Hey sista, Seoul Sista! @tboogie32-blog - Tumblr Blog

Kiddies!!

I get to tutor today in Washington, D.C. I'm quite excited to work with kids again. Hopefully I'll hear some good stories and quotes. Stay tuned..

#tutor #life after korea #making a difference

Making a difference

I liked the idea of living abroad because I really wanted to make a difference on a global scale. When I came back home, I felt like I achieved that goal a little but as I mentioned, I still wanted to do more. As time has passed, I realize that I need to focus on my community first and am taking more pride in helping locally. My sister was awesome enough to let me help her with a project recently. She found and organization called "Once Upon a Prom" (they take cash donations via Paypal as well if you are not in the area :) ) that donates dresses to less fortunate girls so that they have the opportunity to attend prom. She asked me if I had any dresses I wanted to donate or knew other people that might want to donate their formal dresses and bridesmaid dresses. I posted a status on facebook and things took off. I have some really great friends. I had about 4 dresses to donate myself, but with the help of my sisters friends and my own we were able to collect and drop off 75 dresses! It would have been more than that but I was unable to meet with a few people due to the short deadline. I was so happy to help and it felt really great. It was kind of nice and funny to see how nostalgic some people got when they were handing the dresses over to me. The joy and smiles on their faces when they thought about how much fun someone else might have in that same dress was pretty awesome.

I think I am now addicted to local charity work. I still have a dream to make a global difference, but I think I need to start in my neck of the woods first.

What fun and charitable things do you like to do?

#charity #once upon a prom #making a difference #Life After Korea

Hey, i came across your page and noticed that you once lived in South Korea! That's so awesome! :) I want to move there and learn the culture, would you have any advice for me?

Hey! I'm glad to hear you are willing to take that leap. My advice is be patient, have an open mind. Do and experience as much as you can. Don't let fear stop you, the biggest battle was taking the risk to move to another country; make the most of it!! Pack items that are versatile, meaning you can wear them with different outfits and multiple ways. Bring a few things that will make where ever you end up feel a bit more like home. And ENJOY IT!! When times get tough just think about how brave you were by doing this in the first place and how rare the opportunity is. Feel free to check in and update me :)

Life back home: 1 month update

Hello Folks!

Sorry for not writing as much. I was still adjusting and figuring out my life on this side of the world. (I'm pretty sure if I said my life was in "shambles" one more time someone was going to punch me..I'm so dramatic sometimes. haha). Can you believe that one year ago around this time I was blogging out how I had survived my first month in a foreign country. It's amazing what a difference a year can make.

Let's see..I got a job offer with a cool company. I would tell you what I do but it's like super top secret and I would have to kill you. Just think along the lines of MacGyver meets Inspector Gadget and that's what I would like to think I will be doing. (In real life, not so much!)

I miss my friends in Korea A LOT, taking pictures with random Koreans, and the kiddies. Surprisingly, as much as I griped about being there towards the end because I was getting antsy, I miss living abroad. I feel like my life is sort of uneventful here. Partly because I need to get settled and a steady flow of income. I wish someone would just set all that up like when I left to live in Korea, ugh! :) There aren't as many festivals and fun nearby beaches to go do fun things. I think once you've had a taste of how easy the work is and how much there is to do, going home seems kind of mundane. If I did go abroad again I would want to live somewhere else like Taiwan or India. When you live in another country there is less to worry about in terms of bills, a car (gas is stupid high in price), a job, life. It's almost like an escape. So when I came back I was hit with "real life". I guess it's up to me to find a happy medium where I get to do what I want and live the type of life I want to. I have been doing more things to step outside of my comfort zone and possibly meet different people in other areas.

And now my life is so lame I have nothing to blog about! MY LIFE IS IN SHAMBLES!! I could start a blog about all the awesome things my grandmother says, but I'm not sure the world is ready for that...

Me and my granny on Easter.

I do like that fact that I am around for special events like babies, birthdays, and weddings. I may have to fake a disappearance though because all these showers are getting expensive. My friends are FERT-TILE I tell ya!

