Winter Break 2012
Accepted into the Alternative Winter Break (AWB) 2012 with WCL (Washington College of Law)
From Sunday, December 30, 2012 to Sunday, January 6, 2012, I will be assisting with legal work/construction and exploring the French Quarters of NOLA. Finally, the first thing since starting law school that I am looking forward to. Planning on hitting Bourbon Street and trying out the powdered sugar-covered beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe de Monde. Contemplating if it would be worth it to try out a ghost/vampire night walking tour... Totally Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire. :D
Make sure to bring my laptop w/charger, camera, batteries for the camera, and cell phone charger.
Booked the flight and getting prepped! Any suggestions on what to do in NOLA?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
School Violence in South Korea
Written by Mi-Jin (Jane) Park; Translated by Jeanna Lee
One of my female students entered an English speech contest for her middle school. I helped with the translation and helped her practice and memorize it in time for her contest. Which is in this May 2012. I hope she does well!
Hello, everyone.
Right now the warm spring breeze is blowing. But just a few months ago, it was very cold. I’m going to tell you about an event that happened in winter.
In winter, North Face windbreakers are very popular to wear. My friend also wanted to buy one but he didn’t. He knew that other students would steal the expensive jackets.
This is just one example to show school violence. Every day, students see and witness violence in class. Almost every class has a bully and a victim. It’s hard to imagine being hated by one person. But having the whole class ignore me? There are many students who suffer that every day.
Everyone loves to watch Korean drama on TV. When the main character is in trouble, we feel their pain and sometimes even cry. Why can’t we feel anything for our own classmates? He is a person who is suffering in real life. We should try to sympathize with each other.
A change in school is necessary. Now, school focuses mostly on academic success. But this is not everything. There is more to life. Interacting with unfamiliar people may be an important life experience. It will teach us how to deal with new people at work or school. There should be school activities that help create relationships with our classmates. For example, volunteering or some special projects.
I think that not only blood relatives are family but also people who live together daily are family as well. We should try to understand one another, and schools should provide relationship training. The author, Yae-su Lee, said that no matter where you go; without love, you are stuck alone on an island. I feel that school should not be a desolated island but rather a special family made by deep connections.
One of my female students entered an English speech contest for her middle school. I helped with the translation and helped her practice and memorize it in time for her contest. Which is in this May 2012. I hope she does well!
Hello, everyone.
Right now the warm spring breeze is blowing. But just a few months ago, it was very cold. I’m going to tell you about an event that happened in winter.
In winter, North Face windbreakers are very popular to wear. My friend also wanted to buy one but he didn’t. He knew that other students would steal the expensive jackets.
This is just one example to show school violence. Every day, students see and witness violence in class. Almost every class has a bully and a victim. It’s hard to imagine being hated by one person. But having the whole class ignore me? There are many students who suffer that every day.
Everyone loves to watch Korean drama on TV. When the main character is in trouble, we feel their pain and sometimes even cry. Why can’t we feel anything for our own classmates? He is a person who is suffering in real life. We should try to sympathize with each other.
A change in school is necessary. Now, school focuses mostly on academic success. But this is not everything. There is more to life. Interacting with unfamiliar people may be an important life experience. It will teach us how to deal with new people at work or school. There should be school activities that help create relationships with our classmates. For example, volunteering or some special projects.
I think that not only blood relatives are family but also people who live together daily are family as well. We should try to understand one another, and schools should provide relationship training. The author, Yae-su Lee, said that no matter where you go; without love, you are stuck alone on an island. I feel that school should not be a desolated island but rather a special family made by deep connections.
Letters from my class to their parents
One of the homework assignments I had my students do was to write a letter to their parents for Parents' Day. It's a holiday to celebrate one's parents usually by giving a red carnation and some type of gift to parents and grandparents. This year, Parents' Day fell on Tuesday; May 8, 2012.
Orginally, it was only Mother's Day, and fathers were not included in this holiday. Fathers complained about how they didn't have their own day when they brought home the bacon, so they conjoined the two and made Parents' Day. I think it's a superb idea since Americans have to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day, one right after the other.
