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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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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PPAP; 1Q84

Fulbright Third Year ETAs

Gyeongju at night

Acronyms are taking over. Pen Pineapple Apple Pen is somehow the hottest track right now. That video is basically all of us English teachers' lives on a daily basis during class... haha.

But anyway, I've been reading this novel, originally split into three separate pieces, titled 1Q84 and written by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. It's really long - just about 1,000 pages in the English translation. It's taken me over a month to read it so far, but I enjoy taking my time. While it gets redundant in some areas, the premise of the story revolves around an alternate reality mixed in with romance, political unrest, and plenty of science-fiction mystery. As you can imagine, it is loosely based on the idea of George Orwell's novel 1984. I'm not terribly good at book reviews, so I'll just leave it at that. It's interesting, but unnecessarily long and over descriptive. This paragraph has virtually nothing to do with the rest of this blog post, I just wanted to write a short excerpt on what I'm currently reading.

Cooking with my friend JaeWon!

Sometimes it feels like I'm living in an alternate universe here in Korea. I had no idea what to expect two and a half years ago before arriving, as I quite literally had no background knowledge on Korea's history, culture, and language save for what I learned about from my Korean-American friends and professors. Most people who know my background in Spanish Education always ask me why I applied for Fulbright KOREA and not a Fulbright grant in a Spanish-speaking country. My answer to that question is that I wanted to explore a part of the world I've never been to before, and most likely would NOT visit otherwise. I knew that the Korean education system was considered 'hardcore and intense', and I was intrigued by what exactly that meant. I knew that Koreans start studying English from a very young age, and I was curious how that influenced their attitudes towards language learning and their functional use of the English language.

Enjoying a night out with friends!

Two and a half years into my Fulbright grant, and I'm able to describe the reasoning behind these curiosities to a decent extent. I've also picked up the Korean language in a fairly small amount of time (as far as language studies go) to an intermediate level, a passion of mine which continues to grow and hope to continue when I return to the States next summer. I've met incredible people both within the Fulbright program as well as my surrounding community. Seoul has been a total 180 from southern, rural life, which has its ups and downs (mostly ups). I think the worst part of living in Seoul (for me) is constantly feeling as if I should be out and about doing SOMETHING rather than allowing myself to just relax in the comfort of my home at times. Especially as an extrovert, I'm quick to feel a tinge of loneliness when hanging out alone in my apartment while listening to the hustle and bustle outside my window. But I'm working on it!

Monster Pizza with fellow Seoulites

To switch gears, my last Fulbright Fall Conference just ended. Gyeongju is a beautiful and historic city, and I didn't want to allow myself to say that it would be my last time visiting there. As a third year, I was ready to take the backseat and just enjoy the scheduled programming (rather than being an active participant in planning/executing workshops). It was awesome. The weather was a bit crummy, but I was content spending time with friends just chatting and catching up, helping each other figure out what the hell we are gonna do when we finish the grant...

I don't have too much else to update for now. School is still going great. I told two of my co-workers about the term "shit-talking", and it's become their new favorite phrase to use every time I see them. Example, my main co-teacher now comes up to me and says, "Hillary! Let's eat lunch together and do some shit-talking!" with the biggest grin on her face. I love it! Haha. Definitely one of my prime teacher moments...

I'm including some random pictures of what I've been up to and songs I'm listening to lately. Enjoy!

A panorama of the night life outside my window

These Days' Mood Playlist (on shuffle):
1. (They Long to Be) Close to You - Carpenters
2. Me Too - Meghan Trainor
3. Work - Rihanna, Drake
4. Reminiscing - Little River Band
5. 휘파람람 WHISTLE - BLACKPINK
6. Ribbon - Beast
7. Why - TAEYEON
8. Fallin' - Alicia Keys
9. All That She Wants - Ace of Base
10. PPAP - Some YouTube Sensation
11. Candy Everybody Wants - 10,000 Maniacs
12. This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris, Rihanna
13. Side To Side - Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj
14. Fight For Your Right - Beastie Boys
15. 33 "GOD" - Bon Iver
16. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
17. Broccoli - D.R.A.M., Lil Yachty
18. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani

By the way, check out Hana's YouTube video from her trip to Korea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jGVEBy0ED0 !!!

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"You Will B Fine"

Chuseok in Gwangyang

Two of my students in after-school class

"You Will B Fine" and "Slow Down and Enjoy the Simple Life" have quickly become the mantras of my third year in S. Korea, thanks to a $15 sweater I bought one chilly, rainy, October evening (the few we've had so far) while out wandering Seoul with friends. September was yet another month of transitioning and settling into a daily routine. The joys of the month were plentiful, and I'll briefly highlight some of them.

