Well, hello.
It’s been a minute. On days like today, Korea seems incredibly far away but also thisclose. Sort of like the buck that checks the bird feeders for snacks. I never know when I’ll open the curtain and see him staring right at me. Always a bit of a surprise but never wholly unexpected.
Even though Covid has put paid to all of my international travel for years now, after bizarre life events and being laid off I’m finally planning again for 2025. My airline reward miles won’t cover a trip back to Korea yet and since I’m a ‘poor college student’ (a situation in which I absolutely swore I would never find myself again after finishing my MSED and yet 2023 saw me taking exams and paying application fees…), 2025’s overseas adventure will be full of grocery store meals and low-budget transportation.
My last trip was to Germany in 2019. I spent over two months in a German language-studying frenzy to prepare for the trip. Even though they speak perfect English and heaven knows how many other languages, I thought it would be good to at least make an effort. Since so many of our words are nearly the same as German ones, it wasn’t too painful for me.
After a little over two months, I had a fairly solid grasp of the vocab needed to order from restaurants, get around using trains, buses, and taxis, and get the gist of signs if needed. Seriously, I immersed myself as much as possible from my living room. Movies, YT videos, books, Duolingo, music (Heilung, anyone? Anyone? No?). Every single time I went grocery shopping, I was reciting food words in my head as I went down the aisles.
Hopped the flight to Munich. Got wonderfully lost at one point and wound up in a beautifully maintained cemetery (I visited a couple of beautiful cemeteries there and highly recommend seeking a few out!) with a nice little restaurant not too far away. Decided to try out my basic restaurant vocabulary and order us a decent lunch for once but…
Within a few minutes, we were face to face with the most hostile service person I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. It shocked me so much that every single German word I’d learned flew completely out of my head. To this day, I have no idea why they were so hostile before we even spoke to them. Were we too loud, even though we really were trying not to be? Did I apologize too much? Maybe we smiled too much? Whatever it was, it seemed like we broke every German etiquette rule in the book as we tried desperately to not be ‘that’ type of American. No fanny packs. No white shoes with socks and dad shorts (I mean, we were a small group of women but still possible). But everything that fell out of my face just seemed to make the situation worse.
I really don’t know why it was happening but after the service person threw one of our plates down on the side of the table on top of both flatware and a phone- causing food to bounce off the side of the plate- a new waiter finally came over to help us and was actually patient and acted kind.
I was embarrassed and my cheeks were fairly red- partly because I was so humiliated and confused and partly because I was a little angry. I seriously did not and do not mind if a person in customer service is stoic. Don’t care if they don’t smile. Seriously Do. Not. Care. Just don’t be a jackass, please.
In the end, we did get our food. I had wanted to try this famous pork knuckle I’d been reading about but it wasn’t on the menu so I ordered a different pork dish. We ate it in relative peace since the hostile waiter never returned (just stood near the bar and glared). We complimented the meal to the patient waiter. Paid our bill. And got the eff out of there. It was all just so so SO bizarre. I won’t mention the restaurant name because it’s still there but hopefully that one particularly hostile service person is not.
We had a couple of other similar encounters (but not to that degree) that we didn’t quite know how to handle so chose to quietly shift to a new plan and walk away rather than feel that unsettled again. In fact, there’s a particular pharmacy near Marienplatz that I’ll never return to. However, we did end up with some flurbiprofen lozenges that were amazingly effective for a sore throat and stayed good for years! I rationed them carefully since we just can’t get those over here.
But, to be fair, we did have a lot of positive experiences on the trip. Our Air BnB hostess was absolutely fantastic. The buses were easy to use and convenient. Sidenote: we had a group bus pass which was cheaper but slightly inconvenient since we couldn’t really split up for the day without going to buy extra tickets- which, in hindsight we should have done. The train station was easy to navigate and ran like clockwork. The trains themselves were clean and comfortable. The service people in the train stations were all helpful.