So happy to see this woman!

I wish I could just pack my friends in my bag and we could explore the world together. Ugh, being a big girl is tough work. BRING ON THE CHALLENGE!!!

See, I'm so gangsta I fight adversity and challenge in heels, with a grown man on my back, in a black dress..GRRRRRR

#life after korea #living abroad #Living in Korea

Yep, this is my life...

**The following is a true story. All facts are real and this is indeed my life..read on at your own discretion**

So remember how I said I was trying to step out of my comfort zone? Well, since I don't know many people in the area I live in now I decided "hmmm, maybe I'll give online dating a try. Some of my friends have seen some success, what the heck! I have nothing to lose." I realize that everyone needs love and what may not appeal to me may be a stud in someone else's eyes. I think that is truly a great thing and it makes me happy. I realize that to one person I may look like Beyonce and to another person I may look like Godzilla. So I'm just going to throw out one of the men that was interested in me. He goes by "Bigdaddytack2003"...What do you think? Soul mates, perhaps?

I'm thinking all that joking that I did about ending up with 40 cats and saggy breasts is coming back to bite me in my butt. Is it a sign?

*If you know this person or this is your dad, relative, ex husband, etc... I mean no harm. It's just so interesting the way life works sometimes..Major props to him for showing The Chocolate some luv..

#online dating #life after korea #This is real life

A helpful hint

Before I returned to the states many people would ask me "What's the first thing you are going to do when you get back?" And I would confidently say "EAT!" Well...apparently that answer is kinda lame. So make sure you have some awesome answer like "Go feed the hungry, breed a few hermit crabs, and solve the economic crisis." That will go over much better.

What's the first thing you would do after a long trip?

PS - The first thing I did eat was sushi. And yes, Korea did have sushi but it wasn't like the sushi I can get at home. I also tried to cram many different types of food into my first two weeks back and successfully made myself really sick. I didn't really eat much for an entire day and spent most of my time in my bedroom and the bathroom. I'm a classy girl.

ALSO the best part of being home has been surprising people or texting them and seeing their reactions when they see me or see my number pop up. Almost makes a girl want to leave for a long time again and come back. Haha But seriously, if you need your ego stroked you should do something like that. It works wonders :)

#living abroad #coming home after living abroad #eating too much

Korea vs. Philippines

So after my year long stint in Korea I met some friends in the Philippines for a wedding. WOW was it pretty different. 1) It was hotter than the devil's toenails there!! The Saturday before I left Korea it had snowed. 2) It is soooo cheap over there. The U.S. dollar to Peso ratio was 42:1. I was a baller! We could order an in room massage for $7 including tip. You can tell it is a third world country when you drive through the streets and towns to get to your nice fancy hotel or resort. It's kind of eye opening, depressing, and refreshing all at the same time. Despite their hardships everyone was smiling and happy. 3)The airports are sooo different! In Korea cashing travelers checks is so easy. In the Philippines my friend asked about cashing them and some people didn't even know what they were.

It is more foreigner friendly than Korea. I didn't have too many problems when it came to speaking with people and I was even able to order food and have it delivered!! She did call me sir more than once..booo The boo was great and there was lots of variety. The seafood was very delicious and the crabs and prawns were HUGE. Like the size of little puppies.

I went cliff diving, that was really cool. If you ever go you should do it! But DON'T DRINK THE WATER! It's really salty and I think it jacked up my stomach. Here is where we went http://www.arielspoint.com/. I jumped off the 8 meter (26 ft) cliff. There was also a 15 meter (49 ft) cliff. A little bit more "liquid courage" and I think I could've conquered it. Boracay is definitely a beautiful place to visit.

If you have a chance you should also check out Dos Palmas, it's amazing!!! That's where the wedding was and the bartenders are so nice. lol

My friends were probably annoyed with me because I kept pointing out everything Korean and comparing the two places. I saw some guys in a club shuffling and started smiling because they were shuffling to k-pop. I heard people having conversations in Korean and pointed it out. I saw shabu shabu restaurants and other random Korean words and pointed it out. It's like I couldn't escape Korea!

