NamSuwon Elementary School

I finished my two years of teaching at Sangchon Elementary School on August 31st. It was sad to say goodbye to all of my wonderful students, but according to Suwon city laws, the Native English Teacher in public schools (me) can only teach for a maximum of two years at each school. So I found a new school using Korvia Consulting which was a very professional service to use. If you are looking to teach in public schools in South Korea through EPIK, GEPIK (my program in Gyeonggi-do), or in a private language institution, I highly recommend using their awesome services! They ask about your preferences and try to match you with a school that meets those preferences based on who is hiring. Then the schools offer you an interview and if the schools like you then they extend an offer for employment. Korvia helps you collect all the documents you need for the hiring process and if you need to apply for the E-2 visa (English Conversational Teacher visa) if you are not on an F visa like me, they help you collect those documents as well.

My next contract at my new school began on September 3rd at Namsuwon Elementary School. So far I have met my new co-workers and they are all really nice and welcoming. I also have a huge office that is only shared with one other teacher and my own classroom. Usually as a Native English Teacher you have to share a classroom with your Korean co-teachers, but at this school both Korean co-teachers have their own rooms to teach in and I have my own room to teach in. So I don't have to share with anyone and can set-up and decorate my classroom any way I want. So much excitement! 

At my last school I was teaching 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade English, but this semester, at my new school I will not teach 3rd grade students which is a little sad because the 3rd graders were my favorite (not that teachers have favorites!! 😊) I will meet my new students starting on Thursday. I hope they are fun like my Sangchon students were! Here goes year five!

Hodu~~

My dog is silly and was so tired after his walk today that he managed to fall asleep on the couch sitting up like this. He is such a silly puppy and I love him so much! I am blessed to have a puppy like him! <3

Working in Suwon

It has been a little over a month since I started at my new school in Suwon. It is a really nice school with a really nice location. I had bittersweet feelings about leaving Jeju to move to Suwon. However, I think I made the right choice despite still having a lot of changes to adjust to.

My new students are higher level than my old students so they are able to play more difficult games while studying English. They are also really nice for the most part. I have fun when teaching them and am thankful for the opportunity I have been given to be their English teacher.

 

One of my students gave me a present for my office! It is a guppy fish and we decided to name her Rain or 비 (in Korean.) I think it was because it was raining outside at the time she gave her to me, but she is a very nice fish to have and take care of! Here is a picture of her:

 

 

I also made a few new friends within the foreigner community in Suwon in addition to some Korean teachers at my school ^^. It is also easier to meet my old friends from the time I used to be a student studying at Korea University. However, I do miss my friends in Jeju a lot. Some of them were so close that we created our own family. I was the baby of the family (because I was the youngest in the group). Love you all! <3

It was sad giving up my view of Halla mountain, but I still have a mountain right outside my office window! (I have an office at this school.)

 

 

I hope all is well! Love you!

New contract with a stellar location!! ^^

I am happy to announce that I have rejected my job offer in Seoul and officially accepted a job offer in Suwon today! It was a hard decision to make but I think this position is a better fit for me. The contract is signed and I start my new position on September 1st following the completion of my current contract in Jeju! I am excited for this next adventure in life!

Also, my new apartment looks awesome! I will have a downstairs and an upstairs so if anyone wants to come and visit me I will have a spare room for you to use!! Also, the location of where I will live seems quite peaceful. There are many yummy looking restaurants to try, a lot of cafes that I can use to study Korean, and a grocery store within walking distance. It is located about 20 minutes from my school and it is also about 20 minutes away from my boyfriend!! I am definitely excited about the fact that my commute to work will no longer exceed an hour of travel time!!

Korean rescue dog

My boyfriend and I have been discussing the idea of getting a dog to raise together in Korea for a really long time! However, we knew we didn't want to buy a new puppy from a shop so we started researching online for dogs that needed new homes. It was really sad to see that there were so many dogs that needed to be adopted and given a new home. Therefore, I encourage others that are interested in raising a dog to try and rescue one that is being abandoned.

