Greetings!
Happy holidays to everyone
from the Tiffany family. This is Erica
and I am writing to you from Taepyeong Middle School located in South
Korea. We have a little snow here, but
(thankfully) it isn’t as cold as Minnesota. I am having a great experience in
Korea, but I miss my family very much and wish I could be home for
Christmas. Here is a brief update on the
family for year 2014:
Doug
(Daddy/Borneo/Patches)- This year I am especially proud of my dad. He suddenly became very active and focused on
his overall health when he discovered a FitBit at REI that helps him keep track
of how many steps he takes each day. He
is very motivated to “walk the earth” and get at least 10,000 steps in before
midnight (although I think he averages about 13,000 steps a day). Our family
has watched him walk circles around the living room and get on his reflective
gear and headlamp for an 11:30pm walk before his deadline. We are really proud
of all the progress he has made. This
year he has also enjoyed getting involved in interesting research projects at
work, eating lunch with his posse, watching Netflix dramas such as “House of
Cards,” and going ice fishing with his buddies. He has been so committed to his
10,000 steps a day goal, he even made sure to walk in Hallock, Minnesota---a
town of 900 people on the Canadian border. Last summer he and Judy spent a
wonderful week in Oban, Scotland and were fortunate enough to attend the 70th
Anniversary of D-Day on the beaches of Normandy.
Judy
(Mama Bear/Per Agor)- Mama is busy and enjoying retirement. She has
continued to attend her “No Guilt” Book Club ever since 1997, she helps out
with many events at St. Sahag Armenian Church, knits, quilts, embroiders,
participates in investment club with my dad, and makes wonderful food. My mom
is also very disciplined about going on her early morning “strut” around
Pleasant Lake with her dear friends, “The Walkers.” This past summer when I was
home for a visit, we even went on a 23-mile bike ride. My mom is pretty fast,
too! I was impressed!
Harrison
(Harry/The Zokioboy)- Harrison has had an amazing past year in the
beautiful outdoors. After his freshman year at UW-River Falls, he declared
himself a Conservation Major. In the summer, he was off to Alaska where he
worked in a fish hatchery. This past fall he was able to participate in a
National School Exchange and go on an outdoor excursion course in Montana. He spent months backpacking and on the river.
He met many people from other schools across the country. I bet he was one of
the most experienced outdoorsmen. When it comes to fishing and hunting,
Harrison is a great guide. I think he is an “animal whisperer.” But Harry isn’t
just lucky. I’ve caught him reading books late at night about plant
propagation, horticulture, hydroponics, world history, hunting, moon cycles
when fish are most hungry---basically, he has done his research. He would much
rather be outside in nature than inside playing videogames. If you ever talk to
him about fishing or hunting, look out! He is a talking encyclopedia and he may
very well talk your head off. Last summer, when I was home from Korea, I
enjoyed eating some mouth-watering venison Harry shot. I am bummed I am not home to chow down on the
elk he scored. Harry plans on working in Alaska again this summer, but this
time, he will be working on a fishing boat.
I am proud of my little brother. I was also very glad that he came to
visit me in Korea last winter vacation!
Me (Ery/Minklet//에리카)-
Well, it’s been nearly 2
years since I’ve been in Korea. I have been working at a co-ed public middle
school in Daejeon, Korea. Daejeon is right in the center of Korea and about a
50-minute train ride from Seoul. I teach English speaking classes alongside a
Korean co-teacher. My students are really fun kids to teach. They are separated
by gender. I find that the all-girl classes are usually shy and well-behaved,
while the all-boys classes are rowdy, loud, and rambunctious. I love them all
though…for the most part.
My students refer to me as “Erica
Teacher.” Since Korea is a very homogenous society, many of my students are
very interested and curious about foreigners.
I feel like I am constantly being stared at. They often treat me like a celebrity,
complimenting me every day on how BIG my eyes are, how “small” my face is, how long my legs are, and how “white” my
skin is. It was very strange receiving
so much attention at first, but now I think I will miss being so popular when I
go back to America.
Besides teaching my students
speaking, proper pronunciation, and English vocabulary, I also get a chance to
create fun cultural lessons and sing pop songs. I really enjoy my job, and I realized
that I love being a teacher. I think it
is a good fit for me after all.
Outside of work, I have been
keeping very busy studying Korean. To my surprise, I quickly learned the Korean
alphabet, Hangeul. Hangeul is easy to learn because of its logical, simple
structure. It is also phonetic; making it much easier to learn than other Asian
languages. But learning vocabulary and grammar continues to challenge me. It is difficult to find a good quality Korean
language class, but over the past few months, I have been doing “language exchange”
and journaling with a Korean friend. We
write in our journals every day, take a photo, and send each other our writing
via text message. Then we send each other our corrections. To hold each other
accountable, we decided that if we skipped a day, we owed the other person a cup
of coffee. That has really helped me to improve my Korean.
I have been staying in shape
by spinning at a health club near my school. For those of you that don’t know,
spinning is exercising on a stationary bike. However, spinning is a little
different in Korea—you also dance on the bike, which makes the time go
by faster. It is very fun and by the end of class, I am “sweating like a
butcher,” as my dad always says.
I have put on a few ukulele
performances in the community…sometimes in bars, twice at a Zombie Fun Run, and
once at a charity for the International Community in Daejeon.
Recently, my boyfriend,
Aaron, has gotten me interested in brewing beer at home. We made a Pale Ale and
a Chai Stout at home and both of them have turned out great, in my humble
opinion.
Well, it’s been a great year
for the Tiffany family. I am lucky that I have such a great family. I sure wish I could be home for Christmas,
but I promise I will be home in the summer!
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year!
Love,
Erica, Harrison and
Doug Tiffany and Judy Ohannesian
