Sometimes when I eat oranges, I like to sit and squeeze the peel. I rip the skin off and pop the little spheres of citrus. It makes me think of popping pimples, my heart quickens and I feel intense joy.
Dermatology perhaps then.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Out from under the covers
A pause, an image, maybe even that feeling.
God wants to speak to us in many ways, but it's on us to eliminate the distractions that keep us from knowing that it's really him.
We dance, we play, we try to take care of it all. But the seemingly limitless possibilities of our flesh will never obtain what we yearn for. May God, who hears and sees everything that we burn for, break down the walls around our hearts that have been built by our families and teachers. And may God, everlasting and merciful, lift us out of the darkness with which we comfort ourselves on a daily basis.
God wants to speak to us in many ways, but it's on us to eliminate the distractions that keep us from knowing that it's really him.
We dance, we play, we try to take care of it all. But the seemingly limitless possibilities of our flesh will never obtain what we yearn for. May God, who hears and sees everything that we burn for, break down the walls around our hearts that have been built by our families and teachers. And may God, everlasting and merciful, lift us out of the darkness with which we comfort ourselves on a daily basis.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Coma
Perhaps we're not supposed to get 8 hours of sleep every night.
Maybe sometimes
we're supposed to feel tired.
Washing over from walking around in the dark to the comfort of the light, being covered in sleep or walking confidently, and then...
Maybe sometimes
we're supposed to feel tired.
Washing over from walking around in the dark to the comfort of the light, being covered in sleep or walking confidently, and then...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Year of Living Biblically
Ever since I went Island hopping with Mr. Kelly Garren I've been reading a book by an agnostic man, author A. J. Jacobs, living in New York city. In it he wrestles with adapting to a Biblically inspired lifestyle for 365 days. I haven't finished it yet, but time and again I find snippets of commentary that provoke feelings of inspiration in my own heart. On the inside cover the New York Times Book Review remarks that "For many of us...walking with Jacobs is the closest we'll come to knowing what it feels like to be born again."
Where due credit is due, I have enjoyed reading it thus far. It has helped me to revisit asking questions about the Bible and I concede that it's a lot more thought out than I would have guessed.
Here's a section that really put the skids on my life.
-------------------
Give thanks in all circumstances... - Thessalonians 5:18
Day 263. I feel myself becoming an extremist--at least in some areas. Like with my obsession with gratefulness. I can't stop.
Just now , I press the elevator button and am thankful that it arrives quickly.
I get onto the elevator and am thankful that the elevator cable didn't snap and plummet me to the basement.
I go to the fifth floor and am thankful that I didn't have to stop on the second or third or fourth floor.
I get out and am thankful that Julie left the door unlocked so I don't have to rummage for my King Kong key ring.
I walk in, and am thankful that jasper is home and healthy and stuffing his face with pineapple wedges.
And on and on. I'm actually muttering to myself, "Thank you ... thank you ... thank you."
It's an odd way to live. But also kind of great and powerful. I've never before been so aware of the thousands of little good things, the thousands of things that go right every day.
Sometimes my thank-yous are directed at no one in particular. It's more of an appreciation than a thanks. A reminder to myself: "Pay attention, pal. Savor this moment." But other times, when I'm in a believing phase, my thanks have an addressee. I'm thanking God, or the universal laws of nature--I'm not sure which--but it gives the act of thanking more weight.
-A. J. Jacobs
Where due credit is due, I have enjoyed reading it thus far. It has helped me to revisit asking questions about the Bible and I concede that it's a lot more thought out than I would have guessed.
Here's a section that really put the skids on my life.
-------------------
Give thanks in all circumstances... - Thessalonians 5:18
Day 263. I feel myself becoming an extremist--at least in some areas. Like with my obsession with gratefulness. I can't stop.
Just now , I press the elevator button and am thankful that it arrives quickly.
I get onto the elevator and am thankful that the elevator cable didn't snap and plummet me to the basement.
I go to the fifth floor and am thankful that I didn't have to stop on the second or third or fourth floor.
I get out and am thankful that Julie left the door unlocked so I don't have to rummage for my King Kong key ring.
I walk in, and am thankful that jasper is home and healthy and stuffing his face with pineapple wedges.
And on and on. I'm actually muttering to myself, "Thank you ... thank you ... thank you."
It's an odd way to live. But also kind of great and powerful. I've never before been so aware of the thousands of little good things, the thousands of things that go right every day.
Sometimes my thank-yous are directed at no one in particular. It's more of an appreciation than a thanks. A reminder to myself: "Pay attention, pal. Savor this moment." But other times, when I'm in a believing phase, my thanks have an addressee. I'm thanking God, or the universal laws of nature--I'm not sure which--but it gives the act of thanking more weight.
-A. J. Jacobs
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Dog Eat Trevor (or vice versa)
The other day I had the opportunity to indulge in one of the century old cuisines that make Korea such a unique country. Well, I can't say unique because the French have also had their history with such a delicacy. As controversial as it comes across, you guessed it: dog.
To be honest I was not very excited about the experience. I got a phone call from my friend Nate at about noon and he told me that his brother Aaron(who flew in for the week) really wanted to try dog. I said I'd look into it and after a few phone calls we were set for dinner! I decided that I would line my stomache with some delicious mandu before the affair though.
From what I was told, dog meat has been pretty much shunned by the up and coming generation of Korea. When the Olympics came to Seoul a few years back the practice of consuming dog was black labeled and cast as an "unsightly food". So to spruce up public image it was removed from the inner walls of Seoul. However, travel far enough to the fringes of society and you can find just about anything...
I know I'm not the only one that's played around with the idea of eating dog, so for any of you that are in Seoul and looking for a fail safe way to try the taboo meat, I present;
HOW TO GET THERE: Go to line 8 (the pink one) and head to Moran station. Walk straight out of exit 7 and Moran Market will come up on your right. When you start to see all of the vegtable/root vendors you'll know that you're there. Ironically enough, I saw this coming out of the bathrooms in the subway. Fitting, kinda.
When we were walking to the restaraunt we joked around that it would be kind of like choosing a lobster from a grocery store tank. We had no idea how close it would actually come to that. I'm not going to post the pictures for the sake of a happier time right now, but I never would have thought that they keep the dogs in cages right out front of the stores. That was probably the most awkward moment I've had in Korea to date. Eventually we mustered up enough nerve to walk in, sit down, and sit in relative silence while we waited for our bosintang to heat up. Little jokes and chatter aside, it made me pretty nervous. But that didn't stop it from coming out of the kitchen.
Now here the thing, it was pretty darn GOOD. It was so edible in fact that I forgot to take a before picture, accordingly I give you the paltry remains of my meal.
So let's get to it. I've been asked what it was like and honestly it really is like KFC fried chicken. I don't know what little woman snuck into Harland Sander's kitchen and snooped around the colonal's cook book, but the spices were dead on. The second bite wasn't so hot because I realized how fatty the meat actually is. But scraping off the undesirable parts leaves a fairy chewy meal that conjures up some unsettling meal-time images.
Some people make it spicy for their patrons, this restaraunt was decidedly not employing those people. I do in turn imagine that at another location you might be able to find something a little bit hotter, but just in case I would definitely recommend taking that bottle of tabasco sauce sitting on top of your fridge.
Yeah, just a little bit uncomfortable.
The Aftermath: Well, I can claim that I'm proud of myself for doing it but I don't think I'd do it again, not so much for the animal rights value but more so because of the taste. Sure, it was exciting and fried chicken-y but as Nate said "it tastes like meat." So really there was nothing special there.
After reading a few other blogs and responding to some comments about this experience I would give a single piece of advice to anyone that might be wrestling with the idea of eating dog. Dog itself is like any other animal that the human race has consumed for thousands of years. I concede that the living conditions of these dogs in particular are not to be envied but neither are the conditions of bovine, chicken, or pig in almost any country. If you find a problem with eating dog to be based on animal rights I hope that you are already a vegetarian. If, after trying, you become a vegetarian that will be wonderful. If you remain a carnivore that will also be awesome. In case that you actually might pursue dog meat congratulations, I hope that you will have a lot more courage than I did.
trevor.diaz@gmail.com
To be honest I was not very excited about the experience. I got a phone call from my friend Nate at about noon and he told me that his brother Aaron(who flew in for the week) really wanted to try dog. I said I'd look into it and after a few phone calls we were set for dinner! I decided that I would line my stomache with some delicious mandu before the affair though.
From what I was told, dog meat has been pretty much shunned by the up and coming generation of Korea. When the Olympics came to Seoul a few years back the practice of consuming dog was black labeled and cast as an "unsightly food". So to spruce up public image it was removed from the inner walls of Seoul. However, travel far enough to the fringes of society and you can find just about anything...
I know I'm not the only one that's played around with the idea of eating dog, so for any of you that are in Seoul and looking for a fail safe way to try the taboo meat, I present;
HOW TO GET THERE: Go to line 8 (the pink one) and head to Moran station. Walk straight out of exit 7 and Moran Market will come up on your right. When you start to see all of the vegtable/root vendors you'll know that you're there. Ironically enough, I saw this coming out of the bathrooms in the subway. Fitting, kinda.
When we were walking to the restaraunt we joked around that it would be kind of like choosing a lobster from a grocery store tank. We had no idea how close it would actually come to that. I'm not going to post the pictures for the sake of a happier time right now, but I never would have thought that they keep the dogs in cages right out front of the stores. That was probably the most awkward moment I've had in Korea to date. Eventually we mustered up enough nerve to walk in, sit down, and sit in relative silence while we waited for our bosintang to heat up. Little jokes and chatter aside, it made me pretty nervous. But that didn't stop it from coming out of the kitchen.
Now here the thing, it was pretty darn GOOD. It was so edible in fact that I forgot to take a before picture, accordingly I give you the paltry remains of my meal.
So let's get to it. I've been asked what it was like and honestly it really is like KFC fried chicken. I don't know what little woman snuck into Harland Sander's kitchen and snooped around the colonal's cook book, but the spices were dead on. The second bite wasn't so hot because I realized how fatty the meat actually is. But scraping off the undesirable parts leaves a fairy chewy meal that conjures up some unsettling meal-time images.
Some people make it spicy for their patrons, this restaraunt was decidedly not employing those people. I do in turn imagine that at another location you might be able to find something a little bit hotter, but just in case I would definitely recommend taking that bottle of tabasco sauce sitting on top of your fridge.
Yeah, just a little bit uncomfortable.
The Aftermath: Well, I can claim that I'm proud of myself for doing it but I don't think I'd do it again, not so much for the animal rights value but more so because of the taste. Sure, it was exciting and fried chicken-y but as Nate said "it tastes like meat." So really there was nothing special there.
