KaDeWo - The Joy Advocate

Happy Thanksgiving! I was fortunate enough to attend a local KOTESOL chapter fall event in Daejeon and hear a message from Eunkoo Lee and Casey Lartigue, co-founders of the  Teach North Korean Refugees  (TNKR) organization.  TNKR  is a life-changing program that raises money and helps North Koreans, who are able to escape the country, adjust to life in a democracy and tell their stories as a form of healing.    Listening to these two passionate speakers caused me to reflect on my summer introduction to North Korean person who had only been out of the country for less than two years. During this summer tour we visited the DMZ to see the double-fenced, wildlife barrier that exists at the point where South and North Korea meet.  *This person explained the difficult adjustment that occurs when one has NOT had access to 24-hour electricity, processed food in numerous commercial stores, ridiculous  amounts of outlets for entertainment - includ...

 Entrance, outside the elevator doors Examination room In March of 2017, I had my first dentist appointment since relocating to SK. I was a little overdue, because my six month check up should have occurred in January. It was not very hard to find an English speaking dentist once I GTS. I found an expat forum that recommended a few doctors. I chose the one closest to my residence that had an English speaking staff and receptionist, Berkeley Dental Office with Dr. Man Hee Park. I had no idea what to expect as far as the conditions of her office, other than previous clients stating it was clean. I was delighted to find a spacious, modern, calm and welcoming atmosphere. The lobby is incredibly spacious and inviting; however, I did not have much time to spend on the comfy couch, because I only had to wait 5 minutes or less. I entered the glass doors to a brightly lit room with a flat screen TV and lots of seating, along the walls various Dr. Park’s degrees and advertisements ...

Teaching in South Korea has blessed my soul on so many levels. It will certainly be hard to return to the states (date definitely unknown). Since the start of the semester (see First Day of School post) my high school - 3rd grade  students  (juniors/11th graders) have been reading a chapter on assertiveness. Reading with them has reinforced some key issues that were established in my cognitive therapy sessions between the ages of 29 and 32, regarding speaking up for oneself and creating boundaries.  Since relocating here I have naturally become more assertive - not to be confused with aggressive. This assertiveness is a result of the language barrier, coupled with the ability to reinvent one's self when living in a new environment. However, in regards to my family, friends and future partners I have a new perspective that I am practicing to keep myself genuinely happy, which keeps my mind and body healthy. I failed to be more assertive at my previou...

Directed Audience: If you are moving to South Korea and have read/heard that you should bring your own toothpaste, this message is for you - especially if you are planning to eat traditional Korean meals regularly. I brought mouthwash and several tubes of a variety of my trusted brand, Colgate. I eat lunch with my fellow faculty every weekday. The meals are delicious, sometimes a little spicy and full of meat and veggies. All things I was happy to find, as I had no real experience with Korean food in the states. There are a lot of red pastes mixed into dishes and dark sauces to dip food into. (Coffee is a favorite drink here. Yuck! lol) All things I did not have regularly in my American diet.  Example of our daily tasty school lunches Another yummy example Anytime a Korean person has asked if a dish is too spicy or has warned me before eating, I have often found the spice to be lacking and just fine for my tongue. You should know that I do not ea...

I am renewed! ^^ Therefore, I felt compelled to renew my teaching contract as of yesterday. I will remain as the English Foreign Langauge Teacher at 대전맹학교 (Daejeon Public School for the Blind). I enjoy my work environment and students, in a way I never thought I could. There are several reasons I have loved working at my school for the past 12 months. I will share three: 1. Small classroom sizes and very few behavior problems. There are times when a student might be upset and choose to stop speaking or participating in an activity. This is human behavior with which I am very familiar with, especially from working with students diagnosed with Emotional Disoders. However, the absence of inappropriate language and violent behavior have left me feeling safe and RENEWED, in the workplace.     Yearbook picture day, Fall 2016 (above) English Zone classroom (below) 2. Utilizing my special education (SPED) academic background to ...

The dragon's cave on the island Arriving on the island signage One of the things I like about teaching in South Korea is the regular, scheduled outings with coworkers. Every semester there is at least one group trip; it is not mandatory, but is a good idea to join - if you have not already made plans. My co-teachers have always done a good job in telling me about the "business trips" weeks in advance, so I have never had any schedule conflicts. These work trips can be half a day, one full day, overnight and/or two days. We travel together on a one or two large tour buses, equipped for (the inevitable) karaoke session with microphones and a large TV flat screen. This trip was my first overnight trip with my coworkers, which was fun and interesting. We traveled to YeoSu and walked across a bridge to get to Odongdo Island.  I learned more about Korean culture and food.  About 50 of us left after work on a Friday evening. The drive was about three hours one...