Happy Chuseok!

One of Korea's most important holidays, Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), took place in the middle of September. Although this is typically a time to relax with friends and family, a part of me felt apprehensive due to the fact that at this time last year was when I acquired my near-fatal blister-turned-MRSA... so I decided that I would NOT be doing any hiking this time around. I followed the traditional Korean way of heading back to one's hometown, so I headed to Gwangyang of course. While there, I visited my home stay family, plenty of friends, and ran into a few co-workers. It was really exciting to be back, seemingly picking up right where I left off with familiar venues, streets, and faces.

Soccer Game with Fulbrighters

I have been keeping busy in Seoul, of course. My typical work day is from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. I wake up around 4:00 a.m. and hit the gym, shower, get ready, eat some breakfast, and am on the subway towards school by 6:50 a.m. I have about a 30-minute commute from my apartment to school, which isn't horrible for Seoul. It's about 15 minutes on the subway and then a 10-15 minute walk from there. After school, I am busy taking Korean lessons and I also teach an after school class two days a week. I teach 4 course hours every day (out of 7), totaling 20 course hours plus 2 additional hours for the after school class. My work load is a bit more hefty in Seoul than it was in Gwangyang, but I am enjoying it, and the students and co-workers make it worthwhile. By the end of the day, I'm usually wiped out, so I spend my time cooking a light dinner, throwing on my pajamas, and reading in bed until I pass out (anywhere between 8:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.).

Co-workers from Gwangyang!

In the free time that I DO have, I am spending it with friends! We have gotten to explore various areas of Seoul, such as walking along the River Han, going to some museums and book stores, cheering for Seoul's soccer club, and of course pleasing our taste buds with all kinds of delicious food.

Joe arrived!

This past week I had the pleasure of hosting TWO American friends and showing them around Seoul and doing all kinds of fun things together! Hana, whom I met at Jane's wedding just this past summer, was traveling to Korea for the first time, so I wanted to meet up with her and have some fun together. She and I decided to go hiking one morning at Bukhansan mountain, planning to do a fairly easy/intermediate course. Some way or another, we ended up following two ajussis (older Korean men) and trekked an advanced/expert course to the peak of the mountain. It was one of the most difficult courses I've hiked, second to the course I hiked in Jirisan during my first year here. Although it was strenuous, the views are always worth it, and we celebrated with snacks, beer, and plum wine. It was delicious! We headed back down, showered and rested, before meeting up for a friend's birthday party and then picking up my other American friend at the airport.

Field trip with the club class

Joseph arrived later that night!!! It was super late by the time we got home, so we crashed and slept in late the next morning. The next day was Sunday, so we joined Hana and her friends for church and then enjoyed a delicious lunch. After lunch, we were ready to get our SPA on and hit up the public bath house to soak in the water, get some body scrubs, and sweat it out in the saunas. It was so relaxing and it was a perfect way to spend Sunday afternoon. The next day I didn't have to go to school because of a different Korean holiday, so we decided to grab dinner and hit up karaoke! We stayed out pretty late enjoying ourselves, and then everyone crashed in my (tiny) apartment. It was a snug fit, but we made it work, as seen by the picture:

Sleeping Beauties

The view from outside my classroom

At school, the students are busy preparing for midterm exams, so the energy levels have been falling. I'm continuing to implement games and fun activities to keep their spirits high and help them to relieve at least a little bit of stress. I will be heading to the Fulbright Fall Conference in Gyeongju for the third year in just over a week. There have been earthquakes over that way (eastern part of Korea), so some teachers are concerned for the safety of everyone, but I think all will be okay.

That's about it for now... stay tuned!

The view from on top of Bukhan Mountain

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Seoul Living

Third year Fulbrighters

Budaejigae (부대찌개)

Hey everyone! As you know, I decided to switch things up for my third and final year and made the move to Seoul. The first two weeks back in Korea have flown by, and although they've been jam-packed, it's been a smooth and exciting process so far. I feel like I'm back in my first year, having a renewed "honeymoon phase" and feeling eager to explore Seoul, get to know my new school, and have an awesome year here.

Big Bang Concert

Big Bang Concert!