After reading a few other blogs and responding to some comments about this experience I would give a single piece of advice to anyone that might be wrestling with the idea of eating dog. Dog itself is like any other animal that the human race has consumed for thousands of years. I concede that the living conditions of these dogs in particular are not to be envied but neither are the conditions of bovine, chicken, or pig in almost any country. If you find a problem with eating dog to be based on animal rights I hope that you are already a vegetarian. If, after trying, you become a vegetarian that will be wonderful. If you remain a carnivore that will also be awesome. In case that you actually might pursue dog meat congratulations, I hope that you will have a lot more courage than I did.
trevor.diaz@gmail.com
Friday, July 24, 2009
Island Hopping
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain
So today marks the first paid vacation of my life. And now it's a matter of how to spend it. At first it was going to be a motorcycle road trip, but after much debate and the purchase of a motorcycle, we've decided to go to Nanjido.
The only problem? I think I left the key in the ignition of the bike...
Let's hope that one doesn't end poorly.
"That sounds like a great idea, the only problem is I haven't been home in 2 years and I'm 90% sure that I left the front door open."
So today marks the first paid vacation of my life. And now it's a matter of how to spend it. At first it was going to be a motorcycle road trip, but after much debate and the purchase of a motorcycle, we've decided to go to Nanjido.
The only problem? I think I left the key in the ignition of the bike...
Let's hope that one doesn't end poorly.
"That sounds like a great idea, the only problem is I haven't been home in 2 years and I'm 90% sure that I left the front door open."
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monsoon Season
So now that I've purchased a 125cc motorcycle, I can't do a bloody thing with it. It's a shame really that the rainy season should coincide with me augmenting my personality, but now I'm cooped up after work with a stuffy nose and plastic slippers to keep me unsaturated between home and PC bang. A lot is going to be happening in the next week and a half and I'm looking forward to it:
-Kristen will be traveling around South East Asia...which I'm actually not looking forward to all that much :(
-I'll be going on a roadtrip with newly acquired motorbike from paragraph A alongside a Mr. Kelly.
-I will buy new socks.
-The rain will stop. Gaaaaaah.
Some of these statements might seem insignificant to you. Particularly the bit about socks. Well believe me it's a big deal.
-Kristen will be traveling around South East Asia...which I'm actually not looking forward to all that much :(
-I'll be going on a roadtrip with newly acquired motorbike from paragraph A alongside a Mr. Kelly.
-I will buy new socks.
-The rain will stop. Gaaaaaah.
Some of these statements might seem insignificant to you. Particularly the bit about socks. Well believe me it's a big deal.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A Lazy Thought by Eve Merriam
There go the grownups
To the office,
To the store.
Subway rush,
Traffic cruch;
Hurry, scurry,
Worry, flurry.
No wonder
Grownups
Don't grow up
Any more.
It takes a lot
Of slow
To grow.
To the office,
To the store.
Subway rush,
Traffic cruch;
Hurry, scurry,
Worry, flurry.
No wonder
Grownups
Don't grow up
Any more.
It takes a lot
Of slow
To grow.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Report Card Haiku Couplet
generic comments
aren't my favorite to write
until it gets late
it's fun teaching but
writing all of these grades down
might be what I hate
aren't my favorite to write
until it gets late
it's fun teaching but
writing all of these grades down
might be what I hate
Monday, June 29, 2009
Nuny
Absolutely amazing weekend. On Friday saw Transformers 2 with Kelly and Matt, during which my mind was split into exponential bits, sauteed, and then deep fried in liquid awesomeness. Saturday morning wheeled in with an early saunter off ot CARIBBEAN BAY, the greatest water park known to Korean-man! After rocking the surfing machine and kicking the tar out of the lazy river I made it back to Seoul for some much needed R+R at Itaewon Land Sauna. Sunday pulls into the lane, I drive down to Yangjae to teach Sunday school, turn around, drive back up to OEM to do Podium Directing, and then spend the rest of the night in barrels of Thai Food, good friends, and 31 Baskin creamy creams.
Now it's a race to one-up myself on Tuesday.
Bring it on!
Now it's a race to one-up myself on Tuesday.
Bring it on!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Thrown out.
I just watched the movie Blindness last night, great film, reminds me a lot of Requiem for a Dream except that it doesn't have an cripplingly depressing final scene. It made me think about how un-fun a zombie apocolyspe might actually turn out to be. It also made me reflect on how much I take for granted.
This morning I woke up late, rushed into the shower, dried myself off, and threw out my back. Craaaaaaaaaaap. So now I'm at school and totally lurching around. Haha, I just told my kids that I have 'lots of back pain, back ouch'. I feel old. :)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
OEM Retreat
So after an hour and a half bus ride to Jesus Town, Korea we were kerplunked on the side of a mountain. Really. The church was build into the mountain itself. Walking into the main lobby is quickly met by a slanted wall of rock. Awesome.
Lots of volunteering, lots of great conversations that lasted into the morning. Good sleep, but not enough sleep. The invitation to teach Sunday school for 4th graders and becoming the transitional coordinator during church services this summer.
The pastor that was invited for the retreat was even better, he stood in front of the lot of us and gave invigorating messages on three occasions. The greatest thing that I took from it all was the grounding message of loving Jesus.
Don't be a good Christian. Don't be a great Christian. Just love Jesus. Don't be better than anybody else. Just love Jesus.
Jesus walks up to Peter and John and says "pick up a stone and follow me up this mountain."
Peter, being cunning, picks up a small stone so that he won't be exhausted. John picks up a regular sized rock. They hike up the mountain for hours and when they reach the top they're both starving. "Awww Jesus we're so hungry!"
Jesus turns to them and then changes their rocks into bread. Peter, having the smaller rock, looks at John eat the rest of his bread with yearning.
The next day Jesus walks up to Peter and John again and says "pick up a stone and follow me up this mountain."
Peter, not to be outdone picks up the biggest rock, more like a boulder, that he can find. John picks up a regular sized rock again. They hike up the mountain, Peter lugging his slab with grunts and strains. When they reach the top of the mountain Jesus turns to them and says "throw your stone back down the mountain." Peter's mouth just drops, he can't believe it. "What!?" he almost yells, "I can't believe you'd have me do all of this for nothing!"
Jesus looks at him and says, "but who did you carry the burden for?"
This story, as told by the pastor this weekend, leaves me with the greatest picture that I can think of for missions, both where many are saved as well as when everything is lost. All is still done for the glory of God.
I hope you lose your job. I hope everything you've worked to make comes to ruin. I hope you fall into a coma. If God finds you strong enough to draw closer to him through your suffering, I hope it happens to you.
Few are the workers.
Lots of volunteering, lots of great conversations that lasted into the morning. Good sleep, but not enough sleep. The invitation to teach Sunday school for 4th graders and becoming the transitional coordinator during church services this summer.
The pastor that was invited for the retreat was even better, he stood in front of the lot of us and gave invigorating messages on three occasions. The greatest thing that I took from it all was the grounding message of loving Jesus.
Don't be a good Christian. Don't be a great Christian. Just love Jesus. Don't be better than anybody else. Just love Jesus.
Jesus walks up to Peter and John and says "pick up a stone and follow me up this mountain."
Peter, being cunning, picks up a small stone so that he won't be exhausted. John picks up a regular sized rock. They hike up the mountain for hours and when they reach the top they're both starving. "Awww Jesus we're so hungry!"
Jesus turns to them and then changes their rocks into bread. Peter, having the smaller rock, looks at John eat the rest of his bread with yearning.
The next day Jesus walks up to Peter and John again and says "pick up a stone and follow me up this mountain."
Peter, not to be outdone picks up the biggest rock, more like a boulder, that he can find. John picks up a regular sized rock again. They hike up the mountain, Peter lugging his slab with grunts and strains. When they reach the top of the mountain Jesus turns to them and says "throw your stone back down the mountain." Peter's mouth just drops, he can't believe it. "What!?" he almost yells, "I can't believe you'd have me do all of this for nothing!"
Jesus looks at him and says, "but who did you carry the burden for?"
This story, as told by the pastor this weekend, leaves me with the greatest picture that I can think of for missions, both where many are saved as well as when everything is lost. All is still done for the glory of God.
I hope you lose your job. I hope everything you've worked to make comes to ruin. I hope you fall into a coma. If God finds you strong enough to draw closer to him through your suffering, I hope it happens to you.
Few are the workers.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A view of things to come
Tomorrow will mark my first completed week at Poly since returning from my sister's wedding in D.C. Both experiences have been a blast. On Saturday I'm going to wake up at the turtle-head of dawn and drive the scooter down to Onnuri church so that I can meet up with Kristen at a spiritual gifts retreat. After getting back to Seoul on Sunday afternoon I'm going to put on the biggest pants party in the world.
Everyone can come.
Anyone can wear pants.
But as for today, 5 year old kids love this.
Everyone can come.
Anyone can wear pants.
But as for today, 5 year old kids love this.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Drowned on the Freeway.
So what's better than driving on a moped at night for an hour?
Doing it in the rain.
And singing at the top of your lungs during redlights.
I love my life.
Also, Toastmasters is mighty nice.
Doing it in the rain.
And singing at the top of your lungs during redlights.
I love my life.
Also, Toastmasters is mighty nice.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
About:
Profile: Julie and Emily
Some of the pluses behind working with 6 year old girls include how they do whatever they can to A)Make you proud of them, B)Be cute, and C)Claim the role of "Princess Baby Heart." Here on field day, two such toddlers were available for framing.
On the left we have Julie who is quite possibly the best reader in the entire class. Julie only gets upset when she sees monsters or when the lights are off. One of my fondest memories with her is when, during Finding Nemo, the big creepy Angler fish appeared and she started bellowing out in fear. She crawled into my arms where I took her into the hallway. Other teacher's came and she eventually calmed down.
Sitting to her right is Emily. Emily, as I've been told, was incredibly shy before I arrived at school. I will probably never believe it. As one of the leading socialites of the class, Emily has developed the 'turn head to the side, cross arms and say 'hmph!'' routine. She is also an avid reader and a contender for the best writer award. One of my favorite moments with Emily happens on a daily basis where she wraps herself around my leg and shouts "Koala!" at me. The unhappy part of this is when the other kids join in and I fall down. Soft floors are sincerely unappreciated.
Monday, May 25, 2009
CDI/CDL and Poly Review (Updated)
I am posting these questions because there are problems happening in Korea right now. Not just because of swine flu, but also because of people asking me more questions due to the recent publicity given to Chungdahm Institute/Chungdahm Learning from their closing this week. In all truth I enjoyed the time I had with many of my coworkers. We forged a special bond on a daily basis from talking about how much we hated work and how it was not worth the money. In turn, I was not strong enough to continue working through the almost daily challenges presented by the company. I do not endorse CDI/CDL in any way and hope that these questions prove to be helpful for those seeking guidance.
