I will never drive a car in Korea.  All the controls are there ~ traffic lights, separated lanes, crosswalks, traffic signs ~ all of which are  blissfully ignored by all the folks in automobiles.  Reportedly, Korea has a significantly high traffic fatality rate.  Causes of accidents include excessive speed (I have yet to see a speed […]

The CCTV systems are everywhere ~ every street corner, every hallway, every store, every school …   Korea is not unique with its abundance of monitors, it is a bit unnerving to realize that every single movement you make outside of your private living space is being recorded.  It’s creepy.  I don’t like it …  but I guess I […]

(Rufus Wainright fans may find it amusing that I looked at the clock upon awakening and it was, indeed, 11:11 am) What a FANTASTIC weekend it has been!! I got home around 9 pm last night, and Tim got back from Jeju about 15 minutes later ~  we drank beer and swapped stories and talked smart to […]

I’m still dealing with the coughing and wheezing noises described in an earlier entry, which stopped for a while but started up again. Obviously, if the choice is between the local quack shop or the International Clinic, I will schedule an appointment while I’m in Seoul. I love my doctor at the ASAN International Clinic. She is concerned that I am […]

Aveda.  Land O’Lakes.  Spam.    My god, if I see a General Mills or Cargill product, my circuits may blow!! At the Hyundai Mart, you can find products from the USA and all over the globe, but the prices are pretty crazy.  For example, a 6-ounce block of Land O’Lakes cheese is 8800 won (approximately $6.95, or $18.50/lb).   […]

We have a 4-day vacation and I’m treating myself to a weekend in Seoul. Most hotels are booked solid through May 10, as there is a series of Korean holidays this week (May 1 ~ Labor Day, May 2 ~ Buddha’s birthday, May 5 ~ Children’s Day, May 8 ~ Parents’ Day …), but I managed […]

I laughed out loud when one of my co-teachers told me that her students ask her, “When can we be in Teacher Nancy’s class again?”       Let’s face it ~ they aren’t fascinated by my stellar presentations of “conversational English”.  They look forward to the “baton-free” atmosphere, which means “nap time” for some of them, and […]

Much to Bill’s credit, we have a fantastic library of reading material at home ~ and I desperately miss going into the study and choosing a random book, and relaxing in a cozy chair. I can watch tv on my pc ~ it was really fun for a while, but I’m over it.  I do […]

If you want your dog to sit on command, you may give him a treat every time he sits for you.  The dog will eventually understand that sitting = treat. One of my co-teachers suggested “Student like canzy ( candy).  Maybe weward wiss canzy when they talk in Engwish.” No.  Thanks for the advice, but …   it’s just […]

As I walked into the little store in the alley, I was greeted by an elderly gentleman with ” Yeong-eo-reul ha-shil jul a-se-yo?” followed by ” Do you speak English?” in English so clear and accent-free that I stopped in my tracks.   This man is probably in the 80-90 age range, tending his little little shop in Ganghwa.  We talked for about 20 […]

I have seen more physical discipline in the past couple days than I have seen for …  well, a few weeks.  This is the second time I’ve brought up the subject of behavior modification tactics in the schools, because the horror of it truly fascinates me. I couldn’t help but watch as a Discipline Officer “beat […]

I’ve been away from the blog for a few days ~ I have been getting progressively more sick in the past week.  It started with the coughing and wheezing, for which I was given an inhaler and a bunch of weird drugs.  After more days of non-stop runny nose and insomnia, I went back to […]

I trust the notice to the general population was more extensive, but the English-version announcement distributed to the GETs was: “Water will be shut off for 3 days in the Incheon area to allow for construction projects. Prepare as necessary.” Hmmm – the population affected is approximately equivalent to the entire 7-county Metro area of Minneapolis/St […]

oh, for god’s sake …. I’ve been talking to Ct1 about privacy ~ I need some private time, I need to be alone, I need some “quiet time” in my apartment in the evenings … I’ve told her that I want to be alone.  oh, for god’s sake ~ I finally get it.  I’ve been telling Ct1 that I […]

ok ~ I am sick.  Weird noises are coming from my lungs, so I must be sick.  I’m coughing, but everyone is coughing.  I’m sneezing, but everyone is sneezing.  I’m totally wiped out and my lungs are making a weird noise ~ so I must be sick. NO, I will not “go to hospital” like […]

I fear Ct1 may be teetering on the edge of madness.  Seriously ~ I think Ct1 may be showing some signs of mental instability.   The woman talks to herself ALL DAY LONG (Korean, Konglish, English … it doesn’t matter …),  she rocks (rocks, sways, goes back-and-forth) at every meal, and she is completely neurotic about personal contact.  Today I watched her punch herself […]

I am a crabby bitch today.  Very crabby.  And not particularly charming.  Today is one of those “do not mess with me ”   days …  I am really crabby with UPS.  My package has been on “hold” status since last Wednesday, despite numerous phone calls and email messages confirming a “inspect-and-release” request.  I got a message this morning that the package was  ‘in transit’  ~ so I […]

It’s a simple, common question ~ but the answer is much more complicated. Koreans count their age at birth as ‘1 year’ and move up to ‘2 years’ at the next Lunar New Year.  This can cause many problems in the schools.  Grade 1 is age “14”, but the child may actually be 12.  For […]

I got a call from the Customs Office today ~ the contents of my eagerly awaited care package #2 are under review.  It’s likely that any foodstuffs (dammit ~ no real cheese, no real sausage, no real coffee) will be removed, but I assuming that my “miscellaneous personal items” will pass inspection.  I’ve clearly used up my […]

English language classes are challenging for my students. But they do it. They don’t like it, but they do it. My boys are so funny sometimes ~ one of them told me today, “Teacha,  too difficult.  My brains me hurting you make me work too hard.”     Stuff like that makes me smile and laugh. And then there are the situations […]