Final Semester

Well, the title says it all - I'm wrapping up my final semester in South Korea as part of the Fulbright Program. The past three years have been a life-changing experience, and living in this country has been filled with ups, downs, and plenty of personal growth. I don't really feel like getting super sappy about all of this right now, because I'm sure that will come later (like once I'm back in America and facing reverse culture shock and reminiscing a lot more). But I will always look back on this experience with fond memories and an appreciation for all of the friendships I've made and will maintain as I move forward.

To roughly transition, this semester has been the busiest four months of my life. Period! From maintaining my personal health, excelling at work, and endeavoring in plenty of extracurriculars, this semester is one for the books. I would like to briefly share some highlights and achievements with you all (in no specific order):

- Finally filling up my second diary and starting my third one
- Demetria's visit to Korea (and trying to win at those damn crane games everyday, lol)
- Participating and completing 6 running/marathon events
- Hiking to the summit of South Korea's tallest mountain, Hallasan
- Eating a tub of ice cream (alone) in a single day while binge watching the newest season of House of Cards (this might be a low for some people, but not in my books)
- Planning, acquiring approval, and executing a Seoul-wide scavenger hunt with my after school class
- Fulbright third year soccer jerseys = the most badass investment ever
- Japan! (part two) Okinawa and Disney
- Keeping up my resolution of posting two blog entries per month
- Drinking beer at 9:00 a.m. before a long flight
- Meeting new friends, getting closer with old ones, and making amazing memories
- Spongebob references, everywhere (shout out to Anna)
- I found Oreo O's and tried them for the first time
- Coming in 1st place in the 100m dash at my school's "Sports Day" (sorry-not-sorry kids, I'm ultra competitive)
- Dancing with a fun-loving old guy at Seoul's Rose Festival
- The assist I tallied when I crossed the ball into the box and our school's Vice Principal headed it into the back of the net (glory moment)
- Supporting my talented and beautiful friend EJ as a model in the Seoul Africa Festival
- That ONE time when a bunch of the older, male teachers at my school talked to me at lunch
- Changing the billboard in my classroom to something meaningful for the students
- (Accidentally) going to an indoor baseball game with Anna and Annaliese
- Becoming addicted to Magikarp Jump! (app)
- Seeing my childhood favorite, Britney Spears, perform live in Seoul
- Watching matches at the FIFA U-20 World Cup
- Becoming involved in a D&D campaign with a group of amazing friends
- Finally getting my students to stop feeling shy about taking selfies with me
- Wearing a different dress to Fulbright's final dinner event (I still love you, green dress)
- Consuming way too much Monster Pizza, but never feeling bad about it
- Hanging out on Haeundae Beach in Busan and later dancing the night away with friends
- Feeling thankful for all the amazing friendships I have both here, at home, and elsewhere in the world

Those are just fragments of what I've been up to the past few months. I'll be back Stateside on August 5, and I have no idea what comes next for me.

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Tokyo Disney!

Cinderella's Castle

Hello everyone! It's time to share my AWESOME experience at Tokyo Disneyland~! I treated myself and booked a hotel resort for three nights, along with a three-day pass to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. I have to admit, I had no idea what Disney Sea was before I arrived, but it was so fun (and actually better than Disneyland, to be honest). 

With my best buddy, Goofy

"Critter Sundae"

On the first day, I headed to Disneyland, which I hear is very similar to the one in L.A. Space Mountain, Cinderella's Castle, Splash Mountain, etc. This park is a bit older than Disney Sea, but was still full of fun and adventure. There was a theme for Easter, and an Easter Parade with all of the characters. Unfortunately, there was also an extremely loud and catchy made-up tune that was looping non-stop throughout the entirety of the 45-minute parade, and I was singing it for the rest of my trip. It was called "Usatama on the Run!". I think that is something about eggs, but I'm not sure. There were plenty of eggs everywhere. Haha!

Tokyo Disney Resort

Hispanic Goofy?

The second and third days I decided to spend at Disney Sea, which was SO FREAKING COOL. As can be expected by the name, this park was centered around nautical exploration. It had different themes such as "Mermaid Lagoon" where I watched an Under the Sea musical adventure (all in Japanese), but still sang along with all my favorite Little Mermaid tunes. There was a new Finding Nemo exhibit opening up, but I came just one week too early to be able to go on the attraction. There was a huge "American Waterfront" section which had a bunch of American-style food like reuben sandwiches, fried cod, beer, and more. So yummy! AND a new Toy Story virtual ride based on classic carnival games. There are shooters on the vehicles and you shoot targets in those 3-D games like "egg toss" and "balloon pop".

