Eembaum's Birthday Party!

Friday was Eembaum's birthday (Jeehee's nephew). It was refreshing to have something else to focus my attention on; by that point I felt like I'd been saying goodbye for over a week, and I enjoyed having dinner with Jeehee, her sister, Eembaum's baby brother, Eembaum, and his three friends (2 boys and a girl, all siblings.) We went to a very nice, restaurant and had a nice Italian meal of pizza and pasta. The kids were really cute, they could barely sit still during the meal, as you can see in the pictures below. I loved watching them giggle and fidget, because they were so excited to be there. After dinner we took them to the "carnival" in Tap dong and drove the bumper cars. Jeehee and her family have been great to me this year, and I will miss them a lot. Saturday morning I flew to Seoul for the final Fulbright dinner. It was fun to see everyone, but also sad because it was our last Fulbright ETA gathering. Some kids left today (Sunday) for the USA and others are traveling to various parts of Asia before returning home. I leave in the morning for Beijing with my Fulbright friend, Janaki; I will be there for 7 days before moving onto Shanghai! I will return to the USA on the 13th of July!

The Last Week of School

This week I started off like a horse out of a chute; I knew that it would be hectic, and I would have little time to rest. I was right; it was a really tough week. I'm not sure what was tougher, transitioning into Korea or transitioning out. I told my students that we would have a farewell party to say goodbye in class this week. I know it sounds self-centered, but it really wasn't meant to be; I just wanted to give them some closure, rather than just announcing my last day that I won't be returning. I told them we would have a farewell party as if it were good news! Actually, I presented the idea to them two weeks ago in the following fashion:

"I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we have a speaking test next week in class.... (pause for gasps and shocked looks that spread unevenly among the faces in the classroom.) But, the GOOD news is that the following week we will have a farewell party for me in class!"

The response to my "good news" was touching; in fact only a few people cheered, and that was only due to the fact that they weren't paying attention in my "parties lesson" and only understood the word party, not "farewell." (At least that's what I've been telling myself.) Anyways, they weren't happy, and I must say that I was touched. I thought that the idea of eating food in class, watching music videos, chatting and taking pictures would keep them from feeling down, but they were solemn then and they've remained that way this entire week. I've had groups of girls coming to me on during their breaks from class and crying because I'm leaving. The speaking tests went well; I was able to chat with each student individually, asking them questions like: "What is your future dream?" or "Describe your family." or (the hardest question in the group) "Tell me how to get from this high school to City Hall." (City Hall is sort of like a downtown area; very popular among young people.) My favorite answer to the latter question went something like this:

"Call 011 4545 1555 and ask for a taxi; when it arrives at this school, ask it to take you to City Hall."

I give her credit for being innovative... Anyways, back to the speaking tests; they ended last week... so the "Farewell/Potluck" parties began this week.

At the party I give out prizes for the stickers that the students have been accumulating for participation in class since the beginning of the semester. Most of the prizes were small things that my parents sent me from America. (See image below.)

I told the students they could bring food for a potluck party. Most students just bought snacks from the snack bar, but my last day of school one class brought a full picnic. They had rice, kimchi, watermelon, other main courses like dok boki, and juice! I couldn't believe it; they must've been up all night preparing, and it was so cute!

At this "party" we were breaking more than one school rule (if you remember I have a very strict principal.) First of all, eating is not allowed outside of the cafeteria, and definitely not in the classroom while class is being conducted. Secondly, the air conditioner (newly installed) is not supposed to be on until after lunch, but there was a heat wave this week and I couldn't bear it, so I turned it on full blast. Third, I don't think you're supposed to watch American music videos in class, although I've never heard it specifically stated. I listed these rules so that you understand how horrible it was to have the principal (a man who scares the teacher and the students, because he is so severe) open my door and look into my classroom in the midst of one of my "parties." I have a full screen that comes down which measure about 6 ft. X 7 ft. and when the principal opened the door and peeked into my classroom, the music video entitled "Sexy back" by Justin Timberlake was playing on this gigantic screen, the lights were off, the air conditioning was blasting at 9am, and my students were chowing down on junk food. I can't imagine how this looked to him. Luckily, I didn't have to see the expression on his face, because I flattened myself against the wall (on the same side of the classroom where he peered in) and did not have to see him. My students just whispered "Jennipa, principal!" and pointed towards the back door. He probably stood there for 30 seconds, and then closed the door without saying a word (very unlike him.) I guess he's decided to let me teach my way, no matter how unorthodox. A few minutes later the maintenance man entered, unplugged the air conditioner and tucked the cord behind it. I guess the principal also went and asked my co-teacher why the students were eating in class. My principal's reaction surprised me; perhaps, American music videos ARE allowed during class time...


