I am really liking this newish Taiwanese Mando Jazz/Pop singer right now. So mellow and cute:)
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Da Mouth Play It MV
The latest Da Mouth MV: Play It
Does anyone know if they have a new album coming out?
Does anyone know if they have a new album coming out?
Friday, November 25, 2011
The Entrance Beach House
For the last two weekends I have been staying at a beach house at The Entrance and have been so spoilt living just off the beach itself. I am really going to miss going there. Not that there is all that much to do there but spending a few weekends reading on the balcony overlooking the ocean, going for runs down the boardwalk, across the bridge and along the lake, and eating at the cafes was such a luxury! I am already feeling withdrawal symptoms:( Amazing, I even got a tan!
This was the beautiful view from my bedroom.
View from the balcony. I am not a beach person. Too much sand and salt, but it's great to look at.
What a great place to take a run down the boardwalk and across the bridge.
Time to feed the pelicans.
I am really going to miss this place when I leave this year.
This was the beautiful view from my bedroom.
View from the balcony. I am not a beach person. Too much sand and salt, but it's great to look at.
What a great place to take a run down the boardwalk and across the bridge.
Time to feed the pelicans.
I am really going to miss this place when I leave this year.
Chinese Dumpling Cooking Adventure
The other night I went to my friend Yan's house where we made Chinese dumplings and had heaps to talk and laugh about. It was a great night. One of my favourite things to do is to spend time cooking with friends and discovering new recipes. I have made mandu before with glass noodles, pork, cabbage and other assorted vegetables. This was quite similar, we just wrapped it differently. This time though, I had a lot of difficulty getting the pastry right and ended up with many split dumplings that were ok to put in the juices afterwards to make a soup. Yummy. Here are our efforts:) 
The final product... yum!
The final product... yum!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Australian getting a job and Visa for Korea
When people find out I am going overseas for a year the three most asked questions include:
a. Why Korea?
b. What are you going to do there?
c. How'd you get the job?
So here it is. Why? What? How?
a. Why Korea?
It was a toss up between Taiwan and South Korea. This was really difficult because Taiwan is actually my favourite country. If I were to teach overseas for a longer period of time I would actually have chosen Taiwan because I could picture myself living there. Korea won the ESL teaching race because if I do only decide to stay for a year I have my return airfare paid for and free accommodation. It would make my year experience that much easier without having to look for a place to stay. Plus I am more familiar with the Korean culture and language than that of Taiwan. Bonus: Romy unnie and Misook unnie both live in Korea at the moment so I'll have friends there already:)
b. What are you going to do there?
Teaching English conversation classes for a company in Busan that caters to university students and business people. I am used to teaching teenagers so it's kind of exciting to deal with adults for a year.
c. How did you get the job?
I actually contacted some recruiters because I wanted to go to Korea in December and I knew that their school terms were different to ours in Australia. It seems to be more along the timing of America (I think). Therefore I thought it'd be hard to get a job. I decided not to go with a recruiter though there were a few who really helped with questions I had even though they knew I wasn't going through them. Instead one of my Korean friends contacted a company for me. They didn't have a position available but they were kind enough to create a new position for me. Score!
So what is the process?
1. Contact the company - they send a sample contract. Check the terms and ask any questions that you have.
2. Talk to someone in the company - I have read on numerous sites that it's good to talk to a foreign teacher about the conditions to see if it is really a company that is reliable in payment and hours, housing etc. I have a native Korean friend who worked there so I asked her.
3. Send back the signed contract with a CV that has a photo on it, an unopened copy of your degree that has an official university seal/stamp, Federal Criminal Background Check (certified and apostilled), copy of your degree certificate (certified and apostilled) and a Personal Health Statement (basically just to say you have no diseases, STIs, and that you do not and have not done drugs).
4. The company then sends the necessary documents to immigration in Korea. In about 2 weeks they send an email with the Issuance Number.
5. Visit the Korean consulate (In Sydney it is on Elizabeth St across from St James Station - closed for lunch for one hour). No appointment or interview needed. When I was looking into teaching in Korea a while ago, I read so many blogs talking about the requirements for getting a Visa most of which indicate the need to have an interview. That's not the case in Australia. Just take a copy of the contract, a photo, application fee, the issuance number and fill in two forms they will give you. An E2 visa application and another Personal Health Statement.
6. Three days later pick up your E2 Visa.
So easy! Something I did find odd. No interview for the job because the company knew my friend and trusted her judgment and no consulate interview. It was pretty painless and stressfree.
Funniest moment: Just got off the phone with a call centre person from my bank and he was asking all about Tesol courses and whatnot coz he is going over to Vietnam to teach next year. So people looking for a course my recommendation is I-to-I Tesol - it is accredited internationally and completely online.
a. Why Korea?
b. What are you going to do there?
c. How'd you get the job?
So here it is. Why? What? How?
a. Why Korea?
It was a toss up between Taiwan and South Korea. This was really difficult because Taiwan is actually my favourite country. If I were to teach overseas for a longer period of time I would actually have chosen Taiwan because I could picture myself living there. Korea won the ESL teaching race because if I do only decide to stay for a year I have my return airfare paid for and free accommodation. It would make my year experience that much easier without having to look for a place to stay. Plus I am more familiar with the Korean culture and language than that of Taiwan. Bonus: Romy unnie and Misook unnie both live in Korea at the moment so I'll have friends there already:)
b. What are you going to do there?
