Vienna

These are some photos my Dad took while visiting us in Vienna a couple of months ago.


Vienna's got a major dog-poop problem, so this sign says 'Take a sack for my crap.'






This is one of six anti-aircraft towers built to protect the city during WWII to defend the city. The walls are made of concrete 5 meters thick.

The Windy City

That's a photo of me eating Chicago snow. Delicious! Almost as good as Cleveland snow.

After months of blogus hiatus (that's Latin for 'I'm a lazy-ass blogger'), I'm posting from yet another city. I should contact the Guinness Book of World Records for having moved more times than anyone else in the span of a year.

I write from the cozy first floor Chicago apartment that I share with Anna, my best friend of 15 years. We live in Ravenswood, a raven-free but yuppieful neighborhood north of the city. It's quiet and peaceful, only one bullet hole in the front door. There are no bars on the windows...and hopefully no need for them. Nearby are Germantown, Little Sweden and Little Korea. Our landlady is Mexican and the tenant upstairs from us is a Korean man who loves to play 'Slow Ride' over and over again on his stereo. I feel right at home.

I'm settling in here, at least as much as one can settle with no furniture to her name and no job yet to speak of. I've got a few job leads that keep my morale afloat, and hopefully I will be able in some capacity to start teaching at least part-time this coming year.

In between job hunting and trips to the local library to stock up on novels, I spend my time maintaining an incredible long-distance relationship with Stefan, my Austrian Freund, who lights up my afternoons with German cuss words and discussions of American immigration laws versus Austrian immigration laws. It looks like for once Austria wins.

Budapest

Like Vienna, Budapest is strikingly beautiful, though it's a city better seen at night. I'm a huge fan of graffiti, when it's done well. Unfortunately, most of what downtown Budapest has to offer by way of graffiti is copious amounts of sloppy tags. Everywhere.

Effects of long-term stays in Korea

Here's a photo from our last night in Seoul (end of June), with some of our closest friends there. In the front row are Chris (my coworker) and Nate. Middle row: Stefan, me, Leslie, Matty and Adam. Back row: Jeff and Tim.

Why didn't she just go to a hospital?

I'm standing outside of the cave high up in the mountains of Crete where Hera supposedly went to give birth to Zeus.

A Viennese and a Hendersonian lost in Crete

We're so happy because we just discovered that Greek salads really ARE the same in Greece as in America.

A sunburn in the making, Greek-style

Greek Roulette

Just got back from our vacation in Greece, which turned out in some ways to be more stressful than our regular-life vacation in Vienna. We got a last-minute package deal called 'Roulette,' meaning that we wouldn't know which hotel we would be staying at in Crete until arrival. The only thing guaranteed was that we would be in an all-inclusive 4 star hotel at least 100 meters from the beach. What we actually got was a "3-star" hotel (I put that in quotes because it was actually, by American standards, a 1-star hotel, as you can see from the photo above) with access to a "5-star" hotel (read: 3-star) for our all-inclusive needs: pools, crappy buffet, bar that served free drinks out of dixie cups till only 11 pm, fitness center that was only free between 10 am and 2 pm, etc. There was a COAST nearby but no actual BEACH nearby. We had to walk a half hour to the nearest beach. To top it off, we were staying in a room with two single beds, no double bed. When we talked to the travel guide about our unhappy situation, she was more or less like, "a 3-star hotel plus 5-star all-inclusive service equals a 4-star package," which means, "I aint doin nothin to help you!" So our first day and a half were spent reeling from the shock of our disappointment.

After we got over it, we just rented various modes of transportation to make our daily escape from our roulette nightmare. Then the fun started. We rented a moped one day and spent hours winding through dry, dusty, rocky mountains and tiny Cretan villages with old men sitting in chairs by the side of the road. We rented a car for two days and headed across the island to a city called Xania with beautiful tight streets and charming colorful buildings reminiscent of an Italian city. The harbor there was spectacular, complete with the clear blue-green waters that surround Crete and a lighthouse. It was perfect! On the way home, we stopped at a roadside beach to swim in the sunset. The next day we headed to a plateau high in the mountains to visit the cave where Zeus was born, and on the way Stefan let me drive our rental Hyundai for a little while. It was the first time I had driven in over a year, and Stefan only peed in his Speedos twice.

That afternoon we went to the most dangerous water park I have ever been to or could imagine. It appears the Greek have just about as many regulations in regards to safety standards as do the Mexicans. I'm glad to still be alive.
On our last day, we rented another moped, and headed to a nearby beach for a day, where I got the inevitable searing sunburn after forgetting to apply sunblock once upon leaving the water. That's the only souvenir I brought back with me.

