Renewing ETA Profile (AKA Reflections on My Year(s) Teaching in Korea)

THE RENEWING ETA PROFILE HANDBOOK
Just this afternoon, our Program Coordinator sent out a giant email containing application forms for leadership positions next year within Fulbright Korea. Yes, we've just returned from our winter vacations, but it's that time of the grant year again! Included among the many attachments was the Renewing ETA Profile Handbook, containing the knowledge, experiences, and insights of, well, ETAs who are in their second or third year here. The aim of the handbook is to help first year ETAs decide whether to likewise renew or not.

Because I tarried in submitting my survey, my responses were not included in the handbook. However, I did save what I typed up, (thinking I would later post them up here), and want to share them with you here now with some modifications.

SURVEY: LOGISTICS STUFF

Current School Name and Location: Yeongdo Girls High School, Yeongdo-gu, Busan
Current School Demographics: All-Girls
Did you change school demographics after your first (or second) year(s)? No
Did you change placement locations? No
Do you currently live in a homestay or apartment? Homestay

SURVEY: SHORT RESPONSES PORTION

What factors were relevant to your decision to renew? 

I chose to renew based on a wonderful first-year experience. The families, friends, and communities I formed during my first few months of arriving in Busan went to extraordinary lengths, above and beyond their job descriptions, to make my stay here smooth, comfortable, and delightful!

Because being a "Fulbrighter in South Korea" was only supposed to be a one-year commitment for me before diving right into grad school, I did touch base with former professors and counselors to hear what they had to say. The response was a resounding: Yes! Go be young, and live your life now! Grad school won't be going anywhere! (or something to that effect). This, along with the fact that my family back in the U.S. were doing well further encouraged me to invest another year in growing in a different setting.

How has your current year been different from your first (or previous years) as an ETA? How has it been similar? 

I enjoyed every aspect of my first year enough to request renewal at the same city, and same school! The advantages of staying were numerous, including: being able to witness the evolution of my students from first graders to second- and, now, third-graders(!); forming deeper bonds with the students, co-teachers, and administrators at my school; strengthening ties with a slew of foreigners I met at a couple of English services in Busan; and becoming better acquainted with the beauty of the island I live in, and with the rhythm of life in Busan - a place I would find more and more reasons to love.

The only change I made was in choosing a different homestay with which to live. My first homestay family was a great blessing! However, I saw how hard my host mom worked around the home and, with her continued insistence in doing everything for me even as she was recovering from a back surgery, I chose to leave, not wishing to pose a greater burden on her and her family. I also considered the fact that, for the whole year, my two younger host sisters had slept on the living room floor just so I could have a private room in their household. My stay with this family showed me firsthand how one can be "burdened" by the kindness and generosity of others.

My second homestay is made up of educators (host mom is a middle school English teacher and host dad is a statistics professor) and so feels less like "family" and more like colleagues. However, the advantage of this living situation is that my host mom (having also lived in the U.S. for 11 years) can speak English well, giving us the opportunity to have long, drawn out meals where we talk about anything and everything under the sun.

Has your second/third year met your expectations? Please elaborate.

My greatest expectation was to form better and deeper relationships with folks I live, work, worship, and hang out with. This goal has been (more or less) realized. I am satisfied with the friendships I have formed and been able to maintain, but have been a bit disappointed because some of the original friendships that had made this particular placement so ideal for me at the beginning have dissolved into thin air.

I can relate to another Returning ETA, who wrote:

"While I don't regret my decision to renew because it has forced me to grow in many ways, if I knew how much would change (even when I was staying in the exact situation!) I probably wouldn't have renewed."  - Stacey

Other goals I had were to earn a black belt in Taekwondo (thwarted by the onset of chronic cough in winter); to continue working with North Korean Defectors at the Busan Hana Center (check); to step up my YDAC game (check); and to apply for fellowships and graduate schools (the last application having been sent while hospitalized during my recent trip back to the Philippines for winter vacation). No big deal...


