Summer is Coming

After what seems like weeks, I have finally found a moment to slip away from my adorable, but demanding host sisters, to sit in my favorite coffee shop and try to formulate my thoughts into words.

The oldest and youngest host sisters (8,4) at our day at the park

Let me start by recounting a conversation my host parents and I had a few weeks ago. It went like this:
Host dad: Tessa, we have a problem.
Me: Really? What can I do?
Host dad: Can we fly to France with you in July?
-on the inside, I'm like, "Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm------------"
Me: Yes...but I am not flying to France, I am visiting my grandmother in Germany.
Host dad: Hmm, when are you in France?
Me: August.
-here my host dad and host mom exchange looks and speak non-verbally
Host dad: Can we come in August?
Me: Sure!

And just like that it will be my turn to host my host-family for one week in August. I am excited for this, but I am also aware it will cut my time with my family a bit short, and leave me quite tired, right before my studies at Gordon-Conwell start...especially because my host mom cannot come, leaving me to share my host dad's burden of being sole entertainment providers for my host sisters (aged 8,6,4).

Jeungpyeong country side

My host family's upcoming trip to Europe has left the girls very excited. Every day they ask questions about what life in Europe is like. Often at the dinner table I will get questions like, "Do they have rice in Europe?" "Do they like spicy food?" "Do they have seaweed?"

A trip to the country side with my host family

Just recently the eldest makes me watch baking videos with her. Not just your average muffin, or cookie either, but elaborate recipes of unicorn cupcakes and kakao-talk animal muffins. She asks me after each one, "Can we make this in France?" Since their trip to my home is two months away, and I don't really know what we can and can't make, I don't want to say no yet. But it has gotten to the point where the list of things she wants to make includes:

• kakao-talk muffins
• unicorn cupcakes
• totoro pudding
• Lion (Korean character) cookies
• Spongebob cookies
• Pokemon cake

Now anyone looking at that list could tell that even making one item would involve a bit of work...add to that the fact that my host sisters are all under the age of 10, and don't know how to bake...recipe for disaster...

Lastly, one thing that has been on my mind a lot, partially because of my host family's trip to Europe, is Europe itself. In light of the London attacks that have happened over the past three months my host mom asked me the other day, "Is Europe safe?" Even just a year ago I would have replied without hesitation, "Absolutely. You don't have to be afraid when you visit Europe, nothing bad will happen to you."
Now the answer is so much more complicated, because yes, I still believe Europe is much safer than certain parts of the world, but one thing is clear: It is not the Europe of my childhood anymore. And this makes me sad.

A view of my neighborhood. My house is behind the white one in the middle of the picture.

Teaching: Things that Work and Things that Don't

I decided to put together a list that includes some of my key experiences with teaching:

• Games. Lots and lots of games. I teach at Elementary school, which means I teach grades 3-6. The games I use are usually simple like Pass the Ball, Simon Says, 4 Corners, or other traditional ESL games. 

• What works: PPTs with a lot of special effects and funny pictures (the love pokemon, and other anime). If you find one game that is a crowd pleaser, it is ok to play it again, and again, and again... My students love BINGO, always a classic, and they ask to play it repeatedly. 

• What doesn't work: In most of my classes my co-teacher prefers not to translate my English. This means that more involved games, like Mafia, or something like running dictation are hard to explain. I have had some very awkward instances where students have no clue what is going on...but I have also learned from mistakes and now, I always use detailed ppts with pictures for instructions.

• Discipline. Elementary kids are great, because (at least in Korea) they are young enough to still respect you, and are in fact quite awed that a foreigner is even talking to them. This has worked to my advantage in the sense that I have not had to worry about discipline too much.

• What works: Sometimes, when my kids get too excited during a game, or are just not paying attention, I use this attention getter: "Eyes on me!" and they say "Eyes on you!" This is so ingrained in them, and really works. My school implements a reward system, so I will tell them, if I have to say "Eyes on me" three times before the quiet down, they will get points subtracted. This really works to keep them quiet and paying attention.
• Depending on the class, I will give them the silent treatment, which involves me staring them down, not saying a word until they realize I am not happy with them.

