Baby perms, belly dancing, and a busy beautiful autumn

My last month in a nutshell



My friend Cherry had this pen made for me to motivate me for my GRE studying and grad school apps. 화팅!

Ms. Kim bought me some pre-test-taking taffy. In Korea it's common courtesy to buy someone something sticky 

(like rice cake or taffy) when they're preparing to take an important exam. Why? Because they hope all the knowledge STICKS to your mind. 

*********************************

Okay, but really, I've done some other things.

There's nothing like delicious

조개 (shellfish) and a Friday night and some of your favorite colleagues.
 






 
Johnny Depp's been replaced.

 It's pretty much the Korean Pirates of the Caribbean - which is good because I wasn't quite catching all the piratey Korean lingo.

Click here to watch the Pirates trailer

 

 

Bringing the spookiness to Cheonan

I recruited some of my students to Trick or Treat at my apartment. Their little pumpkin baskets weren't nearly big enough for my Amurica-style Halloween. But these Halloween warriors made their way to my place despite the pouring rain. Thanks for celebrating with me, girls!

Stumbled upon a college Battle of the Bands

They also did a slow, jazzy version of Gangnam Style. It was lovely distraction on a lovely autumn day. These days, the minute you walk outside you can smell fall. The leaves crunch under your shoes and the breeze puts a little jump in your step. I'll be really sorry to see fall go.

The End of the Year Class Performances

(학습발표 회) 

Belt it out, boy.

 

There is no denying that pout.

 

Rockin' the fro. Okay, I see you.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

And yes, they put the bunny on a remote control car and he moved around like any other ordinary character. Bloody brilliant.
(In case you weren't sure, you were supposed to read that in a British accent.)

 

It seems we have a magician on our hands.
(Alright you can cut it out with the British accent inner monologue. It was fun but it's over now.)

Daytrip to Seoul for Hangeul Day

(한글날)

1. What is Hangeul Day?

It's a national Korean commemorative day marking the invention and proclamation of the Korean alphabet.

2. Who invented the alphabet?

Sejeong the Great, 15th century king of the Joseon Dynasty.

3. What's the name of the museum I went to?

It's called The National Museum of Korea, or 국립중앙박물관.

  

   

Here's the view from the main entrance. 

   

And it turns out the stairway to heaven is actually right outside the museum.

 A fellow teacher took me along to show me around. Her name is (He-Jeong) and she's actually working on her masters in Museum Studies right now at a University in Seoul.

4. So if the Korean alphabet was only invented in the 15th century, what did they use to write before then?

Basically, Korean and Chinese (while they share some similarities due to obvious language contact) aren't mutually intelligible. Yet, as Korean at that time lacked a written system, it began to borrow - and eventually fully adopt - Chinese characters. So, if you had put a book (written in Chinese) in front of both a literate Chinese and literate Korean speaker at that time, they would both be able to read and understand the meaning of the content. Now, if you asked them to read it aloud, they would be speaking two different languages.

5. What's the problem with this?

King Sejeong's Great Preface: "Since Chinese characters were created to suit the way that the Chinese people speak, those characters cannot adequately capture the meaning of the Korean vernacular or communicate the ideas of Joseon people. I took pity on them and created a new Korean alphabet consisting of 28 letters. I hereby ask all of my people to learn these Korean characters and use them conveniently in their daily life."

 
Got to meet up with some fellow Fulbrighters while I was in the city. This is a good friend of mine, Matt. He's a walking encyclopedia and a fun guy.


Fulbright's Fall Conference in Gyeong-ju

The Fulbright office took us on a city tour. Gyeong-ju is a very traditional city. It's green, has a lot of things to do, and is absolutely stunning in fall. Well, you can see for yourself!

I took this from the bridge on the way to the Bulkuksa temple. A national treasure bridge, it has 33 steps to represent the 33 steps of enlightenment.

This is Bullguksa (불국사) Temple. It's the crowning glory of Silla (a former Korean dynasty) architecture. 

I don't know what was more beautiful - the temple or the walk to get there?

 

With my gals Hillary and Emily.

