I’m joking, sort of. Yesterday I sat in the staff meeting at my co-teacher told me what was going on (probably because it had to deal with my money). We were all going to dinner the next day. She asked me if I had 20,000 won (about $20) for my share. Now I am accustomed to paying for the dinner gatherings. My former co-teacher told me that I had to pay 10,000 won a month for these special trips. I guess that I’m cheap, because I complained about that. What if I didn’t want to go? What if I didn’t like the food? I grinned an bore it. I actually had a good time, and got some great footage of the moving squid that is eating alive.

First, my co-teacher tells me that I didn’t have to pay if I didn’t want to go. Then she found out that’s incorrect. I have to pay the fee whether I go or not. The fee is double from what I’ve paid since August. Now that’s some serious inflation. I didn’t get a clear answer of why we are now paying double. I think that the staff size is about the same. She said the the fee will fluctuate and will not be the same every month. Some months, I’ll pay less than others. So we’ll see.

In previous months the gatherings were sometimes during the day, but now we are meeting after school. I was able to leave early if I didn’t choose to go to the gathering. After we eat, people usually go to the noribang (singing room) or to drink soju. If I’m feeling like it, I may check out the noribang. Actually, I think that I did go to the singing room with them once! I really can’t remember. It must not have made that much of an impression on me. Oh well, I’m glad that we are having barbecue.

There are gyms in Busan and in other large cities in South Korea. There are nice big ones like Club Chicago (in Busan) which is like Bally’s in my opinion, and there are smaller gyms. Some apartment buidlings have tiny gyms in them.

Inside the Gym in Korea
The interesting thing about the gyms in Korea is that people wear uniforms (shirts and a t-shirt). Everyone looks like they are in a PE class. In some gyms, you must pay extra for the uniforms. In other gyms the uniforms are free. You don’t take them home; you wear them at the gym, and put them in a laundry shoot when you are finished exercising.
How Much are Gym Memberships in Busan?

Membership fees vary, depending on the size of the gym and its offerings. Club Chicago was about $100 per month, and the price was lowered by about $10 per month for a three month membership, if I remember correctly. Club Chicago is on one level of the Milligore Shopping Center in Seomyeon, Busan. That’s pronounced So-Me-On. It’s on the 5th floor, I believe. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the gym.

Features in Upscale Busan Gyms
I used go everyday to the gym in Seomyeon. The gym has a whirlpool in the women’s locker room, and a dry steam room. It was a heavenly place. There were flatscreen TVs with remotes on each treadmill, and a huge movie theater screen for watching TV. The gym was just a tad bit far for me, because I had to take the subway to get there. It wasn’t too bad, but I could walk to work for free, and I loss my motivation to get on a subway after work to go to the gym. It was too far to walk.

Small Gyms in Busan
I looked into another smaller gym. The gym was basically a small room with some treadmills and elliptical machines. There was a lockeroom for ladies and men, and free towels. Since I can’t read Korean, I can only identify a gym if there is a picture on the building. My former co-teacher told me that there was a gym that was near the school, but I couldn’t find it. I asked people on the street, and make motions for exercise, and made my “where is it?” motion, but they couldn’t direct me. They probably thought that I was crazy. I used my dictionary on my cell phone, but they couldn’t direct me. If the location is beyond right and left, that’s it.

How I Found the Second Gym Near Busan Station
So, I found a little tourist office in my neighborhood. I didn’t know that it was there. I just passed by it one day, and saw that the sign was in English. It was a tourism office for foreigners. That’s me! I got a bunch of brochures, and I asked about a gym. I was directed to a building with Korean signs near Busan Station. I knew the building because there was a Starbucks on the first floor. If that Starbucks had not been there, I probably would not have been able to find the correct building among the dozens of high-rises.

How Much Is the Gym? Overcoming the Korean Language Barrier
The girl at the front desk struggled, but she was able to understand “how much?” She had a chart with the prices right on the counter, so she was able to point and said one month… three month… etc. I am not usually so lucky. It was around $68 for a month, I think.

I spoke slowly, using as few words as possible, because I didn’t want her to shut down on me, saying that she did not understand. I said see.. gym? and made a motion that indicted looking around. She said yes and took me to the locker room. There was no whirlpool and the dressing area was small, not massive like at Club Chicago.