Mermaid Lagoon

Sunset

The Tower of Terror was also worth checking out, as the story line for Tokyo Disney is totally different than the normal story back in the States. It was super neat. AND the guides even provided an English translation for me as I went through. Very cool and fun ride. My favorite was the Indiana Jones attraction. The props, setting, and overall ride itself were totally awesome. I rode it two or three times, I think.

Overall, it was a very exciting trip to Disneyland and Disney Sea. And so much cheaper than in America! I paid $160 for a three-day pass. That would be the cost of a one-day entry back in the States. Crazy.

Usatama on the Run!

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Okinawa, Japan

Well, I lived up to my promise! If you remember, I traveled to Japan during my winter break (in February) for ten days. I had an amazing trip, met some awesome people, and knew that I had to go back one day.

That time came sooner than I expected. I had a two-week "spring break" because of my school's midterm examinations and class field trip, which I did not attend. I decided to make a short trip back to Japan, this time visiting Okinawa and Tokyo Disney Resort. I stayed in Okinawa for three days, and Tokyo Disney for four days.

The beach

Okinawa is a southern island of Japan, and it was extremely humid and a bit rainy during my trip. Another solo trip, I was looking forward to meeting new people and enjoying some alone time (as if I don't get enough of that already... lol!). On the first day, I didn't get to Okinawa until late afternoon, so I checked in and just did what I usually do - walk around the city and get lost a little bit while exploring. While exploring, I came across a beach and stopped to relax for a bit. I made it back to the hostel and hung out in the lounge. While there, I met a Canadian and an American, and we spent the evening chatting awhile. I crashed early because the next day was prepped with my Japanese friend, Mai!

Donkatsu (pork cutlet) and miso soup

I had a restless sleep due to the humidity and woke up with even more BRUTAL weather - sunny, humid, disgusting. I put on my lightest set of clothes and headed to meet Mai. Unfortunately, after she picked me up, her car stalled and the battery died. So we were stuck for awhile and our initial plans fell through for the day. We decided to walk and get lunch while the repairman came and took a look at the car. We ate pork cutlet (donkatsu), which was absolutely amazing. One of my favorite Japanese dishes. While at lunch, Mai and I met up with her friend/co-worker, and they decided to take me to their dessert restaurant by the beach! Mai is the manager at a souflet pancake shop. OH. MY. GOD. I have never tasted pancakes so delicious in my life. They melted in my mouth, so fluffy, so sugary, so buttery, so good. I have GOT to get that recipe. After we felt sufficiently full from lunch and dessert, we walked around the beach and rested for awhile. Mai's friend had to leave to take care of her baby, so Mai and I decided to take a drive around Okinawa for awhile. After that, we enjoyed an insane amount of Japanese appetizers as our dinner whilst consuming Okinawa's finest beer, Orion. It was SO GOOD, but I soon found out that they don't export it ANYWHERE. Not even on mainland Japan. Ugh. So I used that as an excuse to drink as much as I wanted. YOLO. Vacation. Mai and I departed ways after an extremely fun day spent together. I wish we had more time!

Hanging out inside a seashell

The most delicious pancakes EVER

Reunited with Mai and her friend!

The next day, I made plans with the two friends I met at the hostel, and we headed to a famous ramen shop. We had to get there an hour before opening just to guarantee ourselves a spot. So we waited from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for some delicious ramen. And it was spectacular! After that, we headed to Shuri Castle, a popular tourist site of Okinawa. The weather was SO RAINY and cool, the complete opposite of the day before. Island life, man. I couldn't get used to it. While at the castle, I was trying to take a picture when suddenly, a cute, older, Japanese woman completely photobombed the picture. I decided that the picture looked better with her in it. She came up to us and started talking to us in a friendly manner, and then her husband dragged her away, LOL.


Amazing ramen

The cute lady who photobombed my picture

Okinawa scenery

We headed back to the hostel as the rain kept pouring down. I didn't feel like doing much else after that, so I rested awhile. Eventually the rain let up and I went to the market to buy some souvenirs. The next day I was headed to Tokyo for my expected trip to Disney Land! Stay tuned!

