RAVING/HAPPY SH!T MEGATHREAD

Welp, I'm done. Toodles!

me too. BYE FELICIA!

camp is done :) only 4 more days left in Korean public schools and then I'm on the plane and outta here for good!

Haha I love how the last four posts are about the end of camp. Make that five THANK THE LORD. Vacation starts in an hour and a half. :)

camp is done :) only 4 more days left in Korean public schools and then I'm on the plane and outta here for good!

Hey Imogen1991. You've been talking about leaving for a while, and how happy you are about it. Stoked for you bud congrats.

I'm juts curious, what is it about Korea/the job/ everything that you dislike so much? I only ask cos I'm on my third year here, happily married to a korean and absolutely LOVE it! Just curious about your perspective.

Cheaaaaahs!

camp is done :) only 4 more days left in Korean public schools and then I'm on the plane and outta here for good!

Hey Imogen1991. You've been talking about leaving for a while, and how happy you are about it. Stoked for you bud congrats.

I'm juts curious, what is it about Korea/the job/ everything that you dislike so much? I only ask cos I'm on my third year here, happily married to a korean and absolutely LOVE it! Just curious about your perspective.

Cheaaaaahs!

Haha... not sure if serious but I'll answer anyway

I live about 5 hours from Seoul, there are no foreigner bars or anything like that here. I love teaching in general and I love my students but that's about it...I hate desk warming, hate how much of a joke the education system is, but mostly I just hate how boring it is here. I came from a pretty lively city with an active social life so I've just been going out of my mind for the past 16 months.

I've definitely had some positive experiences mainly based around teaching, and I don't regret coming here at all, but I'm ready to move on 
Sorry if I sound like a negative nancy!

Welp, I'm done. Toodles!

I'm sorry to see you go. Another voice of reason vanishing from the increasingly bitter/jaded Waygook mob. 

I often force myself to be happy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

My house in Canada sold.  Closing was on Friday.

No more mortgage, no more tenants who don't pay, no more tenants who cause twice the cost in damage as the rent..

Sorry - that slipped into rant for a bit.

:)

camp is done :) only 4 more days left in Korean public schools and then I'm on the plane and outta here for good!

Hey Imogen1991. You've been talking about leaving for a while, and how happy you are about it. Stoked for you bud congrats.

I'm juts curious, what is it about Korea/the job/ everything that you dislike so much? I only ask cos I'm on my third year here, happily married to a korean and absolutely LOVE it! Just curious about your perspective.

Cheaaaaahs!

Haha... not sure if serious but I'll answer anyway

I live about 5 hours from Seoul, there are no foreigner bars or anything like that here. I love teaching in general and I love my students but that's about it...I hate desk warming, hate how much of a joke the education system is, but mostly I just hate how boring it is here. I came from a pretty lively city with an active social life so I've just been going out of my mind for the past 16 months.

I've definitely had some positive experiences mainly based around teaching, and I don't regret coming here at all, but I'm ready to move on 
Sorry if I sound like a negative nancy!

Yes I was serious. No worries, don't apologize for saying how you feel. yeh rural life can be dull, my first year here was out in the sticks somewhat, life is definitely more fun now i live in Busan!

Wee happy trails bud, hope things improve for you at life's next pit stop!

I decided to test out the limits of my "freedom" during desk warming by going out for a running the first 1.5hrs of school. Usually I'm suppose to come in by 8:30am but instead I'm far away from school on a run.

I came in at 10am today and nobody even noticed I was gone. Looks like my days will consist of runs in the morning and watching stranger things for the next 3 weeks. 

My Principal just came into my office, where I was alone with the fan on high, only half of the lights on and the window open. She told me she's going to buy lunch for everyone so please come to the main office at 12:30. "Also turn on the lights, close the window, and turn on the AC, it's hot!" Sometimes my school is really the bees knees.

Taught the students how to make quesadillas today! They loved 'em!!   
I really enjoy cooking with the students ^^

There were a few extra tortillas left over and one group still had a lot of sauteed veggies left so they made a monster quesadilla  It basically exploded when they tried to cut it into pieces

I made quesadillas with a class a couple of years ago, and the kids loved. Funny little side story: I also brought some salsa for the kids to try. They wouldn't touch it at all. I kept telling them it had all the ingredients they know: tomatoes, garlic, onions, etc. But no go. Then something clicked, and I remembered that the Korean word for diarrhea sounds like sow oo sa (or something similar). Anyway, it sounds enough like salsa to the kids. Finally, one student dipped a tiny bit of the corner of their quesadilla into the salsa and that was that. Confirmation. The kids loved it.

Camp's done. It was probably the  best camp I've had in the four and a half years I've been here. To make things even better, my school says I can "work from home" instead of deskwarming, so I'm going to have a nice, loooooon summer break.

So jealous. I tried asking them to do this, but my co-teacher, whom I adore, goes strictly by the book and contacted SMOE to see if it was a possibility. No go. Whoever she spoke to said that if the principal were to allow me to do 'home study', then everyone would want to do 'home study', and it wouldn't be fair to those who can't do 'home study'. 

At least my office is cool and quiet, I'm getting a little extra work done, and I'm saving money by not being out and about or staying at home running the air con. :)

Camp is finished. This week was a lot better than last. 3rd and 4th graders think everything is fun. Bless them.

I also get to leave school early and I'm getting ready to jet off to the land of burritos, In-n-Out, and all things weed related. See you in September!

Camp is finished. This week was a lot better than last. 3rd and 4th graders think everything is fun. Bless them.

I also get to leave school early and I'm getting ready to jet off to the land of burritos, In-n-Out, and all things weed related. See you in September!

That sounds like a lot of fun. I envy you.

Actually glad to be back from vacation and am having camp with my fave of my 3 schools 

I have a nasty cold and this week is my last week at my high school.  Fortunately my KETs all came around to the idea that I shouldn't have to teach, so I've been able to use my desk time to work on my CELTA app again (finally) and catch up on writing some letters that I need to mail before I move on Saturday.

One of my students is also really keen on studying abroad and recently got the idea of going to high school in the US into his head.  We looked into it and I think high school is a bit late, but he could definitely do a full 4-year university and he may come do a week-long homestay with my family over Christmas to 'see what the US is like'.  I feel like it's hard for us as NETs to have much of an impact, but this kid seems to have been really inspired and I think the freedom that an American university allows could really benefit him, considering his interests.  I'm really proud of him for wanting to break free from the mold and really chase all the opportunities he has.

I just really love my kids (of course that's only about 100 out of 1500 but still).

I just really love my kids (of course that's only about 100 out of 1500 but still).

I feel this! Definitely my favourite thing about Korea

I just really love my kids (of course that's only about 100 out of 1500 but still).

1500??  wow, I have 50, been here a year and still struggle with names! Country live vs city life I guess!