Hong Kong 7's: A Photo Essay

Sorry! Long time, no post! I have just been catching up on a few articles I am writing for partner blogs and organizations. In the mean time I hope this shall tide you over. I went to the Hong Kong rugby 7's with some friends last weekend and it was completely mental. It is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid, so finally getting a chance to go was very surreal. My ticket was pretty cheap $329 round trip on cheapoair leaving Friday and returning Monday night! Next time I will definitely leave on a Thursday.  

This year I stayed in the Island Pacific Hotel

Tickets for the sevens cost about $300 USD (for two days)...much different than what I was used to paying for 7's in Scotland!

My costume!

Headed to the 7's with some mates from Seoul :)

Randomly bumped into an old friend from Australia

Dared the Jamaican team to jump up in the stands and take a picture with us. They kindly obliged.

posed with Nat and the Cathay Pacific Rugby Women from the advert

Happy Valley Tent: Ran into the man, the myth, the legend-himself. USA Rugby Captain Todd Clever

Could not get enough of all of the costumes after the 7's

where the carnage began....

Hong Kong is just full of characters! Gotta love this guy!

Team Zimbabwe was just amazing! We bumped into them in Wan Chai

Sweet street in Lan Kwai Fong- The Party district. It is packed with wall to wall bars and restaurants and a seemingly never ending street party!

Later that night, I bumped into a few All Blacks who I thoroughly insulted by insinuating that I could teach them how to offload. Fortunately, they took it quite well and I had some excellent drinking buddies for the rest of the evening. 

This trip was nothing short of amazing!

and a big congrats to the winners- Team Fiji!!

 There is plenty more, but as the saying goes....what happens in Hong Kong......

I cannot wait for next year!

New Semester, New Shenanary

My students are teaching me how to wear my hair  "like a Korean"

Last monday started the new year at school. It is strange to think I came in the middle of the semester 6 months ago! The kids are excited to be back, the hairstyles have changed but they are still as wonderfully obnoxious as ever. This semester I promised myself that I would spend a lot less time stessing over lesson plans. My best lessons have been classes where we scrapped the original plan, moved all of the desks and played a game of rugby incorporating all of the new vocabularly were using. Last semester I felt really nervous before each class and now it seems so strange to me that I ever felt that way at all. So far it seems like it's going to be an excellent semester.

A few observations:

1. There are at least 10 new staff members, which is great because they are so young and energetic, and my new vice principal even speaks English! :)

2.My crazy co-teacher is still crazy, but she has grown on me and even trusted me to cover a few of her classes.

3. I feel so much happier at school now that I am settled in, and it's awesome getting to know all of the kids.

4. I am really going to make an effort to learn the names of all of the students this semester, as I feel a bit bad saying "hey you" or "mini G-dragon," come here.

5. I am so much more confident as a teacher this term, and it has made my lessons even more creative and successful!

6. I can't take two steps out of my classroom without hearing "Teacha Maggie" and it's actually really nice! The kids have so much energy, that it really brings my energy up and improves my attitude. It's pretty much impossible to have a terrible day around these kids.

7. I have less classes this term, and as a result, I get to teach a sports class. This can't be my real job, right? First order of business, teaching these kids how to catch a ball without using their face!

8. My first years are way too tiny to be real! They look like characters out of the borrowers!

The Value of Travel: My Journey to Southeast Asia

One of my favorite travel quotes of all time, is by spoken word artist and  punk activist, Henry Rollins:

"I  beg young people to travel.  if you don’t have a passport, get one.  take a summer, get a backpack and go to delhi, go to saigon, go to bangkok, go to kenya.  have your mind blown.  eat interesting food.  dig some interesting people.  have an adventure. be careful.  come back, and you’re going to see your country differently, you’re going to see your president differently, no matter who it is.  music, culture, food, water.  your showers will become shorter.  you’re going to get a sense of what globalization looks like.  it’s not what tom friedman writes about; i’m sorry.  you’re going to see that global climate change is very real.  and that for some people, their day consists of walking 12 miles for four buckets of water.  and so there are lessons that you can’t get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight.  a lot of people — americans and europeans — come back and go, ohhhhh.  and the light bulb goes on"

I've read this quote a million times over and nodded in fairly complacent solidarity, that is, until I went to Southeast Asia. While I loved my adventure, I spent so much time thinking, Jesus do I really need this bag?this book? this kindle? these possessions? I don't want to call it a Westernized guilt, but there is something to be said for the tourists who go to foreign countries just to stare at the people that they ignore in their own.  There is a certain freedom you feel when you stop worrying about whether you're "doing  it right." Did you pack enough, is the hotel four stars, will you get an even tan, did you follow the travel itinerary...etc. In fact, getting lost is one of my favorite things about traveling. I feel comfortable being unaware of what I will find next, it's all about discovery.I met so many interesting people, with amazing lives, varying religions, backgrounds and social or economic statuses. I saw people more resourceful than I could ever dream of being, people living on a dollar or two a day, the same people satisfied with their lives, grateful and happy. It really reaffirmed for me what matters the most and the things that I love and care about. I don't travel just to get a stamp in my passport, I travel to meet people I could never make up in my wildest dreams, I travel to try foods that I never knew existed and I travel to feel something and to know that borders are simply man made things that keep us from realizing how unified we really are in the human experience. Southeast Asia is and will continue to be a defining moment in my life, and I feel so blessed to have been able to make such a journey.

