나 땜에 Hot, Hot

* = because of me, everything's hot; from Secret's fabulous new single Madonna.  Secret may or may not be on a mission to salvage all of Kpop, because they are just about the only group right now that isn't making me vomit with disappointment.  Nine Muses?  GP Basic, anyone?  I'm sorry, but there just is no need for any group to have a member that is still in elementary school.  Jesus H. Christ.

 

A whole two (count 'em, TWO) people (who are in no way connected to each other) told me they read my blog this week and were looking forward to an update!  Okay, so one of them was my father, buuuut here's me delivering.

I will leave a majority of my Sogang stuff for my Light Fellowship end-of-program report (which I will link in a future blog or post separately for the interested masses), but I will comment that I had a very memorable and fruitful time in Level 4.  While it wasn't the most gripping or fascinating of levels, I think I solidified a majority of the things I've learned in the past, which is exactly what I set out to accomplish.  The final exams were fair, and even though my speaking interview final threw me for a major loop in that the teacher did not ask a single question from the list of 19 questions we were supposed to prepare (seriously, I spent hours constructing and memorizing answers with Jung Min's mom and dad, over a very delicious home cooked meal, I might add), everything went smoothly enough and I am pleased to report that I earned the highest scores I've ever earned at Sogang this semester!  Although I pretty much had nowhere to go but up after last summer...yeesh.  Anyway, for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of my listening/speaking class; pictured at center is the greatest, most fabulous teacher that Sogang has, and I mean that.  I wrote on her teaching review that I thought every single Sogang teacher should model themselves after her.  Future Sogang-ers, if you're ever fortunate to encounter 장수진 선생님 (Jang SooJin Sunsaengnim), thank yo' lucky ass stars.

FABULOUSITY.  My 4금 classmates (L-R) Daisuke, Ryoko, Miho, Some Dumb American, Jason, Steven, Geoffrey, Do Tsz, Tamara, 장수진 선생님, Ai

As it goes, Sogang's levels (in terms of numbers of students) resemble a pyramid; there are many more students in levels 1-4 than there are in 5-7.  I think it's generally acknowledged/understood by students and teachers alike that completing Level 4 means you're at a level of BASIC proficiency in Korean, i.e. if you're not interested or it is not necessary for you to become completely fluent or advanced, you can stop spending your money here.  Out of my classmates, only 6 out of 10 will continue on to the next level, which may seem like a lot, but it's really only a little more than half.  Out of the 4 who won't go on, 3 are returning to their home countries.  Such is the cycle of life at a quarterly language school; people come and they go.  But a smaller pool of students means a higher likelihood of winding up with at least SOME friends in my future Level 5 class!  Fingers crossed, I suppose.

I will say that I'm kind of freaked out for Level 5, because it's supposed to be Sogang's hardest level and I know people who have, despite their best efforts, outright failed it; but I guess I'm in a good position to begin this level, because ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE CURRENTLY LEAVING ME and so 80-90% of my afterschool distractions have just become obsolete.  Sad face.  Seriously, when Jeong-ah Unni left, I sobbed inconsolably in a subway station that was just empty enough for me to draw attention to myself.  Jung Min Unni and JaeIn Unni are leaving on Saturday, and I don't even want to talk about it because I tear up every time I think about it.  사랑하는 언니들, 가지마!  가면 안돼!  언니들 없이 못 살아!

(Oh, you wanted the translations for that?  It's just some melodramatic whining.  Google translate it if you're really interested).

The start of a new semester and the start of a new season (which, THANK GOD; I literally, and I mean literally, cannot take this summer weather anymore.  The scorching heat, the unbearable humidity, the horrific sudden downpours of HOT RAIN (WTF) and my tired summer wardrobe are starting to piss me off) brings not only new clothes from Uniqlo (I'm in a spare-no-expense kind of mood, which is kind of a problem, but I'm so sick of my cartoon-character clothes from summer that I find it totally necessary to buy magenta flannel - it's not as bad as it sounds), but serious considerations of my life plan and life goals from here on out.  I'll admit that Jung Min Unni's GRE insanity has contributed in large part to my sudden thoughtfulness on this subject, but nonetheless a plan had to be carved out, and so carve one I did.  And that plan is...Korea for 2 years!