What advice do you have for first-year ETAs deciding whether to renew?

In deciding to renew, it's important to remember that you are not the only variable in the equation. I speak from personal experience when I say that family back home who may be doing "well" now financially or health-wise, may not be in a matter of months. If you are privileged with the responsibilities of being the eldest child in a [single-parent] household like I am, you will do well to consider the state of affairs back home before extending your teaching contract.

Also keep in mind that your decision to stay [at the same homestay/school/city for whatever ideal situation] does not necessarily mean things will remain as they are. That is the nature of seasons, of relationships, and of the Korean education system.

If you stay, decide to be present. As teachers, we are in the business of investing in young lives with the hopes they will become future world changers. Knowing this, if you do decide to renew, be fully present and do as Mrs. Shim has always told us: "Love your students!"

Believe it or not, a huge part of loving your students (or anyone, really) well is in taking care of yourself. Stay healthy, maintain your joy despite what your circumstance may look like; maximize the hours you are not teaching (legend has it that the former ETA at my school wrote a novel during her "down time" and later published after her grant year); and remember that, despite how it may feel sometimes, you are now living in "the real world."

Oh, and if you decide NOT to renew, I definitely agree with another ETA's advice who said to:

"...make sure...you have something good waiting for you back home, in Korea, or elsewhere." - David

You can contact me by email if you have unanswered questions or other concerns: mcagaitan[at]gmail.com

Post-Dinner Evening Stroll in Yeongdo's Coastal Trail with Host Mom

CHUSEOK HOLIDAY BEGINS!

Today is the start of my 5-day Chuseok vacation! The days leading up to this break were filled with questions about what my plans were.

With great excitement, I told other teachers that my plans were: ...*drum-roll please*...

Absolutely Nothing! 

DEALING WITH THE GUILT OF HAVING FREE TIME

I am free! This past year, I have struggled mightily against the guilt of being free to just relax. Being free to pause in my tracks. Being free to not have a schedule. Being free to not have an agenda. Being free for self-care. This past year, I have struggled with this peculiar guilt and am still learning and implementing ways to safeguard my sanity, my health, my time, and my energy. 

THE EVENING STROLL

MY SATURDAY CONSISTED OF ME...

...waking up slow and getting up late, eating brunch while Skyping my sweet Mama in Washington, and then spending the rest of the day reading, napping, watching video clips, napping, pinning parts of my dream home on Pinterest, napping again, waking up for dinner with my Korean host mom, washing dishes, doing laundry, and then taking a walk together afterwards.  

The evening was beautiful - from the moment we stepped outside the apartment complex and saw the near-full moon to the very end, when we sat facing the twinkling lights of the Busan coastline and chatted in the near-dark. I made verbal observations about how much safer Korea is compared to the Philippines (or even compared to the U.S.). 

THE SAFE HAVEN THAT IS KOREA

Walking around at night, I don't feel like I have to constantly look behind my back, or remember my Arnis or Taekwondo, or keep a deathly-grip on my smartphone in case it is snatched. I feel safe here! This safety gives me more freedom to enjoy the walk, breathe in the scenes and the fresh air in one gulp, and just appreciate Connie's brisk walk and personality.

There was a small group out for a night picnic and actually grilling something delicious in the dark. The smoke and the aroma added a touch of warmth to the tingling coolness of the night air. Among many others, we passed by a young family, the father carrying a baby strapped across his torso, while his wife walked arm-in-arm beside him. The sight of this family warmed and gladdened my heart! At one point, Connie collided with what looked to be a disoriented wasp and ended up squashing it with her next step by accident. Very unfortunate fellow.

We returned to the apartment to find that my host dad had arrived, and was hanging our clothes up to dry in the balcony - quite an unusual sight in Korea, I think, especially among the older married folks! 