• What doesn't work: I have tried, and failed to talk to my kids about why they should be quiet, respect each other, etc. Maybe if my kids were older, I could actually talk to them about concepts such as respect, etc. But  I don't speak enough Korean, they don't speak enough English to really get the point across, and especially my 3rd graders are still so young. It is easier to simply set clear boundaries about class room behavior, and establish the consequences if the rules aren't followed
 

 

• Co-teachers. In Korea, at least for Elementary ETAs, we work with co-teachers. At my school I have a co-teacher for each grade I teach. Each co-teacher has a unique style of teaching, and so your team work will be different. But I have found some things to generally be the same across the board.

• What works: Bigger, complicated games. With my 5th grade co-teacher we did a running dictation where we went outside and let the kids literally run across the entire sport's field. This was great for the kids, and we were able to manage it because there were two teachers, instead of just one. Another thing that works with co-teachers is to split up teaching. What I mean by this, is that I usually let my co-teachers explain grammar points. This is helpful for my students, because they need to understand the grammar in their own language first. 

• What doesn't work: For me, it has not been effective to teach grammar points in English, because my students don't really understand, they just memorize what I say. This might have to do with the young age, and limited English skills of my students. Another thing that hasn't worked with my co-teachers is for them to instruct me in teaching. When I first started teaching I looked forward to learning from my co-teachers, and having some feedback on my own teaching. This hasn't happened, mostly due to my co-teachers' personalities and the work culture in Korea. I have had to learn from observing, and adjust my teaching based on the reactions I get from co-teachers. This has been hard.

"Where are you from?"

I was walking to the bus station this morning, listening to my brother's music, when his use of French, German, and English, all in one song, reminded me again of our rather unorthodox upbringing, and the impact it has had on us to this day.

Absam, Tirol-where we last lived before moving to France

Of course, everyone's childhood defines who they are as an adult. But for my brothers and me, I wonder if growing up in two different countries with two entirely different passport countries, hasn't left a deeper mark on us, than say if we had been born and raised in one country.

My daily walk home to Absam from Hall, where I went to public school in 9th grade.

My reason for this is: How many people, if they are honest, find the question "Where are you from?" complicated? How many people get heart palpitations and are overcome by a feeling of dread when people ask about your hometown?

View of Innsbruck

For me, this question is confusing, sometimes even painful, and opens an boatload of new questions.
And I wondered this morning, how has this question, "Where are you from?" affected my time in Korea?

We moved to northern France in '09

The thing that stands out in my mind is that people only know half of my story here. This is A) because I don't speak Korean well enough to really communicate. And B) because Korea is a very mono-cultural country, and even when I do explain that:

(Insert rushed tone, as I rattle off the facts in one breath) "I was born in the States, but raised and went to school in Austria, then moved to France for three years in high school, before coming to the States. My mom is German, and I have German and US citizenship, but I have never lived in Germany, and only ever lived in the States for college." 

Many people don't realize here, that that means I have a very tenuous connection to the US, and identify a lot with Europe.

So in Korea, because I teach English, and Fulbright is an American organization, people view me as American first and foremost. And this is where it gets confusing:

Because I AM American, but I am also not.
Just as I AM German, but I am also not.

I am ok with that, and I think the years in college helped me make peace with the fact that I feel American, German, Austrian, and French all at once, and as a result sometimes don't feel like any of that. Still, all those nationalities are true parts of my identity.

Paris is only two hours away from where we live in Northern France, and the Notre Dame is my favorite cathedral.

So when my Korean co-workers and host-family view me only as one (or like Austrians, deny that I am one, because I wasn't born in Austria, to Austrian parents), it feels like they are missing out on what makes me me. But that's ok too. I am ok with people not knowing the whole story, not realizing that I am all my nationalities and none of them at the same time. (And I admit too, the facts are quite confusing).

Christmas market in Germany. We often spent parts of Christmas and the New Year in Germany with my grandma.

