A thread for pointless Friday ramblings.

[kyndo]

Liancourt rocks?

That's perjury.

Perjury rocks!

[Chinguetti]

I don't know what I was expecting from a movie called "The Son of Bigfoot."

I can't trust reviews for animated films anymore.

"Coco" was worth every minute, though.

[sligo]

I have some special soju I want to send my brother for Christmas. It's not something he'd be able to get easily in the States.

Has anyone recently mailed alcohol from Korea to the States? I've read here and there that some users never had any problems with it as long as they were vague on the customs form, but I wanted some more recent feedback on it.

No, but shipping costs back to America have reeeeally gone up since last Christmas. I mailed my mom a fleece vest and it was just over 30,000. Last year I mailed her a heavy box of skin care, coffee, and a couple of rocks, and it was maybe 15,000.

Weight isn't the thing that costs the most, it's volume.  You are paying for how much space the parcel takes up on the plane.  So a big light box will cost more than a small heavy one (to a certain extent)

[HaLo3]

No, but shipping costs back to America have reeeeally gone up since last Christmas. I mailed my mom a fleece vest and it was just over 30,000. Last year I mailed her a heavy box of skin care, coffee, and a couple of rocks, and it was maybe 15,000.

Rocks? Don't they got rocks where your mom lives?

What kind of rocks did you send her??????

Haha, I suppose that could have been clarified. My mom collects heart shaped rocks, always has ever since we lived on a river island. So every time I go traveling, I find her a new heart rock.

@sligo- Makes sense, but this was still a size one box from the post office. So certainly not taking up a lot of space.

[denimdaze]

Today I was teaching my 6th grade class how to play Battleship.  I explained how to draw the ships, and emphasized that their friends should not see their paper, so they should cover it or hide it as they drew the ships.  When we start the game, there is some confusion at one table.  The four girls who sat there did not cover their papers and all drew the ships in the exact same places.

 

[StillInKorea]

Today I was teaching my 6th grade class how to play Battleship.  I explained how to draw the ships, and emphasized that their friends should not see their paper, so they should cover it or hide it as they drew the ships.  When we start the game, there is some confusion at one table.  The four girls who sat there did not cover their papers and all drew the ships in the exact same places.

You know how much Koreans hate to stand out.

Let's all draw our ships in the same place to fit in!

[Chinguetti]

Haha, I suppose that could have been clarified. My mom collects heart shaped rocks, always has ever since we lived on a river island. So every time I go traveling, I find her a new heart rock.

How large is her collection? Does she label where the rocks came from?

I once knew someone who collected soil/dirt from every country he visited. He'd keep them in labeled vials and had them displayed on a really nice rack. Makes me wonder how someone decides to collect dirt, though, without being involved in like, say, geology or whatever.

[#basedcowboyshirt]

Haha, I suppose that could have been clarified. My mom collects heart shaped rocks, always has ever since we lived on a river island. So every time I go traveling, I find her a new heart rock.

How large is her collection? Does she label where the rocks came from?

I once knew someone who collected soil/dirt from every country he visited. He'd keep them in labeled vials and had them displayed on a really nice rack. Makes me wonder how someone decides to collect dirt, though, without being involved in like, say, geology or whatever.

My mom always asks for a rock when I say "Do you want anything from ______?"

[Mister Tim]

I don't know what to do with myself.

As much as I disagree with people like CJ when he asserts that I'm not a "real teacher" because I don't have the right pieces of paper, I do have to agree when he points out that there is no long-term benefit to teaching in Korea.

I've already hit the EPIK cap, so now no matter how long I stay here, that's what I'm stuck with. I've thought about going elsewhere, but since I don't have that piece of paper, I'm limited to places where I'd make even less than I make here, or would have less leftover after bills at the end the month than I have now.

For a while I was starting to convince myself that I don't mind the pay cut, as long as I got to go somewhere new and interesting. However, recently the health of a few family members back home has been deteriorating, and because I don't come from a wealthy family, that means they often struggle to make ends meet. I'm not rich here by any stretch, but I have enough disposable income that I'm able to send them money to help with things like surprise medical costs, rent, or utilities. If I were to do something like go teach in Japan, which I had been looking in to, I wouldn't have the money available to help like that.

Of course there's also the possibility of getting the qualifications that might allow me a better paying job elsewhere, maybe even with actual upward mobility. However, looking in to that, I'm struggling to find a way to pay for it that won't leave me similarly unable to help family back home until it was all paid for. I could try it anyway and just keep my fingers crossed that nothing too serious will happen for the next however many years, but the nature of their health problems suggests that'd be quite the gamble.

