2. Went into the university today to drop off the movie tickets for this Thursday's staff outing. We're going to see the movie "Transformers" and well, I don't expect much from it. I'm not really into far-fetched ideas. I mean, I'll watch it for the cool effects but won't be writing home about it... hehehe. Last movie I saw with my coworkers was "300"... what a flop!!!
3. How ironic is this, I was so eager to start holidays and yet now I can't stop visiting my
school!!! Part of the reason why I dropped by the office today was because I wanted to get Ki Dong to check my Korean homework. I've been studying super hard but was quite disappointed when he started pointing out all my mistakes... silly mistakes... spelling mistakes.
4. Got 2 super funny emails from my students today. The first email came from one of my super sweet students who had asked me to give her an English name and so, after much thought, I emailed her four names and their meanings. Well, she emailed me today saying that she loved all the names I picked and so instead of picking one, she mashed all 4 together.
Here's what she wrote to me:
1. Jolanta = violet flower
2. Alina = bright and beautiful
3. Felcia = lucky
4. Kaylee = pure and innocent
I want to every name~~~ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
But. ,, If i were pick ..i choose...hum..... hum... very difficult...
1.jo 2.na 3.fe 4.lee
ㅋㅋㅋ Finally. ㅋㅋ My English name in "jonafelee"..........ㅋㅋㅋ
5. The second email was from another awesome student (aren't they all though.. totally!) He wrote, "... at first thank u for my grade~ and how are u~ im fine -_-;;but i have some problem because of u... i miss u~^^" I always love getting student emails! They're always so cute and so funny. Last weekend I sent my last weekly email to my students and so many students responded to it. Some told me that they missed me, they wanted to see me, they love me.... hehehe.... so cute.
6. The best email I got from my students came today from a student who's in one of my Tuesday classes. He wrote it to me in Korean. I could understand a good percent of it but ended up getting Sunny to translate it for me. Wow... it was so sweet and I couldn't help but totally feel so touched. He had wrote saying thank you to me for really putting a lot of effort and care into my job. He wrote that he's never had a professor like me who's been so concerned with the students. .... wow, thank you! I was so happy to get this email and so I printed it off and am now using it as my bookmark in my self-study Korean textbook.
7. Hannah and I went shopping in Yawoori and I ended up buying some new workout gear... I love Adidas gear!!! I bought these super sweet 3/4 length training pants that are made of that new "ClimaCool" material... so awesome.. so comfortable! Also bought a cool training tank top. Despite what the tag on the tank top stated, "Asian sizing... designed and constructed for the fit and comfort of the Asian body", it fit me really good.... hehehe.
8. Headed off to training in my new gear. I was dressed from head to toe in Adidas gear but am a faithful Nike Shox shoe lover... hehehe. Gotta have my Shoxs! Buff Boy loved my new gear but honestly, cause of the material being so clinging, I felt like I was working out in a bathing suit, minus the butt wedgies that is... hehehe. (Did I just say that... oh gosh).
9. Well, when I'm not out eating my meals or training, I'm most likely in my house studying. Tonight I studied for about 2 hours and then took a break. A simple break resulted to me passing out on the floor with Mi Nam.... oops.
10. Lately I've been really weighted down with something that I just can't shake. I emailed a couple of friends about it but only one responded. So, here's the email I sent them:
Here's my dilemma...You know how people come from various countries to Canada and how in their home country they're successful and highly educated but when they come to Canada, their degree isn't recognized and so they're stuck working at gas stations and what not?!... well, that's what I'm fearing will happen to me when I go back to Canada. You may think it sounds silly cause my degree was earned in Canada and I am Canadian, but Canada is nothing like Korea. I mean, here in Korea I have an awesome job that earns me SO much respect. I've got people older than me bowing to me when I tell them I'm a professor! Koreans REALLY respect teachers and well, being a professor is all that more highly respected by them. I work awesome hours, get paid really good, have 4 months paid holidays and am having a blast teaching. I really love teaching, more specifically, I love teaching English as a second language. It's really cool to see them having fun with English. And so, I think I have it made in Korea.
BUT... what's going to happen when I come back to Canada?!!!
After experiencing both the Canadian and Korean public school system, I'm really not interested in getting involved in the totally political Canadian school system that doesn't respect teachers and makes them deal with problems way beyond just teaching. Whether it's violence in the schools or parents expecting teachers to be like a second parent to their child, I think teachers have a hard job in Canada. They're over-worked, under paid, and pushed into retarded politics.
