islets at high tide, dividing it into two, so that there appear to be six Islets." We weren't there at high tide, so we didn't see all of them, though i tried to figure out where they would be divided and couldn't see that either... in fact, i could only see four and we went all the way around them...
the first view we had of them... looks like there are only two.
this is the first view we got of them...looks like there are only two... (i love the contrast in this shot...)
the Oryuk islets consist of "Pangpae Islets, Suri Islets, Songot Islets, Kull Islets, and Patt Islets. The history of this name is that sea rises to the saddle of Pangpae Islets at high tide, dividing it into two, so that there appear to be six Islets." We weren't there at high tide, so we didn't see all of them, though i tried to figure out where they would be divided and couldn't see that either... in fact, i could only see four and we went all the way around them...
the first view we had of them... looks like there are only two.
this is the first view we got of them...looks like there are only two... (i love the contrast in this shot...)
me and the lighthouse
the lighthousethe waves were really strong on the way back. some korean were lying on the benches below deck trying not to be sick... i'm not sure if anyone was or not.
i hope you can tell in the video that it isn't my shaky hands making the camera do that, but the waves knocking the boat around. we had to hold on for dear life a couple of times, but it was great... it almost felt like we were on an amusement park ride.
all in all it was a great time and worth the money... afterwards, we went to O'Briens for nachos and burgers... yum yum...
i hope you can tell in the video that it isn't my shaky hands making the camera do that, but the waves knocking the boat around. we had to hold on for dear life a couple of times, but it was great... it almost felt like we were on an amusement park ride.
all in all it was a great time and worth the money... afterwards, we went to O'Briens for nachos and burgers... yum yum...
hang on...
dear blog,
sorry i've been ignoring you for the past few days... i just seem to have lost my mojo. i know there is a kick-ass post inside of me somewhere, i'm just trying to find it. so, until i do, please bear with me. i'll be back on the bandwagon soon... ... ... .. .
sorry i've been ignoring you for the past few days... i just seem to have lost my mojo. i know there is a kick-ass post inside of me somewhere, i'm just trying to find it. so, until i do, please bear with me. i'll be back on the bandwagon soon... ... ... .. .
Wednesday, 22 November 2006
i got "tagged"
... didn't even know you could play tag on the internet, but apparently, i'm "it"...
this is a 'meme' which according to quixtarBlog is: "A blog meme is a type of Internet meme that requires active participation by the blogger and rarely traces back to an originating source. It's often a series of questions that a blogger answers to share some personal perspective or experience on random topics."
basically it means answer the damn questions and pass it on... like those annoying emails you get... i guess you don't have to answer, but it'd be fun if you did... i've tagged a couple of bloggers at the bottom of this post... if you can actually get through the whole thing!!!
Do you like the look and contents of your blog?
In general, I like the look of my blog, but there are some changes that I would make, if only I could figure out how to crack the code in the “new blogger beta”. I’m not finding it so easy to make custom changes to the code.
As for content – for the most part, yes. I think that I tend to ramble on at times, and sometimes I don’t have that much to say, but pictures are worth a thousand words, right? So I’ve always got an extra thousand or so for every post. Mostly this blog is for me to share my experiences in life, so I find it interesting – it is, after all, my life.
Does your family know about your blog?
Ya. My mom doesn’t have a computer, and my dad never reads it – least that’s what he tells me – not sure if my brother or anyone else in the fam’ is reading or not…
Can you tell your friends about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing?
This is the best way for me to let my friends know how I’m doing here in SK. Whether they’re reading or not is another matter. This is definitely not a private thing – otherwise it wouldn’t be in the public sphere… would it?
Do you read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? Or do you try and discover new blogs?
I read the blogs of people who post comments, but there aren’t very many random comments from people with blogs. I am always looking for new blogs to read and search out ones that interest me when I have time.
Did your blog positively affect your mind? Give an example...
ummm…maybe. I’ve always kept a journal, so the blog isn’t much different in an “affect your mind” kind of way… just that other people read it.
What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? Do you have a traffic counter?
I just got a traffic counter last week and have been borderline psychotic in checking who is reading my blog… well, as much as I can check where they’re from (Canada, US, Greece, Australia, France, Japan, Singapore, Romania(?!), what browser they use (other (?), IE, Firefox), their OS, where they were referred from, etc… the number isn’t really that important (462 hits and 216 visitors since nov. 16th !!!!) okay, maybe I like seeing that people are reading. It stems from the disappointment of the listeners of my college radio show – a big fat 0 most of the time. It made me crave the attentions of the masses… okay, whatever, this is crap – I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE READ AND COMMENT!!!!
Do you imagine what other bloggers look like?
Never really thought about it before in a physical sense. I think I more imagine their personalities.
Do you think blogging has any real benefits?
Depends what you mean by “benefits” – for the blogger I think it does – as an outlet, a means of communicating with people you would never otherwise communicate with (see traffic counter – Romania?? Who is reading from Romania, Singapore, etc??) it’s kind of crazy for me to think that there are people from all over the world that I am reaching in my own little way. For the readers – I think it does as well, people learning new things, seeing the world in a different way. So, I guess ya, I think blogging has “real” benefits.
Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone world community separated from the real world?
Sort of. I mean, everyone has their own identity in the blogosphere, and it doesn’t have to be the same as the one in their “real” lives. You can be anything you want without having to worry about people judging you. I don’t mean this in a creepy pedophilia kind of way, just in a more “open, honest about yourself” kind of way.
Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?
Bah. Don’t really care either way. We need to worry about the mass media conglomerates more than individuals and their blogs.
Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?
Not really. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog if you died?
Uh, no… hopefully it would live on in cyberspace… I’ll have to figure out how to post from the after life though…
Which blogger has had the greatest impression on you?
What kind of impression are we talking about here? some blogs are good for their wit, their writing, their voices; others are good for their photos or content, I don’t think I can pick just one. The ones I read regularly are listed to the right, and those are the ones I like.
Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?
Ha! None. No one can ever be like me!!! lol… just kidding, not sure really… I’d say coulda woulda shoulda, but she’s way cooler than I am…
Name a song you want to listen to.
Uh, at the mo’ anything other than the Korean Sunkist lemonade song!!!
Tag some people.
coulda woulda shoulda, back in the motherland , Stranger in a strange land, liza in cymru… and whoever else feels like it.
this is a 'meme' which according to quixtarBlog is: "A blog meme is a type of Internet meme that requires active participation by the blogger and rarely traces back to an originating source. It's often a series of questions that a blogger answers to share some personal perspective or experience on random topics."
basically it means answer the damn questions and pass it on... like those annoying emails you get... i guess you don't have to answer, but it'd be fun if you did... i've tagged a couple of bloggers at the bottom of this post... if you can actually get through the whole thing!!!
Do you like the look and contents of your blog?
In general, I like the look of my blog, but there are some changes that I would make, if only I could figure out how to crack the code in the “new blogger beta”. I’m not finding it so easy to make custom changes to the code.
As for content – for the most part, yes. I think that I tend to ramble on at times, and sometimes I don’t have that much to say, but pictures are worth a thousand words, right? So I’ve always got an extra thousand or so for every post. Mostly this blog is for me to share my experiences in life, so I find it interesting – it is, after all, my life.
Does your family know about your blog?
Ya. My mom doesn’t have a computer, and my dad never reads it – least that’s what he tells me – not sure if my brother or anyone else in the fam’ is reading or not…
Can you tell your friends about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing?
This is the best way for me to let my friends know how I’m doing here in SK. Whether they’re reading or not is another matter. This is definitely not a private thing – otherwise it wouldn’t be in the public sphere… would it?
Do you read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? Or do you try and discover new blogs?
I read the blogs of people who post comments, but there aren’t very many random comments from people with blogs. I am always looking for new blogs to read and search out ones that interest me when I have time.
Did your blog positively affect your mind? Give an example...
ummm…maybe. I’ve always kept a journal, so the blog isn’t much different in an “affect your mind” kind of way… just that other people read it.
What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? Do you have a traffic counter?
I just got a traffic counter last week and have been borderline psychotic in checking who is reading my blog… well, as much as I can check where they’re from (Canada, US, Greece, Australia, France, Japan, Singapore, Romania(?!), what browser they use (other (?), IE, Firefox), their OS, where they were referred from, etc… the number isn’t really that important (462 hits and 216 visitors since nov. 16th !!!!) okay, maybe I like seeing that people are reading. It stems from the disappointment of the listeners of my college radio show – a big fat 0 most of the time. It made me crave the attentions of the masses… okay, whatever, this is crap – I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE READ AND COMMENT!!!!
Do you imagine what other bloggers look like?
Never really thought about it before in a physical sense. I think I more imagine their personalities.
Do you think blogging has any real benefits?
Depends what you mean by “benefits” – for the blogger I think it does – as an outlet, a means of communicating with people you would never otherwise communicate with (see traffic counter – Romania?? Who is reading from Romania, Singapore, etc??) it’s kind of crazy for me to think that there are people from all over the world that I am reaching in my own little way. For the readers – I think it does as well, people learning new things, seeing the world in a different way. So, I guess ya, I think blogging has “real” benefits.
Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone world community separated from the real world?
Sort of. I mean, everyone has their own identity in the blogosphere, and it doesn’t have to be the same as the one in their “real” lives. You can be anything you want without having to worry about people judging you. I don’t mean this in a creepy pedophilia kind of way, just in a more “open, honest about yourself” kind of way.
Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?
Bah. Don’t really care either way. We need to worry about the mass media conglomerates more than individuals and their blogs.
Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?
Not really. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog if you died?
Uh, no… hopefully it would live on in cyberspace… I’ll have to figure out how to post from the after life though…
Which blogger has had the greatest impression on you?
What kind of impression are we talking about here? some blogs are good for their wit, their writing, their voices; others are good for their photos or content, I don’t think I can pick just one. The ones I read regularly are listed to the right, and those are the ones I like.
Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?
Ha! None. No one can ever be like me!!! lol… just kidding, not sure really… I’d say coulda woulda shoulda, but she’s way cooler than I am…
Name a song you want to listen to.
Uh, at the mo’ anything other than the Korean Sunkist lemonade song!!!
Tag some people.
coulda woulda shoulda, back in the motherland , Stranger in a strange land, liza in cymru… and whoever else feels like it.
Tuesday, 21 November 2006
the short stick...part deux
this morning jo (my amazing korean english teacher) told me that she arranged a sit-down with my co-teacher and me after last period today. she told me that she would attend as well. all day i was worried about it, trying to figure out what i would say and how i would say it. but she had already told him about the letter i wrote - i don't know what else she said about it, but it seemed like he was freaking out a bit that i'd told her about the sauna and his kids etc...
he apologized for everything. i apologized for calling him an asshole (though it felt great at the time, i did feel bad about it).
we agreed to start at zero; to try and communicate better (i've heard that one before); that he would tell me when he doesn't understand me - turns out half the time he has no idea what i'm saying; that if i need anything i will ask jo and if she doesn't know she'll ask him if need be; and finally that we would be amicable to each other no matter what.
hopefully the situation is resolved - i certainly feel a lot better for having had the chance to tell him that he made me doubt my decision in coming here and that i wanted to go home after the way he treated me last week. i'm feeling good about it all now, and hopefully things will stay this way. jo was worried about me and how i seemed so unhappy for the last few days, which i was, but i think that it'll all be okay...
even though i originally got the short stick, i think i just picked a new one and it's a lot bigger than the last. :)
he apologized for everything. i apologized for calling him an asshole (though it felt great at the time, i did feel bad about it).
we agreed to start at zero; to try and communicate better (i've heard that one before); that he would tell me when he doesn't understand me - turns out half the time he has no idea what i'm saying; that if i need anything i will ask jo and if she doesn't know she'll ask him if need be; and finally that we would be amicable to each other no matter what.