These are my students letters. My favorite letter so far is the one written by Gracie, the last letter. I saved the best for last.
Orginally, it was only Mother's Day, and fathers were not included in this holiday. Fathers complained about how they didn't have their own day when they brought home the bacon, so they conjoined the two and made Parents' Day. I think it's a superb idea since Americans have to celebrate both Mother's and Father's Day, one right after the other.
These are my students letters. My favorite letter so far is the one written by Gracie, the last letter. I saved the best for last.
 |
| Written by Patrick (He's very clever and has a superb memory. He gets the highest grade but does the least amount of work. |
 |
| Written by Hannah (She did an excellent job.) |
 |
| Written by Daniel (A true gentleman) |
 |
| Written by Gracie (My personal favorite letter) |
Friday, April 27, 2012
Message I sent before I left for Korea
Going to South Korea in Novemeber 2011
Hey everyone. I just bought my airplane ticket to Korea! So I should see everyone in November if everything goes well. If I miss your name in this note, please don't take offense. I just wanted to make a quick note to let people know, and I know word spreads fast by mouth. Hope to see everyone there! TTYL!
Things I miss about Florida
1. Clothes Dryer- Almost every household has a washer but they don't have a dryer. They use a clothesline, which makes the clothes stiff and smell weird. Plus, it takes a long time to dry.
2. Dishwasher- Although I don't have as many dishes to wash compared to America, I still wish I had one.
3. Oven- There's a stove but no oven to bake food.
4. My car and driving it. It's too crowded and scary to drive in Korea even though I technically can. Public transportation is so time-consuming and inconvenient with this amount of people.
5. Having actual land on your property. There are no actual houses here. Houses in Korea are the equivalent of apartment complexes or condos in America. In addition, all the "houses" are crammed side by side.
6. Wide, open roads- Only a dream in Korea. No such thing exist.
7. My Samsung Galaxy cellphone and its QWERTY keypad. Although Korean cellphones are pretty cool and have lots of features, text messaging is a pain.
8. Bumping into familiar faces randomly. Also, it's weird to see similar faces everywhere. They all have straight, black hair and Asian faces.
9. Shower curtains- They're not needed here because there is a big drain in the bathroom, that allows water to seep through but still.
10. My own bed and comforter- Luckily, I sleep on the bed and not on the floor, which is normal in Korea. But I would prefer my own.
11. Personal pool- Although it's winter now so I can't swim right now, I would like the satisfaction of knowing that there is one. In Korea, they only have community pools that you pay to get into. Plus, there's like 300 people there since there's not a lot of pools around.
12. The WARM Floridian winter- Yeah, I said warm. You Floridians can say it's freezing now but you don't got any idea of the term freezing. I'm waking up and getting out of bed in 17 F weather over here (and this is without snow). And it's only going to get colder, a lot colder. Believe me, Floridian winter is a tropical paradise by comparison.
13. Mash Potatoe- Don't ask. I just do. I got the strangest craving for them
And the thing I miss the most.....................................
14. YOU!!!!! Of course :) Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. I miss you and love you. See you soon in June 2012!!!!!!!!
2. Dishwasher- Although I don't have as many dishes to wash compared to America, I still wish I had one.
3. Oven- There's a stove but no oven to bake food.
4. My car and driving it. It's too crowded and scary to drive in Korea even though I technically can. Public transportation is so time-consuming and inconvenient with this amount of people.
5. Having actual land on your property. There are no actual houses here. Houses in Korea are the equivalent of apartment complexes or condos in America. In addition, all the "houses" are crammed side by side.
6. Wide, open roads- Only a dream in Korea. No such thing exist.
7. My Samsung Galaxy cellphone and its QWERTY keypad. Although Korean cellphones are pretty cool and have lots of features, text messaging is a pain.
8. Bumping into familiar faces randomly. Also, it's weird to see similar faces everywhere. They all have straight, black hair and Asian faces.
9. Shower curtains- They're not needed here because there is a big drain in the bathroom, that allows water to seep through but still.