But it DOES mean that a lot of my Korean friends, co-workers and host-family don't really, and can't really understand that I am experiencing life in Korea not only as an American, but also as German, Austrian and French. And that is ok too.
And the beautiful thing is, my time in Korea has again confirmed a truth I also learned growing up as a Third Culture Kid: that we are more than where we come from.

Lille-France

Even though Koreans don't usually understand my confusing childhood story, we still find other points to relate and build relationships on. Maybe it's the Korean drama I watched the other day, or shared activities like piano lessons with my host sister. Maybe it's the fact that I love to eat Korean food, and my co-workers love to introduce me to new Korean food. And it definitely is my faith: I am a child of God, and that identity surpasses nationality.

Studying in the States from '12 to '16 helped me make peace with my American identity.

However, the ache in my chest, when people innocently ask me, "Where are you from?" Is witness to the fact that our nationalities also are an unavoidable part of who we are. And when you ask me "Where are you from?" I can't honestly name one single place.

South Korea, where I studied abroad Fall 2013, and now live teaching English.

Sang Dang Sanseong, a 15th century fortress in Cheongju, the city I live and teach in.

.

Why do this?

As my American family gathers in Virginia to celebrate Thanksgiving, I ask myself, "Why do what I am doing?" Why take a year off, knowing full well I want to continue my studies in grad school? Why spend a year away from your family, missing your favorite family holidays like Thanksgiving, and Christmas? Why spend a year teaching children when I know I do not want to teach children in the future?

Turning for the camera! Beautiful fall leaves...

These questions have answers, though the answers are different than they were when I first applied to Fulbright.

 When I applied to Fulbright, as a burned-out senior in college, I thought this year would be my "year off." A fun way to spend a year in between undergrad and grad school. I was wrong. This year is not a year off, because I am working 40 hours a week, trying to navigate a full time job in a culture and language I don't speak. And yes, I am having fun, but I am also working very, very hard.

Here are some of the many reasons why I choose to spend a year away from friends and family:

• This year is a year that is allowing me to grow from a college student into an adult. (Even though college students are technically adults...they also are not. I'm learning that now.)

• This year is teaching me to respect my own teachers in life more (shout out to my Roanoke College professors), as I realize through experience how difficult it is to be a teacher. 

• This year is preparing me for seminary by providing very practical experiences in trusting God and giving me time to evaluate and grow in my relationship with Him. 

• This year is showing me things that I do and do not want in my future. I know now, that I do not want to teach children for my entire life. But I do want to go into teaching. This year (and living with 3 little Korean girls) is also showing me that I want children of my own....one day, definitely not yet. 

We are in the shadows, but I am sitting with two of
 my host sisters underneath the tree.

• This year is teaching me to be patient and content in the moment. Waiting for my co teachers to translate an important meeting for me, or waiting for my little host sisters to get ready for school (quite a lengthy process). And most of all enjoying this year, even though my heart very much longs to be at school studying again. 

• This year is an opportunity to grow in humility. I am not always a good teacher, I make a lot of mistakes, but people are very gracious with me. I am not that great at Korean. I do not always trust God, and I do let fear get the better of me. I am learning that there is so much to learn, and that it is a good thing. 

Autumn in Korea features amazing vibrant colors.

Fire drills in Korea

This past week our school had a fire drill. It was the most interesting and bizarre thing I've ever experienced. But by the end, I was convinced that we need to start replicating Korean fire drills in the States. It all started at 9:50am. The alarm rang, and my co-teacher and I quietly left our classroom.

Extinguishing the demo fire

The fire extinguishers 

My co workers attempting to light the box of wood. The lady in blue is my vice principal. 

We proceeded to merge with a vast column of departing students, who were all crouching low to the ground with handkerchiefs placed over their mouths. A few girls were giggling, but the majority of students took this drill seriously. All of us exited the front of the building and poured onto the sports field. After all students and teachers assembled on the field, two teachers carried a girl on a stretcher out of the building, to demonstrate the procedure if someone got hurt. 