hopefully the situation is resolved - i certainly feel a lot better for having had the chance to tell him that he made me doubt my decision in coming here and that i wanted to go home after the way he treated me last week. i'm feeling good about it all now, and hopefully things will stay this way. jo was worried about me and how i seemed so unhappy for the last few days, which i was, but i think that it'll all be okay...
even though i originally got the short stick, i think i just picked a new one and it's a lot bigger than the last. :)
Monday, 20 November 2006
ebb and flow
today was a pretty good day. i felt like i could just shake it all off... one of my team teachers told me that she would talk to my co-teacher with me and help me find a solution to my problem with him - but i think it's more than that. i just felt able to deal with all the shit - ebb and flow - dealing with culture shock is all about recognizing it, and then being as positive about it all as you can... maybe i've been repressing a lot of my feelings of culture shock and that's why it hit me all at once... i think i can do it now...
school was pretty good. i did some good lessons on pronunciation of tee aitch (TH)... since the most used word in the english language is 'the' i thought it would be good for them to be able to say it, instead of 'duh' it also helps them distinguish between "s" words. it was all right. in my other classes we played broken telephone - always a hit since it's a game. little do they know they're practising their english at the same time... it's perfect - listening and speaking... they understand how important it is when the message gets messed up in the middle and they don't get the answer right. i get to play it in almost every class for the rest of the week... good times!
things are looking up, and hopefully they'll stay that way. at least i'm prepared for the tide now...
school was pretty good. i did some good lessons on pronunciation of tee aitch (TH)... since the most used word in the english language is 'the' i thought it would be good for them to be able to say it, instead of 'duh' it also helps them distinguish between "s" words. it was all right. in my other classes we played broken telephone - always a hit since it's a game. little do they know they're practising their english at the same time... it's perfect - listening and speaking... they understand how important it is when the message gets messed up in the middle and they don't get the answer right. i get to play it in almost every class for the rest of the week... good times!
things are looking up, and hopefully they'll stay that way. at least i'm prepared for the tide now...
Sunday, 19 November 2006
gum chewers
anyone who knows me really well, knows that my biggest "pet peeve" is people who chew like cows. as it turns out, i have come to the land of the cud chewing koreans... everywhere i go lips are smacking, tongues are flapping, and gum is snapping... i can't get away from it.
i was on the bus today and the bus driver was driving me insane with his gum popping in his mouth like little tiny explosions every three seconds... i turned up my ipod as loud as i could handle it and i could still hear his gum in his mouth. i moved to the back of the bus, and there was a passenger doing the same thing... i don't know if it's their bad teeth, or if they like doing it, but koreans could use a lesson in chewing. see what i've been saying about the frustrations? *sigh...
i was on the bus today and the bus driver was driving me insane with his gum popping in his mouth like little tiny explosions every three seconds... i turned up my ipod as loud as i could handle it and i could still hear his gum in his mouth. i moved to the back of the bus, and there was a passenger doing the same thing... i don't know if it's their bad teeth, or if they like doing it, but koreans could use a lesson in chewing. see what i've been saying about the frustrations? *sigh...
Friday, 17 November 2006
culture shock
i'm having an "i hate korea" week. it's always up and down, but yesterday i actually pulled out my contract to see if there's a way for me to get out of this. i also checked how much it would cost me to fly home. it's not an option at this juncture...
it's not that i really hate korea, i'm just so frustrated with all kinds of things. i'm straight back into culture shock phase 2 - the worst phase to be in.
phase one is the "honeymoon" phase. it's when you first arrive and everything is so new and wonderful. like when i discovered the plastic wrap for your umbrella when you walk into a store, or figured out that i liked kimchi after all, or realized that korea is full of really nice people, and that i would be ok.
phase two is when the honeymoon is over - you begin to realize that is really isn't so easy to adapt to a new culture, country, language, customs, people...etc... you begin to feel frustration over not being able to communicate, and the entire place feels like it's out to get you.
phase three is when you start to have a better understanding of the culture. things seem like thye'll be all right, you're happy again, and life is moving along smoothly.
phase four is when you realize there are good and bad things in the new culture, but you are ok with it and you feel a solid sense of belonging.
ya, phase two is the worst, and from my experience, there is a very fine line between two and three. i felt like i was in three, but now i'm back to two, and i just hate being there. my dork of a co-teacher is making me feel like crap over what happened, even though i know i shouldn't, he still hasn't spoken to me. that part doesn't really bother me much, but he's gone and thrown out all the good that i saw in this place.
last night, for instance, i was trying to get a cab and i saw one coming so i flagged it. well, it just sped right past me (no, there was no one else in it). i know that this can happen everywhere, but i was really angry - i never know if it's because i'm a foreigner or because the person is a dickhead. more and more i feel like korean aren't so nice to foreigners. they resent us for some reason, maybe we represent something they know they'll never have... maybe they're jealous because they can't speak english and wish they did... maybe they're just racist, or sexist in my case... i don't know, but so much of the time i feel like i have a huge target tattooed on my forehead... and i hate the feeling.
it hadn't been bothering me of late, and then bang! just like that this week i can't deal with it. i just want to scream and shout and swear at them all. i get dirty looks when i walk down the street, when i'm in stores, on the bus, everywhere i go. if i'm smoking it's even worse, but that's a whole other story.
i'm sure that i'll get through this. i'm stuck in my contract until at least march - that's the 6 month point when i don't have to pay back my airfare here, but will still get stuck footing the bill for the way home. i'm trying to stay positive, but it just isn't as easy as that.
i figure that regular school is only until december 27th, so that's like five weeks... then i won't have to work with my co-teacher again until mid-february, and maybe i can get a transfer if things don't improve. there are tons of other schools around, and like i said, march 1 is the six month mark and i can just break my contract and a) go home or b) get a job at a hakwon (while forfeiting my year-end bonus and having to wait another year for it, if i stay).
