Season's Greetings & See You Later

Christmas was last week and it was half fast to say the least. Christmas in Korea almost feels more equivalent to Labor Day or Memorial Day in the states. Not to say I didn't have a good Christmas, but it is not nearly as big of a holiday here. There are decorations and trees put up around town, but more for show than celebration. For example, my students wrote letters to Santa and almost all of them included that Santa isn't real or is their parent in their letters. Also, we wore Santa hats (courtesy of my mom) and many kids commented on how silly they were or asked why we were wearing them. It's odd to see, what I assume is safe to say, my country's biggest holiday looked at from another, where it is merely just another holiday. 

Another part of the holiday that was probably the most upsetting was not being able to be alongside my family. It was difficult to see my family all together via Skype and knowing that I was the only one not there. To see my older brother there who I see twice, maybe three times a year, and to see my cousin who I haven't see in months since his departure for the Navy only made the matter worse.  Perhaps the biggest tradition that I missed was my grandmother's traditional Italian seven fish Christmas Eve dinner!

Although I did miss Christmas at home, I did enjoy my holiday here with my friends. We had a tree with presents that we opened on Christmas morning, we listened to Christmas carols, and we all talked to our families. But the one big difference was eating takeout rather than cooking a Christmas feast.

This season is sad, not only for missing Christmas, but my kids are moving up to middle school. I couldn't help but become attached to certain students. I've had most of my students since September and it's hard to think I won't see any of them on a daily basis anymore. My last class yesterday made me want to cry. All the little girls in my class asked for my cell phone number so they can text me and wanted to take pictures. It was adorable!! (Although I have a feeling they will still drop by form time to time for the seventh floor since they know I always have candy in my bag!)

We start our winter intensive course tomorrow and my classes have changed a good bit. I am now teaching younger and lower level students, including the new cupid class, which is the lowest level yet. I am excited to start seeing my kids three times a week instead of the regular twice a week. These classes will last until the first week of March.

Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Time flies

Well I know it's been over a month since I've posted last and for that, I'm sorry. Been working and being sick, I just haven't been too productive lately. But things are about to change! I'm finally starting to feel better and Christmas is almost here!

Classes have been going really well I would say. Although, lately my classes have been significantly smaller since the kids have been testing in school. Today was the first day that I have had full classes in nearly two weeks. I had just started to get accustomed to classes with only three or four students. But on the bright side, they are all back and hyper as always. I will confess that I do miss the wild kids when they aren't in class. They truly make my day. 

This week I've really noticed a difference in some students. I've had the greatest feeling lately. Realizing that the kids are improving and breaking out of their shells and becoming much more lively in class. Specifically, there are two girls that I have that have always been two of the shyest students that I've had, but in the past few weeks, and noticeably this week, they are now always volunteering to read and speaking really well. A month ago, if you would have told me this, I wouldn't of believed you, but now they seem much more comfortable with the speaking skills that they literally want to read everything.

Also, my kids are just plain cute and they know it! My kids are constantly asking me, "Teacher, when are you going to learn Korean?"  In class, they will try to explain Korean to me in English. They've been trying to teaching me basics like counting and who are the cool pop bands to listen to. It's absolutely adorable!

These kids also know how to act if I'm mad because they're not doing their work. If I say something to them, they always respond with, "Teacher, I love you!" or "Teacher, you are beautiful!" A few have even been bringing candy for me. 

These past four months have really flown by and I can't believe it's already Christmas season. It's insane to think that I am 1/3 done already, but the saying is true. "Time flies when you're having fun!" I promise not to wait so long to post again and I will post more videos soon!! Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Happy Halloween!!

Me and my ferocious lion, Louie at school for the Halloween party 

No words to describe this! (part 3)

No words to describe this! (part 2)

Meet Louie!

Meet my new little buddy, Louie! He's an 8 week old Toy Poodle!

No words to describe this!

Culture Gallery in a tunnel?