Trip to Boseong-gun in South Jeolla Province with My 1st Homestay Family

TRAVELING FROM INCHEON TO BUSAN
After a relatively incident-free direct flight from Seattle to Seoul/Incheon, I arrived back in Busan very early Friday morning. The day was spent more or less sleeping after a sleepless night of waiting for the airport bus limousine to arrive at 10:30 p.m., tossing and turning on said bus for the whole five hours of travel back down to Busan, and then standing streetside at Nopo-dong for 30 minutes trying to hail a taxi in the rain.

To be fair, it was mostly Russel who stood streetside trying to hail a taxi in the rain while I sat dry with my luggage under an awning. Thirty minutes more of commute brought us to the home of my new homestay family, where I didn't even bother to unpack my toiletries before crashing on the newly-made bed they had prepared for me. 

WELCOME BACK TO KOREA! DINNER
Fast-forward to the evening and I am woken up and told by my new host mom, Connie, that she has invited a handful of folks from church and my former host family for dinner! What a thoughtful gesture!

FIRST HOST FAMILY STEALING ME FROM MY SECOND HOST FAMILY 
No, not really, but...

During dinner, my host family convinced me to go on a family trip with them. When? That very night. I was exhausted and disoriented, but this was the same trip my family had been wanting to take me on for what seemed like all of last year but it never materialized. So I said, Yes!, packed a change of clothes, toiletries, and a gift I had prepared for them from the States. My host sisters' excitement served as a kind of energy injection into my system.

TRAVELING FROM BUSAN TO BOSEONG
We traveled for three hours, arriving at my host dad's sister's house a few minutes shy of midnight. Her house was beautiful and comfortable and somewhere in Boseong County, a place famous for its green tea leaves. I slept soundly with Juhyeon and Seoyeon and woke up the next day to a full day of adventures! I will post more on this trip later but, for now, enjoy this video I created through SnapMovie (thanks for the new obsession Juhyeon!), offering a brief glimpse into our afternoon coming home that day. 

My Korean Host Mom's Kimbap: A Delicious Interruption to a Saturday Spent Stressfuly Forecasting the Future

I spent all of today forecasting the future (a.k.a. planning my activities for the next year, researching grad schools and law schools in the U.S. and around the world, looking up requirements for fellowships in order to attend said grad or law school, and considering other jobs after finishing up my second year teaching in South Korea). This activity has been absorbing much of my time lately. It helps keep my mind awake at school and my heart hopeful. It is at once liberating and exciting (in the sense that I am reminded of my youth and my privilege in being able to entertain so many different paths to take), and, at the same time, frustrating and just a bit crippling (in the sense that I, ultimately, don't have that much control over life). 

After several hours of feverish researching and planning and jotting down notes and hoping, I would pause, blinking back my eye fatigue, and sigh at the ridiculousness - and, perhaps, even vanity - of my life schemes. These seconds convict me - figurative gavels ringing loudly in my ears. 

I was so focused on forecasting my future that I had forsaken breakfast and lunch, not even noticing it was well into the afternoon until my host mom knocked on my door and hand delivered these plates to my room. 

"Mimi, handmade!" she said proudly. 

I received the plates gratefully, suddenly aware of my hunger, and sat eating each piece of kimbap with a dizzy satisfaction atop my bed. 

Room-delivered homemade kimbap. What kind of life is this?!

Host mom had arranged the kimbap so deliciously that I couldn't bear to just go straight to eating them!

Host mom's special recipe on watermelons

Sweet and sour deliciousness; refreshing taste and so perfect for the increasingly hot Busan weather!

Once satiated, I had time for a longer pause and braved asking myself the questions,

"What is driving you to these mad planning/scheming/forecasting sessions?" 

and

"Have you forgotten God's faithfulness over the years?"

Stop whatever you are doing and remember! Remember where you have been and where you plan to go; remember the One who promised to never leave you nor forsake you on this journey. Stop and just be still and know that He is God. You don't have to do things on your own, by your own strength, or even through your own merit. That is the beauty of leaning fully on Christ Jesus!