i'll just have to see how long it takes me to get back into phase three, hopefully it won't be long. right now it feels like never...
it's not that i really hate korea, i'm just so frustrated with all kinds of things. i'm straight back into culture shock phase 2 - the worst phase to be in.
phase one is the "honeymoon" phase. it's when you first arrive and everything is so new and wonderful. like when i discovered the plastic wrap for your umbrella when you walk into a store, or figured out that i liked kimchi after all, or realized that korea is full of really nice people, and that i would be ok.
phase two is when the honeymoon is over - you begin to realize that is really isn't so easy to adapt to a new culture, country, language, customs, people...etc... you begin to feel frustration over not being able to communicate, and the entire place feels like it's out to get you.
phase three is when you start to have a better understanding of the culture. things seem like thye'll be all right, you're happy again, and life is moving along smoothly.
phase four is when you realize there are good and bad things in the new culture, but you are ok with it and you feel a solid sense of belonging.
ya, phase two is the worst, and from my experience, there is a very fine line between two and three. i felt like i was in three, but now i'm back to two, and i just hate being there. my dork of a co-teacher is making me feel like crap over what happened, even though i know i shouldn't, he still hasn't spoken to me. that part doesn't really bother me much, but he's gone and thrown out all the good that i saw in this place.
last night, for instance, i was trying to get a cab and i saw one coming so i flagged it. well, it just sped right past me (no, there was no one else in it). i know that this can happen everywhere, but i was really angry - i never know if it's because i'm a foreigner or because the person is a dickhead. more and more i feel like korean aren't so nice to foreigners. they resent us for some reason, maybe we represent something they know they'll never have... maybe they're jealous because they can't speak english and wish they did... maybe they're just racist, or sexist in my case... i don't know, but so much of the time i feel like i have a huge target tattooed on my forehead... and i hate the feeling.
it hadn't been bothering me of late, and then bang! just like that this week i can't deal with it. i just want to scream and shout and swear at them all. i get dirty looks when i walk down the street, when i'm in stores, on the bus, everywhere i go. if i'm smoking it's even worse, but that's a whole other story.
i'm sure that i'll get through this. i'm stuck in my contract until at least march - that's the 6 month point when i don't have to pay back my airfare here, but will still get stuck footing the bill for the way home. i'm trying to stay positive, but it just isn't as easy as that.
i figure that regular school is only until december 27th, so that's like five weeks... then i won't have to work with my co-teacher again until mid-february, and maybe i can get a transfer if things don't improve. there are tons of other schools around, and like i said, march 1 is the six month mark and i can just break my contract and a) go home or b) get a job at a hakwon (while forfeiting my year-end bonus and having to wait another year for it, if i stay).
i'll just have to see how long it takes me to get back into phase three, hopefully it won't be long. right now it feels like never...
Tuesday, 14 November 2006
the short stick
When it comes to co-teachers, I got the short stick. It’s taken me two and a half months to admit this, even to myself, but after much consideration, I have to say that I’d be better off without him a lot of the time.
I work in only one middle school, my co-teacher (the one “in charge” of me) is in his late thirties/early forties, and thinks that he’s gods gift to English education. I think he’s an asshole – excuse my language, hope it doesn’t offend anyone, but he is. He likes to put on these airs of being so great because he spent a month or two in the US on some exchange program, but really he’s the worst teacher at the school. His students have the worst grades of any of my six other team-teachers.
That however, is not my main issue with him. Since the day I have arrived he’s tried to pretend to be nice and to “take care” of me, until I really need something then he has no idea what is going on and tries to just tell me to accept things. “This is the way it is in Korea,” or “you must do this,” or “you must listen to me,” more recently I have been having trouble with him regarding my pay and clarifications on the deductions that are being taken.
In September I got paid one amount and in October I got paid less. When I tried to find out why, he told me “this is just how much you will get paid now.” Sorry, but that is an unacceptable answer in my books. When I pushed him to get me a pay slip he tried to convince me that I don’t need one. Then he told me all of the amounts deducted were normal, which they are not. I don’t know a single other ESL teacher in Korea who has to pay unemployment insurance, do you? He tried to tell me that when the year is over I can claim it, which is a load of crap, I am not allowed to claim Korean unemployment, I’m here on a contract, and when that contract is up, my visa expires and I have to leave the country.
It has been over a week since I asked for a pay slip and I still don’t have one. I finally had to get the supervisor of my province’s English teachers program on the phone. He has assured me that I would have a pay slip in a few days and if not to call him back.
This is not the only reason I call him an asshole.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling terrible. I didn’t sleep all night because my throat was so sore that I kept waking up, I also had a fever and the sickest headache I’ve ever had. So, I went to school because I didn't know how to call in sick, and I knew I needed to go to the doctor - thus I was in need of a Korean. Too bad for me that the one I have to go to is my co-teacher.
When he finally got in (he's always late) he told me to go rest in the ladies room (we have a room for female teachers to sleep in when needed) and after something - pictures? I’m not sure what he was talking about, I was pretty out of it – he would take me to the doctor. Well, he forgot about me and left me there for two hours. At least I was able to get a little sleep, though it's hard with screaming kids running around outside.
So, I finally went and told him I needed to go to the doctor. He said he would take me, though he acted as though he were my savior and as if he were going out of his way. The doctor told me that I have tonsillitis, and that I should rest for a few days. He gave me a prescription to fill, and the mandatory “shot” that you get at the doctors. We were on our way; he would take me to the pharmacy and drive me home.
Of course, being Korean, he illegally parked while we were at the doctor's - it's not my place to tell him not to, last time I did that he told me that it was ok...and to never mind. Well, this time he got a ticket.