Orion beer at 10:00 a.m. while waiting for the plane

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A Glimpse Inside Korean Educational Administration

A Native English Teacher's Experience Interviewing Selected Candidates for Hire at a Korean High School

I had the opportunity to be a part of the interviewing process for hiring new teachers at a Korean high school in Seoul. It is a unique experience that the majority of other Native English Teachers in the country are not usually a part of, for various reasons (I'll let you ponder those on your own). Following the day of interviews, I took some time to reflect upon the experience and thought I would share with you all a brief overview. I've refrained from posting personal comments [on this blog] on the matter, but those interested in learning more, feel free to contact me. Although I have had this post written and saved for a few months now, I am choosing to post it now because the official interviewing process has concluded, and the new school year has safely started. Even though the likelihood of this post having any effect on the entire process, I did not want to take any chances by posting this publicly ahead of time. For privacy concerns, I've refrained from including any names of candidates, interviewers (besides myself), and the school.

Where:

• A private, vocational, co-educational high school in Seoul, South Korea
• Inside of a large conference room; the four interviewers seated on one side of a table, the solo interviewee seated opposite

When:

• Tuesday, January 24, 2017, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Why:

• The final process in selecting and hiring new teachers for the 2017-18 academic school year
• The school already conducted sample lessons with a larger group and narrowed down the selection to the top candidates in each subject

Interviewers:

• School Principal
• School Vice Principal (VP)
• Retired Korean Supreme Court Justice (SCJ)
• English Native Teacher (ENT)

Interviewees:

• 3 English Teacher Candidates
• 3 Math Teacher Candidates
• 6 Business/Commercial Teacher Candidates
• Breakdown: 2 Male, 10 Female Candidates

Format:

• 30-minute structured interviews
• 4-panel interviewers seated across from the candidate
• 5 minutes: Ice-breaker and Resume-related questions asked by SCJ
• 10 minutes: School/Teaching-related questions asked by VP
• 10 minutes: Potpourri/Trivia-esque questions asked by Principal
• 5 minutes: Test of English Proficiency conducted by ENT

Types of Questions and Statements:

• (In Korean): How well can you hold your alcohol? How will that affect your teaching? 
• School dinners/outings are a common occurrence in Korea, often including large amounts of alcohol. These types of questions were regarded towards the male candidates.
• (In Korean): You're so young... when do you expect to get married (/ have a baby)? Why aren't you married yet? 
• These types of questions were regarded towards the female candidates.
• (In Korean): You look so ________ (young, old, nervous, timid, insert numerous other adjectives here). 
• (In Korean): Why haven't you been considered as a permanent candidate before now? What caused a delay between ______ and ______? 
• In Korea, many professions contract their employees on a year-by-year basis. It is difficult to obtain a permanent position within a school system.
• (In Korean): How well do you know Greek and Roman mythology? Who is Pythagorus? What can you tell me about ____________ (time period)? 
• These questions were asked regardless of the subject content they were being interviewed for.
• (In Korean): Questions related to education and prior work experience; Why was your GPA ____? What factors accounted for that? How does your experience at ______ relate to the position for consideration?
• (In English): Tell me about your classroom management strategies. How do you prevent students from sleeping in your class? 
• (In English): What has been the most rewarding/challenging aspect in your teaching career thus far?
• (In English): What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates today?
• (In English): Please read the first two paragraphs from the article laid beside you.
• The article was written in English.

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Hualien, Taiwan

Ticket to Hualien

Hi everyone! This is part three (of three) in my Taiwan travel series blog posts. To read parts one and two, click the attached links. For the last leg of my trip to Taiwan, my friend Nikki and I headed to the central-eastern side of the country to visit the "countryside". We wanted to explore a more nature-filled part of Taiwan, so we headed to Hualien, expecting to go hiking at one of the country's most renowned national parks.

The trip from Taipei to Hualien was about three hours, but the train ride was beautiful! Riding along the coast, we saw the East China Sea, mountainous landscapes, and pure country. I met a few nice older Taiwanese ladies who had moved to Canada and California, respectively, and they chatted with me and told me all about the beautiful things to see and do in Hualien.

Taroko National Park

Upon arrival, we checked into Big Bear Hostel, which seemed to be popular with the Europeans. We set our bags down and set out to wander around the small town. Funny story: as Nikki and I were exploring the street markets later that day, we stumbled into a tea shop, where we saw two Western-looking women struggling to speak with the shop owner. The shop owner was sampling different teas for them, and she seemed adamant about having Nikki and I sit down too. We booked it out of there immediately (LOL). Later that evening when we were back at the hostel, the very same two women walked into our room and that's when we realized they were our roommates for the night! Haha. We were laughing about the situation for quite some time.