10. My own bed and comforter- Luckily, I sleep on the bed and not on the floor, which is normal in Korea. But I would prefer my own.
11. Personal pool- Although it's winter now so I can't swim right now, I would like the satisfaction of knowing that there is one. In Korea, they only have community pools that you pay to get into. Plus, there's like 300 people there since there's not a lot of pools around.
12. The WARM Floridian winter- Yeah, I said warm. You Floridians can say it's freezing now but you don't got any idea of the term freezing. I'm waking up and getting out of bed in 17 F weather over here (and this is without snow). And it's only going to get colder, a lot colder. Believe me, Floridian winter is a tropical paradise by comparison.
13. Mash Potatoe- Don't ask. I just do. I got the strangest craving for them
And the thing I miss the most.....................................
14. YOU!!!!! Of course :) Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. I miss you and love you. See you soon in June 2012!!!!!!!!
Only in Korea...
So as I come to live in Korea and learn more about the country, I got to admit that some things are better
1. Public transportation system (although I still prefer my personal car)
2. Cake with fruit topping
3. Free unlimited side dishes
4. Use of land since they don't really have a choice. Land is limited and they know how to maximize their land
5. Sweet potato pizza (tastes 100x better than it sounds)
6. Spicy food
7. Recycling is somewhat mandatory here
8. Delivery service system (you can pretty much get anything delivered to you, McDonald, groceries, etc)
9. How everything is messaged to your phone (ie when you charge something on your card)
10. Banana flavored milk
11. Ramen noodles
12. Summer clothes (pretty innovative and cute)
13. Lack of guns (even the police officers don't carry them)
14. How English speakers are viewed here
15. No sale tax
16. No tipping
1. Public transportation system (although I still prefer my personal car)
2. Cake with fruit topping
3. Free unlimited side dishes
4. Use of land since they don't really have a choice. Land is limited and they know how to maximize their land
5. Sweet potato pizza (tastes 100x better than it sounds)
6. Spicy food
7. Recycling is somewhat mandatory here
8. Delivery service system (you can pretty much get anything delivered to you, McDonald, groceries, etc)
9. How everything is messaged to your phone (ie when you charge something on your card)
10. Banana flavored milk
11. Ramen noodles
12. Summer clothes (pretty innovative and cute)
13. Lack of guns (even the police officers don't carry them)
14. How English speakers are viewed here
15. No sale tax
16. No tipping
Speaking Topics for ESL Instructors
So as the only foreign English teacher at my academy, I oversee every speaking and presentation class. This entails coming up with possible speaking topics and providing an outline for them to structure their presentations. Here a just a few I have utilized in my classes. If used effectively, you can use each topic for a 50-minutes course.
About Me: Self-Introductions
Best Friend
Book Report on any book
Careers and Your Dream Job
Chores and Other Responsibilities you have
Daily Schedule: An average day in your life
Extinct and Endangered Animals
Family
Famous Person
Favorite ___________
Games
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Hobbies: In my free time
Holidays
If I had one hundred days to live
If I had one million dollars
If I lost one sense
If I owned GnB
If I ruled the world
My Hero
Seasons and Seasonal Activities
Singers and songs
Sports and Exercise
Superheroes and Superpowers
Versus (Cake vs Pie, Dog vs Cat in debate form)
Ways to Destress
Weather Safety
What are some benefits of learning English?
What country do you want to visit?
What institutes a country?
What if ___________?
Write a personal letter
5 Senses Diary (sense of time, common sense)
5 Surprising Things About You
And remember, these are just a few. There are a plethora of versatile topics that you can use. Please feel free to add your own to the list!
About Me: Self-Introductions
Best Friend
Book Report on any book
Careers and Your Dream Job
Chores and Other Responsibilities you have
Daily Schedule: An average day in your life
Extinct and Endangered Animals
Family
Famous Person
Favorite ___________
Games
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Hobbies: In my free time
Holidays
If I had one hundred days to live
If I had one million dollars
If I lost one sense
If I owned GnB
If I ruled the world
My Hero
Seasons and Seasonal Activities
Singers and songs
Sports and Exercise
Superheroes and Superpowers
Versus (Cake vs Pie, Dog vs Cat in debate form)
Ways to Destress
Weather Safety
What are some benefits of learning English?