On the morning of our departure, the bus that was supposed to pick us and a couple of other families up from our hotel to transport us to the airport left EARLY, so we missed it. It was set to leave at 3:45 am, and at 3:45 we were at the entrance waiting. No bus, no other families. Seeing as there was no receptionist at our hotel (the family that owns it was asleep), Stefan went to the 5-star hotel, where they called a cab for us. The cab driver, who happened to live next door to our hotel, was asleep as well, but soon came straggling out of his house, wiping the sleep from his eyes, happy to charge us 50 Euros for our ride to the airport.

Nochmal in Wien

The past couple of months have been insanely hectic. In April I found a second job in Seoul to fill the afternoons left open by my horrible split shift schedule at the English institute. I worked at an educational information and informatization research institute as a proofreader/editor in the public relations department. Don't ask me what informatization is; I already looked it up in the dictionary and it doesn't exist. After working there for 2 months, I get the vague notion it's related to the mating habits of honey bees. Though most of my days were spent trying out a myriad of ways to prop my head up on my fists so as to be able to sleep while appearing to gaze at my computer screen, occasionally they actually had documents for me to proofread, slogans to invent, or documents that had already been translated from Korean to English to translate into Spanish. By the time said documents had made it through two or more translations, I have my doubts as to whether the Spanish gobbledegook I contributed approximated in any way the originals. Luckily none of the people in my office spoke Spanish so they'll never know how little Spanish knowledge I have related to the mating habits of honey bees. The best part of my job there was teaching English conversation to my colleagues and bosses a couple of times a week. Like my classes at the language institute, most of the time was spent laughing.

Meanwhile, life at Job #1 went on as usual: first class at 7 am, last class ending at 9 pm. My body got so accustomed to the early start that most mornings I was actually beating my 5:30 alarm clock. I'd teach til around 1, then run to Job #2, then at 6:30 pm run back to Job #1 for my night classes there. Needless to say, the jam-packed schedule took a toll on my body. I've been sick for the past 2 months with various infections, some of which took 2 rounds of antibiotics to overcome. I had a sinus infection, a bacterial stomach infection, and I'm still fighting off tonsilitis.

Besides a variety of illnesses, I also acquired a brand spankin' new boyfriend in Seoul. His name is Stefan, an Austrian lad with a sharp wit, great legs and an incredible sense of adventure. Though my contract at the language institute was set to end in September, with little encouragement from Stefan and lots from a schedule and boss sent from hell, I terminated it early in favor of coming to Vienna with Stefan. So at the end of June we took off to Austria for a 2-month vacation before heading off to China in September for Stefan's work. We're spending our days sightseeing, shopping, catching up with his family and friends, and just goofing off in general. It's fabulous! After 10 months in the concrete jungle of Seoul, I feel like I'm in heaven, being around so many trees and plants and beautiful buildings.

At the end of this month, we'll take a weeklong trip to Greece, to take a break from all this hard relaxing in Vienna. In August I'll try to enroll in a German class, so that I can learn some real German to supplement the Viennese dialect (which is useless outside of Vienna) that Stefan and his friends are teaching me. And this weekend we're going to a concert that I've always dreamed of: the Beastie Boys. September through December we'll be in Jinan, China, and for Christmas I'll be home to visit with lots of cheap Chinese souvenirs for all. After that, who knows?

My beloved students...

Last month one of my sweet students named John sent me a couple of awesome emails that I couldn't resist sharing. He needed me to answer questions for one of his English classes at his university, so he was really trying to butter me up:

HI! ANNIE. I'M JOHN WHO YOUR YBM CLASS STUDENT. FIRST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAVOR. IF YOU DON'T HELP ME, I WOULD'NT FINISH MY HOMEWORK. YOU ARE VERY KIND AND BEAUTIFUL TEACHER. I'M SERIOUS. ^^
ANNIE, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS? IF YOU ARE RIGHT, I WILL START QUESTIONS.

COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

HOW DID YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION TO KOREA? PEOPLE ARE KIND OR IMPOLITE, HANDSOME AND BEAUTIFUL, ANYTHING ELSE.

DO YOU LIKE KOREAN FOOD? IF YOU LIKE THIS, I SUGGEST TO VERY DELICIOUS KOREAN FOOD. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN 'GAMJATANG'? IT IS VERY HOT AND DELICIOUS. I BELIEVE THAT YOU LIKE 'SOJU'. 'GAMJATANG' IS VERY GOOD PARTNER WITH 'SOJU.' I WILL TELL YOU WHAT 'GAMJATANG' IS. 'GAMJA' IS POTATO. AND 'TANG' IS SOUP. THEREFORE 'GAMJATANG' IS KOREAN STYLE POTATO SOUP. BUT IT MAKES USE OF RED PEPPER. SO IT IS VERY HOT. IF YOU EAT THIS, YOUR CLOTHES ARE ALL SWEAT. JUST KIDDING. DON'T AFRAID ABOUT THIS FOOD. IF YOU EAT THIS, YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY LIKE THIS.