The students have given me the nicest gifts this week. Tons of notes, candy, traditional Korean gifts, cakes, and homeade movies. I left school today at 4 o'clock and went up to walk the halls while they cleaned their classrooms. It was so sad, because it seemed so final. Maybe I will miss my students most of all.

My Last Sunday on Jeju Island

This past weekend was full of social engagements. Friday night I attended a birthday party for another Fulbrighter, Julienne, at her homestay. It was very similar to the birthday party I had at my homestay in November: Dok Boki (Thick rice noodles, fish cake, and hard-boiled egg in a spicy red sauce, popular among younger generation Koreans), cake, Kim bap (sushi rolls with ham and egg instead of the fish), and Korean birthday presents (like socks, notebooks, earings, etc.) It was a really fun party, and afterwards I went with three of my fellow Fulbrighters to a nightclub, which was nice, because I hadn't been to a nightclub on Jeju Island yet. Saturday I went over to Jeehee's house and had lunch with her and her family. Her mother is an amazing cook; she makes her rice with barley and other grains, cooks all organic and uses the freshest ingredients. Afterwards, I went and met a few friends for a movie and dinner. Sunday morning I cooked breakfast for my homestay family: chocolate chip and banana pancakes! They went over pretty well to say the least; I think my homestay sisters think that America is "the land where everyone eats their dessert for breakfast." Afterwards, Jeehee and her sidekick (nephew) Eembaum picked me up to go to lunch. We had an amazing tofu soup lunch (homeade tofu) and headed to the beach. It was a cloudy weekend, but the sun came out for a few hours on Sunday and Eembaum and I decided to take a swim in our clothes. That evening I went to a co-teacher's house to have a final dinner with her and her family. I'm finding that everything is a "final" somthing or other these days, which makes me sad, but also excited for what next year will hold.

Jeehee and Eembaum, quite a pair...

At first Eembaum and I were just going to build a sandcastle, but then we got a better idea...

Eembaum is a tough little guy; he did not let up with the splashing, but it was really fun!

In the end we just went for it and swam; it was really a good time! Afterwards, Jeehee was trying to take Eembaum's clothes off of him, and he refused to take even his shirt off, because he didn't want to be naked in front of me; Eembaum is 7 years old.

Photos from Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Test

Before the testing started, everyone was in groups warming up...

Here I am with my three coaches, (the woman in the white shirt with her back to the camera is talking to me and the two boys standing to my left in the pink shirt and the red shirt are the two high school boys who also coach me.) They are giving me last minute pointers in Korean...

Before starting they lined us all up to bow to the judges...

There are three tables of judges in the front of the room. We tested in groups of 8, and the guy at the far left standing up is the one who tells us what poomsaes to do and gives us directions on when to bow, when to get ready, when to start, etc, but of course, it's all in Korean.

Here I am in the back right doing one of the poomsaes (#5)...

Me on the far right doing poomsae #8...

poomsae # 5...

Here I am on the far right at the beginning of poomsae # 8...

I'm on the right in the red helmet... I'm about to find out why they make us wear the helmets...

The black belts went after us. Today I was testing for my 1st degree black belt, but there are different degrees. These kids were testing for their 3rd degrees I think, and they were really good. They're sparring in this picture.

One of my students was there, testing for her 3rd degree black belt. She was the only girl in her group. She's the one kicking in this picture...

Here I am with my host mom and friend, Janaki, after the test; I was SO relieved to have it over with... and in this picture I have my black belt!

Photos from Friday's Tae Kwon Do Class

Once every 2 weeks or so we dedicate half a class to stretching with a partner. It is good for improving overall flexibility, but it's also a little comical, because the boys like to push each other really hard while their partner squeals in pain. The little boy in blue who is walking on his hands is ever-present at our practices, even though he's not in our class; he's always playing, crying, , eating ice cream, etc. while we practice.

These two little boys are two of the youngest and cutest in my class. The one who is sitting on the floor reminds me of Briggs (my little brother) when he was little. He has the cutest smile and SO much energy. The chubbier one who is stretching him lives near my house and I often walk to the TKD gym with him and his sister. Everytime I see him, he's wearing his TKD uniform, even when there's no class.

My partner could fold in half like a card table; I'm not sure what my job was here, as he didn't seem to need any help with the stretches.

I definitely felt it when the kid practically jumped on my back, forcing my head and torso against my knees.

We also practiced falling, one of my least favorite things to do. We do a front fall and a backwards fall. Basicall you lean forward and hunch down and then throw yourself backwards, landing on the floor. Before you fall, you fling your arms out and lift your head; your legs go straight up in the air. It's really unpleasant to say the least; you just keep getting up and doing it again.