Returning ETA In Search of Her Next Homestay Family in South Korea

MUSEUM

Today, I had a coffee date with Connie, a sweet lady from my church, to talk about the possibility of her family hosting me during my second grant year in South Korea. I know Connie from the afternoon English service at Ttang Ggeut Church. When I had just first arrived in Yeongdo, she offered to give me rides to and from church, insisting that she was practically my neighbor. I gratefully obliged!

We had coffee together at this beautiful marine museum in Yeongdo. The place was not as busy, the conversation was easy, and the sky and the sea competed in blueness just on the other side of the clear glass windows. 

BARISTA

The only unpleasant thing was being momentarily startled and paralyzed upon seeing the bruised face of the barista who handed me my order. The slopes of her cheekbones were blue and green in hues, and I wrestled with what to say to her nearly the whole time I was sitting down, enjoying my macchiato and sharing a muffin with Connie. I stood up to grab refills of our table napkins and attempted to say something but, each time, the lady was curt, quickly moved away from me, and hid her face. 

Connie and I must have talked about our whole lives this afternoon. The talking was easy (or easier) because she is a middle school English teacher. She had also lived in the U.S. for about 10 years, raising three children there before moving back to Korea. 

COOKING

Connie was willing to host me for next year, but was unsure of whether I would further consider staying with her because, she said, she does not cook. 

With a look half embarrassed and half joking, she said she has heard all year about how amazing a cook my Korean host mom is, and that she was not able to compete with that. (I hadn't realized how much I bragged about my host mom's cooking to, well, everybody until today!). I tried my best to assure Connie that if I stayed with her, I would learn how to cook, and might even start cooking for her and her family! (heh, I know, right!). 

APARTMENT

We left the cafe at the museum, with me not having done or said anything to the lady, and headed to Connie's apartment complex for a quick tour. She was gracious enough to prepare a small snack for me while there. The place was older than my current host family's apartment, but comfortable - it smelled comfortable, and looked well-lived through.

ORCHID

I left knowing that I had many things to consider in the coming days. Before I made my exit, I wandered over to their small patio and saw a purple orchid growing vibrantly among other healthy green plants. This simple sight was enough to reassure me that whatever next year might bring, God will be there right alongside me. I breathed a silent grateful sigh and ushered myself out the door and back into Connie's car, heading to the address that had become home to me this past year.

Purple orchids, my favorite flower

Dinner & Noraebang Date With Jana at Seomyeon & Going Past My Curfew

RE-MEETING JANA
I met Jana on my first month here in Yeongdo, but was just reconnected with her this April due to a storm of events. We met up at Seomyeon this evening - eating what looked to me like strips of grilled chicken on a bed of sweet and sour salad. It was tasty, as she had promised! Once I remember what this dish is called, I will add it to my list of "To Cooks."

After dinner, she led me through a maze of people on our way to what would turn out to be the swankiest noraebang (karaoke) place I have ever been to (which is not a lot, btw, considering this is only my second one here in Korea). But, she assured me that this place was, indeed, the most popular place to go to because, not only was it tastefully designed, they also served unlimited beverages and ice cream.

It was a bit difficult to sing and eat my cup of strawberry ice cream, but I managed. So did she, with her helping of chocolate ice cream. It was a fun night, but I definitely went past my curfew (still 9:30 p.m. for those who are curious). This curfew thing is not as bad as it sounds! I understand that my Korean host parents are only concerned about my safety, so I make sure to let them know where I am going, with whom, and what time I will be returning home. My host mom usually promptly replies with messages like these:

TEXT MESSAGES FROM MY HOST MOM

"Mimi and spend a great time and come home with care ~~^^ <3" or

"Mimi is a delicious dinner and have a great time~^^ <3"

"Mimi have an enjoyable dinner~~** <3" 

She always ends her messages to me with a heart! I love you, too, Host Mom ^^ <3!