Another fun trip with the administrators, staff and faculty. This week two limousine buses took about 60 of my coworkers and I to a new city which many newly married, young couples are moving.  SeJong is about an hour drive from Gao-dong. The park had a musical water fountain that performed at two or three scheduled times. The park is a lovely picnic area and concert or festival location. There are plenty of places to sit and relax. I was told, on the weekends there are paddle boats available to row through the man-made lake. There is also a historical museum on the vast property.  While we were there, we visited the presidential museum, a historical archive of all South Korea's presidents, their accomplishments and important facts and memorabilia. It was a nice experience, that I do not think I would have had without my administrators putting the plans in motion.  There were gifts from many presidents to previous South Korean presidents, including fr...

To day, was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! *in my Finding Nemo voice* {Can you tell that I love the 1st day of school??? As a student AND teacher I always anxiously wait for this day - planning my outfit, buying the essential supplies, organizing the introductory lesson days in advance.}  V ice Principal and two faculty members On August 29, 2016 I started teaching in Daejeon Public School for the Blind or 대전맹학교 in the district of Dong-gu, in Daejeon, South Korea. Our school follows the Korean Educational System by way of the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education . At the time I started the school was responsible for the education of approximately 111 students (open enrollment during the academic year). Nationwide, the school year starts in March 2nd in South Korea. At 10am there was a Welcome Ceremony; parents and family members attended. The academic year officially concludes with a graduation cerem...

If you are ever in Taipei, Taiwan's Banqiao District and you have time, please visit Debola Spa  to relax. I had the best spontaneous experience there! I was on my way back to UZ Hostel (another post) when I decided to stop in to request a massage appointment, for the following day. I passed the building each time I left and returned from the nearest MRT Station. I read the sign directing me to the 7th floor and got on the elevator. I arrived just before 6:30pm UTC, on a Saturday. There was one wonderful employee that spoke enough English for my request to be understood; she introduced herself as Sharon.  Because I was visiting during a holiday weekend, the spa was scheduled to be closed. However, the lovely manager offered for me to come in right then. After a long day of exploring the city and visiting 4 temples, a museum and botanical garden my legs and feet were exhausted. I was given a pair of slippers to change into be...

Bus # 1962 from Banqiao District to the TPE Airport Saw many people with flip flops on despite steady rain While I was trekking through  Taipei, Taiwan  I thought this has got to be one of the easiest countries/cities for a native English speaker to travel around. If you are planning to visit or move there, do it! I used the MRT and local buses to travel throughout the Northern part of Taiwan. I decided to stay in the Banqaio District - which turned out to be the best place for me. It was 5 minutes for the MRT Station. From researching before travel, I decided to get a two-day pass, which gave me access to buses and the subway line most of my trip.   November 2019 Update: I still live in the states and have never completed this entry, but wanted to share these pictures from my vacation. It was a great experience that I will always treasure. I saw some magnificent art and ate delicious street food. 

So I don't usually do reviews, but this experience warrants a praise...so le'go!  I booked a trip to Taipei, Taiwan in December 2016 for February 2017. Around the same time I started looking into airport transportation options for late arrivals, conducting random Google searches. Some great person (whose webpage I can no longer find or maybe it was a travel site) suggested AirPopo . The website was helpful in providing an ETA map and comparison price chart for other transportation sources. I downloaded the app, but was not convinced that I was going to use AirPopo. Before deciding to actually use the service, I checked the company's reviews on TripAdvisor . I was impressed with the number of reviews that were excellent. Every reviewer highly recommended the service. 2 days before my trip I attempted to use the app to set up a pick-up. My flight to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was scheduled to land at 12:35am UTC on a Friday morning. Based on the scheduled...

So this happened... After 5 weeks of a scheduled 3 week vacation to the US, I am finally back in South Korea!! *I decided to travel to America to surprise my family in January, following the end of English Winter Camp. My EPIK contract states employees will earn 10 days of paid vacation for winter break. The school year ended December 30th and will commence on March 2nd; therefore, I have a lot of dates to choose from to take the 10 days. 1st Note: English was taught in Winter Camp January 2 - 13, 2016. Also, the students returned for a week (February 9 - 16) to prepare for graduation on February 17. Due to the cost of traveling to the States I requested a third week of vacation, without pay. My administrators approved my request and I booked my trip. I had a chance to surprise much of my family. We had some wonderful moments together; we were all glad to visit with one another again. Towards the middle of my third week I started to...