One of the favorite games, which we often play in the last 5 minutes of class, is the "hop on one foot and knock as many people as you can down game." Everyone hops on one leg and trys to knock the other teammates to the ground by bumping into them and hitting them with their raised leg. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt (which ALWAYS happens).

Here one of my TKD coaches is consoling a small girl who is crying, because she was knocked down and hurt her ankle. I am sitting to to the right of them, watching, as is the little boy in blue on the climbing wall.

My Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Test

Today I finally receive the black belt in Tae Kwon Do which I have worked so diligently for. I have been working on it since last November, with a short 2 month hiatus for travel. This semester Tae Kwon Do has been a significant part of my daily schedule, consuming about 10 hours of my week. Due to many "pre-tests" I feel like I've been preparing for today's test for about 3 months now. There are 8 poomsaes total that one must know in order to pass the test, but you are only tested on two of them (8 and one of the other 7, picked at random). The other part of the test is a short sparring (fighting) session. Due to the language barrier, I was more nervous than I should have been, because I felt quite confident in my ability to do the poomsaes. In the past few months I have begun to feel like a valid member of my TKD classes and gym. The students no longer stare at me or treat my like a stranger visiting from another planet. I can proudly say that they treat me like a peer (they treat me like any other 10 year-old in the class). My TKD coaches were genuinely excited (and nervous) for me today, and it was really cute to see. My home-stay mother, sister and a Fulbright friend (Janaki) who was visiting me for the weekend all attended the test. My day started off on the wrong foot when we had been driving for 5 minutes (the testing spot was about 20 minutes away) and I realized that I hadn't put in my contacts. To this my friend Janaki said: "Do you really need them?" I mean, I didn't practice for the past 6 months to attempt to pass the test without my contacts in... I know I've been known to live on the edge, but that just seemed plain stupid. I didn't even answer her question, instead I said to my Korean mother (the driver) "Go home." in Korean, so that she would turn the car around and explained in English to my Korean sister that I didn't have my contacts in. For this reason we were a little late to the test and there was no time for formal practice. My three coaches (one woman and two high school boys) crowded around me immediately, asking if I had practiced at home, to which I lied and said "Yes." I asked my home-stay sister to translate anything that my coach might want to tell me before the test, and my female coach said to tell me "just to do your best, because this is the only shot you have to get your black belt." Somehow this didn't calm my nerves, rather I began replaying the poomsaes in my head immediately, one by one, to increase the likelihood of success. Today's test was different than the pre-tests, because all the children went first, and then the adults. In all the past tests, I have been the only adult, head soaring high above the rest of the mini athletes. Today, I had to wait while the kids went and then test with a group of about 8 adults (college kids). There was one communication breakdown that came while I was waiting for my turn. My home-stay sister came to me and said that instead of dong poomsae 8 and a random poomsae that they would choose for me, I could pick ANY 2 poomsaes and do them. I was SO confused, because my coaches had told me for weeks that the test would consist of the former, and it seemed too good to be true that I would get to choose whichever poomsaes I wanted. I asked her to double check, and she came back and said that I was indeed free to pick 2 poomsaes to perform for the judges. I didn't know if I should follow my instincts or just launch into whatever poomsaes I wanted when they told us to start. Luckily I followed my instincts and sure enough the man announced poomsae 8 first and 5 second (picked at random). It would've been horribly embarassing had I started doing a different poomsae from the rest of the testees due to miscommunication. The poomsaes went off without a hitch, but the sparring was another story. Last Friday, one of my students came up to me and informed me that her father is the head of the Tae Kwon Do Association on Jeju Island and would be judging on Sunday. To this I said: "Does he know who I am? Did you tell him I'm your teacher; tell him I'm your teacher!" I probably sounded a little desperate, but it's always good to stack the cards in your favor whenever possible. She told me that she passed her black belt test and that the poomsaes weren't what I should be worried about, rather I should be worried about the sparring section of the test. "The adults fight really hard; they kick hard, and it really hurts." I believe those were her exact words. For the sparring I was paired with a Korean girl who was about my size and height (not common). She was probably about 20 or so and in college. She seemed nice enough and I didn't expect her to be very aggressive, because I've found the girls in my classes to be a little wimpy. I also didn't know that we were actually supposed to kick the opponent with force, because in class we are told just to sort of tap them. I realized right away that this girl was out for my blood. She kicked really hard, and she was very aggressive. I was not prepared for the sparring section (we've done sparring like 3 times in class) so I was a little surprised. I think I recovered O.K. though, staying light on my feet and kicking back with as much might as possible. A minute felt like eternity, but when it was over, I was so excited! My coaches said I did the poomsaes really well and I passed! So it's official; I have my black belt in Tae Kwon Do!