AND MAY I ASK THE NEXT QUESTION?

I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW IS YOUR KOREAN LIFE? PERHAPS YOU HAVE TO ADJUST YOURSELF TO THE NEW ENVIRONMENT. IS IT EASY OR HARD?

AND COULD YOU TELL ME HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO ANOTHER COUNTY IN ASIA? OR ALL OF THE WORLD. WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE YOU HAVE GONE? COULD YOU RECOMMEND THE PLACE TO TRAVEL? I LIKE GO TO TRIP. IF YOU RECOMMEND SOME PLACE, I WILL GO TO TRIP THERE.

COULD YOU TELL ME HOW DO I STUDY ENGLISH? I WANT TO MY ENGLISH GETTING BETTER. I WANT TO YOUR ADVICE. IF I BECOME A GOOD ENGLISH SPEAKER, I WANT TO MAKE FOREIGN FRIENDS.

ANNIE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN KOREA? FELL FREE TO ASK ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION. YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK ME. I WILL ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION. IT'S MY PLEASURE.

MY QUESTIONS ARE OVER. THANK YOU FOR READ AND ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. IF YOU WANT, I WILL EAT 'GAMJATANG' WITH YOU.^^ AND WITH A BOTTLE OF 'SOJU'?^^

I LIKE YOUR CLASS. IT IS SO FUNNY AND VERY USEFUL. IT HELPS MY COMMAND OF ENGLISH GETTING BETTER. YOU ARE BEST ENGLISH TEACHER WHO I HAVE MET BEFORE.

THANK YOU ANNIE~ I'LL STUDY HARD IN YOUR CLASS. I WANT TO YOUR GOOD FRIEND AND GOOD STUDENT. HAVE A NICE WEEKEND AND SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

After I sent a reply answering all of his questions, I got this message from him:

HI~ ANNIE~ THANKS FOR YOUR E-MAIL. HOW DO YOU FEEL? HAVE YOU GOTTEN COLD YET? DID YOU SEE A DOCTOR? I THINK YOU HAVE TO NEED A REST. I HOPE TO YOU WILL GET BETTER.

YOU ARE SO KIND TEACHER. YOU ARE THE KINDEST TEACHER I HAVE EVER SEEN. YOUR ADVICE IS A LOT OF HELP TO MY ENGLISH GETTING BETTER. IT IS THE REASON WHAT I LIKE YOU. ^^ AND YOU ARE PRETTY.^^ DO I SEND A FLATTERY TO YOU?

ANYWAY, THANKS A LOT. I WILL STUDY HARD. COULD YOU HELP ME ANNIE?^^ I WILL BE A GOOD STUDENT.

HAVE A NICE EVENING. AND SEE YOU WEDNSDAY.

My coworkers and I often share stories of the sweet (and sometimes evil) things our students say, as well as the funny English names that the students come up with. Here are some of the best ones for guys:

Rambo
Gemstone
Dancing Boy (this was a 60-yr-old man)
Mr. Ha (a 22-yr-old)
Bread (after 3 months the teacher figured out he meant 'Brad')
Genghis Kahn
Bass
Bleng
Palex (I later figured out he meant 'Felix')

And for girls:
Annie :)
Easy

Also, speaking of evil things that students say, here are some of the comments made by students:
The other day we were talking about plastic surgery in one of my high-level classes, and one of my students told me, "I think you need skin care. I can recommend a good doctor." I have no zits, so I guess he was talking about the multitude of wrinkles I've acquired since arriving in Korea.
One of my coworkers who DOES have zits has gotten several comments from students about the poor condition of his skin.
And another student told a teacher that she should go to a karaoke room because you can burn a lot of calories by singing. That was his not-so-subtle way of telling her she's fat.

Finally, I must share a story that a student told me about her friend (we'll call this person Min Ju) who went to the US. Min Ju went to McDonald's and tried to order a McChicken sandwich. In the US, as you know, we pronounce 'McChicken' with the emphasis on the letter 'i': McChIcken. Well, the Koreans put he emphasis on the first syllable, and they pronounce 'Mc' like 'MAC'. So Min Ju says to the cashier, "I'd like a MACchicken." The cashier says, "What?" and Min Ju repeats, "A MACchicken, please." The cashier turns around and hollers to the kitchen, "Jose, someone's here to see you!" and up walks this Mexican guy to the counter.

I never miss you in the future.