I wish I could go back in time, slap myself, and say "Get a degree in something useful, you idiot." Then I might not be sitting here at 36 with my BA in Spanish wondering how I can simultaneously have a life I enjoy and help my parents not have to choose between staying alive and paying rent.

Wasn't sure whether this mess should go in this thread or the ranting/venting thread, since it's both rambling AND venting. I think I only went with this one because it's been bumped more recently. 

[Pennypie]

I don't know what to do with myself.

As much as I disagree with people like CJ when he asserts that I'm not a "real teacher" because I don't have the right pieces of paper, I do have to agree when he points out that there is no long-term benefit to teaching in Korea.

I've already hit the EPIK cap, so now no matter how long I stay here, that's what I'm stuck with. I've thought about going elsewhere, but since I don't have that piece of paper, I'm limited to places where I'd make even less than I make here, or would have less leftover after bills at the end the month than I have now.

For a while I was starting to convince myself that I don't mind the pay cut, as long as I got to go somewhere new and interesting. However, recently the health of a few family members back home has been deteriorating, and because I don't come from a wealthy family, that means they often struggle to make ends meet. I'm not rich here by any stretch, but I have enough disposable income that I'm able to send them money to help with things like surprise medical costs, rent, or utilities. If I were to do something like go teach in Japan, which I had been looking in to, I wouldn't have the money available to help like that.

Of course there's also the possibility of getting the qualifications that might allow me a better paying job elsewhere, maybe even with actual upward mobility. However, looking in to that, I'm struggling to find a way to pay for it that won't leave me similarly unable to help family back home until it was all paid for. I could try it anyway and just keep my fingers crossed that nothing too serious will happen for the next however many years, but the nature of their health problems suggests that'd be quite the gamble.

I wish I could go back in time, slap myself, and say "Get a degree in something useful, you idiot." Then I might not be sitting here at 36 with my BA in Spanish wondering how I can simultaneously have a life I enjoy and help my parents not have to choose between staying alive and paying rent.

Wasn't sure whether this mess should go in this thread or the ranting/venting thread, since it's both rambling AND venting. I think I only went with this one because it's been bumped more recently. 

It'll be better in the spring  or when renewals come around and you're like. "Just one more year.....things aren't that bad here right". Didn't you just renew?

I feel you though. I'm in a similar position. Go somewhere else and do something else is winning right now.

[Mister Tim]

It'll be better in the spring  or when renewals come around and you're like. "Just one more year.....things aren't that bad here right". Didn't you just renew?

I feel you though. I'm in a similar position. Go somewhere else and do something else is winning right now.

I applied for renewal, yes, but we haven't heard back yet. I had intended to stay one more year so I could save a bit more, then move to Japan to study Japanese for a year then stay to teach. Things took a marked turn for the worse back home at the end of November, though, so I'm forced to reconsider.

I don't hate Korea or anything. I'm the mopey type, so I kinda just assume I'll be mopey no matter where I go. Sometimes, though, some things here really do get to me, and the lack of prospects for the future is something more and more worthy of consideration the longer I stay here and the older I get.

[HaLo3]

Haha, I suppose that could have been clarified. My mom collects heart shaped rocks, always has ever since we lived on a river island. So every time I go traveling, I find her a new heart rock.

How large is her collection? Does she label where the rocks came from?

I once knew someone who collected soil/dirt from every country he visited. He'd keep them in labeled vials and had them displayed on a really nice rack. Makes me wonder how someone decides to collect dirt, though, without being involved in like, say, geology or whatever.

She doesn't label the ones she has from boring old America, but she's labelled all the ones that I've gotten her from places. She has a Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Moroccan, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean rock.Unfortunately I missed a few other places.

[HaLo3]

I don't know what to do with myself.

As much as I disagree with people like CJ when he asserts that I'm not a "real teacher" because I don't have the right pieces of paper, I do have to agree when he points out that there is no long-term benefit to teaching in Korea.

I've already hit the EPIK cap, so now no matter how long I stay here, that's what I'm stuck with. I've thought about going elsewhere, but since I don't have that piece of paper, I'm limited to places where I'd make even less than I make here, or would have less leftover after bills at the end the month than I have now.

For a while I was starting to convince myself that I don't mind the pay cut, as long as I got to go somewhere new and interesting. However, recently the health of a few family members back home has been deteriorating, and because I don't come from a wealthy family, that means they often struggle to make ends meet. I'm not rich here by any stretch, but I have enough disposable income that I'm able to send them money to help with things like surprise medical costs, rent, or utilities. If I were to do something like go teach in Japan, which I had been looking in to, I wouldn't have the money available to help like that.