Everyday when get to school an hour before classes to prep. Most of the time we go across the street to grab some lunch of coffee. To get there we usually take the tunnel crosswalk rather than waiting for the crosswalk above ground. The tunnel is called "Pyeongchon Culture Gallery". It's interesting because they always have art hanging on the walls to decorate a small tunnel, why is beyond me. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable to look at. They have some great paintings on the wall and a rather large picture of angel wings that you can pose in front of. It's odd, but I like it! Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Pyeongchon: The place to be

It's the middle of October and I've been here since the middle of August. Life so far is very enjoyable here. Teaching is going well. I am teaching all elementary kids now and think I made the right move by switching from middle to elementary.  My kids are definitely warming up to me and have become much more outspoken in class. Most of my students are great. There are a few kids that test my patience and tolerance levels. At the end of the day, I love what I'm doing. (Even if I have to bribe my kids with candy to get them to behave!) 

A festival in Pyeongchon Central Park

As far as life outside of work, everything's going great as well. I expected to feel slightly out of place since I don't speak the language, but it's not nearly as bad as I thought. My friends all speak Korean, which really helps, but with that aside, I still fell extremely comfortable wondering around by myself. Doing daily things like ordering food, going to the grocery store, or taking a taxi all feel normal and not at all strange. Surprisingly, most people here speak a little English and I know very few words, but can get by alone if I truly need to. There's a coffee shop close by that I love. I went in today to grab a coffee to go. Obviously I am a foreigner, and the men that worked at the coffee shop recognized that and immediately began attempting to speak English to me rather than me trying to butcher their language. They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable in their shop. It was adorable and I really appreciated their efforts.

This place is really becoming a home to me. I have everything I need within walking distance. The store is across the street, there are tons of restaurants, bars, convenient stores, and things to do like batting cages, pool halls, and a park, all within 5 minutes of my apartment. 

I really lucked out getting this position and being placed in this town. I don't think I could have asked for anything more. Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Take a tour of my apartment! ((blog & video))

Ok. I know it's been awhile, but I've finally settled in and am ready to give you a tour of my apartment! I live on the 6th floor of the Hanyang Worldbill, right across the street from E-Mart and the subway station. I'm lucky enough to have my school pay my rent, internet, and cable for me. The only bill I need to take care of is the electric. My apartment is small, but it's comfortable for one person. It's very similar to my apartment in Japan. The nice part about my apartment is that I don't need a key, so I don't have to worry about losing it! I put in a 4 digit password and just use that to get in and my door automatically locks when I leave!

When you first walk in there's a small entry way to take off your shoes and leave them, since you do not wear your shoes in the apartment. The bathroom is immediately to your right. The shower is western style meets asian style. It's a combination of both. The kitchen is in the hallway directly inside the door and is just big enough for our family dinners at night! I missed the refrigerator at first because it blends into the wall, as well as the freezer. Keep walking and on your right, if you slide open the wooden panels, there's my bedroom. It's small, but I'm really only in there to sleep and to get ready. I have two decent size closets that I've covered with pictures of everyone at home! There's post-its on the door of random phrases I need to know in Korean. (That's my way of learning the language!) If you keep walking, you'll walk right into my living room, which is where I spend a lot of my time. I have a mirrored bookshelf that we've been collecting wine bottles on for decoration. I have flowers with gems and butterflies stuck all over my wall to make it a little more fun! My window is the  length of the entire wall. It's nice. You can sit on the window seal and watch what's going on outside. This time of year, the weather is gorgeous outside so I constantly have all the windows open! And that's it!

Everything's within walking distance of my apartment. E-Mart is across the street (as you saw). The subway station is directly behind that, as well as a lot of restaurants and coffee shops. Pyeongchon Central Park is only a few blocks away, (which I will post a video of soon!).  And lastly, my school is only a 15 to 20 minute walk.

So that's everything! I hope you enjoyed the tour! I'll be sure to post more soon! Stay tuned...

 Peace & Love,

Elissa Rae

Elissa Teacher!