He couldn't wrap his head around it, a ticket? A ticket? “What do you think about this ticket?” he actually asked me that. I said, "Are you kidding? I can barely speak and you're asking me what I think of this ticket? It’s a ticket." Then he said, "Well I think you should pay for half of it." To which I replied, "this isn't the time, are you serious?" The doctor just told him that I needed to get home and get to bed and stay there, no stress, no work... and he's asking me about a parking ticket? WTF? Then he says, “Well, if you don't want to pay for it, then I’m just going to go back to school now and you can walk home.” At which point he pointed at the door as if to say ‘get out of my car.’ So I called him an asshole and walked home.
Am I over-reacting here? This is not the first time that he has done something like this to me, but I would have to write a short novella if I wanted to tell you everything… the first time he brought me to sauna and napped in the same cubby hole as me, the time he asked me how many men I’ve slept with, the two times he sent me to immigration by myself, the times that he’s tried to make me feel like I was indebted to him for him doing his job… I can keep going here.
I am friends’ with several other Korean co-teachers in my city and friends of mine have told their co-teachers about mine, and they all seem appalled by his complete indifference and lack of ability. I don’t want to make it seem like all co-teachers are like this, I don’t think that they are, like I said, I just got the short stick.
I work in only one middle school, my co-teacher (the one “in charge” of me) is in his late thirties/early forties, and thinks that he’s gods gift to English education. I think he’s an asshole – excuse my language, hope it doesn’t offend anyone, but he is. He likes to put on these airs of being so great because he spent a month or two in the US on some exchange program, but really he’s the worst teacher at the school. His students have the worst grades of any of my six other team-teachers.
That however, is not my main issue with him. Since the day I have arrived he’s tried to pretend to be nice and to “take care” of me, until I really need something then he has no idea what is going on and tries to just tell me to accept things. “This is the way it is in Korea,” or “you must do this,” or “you must listen to me,” more recently I have been having trouble with him regarding my pay and clarifications on the deductions that are being taken.
In September I got paid one amount and in October I got paid less. When I tried to find out why, he told me “this is just how much you will get paid now.” Sorry, but that is an unacceptable answer in my books. When I pushed him to get me a pay slip he tried to convince me that I don’t need one. Then he told me all of the amounts deducted were normal, which they are not. I don’t know a single other ESL teacher in Korea who has to pay unemployment insurance, do you? He tried to tell me that when the year is over I can claim it, which is a load of crap, I am not allowed to claim Korean unemployment, I’m here on a contract, and when that contract is up, my visa expires and I have to leave the country.
It has been over a week since I asked for a pay slip and I still don’t have one. I finally had to get the supervisor of my province’s English teachers program on the phone. He has assured me that I would have a pay slip in a few days and if not to call him back.
This is not the only reason I call him an asshole.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling terrible. I didn’t sleep all night because my throat was so sore that I kept waking up, I also had a fever and the sickest headache I’ve ever had. So, I went to school because I didn't know how to call in sick, and I knew I needed to go to the doctor - thus I was in need of a Korean. Too bad for me that the one I have to go to is my co-teacher.
When he finally got in (he's always late) he told me to go rest in the ladies room (we have a room for female teachers to sleep in when needed) and after something - pictures? I’m not sure what he was talking about, I was pretty out of it – he would take me to the doctor. Well, he forgot about me and left me there for two hours. At least I was able to get a little sleep, though it's hard with screaming kids running around outside.
So, I finally went and told him I needed to go to the doctor. He said he would take me, though he acted as though he were my savior and as if he were going out of his way. The doctor told me that I have tonsillitis, and that I should rest for a few days. He gave me a prescription to fill, and the mandatory “shot” that you get at the doctors. We were on our way; he would take me to the pharmacy and drive me home.
Of course, being Korean, he illegally parked while we were at the doctor's - it's not my place to tell him not to, last time I did that he told me that it was ok...and to never mind. Well, this time he got a ticket.
He couldn't wrap his head around it, a ticket? A ticket? “What do you think about this ticket?” he actually asked me that. I said, "Are you kidding? I can barely speak and you're asking me what I think of this ticket? It’s a ticket." Then he said, "Well I think you should pay for half of it." To which I replied, "this isn't the time, are you serious?" The doctor just told him that I needed to get home and get to bed and stay there, no stress, no work... and he's asking me about a parking ticket? WTF? Then he says, “Well, if you don't want to pay for it, then I’m just going to go back to school now and you can walk home.” At which point he pointed at the door as if to say ‘get out of my car.’ So I called him an asshole and walked home.
Am I over-reacting here? This is not the first time that he has done something like this to me, but I would have to write a short novella if I wanted to tell you everything… the first time he brought me to sauna and napped in the same cubby hole as me, the time he asked me how many men I’ve slept with, the two times he sent me to immigration by myself, the times that he’s tried to make me feel like I was indebted to him for him doing his job… I can keep going here.
I am friends’ with several other Korean co-teachers in my city and friends of mine have told their co-teachers about mine, and they all seem appalled by his complete indifference and lack of ability. I don’t want to make it seem like all co-teachers are like this, I don’t think that they are, like I said, I just got the short stick.
Monday, 13 November 2006
United Nations Memorial Cemetery
On Saturday, Kat and I were supposed to go to Beomeo Temple in northern Busan, but we didn’t. it was rainy in the morning, and we were worried about climbing a mountain in the rain, so we made changed our plans. Seeing as it was 
Remembrance Day (November 11th) in Canada, we visited the UN Memorial Cemetery. Though we didn’t get to do what we were planning, I got to scratch the cemetery off my “Korean To-Do List.”
Remembrance Day (November 11th) in Canada, we visited the UN Memorial Cemetery. Though we didn’t get to do what we were planning, I got to scratch the cemetery off my “Korean To-Do List.”I felt quite solemn when I walked through the front gates. There is a sign with the rules listed: Be quiet, keep your clothing proper, do not exercise, do not bring in food or pets, keep off the grass, don’t litter, and if you are found making noise you will be asked to leave. These rules are in order to preserve the dignity and respect of a place like this, something that I think is very important too.
