Aging Gracefully in Korea! :) Hello 2-5!

Surprise Birthday Cake :) Anyong Haseyo (hello in Korean) Quarter of a Century!

Let me start off my saying I'm not a birthday person.  Please don't misinterpret that, I don't mind getting a year older, I just don't enjoy the "all eyes on me" part.  I mean in all honesty - shouldn't it be my parents celebrating? I didn't really do anything special that day. To give a little background on where I think this phobia started, here's a birthday nightmare - I vividly remember being at a restaurant in my hometown probably around my 9th or 10th birthday - I was out for dinner with my family at Toot's (for you Murfreesboro-ans). I'm enjoying my intimate birthday setting, and before I know it, I hear the waiters and waitresses marching towards our table clapping and singing "Happy Birthday." My stomach dropped and I immediately burst into tears. Since then, I've made my friends and family vow to NEVER - and I mean ever - have the waitstaff come to our table on my birthday.  I was lucky from years 21 to 24 because I had my birthdays in exotic destinations thanks to working really hard in the summer selling books. I turned 21 in Jamaica, 22 in Cancun, and 23 in the Dominican Republic.

Point being, I've had birthdays in fun places with great people! :) But this year might take the prize (minus not seeing family or my sweet puppy!!) It was a weekend and a birthday I'll never forget - thanks to all those who I saw in Pohang and all the sweet bday wishes I got from across the big pond - it really meant a lot! The weekend in review:

Friday was low key because I had to be awake early on Saturday for teaching training in Gumi,  a city about an hour and a half away.  They bussed about 40 foreign teachers at 7:30am to a "How to Teach in Korea" seminar.  Waking up early on a Saturday wasn't fun, but the seminar wasn't that bad. 

Then, Saturday afternoon there was a scavenger hunt from 4:30-9:00.  It was a blast!! It was a fundraiser for the soccer team in town.  There were about 20-25 English teachers that played.  Leigh and I were on a team and it was a picture scavenger hunt, so we'd have to do things like "help a stranger carry their groceries to their car" or "have a teammate do a handstand in front of the post office" and then take a picture of it.  There were about 60 things - we only got about 40 of them, but we laughed until we cried. At midnight I was surprised with a birthday cake and the entire bar singing Happy Birthday Korean style.  :) memorable and fun!

Scavenger Hunt Task: Picture of Teammates on Tandem Bike

Task: Picture with Clothed Dogs

Task: Pillow Fight :)

Task: Teammate Pyramid with Korean on Top!

Task: Takeover Street Vendors duties! (Korean pancake "hota")

Task: Tango with stranger!

Task: Have Korean do Heisman pose while holding head of lettuce

Task: Kiss stranger's hand

Task: Help stranger carry groceries to their car

Then on Sunday a group of us got together at our friend Kevin's house for a foreign Thanksgiving.  Koreans celebrate their version of Thanksgiving (Chuseok) in September.  Also, as you can imagine, the food here is VERY different from food from America - so I had macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and deviled eggs for the first time in almost 4 months!! yum! We played games and spent hours laughing until we cried.  I got a 2nd birthday cake there - thanks to one of the sweetest people I've met since I've been here, Tonic!
Honestly, I think this was one of my best birthdays yet!

I have a feeling 25 is gonna be my year! :)
xoxo Em!

Halloween In Korea

A picture that made me smile from back home :) My puppy dressed up for Halloween in her authentic Korean "hanbok" I bought in Seoul! :)

In Korea, they don't celebrate Halloween. But, I work at an English hagwon, and since Halloween is celebrated in Western countries, we celebrated it to let the students experience Western culture! The week of Halloween I taught the kiddos about costumes, trick or treating, jack-o-lanterns, witches, ghosts, vampires and all other ghoulish Halloween customs! It was a lot of fun. Since Halloween fell on a Sunday, we celebrated Friday afternoon. The kids were invited for a party and a market day. The students are rewarded for good behavior and completing their homework with signs or stickers on a "sign card". On Market Day, they can use their "signs" to buy toys, candy, and food. At the party, I was in charge of the "Culture Room" which was a pumpkin carving room and I'd planned a craft where we made felt bats out of the students' handprints. The pumpkin carving was HILARIOUS because in Korea the pumpkins are a little....different than typical American pumpkins. I was thinking orange, round, and hollow. But here, some of the pumpkins are green, some are orange, some are not hollow - they're actually more like the texture of an apple, and some aren't even round. I think one of the students brought a cucumber! You'll see pictures of a fellow foreigner, my friend Caspar, who helped a student carve not 1, but 2 faces on said cucumber jack-o-lantern! :) Fun times, I think the students had a blast, and honestly they've never really seen American pumpkins in person, so I guess non-hollow and cucumber Jack-O-Lanterns totally work. Enjoy the pictures! :) Many of the students dressed up in costume - it was adorable!

