Fed Ex Love Story: Part II

Just got an email with a tracking number in it...from EPIK! :) My NOA/Contract is on its way to me. I was chatting away in the EPIK skype group, when Stephanie mentioned a tweet on the EPIK page. I checked my email and sure enough it was there! I am so close to being able to send for my Visa and book my ticket. Korea is becoming very real for me. Less than two month now! So much to do....next step...finish vaccines.

A Human Moment

Working at a Tourism bureau, you speak with loads of interesting and crazy people. Some of them want to know about the dating scene, night clubs, shopping, safety....vegetables indigenous to Wisconsin (don't ask) and then some of them leave an impression on me.

A woman called in saying she had just returned from a trip around the world, 2 years of traveling. She started in South America, made her way to Africa, stayed in Europe (mainly Italy) and lived in India for 6 months before heading to Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Listening to her made me excited and a bit envious. Then she dropped the bomb....she was dying of Multiple Sclerosis. Originally from Madison,she made it her goal to see the world and write about every country she visited. As her reflexes changed, nervous system lost functions, vision disappeared and her speech began to slur, she said she left a piece of herself in every country she visited. She saw it as a way of ridding herself of the illness. Each place she went was like casting off a piece she no longer needed and finding a new part, completely free of disease.

Just recently she had gone back to her home in Ohio, she hated it, but had faith she would return to Madison. She was requesting a visitor guide because she said she liked to flip through it and remember all the places she had been as a child. She told me it was the last stop on her trip, the place she wanted to die. She did everything she wanted, saw the places she dreamed of going and wanted to come full circle, back home.

Color me inspired. I'm gonna see the world.

Sorry, I Only Date Type-B Bad Boys!

The typical line: "hey baby, what's your sign," won't go over too well in Korea. Instead, you might hear "what's your blood type?" To be honest I'd be impressed if a man asked me. Well...either impressed or I would assume he was on bath salts and looking for potential victims. A lot of emphasis is put on personality and blood type in Korea. Can you imagine filling in your blood type on a resume? If you're Western do you even know your blood type? I, myself am an O. Despite being a very common question in Korea, as well as a way of observing and guessing character traits, the history is often forgotten. The ABO bloodtype system was established in the early 20th century as the base theory for “scientific” racism used by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.  In modern day Korea it is as light-hearted and fun as the idea of astrology and "call me now for your free tarot reading," commercials. Or is it?

I read a fantastically funny article about a man named Lee, who had trouble finding a girlfriend due to his blood type. Being a type B, women assumed he was selfish and hot headed. Blood type B are your typical bad boys, right? So surely women should be lusting after them, throwing themselves at their feet and wishing just to catch a sniff of their studded leather jackets!  There is  even a book dedicated to women who are looking to date blood type b men, chocked full of tips and strategies.

Perhaps the icing on the very biased cake, comes from the very successful Korean film "My boyfriend is  Type B," which tells the frustrations of a type-A woman who falls in love with a horrible type b man. So my question is...if women in Korea are continuously rejecting and discarding these type b bad boys..does that leave more for me?

Wanna be my type b bad boy or just find out more about your type.Here are the blood types as described by  Korea 4 Expats:

Blood Type O:
Best Traits: Ambitious, athletic, robust and self-confident.
Worst Traits: Arrogant, insensitive, ruthless and vain.
Referred to as ‘warriors’, Type O’s are viewed as natural leaders and are often, also, natural athletes. They tend to be outgoing, expressive and passionate, but can also bore others to death with their obsessive drive for success coupled with their absolute convictions that they are winners. This certainty that they will always win explains why they aren’t afraid to take risks or gamble. They have a strong physical presence and are unlikely to ever be overlooked.

Blood Type A:
Positive Traits: Conservative, introverted, reserved, patient, punctual and inclined to be perfectionists.
Worst Traits: Obsessive, stubborn, self conscious and uptight.
Referred as ‘farmers’ in some descriptions, Type A’s are said to be considerate of others and loyal to a fault. They can also be secretive and reluctant to share their feelings. Apparently they don’t hold their liquor well, either.

Blood Type B:
Best Traits: Animal-loving, creative, flexible, individualistic, optimistic and passionate.
Worst Traits: Forgetful, irresponsible and self-centered.
Referred to as ‘hunters’, Type B’s have very independent natures and tend not to be concerned about what other people think of them. Although often described as shallow and lazy, they can be quite passionate about the things they hold dear. Patience is not their strong suit either.
Type B men have acquired a very negative reputation in Korea and are not considered by many to be good husband material. Often described as ‘players’, they are perceived as being selfish and mercurial, quick to anger and not terribly reliable. That said, their bad boy image makes them very attractive to women, but not for the long term. (Type B women do not share in this bad rep, for some unexplained reason).

Blood Type AB:
Best Traits: Cool, controlled, empathic, introverted and rational.
Worst Traits: Aloof, critical, indecisive and unforgiving.
Referred to as ‘humanists’, Type AB’s are said to be controlled more by their heads, than by their hearts. They are rational, good with money, but unpredictable. Although inclined to be distant, they prefer harmony and as such, work well with mediators. Some consider them two-faced, and therefore untrustworthy.


Looking for a blood type soul mate? Check out the compatibility chart

• A is most compatible with A and AB
• B is most compatible with B and AB
• AB is most compatible with AB, B, A and O
• O is most compatible with O, and AB

I must say my blood type fits my personality pretty accurately! How about yours?

Oh, The Places You Will Go

Less than 2 months  and I will be in Asia. I can hardly wait to begin traveling around Korea, but here are a few other places I would love to see while I am abroad.

1.Camiguin Island, Philipines

Camiguin Island is also known as  "Fire Island" due to the amount of  volcanoes. It also happens to be famous for sweet lanzones. Yum!

2.Tokyo, Japan

Not only is Tokyo home to one of my favorite rugby teams, it's also just an insanely different city from anywhere I've ever been in my life. The city is full of contrasts: new & traditional

 3. Hong Kong 

The host of the international tournament Hong Kong 7's, one of the largest rugby 7's tournaments in the world. Anyone noticing a trend yet? I'm only a bit obsessed.

4. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

I remember doing a report on Ho Chi Minh city in 5th grade. In order to keep a promise to my 11 year old self, I have added it to my bucket list!

 5.Bangkok, Thailand

You know what they say: One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster. Long before the hangover I lusted after traveling to Bangkok, but I never really thought I'd end up in Asia! Lucky me! :)

6.Luang Prabang, Laos

 

Just look at it! Luang Pranbang has so much history, beautiful natural sites, great weather and a charming, relaxed old town appeal.

7.Bali, Indonesia

 and on the way home with my newly acquired Fijian husband.......

8. Australia

9. New Zealand

 10. Fiji

 

The Dreaded Dong Chim

So just for shits and giggles(pun intended), I thought I'd post about a little trend a friend of mine told me about this weekend. It's called "Dong Chim" and roughly translates to mean "poop needle." I had heard jokes about it in Scotland, so lovingly called the "Jobby Jabber." So what is it, you may ask? Basically it's where a person puts their two index fingers together and pokes you in the butt, where the sun don't shine, when you have your back turned to them. Ouch! Of course teachers would make the perfect targets for such a prank. It seems to be all the rage amongst kindergartners and is pretty popular throughout Asia. In Japan it's called "Kancho," a slang form of the word "enema." In Vietnam, "Thong Dit" meaning "penetrate your anus" and in Taiwan it's called "童子拜觀音," which I won't even pretend to understand.

When I was a kid we threw paper, or switched chairs when the teacher wasn't looking....not sure what would have happened if we'd tried to Dong Chim. I don't know, but this teacher will always have eyes in the back of her head. Dong Chim, you're going down......and that just sounds awful anyway you phrase it.

If you're a bit confused and you still need a visual, check out this hysterical video by Jeff Martin.

Still not enough for you? Play the Dong Chim game here. Not gonna lie, it's pretty addictive if you are anywhere near as immature as I am! :)

Planes, Finger Pains and 2 Months Left in the U.S

I packed up and headed to Whorefest (rugby tournament) this weekend in Rockford. Played some rugby, drank some whisky, broke my finger, lost my voice, met some awesome people and all in all, had a really good time. This got me thinking, I am in the perfect place in my life to experience things; to pack up and move around, to travel, to meet new people, try foods I can't pronounce and do things I will regret not doing when I'm old. This has only re-affirmed that I am so excited to be going to Korea, to be teaching kids, to have the opportunity to travel around, to drink some Soju, eat some Kimchi and experience a completely different culture.

Often, I find that people see traveling as a way of "putting off" or delaying your life until you know what you want to do. Fortunately for me, this is the life that suits me. I have the opportunity to combine my great passions, teaching and traveling. So, why Korea?

1. The country. Korea is an extremely beautiful place, I could certainly do worse and I look forward to some quality photography.
2.The free housing. Not having to pay for my apartment will be really useful when it comes to paying off student loans.
3. Networking and meeting other teachers from all over the world, especially in an international city like Seoul.
4. The opportunities for travel within Korea: Jeju, Busan, Daegu and Incheon being my top choices.  Korea can be round tripped in one day, thanks to fantastic trains and efficient buses.
5. Opportunities for international travel: Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Thailand even places like the Philippines, Australia, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. If you book at the right time (a weekday, typically Wednesday) you can find some great deals!
6. Spicy foods! Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE hot food. I can't get enough of it and Korea is notorious for spicy, delicious meals.
7. Learning a new language. I love the way Korean sounds and it's definitely a language I would like to study. Also,understanding K-Pop songs wouldn't hurt!

This hasn't even scratched the surface about what I wanted to say, but I need sleep! 2 months until Korea!

Passport and Visa Bidness

Yay! My new passport arrived today and it is spiffy, if I do say so myself (which I do). I love seeing my big grinning mug in that photo. In case anyone was wondering, yes, you are allowed to smile in your photos now. No more convict looking passport! That means the next step (as soon as my NOA arrives), is getting my Korean Visa. It doesn't seem to be a complicated process, but knowing my luck there will be some bumps along the way!  Here are the requirements:

• Valid passport and 1 copy of its personal data page
• Completed visa application (found via any Korean Consulate’s website)
• A passport picture (2x2, color) attached to application
• Visa Fee: $45 [Money order only]
• Pay to: Korean Consulate General
• Cash accepted in person
• Original Notice of Appointment and 1 copy
• Original Employment Contract
• Self-addressed, pre-paid envelope for return of the passport by mail

Just a small note. The Employment contract is only used for securing a visa and will not be returned to you. You will receive a hard copy of your contract that you can keep when you sign with your Office of Education in Korea.