Throughout my posts you should notice a significant bias towards my current employer, Korea Poly School. To frame what you choose to read I will simply state, I currently work more hours per week, I am paid less money, and I am happier after 3 months than I was for an entire year at CDI/CDL. I highly encourage readers to educate themselves before pursuing a teaching job in Seoul, if you have any questions regarding these or other matters, please feel free to contact me: trevor.diaz@gmail.com
A brief overview about weekly schedules:
Last year when I worked at CDL (previously CDI) with my fiancé, it was rare for us to have the same days off during any 3 month term. Weekends were cut into, overtime was constant, and stress was physically visible. I don’t want to fall into slander here but despite the high rate of hourly pay, the misery that came from the requirements of the institute were hard to swallow. On top of that, CDI did not provide sick days nor did they factor in Korean Holidays. Coming in on Christmas was not a favorite among students or teachers.
Currently after working for two months at Poly, I have had weekends off, Korean holidays, this June every teacher also gets a week off for Summer vacation, and at the end of May my director was gracious to give me an extra week off so that I can come back home to D.C. and celebrate my sister’s birthday. Kristen is working at a private elementary school at this time, and while we do not have the same hours, we are still guaranteed to have weekends off and our vacation time falls on the same dates. This is pretty common among all academic institutions throughout Seoul.
Housing
Q: Housing wise, we want a place big enough for 2 people. So a 1-person studio apartment wouldn't really work unless they gave us 2 that were next door to each other (use one as living room and one as a bedroom).
Absolutely, and I wouldn’t have it any other way if I was in your position. Regrettably I’m not in the position to tell you what Poly school would do for you in this case – but I can tell you that they will definitely do more to help you than CDI ever did for neither Kristen nor myself. When Poly gives you a call make sure you inquire about the housing, ask them if they would have you both teaching at the same school campus and what your options are for housing. Because there are so many Poly locations it will depend on the neighborhood. That is to say not every school owns their own apartment complex where they put all of their teachers, but if you’re looking to save money (for you and the school) and house two people in one location most schools will happily help you.
Q: - How are the schools are working with couples as far as schedule and housing goes?
Most schools will work with couples and actually prefer to have married teachers for the sake of longevity. A school will do more for you provided that they have a need for two teachers and quite possibly do more to make you happy so that you stay. Because if one of you isn’t happy, they know that they can lose you both. Most schools will also help to make your schedules match.
Payment Plans
Q: I think we would rather work on a salary basis. I noticed that Chungdahm doesn't pay housing on an hourly position and I think I would like the certainty of a salary position, as long as they aren't unreasonable with things like overtime.
Good choice. When I first came to Korea I wanted salary myself. Sure it’s more working hours, but the benefits greatly outweigh the lack thereof. I actually signed a contract with Chungdahm when I was in the States and when I arrived to Seoul they abruptly told me that I could only have an hourly option. At the same time though there’s segregation in CDI academies; some of them work on a salary option (franchises) while the rest function on an hourly basis (branches). If you want salary, I’d stand firm on getting into a franchise. That would have saved a lot of headaches if people had known about it before signing.
Comparison between Academies
Q: - Which of the schools that you worked at do you generally think is better (I know location makes a difference) and why did you switch schools?
I would give double thumbs up to Poly. And there are a lot of reasons for this. I’ll try to be succinct here. A) Poly provides hassle-free housing nearby the school, CDI will put you out on your own to pay rent if you don’t settle for the offers of their realtor, Michael Yoo; who merely walked from location to location reciting “this is the best you’re going to find”. We ended up living an hour away from the school with the rest of the teachers who found realty on their own. B) The other thing that really has nailed it in the coffin for me is that Poly does not drive home the idea of ‘you can be fired at anytime without notice’. They are a lot more democratic about their relationships with the staff and have really made be feel like a valued part of the team where CDI made me feel like going through a meat grinder.
Company not Fulfilling Contractual Agreements
Q: - I have read a lot about Hagwon's not fulfilling the stipulations in
the contract (not paying on time, not providing return airfare, etc.)
what is your opinion of your Hagwon and Hagwons in general?
What you have read about mostly comes from Hagwons in the countryside. Most schools in Seoul will pay on the 5th or the 10th of each month provided that you have a bank account in the city (no problems there, KB*, Hana Bank, and Woori Banks are everywhere and provide little stress for foreigners to sign up). Now, if you come to Korea and start working at a Hagwon that doesn’t pay you on time, you should definitely put up a red flag. For not paying returning airfare, I again have my reservations about CDI. They did not pay for when I left the country at the end of my contract and they also withheld a $1000 instructor performance bonus from my pay because I did not agree to return to their program this year.
Working Hours
Q: - How many classroom hours do you teach each week? How many days do
you work each week? Are you required to do overtime or is it
optional?
At CDI I taught 6 hours a day 4p.m. to 10p.m., but that translated out to about 11 hours total including transit as well as prep time for the class – both of which were unpaid. For one month in the summer and one month in the winter there was the option to teach Intensive classes for 3 additional hours 3 days a week. Overtime extended to Saturday classes during test times and classes directed at under achieving students. Like most normal businesses, the more time you put in, the more you get out of it in terms of scheduling. Unfortunately this was not the normal case for Kristen and myself. Weekends remained busy for both of us.
At Poly I work from 9a.m. to 6/7p.m. depending on the day. I have an hour for lunch; 10 minute breaks between my 40-minute classes, and more freedom to design the lesson. Overtime is nonexistent, and I only have to attend 2 Saturday workshops this year.
Preferences in Teaching
Q: - What is your favorite thing about teaching in Korea? What is your
least favorite thing?
My paradoxically favorite and most hated thing, sadly, was working with Middle school kids at CDI. The thing about teaching in Korea is that you instantly become part of this consuming machine that is driven to make an academic success out of their children. I sometimes wish that my parents had put as much pressure on me to succeed like these kids. When it gets to middle school life downright sucks for kids. It’s not just being lethargically in school like in the states, it’s getting hit by teachers and parents, and going to academies to ruin the global learning curve. At CDI, because they had a middle school program I had the opportunity for 3 hours a week to take kids out of the doldrums, to get them to smile and give them passion for something.
Treatment by School
Q: - Do you feel your school treats you and the other English teachers
fairly and with respect?
At Poly, absolutely. I feel respected, valued, and am treated with a certain degree of hospitality that I never thought was possible through CDI. Teachers at CDI constantly complained about their income, and received no sort of validation from the company. The final insult for me last year was getting a blemish on my passport for an overstay in the country. My visa expired a day before the last day of class and I was told, by a man named John Yoo, that an extension would be granted. However at customs I was informed that CDI did nothing of the sort. Accordingly after an hour of phone calls I was granted permission to leave and told by John Yoo that he would immediately remove the blemish from my record. Later he sent me an e-mail saying that he would take care of it if I came back to CDI. As a result, I did not come back.
Completing the Contract
Q: - What percentage of teachers complete their contract? Why do those
that break the contract do so?
When I worked at CDI I was with a group of roughly 30 teachers. Every term about 5 new teachers would come in, of those 5, at least 1 or two would simply disappear. It sometimes happened without warning, other times it would happen under the pretense of a family emergency. Whatever the case they were never heard from again. I blame the institution and lack of affirmation. People don’t come to Korea to be treated poorly but because of the immense size of CDI, I figure that it’s hard to do anything but embrace quantity over quality.
Living Hardships
Q: - What is the hardest thing about living in Korea other than being far
away from family and friends?
The hardest thing about Korea outside of missing home would have to be the rain and the subsequent mosquitoes that follow. Bring a couple cheap plastic ponchos, some Off and a good attitude about being bitten. Also take advantage of your weekends, they really are priceless.
Vacation
Q: - Do you get Korean holidays off?
Working at CDI resulted in having no vacation whatsoever, least of all Korean holidays. You were ‘entitled’ to a week of unpaid vacation, but only a few people ever took advantage of such a financially crippling endeavor. Now that I’m out, holidays are standard.
Q: "Is vacation time pre-scheduled? If so, is it scheduled a full week at a time or broken down a day here and a day there?"
Vacation time (outside of CDI) is prescheduled to one week in the summer and one week in the winter. Some academies will work with you in order to better fit your needs, but this depends on the school.
Q: "Hope everything is going well in Korea. I was writing to you to get your opinion. I put in an application at Korean Poly and they mentioned to us an opening that they have for July at their MokDong campus. Do you know anything about this particular school? The pay for the position is great, but the hours are pretty long since it is for a morning/afternoon shift. Which shift do you work and what have you heard about the morning/afternoon shift?"
I’m working over the the Dongdaemun campus. I also do a morning/afternoon shift, but it goes by incredibly quick. Tomorrow I start week 9 of the 26-week semester, and it doesn’t bear down on me at all. July is a good time to come because it’s in the middle of the summer, you’ll have ample time to prepare for the mosquitoes in September.
trevor.diaz@gmail.com
Throughout my posts you should notice a significant bias towards my current employer, Korea Poly School. To frame what you choose to read I will simply state, I currently work more hours per week, I am paid less money, and I am happier after 3 months than I was for an entire year at CDI/CDL. I highly encourage readers to educate themselves before pursuing a teaching job in Seoul, if you have any questions regarding these or other matters, please feel free to contact me: trevor.diaz@gmail.com
A brief overview about weekly schedules:
Last year when I worked at CDL (previously CDI) with my fiancé, it was rare for us to have the same days off during any 3 month term. Weekends were cut into, overtime was constant, and stress was physically visible. I don’t want to fall into slander here but despite the high rate of hourly pay, the misery that came from the requirements of the institute were hard to swallow. On top of that, CDI did not provide sick days nor did they factor in Korean Holidays. Coming in on Christmas was not a favorite among students or teachers.
Currently after working for two months at Poly, I have had weekends off, Korean holidays, this June every teacher also gets a week off for Summer vacation, and at the end of May my director was gracious to give me an extra week off so that I can come back home to D.C. and celebrate my sister’s birthday. Kristen is working at a private elementary school at this time, and while we do not have the same hours, we are still guaranteed to have weekends off and our vacation time falls on the same dates. This is pretty common among all academic institutions throughout Seoul.
Housing
Q: Housing wise, we want a place big enough for 2 people. So a 1-person studio apartment wouldn't really work unless they gave us 2 that were next door to each other (use one as living room and one as a bedroom).
Absolutely, and I wouldn’t have it any other way if I was in your position. Regrettably I’m not in the position to tell you what Poly school would do for you in this case – but I can tell you that they will definitely do more to help you than CDI ever did for neither Kristen nor myself. When Poly gives you a call make sure you inquire about the housing, ask them if they would have you both teaching at the same school campus and what your options are for housing. Because there are so many Poly locations it will depend on the neighborhood. That is to say not every school owns their own apartment complex where they put all of their teachers, but if you’re looking to save money (for you and the school) and house two people in one location most schools will happily help you.
