An English Scene

UPT1041 Portfolio Requirements

2011-10-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

(Due October 27)

After the midterm break, I will be conducting a portfolio check. What is a portfolio? (You may ask...)

A portfolio is a collection of your revised final drafts of all major assignments. After I return your graded assignment to you, you should make any necessary changes and print out a new copy for your portfolio.

Your porfolio should be a folder with plastic sleeves, to keep your precious paragraphs protected.

Since I will return your other graded assignments to you on October 25, I will check your portfolios on October 27.

Good luck, and see you in a week! ^^

Useful Links for UPT1041

2011-10-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hello There Students!

I wanted to share the links to all the presentations for UPT1041. I hope you find these useful. Good luck on the Midterm Exam!

Class 1: http://prezi.com/qpyk0m9mnjxm/present/?auth_key=hxzyuww&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Class 2: http://prezi.com/ypgnetrnt8oy/present/?auth_key=5gvxcsj&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Class 3: http://prezi.com/qi_tbubjxjlk/present/?auth_key=4xmn8yx&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Descriptive Paragraphs: http://prezi.com/6qztozbtqevh/present/?auth_key=ft2kpwu&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Cause and Effect Paragraphs: http://prezi.com/knpc9a6dldjk/present/?auth_key=r0xjqbc&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Comparison and Contrast Paragraphs: http://prezi.com/bzha2v_fkhyg/present/?auth_key=8afkep9&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Review 1: http://prezi.com/r5byp--nccxa/present/?auth_key=fucta1g&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

Review 2: http://prezi.com/ro2tbebc6gkg/present/?auth_key=aoijspf&follow=annapatrick@gmail.com

(Just copy and paste the links into your web browser to view...)

still waiting... with my chin up.

2010-06-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

So no news yet on the job front. I had an interview/teaching demonstration at Seoul Women's University yesterday... which wasn't a disaster. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't amazing either. I was making a powerpoint presentation on the bus on the way there. But, my goal was simply to get there are do my thing, which I did, so I'm satisfied. Whether or not they give me a job is now out of my hands.

I still don't know what to think about this whole job situation. It's starting to hit me that I will be unemployed in a little less than a month, which is a bit intimidating. At the same time, I don't just want any old job, and I don't think I'm wrong for being picky.

And the waiting continues. I feel like my whole life is just one long waiting period. Waiting for news on a job, waiting for the right relationship, waiting to settle down, and ultimately - waiting for heaven. But is that really the right perspective? I don't want to miss out on what's in front of me just because I'm so focused on the elusive "what if" of the future.

So I'm still here. Waiting. But attempting not to get lost in the waiting. Enjoying my last few weeks in Korea, for now. Who knows, I could be back for another year. I could be somewhere else. The planner inside of me is chafing, but I'm learning to be patient. And to live fully in the now, with the grace of the Lord, and not so much in the future.

It's at times like this I just want to sing. :)

could kazakhstan be the new korea?

2010-06-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

My heart has gotten thrown around a lot lately. I mean, I just don't know where I'm going to be in a few months. And by "don't know," I mean, "literally could end up in practically any country on the face of the earth." Seriously.

I had a brief flirtation with Armenia for a few weeks, but they kicked me to the curb. My current suitor is Kazakhstan. I'm not joking. I could literally be going to Kazakhstan.

My emotions about this proposition are mixed. I mean, really, Kazakhstan? But the job sounds awesome. And maybe I should just go with the theme and stick to countries that start with "K."

More on KZ to come. Or maybe not. Being courted by countries is such a fickle process. They may not want me. Oh yes, the familiar feeling of rejection.

I am praying for faith through this whole process. C'mon! Pray with me! Because even though it would take a lot of faith to go to Kazakhstan, I feel like it's taking more faith through the not knowing...

old acquaintances make great new friends.

2010-06-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

So I want to take a few moments to celebrate the joy of making new friends from old acquaintances. You know, those people that you sort of know, that maybe you sort of knew in the past, that then re-enter your life and surprise you with how cool they are. It leaves you wondering, "why weren't we friends before?"

I love when this happens with people from Moody. Reconnecting with random acquaintances is always such fun... especially when you realize just how much you have in common. Case in point, dear Laura Heller. She's one of those souls that just makes me wonder, "why weren't we friends before?" It's taken being in the same random country (Korea) for me to meet her an discover a kindred spirit.

So here's to old/new friends. Here's to finding kindred spirits in random countries. And here's to celebrating singleness and (almost) unemployment over beers.

Thanks Laura! :)

some new reflections.

2010-06-01T00:49:00.000-07:00

For better or for worse... the posts on this blog will be somewhat a set of bookends of my year. The first few months, and the last few months. Perhaps there's some literary value in leaving out the middle. Probably not, but I might just convince myself of this to assuage my guilt.

Actually, guilt is something I've been dealing with a lot lately. And by dealing with, I mean kicking it in the $@#. As God has shown me over this past (almost) year, I have been carrying the weight of guilt so heavily upon myself for far too long. This has been one of my more freeing realizations this year. I can't help but picture myself confidently snacking on life as if it is a package of those "guilt-free" 100 calorie packs of some delicious junk food. Guiltlessness, here I come!