Here we are out in front of Seokuram Grotto (석굴압), which is a stone temple made of granite constructed in 751. It was built to preserve a statue of Buddha surrounded by over three dozen guardians and lesser dieties. Seokguram was an engineering feat for the mid-th century. Huge blocks of granite were quarried far to the north and carried to the site via a narrow mountain path. You can't take pictures inside the grotto, but I thought these simple, colorful lanterns were prettier than the statue anyway. I guess was too distracted by the nice weather to appreciate the historical engineering feat. Bad tourist.

Now that's a whole lotta 정 right there.

 

My biggest selfie to date. Thank goodness David bought one of those selfie sticks.

That pagoda behind us is on one of the Korean monteary bills.

Quality time with my buddy Matt!

*Side-note: part of the grotto is under construction now, and they believe they have uncovered a 사리(a relic of Buddha). That's what they told us anyhow.

The view from the bridge by our hotel. Not too shabby.

Seeing my friends from the Fulbright community was really really great. I went back to Cheonan totally refreshed. Thanks everyone!

When I was a girl...

So today Gyuhwan was showing me his baby pictures and (oh my god his chubby cheeks, but I digress) he showed me one professionally done picture in particular where he's splayed out on a white fluffy rug in an ornate room. He tells me that he was a princess. So I tell him, "You mean prince. Princes are boys. Princesses are girls." He shakes his head and laughs to himself. "No no no, you see when I was a baby I was a girl. But now I'm a boy." 헐


So, remember that time...

...we went out to eat and I signed the card machine with a real pen instead of the digital pen? Yeah, so will everyone who goes to Ashley's Restaurant in Gyoeng-ju and sees the an Emily Sabo signature staring back at them.


Guaranteed to Make you Smile

I can't help but think of fungi every time I see my students whip this out.

 

I do regret not stopping by "To the Potato" coffee shop, but you just can't do everything.

What a small world we live in
It was a series of odd events, but 1. My blog gets published through the Penn State website (click here) then 2.  A current PSU student emails me, telling me he is not only from Korea, but from Cheonan. And to boot, his family lives in the apartment complex right next to mine. Anyhow, he told some of his friends about me and one of them, May-yay (메예), followed up and got in touch with me. We ended up doing a friend-version of a blind date. And I'm happy to say that I think things went well - she invited me to a festival at her church the following day.ㅋㅋㅋ Thanks for the friend match-making, Jeffrey!

It's hard to know what's real and whats painted here, but the guy is painted and the stairs are real. 

The coffee shop we went to had some pretty neat wall art.

I never did get to see the Mona Lisa when I was in Paris...

 This is Maeye's group. This church has a ton of lay people, so they've divided everyone up into age/life stage groups. So, there are kids, teens, young adults, slightly older unmarried adults, and married adults. Then within each group, they break up into smaller groups of maybe 5-7 people. I spent all afternoon into early evening with these people and had an absolute blast. It was so nice to be in an atmosphere where everyone was friendly, inviting, and my age. I never once felt like I stuck out in an awkward way. Rather, everyone treated me like one of the pack. Some even spoke to me in English (despite their being a little nervous to do so). They even made me and the 3 other newcomers run through a gauntlet of cheers, like the ones football players run through onto the field. Plus, it was a special holiday celebration for them, so there was a lot of food and fun to be had. 

The service itself was also really fun for me. I got a lot of exposure to Korean (and understood most of it thanks to Maeye's help). And I really enjoyed the songs we sang. They have the lyrics pop up on the jumbo screen above the alter, so it was kind of like a religious version of karaoke. The best part is that the lyrics tend to be slow and repetitive so they actually got to sink in. And some of the members even put together a skit. It was really well done, lighting, props, the whole nine yards. Lots of fun to watch and their acting was just spot on.

It's interesting, me going to church. My whole life I've felt I could never find a sense of belonging in a church simply because my family wasn't a 'church-going family.' When I was younger I remember wanting to go to church (mind you, only because most of my friends went to church so I wanted to blend in). As a high school student, I even tried going a few times on my own. And while it was nice, I didn't feel it added anything to my life that I didn't already have. I had friends, family, a sense of community and belonging, my hobbies, my studies. There was no void that needed to be filled. But here in Cheonan, I still don't have that stable sense of belonging and community. Of course I have a homestay family, my Fulbright friends, my students, and my colleagues, but I still don't have that Cheers-Where-Everybody-Knows-Your-Name kinda tight knit, small group feel about any particular place. But today at church, I felt immediately at home. I still don't really believe in any one organized religion, but I do know that I love this place and the people, and that I'd like to go back. ^.^

 It's still sounds so weird to me that I am a church-going person. I liken it to when my family got cats for the first time. I remember thinking, "But we can't be cat people, we know nothing about cats. You're either cat people or you're not and we're just not." Here's to trying new things!