Q: - How are the schools are working with couples as far as schedule and housing goes?
Most schools will work with couples and actually prefer to have married teachers for the sake of longevity. A school will do more for you provided that they have a need for two teachers and quite possibly do more to make you happy so that you stay. Because if one of you isn’t happy, they know that they can lose you both. Most schools will also help to make your schedules match.
Payment Plans
Q: I think we would rather work on a salary basis. I noticed that Chungdahm doesn't pay housing on an hourly position and I think I would like the certainty of a salary position, as long as they aren't unreasonable with things like overtime.
Good choice. When I first came to Korea I wanted salary myself. Sure it’s more working hours, but the benefits greatly outweigh the lack thereof. I actually signed a contract with Chungdahm when I was in the States and when I arrived to Seoul they abruptly told me that I could only have an hourly option. At the same time though there’s segregation in CDI academies; some of them work on a salary option (franchises) while the rest function on an hourly basis (branches). If you want salary, I’d stand firm on getting into a franchise. That would have saved a lot of headaches if people had known about it before signing.
Comparison between Academies
Q: - Which of the schools that you worked at do you generally think is better (I know location makes a difference) and why did you switch schools?
I would give double thumbs up to Poly. And there are a lot of reasons for this. I’ll try to be succinct here. A) Poly provides hassle-free housing nearby the school, CDI will put you out on your own to pay rent if you don’t settle for the offers of their realtor, Michael Yoo; who merely walked from location to location reciting “this is the best you’re going to find”. We ended up living an hour away from the school with the rest of the teachers who found realty on their own. B) The other thing that really has nailed it in the coffin for me is that Poly does not drive home the idea of ‘you can be fired at anytime without notice’. They are a lot more democratic about their relationships with the staff and have really made be feel like a valued part of the team where CDI made me feel like going through a meat grinder.
Company not Fulfilling Contractual Agreements
Q: - I have read a lot about Hagwon's not fulfilling the stipulations in
the contract (not paying on time, not providing return airfare, etc.)
what is your opinion of your Hagwon and Hagwons in general?
What you have read about mostly comes from Hagwons in the countryside. Most schools in Seoul will pay on the 5th or the 10th of each month provided that you have a bank account in the city (no problems there, KB*, Hana Bank, and Woori Banks are everywhere and provide little stress for foreigners to sign up). Now, if you come to Korea and start working at a Hagwon that doesn’t pay you on time, you should definitely put up a red flag. For not paying returning airfare, I again have my reservations about CDI. They did not pay for when I left the country at the end of my contract and they also withheld a $1000 instructor performance bonus from my pay because I did not agree to return to their program this year.
Working Hours
Q: - How many classroom hours do you teach each week? How many days do
you work each week? Are you required to do overtime or is it
optional?
At CDI I taught 6 hours a day 4p.m. to 10p.m., but that translated out to about 11 hours total including transit as well as prep time for the class – both of which were unpaid. For one month in the summer and one month in the winter there was the option to teach Intensive classes for 3 additional hours 3 days a week. Overtime extended to Saturday classes during test times and classes directed at under achieving students. Like most normal businesses, the more time you put in, the more you get out of it in terms of scheduling. Unfortunately this was not the normal case for Kristen and myself. Weekends remained busy for both of us.
At Poly I work from 9a.m. to 6/7p.m. depending on the day. I have an hour for lunch; 10 minute breaks between my 40-minute classes, and more freedom to design the lesson. Overtime is nonexistent, and I only have to attend 2 Saturday workshops this year.
Preferences in Teaching
Q: - What is your favorite thing about teaching in Korea? What is your
least favorite thing?
My paradoxically favorite and most hated thing, sadly, was working with Middle school kids at CDI. The thing about teaching in Korea is that you instantly become part of this consuming machine that is driven to make an academic success out of their children. I sometimes wish that my parents had put as much pressure on me to succeed like these kids. When it gets to middle school life downright sucks for kids. It’s not just being lethargically in school like in the states, it’s getting hit by teachers and parents, and going to academies to ruin the global learning curve. At CDI, because they had a middle school program I had the opportunity for 3 hours a week to take kids out of the doldrums, to get them to smile and give them passion for something.
Treatment by School
Q: - Do you feel your school treats you and the other English teachers
fairly and with respect?
At Poly, absolutely. I feel respected, valued, and am treated with a certain degree of hospitality that I never thought was possible through CDI. Teachers at CDI constantly complained about their income, and received no sort of validation from the company. The final insult for me last year was getting a blemish on my passport for an overstay in the country. My visa expired a day before the last day of class and I was told, by a man named John Yoo, that an extension would be granted. However at customs I was informed that CDI did nothing of the sort. Accordingly after an hour of phone calls I was granted permission to leave and told by John Yoo that he would immediately remove the blemish from my record. Later he sent me an e-mail saying that he would take care of it if I came back to CDI. As a result, I did not come back.
Completing the Contract
Q: - What percentage of teachers complete their contract? Why do those
that break the contract do so?
When I worked at CDI I was with a group of roughly 30 teachers. Every term about 5 new teachers would come in, of those 5, at least 1 or two would simply disappear. It sometimes happened without warning, other times it would happen under the pretense of a family emergency. Whatever the case they were never heard from again. I blame the institution and lack of affirmation. People don’t come to Korea to be treated poorly but because of the immense size of CDI, I figure that it’s hard to do anything but embrace quantity over quality.
Living Hardships
Q: - What is the hardest thing about living in Korea other than being far
away from family and friends?
The hardest thing about Korea outside of missing home would have to be the rain and the subsequent mosquitoes that follow. Bring a couple cheap plastic ponchos, some Off and a good attitude about being bitten. Also take advantage of your weekends, they really are priceless.
Vacation
Q: - Do you get Korean holidays off?
Working at CDI resulted in having no vacation whatsoever, least of all Korean holidays. You were ‘entitled’ to a week of unpaid vacation, but only a few people ever took advantage of such a financially crippling endeavor. Now that I’m out, holidays are standard.
Q: "Is vacation time pre-scheduled? If so, is it scheduled a full week at a time or broken down a day here and a day there?"
Vacation time (outside of CDI) is prescheduled to one week in the summer and one week in the winter. Some academies will work with you in order to better fit your needs, but this depends on the school.
Q: "Hope everything is going well in Korea. I was writing to you to get your opinion. I put in an application at Korean Poly and they mentioned to us an opening that they have for July at their MokDong campus. Do you know anything about this particular school? The pay for the position is great, but the hours are pretty long since it is for a morning/afternoon shift. Which shift do you work and what have you heard about the morning/afternoon shift?"
I’m working over the the Dongdaemun campus. I also do a morning/afternoon shift, but it goes by incredibly quick. Tomorrow I start week 9 of the 26-week semester, and it doesn’t bear down on me at all. July is a good time to come because it’s in the middle of the summer, you’ll have ample time to prepare for the mosquitoes in September.
trevor.diaz@gmail.com
Quarantine in South Korea
For more information regarding the current situation inside the compound, please click here.
So after the release of information regarding the lock down on some 20 odd English teachers in Korea and the impending onslaught of infection that will result from symptoms not being observable until 7-9 days after contracting the swine influenza, I got to thinking about the chances of an international pandemic. And they are: None.
Sure things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better, but it's not something that we can't handle. Antiviral drugs have already been issued to combat the flu at it's early stages and people are taking it upon themselves and their employees to remain within the confines of their own homes when not required for work. But it's still fascinating for me to be an adult in this situation.
The big thing that made me start thinking about the H1N1 strain is that CDI, who I worked for my first year in Korea, officially declared that all 121 of their academic campuses would be closed for ten days in order to compensate for the outbreak of swine flu in their teachers. This left me shell-shocked in how they never gave a thought to vacation for any of their teachers during my tenure. That's how I knew it was serious.
Whatever the case, I'm both excited and nervous to come back to the States. My coworkers are afraid that I'll contract the disease and bring it back with me. If that's the case, maybe I can get them a week of vacation too :)
Don't eat pork.
So after the release of information regarding the lock down on some 20 odd English teachers in Korea and the impending onslaught of infection that will result from symptoms not being observable until 7-9 days after contracting the swine influenza, I got to thinking about the chances of an international pandemic. And they are: None.
Sure things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better, but it's not something that we can't handle. Antiviral drugs have already been issued to combat the flu at it's early stages and people are taking it upon themselves and their employees to remain within the confines of their own homes when not required for work. But it's still fascinating for me to be an adult in this situation.
The big thing that made me start thinking about the H1N1 strain is that CDI, who I worked for my first year in Korea, officially declared that all 121 of their academic campuses would be closed for ten days in order to compensate for the outbreak of swine flu in their teachers. This left me shell-shocked in how they never gave a thought to vacation for any of their teachers during my tenure. That's how I knew it was serious.
Whatever the case, I'm both excited and nervous to come back to the States. My coworkers are afraid that I'll contract the disease and bring it back with me. If that's the case, maybe I can get them a week of vacation too :)
Don't eat pork.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers
My favorite thing about elementary/preschool children is that they don't know curse words. You can be stern with them whenever appropriate without them getting cross. You never have one writing "this class sucks" on their desks or saying "I hate that teacher" to other students.
Really, they're open to influence from just about anything and they buy everything you say without contest. Furthest from the good that this brings is the teaching that my childhood bullies received from their parents. How, for any number of reasons, they were taught to...I guess in so many words, sin. And that makes me upset because I think of how I could easily ruin one of these children's future by failing to tell them how to be outwardly kind and thankful.
Having someone to keep me accountable will be appreciated when I'm working with children. They share my mind and my actions, hopefully they'll pick up the good characteristics.
Really, they're open to influence from just about anything and they buy everything you say without contest. Furthest from the good that this brings is the teaching that my childhood bullies received from their parents. How, for any number of reasons, they were taught to...I guess in so many words, sin. And that makes me upset because I think of how I could easily ruin one of these children's future by failing to tell them how to be outwardly kind and thankful.
Having someone to keep me accountable will be appreciated when I'm working with children. They share my mind and my actions, hopefully they'll pick up the good characteristics.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Perspective
Co teacher Yelee Jo explained something to me about the school I work for now, and it really helps me to establish empathy with my kids. At some branches where the curriculum is intense and the mothers are more fierce, it is not uncommon to have children come home from "the P-school" at 4:30 in the afternoon and go to sleep only to wake up at midnight in order to complete their online homework.
I'm humbled. I'm grateful. I'm in awe.
My education was never so scrutinized that I might stay ahead of the above-average bracket. Book homework seems trivial to me now. I imagine that we'll do away with it altogether in the next few years.
I'm humbled. I'm grateful. I'm in awe.
My education was never so scrutinized that I might stay ahead of the above-average bracket. Book homework seems trivial to me now. I imagine that we'll do away with it altogether in the next few years.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Umm...