I think one of the reasons I had a hard time blogging about this year was that, truly, I made so many more friends than I expected. This sounds silly, I know, but hear me out. At the beginning of this adventure, I pictured myself spending evenings stoically studying Korean and blogging about culture and food to my throngs of expectant Stateside fans. :) Well, almost. The reality has been oh so different - friends sleeping on each others' floors practically every night through the fall. Trying to maintain a long-distance boyfriend and failing miserably, but not before spending countless hours attempting. Buying a scooter and riding like the wind. Ultimately moving into an apartment with a wonderful roommate and having sleepovers every night. Feeling like I'm 22 again. Whew. It's been quite a year.

While personally, this year has been much more than I could have imagined, professionally, it has been much more challenging than I imagined. I never anticipated how difficult it would be fore me to sit in an office for 8+ hours a day. Not every week, but still. Also, a distinct lack of creative control over my work has taken its toll. Culturally, work has been the most maddening part of my year. Perhaps I can devote a later post to Korean work culture... because it's quite a tale.

To wrap this one up... in spite of all the difficulties and heartache along the way, Korea has been oh so good for my soul. Just so you know.

history will repeat itself...

2010-05-31T01:39:00.000-07:00

Well friends... I have a confession to make.

I've always been bad at writing regularly. especially when i make a commitment like starting a blog or buying a pretty diary.

As a child, I'd always begin diaries with grandiose plans of writing every day and leaving a legacy for posterity. Seriously. I was so obsessed with history that I figured I needed to write with my progeny in mind. I was heartbroken that I had none of my mother's diaries to pour over. I would rectify the situation, obviously, for my eager offspring.

These attempts would rarely last more than a few weeks, months maybe. And then I would feel guilty... very guilty. I was letting down my future children!

This time, I didn't let down any future children. I simply failed to write about my year overseas in Korea. Shame, shame on me.

I'm here for another month or two. It's been a great year. Much different than I expected. I've been surprised how comfortable I've become here in this strange land... while at the same time never ceasing to feel like an outsider.

I'll write a bit more before before I go. If not for posterity, then just for me.

tuesday - sun and insignificant victories abound

2009-08-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday! Somehow Tuesdays are so much better than Mondays, no? And it is finally sunny here, which makes me so much happier. Rain is good at night, when I can snuggle in the sheets and listen to it against my window... but daytime is suntime. I guess California really did get into my blood.

So it's Tuesday and sunny here in Yongin (which I am finally pronouncing correctly thanks to my fabulous Korean "teacher," Clare), and I am listening to Zee Avi, who is inspiring me to buy a Ukelele. Seriously. Zee is great sunshine music, so if it's sunny where you are and you are not listening to her - you should be!

On another note, I have realized from trying to write on this blog that I am not really funny or clever or interesting at all. Maybe just being in another country automatically makes the mundane details of my life more interesting? I don't know. I sit down to try and write something remotely entertaining, and it comes out like dry toast. Sorry, readers. I'm starting therapy, maybe that will help!

I'd like you to all celebrate with me for a moment... I had a few victories this last weekend. First, I finally figured out how to confidently get myself to and from Seoul on a bus which doesn't take 2 hours. Yay! Also, I am getting A LOT better at reading Korean and writing down words I hear. Unfortunately, I still don't really know what any words mean. Well, I'm working on it. And people are actually starting to understand me when I attempt to say a few words in Korea. "CAPPE MOcha HANgayO." thankyouverymuch.

Love you guys!
안녕

just noise...

2009-07-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

It's raining amazingly hard today, which I love. Thunder, lightning, the whole bit.

This means I don't have to use the thunderstorm track on my White Noise app tonight when I sleep!

Reality is nice.

;)

beware of FANS!

2009-07-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, I promised that my next post would be more educational and culturally relevant, so here it goes. After being here in lovely South Korea for a week, I have already been warned on the dangers of FAN DEATH. Never heard of fan death, you say? Well, I just might save your life.

Fan death is, simply put, death by fan. Here in Korea, pretty much everyone believes that if you sleep in a sealed room with an electric fan running, you could die. There are several pseudo-scientific reasons that people cite to support the idea - hypothermia, suffocation, or poisoning. The truth is, different people give different reasons for why fans are dangerous. The South Korean media loves it, though. I believe that they consistently report on the reality of fan death.

Want to know more, you say? Well, here are some fascinating links for your perusal:

http://koreabeat.com/?p=184

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/07/30/korea-fan-death-and-your-belief/
http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2006/09/fan-death-is-real_12.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death
http://www.fandeath.net/

Anyway, here in Korea, I am still happily sleeping soundly with my air conditioning on full blast and my windows closed.

I think some of my coworkers believe me to be suicidal...

Is this what real workers do all day...?

2009-07-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Update! I have almost survived my first full week of work at my first full time job ever. Sad, huh? The fact that I'm 26 and this is the first time that I've had to sit in an office for 8 hours a day being productive. Well, maybe that's a good thing. Needless to say, it's been an adjustment.

I have realized that I'm maybe not cut out for being an office worker. I prefer to be up and about and interacting and actually TALKING to people instead of typing on my computer. In fact, I've been so sick of my computer after a day at work that I haven't even wanted to catch up on email or facebook or anything if it means touching my compy. So depressing.

The good news is that this week is not going to be a typical work week for me. For the next three weeks I will be crazy busy with the SMOE Teacher Training Camp here at Hyundai Learning Center, which means teaching again, finally! So I'm hoping that I will once again be able to avoid getting stuck in an office... :)

Sorry to make my first Korea post about work. But that's pretty much most of what I've been up to recently. And, let's be honest, I wanted to just get a post up here so that I didn't go weeks without writing anything. And because Becks was waiting for my blog. :)

I promise next time to write about something more amusing/interesting/culturally fascinating!