Are There Exercise Classes in Busan?
The manager was able to talk to me a little better. Uniforms were included. There were yoga classes, and I think a martial arts class, but they were expensive. The price rose depending on how many classes that you took. Club Chicago has spin classes, step classes, yoga, and Korean pop dance classes. Of course, the instructions (faster, slower, right, left) are in Korean.

Equipment in Korean Gyms
The gyms in Korea have equipment like the U.S., treadmills, elliptical machines. There are also weight machines like the ones in the U.S. and there are free weights. I could follow any training schedule and usually find the equipment that I need at Club Chicago. The gym had those huge exercise balls and the small weighted ones. There were also jump ropes. Most of the trainers couldn’t speak English, but there was one who was really nice, and helped me when he saw that I was doing an exercise incorrectly.

I Miss Club Chicago
I really liked Club Chicago, although it was expensive. I had to pay extra for the uniform, and I decided to pay extra for my own locker. I could keep my things in the locker as long as I had a membership. You don’t have to use or rent a uniform. It just saves you from doing laundry.
How to Get a Gym Membership
Getting a gym membership is a matter of giving your cell phone number and your name. A Korean friend explained the prices to me at Club Chicago, because at the time there was no one there who could speak English at the front desk. There are a lot of foreigners who go to the Club, so Club Chicago usually does have someone on staff who can speak a little English.

Here’s a video that I made about going to a spa and I went to my gym, too.

My back was aching. My lower back throbbed when I bent down or twist around. I don’t know what caused the pain. Maybe I slept wrong on the train ride from Seoul. Maybe I hurt it while playing volleyball. My back and side were hurting so much that I wondered if some internal organs were actually injured. I ruled out appendicitis. My appendix wasn’t in the area near the pain.

I have seen Oriental Medical Clinics around, and I had been curious about them. So, I decided to stop in, see if I could find someone who spoke English and learn the price for the services of traditional Chinese medicine. I was willing to see what they had to offer. I went to the counter and asked, “English?” I learned quickly in Korea to use as few words as possible if I am unsure if English is spoken. The woman behind the counter said, “A little.” That was good enough for me, and it meant that she would try to understand me and speak to me.

I pointed to my back and said, “My back hurts.” Then I gave her my insurance card, telling her that I have insurance. I was not sure if the Oriental Medical Clinic accepted the government insurance given to teachers, but I figured that it was worth a shot (I like puns). She said my name and began punching stuff into the computer. When she looked up I asked her the price. She said something that I didn’t understand, so I asked again. “How much won?”

She said 15,500 won (or something like that). I’ve learned my lesson from relying on Korean people who speak a little English but say 15 when they mean 50. I asked her to confirm the price on paper. Yes. She meant 15,500 (about $15). Not bad. She pointed towards a short hall, and I was curious so I went.

The next thing that I knew, another lady was directing me towards a bed behind a curtain, and motioned for me to take my shoes off, put my jacket in a nearby closet and lie down on a heated bed. I love heated beds; I did as she asked. Eventually, a doctor (I think) came and said “Back pain? Where?” I indicated the area. He then begin pressing into the area asking “here? here? here, up?” I said “yes” or “no”.

Acupuncture in Busan
Then he whips out some tiny needles, and although I knew full well that traditional Chinese medicine uses acupuncture services, I got a tad bit freaked out. I asked if it was going to hurt, and he said “no.” I didn’t trust him. The first needle didn’t hurt. I think that felt a tiny prick, if anything at all. I’m not sure how many needles he inserted, but I did feel a few. Once they were inserted, I didn’t feel them at all.

He left, and I lie there for about 10 minutes. When he removed the needles he asked if the pain was gone. At first I my back didn’t hurt at all, but when I twist it a certain way, I still felt it. I felt it enough that it still hurt, but not as bad. When I told him that it was still bothering me he ran his fingers along my spine and said something that indicated that he would try another procedure. Ugh Oh… how much is this going to cost? I tried to ask, but he didn’t answer the right question. I just knew that it was going to cost about 100,000 won ($100) or more.

Suction Cup Therapy
The doctor came back with these plastic suction cups that are hooked to this machine. Hmmmm.. this looks interesting. I lie on my stomach and he puts the suction cups in a straight line on my spine. The machine is going and the suction cups are sucking. I felt like I was being played for a fool, but it would make for an interesting story, and it didn’t hurt. I let the suction cup thingies do their thing. It’s called suction cup therapy. Suction cup therapy is supposed to remove blockages and help the body to release toxins. I have seen Korean women with big red rings on their backs; it looks gross, like a bad skin disease. They got these rings courtesy of suction cup therapy. My Sigma Gamma Rho sorority sister who is in the military, told me that women in the military in Korea know all about suction cup therapy. They go to the Oriental Medicine Clinics and use suction cup therapy for weight loss. More on that later.