How to Guarantee That You'll Have A Horrible Experience Teaching in Korea

Recently I have come across so many people with extraordinary opportunities to work in South Korea, who seem to think that they are "less fortunate"or owed something more than the rest of us.  Occasionally, you will meet a teacher who really has been dealt the shit end of the stick, but more often than not they are just folks who weren't prepared to be teachers in the first place and were expecting to breeze through without doing work. These teachers don't appreciate the struggles of teachers who are actually dealing with corrupt Hagwons, poor or late pay and little to no holidays. The public school experience is actually a very nice set up. Korea can be an absolutely trying and crazy experience, but you really have to make an effort to be totally miserable here! Want to guarantee that you too will become one of those Soul sucking dementor teachers? Follow these steps:

1. Maintain a generally negative attitude about your new country and your surroundings, as well as constantly comparing it to your home country.

2. Hang out with other negative teachers, or even date/marry them for the full pleasurable effect.

3. Never partake in any Korean activities or attempt to learn anything about the culture.

4. Don't make strides towards learning even the most basic Korean phrases, that will help you get by and be accepted as a polite, respectful, member of society.

5. Complain on the largest media platform you can find, in hopes of meeting other soul suckers such as yourself. Chances are you will just alienate your support system (the other native teachers). Of course, a little complaining is necessary from time to time and we all do it, but when it consumes all of your conversations it becomes really tiring, really fast!

6. Don't reach out to the other network of teachers, who are more likely than not, dealing with similar situations in a more mature and positive manner. If you did reach out, they might be able to offer you creative solutions or at the very least, some positive feedback and reinforcement.

7. Don't make your apartment feel like home. That would allow you to get too comfortable or take ownership over your habitat. Instead, you can continue to feel as if you are renting a space in a country you are not too fond of.

8. Do make random, sporadic attacks on people who are enjoying their time in Korea. Insist that they cannot possibly be having fun because you are not, or that they somehow have been "dealt a lucky hand." This will make you the life of the party!

9. Treat your time in Korea as if it is just a gap year or another drunken study abroad session. After all, how much work do you really need to put into teaching?

10. Blame it all on luck and never take your work ethic or attitude into consideration. Sometimes we need to assume personal responsibility, re-evaluate and approach a situation in a different way. As a teacher, this is invaluable!

Did you take note? Great! You are on your way to being the worst kind of person to spend time abroad! Alright, if you didn't pick up on my obvious sarcasm, then you may have just gathered that I  have been put off a bit by some of the negativity in the teaching community. Particularly when I have met such fantastic, positive people, sharing such a wonderful experience! Ups and Downs and all! I have had my share of troubles, but I have learned to face them with positivity and a wicked sense of humor. Sometimes that's all you can do.

Have you made attempts to improve your situation here? No? Well here is my sympathy face...

Want to make the most of your year teaching abroad? Check out these helpful tips for staying sane in Korea!

Top 10 Ways to Spend Deskwarming

How you feel the first two hours of deskwarming...

Okay, so many people do not enjoy deskwarming, I on the other hand, see it as getting paid for doing the things I would be doing if I were in the privacy of my own home. I haven't had to teach a formal class since the end of December.  I made it through a less than grueling winter camp an re-emerged just in time for graduation and my vacation to Southeast Asia. This week (the final week of school) I was asked to teach "fun classes" which included playing "would you rather" with students and watching Queen B perform at the superbowl. Since I have no 3rd or 2nd year classes this week, I literally am teaching 3 classes.

Enter deskwarming. Here is how I spend my time:
1. Facebook creeping on people I have little to no contact with in the real world
2. Writing angsty essays and submitting them to sketchy writing contests.
3. Catching up on "Girls" and "American Horror Story"
4.Planning the MESS out of my vacation, basically to the point where I will change all of my plans when I arrive.
5. Selling random things that I no longer need and non-existent items on craiglist.
6.Studying my Korean, which I only remember for about a day or two at a time.
7.Creating sassy Beyonce superbowl memes
8.Googling plane tickets for upcoming rugby events and live streaming the 6 Nations.
9. Adding items to my cart on I-herb/G-Market numerous times and then feeling guilty and cancelling my  order.
10.Dreaming about/skyscanning possible weekend trips outside of Seoul.

After week two of deskwarming...

What about you? What do you do with your desk warming time?

                                       Elle Varner is a great soundtrack to my boredom!

Vacation Game Plan: Baller on a Budget

Alright, looks like Angelique and I have hammered out the best travel game plan we could come up with as well as figuring out some of our costs. That being said, I've never been good at logistics, so as long as I don't end up kidnapped(attempted in Morocco), roofied (Scotland) mugged (Spain) or deported, I think I'll be doing quite well!