The homeroom teachers took their classes to the back of the field, and lined up in orderly fashion, children still low to the ground. I understood now why there was a need for handkerchiefs, because red smoke was pouring out of the first floor windows. They had replicated fire smoke, because it certainly smelled like something was burning. A fire truck pulled onto the field to oversee the drill. My co-teacher, and another homeroom teacher lit a can containing wood and paper on fire. 

It took a few minutes to light up, and the fireman came and assisted them, but eventually the can was burning nicely, and after a few brief words from the principal, my co-teacher and the homeroom teacher proceeded to demonstrate how to use a fire extinguisher. After that the fire-department illustrated how to spray the field and the surrounding trees with water from a fire hydrant, to prevent flames from the burning building spreading. The drill ended at 10:10, after twenty minutes, and the teachers led their classes into the building once more to resume classes. 

When I think back to the fire drills at college, it's almost laughable. Because we knew it was only a test, when that alarm rang, my roommate and I would calmly put on our jackets, turn off the TV,  and stroll outside. I remember some people would finish their showers, or change from their PJs into regular street clothes, depending on the time of day. We definitely did not take the fire drills seriously. Because we never actually had a fire, this was not a problem. However, I think in the case of a real fire, we would have panicked. I admire the way the Korean system requires schools to perform at least two of these very detailed fire drills a year. After observing the drill last week, I think there would be a lot less panic in the case of a real fire. Maybe we need to start thinking of adopting such a system. 

In the back you see the children sitting on the ground, and in the middle one of the homeroom teachers is trying to light a can of paper. 

Balance

I am sitting at my desk, at the back of the fifth grade classroom. I just finished the first draft of the hand out for a workshop I am leading at the Fulbright Fall Conference. The workshop is about leading a balanced life in Korea. What I mean by this is trying to achieve a healthy balance between work-life and social-life, building new relationships here, but not forgetting old relationships in the States, etc. It is impossible to achieve the perfect balance, but I think it is important to strive for it. Too much focus on one area of your life will cause you to burn out.

I quickly realized this during the first weeks at my placement. Because it is my first time teaching, I spent the evenings at home occupied with planning out my lesson, and even when I was eating dinner with my host family, or watching a movie, thoughts of work would not leave me. Very soon after I started work I realized that I can not take work home with me or I'll go crazy, so now I try to restrict work to the 8 hours that I spend at school.

I experienced the same thing with my host family. In my eagerness to not be a burden, and establish a good relationship with them, I began planning my entire day around their schedule. The kids are very young, so they go to bed around 8pm, and so I also began making sure I would be home and in my room by 8pm, so as not to disturb them. When I was eating dinner out with friends, I would frequently glance at my watch to make sure I would be home at the time I told my host family.

My effort to please my host family is not bad, and I still try to be considerate of the little ones' bed time. However, I have realized I need to strive for a balance. I cannot focus my entire energy on living for other people, which I had in essence been doing up until recently. I need to be considerate of my host family, while also realizing that I am my own person, and it is ok for me to occasionally come home after 8 pm (as long as I communicate my plans with my host parents).

So in conclusion, what I mean by balance, is finding a way to carefully and consciously spend my energy on work, social life with friends, host family and myself in a way that gives equal attention to all aspects of my life. Only with balance, I think, will I avoid burning out in one or all areas.

Working life

Okay, I admit it, I totally underestimated all the work my teachers did over all my years in public school. Teaching is so much more than just standing in front of the class talking about a certain subject. In my case English, and half the class is spent playing a game, in English. Teaching itself is so much fun!! But...then comes the rest of the day, when I am confined to my desk breaking my head over how to make the kids' rather dull textbook lesson interesting for the next day. Lesson planning...it's hard people!! I have been told, and do believe, that it will get easier with time. But for now, I spend 4 hours a day thinking about creative ways to make grammar and vocabulary fun. Only now am I truly beginning to appreciate the tremendous effort my teachers put into teaching me.