I don't suggest an 11 day vacation after living in a foreign country for a year and you are anxious to go home. But it was still a lot of fun and I am glad that I went. Plus, I got a nice little tan. I miss the friends that I made in Korea but I am happy to be back for now..lol Who knows how long I will be able to sit still before my next adventure.

Now that I no longer have my adventures in Korea what should I write about???

#Philippines #teaching in korea #living abroad

Korean Culture: The Bromance

I think it's really cool when two guys connect and have a deep friendship. In Korea it's something like I have never seen before. I pride myself on having a pretty good "gaydar" but in Korea...Not so much.

It's so interesting to me to see how the males interact with each other because homosexuality is very taboo in Korea and compared to western culture the men interact so differently. In my 5th and 6th grade classes it was not uncommon to see two boys holding hands or one boy sitting on another boy's lap with his hands wrapped around his waist. One time I was walking and saw this guy casually stroking his male friend's lovely flowing hair. Another time I saw two of my male friends having a conversation while one was sitting on a pool table and the other was comfortably standing in between his legs facing him. No big deal.

I don't find it appalling or anything. It's just so intriguing the way children are raised in the west versus Korea. If a boy attempted to sit on another boy or hold his hand after about...Grade 3 more than likely he is going to get punched, teased, or both. It almost seems to me that Korean men are more comfortable with their sexuality and who they are. I have met many Korean men that come off as gentle and delicate. They carry "murses" (man purses) and don't feel the need to be alpha male. I've seen a buff Korean man tell a fit foreigner that he thought the foreigner had a nice body in an admirable way.

It can throw you off at first but it makes you see how different things are. It's rather refreshing that showing your friend affection, wearing pastels, tight jeans, and carrying a murse doesn't mean "gay" but perhaps just fashionable. Although I am jealous when the guys look way cuter in their skinny jeans and blazers than I do...UGH

It reminds me that it is important to have and keep an open mind. It also reminds me that you need to be comfortable in your own skin and challenge the "norms".

#korean bromance #Living in Korea #murses #man purses

Korean Culture: Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day works differently in Korea. On February 14th the women have to give men presents and one month later in March there is "White Day". On this day the men give women presents. Interesting, right? I had a dinner with some of the women from my conversation class on Valentine's and oddly enough all of them either forgot or chose not to give their husband a present. It was funny. Ppepero day is a huge deal here..Valentine's Day not so much.

#korean valentines day #love in korea #living abroad #Living in Korea

Hi! My brothers are moving to Korea to teach in 2 days!!! I was wondering if you could recommend some things that they should definitely pack. He's actually packing right now! Ha! I love your blog!

Hey! Glad to help. I recommend bringing like 2 or 3 pairs of nice pants to teach in and some shirts that create different combos. Maybe like 3 or 4 pairs of jeans, sneakers, maybe a pair of dress shoes (You wear sandals all day at school). Any things (seasonings/toiletries/ medicine) that he can't live without. Deodorant wasn't as hard to find as I thought, but the selection is limited. I brought 2 sticks I think and I'm still on my second stick after a year. That's all I can think of for now. Hope this helps and I hope he enjoys the adventure!!

For future teachers in Korea

Here are some helpful links and Facebook groups to make your stay a little easier.