February 11th-
~Fly to Bangkok  and stay at the Tara Garden Hotel (2 people/$113.00/3 nights, no visa required)

February 14th-
~Flight to Udon Thani, arriving at 12:15 PM ($30.01/One Way/Air Asia)
~Bus from Udon Thani Airport to Laos Friendship Bridge (45 minutes/$3-5)
~Get a Laos Visa ($35.00/need 2 passport sized photos)
~Taxi/Tuk Tuk ride to Vientiane ($2-7 )
~We will be staying at the I-House New Hotel (2 people/$81.00/3 nights)

Feb 17th-
~Take the "bus from hell" up to Hanoi
~Leaves between 5:00-7:00PM nightly and is a 22 hour journey (assuming none of the usual breakdowns,pick ups, scams, traffic occur) 250,000 kip ($31.42/ Ticket for a Modern Sleeper)

Looks....ummm...cozy, huh?

Feb 18th-
~Arrive in Hanoi with visa in hand (as of 2013:$95 visa fee/Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul) and stay at the Hanoi Senses Hotel (2 people/$72.00/4 nights)

*It should be noted that if you plan on arriving into Vietnam overland, as opposed to flying, you will need to apply ahead of time at your local Vietnamese Embassy. You can only apply online if an airport is your port of entry.

Feb 22nd
 ~Flight from Hanoi back to Bangkok  at 11:00 AM (AirAsia $101.00)
Feb 23rd-
~Arrive back in Seoul and pass out from exhaustion or in reality, head to the pub to watch the 6 nations rugby matches!

Seems to be a bit of a whirlwind tour but I am definitely up for the challenge!

Total of $435.95 (USD) each = 2 flights, 3 pretty good hotels, 2 different country visas, train tickets and cab fares. This is give or take about 10 or 20 bucks, but it's really not bad!

You can always cut down on cost by seeking more budget accommodation, like hostels or smaller guesthouses. Angelique and I are getting cranky in our old age and favoring comfort for our first big vacation! :) I recommend Asia Rooms or Hostel Bookers. Both sites are great, logically organized and neither one charges a booking fee for the service!

There are plenty of ways to save money once traveling around Southeast Asia. Laos is notoriously one of the cheapest to travel, with many people getting by on $15.00/day. One of my favorite blogs, tells about a man who spent 22 days in Laos and only spent $168.00 on food. He is a master budgeter and you can read up on the details of his journey at Travels of Mike.

Eating on a budget is never an issue for me as I pretty much love all food. Here's my game plan, short and sweet:

Vietnam- Pho and holla for dolla beer!
Thailand- What it do street carts and Thai tea?
Laos- Sticky noodle overdose!

Celebrating Burns Day in Korea

My Burns dinner date for the evening!

Okay, the fact that I used to live in Scotland means a few things.
1. I have acquired a taste for Irn Bru and no longer think it tastes like bubblegum.
2. I probably enjoy Haggis more than the average person
3. I have come to celebrate Burns day as the day I have an excuse to drink whisky ridiculously early.

For lack of a Scottish counterpart and the fact thats she is crazy fun, I brought my friend Tomi with me to a Burns night dinner here in Korea. The dinner was hosted by the Bull & Barrel who described  the celebration of Mr. Burns life:

"Regarded as the national poet of Scotland, Burns was self-educated. He became a pioneer of the Romantic Movement of the late 18th Century. From his meager beginnings, Burns was a failed farmer but by his 20s had become famous for his forthright poetry any lyrics. Well known for his many love affairs and love of the grog, Burns lived hard, fathered many children and finally died at the tender age of 37. Today Burns Night is a tradition celebrating the poet that is put on by Scots worldwide."

 So we celebrated with a dinner in Itaewon.  For 25,000 won the menu included:

1.Haggis with Neeps and Tatties in a whisky cream sauce ( also veggie option)

2. Scottish Shortbread

3. Whisky or a Whisky coffee

My meal

or

Tomi's Meal:
Bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with haggis and tatties on the side

They prepared each meal individually but they were well worth the wait. Both were completely delicious and I was shocked at the authenticity, particularly because Haggis is actually still illegal in America. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Haggis, is a savoury type of pudding that contains sheep heart, liver, lungs, onion, suet, oatmeal, spices and stock all mixed to together, encased in animal stomach and simmered to perfection! It really is much tastier than it sounds!

Haggis was originally banned for it's use of sheep lungs

I never need an excuse to drink Scotch, but this is excellent!

The atmosphere itself was pretty cozy and reminded me of a lot of the pubs I used to go to in the U.K. It actually just opened this November, but seems to be doing quite well for itself. The meal was delicious and tasted authentic, the drinks were very reasonably priced and when it got a bit drafty they brought us these awesome Carlsberg blankets.

The had a great whisky selection and I will definitely be returning. Oh the things you can find in Korea, especially a city as international as Seoul. Well played,Seoul, well played!