Wait, what?

Yeah, I know my Fellowship runs out in May 2011, thereby forcibly returning me to the good ol' US of A, but I came to the rather obvious realization that once I return, I will...uh...kind of have nothing to do.  I will have approximately 0 dollars (maybe some chump change/something like $2000 if I choose to move out of my apartment and collect the deposit), no job, no tenable plans for pursuing higher education, and no place to live.  I mean, I could always move back in with my dad, but this plan is unappealing for a number of reasons, boredom and impracticality being the top two.  I just don't think I could get a good job that caters to my interests in my suburban home, and commuting to NYC is not really a feasible or inexpensive option.  Additionally, it is not really possible/a good idea for me to matriculate into graduate school in 2011 because (1) the money problem is a big problem (how am I supposed to put down a deposit on an apartment/pay for ANYTHING related to my education with 0 dollars?) and (2) Korea doesn't actually offer the GRE.  I'm not really clear on WHY that is (I heard it had something to do with Korea breaking the rules and information sharing, which actually doesn't surprise me as much as it should), but I haven't taken it yet and if I can't take it soon, I am ineligible to apply to grad school; most apps are due in the fall, which is...uh...basically now.

Staying in Korea for an additional year after my Fellowship ends solves these problems nicely.  I am fairly confident (hopefully not overly/unjustifiably confident) in my ability to get a decently-paying job in this country, and provided I keep living at my current location (although I'd like to get out of the student district if I'm no longer a student, sacrifices must be made), I can save a hella ton of money on rent and living expenses.  Plus, I can't see how getting work experience of any kind in Korea would hurt my resume, particularly if I plan to pursue Korea or East Asian regional studies in the future (see below for an explanation on that).  Essentially, then, what I plan to do is spend an additional year here, make some green, apply to grad schools, hopefully get in somewhere, and then matriculate in Fall 2012, three months before the predicted end of the world.  Awesome!

But Dana, you ask, surely you have to come home to take the GRE?  Wise point.  Which is why I've decided to come home immediately after my Fellowship ends in late May 2011.  I was planning to come back then at any rate, largely because I promised Jung Min Unni I would be at her graduation (a promise I am hellbent on delivering), but it actually winds up being perfect timing on a lot of fronts: my visa and Alien Registration Card all expire in early June.  So I figure what I can do is come home, re-apply for a work visa (pending that I actually have a job at which to work waiting for me in Seoul), visit family/friends, take the GRE (which I will have spent my final semester at Sogang studying for in addition to my Korean studies), and come back in June/July to begin what I hope will be a year-long position.  Bam chicka wham wham.

Of course, the best laid plans...well, usually get f*cked up at some point down the road.  But there's room for flexibility (Dear Light Fellowship Office, I'll come work for you if you need/want me!  I promise, I'd be a great office worker!  Just like Pam Beasley!), and I tend to be the type of person who believes that opportunities generally come when one least expects them, and so I'll be keeping an open eye and ear out for anything that sounds good.  But in the meantime, at least I have some skeleton of a timetable/plan.

But Dana, you now ask, isn't "grad school" kind of a nebulous term?  Surely you must have given SOME thought to where/what you might like to study.  Another wise point!  Given my current state of unpreparedness, I started researching graduate programs I might like to be a part of and concluded that the best two options are either (1) a Master's degree in East Asian regional studies or (2) a Master's in international relations.  The latter is much less likely than the former.  I'm actually just not prepared to undertake formal study in IR, and I think I'd be far more useful in any career if I focused as specifically on Korea as is possible.  Unfortunately, this is actually impossible at most schools (the number of schools that even have the resources to make a decent Korean studies program is sad and pathetic), but I managed to find a couple (okay, like 3) at which it might be plausible.  The University of Washington, for example, has a combined Korean Studies/International Studies Master's program, which is great...if I wanted to move to Seattle (benefit: JAEIN IS MOVING TO SEATTLE!!!).  But since I'm more inclined to stay on the East Coast, my other two choices are...uh...Harvard and Columbia, which don't offer individual Korea programs, but offer students studying East Asia the chance to focus on Korea.