Tour of Naewon Temple at 양산 (Yangsan), Gyeongsangnam-do During Fall

FALL SEASON IN SOUTH KOREA

Today, we were to head over to Yangsan to visit a temple for Buddhist nuns. Deacon Lee  had invited me and several other foreigners from church to join him and his wife on an excursion. They wanted us to see how glorious the Fall season is in South Korea. 

THE COST OF RUNNING LATE

I was running late for the 10:00 a.m. appointment so I sacrificed the breakfast that was already sitting warm and delicious in front of me (courtesy of Seoyeon) to run out the apartment and hail a cab. The driver was an old woman, complete with a puff of white, permed hair. Since running up the hill had triggered another coughing fit (third week running with this illness), I was unable to communicate to her my destination for a good five minutes. Helplessly, I sat in the back of the cab and just coughed. I managed to point left and right in between breaths. The old driver periodically looked over at me using her rear-view mirror, a line of concern on her brows, and a string of Korean words directed at me that I couldn't understand. 

COUGH ATTACK ON THE CAB

More than anything, I wanted to erase the concerned lines on her forehead so I made a concerted effort to smile, too, in order to reassure her. I wanted my smile to say, "Don't worry! This will pass. Just give me a few more good hacks," and "No, I am definitely NOT contagious [anymore], so it's all good!"

In a sudden moment of epiphany, I dialed Deacon Lee's number, introduced myself between coughs, and handed the phone to the driver. I arrived at Holy Joy Center at 10:02 a.m. - the first one in the group to do so. The fare was a surprisingly low \5,000 (or $5.00) - surprising because the other cabs I had taken to HJC before charged me double that amount! Jerks.

HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME WAITING

The others were 20-30 minutes late. I relished being the most punctual one of the group, but couldn't help but wistfully long for the brunch I had set aside to hurry over. It turned out there was absolutely no need for me to miss a perfectly good meal that would have energized me for half the day!

The center's parking lot had transformed into a big farmers' market with stores and merchandise and restaurants everywhere. I waited for the others by helping a lady from our church set up her spot along with the rest. With the exception of my job teaching, it seems no one here allows me to do any other work! My Korean mother, for instance, refuses to even allow me to get up and bring my own dirty plate to the sink. I am halfway up my chair when one of her powerful arms bars me from getting up and has, very suddenly, also stolen the plate and bowls right out of my hands. They treat me very well, perhaps too well. This is why I was all too happy to help Mrs. Song, the lady from church, carry a big box from the 6th floor down to the parking lot, lay out a tarp on the ground, and roughly arrange items she wanted to sell. 

The others finally arrived. The Deacon's wife could no longer join us, so I took the front seat and wavered in and out of consciousness for the 1.5-hour drive to Yangsan.

Here's a photo story of our day. 

When we arrived, it was obvious that the majority of the fall leaves had, well, fallen. Deacon Lee was worried that we would not find the place beautiful, but we assured him time and time again that everything was still very much so!

It was sunny, the skies were blue, and the color scheme of nature and of the temple we eventually arrived at all screamed loudly enough to impress us.

I lagged behind my companions for most of the time because each step and each bright thing from nature seemed to arrest me. I walked and saw and praised God.

My companions on the foreground, and a couple of Buddhist nuns in the background

The Naewon Temple
David pointed out that the people with shaved heads who kept passing us in gray clothing were actually women. They were the Buddhist nuns who lived in the temple. According to this website, the temple was burned down during the Korean War, and was reconstructed in 1958 by a monk named Suok.

TEA TIME IS STORY-TELLING TIME!
We entered this building and served ourselves tea. I listened as Elly, a lady from Myanmar, and Deacon Lee gave what amounted to a comparative political/military/economic history of Myanmar and South Korea. In both their stories about their countries, the United States cropped up in a way that made me cringe a couple of times. Just a couple of times though. The rest of the time, I hope the slight discomfort I felt was undetectable.