So instead, I'd like to work at an ESL center or a language academy... hence the reason why I'm totally pushing my Korean studying! I've been even considering opening up my own home stay program. I'd get a house downtown and have international students stay at it. I'd fully immerse them into the English-speaking world with various activities and outings I'd plan. We'd also have an allotted time in the program for English classes. I think it'd give them a wicked chance to experience western culture and it'd be a lot of fun, not only for them but also for me!
More specifically however, I'd love to work primarily with Korean students cause I
think I'd be able to relate with them. I have a great grasp on the culture and am working diligently to improve my Korean language skills. Not only did I study Korean culture in university but I also have been living in Korea for just under 3 years now.I think this fear, the fear of having to start all over again and the possibility of not finding another job I love, is what makes me feel so uncomfortable about returning to Canada. What happens if I give up my job here, only to realize too late that it really was the perfect job for me?! Don't get me wrong though please, I really do miss my friends and family. I wish I could spend more time with my parents, eat more of my mom's cooking, be a better aunt to my brother's little girl, and get back into my boxing training with Egerton. I even miss speaking fluent English.
But will Canada be good to me or am I better off in Korea?! Am I just acting spoiled or is the grass really greener on the other side, in Canada?
So... what do you think?
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's your advice?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Home is where the heart is.
-- Author Unknown
2 comments:
When i give advice, i take in all the facts, sense my feeling of them (instinct or gut feeling and what-not) and then explain my feeling in words. Now, i have never been to Korea, and never lived in Canada. Also, im not and do not have:
a woman
a dog
forgien friends who care so so much about me
working for a living
a teacher
etc.
So, my advice is based on a VERY limited perspective, plus i hate change into uncomfortable, unstable (spontaneous) atmospheres. You are practicallyt my opposite, and are very spontaneous. And its worked for you, so please consider all of these things when looking at my advice~
I have a bad feeling about moving back to Canada, never the less setting up an independent business. I think the dramatic change back will cause you tremendous stress, causeing you to rely on friends to help you get through it. BUT all your awsome friends are in Korea so you'll rely on your family. ALSO, i dont know how many people need your service (or want). Are there many Koreans who go to Canada? I think the money will be much less, and the budget much tighter. I think you are living the dream as of now.
I have a theory, and that is, now matter how happy or rich we all are, we find things to be unhappy about. Its natural and it helps us appreciate what we have. BUT this can also make people unapprecitive if they find the "little" bad things too much to handle. Example:
Rich guy worries he cant afford a second house OPPOSE TO: bum worries about his next meal. I think your the rich guy Amy. I know its your old home and theres you family, but i dont know its worth the risk. If you hang in there, im sure your problems, however big or little, will be less of a, well, problem. For instance:
Family-make trips back home
Boyfriend-all anyone can do is wait, right?
i dont know of any other problems, but this is all just an opinion.
-bRAM(b-man)
Oh Amy!
I could have written that letter my very self about 5 years ago before I made the move back to the U.S. Although I joke about dragging him here, do you know it was my husband who really pushed to move to the U.S.? I was hesistant for many reasons (worried about his cultural transition, stress of moving, etc.), but the biggest reason I was reluctant (even when I cried my eyes out after every visit back home because I missed my family so much) was because I did not want to give up my very comfortable life in Korea with my amazing job! This is no lie--when I lived in Korea, I constantly told people, "I love my job." I have to be honest and say I haven't said that since. It's not that I hate my job, but you said it--it's the politics of education in the U.S. My students? They're still fantastic; I love them every bit as much as I loved my Korean "kids", but the job is so many more hours, so much more stressful than my teaching in Korea. That being said however, there were a lot of other stresses in Korea that weighed me down (like just never really fitting in or being completely accepted in that society, language barriers, not being free to drive wherever I wanted to go, trying to conform to a society different than the one I'd originated from, etc.) and I'm free from those things in my home country.
Job-wise I have to say (IMHO) that you will be much happier in Korea, but other-wise, I believe you'll be much more comfortable back in Canada.
Phew! That was a long comment--sorry for the ramble. I so understand where you're coming from, hence--obviously--why I'm so addicted to reading your blog. I can relate!
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