Writing test on May 8th, question offered: "Why is it important to have good manners? Write about a time when it was important to have good manners. If good manners wasn't important, what would happen?"
Response gained from one student:
It would be important because manners make people happy and with good manners you become a good person. If it was not important Earth would be very funny. You need to have manners the most in the restaraunt.. If you don't have good manners you have to try some like being quiet or consentrating in tests or never kill alive animals. When you try some manners practice a lot.
Reasons for concern? Increasing.
Response gained from one student:
It would be important because manners make people happy and with good manners you become a good person. If it was not important Earth would be very funny. You need to have manners the most in the restaraunt.. If you don't have good manners you have to try some like being quiet or consentrating in tests or never kill alive animals. When you try some manners practice a lot.
Reasons for concern? Increasing.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Captain's Log
Books to read:
Angels and Demons
A Tale of Two Cities
A Happy Death
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
The Shack
So yesterday was my first National Holiday off, EVER. How else could I spend it but to lie on the roof of my building soaking up the sun and then head to a far off district in order to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Well the tanning worked out great, but when it came to Cinco de Mayo I found myself staring at a poor excuse for celebration...a bunch of foreigners sitting around a park drinking beer and dirty dancing to makeshift mariachi music. Let me focus on something more spectacular here. In the subway of Jongak, the same place of the festivities, I saw a soup kitchen in effect where lots of people were coming to be fed. When this scene unfolded it crossed my mind that the more we take the less we become...I'm constantly reminded that it's not about how much I have to show others, but how much I have to offer.
Thank you Sarah.
Angels and Demons
A Tale of Two Cities
A Happy Death
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
The Shack
So yesterday was my first National Holiday off, EVER. How else could I spend it but to lie on the roof of my building soaking up the sun and then head to a far off district in order to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Well the tanning worked out great, but when it came to Cinco de Mayo I found myself staring at a poor excuse for celebration...a bunch of foreigners sitting around a park drinking beer and dirty dancing to makeshift mariachi music. Let me focus on something more spectacular here. In the subway of Jongak, the same place of the festivities, I saw a soup kitchen in effect where lots of people were coming to be fed. When this scene unfolded it crossed my mind that the more we take the less we become...I'm constantly reminded that it's not about how much I have to show others, but how much I have to offer.
Thank you Sarah.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Advent in Wonderland
Went to Sokcho this weekend, had a lot of fun bathing in iron-laden mineral water and fighting with little old ladies in the river so that I could drink the same water. Also had a great time meeting some new people and overcoming some obstacles. Got back late, still smiling, but not in a good situation.
I'm locked out of my apartment because I forgot my key somewhere on the mountain.
My phone is almost dead.
And I have no charger.
Hopefully I'll be up in time for work, am I right?
Thank God for Children's day on Tuesday.
I'm locked out of my apartment because I forgot my key somewhere on the mountain.
My phone is almost dead.
And I have no charger.
Hopefully I'll be up in time for work, am I right?
Thank God for Children's day on Tuesday.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Welcome to the new addiction
I am so thankful for tofu and kimchi. Really, it makes any low budget meal seem like paradise. And shvoing this stuff down my throat is in no way unappealing to me anymore. I walked out of work tonight and it was the only thing I wanted to get my hands on.
The worst thing right now would be for some guy to walk up to me and in broken English tell me that kimchi is unhealthy.
I'd probably weep a little.
In other news I 'accidentially' pushed a kid down today. He was in the teacher's room jumping up and down, and when I stuck my hand out to stop him he sprawled out on his butt...followed by the welling up of tears and the heart wrenching quip of, "he pushed me." Sure I felt like a slug and apologized profusely, and wouldn't you know it he ended up looking me square in the eye about 15 minutes later and said "Trevor Teacher, I love you." Now if that's not a kick in the pants I don't know what is. Thank you God for making kids so much like you.
The worst thing right now would be for some guy to walk up to me and in broken English tell me that kimchi is unhealthy.
I'd probably weep a little.
In other news I 'accidentially' pushed a kid down today. He was in the teacher's room jumping up and down, and when I stuck my hand out to stop him he sprawled out on his butt...followed by the welling up of tears and the heart wrenching quip of, "he pushed me." Sure I felt like a slug and apologized profusely, and wouldn't you know it he ended up looking me square in the eye about 15 minutes later and said "Trevor Teacher, I love you." Now if that's not a kick in the pants I don't know what is. Thank you God for making kids so much like you.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
gt2c3
Sunny confessed that she eats dirt today. And then she actually ate dirt from a plant pot.
Then another student, Harry came up and said directly to me "Can I eat dirt?"
Then another student, Harry came up and said directly to me "Can I eat dirt?"
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Curry Rice
Curry was actually not meant to be a flavor on it's own, rather it was to be a random mix of many different spices. Over time, the Western world adopted it as a specific flavor complete with vegtables. I, in turn, am thankful.
I'm also thankful for the sun, crab battles, ATV's, campfires in sand, rusty bungalows, ferry rides, frisbees, and the company of new friends.
Cheers, Muui-do.
I'm also thankful for the sun, crab battles, ATV's, campfires in sand, rusty bungalows, ferry rides, frisbees, and the company of new friends.
Cheers, Muui-do.
Friday, April 17, 2009
West Islands
Leaving in about 5 minutes to get to an island in the far West of Seoul. To this I thank God for providing me with friends, finances and most importantly 2 day weekends. After a sojourn on the subway and across the watery pass by ferry, we will arrive in a supposed tropical paradise for frisbee and photos. Website accessories to come!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
"Oh I'd say I'm doin at about..60 percent"
So I've been coughing up battleships for the past week and a half. It dawned on me this morning that kids, I mean little kids, are walking minefields of diseases. So while I develop nodes in my throat and the sinew that slugs are made of from my nose, I smile at knowing by the end of the year I will be immune to every single sickness Korea has ever known.
Ha!
Ha!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Homeless Ministries in Seoul.
Tomorrow is my first monthly parent-teacher conference. I've already been getting apologies from mothers about their unapologetic little toddlers. In terms of week 6 out of 52, it's still comfortable.
I've been talking with Jessica from Action and Passion about starting a homeless ministry at Seoul station. She'd like to start something that addresses the spiritual side while I'm all about gathering funds and doing handouts. Combined we have a idealistically hopeful outlook on our involvement with the homeless population of Seoul. I think the key is keeping it small and making contributions of a perishable nature so that no one gets jealous when supplies run out.
I gather that adults are a lot like kids, and the constant shouts of "me too, me too" are enough to prepare just about anyone for being inadequate. Another thing is that I read Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" to my kids today. I think 2 of them actually got the message, that was really rewarding for me. I imagine it'll be the
same way if things work out and this whole thing starts, except instead of boogery little kids I'll get to work with boogery grown ups. The sweet thing is that I can't wait for either :)
...maybe it can be called something cute and cultivating, 'Pocket'?
I've been talking with Jessica from Action and Passion about starting a homeless ministry at Seoul station. She'd like to start something that addresses the spiritual side while I'm all about gathering funds and doing handouts. Combined we have a idealistically hopeful outlook on our involvement with the homeless population of Seoul. I think the key is keeping it small and making contributions of a perishable nature so that no one gets jealous when supplies run out.
I gather that adults are a lot like kids, and the constant shouts of "me too, me too" are enough to prepare just about anyone for being inadequate. Another thing is that I read Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" to my kids today. I think 2 of them actually got the message, that was really rewarding for me. I imagine it'll be the
same way if things work out and this whole thing starts, except instead of boogery little kids I'll get to work with boogery grown ups. The sweet thing is that I can't wait for either :)...maybe it can be called something cute and cultivating, 'Pocket'?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
S2/PreK9230
I love little kids in the most uncreepy way imaginable. I love being told I love you every day. I love the feeling of lighting a candle inside each of their little pulpy brains. I also love the unhealthy little rice cakes and sugary yogurt drinks that they hold up to me inbetween classes. One afternoon class in particular features some of my dearest loves. Rather than being a teacher I feel like more of a big brother. I'm lucky in that they've all taken a liking to me and constantly run up to during class just to give me a hug. The lessons get accomplished by the grace of God and all the while they seem to just absorb the information. It's perfect and I knock on wood to keep it the same.
What I'm still hoping to fall in love with are the parents of these as well as my trouble students. The ones that I'm curious as to how they handle their violent children at home. Until one week from now it's all left to speculation but it's nice to know that soon I'll have the answers about the kids that don't seem to understand that spitting on others is not a good thing in most societies.
--
Also, The Wiggles are amazing.
What I'm still hoping to fall in love with are the parents of these as well as my trouble students. The ones that I'm curious as to how they handle their violent children at home. Until one week from now it's all left to speculation but it's nice to know that soon I'll have the answers about the kids that don't seem to understand that spitting on others is not a good thing in most societies.
--
Also, The Wiggles are amazing.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Poly School
Teaching preschoolers allows me to learn something new everyday.
Take Friday for example.
I had an accidental chance to teach about sharing when, after a game of memory, the students begged and begged to keep the pieces of black and white paper. One student, Alex, managed to collect the most. Another student, Justin, began to well-up tears in his eyes saying "he has too many", "Give me one!" So I tried to console Justin, telling him that it's just paper, but nothing would appease him. He began to cry and wail. Another student by the name of Julie, the most darling in my class, started saying "share, share!" Other students picked up her chant and that's where I followed suit. I swear I started feeling shudders. "That's right, that's right!" I began, "you need to share! Sharing makes you a nice person!"
So the first child to actually act on this was a little boy named Isaac. He reached into his backpack, pulled out one of his pieces of paper and gave it to Justin who at this point was still crying. Lucy followed his example emplored by shouts of "good job", and "yay Lucy!" Then, while everyone was getting excited about sharing, Alex began to sulk...
After a bit he turned around, reached into his backpack and returned to the table with a wad of little paper dogs, trees, and swings. From there he handed them to Justin. Justin in turn, gleeful at the recent turn of events, begins to take out his own pieces of paper and count them zealously on the table. I'm amazed at how quickly a boy who, at one moment, was a little selfish brat can then turn into an amazing example of generosity, and then become a crying heap of flesh and tears on the table.
Now at this I was hoping Justin would see how much we were applauding Alex for being SO generous and nice. But instead when asked to share some of his newbegotten papers with the rest of the class, he simply shook his head, smiled, and yelled "no!"
The pitiful thing here is that the rest of us aren't so different. Remember to smile. Remember to share. Remember to be grateful.
Take Friday for example.
I had an accidental chance to teach about sharing when, after a game of memory, the students begged and begged to keep the pieces of black and white paper. One student, Alex, managed to collect the most. Another student, Justin, began to well-up tears in his eyes saying "he has too many", "Give me one!" So I tried to console Justin, telling him that it's just paper, but nothing would appease him. He began to cry and wail. Another student by the name of Julie, the most darling in my class, started saying "share, share!" Other students picked up her chant and that's where I followed suit. I swear I started feeling shudders. "That's right, that's right!" I began, "you need to share! Sharing makes you a nice person!"