Photos from Jeonju, South Korea

Last Tuesday I flew to the mainland to visit my friend Sara. Sara was my roommate at orientation, and I've been meaning to visit her all year. She lives in Jeonju, South Korea, which is a little further out of the way (about 4 hours by bus, southwest of Seoul). Last week we had a holiday on Wednesday (Memorial Day) and I didn't have classes on Thursday or Friday due to a retreat for my 2nd grade students, so I took the 40 minute flight to Gunsan (a single gate airport) on Tuesday night. We met some of her co-teachers for beer at a bar and later ended up eating honey crepes and drinking sangria. Jeonju is known mostly for its food, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I ate some of the best food that I've had in Korea, including the following: Bee bim bap (a famous rice dish with vegetables, egg, and a spicy red bean sauce), spicy bean sprout soup, a vegetarian buffet, Japanese soba noodles in a soy sauce with onions, and Takalbi (spicy chicken cooked on a skillet at your table). It was a great week; I visited Sara's school, met her hometsay family (including her hilarious homestay grandmother), saw the traditional sights in Jeonju and met up with two of our other friends, Rohit and Kiehl (they lived in the room next door to us at orientation). It was a great little reunion and a good chance to see each other one last time before this year barrels to a close.

Rohit and Kiehl playing the traditional game that closely resembles horseshoes. We practically had to wrestle with small children to get a turn playing these "traditional games."

There was a field of lotus which will blossom in about a month and really look incredible.


Rohit will head to Penn to get his MBA next year; he recently started a blog to help inform his peers about being fiscally responsible in their daily lives.

Sara and Kiehl, taking a rest, enjoying the shade.

Before Rohit and Kiehl arrived on Saturday, Sara and I did some sight-seeing on our own...

We went to the calligraphy museum, and I accidentally went down to the basement (thinking that there was more to be discovered). I stumbled upon these nice older women who immediately told me to sit down and have some watermelon, green tea, and rice cake. You don't argue with a Korean woman when she tells you to sit down and eat, so I did. It turned out that they were there for a calligraphy class. Sara and I conversed with them in our limited Korean and snapped this photo before saying goodbye.

This is a picture of the incredible vegetarian buffet. Everything was made from vegetables, including the "ham."

Sara's homestay family lent us one of their cars (it's very unusual for a Korean family to have more than one car, but her family is not exactly typical.) We enjoyed a day of freedom, driving around town and outside of the city to see a temple.

We visited Maisan temple, which was created by a single monk and consists of rocks stacked on top of one another. They have held up against wind, snow and rain, sort of a miracle.

Here I am with a jolly buddha. There's something so loveable about buddhas!

4 Weeks Left

This past weekend I was struck by the fact that June is here and I will be gone in less than 4 weeks. I had a nice, relaxing weekend full of Tae Kwon Do, dinner with co-teachers, potpingsu (Korean dessert) with students, and a wine party with Jeehee and two of her friends. This weekend was typical, except for the fact that now, when I talk to my friends and co-teachers, the conversation inevitably shifts to the subject of what I will do after I leave Korea. It is a reminder that my time in Korea is quickly coming to a close. The hardest part about leaving will be the people who I leave behind. I will miss other aspects of life in Korea as well, like the food, Tae Kwon Do, and the lifestyle I have created for myself (a light professional schedule combined with a substantial amount of time for leisure and hobbies is hard to beat); but, what really makes me sad is the idea of exiting the lives of so many Koreans as quickly as I entered them. I feel like I'm abandoning my students, even though I know they will get another foreign English teacher soon after I leave. It is sad when I tell students that I have less than a month left, and I see the realization come into their eyes that my time in Korea is just one year out of my life. This is one of the hardest things to deal with, and I only hope they understand that the time I spent here, although short, was a very important period in my life. Korea and Koreans have taught me a lot, and I will always remember this country with fondness. I'd like to promise to come and visit soon, but the realities of law school will most likely prevent me from doing so in the immediate future.



I attended a dinner party at a restaurant with some of my co-teachers. It was great conversation and wonderful food. My co-teacher, Kim Hyun Sook, brought her 3 year-old daughter, Hee Kyu, who is adorable and fun to be around!


I met three of my favorite students for potpingsu after they finished school on Saturday. We talked for a few hours, but there was a sad finality to it.

After we left the potpingsu restaurant they bought me a really cute necklace at one of the trendy boutiques. We went together and I watched while they picked it out for me, as if I were a doll that they were dressing. It was really sweet and I wore it to school this week.