As I bitched a lot in my last post I'm in a beter head space after a full weekend with my boyfriend :) First weekend with him since we've been dating and it made the weekend so much longer and pleasurable etc etc so I really feel rested :)

I try everyday to adapt to Korean customs etc but I seem to always make little mistakes ..

Today I want to talk about the Korean mother role as I see it.
Korean mothers are kick ass strong women!! As much as you would think they are slaves in the home at first apearance- fark, are they respeted and admired :) Its really sweet!

I'm not sure if it's only Jong Youns family, but he really respects his mum, putting her on a pedistool constantly. Cooking and cleaning is the mothers job- getting the money in is the fathers..spending that money is often primarily the mothers job.. often becuase its spent on the children.

The mother is in charge of preparing all of the special food for ceremonies. she keeps her own name but when it comes to the ceremonies, they only celebrate the mans side of the family.. if there are no boys then their ancestry is lost..so you can see why they want a Boy! Who wants their ancestry to be forgotten??!

Cute little things for getting a baby boy are- touching the nose of the grandfather statues often found on Jeju island.. and if you drink soju.. then the last shot to be poured shows you if you will be given a boy or girl.. below half is a girl, over half is a boy :)

The role of women is changing in Korea as many women have opted for a successful career path.. pretty much the same story as in western society but I wonder what this will mean for the men in the years to come? Will they be expected to share in the house work?

i realised one again, how special my boyfriend is the other night. One of my students was teaching me how to be what I call "korean cute". Saying " I like Chicken, Booing booing" acompanied with shoulder movements and twisty hand movements in oder to be cuter.
I couldn't do it because I hate being fake cute, it makes me ridiculously un comfortable that I cant help but laugh.. and turns out this was a good thing becuase Jong Youn, in his straight up manner, was not impressed and declared he hated fakeness, prefering natural charm ;)
hahahaha the shock from my student was priceless.. she said.. oh your bf and I are the same age but, he thinks very old and most korean men like "booing booing.weird shoulder movements* and fakeness" btw, she has got the art of cuteness down to a tee and it suits her I think... but its not for me and luckily, it's not for my bf either :).

Tonight, we have another family ceremonial dinner.. I feel like we are always celebrating something!! In NZ we have far less special days than here but I guess on those days, like xmas, bdays and easter, we go all out and make a big thing of it.. I get a little nervous at these things becuase I'm scared I'll get lazy and not pay respect properly in some way. Especially at night when i feel lazy already! Like lastnight, Jong Youn told me off becuase I didnt sit upright or stand up when his father said thankyou for the dessert I made.. but I'm at the stage where I felt so comfortable at the time that I didn't feel like I had to becuase if I were in NZ then I wouldn't have and in NZ we are soooooo relaxed about formalities! Ahhh i have to keep reminding myself! But when it's late at night and after feeling like I'm home again becuase they're so lovely to me I get lazy and forget.. ahhh... then i get in trouble with Jong Youn.. hahahaha

Long time, no see

So i thought i would give an update of my korea life! Many things to comment on but ill try keep it short.

Firstly, my brother and mother both came to visit separately last month. It was tough having my mother here who didnt seem to be able to adjust to the korean way of thinking quickly at all. At times i felt quite embarrassed which made me realise how much i have adjusted.

I still cringe sometimes at comments made by some americans for and for (their sometimes)  inability to adjust to the korean lifestyle. They just aren't sensitive or polite enough. I can really see why some koreans wouldnt like westerners..however, many of them do.. but the one thing i cant tolerate is when they have this idea that  they are above everyone else including other westerners..

I have had one friend complain about an american guy reading over her shoulder then trying to talk to her on the subway with an attitude that she must want to speak to him cos hes american.. Then another ma le korean say how he hates western guys because of their fantasies and disrespect for asian women. I assured him all western guys arent like that but obvviously hes been around some jerks.

He had a point that Korea is successful in business because they really know how to give good service. Shop anywhere and they give you free food or products.. incentive matters. The more you buy, the more cheap freebies you get...