So the first child to actually act on this was a little boy named Isaac. He reached into his backpack, pulled out one of his pieces of paper and gave it to Justin who at this point was still crying. Lucy followed his example emplored by shouts of "good job", and "yay Lucy!" Then, while everyone was getting excited about sharing, Alex began to sulk...
After a bit he turned around, reached into his backpack and returned to the table with a wad of little paper dogs, trees, and swings. From there he handed them to Justin. Justin in turn, gleeful at the recent turn of events, begins to take out his own pieces of paper and count them zealously on the table. I'm amazed at how quickly a boy who, at one moment, was a little selfish brat can then turn into an amazing example of generosity, and then become a crying heap of flesh and tears on the table.
Now at this I was hoping Justin would see how much we were applauding Alex for being SO generous and nice. But instead when asked to share some of his newbegotten papers with the rest of the class, he simply shook his head, smiled, and yelled "no!"
The pitiful thing here is that the rest of us aren't so different. Remember to smile. Remember to share. Remember to be grateful.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Back to the Future...
at least that's what it feels like when you cross over the international time-zone break in the Pacific ocean for the third time.
____________
Vested Apology
:::There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of people that I didn't get to see before I left the States. Katie and Brian, this especially goes out to you. The greatest gift that I have ever known is time and I am sorry that I was not able to accept the time that you were offering me. I promise to make good on your gifts as soon as I can, and I will happily betroth you with the same thirst-quenching love that you have for me. Until then, may we both be kept safe until our eyes meet again.
____________
'So here's teh Earth.'
I just landed in Korea about 6 hours ago. Since then I've become reacquainted with the national food, kimchi, and made a new friend named Hong Ji Hyok. Things that stick out to me:
-the slender shape of soda cans
-the buildings that grow up and not out
-people having a %100 reduction in personal space "bubbles"
-clean, fresh water
-heated floors
-consumerism
While lying in the bed of my temporary hotel room I came to a realization about television. Frankly, I really don't like it. Movies are one thing. Hooking up your computer so you can watch Lost w/o commercials is nice. Nintendo Wii is a guaranteed way to break the ice at parties. BUT television itself irks me in a not so fanciful way. It's like the dirty old uncle that moves into your house, never showers, talks non-stop about sex and alcohol, and convinces you to give your money to his friends. What, you didn't have one of those too?
So I propose an alliance, a secret alliance with myself and all who might join my cause. I'm going to try it out for lent a couple days late. But let's see if I can go without all of that kooky fun from the light box for 40 days.
Watching Lost online is the only thing that doesn't count. Thanks to you loopholes in Catholicism. :)
In the meantime, let's learn Korean with Rosetta Stone!
____________
Vested Apology
:::There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of people that I didn't get to see before I left the States. Katie and Brian, this especially goes out to you. The greatest gift that I have ever known is time and I am sorry that I was not able to accept the time that you were offering me. I promise to make good on your gifts as soon as I can, and I will happily betroth you with the same thirst-quenching love that you have for me. Until then, may we both be kept safe until our eyes meet again.
____________
'So here's teh Earth.'
I just landed in Korea about 6 hours ago. Since then I've become reacquainted with the national food, kimchi, and made a new friend named Hong Ji Hyok. Things that stick out to me:
-the slender shape of soda cans
-the buildings that grow up and not out
-people having a %100 reduction in personal space "bubbles"
-clean, fresh water
-heated floors
-consumerism
While lying in the bed of my temporary hotel room I came to a realization about television. Frankly, I really don't like it. Movies are one thing. Hooking up your computer so you can watch Lost w/o commercials is nice. Nintendo Wii is a guaranteed way to break the ice at parties. BUT television itself irks me in a not so fanciful way. It's like the dirty old uncle that moves into your house, never showers, talks non-stop about sex and alcohol, and convinces you to give your money to his friends. What, you didn't have one of those too?
So I propose an alliance, a secret alliance with myself and all who might join my cause. I'm going to try it out for lent a couple days late. But let's see if I can go without all of that kooky fun from the light box for 40 days.
Watching Lost online is the only thing that doesn't count. Thanks to you loopholes in Catholicism. :)
In the meantime, let's learn Korean with Rosetta Stone!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
iPray
Lord I ask you for serenity and patience. I throw my hands up while the things that frustrate me the most find ways to resurface in my life. Only through you am I able to regain myself and smile to think that these things shall too pass. At the same time my loved ones suffer and only through you can they have peace. I ask that you gather them in your hands and bring them into your heart, for while the earth might quake you will always find them firm ground to stand upon. Even so there are still many more that I have yet to know. Give me your arms and eyes that I might love them as my own, for it is through your passion that I will find purpose.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Disparity of Attitude
I've heard quite a few stories that wring my heart in the past two weeks while traveling hither and far. Here's just a couple.
-A man and a woman living in Florida cannot reproduce together, so they take up foster care. In Florida you must have a child for one full year before the child can become available for adoption. For this couple, a total of 7 children were cycled through their home each at the 10 month mark - making it impossible for them to obtain custody of those whom they took care of. While assuming this position as babysitter for the orphaned, they were also given a number of charges which have left them in debt in lieu of having children.
-A couple that has been running the beer concessions for a certain festival-based organization over the past 22 years was brought into light at a recent meeting where their profits were severely undervalued. Long story short, where $12,000 was expected only $3,000 turned up. In tow with their apparent lack of financial responsibility, their presence is no longer welcomed due to their inconsistent behavior with the rest of the group leaders.
I am really uncomfortable with how most of the problems that I hear about today come from money. Relationships aren't only stopped from being fostered but also torn apart because one person's 'financial character' is not up to par with the expectations of someone else. A tool for services rendered becomes the soul behind our motivations, limitations, and aspirations. And who do we blame for this?
Anyone but ourselves.
I can't speak for everyone because I know that there are a lot of people out there who have it together. They know how to save, how to spend, how to be frivolous and cautious without even wincing; but even so I'm learning.
You've done this before too. Probably with Mom and Dad, you know, they tell you something again and again and then one day it finally clicks. What clicked for me is attitude. As in the way that you feel about something really messes up the picture of what the thing really is! If you look at the world in terms of money being a person-defining feature, you lose the same kind of love for the sales person that you would lose for your neighbor if you were not color blind.
I hope that everyone already knows that people are more than price tags and that there is nothing that stops you from new love today. And for those that you come across who are heavy burdened, please be discerning and help me to change the way the world sees money.
I'll end this with the way I should have gone through Saturday night:
Around 10:30 at IHOP things were getting crazy in the kitchen. The new shift had just come on and things were backing up with confused orders. While sitting down at a table with Sean we overheard a couple with a baby talking about how they had just received their first plate of food after waiting 50 minutes. They caught the attention of their waitress and demanded to speak to the manager. After a brief conversation explaining the molasses in the kitchen, the couple calmed down and resumed their meal. Not 2 minutes later our waitress came out with our pancakes. The lady made a comment about how we must have paid off the kitchen to get our food out so fast. While Sean and I finished up our meal the family finished their meal and headed out the door. I followed them. Out in the parking lot I tapped the husband on the shoulder and handed him a $20. After he asked what it was for I responded that the two of them did a great job handling themselves back in there; they had a baby, it was late, things were going unreasonably slow for such a late hour, but they still walked out of the restaurant without making a fuss. Good job, keep it up, watch out for others".
Pass on what you have in hopes of reinforcing love for others and patience for all things. Your tools make way for your work.
Furthermore, thank you Melissa. It is a great feeling to know that I have someone supporting my qualms about the field. You make the mission that much easier for me to walk into.
-A man and a woman living in Florida cannot reproduce together, so they take up foster care. In Florida you must have a child for one full year before the child can become available for adoption. For this couple, a total of 7 children were cycled through their home each at the 10 month mark - making it impossible for them to obtain custody of those whom they took care of. While assuming this position as babysitter for the orphaned, they were also given a number of charges which have left them in debt in lieu of having children.
-A couple that has been running the beer concessions for a certain festival-based organization over the past 22 years was brought into light at a recent meeting where their profits were severely undervalued. Long story short, where $12,000 was expected only $3,000 turned up. In tow with their apparent lack of financial responsibility, their presence is no longer welcomed due to their inconsistent behavior with the rest of the group leaders.
I am really uncomfortable with how most of the problems that I hear about today come from money. Relationships aren't only stopped from being fostered but also torn apart because one person's 'financial character' is not up to par with the expectations of someone else. A tool for services rendered becomes the soul behind our motivations, limitations, and aspirations. And who do we blame for this?
Anyone but ourselves.
I can't speak for everyone because I know that there are a lot of people out there who have it together. They know how to save, how to spend, how to be frivolous and cautious without even wincing; but even so I'm learning.
You've done this before too. Probably with Mom and Dad, you know, they tell you something again and again and then one day it finally clicks. What clicked for me is attitude. As in the way that you feel about something really messes up the picture of what the thing really is! If you look at the world in terms of money being a person-defining feature, you lose the same kind of love for the sales person that you would lose for your neighbor if you were not color blind.
I hope that everyone already knows that people are more than price tags and that there is nothing that stops you from new love today. And for those that you come across who are heavy burdened, please be discerning and help me to change the way the world sees money.
I'll end this with the way I should have gone through Saturday night:
Around 10:30 at IHOP things were getting crazy in the kitchen. The new shift had just come on and things were backing up with confused orders. While sitting down at a table with Sean we overheard a couple with a baby talking about how they had just received their first plate of food after waiting 50 minutes. They caught the attention of their waitress and demanded to speak to the manager. After a brief conversation explaining the molasses in the kitchen, the couple calmed down and resumed their meal. Not 2 minutes later our waitress came out with our pancakes. The lady made a comment about how we must have paid off the kitchen to get our food out so fast. While Sean and I finished up our meal the family finished their meal and headed out the door. I followed them. Out in the parking lot I tapped the husband on the shoulder and handed him a $20. After he asked what it was for I responded that the two of them did a great job handling themselves back in there; they had a baby, it was late, things were going unreasonably slow for such a late hour, but they still walked out of the restaurant without making a fuss. Good job, keep it up, watch out for others".
Pass on what you have in hopes of reinforcing love for others and patience for all things. Your tools make way for your work.
Furthermore, thank you Melissa. It is a great feeling to know that I have someone supporting my qualms about the field. You make the mission that much easier for me to walk into.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Road Trip! Chapter 5: In the footsteps of the Wright Brothers
...so while playing NBA Hangtime with Dave I got to thinking about how awesome it is to fly half-way across the court and do a slam dunk in the face of the computer controlled, and inferior, players. And that got me to thinking about flying...which led me to think about hummingbirds which eat that red nectar stuff which I think is sugar water, and hey sugar water is sweet, oh my gosh have you ever had that cinnibun-popcorn? I think it's made by Orville Redenbacher. Hey Orville that's a fun name, wait wasn't there a guy who invented the airplane named Orville? Yeah he had a brother too...holy crap they're from Ohio! Kristen lives in Ohio! Let's go there!