Per usual, the year started with a trip to Jungwon University in Goesan to close out the last few days of orientation with the new Fulbrighters. It was great to see all the renewing teachers again, and also nice to see new faces and get to know some of them. On departure day, my new co-teacher came to pick me up, and we drove off to Seoul! I had the weekend to unpack, clean, and get prepared for my first day at school on Monday. There are 10 Fulbright teachers in Seoul this year, so I'm excited to get to know them more and spend some time together.

Curry and Rice (카레덥밥)

My first week at school went by in a daze. My school's name is called Daedong Taxation High School (a vocational school). Most of these students will study to become public officials, accountants, real estate brokers, freelancers, and the like. The school is located in an older, traditional part of Seoul, so there are often plenty of tourists walking up and down the streets, visiting palaces and traditional architecture all around. It is a beautiful walk to work most mornings!

Kimchi Stew (김치찌개)

My first impression of the students is that they are sooooo cute and eager to learn! This is my first time teaching Korean high school female students, so it has been fun getting to know what they are like. Of course, I love the boys too and am looking forward to learning more about their hobbies and interests. At this school, I only teach the first grade students, and I see each class twice a week (I only saw my classes in Gwangyang once a week). I'm looking forward to having more face time with them and fostering those personal connections. It's my last year, so I'm really letting loose and want to have as much fun with my students as I possibly can.

They wanted to choose English names... and this is what they came up with! Lol!

Choco brownie bingsu and melon bingsu

My coworkers also seem like an awesome group of people to work with. The principal and vice principal are older but lively and welcomed me warmly. They reminded me of the staff back in Gwangyang! A lot of the teachers here in Seoul are younger than who I worked with in Gwangyang, which is a nice change too. I get along well with the older male teachers anyway, and have already tried my skill at badminton with the men's teacher team. Haha! I have a lot of improving to do. The English teachers are extremely kind and helpful, and I'm grateful for their assistance as I've been asking five million questions about everything.

Steamed Seafood (해물찜)

Overall, the first two weeks have gone quite well, and I hope this honeymoon phase doesn't end any time soon. Outside of school, I have been getting back into my routine of exercising, albeit through joining a gym. That's one of the burdens of living in Seoul - such a large city that it's difficult to run around outdoors. I also live right across from a huge department store and movie theater, so I'm sure I'll be wasting money over there quite often throughout the year... haha. And now that I'm living in Seoul, I'm surrounded by SO MUCH FOOD!!!!!!!! I can't wait to start exploring different food joints all over Seoul. Stay tuned~

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Goodbye Gwangyang~

ToastMasters Club Suncheon

It was my second-to-last day living and teaching in Gwangyang. All my boxes and suitcases for moving to Seoul have officially been sent off, and I was left with a bare bed, a TV, and a suitcase full of stuff to get rid of once I arrived back in Illinois for the summer vacation. For two nights I was sleeping with no sheets and a measly travel pillow, but it doesn't really matter because it's hot at night nowadays anyway and I slept just fine. Besides, I kept thinking, 'I'll be back in my own bed in less than 48 hours...'

Polaroids w/ Friends <3

It's been a hell of a month so far - having to tell literally everyone I know in Gwangyang that I'm leaving - coworkers, friends, home stay family, and the once unfamiliar faces I pass every morning while jogging along the river. I even broke down and started bawling in front of every faculty member in the middle of my goodbye speech at my farewell dinner... but that was a one-time deal. Since then, my emotions have been stable and I've been too busy to feel anything else. And I know that I'll be back in Korea in just a short month, albeit four hours north in the country's capital city, Seoul.

One of my classes <3

Aside from all the nostalgia, I was busy preparing for the next Fulbright teacher to take over my place. I had the students write letters and create questions to ask the new teacher, and I wrote a handy "guide" to navigating Gwangyang. When I told the boys I was leaving, their reactions were half, "TEACHER NOOOOOOO WE LOVE YOU" and the other half, "Is the next teacher going to be a pretty girl!?" Hah.

English Teachers at GHS

We also had our Fulbright Final Dinner event in Seoul, and as promised, HillaVanillaThrilla made a comeback with another parody about life in Korea. I'm working on getting the video uploaded to YouTube for public viewing. It was a fun ending to the grant year, and was my last time seeing many of the close friends I've made in the program.

GY buddies <3

The last two weeks were spent packing up my apartment, pushing through the end of the school year, and reminiscing on the two years that flew by in Gwangyang. On paper (and majority of my blog posts...), this past year was disappointing. I was plagued by a severe bacterial infection that took 6 months to fully treat, hindering my capability to fulfill some of my work and personal goals. But, being the optimist that I am, I somehow found the light at the end of the tunnel and turned things around and decided that my time in Korea isn't over.