Anyway, after we wandered around awhile, we decided to crash early so that we would be ready for our big day the next morning! Nikki and I were heading to Taroko National Park, where we would spend the day hiking and exploring natural landmarks. Unfortunately, the transportation system of getting around the park was not as easy as described to us at the hostel. We bought a day-pass for public buses where we could get off and on as we please throughout different areas of the park. Unfortunately, the bus times listed were not accurate with when the buses actually showed up to different stops, so Nikki and I ended up walking from hike-to-hike at some points throughout the day, which cut back on our plans for the day and where we wanted to end up at.

Our monkey friend

Transportation aside, the park itself was beautiful! Nikki and I explored four different areas of the park, completing two major hikes and spending time at areas with various landmarks to see. The park is very vast and open, so we never felt rushed or annoyed by people around us (hooray). The only scary part was when we met a [domesticated] monkey friend who came too close to our lunch and tried to swipe it away from us.

I'll describe a little bit about where we went and what we saw. Some descriptions are courtesy of the Taroko National Park website.

Baiyang Trail
The Baiyang Waterfall Trail is characterized by the number of tunnels. Some of the tunnels are as straight as a pencil and we could see the light at the end, but other tunnels were curved so we were enveloped in pitch-black darkness for a short time. The trail was originally built by Taiwan Power Company in 1984 during the early stages of their plans to develop hydroelectric power in the area, plans that included damming many parts of the gorge. The hydroelectric project for this area was eventually cancelled. At the end of the 5km trek is a series of three waterfalls, making the winding and blinding path along the way worth the view at the end!

Baiyang Waterfalls

Changchun Shrine

Nikki and I were actually on a bus when we passed by this shrine because we didn't have enough time to do the trail itself (transportation issues). The Changchun (Eternal Spring) Shine commemorates the 226 military veterans who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway (1956~1960). The spring water adjacent by the Eternal Spring Shine flows all year round, and the Highway Bureau named it after "Changchun Falls."

Changchun Shrine

Tunnel of Nine Turns

This is the most magnificent part of Taroko Gorge, where the sheer cliffs face each other. During the exploration stage, it is the especially difficult and dangerous part to explore. When the wind comes from the broad river valley to the narrow valley it is forced upwards when it hits the cliff face.

Tunnel of Nine Turns

Cimu Bridge

An H-Shape hanging bridge with marble stone lions on each end and with marble lotus stones on two sides. The rock beneath the bridge looks like a frog. The frog-like rock is composed of black layer of schist at the top and white marble at the bottom. A pavilion was built on this frog rock, becoming the crown on the frog.

Cimu Bridge

Xiangde Temple

Xiangde temple is a Buddhist Linzizong temple. After the Central Cross-Island Highway opened, the main temple was completed in December of 1968. The Daxiong Boudian temple-the main temple, Tianfeng Pagoda, and the White Robed Guanyin were then successively built.

Tianfeng Pagoda

Xiangde Temple

Overall, my time in Hualien was a blast. It was definitely more mellowed out than Taipei, which I enjoyed for the second leg of my trip. I wish I had planned another day to spend in Hualien to explore even more of its natural beauty, but I will just have to put that on the to-do list for the next time I visit!

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Taipei, Taiwan: Day Trip to Jiufen

The lanterns of Jiufen

Hi everyone! This is part two (of three) in my Taiwan travel series blog posts. To read part one, click here. This post will focus on a fun day trip that my friends and I took, just outside of Taipei to a small village named Jiufen.

Walking along the narrow streets

Jiufen has recently become a popular tourist attraction because of its resemblance to the popular anime movie, Spirited Away. It is a beautiful village situated abreast Taiwanese mountains, and it is equipped with a street market of its own. On top of that, visiting Jiufen at night allows tourists to see the decorative lanterns lit up all around the village.

Panorama of Jiufen

My friends and I decided to head to Jiufen in the early afternoon and stay until sunset so that we could see the lanterns! The bus was a bit confusing to navigate, with private taxi owners trying to rip us off and take us there privately (with jacked up prices). We opted to wait for the public bus, which we eventually found and no harm done. The bus ride was about two hours long, but we made friends with other passengers on the bus, so time went by quickly. 

Lanterns and Crowds

When we got off the bus, we started walking around Jiufen, weaving our way through the narrow streets. Of course, we tried tons of street food, bought souvenirs, and stopped for a coffee to take in the beautiful views. 