The sky looked so cool and ominous, so I had to take a picture. But the church is that big building to the right. 

(If you're interested in checking out the article, click here)


Did you get a hair cut?
I'm not sure what it is, but I've been oddly aware of people's haircut situations lately. Maybe my disability to communicate has strengthened my sense of sight, but I didn't realize how serious it had gotten until I told the lady at the kimbap restaurant near my house (where I've gone only twice before) if she got a trim. Needless to say, she was just as weirded out by the stalkery question as I was.

Wish her luck!!



One of my students moved to Miami. She's going to be there for 3 whole years. Before she left, she told me she was scared to go to the U.S. for two reasons: needing to speak better English & gun violence. The first reason is totally understandable, but the second?
Really, come on U.S.A.

Learning how to make tofu
 with the 3rd graders

So, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but before this field trip I didn't even know that tofu was made of soybeans (콩).

It just wouldn't be right if I didn't share this with you all

This is one of my 4th graders. I actually had dinner at his house once. But you'll read more about that below.

Traveling Dinners
My school runs an amazing program called Traveling Dinners. Basically, once a week I go to a student's house and we eat delicious Korean food together. But the food aside, it's so fun to meet their families and get to know them outside the classroom. When I see them the next day at school, we've got this special little bond and I just want to pinch their cheeks. 

I forgot to take pictures at the previous couple of dinners, but this one was with 예찬 and his mom. She actually took us out for dinner because she said she wouldn't put me through a dinner she cooked herself.

And we feasted. I think it's safe to say that I ate like a king. I refrained from taking more pictures because I knew it would just make every other meal I ever eat seem wanting in comparison. But we had our own little room partitioned off from the main dining area. And the food just kept coming in waves, on meticulously decorated plates of all different shapes and sizes. And the colors, oh the colors. 

A nice coffee night cap…cloud nine.

Coffee thief!

Idiosyncracies


Yes, we all have a little OCD in us. But I've never seen anyone quite as particular as my little host sister.

This was the reaction I got when I poured cereal into my bowl. You're supposed to grab the cereal bits in your hand and place them in the bowl - like any civilized human being would do. 

#AmericanInKorea#SocialDisgrace

One man's punishment is another man's prize.

In Korea, public shame is a common way to punish students who haven't done their homework. At my school, this often takes the form of dancing in the front of the room. I'm still having a hard time seeing this as a punishment because I just get up there with them and freestyle while they follow along. I do what's called a Song of the Month each month with the kids, and this month we're doing Taylor Swift's We are Never Ever Getting Back Together. I came up with this cute little dance to do at the chorus and the students have really taken a liking to it. As of late, I've been noticing that more and more students haven't been doing their homework. Or so I thought. I checked one happily dancing boy's notebook only to find that he did in fact do his homework. So, although the line between punishment and reward here is blurred, we all have a good time and the kids are singing loud and proud in English.


Perhaps a little too ironic

You may have heard it through the grapevine, but Bryan (my boyfriend, for those of you who don't know him) was in the U.S. this past week presenting a simulation program he created for his thesis. Anyhow he was in Stonybrook University in New York, which is no more than 40 minutes from where Devon (my college roommate and best friend) lives. What's more is that her boyfriend, who is in the air force, is due to be stationed in South Korea after Christmas this year. Where in Korea? Oh, a 40 minute drive from my house. Oh, the irony.



Things my students write

Things my Students Have Made

 



The Sentence Wall Bulletin Board I made for my students 

What they did with it. 

I mean, I'm honored. But I think Obama might feel differently.

Morning Show

Each week, I work with a group of students to put together an English morning broadcast that gets aired in all the homerooms.


E-donko-ya! 