I have adjusted far more rapidly lately now i have a korean boyfriend. Sometimes its hard to communicate things.. But hes learning english so quickly and im learning korean. We met through his mum who works at my work. Then i started seeing him after work and teaching him new stuff.. When my brother came is when we got together. It waas really cute but you can ask me for all the details yourself..

Korea is vain. Possibly becuase they have had all these other countries coming into their country and telling them what is beauty and setting unrealistic ideas. By this i mean trying to look western. And now i realise they really do want to look more western with surgery to get boobs, sangapul- eyelid surgery, high noses, higher cheeks but they love small chins.

I am really sick of my job and its making me feel stressed becuase of the expectation on me to make sure students stay or come.. My boss as i have said is an alcoholic and he almost everyday, comes in drunk.. I teach 7 to 9 hours non stop a day and my students dont like my boss. He doesnt even advertise for the hagwon even though we have suggested it many times..but what i hate most is how he is such a hypocrite! He didnt come to class becuase he was drinking when his student needed him and then expects me to teach them so i rang and asked what was going on and what he wanted me to do but he was drunk so he wasnt making any sense so i gave up and hung up after saying goodbye.. next thing he ring the lovliest assistant you could eer ask for at my hagwon who is also my bfs mother, and goes off at her! WTF!!? shes really upset and it was my fault really, but what a wanker!! then he comes to the hagwon and giews me an incoherant rant about putting the hagwon first! pffft yeah like he is really setting the greatest standard? and when did i not put the hagwon first!? Then he tells me that the work i do for daelim is against the law.. this is the work that he get half of my money teaching them for when he does nothing to help me with them at all! I would not recommend working here at all.


Its nice living in snow for the first time in my life but im sick of living in an apartment and i miss the freedom of nz, my car, wineries, friends and family.

I miss being in a nice home or flat too where i can bake all the time and do interesting things.
There are no sewing shops here.

Im probably the lowest weight ive been since in korea atm.. Which is good. Feel healthier but im having some health problems i wont talk about on here that im worried aobut.. Maybe due to stress...

Alright, over the homesickness...but! I got sick again!! This kiwi chick is not used to real cold weather.. Kept waking up in agony the last couple of night.. Couldnt bare to speak at all.. But pushed myself to go to class yesterdzy and the night class i teach at daelim..bthankfully, i got a much needed rest today after going to the doctor and her shrieking at ow sore my throat looked..haha.
I tried to run away/ get out of getting the ass jab this time... Didnt work :( ...
And i fought so hard to not get sick! Went to seoul avnd got loaded up on vitamins, sarted an extra healthy food regime, joined the gym, drank ridiculous amouns of green tea!
Only problem is i made a new friend who likes to stay out late... And then i have to walk home in the cold. He is the son of the new assistant at work. Theyve kinda adopted me :) we get on really well and she has made my work so much nicer to be in!

Being crook in Korea....

Sucks. Dont feel like its acceptable to take the day off at work...the kids dont really compensate in their attitudes... No one is around to give you a hug and put you to bed or leave a little get well package or flowers or lemsip.. I went to the doctor this morning who told my boss i have a cold especially in the throat? But it feels much worse... Ive had colds before but get other symptoms so not easy trying to convince them you might need antibiotics... Got a shot in the arse without know what was going on and some bags of pills.. But unsure what they are either! A little worrying considering im allergic to some cold medicines... Can anyone let me know what they might be? Especially if they are pseudoephidrine?