It's the start of a new month, which means I get all new classes starting on Monday, and most likely a new batch of students. While this is often a welcome break from the monotony of seeing the same faces every day, sometimes it's a little sad to say goodbye to students. The last day of classes always brings some really sweet comments and little gifts from students, photo ops, many bows, handshakes and sometimes hugs. One student named Angela had grown really attached to me, and she gave me the note that follows. I've typed it exactly as she wrote it, because her mistakes are so cute! I've added comments in parentheses for clarification.

Hi~ Anne~! I'm Angela
I become tense very much. Because...I write to you about the while in English study class with you. I have enjoyed every time we've had together and I really enjoyed talked with you. I appriciated your consideration very much during last month. I'm very poor to speak English in the beginning. but, My ability is better and better after met with you. So, I'm very happy and thank you for your consideration very much. I never miss you in the future. Anne, Do you mind, if I ask your E-mail address? I would like to keep in touch with you forever. I hope your Korean ability is better and better. and...I hope you have a wonderful tim during stay in Korea. I want to invite you when I get Merry. I would like to see you again and...I like Anne more than Park Hae-il (he's her favorite Korean actor)!!! True Mind! Anne, I'm glad to have met you. Goodbye and keep well. Good luck, Anne!!

Once in class I asked Angela who she admired most in the world, and she replied, "My dad." When asked why, she responded, "Because he's my dad, he's my friend, and he's my boyfriend." For a moment, I felt like I was back in Kentucky.

If you were a fruit, which one would you be?

I've been teaching job interview preparation classes for the last three months. I'm getting tired of asking people the same old questions provided by my boss, so to spice things up, I'm constantly searching for new job interview questions to ask my students. For example:
How many bottles of soju can you drink?
How many cockroaches are there in Seoul?
If you were the interviewer, what question would you ask?
Why is your GPA so low?
How many push-ups can you do? Prove it.
Want to arm wrestle?

Once I asked my students "If you were a fruit, which one would you be?" Dumb question, I know, but I found it on a website and I was desperate to get away from "What's your biggest weakness?" Here's my favorite response to the fruit question, from a shy student named Jae-Ryel: "If I were any fruit, I would be a lemon because then I'd get the chance to swim in beer."

In a conversation class I taught last month, I asked my students if they had ever had any pets. Key, one of my favorite students, responds:
"Once we had a dog, but we ate. My mom cooked it in soup. When I ate it, I cried, but it was so delicious."

Ski slopes at night and my slow-motion pro snowboarding photo

I was actually going really slow in this photo.

I am a walking bruise

It's been two days since I went snowboarding for the first time. I hurt everywhere. My Austrian friend Stefan and I went with a tour group of mostly foreigners to a ski resort called Phoenix Park, located a couple of hours from Seoul. After about 10 minutes of instruction from Stefan, we set out on the easy slope. It was really crowded, and I still don't see how I avoided killing anyone. It took me over an hour to make it all the way to the bottom. I fell time and time again, but it was so much fun! After my third painful time down the slope, I wised up and bought wristguards and kneepads. I couldn't afford buttpads, though I could've used them.

Each time I descended the mountain, it got easier and easier, and by the evening I was only falling down a couple of times per run. I'm so proud of myself, because I went down the intermediate slope a few times, and Stefan was very impressed, saying I was a natural. Maybe he was just humoring me, but it gave me the motivation to keep climbing back on the lift and battering my body over and over again. I have the bruises to prove it, and I can barely move, but it was worth it. I can't wait to go again!

Why I love Korea...

Cheap haircuts. Today I met Leslie at her hairstylist's salon, where for $15, I got one of the best haircuts of my life. A great guy named Jun cut my hair, plus they washed my hair twice (once before and after the cut) and gave me a scalp massage. Here's a pic of my new 'do.

My pyromaniac pals

Leslie and Alice shoot fireworks at Seoul's downtown New Year's bash. Notice the Korean traditional drums beating in the background.

Lotte World

David, one of my students, invited me to go to the amusement park Lotte World (a big rip-off of Disney's Magic Kingdom) today. It has an enormous indoor area with rides, a shopping mall, a pool complex and an indoor skating rink, plus an outdoor park with even more rides situated on the 'Magic Island' in a manmade lake. In this photo you can see the amusement park in the top level, then the shopping mall and at the bottom is the skate rink.

Seoul New Year's Eve Fireworks

This is a sign at my workplace, YBM

Doesn't anyone in their advertising department think before they create signs like this?!

New Year's Eve

My new friend Alice and I at the street celebration in Jongno, Seoul's citycenter.

Leslie and Alice in downtown Seoul

2007 is the year of the pig, so that's a golden piggy bank in Leslie's hand. Notice the insanely close fireworks in the background.

New Year's Eve

This is Seoul's Millenium Tower, under firework attack.

Police Barricade at Seoul New Year's Eve Celebration