Two months later I have finally figured out what Gyu-hwan's favorite word to call me is: 똥꼬. It means butthole. His parents say he means it in an endearing way. I am still trying to find the endearingness of a butthole and how it is that he thinks I embody one. But in all honesty, it's kind of the equivalent of when kids in the U.S. say "bum." My Korean friends say it's adorable when little kids say it. So, there's that.
 
How high do they go?
This is the question I get from Gyu-hwan every time I wear pantyhose.

And I thought I was green...
For a 4th-grader, this girl is an impassioned environmental activist. Whenever the wifi isn't being used, she makes sure to unplug the router. Which seems to be really good in theory, but not so great when I'm in the middle of an online grad school application.

Gyuhwan gets a "Baby Perm"

 He just loves how his hair smells after having gotten it, asking everyone to take a whiff. And the way he walks around like a little model, showing off his new look.


 As you all know by now...
Gyu-hwan is accustomed to peeing in a cup. This is a bit troubling only because the water we drink at our house is boiled with burdock, which gives it a magical golden color. And no, the answer to your question is no. No yet, anyhow. 


Well, that's all for me
 

All Hail the Mighty Penis

Well I think this speaks for itself.

 But I will mention that I haven't found a plaque like this for my host sister (yet). And despite my propensity to fight for equal gender rights, I think I'm okay letting this one slide. 


My cutie-pie wearing his 'Watermelon Hat'



Che-eun taught him how to twitch the corner of his mouth up in disgust and now it's his favorite thing to do. I hate to promote it, but it's adorable.

Che-eun fell asleep like this the other day...

The Asian Games and 리듬체조 (Rhythmic Gymnastics)

Son Yeon-Je: Korea's jewel

Click here to watch Yeon-Je's performances!

Citron (유자차)

   It's a citrus fruit with a thick rind and known to be one of the three original citrus fruits (from which all other citrus fruits are believed to have derived). In Korea, it comes in the form of a jam or marmalade and you mix it with hot water to make a tea that will brighten up even the rainiest of days.

Guess who's in town?
I might have missed him when he was in Pittsburgh but lucky duck, look who just rolled into town.

Korean Hair
There seems to be a pretty consistent thinking on the relationship between hair and age in Korea - for women at least. It's pretty black and white. If you have straight hair, you're young and if you've got a perm, you're an ajuma. So, when my friend Cherry (who's 27 in American years) got a perm her students told her she turned into an old lady.

The Squat

Hanging out in this position in Korea is totally normal and comfortable for most. It does continue to amaze me when I see people upwards of 60 doing it with no problem because I can't imagine asking someone of that age in the U.S. to assume such a position. At the outdoor markets, I see the elders squatting like this while they cook all day long. While waiting to cross the crosswalk, you're likely to see several people taking a squat break. The following is actually a picture one of my students drew. 

Head-shakin'

I know that several countries on the Balkan Peninsula nod their head horizontally to indicate 'yes.' But I didn't know about anything like that in Korea until recently. When I say hi or make eye contact with my students in the hall or my host sister at home, sometimes they'll look at me, smile, and shake their head horizontally, which looks like 'no uh-uh' to me. I was pretty confused about these strange interactions at first, but I've chosen to decide that a horizontal head shake might also be used (in addition to communicating 'no') an acknowledgment of a salutation. That or my kids are just perpetually scared of me.

Hiking Trip to 예천, 회료포, and 삼강주막 with Ms. Kim







Found myself in the presence of a Pittsburgh fan. Who'da thunk. How bout 'dem Stillerz?

This is our captain explaining that the route we'll be taking around the island is in the shape of a ball sack. That was a vocabulary word I regret asking the meaning for.




You can do it, miniature Buddha!



This rock is really old. It's the 16th most important historic treasure, as defined by some council or other. Do you see the dragon carving?



This is the Chinese character for 천 [pronounced cheon], also the first syllable of my city's name, Cheonan.

Pure mountain water for communal drinking



A traditional type of Korean poem. I forget what it's called now, but as Korean used to be written in the traditional Chinese style, the writing goes from up to down, then right to left.



It's no Shram's but it was a pumpkin patch.




Lost in the golden rice paddies




I thought this looked like ocean waves.