Teaching English conversation classes for a company in Busan that caters to university students and business people. I am used to teaching teenagers so it's kind of exciting to deal with adults for a year.
c. How did you get the job?
I actually contacted some recruiters because I wanted to go to Korea in December and I knew that their school terms were different to ours in Australia. It seems to be more along the timing of America (I think). Therefore I thought it'd be hard to get a job. I decided not to go with a recruiter though there were a few who really helped with questions I had even though they knew I wasn't going through them. Instead one of my Korean friends contacted a company for me. They didn't have a position available but they were kind enough to create a new position for me. Score!
So what is the process?
1. Contact the company - they send a sample contract. Check the terms and ask any questions that you have.
2. Talk to someone in the company - I have read on numerous sites that it's good to talk to a foreign teacher about the conditions to see if it is really a company that is reliable in payment and hours, housing etc. I have a native Korean friend who worked there so I asked her.
3. Send back the signed contract with a CV that has a photo on it, an unopened copy of your degree that has an official university seal/stamp, Federal Criminal Background Check (certified and apostilled), copy of your degree certificate (certified and apostilled) and a Personal Health Statement (basically just to say you have no diseases, STIs, and that you do not and have not done drugs).
4. The company then sends the necessary documents to immigration in Korea. In about 2 weeks they send an email with the Issuance Number.
5. Visit the Korean consulate (In Sydney it is on Elizabeth St across from St James Station - closed for lunch for one hour). No appointment or interview needed. When I was looking into teaching in Korea a while ago, I read so many blogs talking about the requirements for getting a Visa most of which indicate the need to have an interview. That's not the case in Australia. Just take a copy of the contract, a photo, application fee, the issuance number and fill in two forms they will give you. An E2 visa application and another Personal Health Statement.
6. Three days later pick up your E2 Visa.
So easy! Something I did find odd. No interview for the job because the company knew my friend and trusted her judgment and no consulate interview. It was pretty painless and stressfree.
Funniest moment: Just got off the phone with a call centre person from my bank and he was asking all about Tesol courses and whatnot coz he is going over to Vietnam to teach next year. So people looking for a course my recommendation is I-to-I Tesol - it is accredited internationally and completely online.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Brothers and sisters from another mother
Ever had that feeling of being with certain people who you are just so comfortable with that it's like they are your family?
For me, that's my Wednesday night unnies and oppas. Sure we have some hilarious language and culture moments like tonight's classic 'You have a great tongue' episode from which I thought we'd never recover, and us women sure put in alot of time slaving away in the kitchen for the men, but it pays off when they make sure our drinks have a never ending bottom in return.
Tonight Giman oppa was extra sweet and asked me to help him with an assignment for college he had to do. Sprawled out in the middle of the loungeroom for 4 hours, we *cough cough* finally finished it after much use of the Korean-English translator. Who would have thought it'd be so hard to write about SOPs, management of hotels and performance reviews when we had two brains and two languages working for us? Who am I kidding. It only made it worse. Now he probably has to spend just as long putting it in his own words.
Sunny unnie, aside from Kelly unnie and Romy unnie is also a special person to me. I remember the first time I met her it was at Kelly unnies house and I was the only non-Korean in a house full of guests. She grabbed my arm and asked me if I was scared in the Korean community and going to such a place by myself. She was amazed that I'd do that. To me these guys were already like family we had clicked straight away and the notion was laughable. Now Sunny is such a good friend, she makes me laugh non-stop. From claiming she gets her coldsores from kissing me to feeding me delicious food at dinner because she thinks my chopstick skills are horrible (they're not that bad!) and teaching me words that she thinks are so naughty she has to whisper, we have a ball.
Only one month and 20 days until I leave. I am going to miss these guys. I hope I meet some people there who are just as amazing as the friends I have made here.
For me, that's my Wednesday night unnies and oppas. Sure we have some hilarious language and culture moments like tonight's classic 'You have a great tongue' episode from which I thought we'd never recover, and us women sure put in alot of time slaving away in the kitchen for the men, but it pays off when they make sure our drinks have a never ending bottom in return.
Tonight Giman oppa was extra sweet and asked me to help him with an assignment for college he had to do. Sprawled out in the middle of the loungeroom for 4 hours, we *cough cough* finally finished it after much use of the Korean-English translator. Who would have thought it'd be so hard to write about SOPs, management of hotels and performance reviews when we had two brains and two languages working for us? Who am I kidding. It only made it worse. Now he probably has to spend just as long putting it in his own words.
Sunny unnie, aside from Kelly unnie and Romy unnie is also a special person to me. I remember the first time I met her it was at Kelly unnies house and I was the only non-Korean in a house full of guests. She grabbed my arm and asked me if I was scared in the Korean community and going to such a place by myself. She was amazed that I'd do that. To me these guys were already like family we had clicked straight away and the notion was laughable. Now Sunny is such a good friend, she makes me laugh non-stop. From claiming she gets her coldsores from kissing me to feeding me delicious food at dinner because she thinks my chopstick skills are horrible (they're not that bad!) and teaching me words that she thinks are so naughty she has to whisper, we have a ball.
Only one month and 20 days until I leave. I am going to miss these guys. I hope I meet some people there who are just as amazing as the friends I have made here.
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