Sadly Dave was not able to accompany me, so after we beat 21 of the 29 NBA teams I brought myself to a standing position and gumby-slided my way out the door. 4 hours later I was on the doorstep of Kristen's house being smothered by affection. Not even a day passed until, all of a sudden, we were snowed in. The roads were thickly frosted, cars peeled out through all of the neighborhood, and children cried for their parents to let them go back to school (where it's warm). But did all of that keep Kristen and I indoors?
Heck no! We had ourselves a snowday!
Snow angels, cookies, Dances With Wolves, paraffin-appendage-waxing, you name it! Everything was wonderful because everything was done with my best friend.
I don't know too many people that are dedicated to having a balanced breakfast, but Kristen is by far at the top of that list. Every morning she would wake up and bust herself down to the kitchen in order to carb up for the day. I've never been in a home where the smell of food wakes you up, but being around Kristen at 8:00 in the morning really does show me what I've missed out on during my childhood. Man she's awesome.
Sadly Dave was not able to accompany me, so after we beat 21 of the 29 NBA teams I brought myself to a standing position and gumby-slided my way out the door. 4 hours later I was on the doorstep of Kristen's house being smothered by affection. Not even a day passed until, all of a sudden, we were snowed in. The roads were thickly frosted, cars peeled out through all of the neighborhood, and children cried for their parents to let them go back to school (where it's warm). But did all of that keep Kristen and I indoors?
Heck no! We had ourselves a snowday!
Snow angels, cookies, Dances With Wolves, paraffin-appendage-waxing, you name it! Everything was wonderful because everything was done with my best friend.
I don't know too many people that are dedicated to having a balanced breakfast, but Kristen is by far at the top of that list. Every morning she would wake up and bust herself down to the kitchen in order to carb up for the day. I've never been in a home where the smell of food wakes you up, but being around Kristen at 8:00 in the morning really does show me what I've missed out on during my childhood. Man she's awesome.
Road Trip! Chapter 4: Hang 'em while there's time
After running into Jon, Jay, and John, I took a brief detour to Harrisburg. Meanwhile Jon continued killing zombies, Jay made his way back to North Carolina to finish up his theology master's, and John continued his quest to solve the problem of Barbara Walters.
In Harrisburg I ran into the guys. Here is the only proof of said visit for all purposes associated with having an alibi. Thanks for being there Matt and Brian.
...and also special thanks to both of you for ruining the photo.
After a brief return to Maryland I then traveled north to see my eldest prodigy as fathered with Matt Scoggan. In the recesses of Pittsburgh there lives a grand wizard by the name of David Young.
David was fortunate enough to have the weekend off so he invited my visit with open arms. The one thing I admire profusely about David is, in a very abridged version, how he seeks to remove himself from dependency. While breaking social norms and seeking to rise above conformity David chooses to take an anarchist approach to life with the well-being of others as his premier motivation. He does not engage in actions that might bring unhealthy results for himself nor does he do things that might indirectly result in harm to others.
As a result Dave and I did a lot of cooking.
Here are some of the Wonton wraps that took me 2 days to figure out; David mastered them in an hour.
As the hours seemingly flew by as a crow to the exterior engine of a 747, Dave and I never seemed to run out of things to do. From watching Hollywood classics such as The Mist and Planet Earth to freezing our bums off in the snow and even losing our lives to NBA Hangtime.
It is a biblical fact that NBA Hangtime was made by the hand of Jesus himself, however this was not included in our modern day canon of scripture.
You know how, sometimes, goodbyes can be awkward? Like going in to give a hug to an uncle who, afterwords, shoots you the gun and says "take care, you". I don't ever have that problem with Dave - it's like coming in contact with a long lost friend who you know wants to have you around and also hates that you have to go. The thing is..Dave has that sensation on everyone that knows him.
In Harrisburg I ran into the guys. Here is the only proof of said visit for all purposes associated with having an alibi. Thanks for being there Matt and Brian.
...and also special thanks to both of you for ruining the photo.
After a brief return to Maryland I then traveled north to see my eldest prodigy as fathered with Matt Scoggan. In the recesses of Pittsburgh there lives a grand wizard by the name of David Young.
David was fortunate enough to have the weekend off so he invited my visit with open arms. The one thing I admire profusely about David is, in a very abridged version, how he seeks to remove himself from dependency. While breaking social norms and seeking to rise above conformity David chooses to take an anarchist approach to life with the well-being of others as his premier motivation. He does not engage in actions that might bring unhealthy results for himself nor does he do things that might indirectly result in harm to others.
As a result Dave and I did a lot of cooking.
Here are some of the Wonton wraps that took me 2 days to figure out; David mastered them in an hour.
As the hours seemingly flew by as a crow to the exterior engine of a 747, Dave and I never seemed to run out of things to do. From watching Hollywood classics such as The Mist and Planet Earth to freezing our bums off in the snow and even losing our lives to NBA Hangtime.
It is a biblical fact that NBA Hangtime was made by the hand of Jesus himself, however this was not included in our modern day canon of scripture.
You know how, sometimes, goodbyes can be awkward? Like going in to give a hug to an uncle who, afterwords, shoots you the gun and says "take care, you". I don't ever have that problem with Dave - it's like coming in contact with a long lost friend who you know wants to have you around and also hates that you have to go. The thing is..Dave has that sensation on everyone that knows him.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Road Trip! Chapter 3: MANifest
So now I'm heading into Norristown, Pennsylvania. An area known for two things: prostitution and gas welding. Now if you take those two things and rearrange the letters you'll discover the secret of Norristown. Because I love you, dear Reader, I'll tell you that the answer is "Jon Garthwaite", and that's exactly whom I went to see. Old Garthybags, as I used to call him, was one of my roommates in college. He was also like an older brother to me not because he dressed up like spiderman and beat the crap out of me in public, but because he convinced me to dress up like a ninja while he did it. While I was teaching English in Korea I was unable to attend important celebrations for Jon such as his barmitzvah and wedding, but still he finds some good in me to continue loving me as a little brother and for that I am continuously grateful.
Nowadays he lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, unfortunately whom was off preparing for the wedding of another dear friend. In his home were two other homeless people whom I will simply refer to in discretion; "The Vaitl" and "Jazzle McMuffins".
Together all three of us prepared for a glorious feast as made by our host and source of hospitality. After a meal of steak, macaroni, vegtables, and mashed potatoes, we continued to demonstrate our masculine appeal to eachother by scratching our chests and grunting out the beats to a number of manthems as heard on Rock Band: Manpanion Edition.
Not being satisfied with the level of mantasity happening, I then accepted a challenge from Jon to drink 32 ounces of salt water for the nominal fee of seven dollars.
I would later use those seven dollars to rent a video game from blockbuster called Left 4 Dead. Upon realization that Blockbuster is silly enough to only carry one copy of the zombie killing block...buster, I settled for less and found a terribly slower game called Fear. But that's a story for another time.
As the night continued we giggled and farted down memory lane, but while we would want to relive some of those experiences I think we're happy with where we're going. I just hope that we keep intersecting along the way.
THINGS I LEARNED..
-Pink eye comes from fecal matter
-You can't do a salt water flush after eating a lot of food, it just sits in your stomach and hurts
-Some door locks are made like tavern puzzles
Nowadays he lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, unfortunately whom was off preparing for the wedding of another dear friend. In his home were two other homeless people whom I will simply refer to in discretion; "The Vaitl" and "Jazzle McMuffins".
Together all three of us prepared for a glorious feast as made by our host and source of hospitality. After a meal of steak, macaroni, vegtables, and mashed potatoes, we continued to demonstrate our masculine appeal to eachother by scratching our chests and grunting out the beats to a number of manthems as heard on Rock Band: Manpanion Edition.
Not being satisfied with the level of mantasity happening, I then accepted a challenge from Jon to drink 32 ounces of salt water for the nominal fee of seven dollars.
I would later use those seven dollars to rent a video game from blockbuster called Left 4 Dead. Upon realization that Blockbuster is silly enough to only carry one copy of the zombie killing block...buster, I settled for less and found a terribly slower game called Fear. But that's a story for another time.
As the night continued we giggled and farted down memory lane, but while we would want to relive some of those experiences I think we're happy with where we're going. I just hope that we keep intersecting along the way.
THINGS I LEARNED..
-Pink eye comes from fecal matter
-You can't do a salt water flush after eating a lot of food, it just sits in your stomach and hurts
-Some door locks are made like tavern puzzles
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Road Trip! Chapter 2: Don't sleep 'til..
So after cutting up a deer, Abbie and I decided to hit the road for New York. We did the entire trip in a straight 7 hours. As we entered Brooklyn we came across Abbie's new flat mate and hung out for about 2 hours. The great thing about meeting new people is that you gain new experiences while sharing your own perspectives. Afterwards we traveled to a dear friend of Abbie's and slept for the night. For myself, I was excited to get in and then get out of New York. After ordering THE BRKLYN pizza from Dominos and then enjoying authentic Venezuelan food the following morning, I decided that it's a terrible idea to gain 4 pounds over 21 hours. So after bidding adieu to Abbie I took my leave and headed towards Norristown, NJ. In the process I forgot to get a ticket on the New Jersey turnpike...so in the end I payed the full freight for the trip. Sweet sauce.
It's like hang man for grown-ups.
TD bank! Mine!
So, Abbie's friend's home was located in a building with it's own fallout shelter. How fantastic is that!?
Abbie takes it upon her kind heart to order our very own New York style pizza.
^^^Try and pronounce this one^^^
:)
All in all, a wonderful trip. I think Abbie's really brave for sticking it out in New York and I know she'll do great :)
Things I learned on this part of the trip:
-It's a good idea to learn Spanish before you go, the guying leaving a parking spot open might be telling you anything from "park here or you'll get a ticket," to "take my spot and I'll kill you"
-Toll booth attendants can be incredibly forgiving (and apparently they also make $30 per hour)
-Buying $10 of gas with a $100 dollar bill is a pretty stupid thing to do when you aren't allowed to pump your own gas, and the person with the pump will be sure to let you know
It's like hang man for grown-ups.
TD bank! Mine!
So, Abbie's friend's home was located in a building with it's own fallout shelter. How fantastic is that!?
Abbie takes it upon her kind heart to order our very own New York style pizza.
