https://grrrltraveler.com A Female Solo Travel Blog | It's not a vacation until you survive it! Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:11:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://grrrltraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/favicon.gif https://grrrltraveler.com 32 32 https://grrrltraveler.com/model-schools-korea/ https://grrrltraveler.com/model-schools-korea/#comments Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:00:55 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=8008 Daegu, Korea. Kids chirp in unison after the teacher. Maybe they break into song as they break from their row and scurry along, moving their desks into their level groups. It reminds me of an elementary ROTC school. They call them "model schools" and last month, I got to attend an open observation of one. What's a model school? Until now, I'd only heard about the mystique of them: • Korean teachers who enter endless contests to bolster their point value by taking additional training workshops, employing innovative classroom techniques and are awarded excellence in their styles of teaching...]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/model-schools-korea/feed/ 7 https://grrrltraveler.com/shockng-411-epik/ https://grrrltraveler.com/shockng-411-epik/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 20:21:02 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3587 During last Friday's EPIK workshop between NET's and their co-teachers, EPIKers were informed that their actual vacation time is indeed, not as they thought or were led to believe. To many, this new came as a shock. ]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/shockng-411-epik/feed/ 7 https://grrrltraveler.com/foreigners-in-korea-waygook/ https://grrrltraveler.com/foreigners-in-korea-waygook/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:47:29 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3485 So last week, I did something very un-Korean...I told my co-teacher, in a very truthful and direct manner about my reasons for resenting her. It was inevitable. I was pointed at the tip and I knew I had nothing to lose. Nothing at all- Money, love, friendship, job, a city, a country..? When you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear. Nada. Nietz. Zip. A perfect time to gamble for "change" with the odds in your favor.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/foreigners-in-korea-waygook/feed/ 19 https://grrrltraveler.com/dealing-with-language-barriers-in-korea/ https://grrrltraveler.com/dealing-with-language-barriers-in-korea/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:55:44 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3479 So I've decided to start a short series, conveniently titled "Just Show Me Pictures!" about battling language barriers and culture shock in Korea. It's suspect that generally 90% of expats suffer culture shock and depression because the familiar is replaced by the foreign and you must live and endure, compromised lifestyle for a lengthy duration. Language barriers are the beast which only adds to this frustration.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/dealing-with-language-barriers-in-korea/feed/ 6 https://grrrltraveler.com/culture-shock-in-korea/ https://grrrltraveler.com/culture-shock-in-korea/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:32:32 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3334 So you live in a new country, you've got a new job, you're working out the variables of navigating new food, new work relationships, cultural and communication barriers... so why are you depressed? Welcome to culture shock. Nothing you do can prepare you for what you think you will or won't experience when you move abroad. ]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/culture-shock-in-korea/feed/ 5 https://grrrltraveler.com/yellow-dust-mask/ https://grrrltraveler.com/yellow-dust-mask/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 03:28:33 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3232 Seeing face masks on my students in class or on passing pedestrians on the subway and Daegu streets have become a norm for me here. They are so common and readily available, that most of them even come with a cute or colorful design to make them more appealing, stylish and friendly to fun. Before Korea, Asians wearing face masks was something I just didn't understand. On my JAL flight over here, seeing people donning face masks ellicited personal notions that mainland/F.O.B Asians (depends what side of the line you're standing) must be hypochondriac freaks for styling sick masks Post SARS. Now, the potential culprit is revealed...]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/yellow-dust-mask/feed/ 11 https://grrrltraveler.com/getting-a-korean-phone/ https://grrrltraveler.com/getting-a-korean-phone/#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:56:53 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3379 When you're new to a country, the last thing you want to deal with is extraneous stress and confusion with important things... like cellphones and phone plans. Still, when that one person whom you were told would help you set up the necessities of your brand new life, can't lend simple advice or is reluctant to take any responsibility outside of work hours, what do you do? Whatever it takes.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/getting-a-korean-phone/feed/ 8 https://grrrltraveler.com/costco-in-korea/ https://grrrltraveler.com/costco-in-korea/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:54:27 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3359 https://grrrltraveler.com/costco-in-korea/feed/ 20 https://grrrltraveler.com/vegetarian-in-korea-weight-loss-diets-in-korea/ https://grrrltraveler.com/vegetarian-in-korea-weight-loss-diets-in-korea/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:32:55 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3261 I'm not sure how weight-loss works with Koreans, but let me shed some light on how it works with foreigners. During my orientation, two girls I knew claimed to drop pants sizes within their first week of arriving. Not possible, right? Not without some major medical operation... but feeling my pants hang off of my body last week at work, the word "belt" comes to mind.]]> https://grrrltraveler.com/vegetarian-in-korea-weight-loss-diets-in-korea/feed/ 8 https://grrrltraveler.com/vegetarian-korea-prt-i/ https://grrrltraveler.com/vegetarian-korea-prt-i/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:25:32 +0000 http://grrrltraveler.com/?p=3247 https://grrrltraveler.com/vegetarian-korea-prt-i/feed/ 13