Does Suction Cup Therapy Work?
I don’t know how long I was there, but the doctor returned, removed the suction cups and my back was feeling about 80 percent better. Wow! I couldn’t believe it. I could bend and twist and my muscles didn’t feel too painfully rigid and tight. the pain was there, but it was a dull pain, a huge improvement. If still hurt, come back tomorrow, the doctor said. I was thrilled that I had t twist my back all the way around to feel the painful tinge. I was cool with that.

I forgot all about my back the next day until I was already at work. Then I realized that my back was not hurting at all. About 99 percent of the pain was gone. As I twist my back in various directions, I can honestly say that the accupuncture and sucking thingie worked. Oh, and I didn’t even have to pay 15,000 won. The treatments cost 5,400 won, less than $6.

I didn’t consider my first year spent in South Korea as a gap year, but it is possible that it is a gap year. I’m not saying that it’s a gap year because my time spent teaching here will not appear on my resume. I will definitely add it to document my international experience. It may be difficult getting a reference from school officials in South Korea. I don’t think that most people think about this. In my case, my vice principal and principal do not speak English. I was told that letters of recommendation are not common in South Korea, but two letters were required to apply to teach through the English Program in South Korea (EPIK).

If you need a reference or a recommendation letter from the principal of vice principal for your school to go back to college, get future work back home, in another country, or at a university, understand that you can ask for it, but it’s not guaranteed that you get one. Don’t let a language barrier keep you from getting a letter of recommendation. Ask your employer to write it in Korean and have it translated to English.

Your employer may refuse to give you a recommendation, stating that they are not given in South Korea or his/her English is not not good, or for some other reason. Some employers will give you a recommendation, but only at the end of your contract. They are afraid that you will use the recommendation to go to another school.

Spring is a time of transition for teachers in the U.S. I remember that in the spring teachers are offered new contracts or learn that a new contract will not be extended. Teachers look for jobs in January, February and March for school years that begin in the fall. Some international schools are on a semester system. At my school, the new year begins in March, but teachers are hired for August and March.

People who hope to come to South Korea as a launching pad for other international jobs should be forewarned that it may be to your advantage to ask for recommendations early. You have a better shot at getting a recommendation letter or use your Korean employer as a reference if he/she speaks English. In my case, I can get a recommendation letter, but I have to wait until June.

We are teaching phonics to our third graders, and I found a great site for help in teaching the alphabet and alphabet sounds. There are cute songs for teaching the letters. I made a rookie mistake in teaching beginners (third graders are brand new to learning English). I began with teaching the letter A instead of showing them the entire alphabet and singing the song. My co-teacher gave me a handout and told me that I had 10 minutes to teach them about the letter A and the short sound.

Teaching the ABCs in South Korea
The first class was a disaster because they didn’t know what I meant when I tried to get them to pick out pictures of objects that had the short a sound. My co-teacher translated everything, but they still didn’t understand. They tried to answer the questions on the handout with us, but it was obvious that they were guessing. I learned in my special education training that it’s a bad idea to teach to a handout. Handouts are tools that should be used to aid teachers in teaching and assessing learning.

Teach the Alphabet to Third Graders in South Korea
Kids need to be able to make connections. They need to know that they are learning letters that will help them learn to write in English. I plan on explaining that we use the alphabet, and they use hangul. Some of the children know this, but I think that it’s worth saying for the children who have never been exposed to the alphabet.

Use Strategies from Other Teachers
I learned to steal in my teachers’ education courses. Actually, I learned to ask other teachers for great ideas and share my own ideas. My teacher was kidding when he said that we should steal. Anyway, since I had no classes on a Friday, I had the opportunity to watch another teacher at work. My class is a joint room, divided by glass windows, and there’s no door to shut out the sound from the adjoining room.