What country do you want to visit?
What institutes a country?
What if ___________?
Write a personal letter
5 Senses Diary (sense of time, common sense)
5 Surprising Things About You
And remember, these are just a few. There are a plethora of versatile topics that you can use. Please feel free to add your own to the list!
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball in Seoul
Lady Gaga was ridiculously amazing! She pulled out all the
stops: the iconic meat dress, pushing two males into a meat grinder and making
them into mince meat, being born from a giant-@$$ bird's @&u$, riding a
motorcycle that had the Korean flag with a built-in keyboard and playing it at
the same time, poking fun of the Korean government for banning 18 years olds
from seeing her concert, making rah-rah-rah into Rah-rah-Kor-re-rah!!! It was
epic. As well as freaky, chaotic, and deafening. Just the way I like it. J I think she
lip-synched some of the songs and probably did. But she gave one hell of a
performance. She performed all her popular songs as well as not so popular: (not
necessarily in this order) Poker Face, Telephone, Judas, Paparazzi, Bad
Romance, Born This Way, Alejandro, and a lot more.
And the audience! All the freaks and geeks were there. Including
moi. LOL And so many Americans! And costumes. A lot of costumes. It was like Halloween
in April. Platinum blonde wigs galore. Traffic was unbelievably horrible. It took
nearly 2 hours to get there when normally it’s like 25 minutes. Met some really cool people there who invited me to go drinking with them. Most of them were English teachers, of course. But the fact that under 18 years old are banned, most of the audience were in my age range.
Definitely one of the best night I had in Korea!
April 27, 2012; Friday
Seoul, South Korea
Jamsil Olympic Stadium
8:00 p.m. ~ 10:10 p.m.
8:00 p.m. ~ 10:10 p.m.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Foreign English Instructor for GnB Wanted!
REQUIRED: Bachelors Degree in any
major with a 2.0 overall GPA (at time of graduation)
Must have received college degree by May 25,
2012
Native English Speaker
Will be expected to have a copy of diploma,
passport and visa by starting date
Expected to stay in South Korea for at least
eight months
NOT
REQUIRED, BUT HELPFUL TO HAVE: TESOL/TEFL certification, Major in English/Education,
Any Knowledge of Korean language
Benefits:
Starting salary is 1,900,000 won/month but negotiable
Health insurance is not included but easily
affordable with salary
Renewable contract if you wish to continue working
at GnB
Campus Name: GnB Dream
Campus Director: Sun Kim
Campus Address: South Korea (Country), Seoul
(City), Gwanahk-gu (Province), Bongchun-dong (Neighborhood), 496-6, Go-oon
Building, 4th Floor
Starting
Date: Late May 2012/ June 1st, 2012
Duration
of Contract: 8 months at least but highly prefer 1 year
Average # of Foreign English Teachers: 1
Average # of Native Korean Teachers: 2
Class Size: 3-10 students
Class Length: 50 minutes
Work Hours: Monday-Friday, 1 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
but only teach 4-5 classes a day. The rest of the time is lunch break, teachers’
meetings, preparation time, etc.
Most of the websites are in Korean!
Campus
Website:
www.gnbenglish.com/mini_gnb/?mini_cd=S020006061
Campus Blog: blog.naver.com/gnbdream
For
further inquiry about this position, please email with (expected) college
graduation date to Campus Director Sun Kim: alici@hanmail.net
Sunday, April 15, 2012
It's springtime for Gina and Korea
Today has been the first day since I felt like the weather has been good. It's finally starting to feel like spring and loving the weather. Even more impressive are the cherry blossoms blooming throughout South Korea. Such a memerizing sight. This one moment makes up for the last three weeks coughing out my lungs. Still sick as a dog but even I can't deny the beauty of spring in Korea. Cotton candy, gentle breeze, ducks quacking and birds chirping, kite-flying. All the signs of spring are here.
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