Helena :)

Tim, Andy, and Rim - the VP of our Hagwon

Sarah

Tim, Gin and I doing the Kimchi pose! :)

Caspar was sooo nice to come and help! He teaches some of the same students at their public school.

Face #1 on Cucumber Pumpkin

Sunny (on right) :) awesome costume!

Sally carving her non-hollow pumpkin

Rim - VP of school again with students! :)

Tim with his "best friend Tom" - direct quote

all smiles! - Happy Halloweeeen! :) Jane, Kelly, Gina, and William

Do I really get paid to hang out with such cute kiddos?


Em :)

Sickness in Korea! :) Special Thanks to amazing Friends & Family!

Moving to a new country entails experiencing a plethora of unfamiliar things. I'd like to think I've adapted well thanks to being flexible and embracing the differences in Korea, but still there are things that have taken some getting used to. There are the big differences like the food, the language, and the culture, and then there are the smaller things like the air, the water, not having a dryer, not having a shower booth, public baths, having to bring your own toilet paper to the public bathrooms, etc. I could go on for days. :) Even though mentally and emotionally I've adapted really well, living in a new country finally took its toll on me physically. Soon after my last post, I got a bladder infection - pretty normal, would not have been a serious ailment in the States. Usually I would have visited a walk in clinic or my Dr. and been given antibiotics. I would have felt fine within 24 hours. Here in Korea, things panned out quite differently.

I visited my first doctor on Thursday, October 28th. He took my temperature, asked about my symptoms and prescribed a bunch of white medication - still not sure what exactly it was - you don't get medication info here. All I know is by the next afternoon, I was feeling much worse. I was light headed, had a fever, and had terrible pain in my abdomen and left side/back. And we just so happened to be having a Halloween party this afternoon. :( Towards the end of the evening, I let my friend Rim know I wasn't feeling well. I suggested we go to the doctor, but since at this point it was 7:30pm on a Friday - we had to go to the hospital.

Visiting the hospital in Korea was interesting. Patient confidentiality is pretty much out the window since everything I said had to be translated through my director. Also, the ER is a big room with 35ish beds and you can see what's going on with everyone. My first visit they suggested running all these tests - I found out I didn't have health insurance and was a little nervous about the costs and the fact that I'd feel silly if nothing was wrong. I was really stressed out and a little scared I guess, so I actually cried for the first time since I've been here. I declined the tests. They still hooked me up to an IV for 2 hours - loading me with fluids and an antibiotic drip. It helped with my fever and 2 hours later I headed home.

Saturday I was in bed all day - still feverish with no appetite. Around 9:00 that night, I decided my body was giving me multiple signs that something wasn't right and that I probably shouldn't risk it. So, I headed again to the hospital - this time by myself armed with my English to Korean dictionary. When I got to the hospital, a few of the nurses from the night before were there. They remembered me as the girl that declined medical attention, but were still very kind. This time there was a nurse who spoke excellent English (such a blessing)!! So, I went ahead with the tests and was again hooked up to IV drips for the next 2 hours. I left with 1 day worth of medication and instructions to see a doctor first thing Monday morning.

Monday, I went back to the hospital - note from the ER in hand. The doctor spoke very little English and in hindsight I think he just prescribed some medication and wanted me out of his office. He didn't run ANY additional tests, despite my symptoms changing AND worsening. The pain was now in my legs, still in my side and back, and now my neck and head were hurting terribly and I'd thrown up. I was worried I had meningitis! So I lay in bed for the next 4 days - still feverish, still no appetite and still no improvement. I missed work all week.