Its been three months now and luckily, not signs of homesickness although there were a couple of times that i wish i were home just to snuggle up on a familiar couch :) but life here is easy. Sometimes too easy.. I have started going to the local library in the mornings to teach myself korean. So far, I've been called 'cute' for my efforts in speaking the language.
Probably one of the most intesting thins i find about korea is the obsession on being perfect looking, they are neve satisfied with themselves, and will not hold back on telling others whther they are pretty or not.
They call their natural eyes " traditional eyes". And have a number of. Mrthods of trying to achieve "sag ah pul" which is the eyelid, which makes he eyes appear larger. Nicholas and i were approached in the park oneday by two korean girls. They basically demanded that wqe tell them which one was prettier. Clearly the one on he left was a lot prettier than the one on the right. The one on the right had dyed her her ginger, probably in attempt to be blonde, like me ;) which honestly did noting for her complexion. She also had no style. The girl on the left was by all cultural standards, beautiful. She had long healthy black hair, a beautiful face and generally well presented. So ... We were in a pretty awkward position. Nicholas prides himself on the tatic of giving them both compliments and luckily we made it out without making one of them cry. Which most likely would have been the ginger one.
My friend eva has had extensive plastic surgery on her face and body. Her father even told her that he prefers her face now more than before. It is a strange thought that your own father would prefer a face that isnt really yours or his infact. Yet, it is just aswell as it is the face she has chosen now. There is a song about being ugly by 2ne1. Its kinda like the opposite to christina aguileras you are beautiful. One lyric bothers me the most which is, dont tell me that im pretty, i know im ugly. But apparently, this is what korean girls feel like most of the time so they have decided to release a song about it." I think im ugly and no body want to love me, just like er i wana be pretty, dont lie to my face cos i know im ugly..." How damn depressing. These girls are suffering from a fear of being ugly becuase they are scared tehy wont get a rich boyfriend which will in turn determine their worth in society. A korean guy i know also told a girl he was starting to see that if she wanted to go out with him then she needed to go on a diet and lose some weight. Totally acceptable.
But as i am writing all of this, i distance myself from it as i dont want to get emotionally caught up trying to change something i cant. I saw an anorexic girl being flung out of a bar the other day onto the street, completely passed out. I did get angry then, it made me really sad knowing that it was a result of the extreme pressures to be thin here but this problem is everywhere in western society so it is not anger i felt against korean society, just the general lack of help girls recieve for these insecurities in many places in the world. Beauty is everything to a man, money is everything to a woman. Is this much different from our culture in ways? From a young age, adults always compliment a girl on the way she looks to make her happy, and ask boys what they have done today, giving them praise for what they have done to make them feel good. Girls be pretty, boys be successful.. Maybe just in a more extreme version to what i am used to? But i love it. I love how it is so different here and there is so much to learn about this culture. It strikes me all the time how lovely they are to me and generous and sharing and thoughtful. I like how koreans dont complain, they just get on with it. It is like they know life is difficult, so we arent going to stand around thinking about how the world is against us, we'll just grab some soju and be on our way.

I went to jeju island in the weekend just gone with my korean friend eva, which was amazingly beautiful! So cheap too considering.. Taxis are a godsend in korea. We traveleed from one end of the island to the other for only 30$ and stayed in a beautiful place overlooking the sea for $50. There is scuba diving available on the island for $80 a session, the cater for first timers and more experinced divers also. The water was the most beautiful emperature. I would highly reccommend visiting in september. The rainy season is over, the holidays are over, no one is on the beaches, and the temperature is just perfect! Best trip away so far. We mainly looked around the jungmun beach resort area on the south side.
Jeju is known for being the honeymooners spot. There arent really many clubbing places and few bars, but in jeju si you can find a few more on the main road. There are many more attractions i haent done on the island so i hope i can make it in october! Jeju is famous for its beauty in the autumn months.
The weekend before thatk i went to an island over the chuseok period with my foreigner friends from nz and sa mainly.. Very chilled out beach, had a good break away with good wine and was the first time in a while i had caught up with pauline too! :)
Daelim gave me 200 000 won to go shopping with for chuseok becuase the are so happy with my teaching! The have offered to get me a job in their company once i learn korean. The ceo seems to really like me, saying im like his daughter he doesnt have. Very sweet.
Oay? Im sick of writing now! Lots of love til next time x x x

Korean questions..

My students...

Teacher, why is your hair blonde slash long?
Teacher, do you have a boyfriend?
Teacher, what colour are your hot pants?
Teacher are you richie?
Why are you come to Korea?
Are those your real eyelashes?
We play a game? We change our names? We have free time?