School officially started back last Thursday. For the next three weeks I will be teaching 5th grade, then 3 weeks 4th grade, and then 3 weeks 6th grade, and then switch back to 5th, and so on. Teaching itself is so much fun, and relatively stress free. So far the kids respect me, and I have not been confronted with the need for discipline. My work situation is also good. All my co teachers are very friendly, and the other teachers are polite and welcoming as well. Still, I think the knowledge that I am the only foreign teacher in the school, as well as the least experienced one makes me feel a sort of pressure in and of itself. I know that the teachers and principal expect certain standards from me and their watchful gaze makes me anxious. Especially because I do not speak their language and can not actually understand their communicated expectations.

In Korea, once or twice a semester, depending on your school, all teachers including the principal and vice principal go out to dinner together. Last Thursday this happened, and it was great fun! These dinners are largely designed to create a feeling of community and belonging. It is also a chance for co-workers to drink together, something that is accompanied by several cultural traditions. Pouring a drink for someone is considered extremely polite, and the younger should always pour for the elder first. When you pour, you must pour with two hands, and you must be kneeling (everyone is sitting on the ground, as is custom for Korean restaurants). When you receive a drink, it is also with both hands, and when you raise your cup to your mouth (with both hands) you also must turn away from your elder, because it is not polite to drink directly in front of someone. It was so interesting watching this happen at the dinner on Thursday. During the course of the dinner all teachers eventually made their way to the principal to pour him a drink. It all seemed like a well-choreographed dance, as people moved between the low tables, greeting each other, drinking together and then moving on.
As a foreigner people did not expect me to join in the tradition, and so I was left to observe quietly. It was a lot of fun, and my only regret is that I do not understand enough Korean to really know what is going on....maybe next time?

Settling into a New Life

It has been a little over one week in my new city, which I now call home for one year: Cheongju.

Last day at orientation, our orientation leaders are saying goodbye up front, as most of them are heading back to the States.
We owe them a lot for all the training they gave us! 

Last Friday, my wonderful co-teacher picked me up from Goesan after the Fulbright Orientation closing ceremony, and presented me with a beautiful flower bouquet from my school, Jeungan Elementray School, as a welcome present.

My host school welcomed me with a flower bouquet. 

She drove me to Cheongju and introduced me to my host family: host father, mother, and three little girls (3,5,7). The family welcomed me Friday night with a delicious cake and over the next few days showed me around the neighborhood. Our communication skills are limited, as they speak only a little English, and I speak only a little Korean. But with the help of a dictionary, we manage. I think as time goes on, it will get easier to communicate. My host sisters are full of energy and so cute I can't help smiling even when they are behaving naughty. As is part of Korean culture, the youngest always shares her food with me, and the others include me in their games as well. I don't think they understand that I don't understand them. Or maybe they just don't care. They speak Korean with me, and I think I will learn a lot from them.

My wonderful host family presented me with a beautiful cake, which we proceeded to eat with chopsticks!

Elementary school students don't begin the new semester until September, so this past week I have been helping another of my co-teachers teach the English camp. Tuesday welcomed third and fourth graders for one week. We sung Do-Re-Mi from Sound of Music and especially the boys participated with gusto! I also taught them a short dance from Zootopia, animals sounds and a Zootopia role-play. I had to practice the dance a lot...we all know how great I am at dancing! ;)
My co-teacher and I usually take our lunch hour at a local restaurant, as she is introducing me to various Korean dishes. I have promised myself to be courageous this year, so yesterday I tried larvae, fish liver and some kind of sea snail. It wasn't terrible, although I do not think I will willingly order any of the above again! Korean food has plenty of other delicious choices to choose from!

One of the three English rooms I will be teaching in. My desk and computer are in this classroom. I will have about 25-30 children per class. Overall, I will be teaching close to 400 students! 

There are over 8 ETAs in Cheongju. I am thankful for their presence and emotional support. During the week I do not see them a lot, although a few live in walking distance from me. However we are all trying to spend as much time with our school and host family as possible, to get used to each other and make the transition easier for all of us.

Last Sunday an ETA friend and I visited Sang Dang Church, which offers an English worship service. It was so good to have fellowship with others in a language that I understand! Both of us felt very welcomed and are planning on attending again!

This update has been a bit longer than most, but more has happened in the past week
than in the past six weeks! A new update to follow next week!
Peace out.