Finally on Friday, we go back to the hospital to meet with the nephrologist (the kidney doctor). He is AMAZING! He speaks perfect English, runs extensive tests - and changes my medication. This is Friday and by Sunday, after 7 days in bed, I finally return to the land of the living! If only I had met him on Monday! :)

Overall, a bit scary, but this definitely opened my eyes and made me really appreciate healthcare in America. I know it has its issues, but I really had taken for granted how easy it is to go to the doctor, tell the doctor what's wrong, and trust that they're giving me the correct medication. In addition to the language barrier here, the medications are quite different, AND I felt a bit like the diagnoses were trial and error. But, I did finally meet the right doctor! :)

A HUGE thanks to all the friends in Pohang and back home that called and facebooked me to make sure I was doing ok! :) All the well wishes and offers to bring me food and fluids meant SOOOOO much! I won't list names b/c I might miss someone important - but you guys are AWESOME/Terrific/Wonderful - thanks so much! Love you!

xoxo from a FULLY Recovered Emily! :)

A special thanks to the Schneider Electric Family -

For those of you who don't know, I was ill about 2 weeks ago. And when I mean ill - I mean the most sick I've been since I can remember. A little background: My dad's worked for Square D my entire life - which is over 25 years. As someone who's now experienced corporate America, I realize this says a lot. His tenure speaks very highly of not only his accomplishments, but says a lot about the company, too. So, firsthand I'd experienced Schneider/Square D being a great company, but I may be a tad biased. :)

Being sick at home isn't fun. And being sick 7,000 miles away from family, friends, comfort, and Campbell's soup was especially NOT fun. To top things off I was scared and so was my Dad, but he was pretty helpless being so far away. Having a marketing degree, I learned about the textbook perks of an international company, but I learned another one a few weeks ago. And that's having an international support chain, an international "phone tree". Being able to call a business colleague and, switch gears for a minute and express concern as a parent, being able to relate, despite distance or culture.

Bottom line: I was sick and even though Alban and Mr. Kim and many others had never met me, they were kind enough to help - be it passing on an email to find someone that could help, or calling me the next day and making sure I was okay. Mr. Kim's wife is a doctor and she took the time to call and speak with my coteacher. She offered her medical advice, suggesting we go see a kidney doctor - which ended up being the best doctor I'd seen all week! Despite spending the previous 7 days in bed, after seeing the kidney doctor, I was feeling better within 48 hours! :)

Amidst the busy days of emails, conference calls, product quality checks, and all the other things that go along with busy Schneider/Square D days - I want to send a sincere THANK YOU for the kindness I received. I can't explain how nice it felt to know that I was cared about and not alone, even though I'm really far away from my family - I now realize I'm a part of the Square D family - and if need be there is someone that can help!

With Sincere Thanks and Even More Respect for all You do!

Best Regards,

Emily Smits

Month Long Hiatus - my apologies! :)

Wow! I CANNOT believe it's been a month plus since my last post. I know I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again - now I understand WHY in the world people have a hard time keeping up with blogs. It seems like it'd be easy to e-journal about one's life, but life just sort of happens. Day after day things don't seem like a big deal - events happen and I think "I'll blog about that later" - 15 experiences like that later, I'm a month and a half behind and overwhelmed with many things to write about, BUT I will do my best to bring you up to speed on my life since mid October! :) So here it is, November 19th - 2 days away from my 25th - yep, you read that correctly *25th* birthday! November has flown by just like all the other months have since I've been in Korea.

I'm going to break this into mini posts b/c there's so much to write about! :)

xoxo Always,

Em

Smorgasbord post :)

Hard to believe October is almost halfway over already! Time is flying on this side of the world. This is a bit of a random post, but they're all things I want to remember - and that's the whole point of this blog - a.) I'm a faster typer than a writer and b.) I know after being here for a year, all these things that have happened will be a blur.  c.) It's also nice to be able to share my laughs and adventures with friends and family. So a few firsts
I've had this month -

Shoe Shopping: I went shoe shopping and was informed that my feet are too big. I need a 250 and the maximum size in women's shoes are 240. :) I'm patiently awaiting a care package from home that should have 2 pairs of winter boots and a winter coat. On the bright side,  I guess it would have been worse had they said they didn't make jeans or shirts in my size. 

My Love life according to lady in Booth #4 (f.y.i.- #4 is supposed to be good luck):  I went to a Tarot Card Reader -  which I'd never done! It was fun - the Tarot card reader spoke in Korean, so my friend Rim had to translate for me - I chose the topic of Love. Long story short:  She said I'm quick-tempered in romantic relationships, decide quickly if I'm interested in someone romantically or not and right now my mind isn't open to a relationship (hah imagine that), but she did say that I should keep an open mind in 2-3 months to someone a close friend will introduce me to.  My ideal marrying age  is 29-30; he will likely be older than me. She said that I'm very independent and not the type of person to change my life around for a man.  All in all, it was a fun experience, if for nothing other than a little reassurance :) A good $4 investment, if you ask me. 