We stayed here for over an hour. The floors were heated, my very-small tea cup had long been emptied, and the conversations continued on in such a fantastic way that I became aware that I was slowly being lulled to sleep. I resisted the urge to lie down on the floor and very casually rest my eyes for just a few seconds.

The stream flowing through the valley was absolutely enchanting! I have to go back here when the weather gets warmer so I can wade in the water!

David reminisced that, before, there were no paved roads leading to the temple. A quarter of a century ago, he would trudge through this valley on dates and feel only the crunch of fallen leaves on the ground. He deliberately took us off the paved paths and led us through the limited patches of earth still offering the luxurious crunch of leaves. Amused, we followed him.

This is the area I want to swim in!

What a beautiful day. Yes, the leaves were nearly all gone, but with what was left still clinging on the trees, it was not hard to imagine this place would resemble a bit of paradise in Autumn. 

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU

Do you know of other beautiful places in South Korea that you would recommend I visit? Leave a comment below with your suggestions. 

Celebrating My Korean Sister's 16th Birthday in the Midst of Her Midterms

Last night, I went to bed hours before my Korean sister did. 

Already feeling under the weather, Juhyeon had to stay up until 4 or 5 in the morning to study for her midterms - ones which last for three days and test her on every subject she is taking (so, about 10 subjects total). Needless to say, as her sister and *ahem* teacher, I felt a bit guilty as I quietly tiptoed to my room. My guilt was definitely not assuaged by the fact that, because all of my first grade high school students would be preoccupied taking their midterms, I had no classes to teach and had three days off work.

The worst of it [for Juhyeon] was that the following day was her 16th birthday. Because she would be at school until at least 9:00 p.m. that day, I wasn't sure how the family would celebrate, so I just laid low. 

And by "laid low" I mean I hopped on a bus and stumbled around Lotte Department Store looking for a suitable gift to give to my sister later that night. I must have visited 20 stores total, tried on over 20 different outfits (we're not the same size, but close enough), and took the escalator at nearly every floor level. At the end of nearly four hours at the mall and with the aid of every store clerk ever, I finally had a complete outfit for Juyheon. 

Exhausted, I went home. This is what met me when I arrived: 

THE CELEBRATION

Korean dad setting the table for a special celebratory meal in the middle of the living room.

I absolutely love seeing how involved dad is in the household! Whenever he is home, he is either enjoying mom's cooking noisily, folding laundry with her, massaging her shoulders, or reclining on the couch with one of his daughters using him as a pillow while they watch a show together. 

Korean dad lighting his daughter's candles

A very rare picture with mom looking on, as opposed to her usual bustling back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.

Do not be fooled. This ice cream cake is 0% cake, and 100% ice cream.

Juhyeon blowing out her candles. She couldn't blow all of them out, so Seoyeon swooped in at the last second and finished the job, effectively reminding me so much of Emily and her impatient habit of blowing out other people's birthday candles. Hahaha

We sang the Happy Birthday song in both English and Korean, and, after, we spoke a blessing over Juhyeon before digging in.

Seoyeon bought her sister a new EXO album, which was probably the highlight of Juhyeon's celebration. They know each other very well...

For a couple of hours, we all lounged about the living room, eating, talking, watching a fascinating show about extreme makeovers (via plastic surgery), and listening to K-Pop trivia from Juyheon and Seoyeon. As if operating by an internal clock, the two girls slowly got up and shuffled off to their various study spots, not to be seen by me again for the next 12 hours as they immersed themselves in books and under the glare of red-eye-inducing lamp lights.

Even more amazing to me: mom stayed up with them - especially Juhyeon - doing various housework and preparing for the next day by ironing out her daughters' school uniforms and cooking their breakfast hours in advance.

Dedication. Sacrifice. Family.

I appreciated how simple Juhyeon's birthday celebration was. It was simple yet very comfortable and intimate, my kind of atmosphere. It felt familiar, like I had been celebrating her birthday with this family for many years.