:)
All in all, a wonderful trip. I think Abbie's really brave for sticking it out in New York and I know she'll do great :)
Things I learned on this part of the trip:
-It's a good idea to learn Spanish before you go, the guying leaving a parking spot open might be telling you anything from "park here or you'll get a ticket," to "take my spot and I'll kill you"
-Toll booth attendants can be incredibly forgiving (and apparently they also make $30 per hour)
-Buying $10 of gas with a $100 dollar bill is a pretty stupid thing to do when you aren't allowed to pump your own gas, and the person with the pump will be sure to let you know
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Road Trip! Chapter 1, The Meating
So today I began the epic haul from Southern Maryland to New York, Pennsylvania, and back. To start off with I drove from St. Mary's county to the pan handle of Western Maryland. I know that the description doesn't help anyone, so here's a quick sketch of what the drive was like:
Wait...what's that?
Oh Maryland, you name your cities so well.
Anyway, here's where the adventure begins. I arrive at the home of my friend Abigail Getty in an effort to help her move to New York. As the story goes she won't be having a car, so I opt to give her a hand. So, after about 5 hours of driving from damp and cold land to snowy and cold land I arrived in the shady woods of her home. Calm and serene as it seems, I had no idea what was about to happen. Here you can see my car from the next morning.
As luck would have it, I actually did not kill anyone and run them over with my car. Rather, as I arrived the previous night I was introduced to the skinned body of a recently deceased deer that we'll call Irva for the time being. Irva had been hunted down not one hour before my arrival by Abbie's dad, Abe Getty. When I walked up to her house I felt an eerie sensation of fresh death, and it was both unsettling and fascinating to behold.
So I start talking with Abbie's dad and soon enough, my vegetarianism comes up in conversation.
Abe: "So Trevor, do you like deer meat?"
Trevor: "Uhh, well actually I'm a vegetarian."
Abe: "Ah, a vegetarian! I love vegetarians! They're the only thing I eat!"
Hunter humor mixed with cannibalism is always a winning combination in my book. He charmed me over instantly.
As the evening progressed I was eventually invited to help butcher the deer the following morning to which I did everything I could to hold back my excitement and said yes. So at 7:00a.m. we set out to the garage with knife in hand, ready to sever some flesh.
Here we see Mr. Getty going to town on that little 'ol deer. In the process I had no idea what he was doing and if it were up to me and my own devices at the time I probably would have started cutting myself up. Fortunately, he was a ready and willing teacher. Mr. Getty had an unearthly amount of patience as we went to work on that meat sack, and what's more is that he affirmed me with every step. Albeit for me to say that I'm a vegetarian there is one event that might leave some to say otherwise.
Around 10:00a.m., Abbie's father and I head back out to the garage after grinding up some choice cuts of shoulder meat. As I'm walking out with a Tupperware bucket in hand, Mr. Getty starts giggling to himself and begins to talk about the mythical and awe inspiring backstraps of a deer. He begins to grin a little bit and then, while cutting away at the spine he turns his head to me and says "you know if you weren't here, I'd probably be eating this stuff right off the bone."
So I said let's do this thing and before I knew it he stuck out his knife and offered a piece of raw flesh. Yumm.
As we continued through the day I learned a lot about Mr. Getty, aside from all of the lessons about hunting and butchering that he taught me he also showed me around his wooded property and told me about his life. Surprise to me, he's been hunting everywhere. After a missions trip to Africa, he decided to get a license and make his way back to the Kalahari desert where he tracked down all sorts of Seussically named animals. He's been buffalo hunting, bear hunting, zebra hunting and he's even taken down a cougar - which I might add he proudly has stuffed and mounted in his office. What's more, while Mr. Getty passionately hunts as a hobby he spends the professional portion of his life as a Dentist. Go figure right? Teamed with his wife, the two serve outstanding portions of savory venison to any guests that hap their way.
As the afternoon steadily approached us, Abbie and I decided to hit the road - heading to our ultimate destination of Brooklyn.
Things I learned from this part of the trip:
-The foreleg of a deer is not connected to the rest of it's body by any sort of bone, rather it is fastened solely by muscle.
-Everyone should know something about hunting/primitive skills, not only for survival, but also for the sake of being a real man! Abbie is already talking to her brother's about the establishment of a Man School in her backyard. Details of enrollment will be included on this blog when the details of how much it costs to start a university get figured out.
Wait...what's that?
Oh Maryland, you name your cities so well.
Anyway, here's where the adventure begins. I arrive at the home of my friend Abigail Getty in an effort to help her move to New York. As the story goes she won't be having a car, so I opt to give her a hand. So, after about 5 hours of driving from damp and cold land to snowy and cold land I arrived in the shady woods of her home. Calm and serene as it seems, I had no idea what was about to happen. Here you can see my car from the next morning.
As luck would have it, I actually did not kill anyone and run them over with my car. Rather, as I arrived the previous night I was introduced to the skinned body of a recently deceased deer that we'll call Irva for the time being. Irva had been hunted down not one hour before my arrival by Abbie's dad, Abe Getty. When I walked up to her house I felt an eerie sensation of fresh death, and it was both unsettling and fascinating to behold.
So I start talking with Abbie's dad and soon enough, my vegetarianism comes up in conversation.
Abe: "So Trevor, do you like deer meat?"
Trevor: "Uhh, well actually I'm a vegetarian."
Abe: "Ah, a vegetarian! I love vegetarians! They're the only thing I eat!"
Hunter humor mixed with cannibalism is always a winning combination in my book. He charmed me over instantly.
As the evening progressed I was eventually invited to help butcher the deer the following morning to which I did everything I could to hold back my excitement and said yes. So at 7:00a.m. we set out to the garage with knife in hand, ready to sever some flesh.
Here we see Mr. Getty going to town on that little 'ol deer. In the process I had no idea what he was doing and if it were up to me and my own devices at the time I probably would have started cutting myself up. Fortunately, he was a ready and willing teacher. Mr. Getty had an unearthly amount of patience as we went to work on that meat sack, and what's more is that he affirmed me with every step. Albeit for me to say that I'm a vegetarian there is one event that might leave some to say otherwise.Mini-chapter bonus, lucky you!
The story of the Backstraps
Around 10:00a.m., Abbie's father and I head back out to the garage after grinding up some choice cuts of shoulder meat. As I'm walking out with a Tupperware bucket in hand, Mr. Getty starts giggling to himself and begins to talk about the mythical and awe inspiring backstraps of a deer. He begins to grin a little bit and then, while cutting away at the spine he turns his head to me and says "you know if you weren't here, I'd probably be eating this stuff right off the bone."
***side note: A couple of days later when I was telling this story to Abbie, she told me that her dad was testing me. And then I passed.
So I said let's do this thing and before I knew it he stuck out his knife and offered a piece of raw flesh. Yumm.
As we continued through the day I learned a lot about Mr. Getty, aside from all of the lessons about hunting and butchering that he taught me he also showed me around his wooded property and told me about his life. Surprise to me, he's been hunting everywhere. After a missions trip to Africa, he decided to get a license and make his way back to the Kalahari desert where he tracked down all sorts of Seussically named animals. He's been buffalo hunting, bear hunting, zebra hunting and he's even taken down a cougar - which I might add he proudly has stuffed and mounted in his office. What's more, while Mr. Getty passionately hunts as a hobby he spends the professional portion of his life as a Dentist. Go figure right? Teamed with his wife, the two serve outstanding portions of savory venison to any guests that hap their way.
As the afternoon steadily approached us, Abbie and I decided to hit the road - heading to our ultimate destination of Brooklyn.
Things I learned from this part of the trip:
-The foreleg of a deer is not connected to the rest of it's body by any sort of bone, rather it is fastened solely by muscle.
-Everyone should know something about hunting/primitive skills, not only for survival, but also for the sake of being a real man! Abbie is already talking to her brother's about the establishment of a Man School in her backyard. Details of enrollment will be included on this blog when the details of how much it costs to start a university get figured out.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A merry sober and completely flamable new years day
For the past several New Years I've been exposed to a relatively new class of human being, the kind that takes part in rigorous attempts to increase their average blood alcohol content. I guess it's not so much a bad thing as I thought it was when I was a kid. But when I was in Korea I heard a preacher talking about the people in the bar districts of the city who said that they simply "don't quite get the picture yet". This year, somewhat surprisingly, I did not hang out with that crowd. I was with my best friend from childhood and a few new friends from the county. One of them has made a solid commitment to continue their life without a drink for the past two years. How cool is that? To take that huge step at self-improvement leave nothing but respect to be had. Together, we made our way to a little lake in the backwoods of southern Maryland. But we didn't go it alone.
Here we have a number of fireworks; all of them illegal in a number of states. Including bottle rockets...really I have no idea what is in that pile, but most of it made enough of a boom to shake up the neighborhood.
Here are a few interactive results from the morning. Interactive because they're videos! Also interactive because you can turn your computer on it's side to watch them in their prime.
Event #1, The Preliminary
This was the first mortar blast of the night, done by Sean. As you can see it is perfectly executed with no delay. It's SO good that it brings out my previously dormant Santa laugh.
In contrast, this was my struggle to light off the cannon.
Event #2, The Corn Crusades
Also with us there were a number of cans of corn. Sean and Ryan were talking about a fantastic new way to cook a can of corn that involves placing it in a piping hot barrel. If I brought my fork this would have been even more fantastic. Here were the drawn out results!
Event #3, The Time Lydia Almost Killed Everyone
It was Lydia's turn to launch a mortar, unfortunately she almost killed every single person at the lake in the process.
Event #4, The Grand Finale
And lastly, Ryan came upon us with a really really really old jug of gasoline; the kind that you don't want to put in your car in fear that it might corrode your gas tank.
All in all, it was one of the best New Year's ever! Completely legal, alcohol free, and with adult supervision!
Here we have a number of fireworks; all of them illegal in a number of states. Including bottle rockets...really I have no idea what is in that pile, but most of it made enough of a boom to shake up the neighborhood.
Here are a few interactive results from the morning. Interactive because they're videos! Also interactive because you can turn your computer on it's side to watch them in their prime.
Event #1, The Preliminary
This was the first mortar blast of the night, done by Sean. As you can see it is perfectly executed with no delay. It's SO good that it brings out my previously dormant Santa laugh.
In contrast, this was my struggle to light off the cannon.
Event #2, The Corn Crusades
Also with us there were a number of cans of corn. Sean and Ryan were talking about a fantastic new way to cook a can of corn that involves placing it in a piping hot barrel. If I brought my fork this would have been even more fantastic. Here were the drawn out results!
Event #3, The Time Lydia Almost Killed Everyone
It was Lydia's turn to launch a mortar, unfortunately she almost killed every single person at the lake in the process.
Event #4, The Grand Finale
And lastly, Ryan came upon us with a really really really old jug of gasoline; the kind that you don't want to put in your car in fear that it might corrode your gas tank.
All in all, it was one of the best New Year's ever! Completely legal, alcohol free, and with adult supervision!
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