they are the knights of summer & winter is coming

🇺🇸➖🇰🇷 I like long walks on the beach, sunny spring days, and sacrificing children to pagan gods. EFL teacher, grad student, partially functioning adult human.

[bitcheather]

i'm not really sure what i expected teaching english in korea to be like but it's definitely been a hell of a lot more difficult than i thought it would be. i have infinite patience with K-3rd grade, but teaching grades 4, 5, and 6 is like walking into battle without weapons.

i desperately want to do well and make english fun for my students but some of them try me every millisecond of class and it's so discouraging. they talk really badly about me in korean and consistently say shit and fuck and then cry when i call them out on it

really glad we're off for chuseok after tomorrow.

[bitcheather]

죽녹원 bamboo forest - damyang, south korea

[bitcheather]

so... i've been in korea for almost two months now. just about 1/4 of the way through my contract.

i live in a decent sized town called naju in jeollanam-do. i struggle with trash separation and can't get a straight answer on whether or not my food trash needs to go in a bag or straight in the community trash can. i was too self conscious to check the trash area for a while so i staked it out from my apartment window to find out where people put their garbage. turns out, there are english signs on each compartment 🤦🏼‍♀️

i'm not sure how i feel about teaching yet. i wish i had a set list of things to teach instead of the "pick whatever you want." most of my students are sweethearts but the few bad ones are almost enough to make me want quit. thankfully they don't act out often.

i've lost about 7 lbs since i got here. combination of walking everywhere and having no money for food. i haven't been paid yet, but payday is supposed to be Monday so... fingers crossed.

[bitcheather]

my feelings about this move to korea go from hot to cold with the blink of an eye. one minute, i'm super stoked and falling in love with the province i've been assigned and the next i'm flipping out because i have to deal with children and leave my dog. i think the excitement outweighs the apprehension but there's still so much up in the air that i can't quite call myself comfortable yet i put in my notice at work last friday. my last day is tentatively july 14. and that's really scary because i've been with this company for almost 10 years. yeah, they've treated me pretty poorly and have taken advantage of me, but at least i was comfortable. i knew what to expect and i did my job very well. after july 14? idk. i'm in the final stages of my tesol certification and i feel like i have a pretty good handle on the logistics of running a classroom but god there will be real life children in my classes and idk what these creatures are tomorrow, i'm going to get some passport photos taken so i can file my visa application with the consulate. i called them the other day and had a meltdown listening to their voicemail message because i didn't understand anything, even the english. i don't want to go into dc to apply in person so i'm opting to mail my stuff in and cross fingers that my passport makes it back to me we should know what date and airport to arrive at next week. i think that's the final piece of the puzzle in this whole thing. after i book my flight, that's it, this is really happening.

[bitcheather]

soooo this will be home starting August 1. i'm officially going to teach in korea 🎉🎊 i'm going to make conscious efforts to get back into blogging regularly. fitness + expat life. i am excited, terrified, a little sad, and incredibly nervous.

[tinykitchenvegan]

Macro Bowls with Turmeric Tahini Sauce

[birdasaurus]

Nicole Land

[justfoodsingeneral]

Sheet Pan Salmon and Avocado Fajitas

[bitcheather]

@lilblackcloud2015 thank you!! i'm feeling pretty confident about it. hearing that your daughter stayed on another year is definitely another vote of confidence!

[bitcheather]

today, I had an interview at the Korean Embassy - one of the last steps for being accepted to teach English in Korea this fall. it was nerve wracking but the lady who interviewed me was super nice and indicated that she would recommend me to the Seoul office. i should know if I'm going by mid-May 😬😬😬😬😬 the only negative from today was taking metro into dc. for some reason i always end up sitting across from a man who violently thrusts his hand down the front of his pants for the entire ride.

[bitcheather]

well hell. i finally made room for the tumblr app on my phone again 🤗

[bitcheather]

i fell off the wagon for a week and a half. but the time that I did not spend working out, i filled with getting my fingerprints taken, sending off my criminal record check request to the FBI, and requesting school records from elementary through graduate school. the CRC wait time is 12-14 weeks; by then i should have my entire application completed and in the hands of the agency in Korea. today i have to submit my self evaluation at work. i plan to finally address the many issues i have had with the company. i won't burn my bridges but management needs to know how things play out in the field. they've told me to be more assertive for eight years, so here you go 🙃

[bitcheather]

going to get fingerprinted and ship my request for a FBI background check off this morning. actively avoiding going to work today. i know i'm gonna hit a detour because of demonstrators or inaugural activity 🙃

[bitcheather]

applications for Korea opened up over the weekend and I am already scrambling to get the paperwork done. so many entities that need to be contracted for services and i know there will be a lot of hurry up and wait in my future. i guess if nothing else this will be a good gauge for how well my reading comprehension is.

[bitcheather]

at Roer's Zoofari

[bitcheather]

🐵🐒🙈 (at Roer's Zoofari)

[bitcheather]

chinese lantern festival (at Roer's Zoofari)