Above you can see the main entrance. Listed on this wall are the number of casualties for each country that was a part of the United Nations Forces in the Korean War (1950-53). There are 378 Canadian soldiers interred in Busan, though there were 516 deaths.
I wasn't expecting to feel the way i did when i saw all the graves... i've always had a strange soft spot for people who died in the name of freedom. Call me cheesy or whatever you will, but many of these graves are those of mere boys, mostly between the ages 18 and 21.
Kat asked me at one point if i could imagine what it must have been like to be at war in this country. all i could say was no. it is unfathomable, unless you have experienced it, to have any idea what war is like, and i'm not gonig to try and pretend that i do. i am lucky enough to come from a country that has never been afflicted with civil war, strife, or even major terrorist action. and that is, in part, thanks to the brave souls - like the ones here - who gave their life so that i would know freedom.
every grave has a marker with names, dates, country of origin, and rank. they also have a rose bush and a hedge-like bush next to them.
The Wall of Remembrance commemorates the 996, 937 UN Forces casualties of the Korean war.i've seen these kinds of monuments on TV, but this was the first time that i came face to face with so many thousands of names.
you can see the length of the wall in the reflection of the photo to the left. behind that there was another massive wall with just as many names on it.
"Canadian Veterans of the Korean War dedicated a
memorial statue designed by Mr. Vincent R. Courtenay, the Canadian Veteran, on November 11, 2001, of which the soldiers depicted have no helmet or weapon, nor unit insignia. It symbolizes a national characteristic of Canadian, which is to embrace all humanity regardless of personality or formality. 21 maple leaves and roses of Sharon, national symbols of Canada and Korea, held by the boy and girl express the 21 missing Canadian soldiers." (source: UN Memorial Cemetery website)i know this is really sappy, but i feel really proud that i was able, in my own little way, to pay homage on Remembrance Day.
The Buddhist temple in Beomeo will always be there, but November 11th is only once a year, and i'm really happy that it rained in the morning.
Sunday, 12 November 2006
korean bbq, lots and lots of korean bbq...
friday i went out for dinner with abbey, dave, and ben - earlier in the week they discovered a korean bbq buffet near the B & Girls, and they invited me for their second round.
now, i've had korean bbq, and it's usually all you can eat just because there's so much food... but this was incredible; an all you can eat bbq buffet with any kind of meat you wanted and everything else you could want to go along with it.
beef, pork, sausage, kimchi, salad, fried chicken, meat balls, garlic, pickled radish, onion, rice, soup, and the list goes on... sorry the pics aren't so great, guess i was hungry and forgot to get everything... but you get the idea.
some of the marinated meat... pork, squid, beef, and more pork. in case i haven't said it before, the koreans are crazy for pork.
some of the fried (pre-cooked) food available, chicken balls, spring rolls, dumplings... yummy.
... and of course, more pork...
this is what out table looked like after round one, we went back for seconds, and i think the boys had thirds... it was delicious (as the koreans are always saying). the best part was that it cost us about twelve dollars each - drinks included. we had two bottles of soju and two bottles of beer between the four of us, definitely a deal! thanks for the great evening guys!
now, i've had korean bbq, and it's usually all you can eat just because there's so much food... but this was incredible; an all you can eat bbq buffet with any kind of meat you wanted and everything else you could want to go along with it.
beef, pork, sausage, kimchi, salad, fried chicken, meat balls, garlic, pickled radish, onion, rice, soup, and the list goes on... sorry the pics aren't so great, guess i was hungry and forgot to get everything... but you get the idea.
some of the marinated meat... pork, squid, beef, and more pork. in case i haven't said it before, the koreans are crazy for pork.
some of the fried (pre-cooked) food available, chicken balls, spring rolls, dumplings... yummy.
... and of course, more pork...
this is what out table looked like after round one, we went back for seconds, and i think the boys had thirds... it was delicious (as the koreans are always saying). the best part was that it cost us about twelve dollars each - drinks included. we had two bottles of soju and two bottles of beer between the four of us, definitely a deal! thanks for the great evening guys!Friday, 10 November 2006
happy pepero day!
well, it's actually tomorrow - november 11th - and while canadians are remembering our fallen heros, the koreans are celebrating the most commercial holiday that exists (as far as i can tell). "pepero day" has absolutely no historical value, doesn't commemorate anything special, and isn't an actual "off work" kind of holiday. pepero day was invented by the Lotte corporation and is a day where kids give other kids pepero. pepero is long stick-like cookies covered in chocolate... sometime with almonds (green box below) and sometimes not. now, you're supposed to only give pepero on this day, but lots of other chocolate gets thrown into the mix... i even found a box of Mr. Big "Canadian Teens Favourite Candy Bar" !!! sorry no pic, but i did get some and they were good! i gave pepero to a couple of teachers and these are what i got in return:
mmm... yummy. the middle box was from a student... they're all right as far as candy goes, but nothing that special really, i suppose that's why they had to invent a day to sell them!
stay tuned, i'm off to the Beomeo Temple in Busan tomorrow so there should be something interesting here soon!
mmm... yummy. the middle box was from a student... they're all right as far as candy goes, but nothing that special really, i suppose that's why they had to invent a day to sell them!stay tuned, i'm off to the Beomeo Temple in Busan tomorrow so there should be something interesting here soon!
Tuesday, 7 November 2006
the movies!