Narrow Staircases

It started getting pretty crowded towards late afternoon, assuming everyone wanted to see the lanterns lit up in the evening. To be honest, I was starting to become a bit annoyed by all of the pushing and shoving going on, but I made it through. 

A day in Taiwan is never complete without dumplings

It was a rather simple day, but tiring nonetheless. A great sight to see, and I recommend visiting if you ever find yourself in Taiwan. 

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Taipei, Taiwan

As most of you know by now, I took a week-long trip to Taiwan with a few other Fulbright buddies during the winter vacation. I will be splitting this trip up into three separate posts, related to each city that we visited throughout the week. First up is Taipei, where we spent the majority of our time.

The gang! Hanging out at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Hospitality: Happy Taipei Guesthouse

Perks:

• Staff were extremely helpful in providing navigational directions and tips
• Comfortable beds, spacious rooms, clean!
• Privacy curtains, personal outlets, lamps, and shelf for each bed
• Centrally located: 2 minutes' walk from Shilin Night Market, 10 minutes' walk from Official Residence, 5 minutes' walk from Shilin metro/subway station
• Within 15-20 minute subway ride to other main attractions in Taipei

Drawbacks:

• Steep stairs, no elevator - might be difficult for people with physical handicaps
• Not noticeable from the outside - have to call staff for assistance in finding the guesthouse

Overall:

• I highly recommend this guesthouse! The staff was very well prepared in answering any questions and helping our group make any necessary accommodations. I would definitely stay here again.

Shilin Night Market

Taipei Night Markets

Throughout the week, my friends and I visited a different market almost every night that we were in Taipei. Each night market was so different, and we tried a bunch of different food and found various products. Exploring the different night markets was probably my favorite park of traveling within Taipei. It was like the city didn't even come alive until after 7:00 p.m., haha!

Pork with green onions and chives

Shilin Night Market:

• By far the largest night market in Taipei! And a very short distance from our guesthouse. 
• Foods we tried: pork wrapped with green onions and chives, sugar-coated fruits, egg tarts (various flavors: brown sugar, original, raspberry, green tea, and more...), milk tea, sausage on a stick, ALL the dumplings, Japanese udon, ice cream, crepes, and more!
• Souvenirs we bought: Plush dolls everywhere, jewelry, magnets/typical souvenir items, fashion pieces, etc.
• All the food was between ~$0.25 (dumplings) - $3.00 (crepes) - SO CHEAP! 
• So large that it might be difficult to explore in one evening! We came back for two nights
• Crowded, especially on weekends! And there's no map to guide you along the way, so you have to twist and turn and remember landmarks of where you have/haven't been.

Egg tarts

Ningxia Night Market

Ningxia Night Market:

• Considerably smaller compared to Shilin
• Much more organized - just one long road - side-by-side - of vendors selling food and products
• Prices were a bit more expensive compared to Shilin
• Foods we tried: stinky tofu, milk tea (frog eggs), meat on a stick, fresh fruit, dumplings, and more!
• Souvenirs we bought: postcards
• Much quieter than Shilin - a bit "out of the way" from other night markets

Stinky Tofu

Raohe Street Market

Raohe Street Market:

• Next to a large Buddhist temple - very cool to walk by during the Lunar New Year preparations
• Another fairly large night market, but also just a few long roads of vendors selling food and products - more organized
• Foods we tried: Russian pastries, chicken hearts, dumplings, desserts, and more!
• We didn't spend much time here because we were exhausted after a day trip to Jiufen.

Overall, the street markets were SO fun and an essential part of experiencing Taiwanese culture. English levels are great, and vendors are super friendly. We definitely just ate our way through Taiwan. No regrets about it!

Official Residence

Attractions / Activities We Did in Taipei

Of course, no trip is complete without visiting some of the tourist spots! Here's a brief overview of places we visited!

Official Residence:

• BEAUTIFUL entry park leading up to the house. Walking around the park/garden was so awesome, and there are fun/random statues to pose with and take pictures throughout. 
• Entry into the actual residence: Maybe ~$5? I don't remember, but it was super cheap. 
• The tour of the residence took about 30 minutes. There's a free audio guide, and it's worth it. The rooms are decked out with classic furniture and lots of history.
• Good place to hang out, enjoy nature, and learn some Taiwanese history.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Palace Museum:

• Crowded! And expensive (~$10). 
• My friend and I were too tired to walk around 5 floors of a museum, so we made a bad choice. Especially with noisy children and families around.
• Best just to view it from the outside, that's the pretty part anyway. 
• It has a lot of rich history related to Taiwan, its artifacts, and more, but focus was lacking.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall:

• AMAZING! And free! Very cool architecture to view here. Take lots of pictures.
• Very large space to walk around and enjoy the fresh air. Definitely worth a trip!