Shootin' Hoops: Yesterday, I went to university class that my friend Rim teaches.  It was actually more like show and tell, and I was the item. The first hour was questions and answers and free talking.  I had the students introduce themselves (name, age, major, hometown, and hobby) and then I opened it up for them to ask me questions.  The second hour, we went outside and a couple of us played a game of 3 on 3 basketball - me in my dress clothes + 5 Korean college guys,while the rest of the class took pictures and watched. I was a little nervous since it'd been YEARS since I'd been on a basketball court, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.  The kids were great and I surprised myself by scoring 5 of our team's 8 points. Pictures to come :)  

 Abstract art: I painted for the first time since I've been in Korea - without a teacher! I can't take all the credit - I did look at paintings online for some inspiration - but to be honest, it didn't turn out anything like that - so I guess it can still be classified as an Emily original!! :) 

Love from Kimchi land - Em

Well, I've shared with you the good - here's a bit of the Ugly

It's unlike me to share information about my bathroom trips, but I had a mishap tonight that I think warrants sharing for those who enjoy a good giggle.

Disclaimer: I do not take pictures in Korean bathrooms or ANY bathrooms for that matter,- I googled this topic only to find there were already images in Google's database. I must not be the first that has documented this type of experience. 

Back to my story - In Korea they have interesting toilets - a) they have the holes in the ground that look like urinals that have been laid on the ground  (yes, they're for females) and toilet b) is the one that likes like a handicapped toilet with lots of buttons on it.   Toilet A:

A girl offered me some advice by saying, "Have you ever been camping? It's just like that - you just squat." Which I can understand if you're in a field and have shorts on, but in jeans and a cute top I haven't quite figured out how to master  yet. :(

 Toilet B:

Beware of the blue button - 2nd to the left

Long story short - before I knew it - I was getting an enema - yep a stream of warmish water shooting up my "ash-hole" as my Korean co-worker later explained to me this button was for. Problem #1 - I'd not performed a #2 so my "ash-hole" wasn't in need of cleansing and #2) I WAS NOT expecting a hard stream of water up my "ash".  So, I jumped up only to have it squirt all over my shirt and pants that - you know hadn't made it to my waist yet - I move out of the way of the STILL streaming water - I mean, how dirty do they think one gets? only to have the water drench the door, sink, AND floor.  I push the button again hoping that it will stop - and it does. Whew!  I catch my breath, hoist my drawers up ONLY to have it start squirting all over me again.  My pants are now wet,  along with my shirt - I'm giggling (thanks to a few beers) and slam the toilet lid down - it continues spraying for another few rounds - pouring water all over the floor (thank god for self draining bathrooms in Korea).  I thought it'd never stop. I compose myself, obviously it'd look weird to walk out of the bathroom giggling, I dry off what I can of the door, myself, and the toilet seat, in hopes of saving the next "victim"- and leave the restroom after an unnecessarily l-o-n-g visit.  I politely gesture to the waitress that the floor is going to be a little slippery/wet. 


That's what I get for calling my fingertips magic in the last post! :)

xoxo - Em

Magic in my fingertips

Before I left for Korea, I really enjoyed going to this artsy place near Nashville called Sips N Strokes! :) I bring this up today because I was downtown and found an EVERYTHING store thanks to my friend Virginia -which literally has EVERYthing you could want for very reasonable prices! :) So, I'm hoping I'll remember some of what I learned in those classes, and be able to add some of this new inspiration I'm feeling (thanks to Korea) and come up with my own masterpieces! :) Until I have some new ones - here are a few paintings I did before I left! :)

Wish me luck,

xoxo Em ;)

Eat, Pray, Love in Korea! :)

I FINALLY saw Eat, Pray, Love tonight with my coteacher Serena (Rim)! :) It opened in the States about a week after I left, so I've been patiently awaiting its debut in Korea.  There's so much I could write about the book and about the movie, but I'll keep it short. There was a quote towards the end of the movie that really resonated with me....you'll see why.

"If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting(which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all -to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself....then truth will not be withheld from you."   Elizabeth Gilbert

I'm excited to find my next clue! :)

Always, Em