A few extra thoughts: Dachau was sobering and the experience is still with me to this day. Nymphenburg Palace was a beautiful area (the tour tickets were a bit steep so we mainly just walked around the grounds). Neuschwanstein was beautiful but insanely crowded. Füssen was cute and touristy but that isn’t always a bad thing. Side note: keep an eye on the train tables! We, along with multiple other people just barely missed the last direct train from Füssen to Munich and ended up having to wait to get on a longer ride back with a change. Thankfully, there were still city buses running and we were able to get back to the apartment before 1am. In the grand scheme of things, it may not seem like a lot but overall it was pretty stressful since one of our party was starting to feel sick and had also just had a glass of stout accidentally poured down her back by a nervous young waiter. It all just made for a really long night.
We wandered a lot during the trip and I weirdly remember that we found a Rewe market in Volpinistraße that had everything we needed. We almost didn’t go in since it looked pretty small but so glad we did. We were able to pick up plenty of supplies and cook back at the apartment. It was so much more comfortable than squeezing into a hotel room and having to eat out every meal. We had a few accidental food adventures because of misunderstood labels but it was fun and nobody starved.
Since then, I’ve been promised by a close friend that Munich is actually a fabulous place with incredibly friendly people and I really need to give it another go. I DO believe her. She’s a patient traveler that has seen some wild stuff in her time and would never steer me wrong so I’m open to trying again. Someday.
Numbers and Nerves: One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic…
OSU Press Numbers and Nerves purchase page (no affiliation)
Decision Research information on Numbers and Nerves (no affiliation)
Numbers and Nerves- Has anyone read this?
This book is now top of my list for pleasure reading in my spare time but for now I just don’t have the time or oomph to read for pleasure. SO, if or when I’m finished slogging through academic journals and no longer gag at the site of highlighting pens next to trade paperbacks then I’ll start reading for fun again.
Note: I have no affiliation with OSU Press (other than OSU being my alma mater) and there is no commission code or anything attached to the links above. I just think it looks like a good read.
Global Collaboration Day events!
From the site:
About GCD
Global Education Day is a 24-hour online event taking place on September 15, 2016, wherever you are located in the world. Students, teachers, and organizations are encouraged to host an virtual activity that will connect people on this day.
By registering these activities on this site, others can join in and experience global collaboration. In turn, we hope that this day will raise greater awareness of the need for connecting classrooms and education organizations around the world. Empowering student and teachers to create authentic, meaningful experiences will deepen learning and improve educational outcomes for all children. Our hope is that this event will build greater understanding of the possibilities of global education!
Events list:
DGEV Tumblr site and clarifications
Someone posted a link to a DGEV Tumblr site with information on DGEV here on my comments section. I believe the more information out there the better as long as it tells both sides. Most of the Tumblr site is a pretty fair description on some key points so that was good to see. A small bit of it- not so much, but you can read that below. I’ll just put a few responses on topics below and here is the link to the site for you to check out on your own.
http://teachingenglishabroad.tumblr.com/
The Money
Paychecks: To clarify- the 1.7 they mention on the site is AFTER taxes, national health plan and pension. This is a fairly accurate average paycheck deposit at the Level 1 starting pay of 24 million won per year. My starting pay at Level 2 was 25 million won and my average paycheck was 1.78-1.82 since, depending on the time of year, the taxes fluctuate. There are two adjustment months- one for taxes and one for the medical you pay into. If you work a lot of overtime and/or receive a bonus then these are reflected in the tax adjustment months. Pension is matched by the school and all is refunded to the teacher after they fulfill their contract, apply for a refund with national pension service (NPS), surrender their Alien Registration Card and leave the country.
Overtime pay: I was horrified when overtime pay was accidentally missed on a couple of occasions for a teacher and in addition to private apologies, I am now publicly apologizing. *I* was responsible for collating dates/names for overtime and sending the hours report along to the first of a chain of people that handle finances and on I think 2 separate occasions those hours were not copied over correctly. This was a terrible oversight on my part. I apologized in earnest and had the situation rectified as soon as I was notified someone didn’t get their overtime pay. They were not intentional oversights (the Tumblr site does NOT say they were intentional, but please understand that not everything that happens at DGEV is the Korean administrations fault).