Well I made it through my first week of teaching in Korea and know for a fact that I made the right to decision to come. My students are great (for the most part), I'm in love with my hours because I can sleep in, and my co-teachers and the other native teachers are all wonderful at helping me get acclimated. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Most of my students are in middle school with the exception of two elementary classes on Tuesdays. The about 13 to 15 years old in Korean, which makes the 12 to 14 years old back home. My levels of classes range from lower levels of English to higher. Some students have no problem writing a paragraph and holding a conversation, while others struggle with basics. It's quite the task teaching some of these kids when they don't necessarily understand what you are saying to them. I have to speak with very basic vocabulary and short/choppy sentences. Perhaps the most frustrating part is the book I have to use to teach from. The vocabulary words in the book are ridiculous. They are not words that I would normally use in a conversation and some of the words, I have never heard of. For example, mawkish. How am I expected to teach these words when I myself don't necessarily know what they mean? On the bright side, I did luck out. Many of my kids will talk in class and read for me. A lot of times, the students are very shy and quiet at the age I have them. Elementary kids are easier to have speak. They willing volunteer to read their answers out loud.  Whereas middle schoolers are much more hesitant. For the most part, my classes are very talkative. One slight problem, if you will call it that, is that I teach 28 classes a week. I never have the same class twice. So times 28 by however many students per class. I teach anywhere from 150 to 300 students a week. That is a lot of faces to remember and a lot of names.

When I introduced myself to my classes as the new teacher this week, I told them they could ask me any questions that they wanted. However, the questions were slightly different that what I might expect back home. Almost always the questions came in the same order in every class. How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? What is your name? Where are you from? By the end of the week I could predict what questions I would get. One student even asked me if I was from Mexico... Figure that one out! Another odd question I was asked was what is my blood type. When I responded "I don't know", all of the students gave me a dazed look. Apparently, your blood type is equivalent to your horoscope back home. It can tell a lot about a person. The rest of the questions were more on the lines of what I expected. How long have you been in Korea? Do you speak Korea? How long will you stay in Korea? etc... 

My co-teachers are all amazing. I work with 6 Korean co-teachers throughout the week and they are each very different from one another, but all in good ways! My co-teachers and the other native teachers have made my transition to Korea and teaching a smooth one. The only downside... I am the ONLY person in the building that cannot speak Korea. I know hello. Thank you. And the directions to tell my cab to get me to school.  Hopefully soon enough I will be able to venture out on my own without getting lost in translation! Pictures coming soon! Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Finally made it!

Well I finally made it to South Korea! I can't believe I'm actually here! I'm so excited to have finally of made it and excited for the plane rides to be over.  It was quite the adventure getting from Pittsburgh to Seoul. Having to be at the airport at 5 a.m. allows no time for sleep between packing, having to say my goodbyes, and the nerves kicking in. Needless to say, I was tired by the time I got on the first plane. Packing is never easy for anyone when going away for such a long period of time. One year, 2 suitcases under 50 lbs. each, and my closet of shoes?? Not going to happen. After a long night of debate and annoying everyone around me, I finally was able to pack enough to make the weight limit. (Only to find out my scales were wrong and I could've packed more!) The morning arrived that it was time to pack up the car and hit the road. I've gone away before for lengthy periods of time, but this was more than before, making the goodbyes a little tougher. Knowing you'll be able to talk to my loved ones through skype is comforting, but it's not the same as seeing them in person and being able to physically give them hugs. One year with out seeing my family is the longest I have ever had to go. But the idea of what I was doing made me believe I was still making the right decision to move. It's giving me a chance to see new things and to embrace a new culture by living and not just reading about it. After making it through the baggage check, we came to security. This was the point were my parents and my boyfriend and I were forced to say our final goodbyes for sometime.  I was more put together than I thought I would be. I think I mentally prepared myself for sometime so I would be able to keep myself together. I made it through security and to my terminal with a short while until boarding time. I used my time to reassure myself that this was what I had wanted for some time and that it was something I felt I needed to do or I would later regret my decisions of not going.

 7:30 approached and the plane took off. Next thing I Knew I was in Chicago. An hour went by and I was back on the plane headed for Los Angeles.  After 4 and a half hours, we reached our destination. I had roughly two hours until my next flight took off. I had to take a bus at LAX to a different building where international flights took off. I got on the bus with the directions I was given, only to get lost. Luckily I found a guy my age moving to Australia in the same boat. With the two of us working together we finally found our stop and the departures area. At that point, we parted ways to our different airlines. My thinking was, make it through security, then find food. I had a long trip ahead of me. That was a bad plan. Once you make through security, food is hard to find.  I sat in the terminal as the plane approached. It was a two story plane that I had heard about but never been on. Lucky for me, there was a baby in front of me and a dog behind me that did not like flying! I also had a girl in the same position on the other side of the aisle. It was comforting to talk to someone else in the same position. We were both heading to the same country for the same job, (reading the same book). After a grueling 12 and a half hour flight. I reached the sign that said, "Welcome to Korea!".  I couldn't of been happier for that flight to be over, but my travels weren't over yet.  After 22 hours of waiting in airports in flying in planes, I had two more hours of driving through rush hour to get to my school's home office. Followed by one more short cab ride to my temporary apartment.

