One Night in Bangkok:Planning My Sweet Vacation!

The reality of "deskwarming" is that I spend very little time actually being warm.  It's freezing and instead of planning my lessons, I find myself planning my big trip for February vacation. Heres the plan so far:

Bangkok, Vientiane, Hanoi!

I am super excited for some quality time with my good friend Angelique, in Southeast Asia. From Seoul, it is pretty simple to find cheap flights on both Skyscanner and AirAsia. When I first began my search (about two months ago) there were round trip flights from Seoul, going for around $350.00. The closer it got to vacation (and the more people book-many epik folks have this time off) the more expensive it got. Fortunately, my mom got me an awesome birthday present and paid for my trip!

Initially we wanted to attempt all to get to Cambodia as well, but with the time we would spend actually traveling, it seemed a bit tiring even for us! So in the end we decided on 4 days in Bangkok, a flight to Udon Thai and then a bus across the border into Vientiane.

3 1/2 days in Vientiane and this is where details get a bit foggy....but it's looking like the 24 hour bus "from hell" as they like to call it, into Hanoi in Vietnam. Shouldn't be so bad with Angel there we always manage to keep ourselves entertained and I plan on making a list of "challenges" for the journey.

After we reach Hanoi we will spend a few days trekking around Vietnam, frequenting happy hour, eating pho and then make out way back to Bangkok. At the moment it looks very possible that we can find a fairly cheap flight back into Bangkok to enjoy the end of our weekend and vacation.

A few things I want to do:
1. Ride a motorbike in Hanoi

2. Temple Hop in Vientiane

3. Take a Muay Thai lesson in Bangkok

4. Eat as much Pho as humanly possible, in Vietnam

5. Dine for a cause at a local Makphet in Laos. Makphets offer hands on cooking experience to marginalized youth and the dishes look yummy!

6. Get a Thai massage

Yep, nice and rough. Haha

7. Take a day trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay and get a junk boat!

and depending on how daring I feel.....

8. Get my bungee jump on in Thailand!

A Trip to the "lady doctor"

Men...you can avert your eyes and ears now! After many emails/messages about birth control and women's clinics I have finally decided to post this. All in all not a bad experience...even if I did run into a few of my students!! Oh the horror!

Medi Flower OB/GYN 
Tel: 02-548-9400 (Korean) 010-8550-9742 (English) 02-548-9401
eunsook.ella.han@gmail.com
2nd Floor, Lotte Castle Medici, 1656-4 Seocho-dongSeocho-gu, Seoul137-070


check out their website

Not sucking at life and other 2013 resolutions

The standard new years face!

2013 is finally here! I have decided it is a great time to reflect on 2012 (which was an excellent year) in hopes of making 2013 even more epic. I usually don't like making resolutions, but 2013 just seems so worthy! Here goes nothing:

1) Travel to at least 8 countries (Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, shall be ticked off come february).

2) Get fit, I don't want to lose weight, but I definitely want to get back in my prime rugby playing shape- maybe Captain America will make a reappearance!

obvious toolbaggery aside, my abs were pretty dang spiffy

3) Go to at least 2 rugby tournaments (hopefully 3 if I can go to Hong Kong 7's, Tokyo 7's and the Lions tours in June)
4) Work much harder on my Korean Language skills and not just for purposes of ordering food or hitting on attractive Korean gym trainers.
5) Take up a new activity: maybe something physical/aggressive like Muay Thai, kickboxing or some form of martial arts where I can re-affirm, just how clumsy and uncoordinated I am.
6)Explore the Buddhist offerings in Seoul and get my chill on.
7) Complete my lesson plans far in advance so I have some time to rest, stress free during the week.
8) Just being generally more positive and optimistic about all of the wonderful opportunities I have and all of the people in my life
9) To do some more freelance work, make regular submissions and get some more pieces published for my writing portfolio.
10) To never take myself so seriously and to just enjoy the shenanary that is my life!

2012 was a pretty crazy year!
-My purse was stolen in Scotland a few days before I arrived in Korea, but I still managed to make it.
-I had my first real big kid job working in tourism and had my first guide published
-I left my favorite city in the world (Edinburgh) and moved to South Korea
-I got mono!!
-I managed to tear/damage both of my calves just at the end of rugby season (healing nicely)
-I saw Psy live in concert
-I did my first rugby zulu!
-played for 3 different women's rugby teams and officially earned the title "utility"
-graduated from TEFL academy with honors
-Barack Obama was re-elected
-there were 3 huge mass shootings in the U.S
-more natural disasters than I can count
-many more states passed gay rights laws
-North Korea...well...they were being North Korea
- and I decided I was going to see as much of the world as I possibly could!

2013 is going to be my best year yet, I can feel it. I resolve, after this year, to never win another game of "never have I ever" again.

Shit My Co-Teacher Says: Part 2

Co-Teacher: Are you cold
Me: I'm freezing
Co-Teacher:(Turns on the air conditioning) Yeah, I think you look cold.

Out at a staff dinner
Co-Teacher: You can order anything you'd like
Me: Oh, great thanks.
Co-Teacher: Except that, that's what I'm getting, you would not like it.
Me: Why?
Co-Teacher: It's classy.

Me: Hey, do we have any paper for the printer?
Co-Teacher: What you think paper grows on trees?
Me: Yes, yes I do.
Co-Teacher: No, it doesn't. So expensive, go steal some from the staff room.

Me: Have you ever been to Bangkok? I'm planning my vacation.
Co-teacher: Oh, yes. I loved it. When are you going?
Me: February, and to Laos and Vietnam as well.
Co-teacher: You be careful for lady boys, sometimes you dress like man, you might get a surprise.

Co-Teacher: (says something to the students in Korean and they begin to clap and say my name)
Me: What did you tell them?
Co-Teacher: I said if they listen you will give them candy
Me: but I don't have any candy
Co-Teacher (turns to students) You have been bad, she will not give it to you. She ate it.

Co-Teacher: You like Korean men?
Me: Yeah.
Co-Teacher: You like other men?
Me: I  don't really have a type, I like all kinds of men.
Co-Teacher: Careful, you will be a busy, popular woman if you like too many at once (winks at me)

Me: Would it be alright if I came in late on monday, I have a doctors appointment.
Co-Teacher: Are you seeing lady doctor?
Me: Ummm, I'm not sure if it's a man or a woman
Co-Teacher:  you are with child?
Me: No! What?
Co-Teacher: You are seeing a doctor for "the lady problem"
Me: No, I meant I don't know if the doctor is male or female. What's "the lady problem?"
Co-Teacher:  You know (wink)
Me: No, I don't.
Co-Teacher: (laughing) oh you know
Me: No, I really don't. what is it?
Co-Teacher: I dont know. Ask the lady doctor (walks away).

Co-Teacher: I won't be here on that day. Ms. Moon is getting married.
Me: Oh wow, I didn't know she was engaged.
Co-Teacher: Yes, it was a surprise. If she can get married, maybe someone will marry you some day.

Co-Teacher: Maybe I will take the class today and teach them myself, you can stay here and watch naked music video. (Rhianna)
Me: Sorry, what?
Co-Teacher: You know, the American videos. Always naked.
Me: I'm working on winter camp lesson plans, so you are welcome to take the class.
Co-Teacher: Yes, so you can watch the video alone.

My Apartment....4 months later

Yeah, so I never posted that apartment video, welcome to my humble abode!
*Ondol is actually underfloor heating, not my wall heating...but sometimes I talk S***

Reflections From South Korea: School Shootings in Connecticut

When I can't make sense of things, sometimes I just need to vent. I already know where I stand on gun control, so I see no need to cause even more of a debate. And I do genuinely believe America would be much better off if we defended our children in the same way that we defend our "right" to bear arms. Today I am thinking about all of those children and everyone back home who was affected. Just wanted to talk and vlogging may not be the most acceptable outlet, but for now, it's what I can muster.

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Rugby

Now that's a pretty bold statement, but I find it rings true! Rugby could be a very valuable tool in the classroom (as could many sports, I'm sure).While playing rugby with my kids this week, I realized how many lessons I've learned- not only from great coaches, but great team mates as well.

Rugby has made me....
1.  happier
2. more patient
3. value team work
4. value each member of the team (whether it be on the field or at work)
5. much more selfless
6. work towards a unified goal
7. confident
8. a better listener (although I'm certain some of my team mates now and in the past would  say that I'm a bit deaf out on the pitch, particularly when I hear the word "pass." :) Haha
9. expect and demand much more of myself
10. proud

Somewhere in there, I am certain there is a lesson every middle school kid could learn. I am really looking forward to using rugby in the classroom more, and even starting up our little intramural teams.  My favorite coach, Marius, was really excellent at helping players highlight their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses. He may not know it, but he is a huge part of the person I am today. I am more confident, I care more and I love rugby and my team mates. He helped to shape my character into a person that I am proud of and for that I am very grateful. Now, unlike Marius, I am not a miracle worker but it would be nice to have an opportunity to help my students do the same.