Adult students from Daelim company..

Do you like Korean men? Do you want a Korean boyfriend? Why are Korean men better than men from your country? what are men from new Zealand like?
Korean men are tall, do you like tall men?
Would I look good with blonde hair?
How old are you? Who is in your family? Do you like sushi? Do you like beer? Amongst other foods they then bring me haha

My boss
What are you doing tonight? Wha t are you doing tomorrow? What are you doing this weekend? Why are doing that? Who are you going with? How often do you see them? Why did you only see them once since two weeks ago? How did you meet them?

My sweet new Job!

So I started teaching an older student at my Hagwon who works for a company as the second in charge and wants to learn better English so when he is the CEO, he can makes more business deals internationally. Teaching him has been a breeze becuase his english level is so high. the only bad thing is that I found it hard to teach him and my other students at the same time becuase he demands so much time and attention. I also felt the need to make our lessons go over time into my own time to make him happy. However, I think my intuition served me well this time because, since he liked me, he wanted me to be the english tutor for his Company.
The company name is Daelim. One of the top 3 construction companies in Korea, hence of of the largest in Korea. They have their own Universities and numerous sections of their company spread across Korea. I'm working at the construction company in Pocheon who are construting a new Nuclear power plant starting in three years time.
My first lesson was a bit of a worry. I was severly alcohol posioned thanks to my bosses efforts on teaching me how to drink soju. havent touched it since. I had been sick all day and had to teach them at 8 at night till 10. My boss pressed the idea of teaching them the meaning of vice versa. Honestly. It took the entire lesson. They were like why are we learning this? And I was like I'm never doing what my boss tells me to do ever AGAIN!!!!!
But i managed to get myself through it and the next time round when my boss wanted me to teach them an acronym for success I said i would, but i didn't. What a rebel! Instead we went out for a luxurious meal in place of our lesson. I wish i had my camera! It was the most amazing meal I've had in Korea!!! We started out with raw meat finely sliced. Then the whole lot came out- raw crab in a hot sauce, Makaelli- the best version of rice wine I've had yet also, Bulgolgi- beef BBQ, with salads, mushrooms, many types of kimchi, dumplings, spring rolls... I wish i wasnt on a deadline that day to get back.
There is a sauce here that you dip your Bulgogi into, its a fermented bean paste with coriander and garlic in it with red peppers. I havent tasted any condiment that comes close to being so good! But it is served at most restaurants whilst eating andy of the BBQs..
I call the CEO of the company Captain! I've been told that I can ask for a meal anytime becuase they allocate 10 000 to 20 000 american dollars on food each month. All i have to say is, qulte "Captain give me some food!" and he'll take me out for some food. In return I give him my loyalty. haha sweet deal? He also wants me to stay for ATLEAST 3 years in Korea and be friends with his son.  yuss Might be a cheap travel buddy on the horizon? Which I took as a sign that he wants to build a workig relationship with me so maybe likes me?But the cutest thing that happened that day was when they gave me the last piece of meat after telling me that no one eats the last piece but I got it cos I'm "very special"..
Nawwwwww...... too much.
I've loved hearing about the customs from them in our lecture about the difference bwtween Korea and Western Countries.
Many Koreans believe in staying with one company throughout their working life as the workplace is treated like a family unit. This is changing though as westernisation is creeping in. Which is sad becuase i really love being part of this close knit workplace. They socialise with their workmates at all levels very often- drinking 3 times a week together and going out for lots of meals. They all gave me their cards when i first met them. I bowed to all of them then recieved their cards with both hands making sure i took time to read every one before thanking them. When i sat down opposite them all, I line them up so that they were in place of each person facing me. I was doing all of this off memory from some lecture back at university last year. I only hope these were the rules for KOREA!!! haha
It was awesome though. It really inspires me to learn more Korean and Korean customs.
Next lesson we are going to a Sushi Restaurant. A really expensive one! And we're having our lesson there so that should be fun! YEAHHH!!!!! Kihi Kihi x x