GeunBu and I making a heart

Reflecting on my second grant year, I feel relieved that it is over. I need my month at home to relax, regain strength, and go into my third and final year feeling refreshed and ready for change. Seoul is going to be an awesome experience -- my first time living in a metropolitan city. I've made Gwangyang my comfortable home for the past two years - quite easily at that. My coworkers and students always brightened my day and made me excited to go to work in the mornings. The friends I made introduced me to all that Gwangyang and its surroundings have to offer, and we took advantage of every opportunity we had. I learned so much about Korea, its culture, the people, by living in this small city that I now call my Korean hometown. I'm looking forward to returning there during my third year in Korea, even if it is across the country from Seoul.

Thank you, Gwangyang, for taking me in and embracing me over the past two years. You'll always have a special place in my heart <3

Our office cleaners! <3

Gwangyang Friends <3

My friend GoUn <3

Krystale and SaeMin <3

The principal and I! <3

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Justice of Korea

Cherry blossoms

Walk to school

Spring is here, which in Korea means that one always has to keep their eyes peeled for the first sighting of the cherry blossoms! These beautifully-colored flowers descend from Japan and are only in full bloom for two weeks or less (especially if it rains, as it often does during the Korean spring season). Luckily for me, I get to walk by rows upon rows of the cherry blossom trees everyday on my way to and from school, so I had no chance in missing out on them! Just like last year, I was stunned at how beautiful Gwangyang truly is. The river flows alongside the mountain scenery, and the cherry blossom trees shade the walking path, guiding the way to wherever you go. I am not sure if I will ever experience anything like this again in my life, so I am soaking it in during these last few months of my second grant year.

Along the river

Made it to the top

Along with enjoying the spring weather, I have been traveling during my weekends to maximize my time. During the last weekend in March, a couple friends and I made the spontaneous decision to travel to Geoje, and island off the south-eastern part of the peninsula. We headed there without any plans, but made sure to make the best of it. We ended up hiking a mountain called Gyeryongsan during the day, showering up, and headed to enjoy the nightlife on Saturday night... which turned out to be creepy. This area is filled with middle-aged men due to the proximity of ship ports and trading. So, we found that most bars were filled with older gentlemen and, unfortunately, women hired for escort services. Although Saturday evening was a bit of a flop, Easter Sunday redeemed the weekend (fitting, right?). My friends and I traveled back to Suncheon to enjoy an afternoon picnic with other foreigner friends at a park. It was a lovely time filled with food and shared laughter.

Hiking Gyeryongsan!

A cloudy view of Geoje

At school, you may recall that my students have been working on creating their own political parties and discussing their stance on five separate issues. After three weeks of preparation, it has finally come down to the presentation period! After just a couple classes' worth of presentations so far, I am already thoroughly impressed with what my students have come up with, especially in using a second language. Their thoughts and arguments are well-articulated, and many of them also show respect for differing opinions from other groups. I am so happy that this unit went well and allowed the students to express deeper thoughts in the English-language. Many of the students understand that English is considered THE global language, and it's amazing to see them taking the steps to recognize that and utilize the language in effective ways. Below are some examples of student work (used with permission):

Enjoying Jeju

Enjoying Jeju

Aside from all of this, Fulbright hosts our annual Spring Conference on Jeju Island! Another trip added to the workload, but well worth it. Unfortunately, our conference this year was shortened due to budget concerns, but we still made the most of it! During this conference, all of the English Teachers meet together with Fulbright's Junior Researchers as well. Throughout the weekend, we have small group discussions about teaching methodology, demographics, staying healthy and supporting one another during the grant year, among other talks. It is a great way to discuss with other ETAs in different placements and add more tools to the teaching repertoire. We also have the chance to listen to presentations by the researchers, who presented on a wide array of topics such as the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Metabolic Syndrome in Korea, North Korean Defector Programs, among others. Of course, aside from all this "hard work" we had to do, we found time to enjoy ourselves during the evening.

Wandering around the hotel in Jeju

So, it turns out April is showing to be another busy and productive month. I finally feel like I am back to 100% health after the foot injury, sinus infections, and random colds. I am set for my very last foot checkup next week, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for good news. It has been a long journey back to recovery, but I am grateful to have been in good condition for the majority of it. I am a little bit scared about going back to running, but once I have the A-OK, I am willing to give it a shot. Here's to hoping I'll be back on the road logging miles in no time.

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