Room deposit: Actually a security deposit that covers damage/loss of school laptops, unpaid bills for teachers that leave the DGEV apartments near Yeungjin College without pre-paying their final month of bills (the utilities run a month behind to calculate usage so teachers need to average and pre-pay the bill that will come through after they have left), and contract security as DGEV provides flights to Korea at the beginning of each full 12 month contract whereas others only refund the one-way flight at the END of a 12-month contract. I have been seeing in Hakwon job postings that the end of contract flight reimbursements are more and more common.
Yes, sometimes it takes a lot of email reminders to make sure the security deposit is refunded. Deposits are not refunded for 12 weeks after a teacher leaves to make sure remaining bills are paid but I now agree this time frame is too long. Hopefully, that is a conversation that can be had in the near future.
The Campus
Good and bad both spot on. The shuttle can be an annoying curfew but still free. It probably should be said that once in a while a new bus driver would leave early which meant if you were running late you would end up paying an unexpected taxi fare. The schedule always says to be at the bus stop something like 10-15 minutes early just in case. 100% true and necessary. I was stuck with an unexpected taxi fare before and admittedly I wasn’t happy (actually, I was tired and angry for a few hours)…
The Bonuses (note: “bonus” equates to “gratuity”)
Historically, bonus time is when tempers run high. It causes more problems than it solves. Most people that don’t get a bonus are angry. A number of people that DO get a bonus are angry because it’s not what so-and-so got or they felt they ‘deserved’ more. Really- I think the bonus system should be eliminated and overall salaries raised but, unfortunately, I don’t make the rules.
To start, the idea that you may not get a bonus at DGEV because you don’t have ‘blonde hair and blue eyes’ is absolutely false and reduces the credibility of the Tumblr site when it has the potential to be a trustworthy site for on-the-ground information. I found that part to be a disappointing and unfounded bit of emotion-based opinion. However, don’t discount the rest of the information solely on that point.
In the past, there have been episodes of favoritism. It is unnecessary, extremely frustrating and sadly found in many work environments. There should always be a checks and balances system in place but yes, occasionally that fails which can really lower morale.
As the Tumblr site points out, your contractual PAYCHECK will be paid fairly and on time.
Basically- the bonus system is never guaranteed. Nobody is ever ‘owed’ a bonus. It is subjective and a gratuity that should never be viewed in any other way.
Checking Daegu Bank account balance
Just in case anyone has a Daegu Bank account and needs to check their balance from overseas (or…in country, as well, I suppose)…
I’m sure there are other cheap ways to go about this, but Skype averages about 10 cents for a quick balance check.
This is the basic order things will happen and as menu options are available. Note, when the system first answers it is all in Korean. If you speak it, great, if you don’t then go ahead and skip the long message by just pressing 7 for English.
+82 53 742 5050 (this includes the country code first)
1st menu: Press 7 for English
2nd menu: Press 3 for balance
When prompted: Enter first 6 digits of your ARC number (aka your birth date) then # sign: yymmdd #
When prompted: Enter Account number then # sign (inside front cover of bank book)
3rd menu: Press 2 for normal mode
When prompted: Enter 4-digit PIN (the one you use for your card at ATM)
System spells out your name then gives balance
IF you want to work in Korea you need to get F!@#%&*!
Seriously. If you want to work as an ESL teacher in South Korea then you need to get FLEXIBLE and fast! I have seen and heard so many people that are frustrated, angry and complaining about their school not providing internet access (or if they have it then it’s not consistent). Considering all the truly valid concerns that people may have about working in education overseas, this is not one that should be making the list. My personal experiences have been with DGEV but this applies to so many schools/camps/hagwons and really isn’t even confined to South Korea.
To clarify: I consider myself a loud and proud EdTech cheerleader. My MSED studies revolve around it! I absolutely love using technology in the classroom and know for a fact that it really enhances or even completely changes the learning experience. I prefer having internet 100% of the time for personal and professional reasons.