To be fair, I haven't done anywhere near as much research as I should, and I'll continue to look into other programs at other schools, but let me just say that I'm highly disappointed that I can't add Yale to the list of possibilities.  I loved being at Yale and would love to spend more time there, but it's just totally infeasible.  Yale's East Asia graduate programs don't even allow for concentration on Korea, but even if they did, I wouldn't go near it.  I know what sort of resources Yale has for students interested in Korea and they are...approximately zero (which is the same as the number of dollars I expect to have left after this year - oh hey!).  If you're listening, Yale...FIX THIS.  Thanks.

So a potential 2 years in Korea, a potential job in Korea, potential graduate school applications to Univ of Wash, Harvard, and Columbia, and...a potential visit to the States in not only May 2011, but also November 2010?  I'll definitely keep you posted on that ;)

Because there have been too many words in this post, I'll end with some pictures of ALEC 2010, the leadership conference that I spoke at over my week-long break in July.  It was much more fun/productive than is this current two-week break, in which I have done little more than eat, sleep, and watch The Daily Show re-runs online (anyone care to comment on the ::cough:: "Ground Zero Mosque"?).  These pictures can't possibly convey everything, but this conference was an amazing chance to share what I've learned with Korean students while listening to their concerns, questions, and stories.  If I have time next year, I'll definitely be going back.

The speakers of the conference (all Yalies - two undergrads and the rest grad students) make up the bottom row; the rest of the kids are students of a 학원, a private after-school academy, whom we got to speak to while in Jinju, a city near Gyeognju in the southern part of the country.  I'm holding the Yale banner because my dress was deemed too inappropriate to be photographed (there are certain drawbacks to speaking at conferences run by mega-churches).

The conference was actually kind of a big deal - everywhere we went, there were enormous banners greeting us!  Ted, another Korea fellow, posted a picture of the banner in Jinju; he went there to visit relatives and was kind of surprised to see a giant banner welcoming Yale students to the city.  This particular banner was found at Yonsei University, one of Korea's top three most prestigious universities, where the first part of the conference was held.

The conference poster!  Which was actually everywhere, including all over Yonsei University!  This poster, believe it or not, kind of saved my life - you see, I was VERY sick the first two days of the conference, and on my walk to Yonsei, I thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion, weakness, and an inability to carry all of my luggage (we were due to go to Cheongju that night, hence we had to be prepared).  Fortunately, because of the poster, some students recognized me and offered to help with my bags.  It was the first time in my life I've ever felt like a celebrity.  Little did I know how much of a celebrity I would feel like later on in the conference, in which I was asked to sign numerous autographs and pose for a thousand pictures.  We were literally followed by a camera crew the entire time we were there.  Papa-paparazzi!

ME GIVING A LECTURE AT YONSEI UNIVERSITY!  I look so badass here.

Participating in a Q&A panel on our expertise and study at Yale.  During this, someone asked me a question about the reunification of North and South Korea.  Uhm.

All of the conference's key players!  (L-R) Jeong-ah Unni, who came to accompany Alvin on the piano (we got to room together!!  It was SO MUCH FREAKING FUN), Kyle Cromer, Yong Rao, Joshua Beach, me, Head Pastor Lee Kyung Eun, CheonHa Jeon, Alvin Wong, Romil Chouhan, Devin Noblin, Chris Moon, Hanna Jeon, NaNa Jeon.  Special thanks to all of the Jeon family for inviting us and taking care of us SO WELL (literally, we were treated like VIPs...amazing food, great accommodations, etc)

I think this was at Yonsei.  Can you find me?

Expect an update soon, for I am finally (finally finally FINALLY) getting tested for my seafood allergy TOMORROW!

Jangmiiii out.