A day in Seoul and other thoughts

Recap of my trip to Seoul yesterday:
12pm-Gangnam
I am sitting infront of exit 11 in Gangnam, waiting to meet two friends from Roanoke college, I can't help pondering about this odd convergence of worlds. Three years ago I stood here as a study abroad student, my sophomore year of college, never dreaming or guessing that I would return to this very place as a teacher with Fulbright. Odd...nor would I have ever dreamed of meeting up with Roanoke college friends in Seoul, thousands of miles away from Roanoke college...odd...it is as if the me of the past: Sophomore me; the me of the present: recent Roanoke graduate; and the me of the near future: teacher; are colliding, becoming one, in another step toward adulthood.

7pm-Bus to Goesan
The bus is pulling away from the bus terminal, heading back towards Goesan. I ride through the streets of Seoul and think to myself, it has been a good day. I didn't know how much I needed it, but the day spent eating, talking and walking through Seoul with my two friends was a very good day. I remembered that the person I was as a college student is still the person I am today, even if circumstances and countries and cultures around me change, I am still me. I am so thankful for my friends who took an entire day out of their schedules to come visit with me!

Today:
After taking a 40 min walk through the small streets of Goesan, sweating buckets in the sweltering heat, I am sitting in my favorite cafe, blogging and catching up on my devotional. Less than one week left in this small town, and I make my big move to Cheongju where I will be teaching for the rest of the year. I am ready, nervous, but ready!

View of Goesan on my walk

Teaching 101 and a trip to Cheongju

Today's post features a brief summary of my first teaching experiences, as well as a day trip to Cheongju (청주), the city I will be living and teaching in this year.

View of Cheongju from a vantage point in a mall.
My school will be close to this area.

This is the end of the fourth week of orientation, which means I have been here for almost a month, and in only two more weeks I begin teaching at my school in Cheongju.....crazy!!!

These past two weeks I taught my first lesson plan. First I taught a class of 10 students who ranged between 5th and 9th grade. They were such great kids! I started off the lesson singing "If you're happy..." And the students participated loudly. The second lesson plan was co-taught with one of the other awesome ETAs, and we had the kids make moon colonies, to help them start thinking about the future tense.

Teaching both classes was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of hard work. My respect for teachers has risen exponentially! I also learned that I have several teaching areas that need improving, namely class management and time management, but I think this next year will teach me a lot about teaching, and I will learn naturally to adjust and change my teaching style based on students' needs.

Yesterday a friend and I took a bus to Cheongju; the city I will be teaching in. We spent the day shopping for new "teacher" outfits, and enjoyed the air conditioned stores away from the stifling city heat. Cheongju is a city of about 800,000. My first impression was that it is a bigger city than I imagined. It will take me a while to learn how to navigate the many streets and alleys, but I feel ready to begin my adventure there.

This weekend we also went out for Korean BBQ.
My prediction for this year is that I will spend a lot of money on delicious food...

Weekend in Sokcho: Hiking and More

View of Sokcho from the hotel restaurant

Last week concluded with a weekend field trip to Sokcho, further in the north, on the east coast of South Korea. After a lecture on Buddhism in Korea and a trip to a temple, some of us ETAs spent the rest of the evening on the beach, listening to the waves break on the shore. I always find something oddly comforting about the water, as it connects all parts of the world together. The water that laps on the shore of Korea also touches the shore of Australia, Japan, and somewhere far off Europe. I know they are technically all different oceans, but the water is connected, and through that the entire world is. I like the thought.

Our lecture hall in the hotel

Saturday in Sokcho was spent enjoying nature as a big group of us went hiking in Seoraksan National Park. It was simply breathtaking, and if possible, I'd like to return in the fall to hike under colorful foliage. A few of us chose to hike to the waterfalls, about a 1.5 hour hike. Once achieved, hikers have the option of continuing on for .4 km, to the outlook. However, the .4 km are climbing straight up stairs. I am afraid to say I only made it half of the way before my head began to pound unbearably and my legs became jello. One of my many goals for this year is to one day make it back to Seoraksansan and conquer the remaining .2 km!

Korean hikers are so fit!!