Found my favorite leafy green in the wild! This is the perenilla leaf, or in Korean kut-nip.




That bridge behind the sign was originally a different name, but the newscaster got it wrong and now it's been rendered as byong-byong, which means bouncy bridge.




The Captain


Since it was the 4th year anniversary of our captain's Walking Club group, the Captain had a little celebration for us and everyone got gifts.

I went home with a scale. Now I will be able to accurately measure how much rice weight I'll have gained by the end of the grant year!



We ate some exquisite 파전 (pa-jeon), a green onion pancake. It might just be my favorite Korean food these days. And I don't think it's all that hard to make.

 After drinking the amount of rice wine required of a magneh (the youngest person within a group of people), this intense, airborne version of a see-saw was quite a fun experience.

"The Green Frog"

After hearing that the path ahead to get down the mountain was a bit overgrown and difficult, our Captain decided we'd go back the same way we came. But it would have been like an extra hour's walk to do so. Well this guy, our captain's right hand man, advised we proceed onward. It suffices to say that what was originally hiking became much more a controlled sliding. Watch the following story of the Korean fable called the Green Frog to find out why we say that this guy is nicknamed the "Green Frog" for a reason. Well, he actually claims he gave the name to himself as a kid because his eyes were so big. But there's definitely a connection with the fable.

Visiting some lovely fellow 
Fulbrighters in Cheongju



That's one powerful cup a joe.

Cheongju's downtown has got a pretty green vibe about it

When you walk up to the highest view of the city, you'll find yourself in a winding maze of small, mural-covered houses and inviting, family-run shops.

Proud to call her my roommate



The first printing press in Korea was invented in Cheongju. This is an artsy little corner where you can do some printmaking stamping of your own. 



I had to.



Coffee shop with a view

Korean Phrase-of-the-Blog

첫 눈에 반하다 = to fall in love at first sight

This girl found a bellydancing class.

If you saw this title and realize you are one of the people who never knew that bellydancing was a part of traditional Korean culture, don't worry. You're right. It's got nothing to do with traditional Korean culture, but it's offered at my gym and it's tons of fun! 

Lessons learned so far in the grant year 

1) It's always worth it to let your hair down

With a Type A personality, it's always been hard for me to balance work and play. But these days I'm learning that it's always worth it when I make that decision to go to close the laptop and go the gym, play with my siblings, or have a drink with friends. I've learned to understand that what may at first seem like an interruption can often be a little reminder to put the book down and some fun. But who said it better than...

2) I am so sorry Mom and Dad!

I wasted so much water growing up. My host mom asked me to be aware of my water usage in the shower. The worst part: that was me being aware. 

3) Always being "on"

 

Being abroad, living with a host family, and having the responsibility of representing the United States in Korea, I've realized how exhausting it can be to always be "on." As of late, I always seem to be worried about present both myself and my country in a positive light, worrying if every little thing I  say or do is acceptable within Korean cultural norms. But I've come to realize it's really hard to anyone when you're trying to please everyone. Coming to terms with this simple topic, I've started affording myself some "off" time, and 
It. Has. Been. Fantastic. 

4) Leave your problems at the door. 

Earlier this month, I noticed that I'd been distracted during class time. While my students would be doing group work, I would catch myself reviewing vocab words or thinking about how I could better word my personal statement. But then I remembered something my musical director from high school once said. "Leave your problems at the door. They'll be there for you when you leave." So nowadays, from the time my kids come in the door to the minute they leave, I am all theirs. And I can't tell you how good it feels to just be all there, my mind not stuck on something else. The vibe of the class was beautiful and I was so much more motivated for the rest of the day.

5) Body Language

During our Fall Conference, I went to a seminar led by a fellow Fulbrighter. She explained that the way we hold ourselves can influence not only the way others view us, but also how we think about ourselves. It was really interesting and it's been useful not only as a teacher. It translates to any daily interaction. If you're interested, Click here to watch Amy Cuddy's TED talk. It explains more about Body Language and how to use it to improve your life.
 

Totally unrelated

• Click here to watch a interesting interview I found with professor Chomsky on the topic of language, evolution, and cognition.

• Looking for some good entertainment? This is my recent go-to dance routine video.