A few thoughts on North Korea....

Sorry, the sound is a bit off.

This Week: My life in meme form

When the staff are fighting and they ask me where I was....


Walking through the hallway after a particularly bad class...


When one of my student's says "teacher needs to diet" and I'm all- bitch please....


When my smallest student says she's on a diet.....


Trying to be cool, texting and walking down stairs at school....


When my students ask me how I am on a bad day....


When my principal starts talking at me in very fast Korean during lunch...


How I feel every time someone asks me if North Korea is going to bomb us....


How I feel when one of my new students challenges me....

Itaewon: Why I love it

It seems to be a very common theme among foreigners in Korea, to believe that those who spend time in Itaewon, simply do not appreciate Korea or Korean culture. This is due to the influx of Western restaurants and bars and the percentage of the foreign population. I have been told on numerous occasions that places like Hongdae and Gangnam are far superior, and here is my rebuttal.

Forget the fact that I can finally find jeans that fit my butt, the fact that there is a Nike outlet, shoes in my size, a Ben's cookie tempting me so close to the station, forget it's central location, the friendly buskers, the endless rows of clothing and accessory stalls, the man playing church music with the giant 666 sign, the gold country prints, the flags, the crowded sidewalks...forget all this. But why? And should we?

Being raised in a multicultural and diverse family, both racially and religiously, has made me appreciate and even crave multiculturalism in all forms. I grew up eating food from all over the world, with a group of friends more diverse than a crayola special edition pack. When I arrived in Korea, I had my first real culture shock at seeing how  homogeneous everything was. To say I stood out in my neighborhood, would be an understatement. Sure, it has it's advantages (the attention), but it can also feel a bit isolating at times. Particularly in weeks where I'm not hanging out with the other Waygook teachers.

Then, with a little help from my rugby team, I discovered Itaewon. From the second I set foot in that place, I knew I wanted to spend a considerable amount of time there. Sure, it has had it's share of bad press in the past few years (military and general drunken foreigner shenanary) but we must understand that any area so populated with people from all over the world is going to have it's conflicts and misunderstandings. In the past few months, I have made  friends with some wonderful folks in the military and can honestly say that I feel bad for a reputation that quite often (unfairly) follows them wherever they go. But I digress.

Many people say that Itaewon is used as an escape for teachers who want to get away with learning minimal Korean and nothing substantial about the culture.While it is true that you will be hard pressed to find a person who cannot speak English in Itaewon, it also lends itself to an opportunity to experience a wonderful fusion of language and culture. There are a considerable amount of Koreans who spend time in Itaewon, many of whom I have befriended and learned much about. I find that they are just as eager as I am to learn about other cultures and this begins a glorious exchange. I love passing an Irish bar, followed by a Middle eastern restaurant and a Brazilian steakhouse. I feel proud when I look up at the mosque, just feet from traditional Korean dining and around the corner from an African restaurant that boasts the most delicious plantains. This mismatch, this melting pot, this collection of cultural anomalies stuck smack dab in the middle of such a  homogeneous country is pure brilliance; it's beautiful even. Seeing so many unidentifiable people from all over the world sharing one space is harmonious. Meeting people from India, Pakistan, Russia, America, Japan,Korea,Egypt, Turkey, Thailand, Canada (the list goes on) is inspiring.

While Itaewon is not without it's own problems and it can be a bit strange. I am so proud to be part of that bizarre collection of people that make Itaewon just what it is.

Dinner at Marakech Nights

BSSK get together at African Heritage Restuarant

Rugby Social at Dickens

Election day in Wolfhound's Irish Pub

Conversations with drunk Korean men.....

Every time I go out, I run into very interesting Korean men. I swear there is never a dull moment.This may be one of the main reasons I don't do much dating in Korea. Here is a sample:

Scenario 1
Korean Man: Hey
Me: Hello
Korean Man: You are a good dancer.
Me: Oh, thank you.
*awkward silence*
Korean Man: You dance good.
Me: Thanks! Yep. I like to dance.
Korean Man: Yes, it is good.
*says something in Korean*
Me: Oh, sorry. My Korean is not very good
*says something else in Korean*
Korean Man: Sorry, my English is very little.
Me: Okay
Korean Man: You are pretty.
Me: Thank you
Korean Man: I like your hair
Me: thank you.
*touches my hair awkwardly and gets hand stuck in it*
Korean Man: Hair is good.
*awkward silence*
(Korean man slowly wanders away)

Scenario 2
(Drunk Korean man runs up and kisses me)
Korean Man: You so sexy
Me: Uh....
(attempts to lick my face as I duck out of the way)
Korean man: Wooooooooooooooo!
(He runs away and probably passes out)

Scenario 3
Korean Man: Hey. Where are you from?
Me: I'm from America.
Korean Man: (looks confused) But, where are you from original?
Me: America
Korean Man: You are from Spain, yes?
Me: No. My dad is black and my mom is white
Korean Man: Oh, that's cool. I like black people.
Me: Cool.
Korean Man: You like Korean men?
Me: Yeah.
Korean Man: You teach me how to dance?
Me: Uh....I guess
*start dancing*
Korean Man: You black, you teach me how to dougie.

Scenario 4
Korean Man: Yo baby.
(I look around, hoping he is not talking to me)
Korean Man:Hey baby.
(his friend repeatedly apologizes for him and attempts to take him away.
Korean Man: I like your body. You are woman.
Me: Um, thanks I guess.
Korean Man: Korean woman is thin. You are womanly. I like.
Me: uh, cool....

Scenario 5
Korean Man: Very beautiful
Me: Oh,thank you.
Korean Man: Can I get you a drink?
Me: Sure
(he extends hand across the bar and I see a wedding ring)
Korean Man: You want to leave here with me?
Me: Are you married?
Korean Man: I pay.

Scenario 6:
Korean Man: Hello
Me: Hello
Korean Man: You ever had Korean lover?
Me: Umm....no.
Korean Man: You are racist.
Me: Me? What? No.
Korean Man: Good. You come home with me.

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.