After our hike, we payed 10 000 won ($10) to take the cable car up to the top of one of the many mountains in the park. The money was well spent, as I have never seen a more breathtaking view. The jagged cliffs, and the beautiful, resilient trees growing in high up places; the mist surrounding the mountains like a blanket. It was beautiful.

View from the cable car

View at the top of the mountain

Sunday we returned to Goesan for another week of orientation, Korean language classes and F.E.P. (Fulbright English Program, an English camp for middle school and high schoolers). Tomorrow and Friday are midterm days for Korean classes, and Friday I teach my first ever lesson plan in class for F.E.P. I am nervous...I think almost all of us are. But I am also very excited to finally meet students first hand, and begin the life long learning process of how to teach, something I think only experience can truly teach.

The Airport World

I am here. I made it! After traveling from Brussels to Istanbul to Seoul, my inner clock is completely turned around, and I know, I know tomorrow I will be dead. But not yet. Today I am enjoying the airport world that is Incheon International Airport.

My flight landed this morning at 10 a.m. Because of pick-up scheduling, Fulbright is only picking all the ETAs up at 5 a.m tomorrow. So to save money, I decided to spend the night in Incheon. Uncomfortable, yes; but beneficial to my pocket book. I payed 15 dollars to have my luggage kept for me in a holding area and then, 70 lb lighter and accompanied by my trusty laptop, I decided to explore the airport. My km counter on my iPhone says I have walked over 5 km today. Not too unusual, except when you imagine those 5 km in an airport. On my adventure I discovered the ice rink hidden on the bottom floor of Incheon. Amazing! Later I stumbled across a movie theatre, and decided to stop in for a screening of the new Finding Dory movie. Not before eating dinner at one of the numerous restaurants on the 4th floor. While enjoying a very spicy dinner, I was serenaded by live piano and violin music, as the airport regularly entertains its guests with live performances, both modern and traditional.

The thing that impressed me most about Incheon was the attention given to educating visitors about the Korean culture. In only one day, I experienced traditional Korean music performances, saw exhibits of Korean art, and other activities. I think Incheon has the right idea, and more airports should make the effort to reach the travelers journeying through; thousands, and thousands every day. Many of us are only transferring to another flight, yet still, I think many travelers would like to learn about the country they are sojourning in.

D-25 Let The Preparations Begin

What do European cities have to do with Korea? Not much, except that I am currently living with my parents in France, as I prepare for my year of teaching English in South Korea.

The view from the restaurant terrace

Yesterday my parents and I took a trip outside of our city, to the small village of Cassel, settled on top of one of the only hills in the region. This Flemish-French village featured a long, cobblestoned road that rattled our brains as we journeyed to the top of the hill, however the view was reward enough. After a wonderful lunch on the breezy terrace of a restaurant, we walked through the city square where a music festival was being held. 

I returned to Europe, the place of my childhood, the beginning of May after graduating from Roanoke College in Virginia. As I prepare for my year in South Korea, I cherish the moments spent under the shadows of ancient cathedrals. The historic aura pervading all European countries wraps me in a familiar cocoon. I am leaving for Seoul on July 8th, and before then will have visited Ireland, Belgium, England, France (where my parents live), and Germany (where my grandmother lives). Sometimes I wonder what it would be like not to travel so much, but then I shake my head. I am thankful, so thankful for opportunities to travel and see the world, that I have had all my life. 

The restaurant 

When I first moved to France as a 15 year old, I had to learn French from scratch, and it was hard. I still do not speak French fluently, but spending the time here preparing for South Korea reminds me that I have lived in a country that I do not speak the language or know the customs before. If I did it once, with God's help, I can do it again. 

Music festival Cassel

This is my first blog post, of many more to come, detailing my adventures as an English teacher with Fulbright Korea. I hope that this blog will be a help to anyone considering to apply for a Fulbright ETA. If you have any questions, feel free to comment! I began my own process of applying to Fulbright May 2015, and I would have never successfully completed this long journey without the help from my professors at Roanoke College and friends who have gone before me as ETAs. So don't be shy!