Of course there's also the possibility of getting the qualifications that might allow me a better paying job elsewhere, maybe even with actual upward mobility. However, looking in to that, I'm struggling to find a way to pay for it that won't leave me similarly unable to help family back home until it was all paid for. I could try it anyway and just keep my fingers crossed that nothing too serious will happen for the next however many years, but the nature of their health problems suggests that'd be quite the gamble.

I wish I could go back in time, slap myself, and say "Get a degree in something useful, you idiot." Then I might not be sitting here at 36 with my BA in Spanish wondering how I can simultaneously have a life I enjoy and help my parents not have to choose between staying alive and paying rent.

Wasn't sure whether this mess should go in this thread or the ranting/venting thread, since it's both rambling AND venting. I think I only went with this one because it's been bumped more recently. 

I'm in a similar position. Contemplating leaving and going back to school. Only thing that's kept me here for the last year is my relationship, which I'm still in, but I just feel so... done here.

[What?What?]

Haha, I suppose that could have been clarified. My mom collects heart shaped rocks, always has ever since we lived on a river island. So every time I go traveling, I find her a new heart rock.

How large is her collection? Does she label where the rocks came from?

I once knew someone who collected soil/dirt from every country he visited. He'd keep them in labeled vials and had them displayed on a really nice rack. Makes me wonder how someone decides to collect dirt, though, without being involved in like, say, geology or whatever.

She doesn't label the ones she has from boring old America, but she's labelled all the ones that I've gotten her from places. She has a Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Moroccan, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean rock.Unfortunately I missed a few other places.

This is actually a very cool idea!!!

[OnNut81]

After what will be seven years straight with only school vacations as a break I'm definitely at a low enthusiasm ebb.  I enjoy my school and am in a five year relationship with a local woman. but the repetition and boredom is doing me in.  I have my own place so I have a lot of accumulated items that I don't want to lose, but I need more than a two week break to re-charge the batteries at the least.  May be about putting things in storage and taking off to somewhere different and bumming around for three months on a d10.  Come back and see if it was enough time away, or decide this lengthy chapter of my life is closed. 

[HaLo3]

Haha, I suppose that could have been clarified. My mom collects heart shaped rocks, always has ever since we lived on a river island. So every time I go traveling, I find her a new heart rock.

How large is her collection? Does she label where the rocks came from?

I once knew someone who collected soil/dirt from every country he visited. He'd keep them in labeled vials and had them displayed on a really nice rack. Makes me wonder how someone decides to collect dirt, though, without being involved in like, say, geology or whatever.

She doesn't label the ones she has from boring old America, but she's labelled all the ones that I've gotten her from places. She has a Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Moroccan, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean rock.Unfortunately I missed a few other places.

This is actually a very cool idea!!!

It's one of the easiest things to get. I never really know what to get her as a sort of souvenir, but this is always a go too. I'm gonna have to look pretty hard in the Alps though, I don't know how many small rock bits there are going to be lying around.

[Chinguetti]

I've kind of noticed more people in my gym than in the previous couple of years. Normally once the cold weather sets in, they disappear, but I feel like there are more people now than there were during the summer when they were trying to get their beach bodies ready.

The younger guys now outnumber the older ones. Used to be the other way around.

I'm also surprised to see more Korean ladies actually trying to use the weight machines instead of sticking strictly to the treadmills and cycles. Happy to see that more women here are starting to realize that lifting weights =/= getting bodybuilder big.

[CO2]

[SteveBruce]

Last week while invigilating the maths test, I saw the multiple choice answers from the Korean history test on the board.  I thought Korean teachers were supposed to make the ratio of 1,2,3,4 and 5 fairly even so that students can't get a high score from marking all the same number.  Thing was out of 18 questions, seven were number 5 and six were  number 4 and one was number 1. So I asked my wife and she said that number 1 is rarely the answer.  Doesn't this kind of thinking kind of make multiple choice kind of pointless?

The futility of these tests are even more apparent by the fact multiple choice applies to the history test. What a joke. How about writing an essay to utilise some critical thinking and engineer some debate? When I was in year 11 half of the GCSE history curriculum was on Russia in the early 20th century. I remember one of the questions in a mock exam was something along the lines of whether or not it was a surprise the provisional government after the Tsar abdicated lasted only 9 months. The class prior or after, I can't remember, revolved around the teacher and us discussing the topic and explaining ways to tackle the question. My teacher emphasised that there was no necessary right or wrong answer but how you articulate your line of argument and belief.

Gone on a bit of a tangent, but history was my favourite subject at school. A bit silly that it's been reduced to multiple choice here.

*cowers in a corner before Martino sees this*

[What?What?]

My brain has reached end of semester mode and is no longer functioning properly. I am currently being amused by watching an admin, on a facebook group, have a right out there in everyone's face, mental breakdown. Amused for days.