On Sunday i went to the movies! i haven't been to the theatre in ages, even when i was in canada... so just the fact that i went is kind of special. the fact that it was my first time in korea, made it even more special. i was getting funny looks from the koreans - which i'm used to - but not because i'm a foreigner, but because i was taking pictures of the ticket box:
the screens above the cashiers show the movies and times and how many seats are left for each. the smaller red numbers are the customer they are serving.
that's right! you have to take a number! no waiting in line for ages! and they even have seats for you to sit on. after your number is called you go and get your ticket, which has your assigned seat printed on it. no more waiting to get in the theatre first for the best seats. (i did find out today that the best seats are only available for reservation online...)
then it's off to the sweet bar! mmm... real theatre popcorn. we originally ordered the #3 which was popcorn, a drink, and what we thought was candy... but which ended up being buttered squid. we changed our order when we found that out.
we ended up with popcorn and a drink... abbey finished hers, i didn't... oddly enough.
then there is the "no outside food" sign, which in korea is a picture of squid! haha! love it!
so we saw the devil wears prada, which was pretty good. the movie was in english with korean subtitles so i could almost have been in any theatre in canada... it was a nice escape. thanks girls!
Sunday, 5 November 2006
english activity contest.
this weekend was a short one for me - i worked on saturday... something i swear to never do again. a day or two after the call from GIMFL (the boarding school) i got another call from the board of education. "can you work on november fourth? we need someone to judge the english speaking contest," said the lady. "november fourth... november fourth...?? what day of the week is that?" i replied. "it's saturday morning." my immediate reply was "i don't work on saturdays" then she more or less begged me, as if my saying no would jeopardize the entire affair, and there wouldn't be a contest! so i asked how much it paid. $30. how long would it take? 2-3 hours. where was it? Seomyeon elementary school. "well, i guess a couple of hours won't kill me, okay, i'll do it." BIG mistake. i should've said no. no way. or as they say in korea ANIO.a day and a half before the "english activity contest" i got an official document at my school (from the board of education) outlining the details of who, what, where...etc... as it turned out, the even was taking place in Jangyu... the same city as the boarding school i had been to. as far as i knew transportation was NOT included and since it cost me like 13,000 won there and another 13,000 back the last time i went, well, let's just say i was not interested in paying that myself (the boarding school paid for it). especially if the job was only paying me 30,000 all tolled.
after hours of trying to explain that i wouldn't do it unless they paid for my transportation - they agreed to pay me an extra 15,000 for a taxi home and that jay would drive me there in the morning. this was all right with me... i was just disappointed that this woman had lied to me about the location - telling me it was in gimhae when it wasn't... i'm slowly learning that koreans like to pretend that they have a culture built on mutual respect but they'll do or say anything to a foreigner just to get them to agree. needless to say if this woman ever asks me for anything again i am going to say no. i don't appreciate being lied to.
anyway, the competition itself also lasted longer than the 2-3 hours she told me, i was there from 9 am to 1:30 pm and last time i checked that's four and a half hours - on a saturday!!! argh. i was also told they would provide lunch, and there was nothing... more lies... anyway, there were a bunch of other foreign teachers there, so i saw some of my friends, and actually ended up getting a lift back to gimhae with scott - the other canadian epik teacher here in gimhae. so i didn't have to pay for the taxi after all....
i was judging the grade four students on their spoken english. they would come into the room and sit at a desk about two feet in front of me. there were two korean teachers who were also judging - one on my left and one on my right. the one on the left would start with 'beginner' questions "how are you? what is your name?" then the one on the left would ask 'intermediate' questions, "tell me about your family" and then i would ask the 'advanced' questions, "what do you do after school? tell me about your hobbies, and would you like to travel? where? why?". then the kids would have to choose one of three pictures and talk about it.
we did this with over forty kids. the winner was miles ahead of the rest and actually got 100/100 from the other two teachers. she got the highest grade i gave 93/100. her english was better than any of my middle school students and she's three years younger than them!
anyway, lessons learned - 1. do not work on saturday (unless they're paying too much to say no) 2. don't trust mrs park at the board of education. 3. beware the korean who is too eager to please you.
Thursday, 2 November 2006
school 'festival'
monday was the opening day of our "school festival" i'm not sure why they call it a "festival" it's more like an art show - as far as i can see... but maybe they all did something while i was away. in fact, i was surprised by how good some of the art was, the students have been working hard on their projects... here are a few of my favourites:
this is a shot of the whole room - the school gymnasium... i'd never even seen it before the show opened!
this is like sand art... the design is outlined in gold string and coloured in with sand.
these are regular plastic bottles covered in twine and then painted. the gold string designs are added after.
this is one of my favourites.
this looks like a painting, but is actually made with material... the texture is incredible.
clay. the students all went to some museum where they made all these clay things, this was one of the best out of about 300.
this is traditional korean paper art. all these things, including the lamps and lanterns, are made with paper. i've got a couple of kits on order with the teacher who organized this part of the show... i'm going to try my hand at it! it looked like so much fun, and the results are really nice. when/if i ever do one, i'll post the process here for you.
so that was the school festival - some art, though i'm sure they did something while i was away at gimfl... but no one can give me any details... don't know how much i'm going to post this weekend, kat is coming down saturday and i have plans to go to the movies on sunday, but i'll be posting soon! in the meantime, have a good one!
this is traditional korean paper art. all these things, including the lamps and lanterns, are made with paper. i've got a couple of kits on order with the teacher who organized this part of the show... i'm going to try my hand at it! it looked like so much fun, and the results are really nice. when/if i ever do one, i'll post the process here for you.so that was the school festival - some art, though i'm sure they did something while i was away at gimfl... but no one can give me any details... don't know how much i'm going to post this weekend, kat is coming down saturday and i have plans to go to the movies on sunday, but i'll be posting soon! in the meantime, have a good one!