Brothas & Sistas of South Korea: Great resource for people looking for answers on all sorts of things from culture to food to good recruiters. And you don't have to be black to join..lol https://www.facebook.com/groups/emailbssk/

Every Expat in Korea: Another good place to post questions and get useful information and find things to do. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2370296695/

Adventure Korea: They have soooo many cool trips and excursions. If you want to meet new people or see lots of different things JOIN. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventurekorea/

iHerb: You can get some not so easy to find things from this site. Great price, good quality and shipping is SUPER CHEAP. Plus the stuff only takes like a week to get here. I LOVE this site. http://www.iherb.com/

This site offers a description of some of the clubs in Seoul. http://korea.wikia.com/wiki/Clubs_in_Seoul

Two really good "foreigner friendly" online grocery shopping sites. They deliver right to your door. And they have things like deli turkey meat and provolone cheese...lol http://nicemarket.net/ http://ezshopkorea.com/

Talk to me in Korean: A very useful and FREE way to start learning Korean. They have many different levels and they have printouts and audio. http://www.talktomeinkorean.com/category/lessons/

My Soju: A place where you can watch Korean and other foreign dramas. They have English subtitles. Your co-teachers will probably be very impressed if you are up on the latest K Dramas. http://www.mysoju.com/

Cine In Korea: This is a site where you can see what movies are playing in different areas and the different show times.

Tools for Educators: Great place to make worksheets, download flash cards, and powerpoint materials. http://www.toolsforeducators.com/

Waygook: Kind of like the holy grail here in Korea when it comes to lesson planning. No need to reinvent the wheel or stress coming up with something. A bajillion teachers have shared their materials with you. Just comment on 5 posts to use it for free or pay a small fee. http://waygook.org/index.php

Barry Fun English: Another great teacher resource. I used this a lot to make worksheets and the game sections was amazing. My students loved playing wheel of fortune. http://www.barryfunenglish.com/index.php

General Tourist Information Hotline: I called them all the time to find out bus schedules and other random things. 021330

Seoul Global Village: Another helpful tourist hotline 02120

http://english.seoul.go.kr/lh/support/scof2.php

Cooking: If you are interested in learning some traditional Korean recipes check this lady out. I made a few of the recipes myself and got great reviews. http://www.maangchi.com/

Whew! That's all I got for now..Good luck!!!

#helpful sites #tourist information #Living in Korea

My last week in Korea

Can you believe it's finally here?! I can't!! I also can't believe I did a semi decent job of writing on this blog regularly. Just wanted to give you future teachers a preview of what your last week in Korea will be like.

Cake....

Cake...

Oh oh wait for it...

More cake!! And fun hats!

You will also get to eat lots of your favorite yummy food. And if you are REALLY a big deal and cool one or two of your students might cry. But the best part has to be the letters you get to decipher and the drawings. The last week is pretty fun, not gonna lie.

#teaching in korea #teaching ESL #Living in Korea #last week of teaching #cake

Not really related to Korea but my friend showed me this and I just had to share..Have you ever seen two ostriches mate? It's quite interesting!

Full Ostrich Mating Dance Followed by Mating w/ Female (by lbcelo10)

#ostrich mating

Relationships in Korea

So I can only speak from limited point of view since I have observed or surveyed every foreigner but om...When you get into relationships with other foreigners while in Korea the move at celebrity warp speed pace.

You meet and go on a date or spend some time together and by date #2 they have a toothbrush at your house. By month 2 you are ready to be boyfriend girlfriend...By month 3 you are talking about wedding plans and confessing your love for one another..and by month 4 the problems surface and you realize that while you were in the magical blissful love bubble you really learned very little about the person. Then you're planning your lives together and possibly figuring out what will happen when you leave the Land of the Rising Sun. Babies???

I may have exaggerated a little but it does kind of work that way. I think people are very lonely when living abroad at times so it's nice to have someone that you can always count on to want to do things with you or that you're guaranteed to spend time with.

BE CAREFUL!! I'm not saying that the love, feelings, passion, and all that great stuff aren't real...Just remember that you had/have a life where you came from and you will need to figure out how to incorporate that person into it once "reality" rears its ugly head. That's when the true test between the two of you begins.

Enjoy the Korean love bubble responsibly...

Science Day at Camp

Some of the cool creations from Science day at Winter Camp. We did the egg drop experiment. The students had to design a contraption that would keep their egg safe when dropped from different heights. It was a cool day! The kids got pretty creative.

This was the winner in 4th grade