Our rescue dog is a brown poodle and he is so incredibly amazing!! He is good company and he is always so energetic. He loves to play with his new toys and gets so excited when we go on walks! I think it was an amazing decision to rescue this dog! I am so happy!! :)

Here he is:

 

His name is 호두 (Hoedoo) which means walnut in Korean. 

 

He is about 1 year and 4 months old. (So he has a lot of energy!!)

 

 

Here he is sitting next to me! He loves the sofa! hahaha!

 

 

He also loves sitting on my lap and sleeping!

 

 

But he also likes to sleep in his own bed!

 

(When he is not running around with the middle part pretending it is a tug toy!! He can be silly! :P)

 

 

I think he was meant for my boyfriend and I!! I am so thankful we are able to rescue such a sweet puppy!!

 

Looking for a change

For those who may not know, I decided not to renew my contract on Jeju Island. It is a decision that gives me very mixed feelings. I love this island and I will always remember all of the wonderful experiences I had here. This was my home away from home. It will be sad to leave it in August. However, I am looking for a change. I want to experience a new location in Korea so I am moving to the mainland. I have no clue where on the mainland, because I have not been officially hired yet (which is scary and a little bit stressful at times) but I am confident that things will work out for the best! I will keep everyone updated on where I will be moving closer to the end of my contract and when I get an official "Notice of appointment" in the mail.

Difficult decisions

What should I do in August? Should I come home to America and see friends and family or should I travel to an exotic location that I have never been to before and hang out with my friends there? That is the big question that has been troubling me lately. And for those of you who know me, it is never easy for someone like me to make a decision that requires a lot of thought. I need to analyze all of my options to ensure I am making a good decision. Here is everything currently on my mind:

The first option is to go back home to America to visit with my friends and family.

I was originally going to wait until February to come back to America, because it would be a cheaper plane ticket and the chances of Gil being able to join me on the trip back home would be better than they would be in August. (For those who do not know, he is working as an English teacher, but he teaches high school students, that are preparing for their college entrance exams in a private academy. Since college entrance exams in Korea are only offered once a year and in early November he shouldn't take time off during my vacation time. It is a very serious time for Koreans, if you know anything about the Korean education system). So I am very sad about that, because I know he would love to come back and see everyone and I would also enjoy spending more time with him in addition to being surrounded by my loved ones in America. He would love America during the summer time, especially the cleaner air!!

However, I feel I should come back in August rather than waiting for February because we never know what is planned in this great game of life. Most of my family and friends are in great health which I am thankful for but you never know what might happen next. I know it is really sad to think about but I need to share my thoughts and concerns on the topic. If an unexpected tragedy were to happen, I would feel guilty for not spending my time with loved ones. And I don't want any kind of guilt or regret.

The second option is to go on a travel adventure to the wild outback of Australia.

I have many friends from Korea that are currently working there for "working holiday" to save up money as well as experience Australia. They all want me to come and visit them, especially my best Korean friend, May. I think it would be an amazing experience to go visit her and my other friends in Melbourne and Sydney. I am also afraid of disappointing them though. I know that they would understand my reasoning behind wanting to go home, but I know they were really looking forward to me coming to visit them. If I wait until my vacation time in February it might be too late to go and visit them.

I am also young and able to travel. I am not married with children yet and have a job that allows me time off twice a year to go on vacations. It is a good time for me to continue my dreams of travelling the world.

And then there is always the option of having a staycation in Korea where I can just relax and save money.

If I stayed in Korea for my vacation it would be a money saving move, which could also be a good idea because I have made the decision to not renew my contract with EPIK in Jeju-do (my current placement for work). It would also be very relaxing and allow me to just spend time with Gil during the hours of the day he doesn't work as well as travel to new locations in Korea at my own leisure. I would love to visit the Kangwon-do province. I heard the scenery is very nice. I could even catch up with old friends from Korea university that I do not get to see as often as I wish I could.

At this moment of time, I really don't know what I should do. It is a difficult decision that my heart is torn on. If you are religious, prayer is a nice gesture, but if you are not religious, wishing me luck on making the correct decision that will make me happiest is also a nice gesture.

Thank you so much for reading my thoughts and feelings on my difficult decisions. I know that I have many friends and family from around the world who care a lot and will support me with whichever decision I make. I love you all.