Wordpress FYI

I know some of you don't really care for Blogger, so I've created a blog on Wordpress as well. If you prefer, you are welcome to follow, read, and/or comment on my Wordpress site instead of Blogger. I promise it won't hurt my feelings. (I think I prefer Wordpress to Blogger at the moment, anyways.... Shhh!)

For those of you who don't feel like switching over, I will be posting the same posts here, too. Hopefully between the two, everyone will be happy. I'll keep you all updated if I decide discontinue using one or the other.

racytalks @ Wordpress <------------ Click here to go to Wordpress

South Korea, you say? Where is that?

Many people I’ve spoken with over the past two months have been very confused about where in the world I will be living. Well, I’ve included a link to Google Maps that will hopefully help you all understand a little bit better. This is not the exact location, but it is pretty close to where I will be living and working. (click the link below)

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Yeonhwa-ri%2C+%09Jicheon-myeon&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl


Also, I’ve found a website for Chilgok-gun (Chilgok county), that shows some of the information about the surrounding area. (click the link below)
http://english.chilgok.go.kr/main/


Finally, I have the website for my school. Most of you will not be able to read it unless you know Korean. Nevertheless, I’ve included it because I think it’s neat to check out websites in other languages, even if I can’t understand them. Hahaha. (click the link below)

http://www.dgev.ac.kr/common/index.do

In Limbo...

Currently, I'm waiting to receive my visa certificate number... I'm  really hoping that it comes in today because I need to send the rest of my stuff off early next week. I think this process has already taught me a lot about dealing with different cultures and has definitely helped to prepare me for working with the Korean people. 

I have a feeling that many Americans in my situation would be very frustrated by the fact that everything is taking a long time and also that the Korean people tend to be reactive instead of proactive. If you had asked me a few years ago how I would deal with this type of situation, I would probably tell you that I was either 1) really perturbed or 2) ready to give up and move on. However, the last couple of years have taught me that the easiest way to make a transition like this is to consciously recognize that you need to make a paradigm shift.

I've realized that I work best and tend to have the most control of my reactions and emotions when I am consciously aware of what is going on in my mind and around me. I was flipping channels the other day and Dangerous Minds was on and Michelle Pfeiffer's character was talking about the power of the word choose. I didn't realize it until then, but the word choose is the real key to freedom and living the life you want to live. 

I chose to go to grad school. I chose to study TESL. And now, I am choosing to live in South Korea. As long as I keep reminding myself that I have a choice, I'll have no problem dealing with any hiccups I may encounter. 

That being said, I am now choosing to be patient. What will you choose?

Korea 4 Expats

Hello again, everyone! The U.S.’s sorted history with the Korean peninsula has left many Americans oblivious to Korean culture and has lead to many misunderstandings in regard to the beautiful Korean people. This is a great resource if you’d like to learn more about living in South Korea. I know that I will be using it as a resource in order to help me adjust to life in South Korea.

http://www.korea4expats.com/ <-------- Click Here to Check Out the Site.

Breathing a Sigh of Relief...

I officially emailed in all of my documentation for my visa. All, that is, except for my contract. I'm still waiting to get my official contract, but I talked to Chris (UCCS's Asst. Director) and hopefully it will be coming this week. Apparently there have been some changes on the Korean side so they're smoothing out the contract language.

Regardless, I'm beginning to get really excited and anxious. The more that people ask me about what I'm going to be doing, where I'm going, and what went into the process of deciding where to go, the more I feel like I'm living in a dream world. I suspect that virtually every student who has ever ventured to another country has felt the same way. However, I have to keep reminding myself that I am no longer a student. I received my diploma last week, so I guess that means I'm officially a teacher. And that is exciting and weird and crazy enough of a thought, let alone the fact that I'm going to have my first full-time teaching position in a country that is very different from my own.

But as I've recently had time to reflect, I feel more confident now than ever that this is truly what I am meant to be doing with my life. And frankly, even if I botch a lesson or feel like I haven't taught my students something, they're still going to learn and it's not the end of the world. My goal is not to be a perfect person or to present the perfect lesson, but to empower my students and to hopefully inspire in them an interest and passion for learning.

"It is not so much what is poured into the student, but what is planted that really counts." --Unknown

Welcome!

First of all, welcome to my blog. The purpose of this blog is to keep my family & friends updated on the goings-on in my life while I travel around the world teaching English. Thank you so much for reading and please feel free to comment and ask questions. I will be busy but it is my goal to post a blog at least once a week, if not more.

Without further ado, I will proceed with my first update.

Well, received word on Tuesday, May 10th that I have officially been offered a 13-month teaching contract at Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village (DGEV) in South Korea. I will be leaving on July 9th and will be at DGEV until late August 2012.

I'm very excited about the prospect of this position, the opportunities that it will provide, and implications that it will have for my future career as a TESOL professional.