Wednesday, 1 November 2006
Gimhae Foreign Language High School
i got a call about a week and half ago from Seong-Hee at GIMFL to ask me if i would be willing to help them out with their entrance exams. the high school, located just outside of gimhae in Jangyu, is a public boarding school for super smart kids. they focus on foreign language learning and have not only native english speakers, but also chinese and japanese.
it's a new school that opened this year and has only 150 students right now. their entrance exams for next years grade 1 class were today. there were about 600 applicants for 150 positions and those 600 were narrowed down to 400 before today. the exam consists of a reading section and a listening section.
i was asked to record the listening part of the exam. since the school doesn't have any female native speakers, they needed to borrow me, and mrs. kim at the board of education recommended me. thanks! they said they would pay me 100,000 won for my voice and 30,000 for having to stay over night. over night? ya that's right...
apparently a few years ago one of the professors who was writing the SAT exam for korea managed to smuggle the answers to the parents of a student who would have otherwise failed... well, when he got a near perfect score, the board got suspicious... so now schools like this one take extra precaution. the korean tachers had been in isolation on the top floor of the dormitory since sunday morning (i arrived on tuesday morning).
i had to be there at 9 am and since it's about a half hour by car i left the house at ten past eight to find a cab - not an easy feat. the first one assumed i was going to busan (because i was wearing a suit?!?) and wouldn't pick me up even when i told him where i was going... a few others turned me down as well. finally i found a cab and was on my way. i got there with 5 minutes to spare - not that it ended up mattering in the long run... i could have been an hour late - like the other foreign teacher (who lives on campus... so i don't know why he was late).
anyway, then i was told i would have to proof read the reading exam and then the listening part to make sure that it made sense. that took most of the day - but as it turns out, i got paid and extra 45,000 for doing it! the exam was ok, but there were still a lot of little mistakes that needed to be fixed.
we finally got to the broadcasting room to begin recording at 7 pm. i've been listening to my own voice and working with mics and recording etc... for a long time, darren (my new american friend) has not. but we managed to finish up in about an hour and a half. oddly enough i was the one who made more mistakes... it was kind of funny.... but we only had to stop a few times, and mostly because there was background noise. i only screwed up my lines once. considering the script wasn't written out like copy and it didn't really have a very natural flow, we did really well.
we had to go back and record one of the questions at like 11 pm but other than that, it was perfect - or so we thought. this morning we had to "go live" with question 7 after the exam was over because somehow it disappeared. it just wasn't on the tape. very very strange. but we did it and it was great. i was 'released' from custody at 11:30 and have the rest of the day to do what i want... laze about mostly...
so in all i made an extra 175$ (a little more really with the exchange rate) to hang out at another school for a day. sweet. here are some pics that i managed to take this morning before i left - they took my camera and cell phone when i arrived yesterday and i got them back this morning.
the view from the top floor of the dorm. the green thing is the roof of the cafeteria and looks like a little stage area.
darren - my new american friend. he lives on campus, but hopefully he'll get out to meet the gang at the B&G soon.
the room we were in yesterday - editing, proof reading, and re-writing.
the main building on campus, it's brand spanking new... and beautiful... so clean.
the view from my room... yes, they were this anal about it. all the windows on the floor were covered over - no smoke messages to the parents!!! haha! did i mention that we even had a "body guard" watching us to make sure that we didn't get out, he followed us everywhere!
it was a good time, and they kept trying to get me to come work for them, so i've got a job lined up for next year - if i want it!
it's a new school that opened this year and has only 150 students right now. their entrance exams for next years grade 1 class were today. there were about 600 applicants for 150 positions and those 600 were narrowed down to 400 before today. the exam consists of a reading section and a listening section.
i was asked to record the listening part of the exam. since the school doesn't have any female native speakers, they needed to borrow me, and mrs. kim at the board of education recommended me. thanks! they said they would pay me 100,000 won for my voice and 30,000 for having to stay over night. over night? ya that's right...
apparently a few years ago one of the professors who was writing the SAT exam for korea managed to smuggle the answers to the parents of a student who would have otherwise failed... well, when he got a near perfect score, the board got suspicious... so now schools like this one take extra precaution. the korean tachers had been in isolation on the top floor of the dormitory since sunday morning (i arrived on tuesday morning).
i had to be there at 9 am and since it's about a half hour by car i left the house at ten past eight to find a cab - not an easy feat. the first one assumed i was going to busan (because i was wearing a suit?!?) and wouldn't pick me up even when i told him where i was going... a few others turned me down as well. finally i found a cab and was on my way. i got there with 5 minutes to spare - not that it ended up mattering in the long run... i could have been an hour late - like the other foreign teacher (who lives on campus... so i don't know why he was late).
anyway, then i was told i would have to proof read the reading exam and then the listening part to make sure that it made sense. that took most of the day - but as it turns out, i got paid and extra 45,000 for doing it! the exam was ok, but there were still a lot of little mistakes that needed to be fixed.
we finally got to the broadcasting room to begin recording at 7 pm. i've been listening to my own voice and working with mics and recording etc... for a long time, darren (my new american friend) has not. but we managed to finish up in about an hour and a half. oddly enough i was the one who made more mistakes... it was kind of funny.... but we only had to stop a few times, and mostly because there was background noise. i only screwed up my lines once. considering the script wasn't written out like copy and it didn't really have a very natural flow, we did really well.
we had to go back and record one of the questions at like 11 pm but other than that, it was perfect - or so we thought. this morning we had to "go live" with question 7 after the exam was over because somehow it disappeared. it just wasn't on the tape. very very strange. but we did it and it was great. i was 'released' from custody at 11:30 and have the rest of the day to do what i want... laze about mostly...
so in all i made an extra 175$ (a little more really with the exchange rate) to hang out at another school for a day. sweet. here are some pics that i managed to take this morning before i left - they took my camera and cell phone when i arrived yesterday and i got them back this morning.
the view from the top floor of the dorm. the green thing is the roof of the cafeteria and looks like a little stage area.
darren - my new american friend. he lives on campus, but hopefully he'll get out to meet the gang at the B&G soon.
the room we were in yesterday - editing, proof reading, and re-writing.
the main building on campus, it's brand spanking new... and beautiful... so clean.
the view from my room... yes, they were this anal about it. all the windows on the floor were covered over - no smoke messages to the parents!!! haha! did i mention that we even had a "body guard" watching us to make sure that we didn't get out, he followed us everywhere!it was a good time, and they kept trying to get me to come work for them, so i've got a job lined up for next year - if i want it!
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