I saw another Korean teacher at work, using the video that I shared earlier, speaking in English, and teaching in an animated way that I love. I’m dramatic, so I act out things in class all the time. When we told children in our rules that they must stand in a corner if they misbehave, I stood in a corner with a sad face to demonstrate. ESL learners need to be able to see actions/pictures and hear English all at once. I asked the English teacher if I may have the link to the alphabet video that she used, and I noticed that she repeated the letter sound a lot. She was teaching them about the sound “o”. She used very little Korean in my opinion, and the children appeared to understand her. I had to convince my co-teacher to allow us to use the video, but the other teacher stepped in and my co-teacher agreed to using the material. I don’t believe that I’ve ever had to get co-teacher approval before.

I think that I am going to try her method. She was willing to share, but she said that she didn’t speak English well. She did a good job! I think that in our class, I will try explaining one tiny little step in English, waiting to see if there are any lightbulbs, if not, ask the Korean teacher to help. I don’t know how will work out. A lot of Korean is spoken.

Here is what you need for your electrical appliances in South Korea. You can find the adapter, the small white object that I showed, in Target or Walmart in the travel section. There is usually an area where you will find travel irons, flight pillows, and of course luggage. They cost about $11. Get a couple of them. I like the small black adapter better because it seems to fit more snuggly into the outlet. I know that the black adapter cannot bring the voltage down to to the level that you need it to for your appliances, but you can use it for your laptop. Ask the salesperson about the white adapter, but I am pretty sure that it just changes the prongs to what you need to fit in the outlet and it will not change the voltage. So, if you use the black or the little white adapter, right into the plug for your hairdryer, electric toothbrush or whatever, it will probably break it.

BRING SHOES with you to South Korea! I wear an 8.5, and although I can find something to fit my feet by searching, searching, and searching some more, the pickings are slim… I found some boots, but I was shocked when I found them. Usually the cute shoes (heels, and heeled boots) that should fit an 8.5 are usually tight and uncomfortable. In Busan and Seoul there are places to go to find shoes and chothes, but someone has to go with you. I get lucky sometimes, but I can’t say that I know THE places where they will have shoes to fit. They don’t use addresses here like we do, and some of the shopping districts are like mazes. Oh, and the signs on the stores and the street signs are in Korean My shoe size is 255.

I got a Curitel cell phone. I had a Samsung Smartphone (touch screen) from home, but was told that it wouldn’t work or I couldn’t get it on a calling plan here. I think that I could have gotten an international plan, but it probably would have been expensive. My phone is a small flip phone. It is a camera phone, but I don’t use it because I haven’t figured out how to upload the pics that I would take. Read more…

If you need to get braids, weaves, loc maintenance, dyes, or a relaxer in the Busan area, you should head to Daegu. It’s easy to get there, and I wish that I’d ventured out there before. I know that they do natural hair, and I think that they do relaxed hair. The shops are really small. With only about two chairs for clients.

Here’s How to Get to Daegu from Busan
Go to the Busan Train station. I think that it’s stop #113 on the map. Take the KTX train to Daegu. They will tell you that the train stops 3 stops away, and that’s fine. The ticket round-trip will cost around 25,000 won. You can buy the ticket the day of the trip. The trip is about an hour. Once you get off at the station go outside and take a cab (there are a lot) and tell the cab driver to take you to Camp Walker. I did this. I had to ask two cab drivers, but the second one understood me, and eagerly took me there. The driver took me to Gate 4, which is where I needed to go. The trip cost about 7,000 won one way ($7 or a little less depending on the exchange). Read more…

A reader asked me to compare Seoul and Busan. Readers who plan to teach here want to know where to live in Korea. I asked the same question when I applied to teach in Busan. Now, that I am here, I have a better opinion. Read more…

Drama, drama, drama in South Korea, ladies and gents. Today, it actually snowed in Busan. This was a welcomed treat for me because I am from the South and I wanted to experience snow, but not too much snow. Oh, yeah and I got two new co-teachers. My former co-teachers went to different schools. You may recall that I wrote a list comparing education in South Korea to Education in the United States. Well, this list has changed slightly with my new teachers. One of my teachers has asked that we meet twice a week and actually write out formal lesson plans. That’s new! She also would like to discuss each class, what worked and what didn’t work at the end of each day. That’s also sort of new. We did that naturally before with my other co-teachers. The shocker was when we sat down, and she discussed my written rules. So, now I have rules that dictate who locks the doors to the classroom, and that it’s okay for me to come early, but I should call an hour before I am going to be absent. The expectations were simple, and I had been doing all of them, but there is a different air when someone who is a junior to you and new to teaching English gives you your rules.
Read more…