Taipei EYE Traditional Opera

Taipei EYE Traditional Opera:

• Probably the most expensive thing we booked (~$17), but very interesting!
• Reserve tickets in advance!
• The show itself was conducted in Chinese, with translations in various languages displayed on screens to the side.
• It was hilarious! We got lucky and saw a few mistakes and crashes, which made the whole thing even better. One of the actors was doing some flip jumpy kick things and he crashed right into the orchestra. It was clearly the best part of my day. Hahahaha!
• The actors present an excerpt from a traditional Taiwanese story.

Taipei 101:

• EXPENSIVE (~$20) to go up to the top of the tower
• We decided it wasn't worth it, so we just hung out around the bottom area. 
• We took pictures and left.

Beitou Hot Springs

Beitou Hot Springs:

• So relaxing! Bring a towel if you don't want to purchase one on-site.
• Bring a swimsuit - most are public/outdoors
• Average price ~$15 for unlimited usage for a day
• Worth a trip! We felt amazing during and afterwards.

Overall: We spent a lot of time in Taipei! It was totally worth it, and each attraction was unique and fun. I can't wait to explore other parts of Taiwan when I plan a trip to go back.

Stay tuned for two more posts regarding my trip to Taiwan. They will be covering a day trip to Jiufen, and my two days spent in Hualien, Taiwan's "countryside". See you soon!

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New Design!

Hi everyone! Notice anything different?

I finally decided to modernize my blog and logged far too many hours with coding and hashing out bugs with my new design. But, now that it is finally complete, I am super happy with it and will keep it around for some time.

Major changes: New logo (and made a thumbnail version), single-column body with two-column footer, added social media widgets to header.

Minor changes: Text/font styles, colors, added 'Read More' tags, added 'Share' buttons

Setbacks: Still working on getting thumbnails to appear next to posts on the Home page. Still a few bugs to hash out with that.

Hope you like it as much as I do! I love the simplicity of it compared to my last layout, and the brightness of it.

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Winter Class

"The List": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abqo7prT840

We made fake blood!

After the New Year celebrations, my school requested that I teach a voluntary two-week winter class to help students practice English. Because it is winter BREAK, I decided to make the curriculum something fun and out of the ordinary. I also learned that I had a small class of seven students, so my creative juices were boiling.

I ultimately decided on having the students make some type of movie (the genre and its contents solely up to the decision of the students). Luckily, the students loved the idea and immediately started brainstorming ideas. I was a little unsure if we would be able to get a solid production put together in such a short time frame, but we gave it a whirl anyway!

Practicing their lines

The first week was spent coming up with a topic/setting, roles for the students, script writing, storyboarding, and prop preparations. The students divided themselves into small groups, with the student director monitoring each person's role. They did a fantastic job writing the short film. The premise is a Thriller/Slasher movie where a jealous girlfriends seeks vengeance on her boyfriend and the girls he's been flirting with. She creates a LIST (movie name, "The List") and goes through it one by one, killing each girl along the way. I was pleasantly surprised by their creative abilities and the depth they added to their short film.

Giving guidance for stage direction

Close-up of a killing scene

The second week was spent filming and editing, with a viewing party held on the last day! I think this week was the most fun for the students because they could bring their roles to life, and they loved giggling at (with) one another throughout filming. I should also mention how much they enjoyed making fake blood and smearing it everywhere for the murder scenes. I wish I had captured the looks of pure joy on their faces - some actual serial killer smiles! Haha!

They filmed the movie at school using my Canon camera, and they edited it in the school computer lab. I think it was most students' first time using a video editing software, so I did a quick tutorial, and the rest was history. They picked it up quickly, editing the clips, adding sound and transitions, etc. They're continued dedication for the project made me so happy, and it was awesome because I was doing minimal work, just helping as needed.

"The List": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abqo7prT840

The students really seemed to enjoy this project, and I hope I have another chance to do a similar project in the future. This project was a great way for students to utilize their creative abilities while also practicing the target language (English). Entirely student-lead, I only provided guidance when requested. All work was completed by the students.

I'm so proud of them and want to share the movie with you all. Enjoy!

That's a wrap!

"The List": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abqo7prT840

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