However, even though this is the 21st century and it is essential that people build technology skills… if it is impossible for you to teach a lesson without internet or tech then you may want to look elsewhere for work.
Perhaps that sounds harsh. But seriously- just save yourself the stress and always be prepared to teach sans internet and/or tech. Or if it means THAT much then do like a couple of teachers I know did and subscribe to a phone plan with unlimited data so you always have a hotspot.
But really- please, please have a serious conversation with yourself about this. Be truthful with yourself- if you are looking to work in South Korea but find it difficult to be flexible then look for work somewhere else. Not everyone can just ‘roll with it’ and that’s okay! We’re all different! But please don’t put yourself in a position where you have to be able to turn on a dime sometimes several times a day. If you are up to the challenge though, being that flexible and demonstrating your abilities in that way is a mad skill. You’ll fly away from Korea thinking KNOWING that since you successfully completed your contract then you can do anything. *^^*
A few of you find this blog while researching about working in the ROK and sometimes even DGEV in particular so thought I would just toss this little blurb up here to chew on. I may have mentioned this issue before but it bears repeating. Sometimes the information out there is a little sugar-coated and sometimes it’s just nothing but mud slinging. It’s not all good or all bad. I enjoyed teaching in Korea and I will work there again.
Captionstudies registration closes 7/30!
From Captionstudies.wou.edu:
#Caption16 Conference Registration Closes Saturday, 7/30/16
Just a quick note that registration for #Caption16, the first Caption Studies conference in North America, is closing Saturday, 7/30/16, at 11:59 pm PDT.
If you want to participate or attend, please be sure to register now!
http://captionstudies.wou.edu/2016/07/29/caption16-conference-registration-closes-saturday-73016/
Caption Studies 2016 Virtual Conference!
Invested, interested or just merely curious about captioning and accessibility issues?
Check this out- free registration for the August 1st-2nd, 2016 Caption Studies Virtual Conference through Western Oregon University.
Because accessibility for all is important AND captioning is incredibly useful in the ESL field!
On Twitter @captionstudies.
(and yes, I am inordinately proud of my university for not only caring about these issues but actually taking action and raising awareness!)
Making documents accessible for screen readers…
For the past 2 1/2 years I’ve been plinking away at my MSED (thank goodness for online courses!) and have nearly another year to go since required courses are only offered certain terms of the year. One thing I’m working on right now is converting a document into something that addresses accessibility issues by making it work with screen readers.
Holy mother.
If this is something that you are interested in let me suggest learning about what makes documents and web pages accessible BEFORE you start authoring content! It is FAR simpler to create content with accessibility in mind from the beginning rather than try and convert something that has already been finished. My project included a document that had all sorts of images grouped together with directions for an activity and to make things more difficult, included simple language translations throughout. Something that, come to find out, screen readers don’t always automatically read properly. That second language requires HTML tweaking and a couple of Excedrin. Since I’m in the final couple of weeks of this term and this ballooning project isn’t even my final project, I was about at my wits end. Fortunately, my instructor just agreed there is value in stopping where I am in the process and doing an in-depth write up with examples of the challenges thus far. Thank goodness I’ve been taking screen shots of the mess as I go and will be able to do a fairly decent explanation.
Just in case it helps anyone else, I will paste links below for web pages I frantically read through for bits of understanding here and there and are just enough to get you started down the path (these are in no particular order):
http://www.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/JAWS
https://soap.stanford.edu/tips-and-tools/screen-reader-testing
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/edit-html-word-54837.html
http://www.washington.edu/accessibility/checklist/language/
https://www.w3.org/International/articles/language-tags/
http://www.filemaker.com/help/12/fmp/html/edit_layout.10.34.html
http://webaim.org/techniques/word/
http://webaim.org/techniques/word/#checker
http://webaim.org/techniques/screenreader/
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/26119.aspx
http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/accessibility/pdfs/accessing-pdf-sr.pdf
http://www.adobe.com/accessibility.html
AngoraManagement 
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