I have been here for four days now. So far, I have made the right decision.  I have sat in on many classes the last few days, both elementary and middle school ages, and even taught a few classes. It is nerve wrecking to teach since it is something I have never done before, but at the same time, I feel like it is something I am going to love.  I got my schedule and books today and have begun making my first lessons plans for my classes that begin on Tuesday evening. (Yes, I work 4:50 p.m. to 10:50 p.m.!) All in all, the long trip has proved worth it. (Minus getting lost a few times on the subway already!) Can't wait to tell you about my first week of teaching!! Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Less than 10 days!

I cannot believe how fast time flies! Everything if officially set and ready to go!  This past week I took a trip to New York City to get my VISA. What a crazy experience that was! After an 80 minute train ride from New Jersey into the NYC, I thought we would be able to walk to the consulate rather than waiting for a cab. We ended up getting in quite the workout. I rushed to the Korean Consulate as fast as I could only to realize that there are in fact TWO Korean Consulates in New York City, and I was indeed at the wrong one! We hailed a cab and sped through the hectic traffic and flew to the 4th floor to the correct consulate!  I waited in line for some time, reached the teller that I had to give my information to, only to be told to sit down and wait some more. Finally, it was time for my interview! It was quick and painless. We had a few conversations about my reasoning for choosing South Korea and I was sent on my way with my VISA approved. All that was left was to book a plane ticket.  Within an hour I received a phone call that confirmed my ticket for the August 17th at 7:30 a.m.. 


Once everything was done, it was time to relax and enjoy the trip. Nick and I grabbed some lunch and headed to Central Park for a picnic.  Trying to escape the 90 degree weather, we sat next to the water under trees.  We took a stroll and soaked up the sights until it was time to meet up with Christopher. We walked through Times Square and made it to the New York Times Company building and went to a small cafe for dinner before heading back to New Jersey for the evening.


The last two days of the vacation were wonderful. Friday was spent at Spring Lake Beach in New Jersey. It was just what I needed. It was a nice quite beach where I could read my book, lay out, and be at peace, finishing up with margaritas on the beach and parasailing in Point Pleasant and a nice Italian dinner.  


Now I only have 9 days left before my journey begins and still have to figure out how I am going to pack a years worth of clothes and shoes into 2 suitcases!

Peace & Love,

Elissa Rae

5 weeks & counting

Today I finally got my VIN number from the Korean Consulate and can contact the New York office to officially get my VISA to work in the country! The next 5 weeks are going to go fast and it seems like there’s not enough time to get everything done before I go, but nonetheless I can’t wait! Getting my VISA and booking my flight are the final 2 steps I need to get done. Thanks to my recruiter, Adventure Teaching, everything has been a breeze. I haven’t had any problems, they placed me at the school I wanted and close to the city I wanted. I can’t complain! I’ve heard great things so far from others who’ve taught in South Korea and other foreign countries and it only makes me more eager to being my adventure and explore a new country! Only 43 more days! Stay tuned… 

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Welcome to my site!

환영합니다, Benvenuto, добро пожаловать, Welcome! 

After going to high school in the small town of Houston, PA, I went to Elizabethtown College. (Which isn’t much bigger.) During my college experience, I spent a semester in Tokyo, Japan. It was there I discovered there is a huge world out there just calling my name. I graduated from college the following year, and one question lingered. What do I do now? The answer. TRAVEL! I have decided that I am an exception to the norm. I am not ready to settle down, get married, or have kids yet. I want to see new cultures and broaden my horizons. To kickoff my expedition, I am going to Pyeongchon in Anyang City, South Korea to teach English at DYB for a year, possibly longer. Along the way, I’m going to keep everyone posted on what’s going on, so be sure to stay tuned to see what’s next!

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae