racism!

OMG, I can't believe this really happened.
Here's a story about little Tino.

1. Tino is a new classmate and is making friends with Dick, Jane, and 2 ghosts from Asian horror movies. Oh, and a bird is making a nest in Tino's hair.

2. Tino appears wise, as he remains silent and only offers a coy smile for his friends racist and  questions. 

3. Dick, being possessed by the horror movie ghost feels proud for being charitable.

4. And then you find out that Tino wasn't wise, he just sucks at Korean. 

5. And this one is gold.

I hope there's a story about a Korean meeting a hairy westerner! (speaking of this, John met some of my co-teachers, and I finally witnessed the arm hair petting that my friends have talked about)

"that was fun"

One of the audio stories I have to transcribe is called "That Was Fun." I'm so amused, it's about POOPING! Here's a screen cap rundown. 

The apple tree gave everyone the poops! And it didn't even know!

I will not become that type of person who grows resentful. I will not become a Korea hater. I will not hold grudges here. That being said, I'm gonna bitch for a minute. 


I think I'm going to refuse to feel guilty over being peeved at stupid things my co-teacher does. Like how this week, I've been annoyed at how he's been mocking the way my intonation and inflection in the 100 mp3s I made for him using the crappy reading excerpts in front of the class (seriously, 2 chapters down, 46 more to endure). Um. It's the way most English speakers talk. Today was particularly irritating because he kept playing on repeat a line,  because he thought the way I said it was hilarious. To which, he then mimics my recording by sounding like a chicken. Uh, yeah. Thanks. I made all those files for you because you asked. And just so you know- because you never have to slow down your speech for anyone- it can be difficult to speak slowly and pronounce words individually, so I mean. Duh. Sometimes it won't sound natural. Because it freaking isn't. The just of it is, I don't make fun of the way he says stuff in Korean or the way he butchers my native language. So really, it puts me off when he makes fun of the way I speak in my own language. Same goes for when he mocks me when I read in Korean (which he likes to make me do in front of the class- yeah, thanks jerk). 


Is this unjustified annoyance? Either way, I seriously need a break from my co-teacher. He's nice and all, but sometimes I want to punch him.

on seat belts

Yesterday, the middle school teachers went out to Geumsan (somewhere just outside of Daejeon, and it's famous for ginseng so the Koreans say) for lunch- which turned into a half day affair with driving 30 minutes to some other place for coffee. I sat in the backseat and put the seatbelt on, only to have my co-teacher say that the teacher who was driving is a good driver, and then unfasten my belt. 

Um. This, though a relatively minor incident, was not okay. Okay, sure sure, it's Korean culture/style not to wear seat belts- but that's someone else's safety he was messing with, and if I want to wear it in the car, let me! Please. Besides, I come from a group who refused to drive unless the belts were on. Unless you were my college roommate who was sneaky about not wearing them. On the way back after lunch, I put it on again and got some more chuckles from the Koreans. Though it also spurred the other female teacher who was in the backseat with me to do the same.

At lunch, we had little fish in a pan, covered in chili paste and sizzled until crispy, and the same little fish battered and fried. I ate them, and I surprised myself. Though, I stopped at the heads unlike the others who popped them whole. I figured, that one, I'm eating fish. Two, I'm eating all of their little bones, guts, and poop. So, then for three, excuse me while I stop myself at the brains and tiny eyeballs staring stupidly out at the universe. 

My co-teacher got the leftover fried fish packed up for me to give to John, which I thought was really kind of him. He thought maybe John hadn't had lunch. Although by the time I got back, it was almost 6:30 so they weren't so good anymore.

how Koreans do noraebang (노래방)

Tuesday right after school, all the teachers hustled over to a nearby restaurant for dinner. There, the practicum teachers all had to get up and sing something. Someone knew how to beatbox! haha. Later, the rounds of showing respect were made by various teachers. This involves an exchange of pouring shots of soju or beer with someone or in serving a bite of food (in some cases actually hand feeding it). 


So all year I thought that there was only a handful of teachers who knew enough English to have any type of conversation. Yeah, so this isn't true. The first week I was here, my co-teacher and 2 others took me out to a mountain where we had lunch. One of them was silent the entire time, and his relaxed face is a cross between blank and seemingly cranky. I've always been a little afraid of him because I thought maybe he has anti-foreigner feelings. Yeah, so this wasn't true, either. I sat next to him at dinner, and then he started talking to me in English. And I think his English is really good! He said he's wanted to talk to me all year but "didn't have the confidence," and during the meal he frequently asked if I wanted or needed anything. Another teacher who I unfortunately forgot I've spoken with- I'm terrible!- said he wants to hear me more because I never say anything when I'm at school. Later in the noraebang he would stumble in with another teacher and request that I sing something... And also? 2 of the practicum students came over and said they wanted to meet me. They're month is almost, or is, up (I'm sad because they're a fun group) so they will be leaving soon. One of the girls immediately dubbed me her onni (older sister) and then it was off to a noraebang (karaoke room)! 


The noraebang is where I found out that even more of the practicum students know a fair amount of English. Remember the classmate that was in the room when I did the interview? He shows up being able to hold a conversation with me! Why didn't he help out with the interview? (by the way, he is super good looking!) Another teacher took to swinging water bottles at everyone, which answered my earlier question of why the floor was suddenly soaked after stepping outside for a minute. 


The faculty here is freaking awesome. 

thank you, payday

Yeah, thanks to getting a paycheck in my bank account, I got to pay off my bills, pay for an upcoming trip in July, and hesitate about sending money home this month. My won to American dollar converter isn't looking so good on the won side right now... 


Yesterday, one of my students had a seizure in class. It started out with what looked like a loud yawn, and then it totally wasn't. Fortunately (I guess) seeing one isn't new to me, so the foreigner didn't panic! And by the way, should you ever be with someone who has a seizure, it's better to just let them ride it out, don't try to move them, don't touch them, and stay calm (just from what I was told to do in the past- but staying calm is key). Also, don't be surprised if they're exhausted afterwards- the student slept afterwards, and the kids I worked with back in the states often wanted to do the same. 

results of the speech contest

Alas, my student lost the speech contest. The middle school students were separated into 2 groups: A and B. A being those who haven't lived abroad, and B consisting of the ones who have. My student of course, was in B. 


Now. Why didn't he score higher? Because, as one of the people running the contest explained to me: had he used hand gestures and made eye contact with the audience, he would have earned more points. 


Just for the record, my student is blind. Needless to say, my co-teacher was livid, and vented in the car that they didn't understand people who are blind or have low vision. In this case, no- they didn't consider the reason why the student didn't use hand gestures or look more directly at the judges. 


I mean... seriously?


But otherwise, he did an excellent job.

Teacher's Day in Korea

If you're following me on Google Buzz, I apologize for spamming it! 

Tomorrow is teacher's day. As I've said before, lately, I learn about special school events through students. No different this time, when a student was saying that his classmate was preparing for a performance that was meant for teachers. Eh? Walking into the auditorium, students were lined up to make a pathway and applauded as teachers filed in. It was interesting to say the least. A few students performed and then there was a special 4 person group from somewhere performing some music on a keyboard, cello, flute, and a Korean traditional instrument. A vocalist came out for a couple songs, and I recognized one; a song I played way back when I was in the elite-super-cool-atthetime instrumental ensemble in elementary school. I played the song on a recorder and the name I knew it by was "Korean Folk Song." haha, I felt so cool back then. I love the cello's sound. I wonder if there's any place in the city where I can get music lessons in an instrument... Teachers got little baskets with some carnations in them. A few students I think were competing to give me a basket. I don't remember really but just that a basket was forcibly thrust into my hands by someone in between the second that some other students realized it was me. 

Honestly, I don't know anything about Teacher's Day, but I'm just going to assume it's a day where they get honored. Last week we had Children's Day and Parent's Day- a combined Mother and Father's day. My co-teacher was surprised to hear that America has a day for each parent. He likes Korea's way better because you don't have to shop twice for gifts. Is there a Teacher's Day in the states? 

week recap through pictures

Wednesday afternoon, my co-teacher told me that the 9th graders were having a picnic at Daejeon's theme park, O-World. Ooookay. It was an awesome day! 


Before we left, we met in the auditorium to play volleyball. It was adapted for blind and low vision players. You have the net, but it's only a few inches above the floor. Instead of hitting the ball over, you have to hit it under. Points are scored by getting the ball into the green goals. Blind players line in front of the net to block. Players who have vision can wear black out goggles so they can be on the front. There are bells in the volley ball so you can hear where it is. I hadn't yet been to O-World, so I was looking forward to seeing the park. It's a small amusement park with a zoo and garden area (didn't see those). Here's the run down through pictures

These look like those quarter rides, but they're just meant for photos. My co-teacher is a perfect model here. 

This was the first ride we went on. I decided I really hate these rides. It's so uncomfortable I couldn't even scream. hahaha

A perfect example to remind us that we're not so different in a lot of ways.

They loved this ride. Except 2 of the 4 students in the boat are hiding.

The class! Sadly, I was behind the camera

The little kids overran the park all dressed in their matching uniforms and carrying their matching backpacks. Freaking ridiculous, freaking adorable. 

Just imagine piles of these little things in all different colors, all over the park.

My nature photo of that day. Flat out amazing color, and the sunlight made the darn tree glow. A shame I couldn't really capture that part.

Click play to see them all.

practicum fresh meat

My school got a slew of practicum students this morning, so I guess that explains the decorated chopsticks that teachers got.  Picture later if I ever take one... they're wood with a design on the top and stuck in a Asian style print satin case. They're cute! Bottles of vitamin C juice (not my favorite thing, it tastes like liquid Flintstones chewables) also appeared on teacher desks with a little introductory note stuck on them. Sadly, I don't understand anything beyond "안녕하세요." I seriously need to get it together and start studying vocabulary. This is really pathetic. 

Still waiting to hear about re-signing. There's a slight comfort from the fact that no one else in Daejeon has re-signed yet. The prices of plane tickets home are uglyugly beasts.


Cute moments of the day: I went to the elementary 6th grade classroom to work with a student for a few moments. One of the other students poked my shoulder to get my attention and said "hi." This afternoon in the middle school first grade class, we weren't doing anything. 2 of the 3 students were there, one of those two is an adult participant. The actual middle schooler spent the class trying to talk to me and asking what things were in English. This is a big deal because her English level is low. At one point she was doing an old lady squat on the floor while talking. I think she ran out of things to say at one point because she stopped, looked at me, and said "I love you." The adult participant I think believes my name is Megan Virginia. He also seemed surprised that my family is American.

a staff lunch somewhere on a mountain somewhere in Daejeon

This is the raw beef, soaked in a chili sauce and served with slices
of pear and raw garlic. All on a bed of thinly sliced cucumber! 

I have a feeling this is going to end up being a pretty sizable post... mostly with pictures. So the mountain trip yesterday! There was no mandatory hiking! After eating, some of the teachers wanted to go "trekking" as one put it, but then a smaller group split off and took me with them because they wanted a short walk. I definitely didn't mind that. We ended up meeting with my co-teacher who wandered off alone, and we paper-rock-scissor battled our way up a stair case (kai-bai-bo as they say in Korean, correct romanization or not). They decided how many steps you could go up for each different way of winning, and then we played each round until there was one winning hand (like, one type beat everything else, so more than 1 person could win). Fun! haha- we ended up playing this again later when a teacher was talking about a snack, so then the loser had to buy it for everyone. 

Okay so lunch. Some new things here. First, raw beef. Drenched in a chili sauce, and still a little frozen. It was good! Not something I would go look for myself, but it was enjoyable and I'm not sick. My brain is so conditioned to have alarms go off at the sight of raw meat thanks to the way it's raised in the states and the consequences that have followed because of those methods. Granted, who knows, maybe beef in Korea is produced the same way. I haven't really been able to figure that out yet. The main feature of lunch was a soup called galbi tang (갈비 탕) where the "tang" sounds a little like "tongue." It's a simple soup with some beef ribs boiled into a broth, some scallions, and some sweet potato starch noodles. No lurking little sea monsters in the bottom. Nice. 


And then there was the rice. I've had rice like this maybe twice before, but I hadn't thought to photograph it yet. The first time I saw it served this way I was baffled. My mind was just about blown when I saw what the Koreans did with it, and then my brain evaporated when I realized there was more to be done. Now? Still a little strange and not my favorite thing, but far more normal to me. The wood encases a stone bowl which is heated super hot to the point of making the rice crackle. So what you do is after letting the rice sit closed for a couple of minutes, you scoop most of it into a bowl. Don't fight the rice that's stuck to the sides. Then you pour some water into the stone container and put the lid back on. Ignore it for the rest of the meal and eat the rice you took out. After you eat, go back to the stone container, mix the water and rice,which is now no longer stuck, and eat. The water gets a little thick and starchy from the rice, and to me, you get a little flavor from the rice that was toasted by the heat. I think part of this process is getting the burned rice off of the bowl, and not letting food go to waste. So again, not really my favorite thing to eat, but a good cultural experience. 


... aaaand three days later, here I am finishing up this post with: that day was awesome and it feels like it happened a month ago! Enjoy the pictures! 

Picture demonstration for the rice! This is what it's served in: the stone bowl in a wood case.

I had to sneak this photo in between my co-teacher telling me to let it sit for 2 minutes... Black rice gives it the purple color, and it's common to have a type of bean or another grain mixed in. I think it's a good idea, it gives some nutrition! Scoop what you can out and dump it into another bowl...


This is the rice water soup stuff you eat at the end of the meal. It tastes like rice water. Hot rice water. Definitely better than hot ham water, though.

Daejeon Citizens and promised awesome week

From what I understand, Daejeon Citizens is the name of the city soccer team. Last week, my friends' schools were handing out free tickets to an upcoming game. The stadium was packed with families who like us, got in for free. I liked it though because a big part of why I enjoy watching sports in person is the energy radiating off of the crowd. Plus we were surrounded by little children who liked to stare at my obviously western friends. One kid even started yelling "gogogo!" at the soccer players like we were. This was my first professional soccer match (professional anything really)- I can't effectively describe how much fun it was, but it was funfunFUN! We lost to Incheon (the city where the international airport is), so I will probably forever resent it just a little from now on. One of the friends I went to the game with was trying to start up some Konglish chants. Serious failures there, and from the chuckles from some surrounding Koreans I think we used the Konglish incorrectly. 


Saturday was the introduction of some nice weather we've been privileged to enjoy. Today it's breezy, edging on downright windy, but it's sunny and warmish, and I just want to go outside and be useless. In 30 minutes the middle and high school teachers are going to a mountain to eat and "drink... a little" as a teacher put it last week. I'm still doubting that we won't end up hiking even though when I asked, the teacher said no. Because seriously- sometimes no really means yes, though that mostly relates to Koreans pouring me alcohol when I say "no thank you." bwaha. I've got my camera, so I'll be getting some photographic records of the spelunking that goes on this afternoon. 


This week is going to be awesome because I get out early today and tomorrow, Wednesday is Children's Day, thus a holiday (also Cinco de Mayo, though I've never celebrated- but a good excuse to make tacos!), and this weekend there is talks of going to a ropes course in Daegu. 

being a tool today

Midterms started today and wrap up next Tuesday. My school lets teachers go home 2 out of the 3 testing days early. They get to choose. I think my co-teacher chooses for me. Picture me looking longingly out the window right now. It's Friday, it's beautiful outside, and a very small handful of teachers are still here. So I'm hoping they'll peace out and then maybe I can sneak out a little early... I have no work to do. None. At least not without putting myself way ahead of schedule and then having nothing to do later on down the road. I don't plan for any real classes- just teacher training and the extra English hour on Fridays, so I'd rather put those off until later when I want to look busy. It's hard to guess how the Korean faculty feels when they see me not really doing a lot of work. I mean I'm happy to help any way I can, so pile it on! But my co-teacher has made his curriculum, I made the vocab already, so there isn't much to do for class unless he comes up with a new idea once in a while. I try to make supplementary materials when possible, but ultimately it's just to be productive, though the product is never used. At least Monday and Tuesday I get to leave early, and there's a holiday on Wednesday. Children's Day. I know nothing of it, but next week I'll have some more information. The only other time I've heard of this day is in the original Pokemon series when the day occurred in that universe. 


I've been tossing this idea around in my head for a little while. That if I get resigned for another year, I'll buy a guitar to have in Korea. A lot of things to consider with that though, and now that I sent the second payment of the camera I recently bought, I want to pump more money back into my American bank account. 


This weekend should be interesting. Actually, the following 3 weekends should be. Tomorrow night there's a soccer game. I haven't seen one yet because they're at night, and it gets pretty cold when the sun goes down. So I'm really hoping that it'll be warm because I'd like to go. Also, a friend wants to do crafty things! haha- I have a paper cake slice template which I think would be fun to try. Next week there's a race for breast cancer at Daejeon's Expo Park. I signed up for the 5k today, and this entire week I had it in my head that the race was this Sunday. That had me panicked because I haven't properly run in a month, and even then I only got to go out twice because winter had its third and fourth coming. And then it's the Lantern Festival!!!! WOO!

happy lunch time: South Korean school lunches

source  (a lot like my high school lunches!)

I've complained about some dishes served at lunch a few times here, but I don't think I ever really explained Korean lunch culture. It particularly interests me because I just came upon this blog where a teacher somewhere in America is eating what the students are eating for a year. Photos included, I really forgot how awful school lunches could be! A guest blogger who is teaching in South Korea also recently posted this; a small feature about lunch in Korea. I don't know. Nutrition and food and education interest me. Lately too, I'm sure you back in the states are hearing news about backlash at school lunch with their lack of nutrition, promotion of fast food style meals, and vending machines at your beck and call. 

source (I forgot about "salad"... shredded iceberg lettuce)

Mrs. Q, the author of the Fed Up With Lunch blog, provides a lot of photos of American school lunches. She also features a lot of guest bloggers from around the country, so go remind yourself of what you ate in school (or watched your friends ate if you bagged or boxed it). Neon nacho cheese, sad little pizzas. Chicken stix (honestly, I loved those...). A staple meal at my high school  was a chicken patty sandwich and fries. Fries cost an extra dollar or whatever, and I think you could also get milk. I don't remember if you had to pay for fruit or any other side, though dessert was definitely extra. Of course there was the salad bar line, but that was a styrofoam cereal bowl you paid for and you could get iceberg lettuce, a few kinds of vegetables, dressing. Not filling, not worth it. Potato bar day was awesome (liquid cheese, broccoli, sour cream), except my friend and I always got cut by the same group of self entitled broads... You had to risk having less than 2 minutes to eat if you went potato that day. 


Let's think about what we ate in school. Honestly, I was usually still hungry after lunch, and I think I won't blame it on my inner fat girl. Processed foods with little or no nutrition, honestly- small portions of junk food, so when that sugar rush or crap rush is gone you're hungry again. And seeing the pictures of what's served today really explains why I was still hungry or not satisfied. 

source Korean lunch tray- wells in the tray for each dish

When you think of Korean food, you probably think kimchi and rice. And you're absolutely right; these 2 foods are freaking everywhere! At every meal, every day, everywhere you go. You can't escape kimchi and rice unless you go to a foreign restaurant, but even then you can still get it. I went to an  Outback here once, and they served you kimchi with your steak and ribs. It's a terrible combination, don't do it. 


So here's what you can expect in a Korean school for lunch
1. soup as the main dish 
2. kimchi of some sort be it the common cabbage type that you probably always think of, raddish, or other vegetable combinations that I personally tend to not enjoy
3. something called panchan, panchan meaning "sides." Kimchi would be considered part of this, but I think it deserves to stand alone. Usually I see 2 other sides, a meat or protein side and a plant side. 
4. Rice. The biggest part of the tray is dedicated to rice. 

source this is more what the trays in my school are like

My school got a new nutritionist this year, and I don't like her style or her taste in food. More often than not there's some kind of seafood lurking in the soup (I really hate food that comes from the ocean...), or the soup looks like some weeds were just dumped into muddy water. Also, I feel like she puts less thought into lunches, or less care maybe. I see more easy to make foods (think mini hotdogs, fried chicken, ddeok street food style), and ultimately the lunches aren't as healthy as they were with the last nutritionist. I will say in her defense that there is more variety, though it's not always pleasing. In the beginning she was pulling all sorts of different types of kimchi I hadn't seen yet, but recently she's gone back to the more traditional or common kinds. Maybe the school body complained? I guess my point is that usually, Korean lunches are more like dinner considering the foods you see. My school currently isn't a great example, and I have friends who can't stand the food their school serves. So obviously, although I think Korean schools provide higher quality food, there still may be complaints. However, I think a lot of that has to do with not having been raised on these foods. Otherwise, I doubt it'd be a problem. 


You don't usually get choices in what you eat here. Again, there are exceptions. A friend in a private school says his cafeteria offers 2 types of main dishes... main sides I guess is the better way to put it since soup is front and center. Often, you eat what everyone else eats. There menu is set, and no alternatives are provided. Now of course, here's another exception. I met someone during orientation who eats a vegan diet. His school, the last time someone asked about how he was eating, was doing its best to feed him despite the fact that many Korean foods have animal products in them. But his school likes him, and he's a nice guy. Potential lesson here: be nice to your faculty. 


Some schools, the students line up and wait for food. A friend said you could hear the stampede of students rushing for the cafeteria, only to be bottlenecked at the door. Some schools don't have cafeterias, so lunches are delivered to classrooms. My school, most likely from its circumstances sets up trays ahead of time for all students and teachers who are blind. Food is in the trays when they arrive, and they raise their hand if they want more. A lunch staff will bring a bowl to serve seconds. Teachers who have sight dish up their own food, and though you could go back for seconds on your own, not many people do it. When you finish eating, you scoop up whatever you didn't eat and dump it into the soup bowl. Then you bring it to the kitchen where someone will take it. That's at my school though. I would assume there are places where you dump the food yourself instead of a staff member doing that for you. 


Oh, and your utensils? Metal chopsticks (I'm in love, I'm going to make my future kids eat with them) and a spoon. People here are really good at cutting food with their chopsticks with one hand, no effort, and move along to eating. Me? A chopstick in each hand, grip like a 2 year old, stabbing, pulling, and occasionally making food fly. Once I battled a piece of meat off its bone alternating between the spoon and a chopstick. A teacher I was friends with just watched with a goofy grin and eventually asked if I was okay. 


I think really, I'm spoiled by Korean school lunches. They're hot (well... usually...), pretty healthy, even if they're not my favorite, pretty satiating. Only once since my time here was I hungry before the end of the work day. That would be the day we were rationed to 3 pieces of vegetables. 


And for todays lunch report: possibly the weirdest combination of food I've witnessed. 
Spaghetti, garlic bread (bread here is often sweet, and this was no exception- more like a sweet, garlicky oversized crouton), kimchi, tofu, rice, and soup (tasted like dirt... again). Seriously bizarre. 

yes, when I say foot baseball, I mean kickball

Friday afternoons are packed, but I really enjoy them because the last class periods are just fun for me. It's the extra stuff added to my schedule. With my 2 students in the extra English review class, a 3rd student was added. I made a model of today's project: basic info. My name is... I am -- years old... I like... But they seemed to enjoy it. The girls had fun with the stickers, and I was impressed to see the vocabulary they pulled out to list things they like. The boy has less English, but he said he likes computers and drew a picture of one. He also drew a picture of a tree, drew an arrow from it and wrote "sky." He either could think that tree is sky in English, or he was pointing to the blue background... either way, I let it go. During teacher training, we talked about culture differences in the restaurant and they were surprised about the tipping amount you should do in American restaurants. They were also surprised that it's considered rude to yell across the restaurant for your server. Haha, it's nice that we can do that here, and man, do I love those table buzzers! 

Okay, most of these pictures are coming from the kick ball tournament day my school and 3 surrounding schools held a couple of weeks ago. The faculties came out and played a mini tournament- my school lost the first round. We ended with a jump rope contest. That was a really crazy interesting afternoon. Tables were set up for food and alcohol. The fact that alcohol is allowed on school grounds and also stored in the cafeteria kitchens still shocks me. In my head an alarm goes off: "Protect the students! Shield them from this debauchery!" 


Aside from the alcohol there was an entire meal laid out- dried squid, kimchi (which I dropped on my running shoes :( ), soup, nuts, fruit, pork. One of the teachers from John's old school recognized me, so he pulled me aside to tell me how John "teaches with all his heart and that he's a very kind and big hearted person." Really sweet stuff. I said that John missed the school, which he appreciated, and then he poured me makeolly or however you spell it- Korean rice wine. buuuuh. 


My co-teacher and another teacher from my school announced for the kickball and jump rope. I wish I understood Korean, because I know they were funny, and from my language barrier side, they went well together as a comedic pair. 


Midterms are coming up in a week. I mean, crazy! School years are wrapping up now at home, but we're just coming on halfway through the first semester. Next month is the time for contracts to be resigned. I've been stressing about that lately. I'm really thankful for the teacher who sits next to me in the office- she's friendly, comes to teacher training, and we talk a little during the day. Some of the new younger teachers say hi, and it means a lot to me when last semester sometimes I'd go all day without talking to anyone beyond the morning and evening greetings. Plus, knowing a little more Korean has tremendously helped. Especially with students. 


From my fluent student, I learned that the face toucher is obsessed with some other teacher's face, too- so I don't feel so singled out (in a good way!) She's cute and bizarre, and she makes life more interesting. She apparently is making up words to describe people's faces, mine being bungy kungy, another's bangy pangy. Today she sent me a text, but Google translate claims it said "now touch your face," which would be really weird if it didn't actually means something like "I will touch your face"... I ended the conversation with a "no, but have a nice weekend!" 

An interesting thing that happened today was a man was introduced to me in the office. He explained that he's in a society re-entrance program, in the high school level but not really a student, just a participant. He said there's something wrong with his retinas which was been going on for 10 years, but he hopes to see me again to practice English. It took me a minute to kind of figure out what was going on, but it'd be cool to see him again, though I don't see the high school class he's been assigned to. Maybe something will change, who knows. 


And for the moment of the day where I just didn't get it was a high school 1st grader (the 27 year old who is beautiful) waved me over and said "my right face hair, what do you think?" (in english more broken but I can't remember). It looked like a hurricane swept through half of his hair, and it was like that in person, but he showed me a picture he took of himself on his phone. 


Back to Seoul tomorrow. I'm armed with proper directions of how to get to where I want to go. :D

the Korean word for "soap" is cemented in my head (비누/ binu)

I have photos from a girls' night out last week at a "luxury" noraebang (karaoke room) and a sushi conveyer belt style restaurant that I've been meaning to upload but my stupid apartment was just made livable again yesterday after nearly a week. Monday, my co-teacher contacted the complex office and the guys there met me after work. They went to look at the pipe and just reaffirmed that yes, it's broken, and that yes, it needs to be fixed. All right, so then my co-teacher called the gas company or someone for me, and two days later someone came out and did the repair. That's the first time a repairman hasn't been timely in my experience here. So yesterday, I finally got to go back to my apartment, but really, it just further justifies my desire to move somewhere newer if I stay another year. 

Yesterday was science day! Of course I knew nothing about it until a student asked what I was doing that day. I ended up helping the teacher I sit next to in the office with her project. All over the school were stations for classes to go to- a sandwich making room, make juice, explore different flavors, etc. I got to help make soap for 4 hours. I had a lot of fun! I really missed intensive hands on activities like this. It was also fun to see the students do something other than sit at a desk. My school schedule is shaping up to be more like that of a real teacher's. The teacher training has kicked in, so I meet 2 classes with a small handful. I have those 2 extra classes Friday afternoons, and today, my co-teacher said I'm going to meet with a student for 2 periods on Thursdays. She's entering a reading comprehension contest, and she has to be familiar with 16 children's stories by June. It's kind of ridiculous. My co-teacher wants her comfortable with the pronunciation, and I guess he'll work on her with translations? My afternoons are absolutely packed now, but that helps the rest of the day go by. 


The suddenness that places close in Korea is astounding. I don't think stores announce or warn customers of an impending shut down. I see Koreans show up at the doors just as shocked as I am. For instance, the meeting place my friends and I use when we go to Eunhang Dong is a Starbucks right next to a LCD screen. It was there last Saturday when I met a couple of friends for lunch. It was cleaned out and being ripped apart inside Monday. Last night, while waiting to meet my Korean study partner, a girl tried to go inside before she looked up and saw that nothing was in there. Across the way, a makeup store disappeared, and restaurants up and down the main walkway are also gone. Granted, as quickly as stores and restaurants close new places spawn out of nowhere. 


Now I need to cram in some last minute work before I meet the contest student. The teachers asked for restaurant language for training tomorrow. I've got some expressions, but really, you don't need a lot of the foreign language to get what you need. Oh, MENUS! I should print menus from places and have them practice ordering off of those. GENIUS. hahaha. That, and I was planning to highlight some restaurant culture differences. 

blurb about school today

Two things, but I usually stray from my original intentions and wander into completely new and unrelated ramblings. 
1. I saw one of my 6th grade students cry today. I'm assuming it was because of my co-teacher. The student lost his papers for today's activity- something about it disappearing in his back. This kid is always goofy/whiny/laughing. My co-teacher sent him to the gym to walk laps. Then my co-teacher left the room for a minute. He returned with the student and left again. And the student was in tears. So either just having to do laps is connected to severe punishment, or my co-teacher reamed him for not having the papers. And me being useless and unable to really communicate in Korean could only pat his back a bit and hand him tissues. I think whatever went on was unnecessary if it brought him to tears- it's just paper. Make him go get new copies or something and call it even. 
2. I wanted to shake my 5th grader. He's probably bored with learning the alphabet, so I need some new activities. He's mostly mastered the upper case letters, and now he has to learn the lower case. Buh. I don't want to do it, I know he doesn't. Today was the first time I had issues with him following directions, so I had to take away all potential distractions from him. He seemed bored when I gave him a break, but rushed to finish anything I gave him. Maybe he was playing around- it's hard to tell, but this was a moment when I really wished we spoke the same language because it would've been much easier to manage. As in, I could've snuffed it out immediately. 

Friday rundown

It's beautiful outside and Friday, so today's been rough with actually doing productive work with my students. This semester, my co-teacher has changed the structure of a lot of the classes I have with him. He's done a great thing by grouping students by what level their at, so in 1 class there are 3 different things going on. This puts me in charge of some students, and he'll often come in and instruct when needed- there's a pretty good unspoken balance happening now. I have to prepare 2 students for a speech contest sometime next month. One is terrified, and the other definitely just isn't interested- at least until I got him to a topic where he could talk about food. 

My co-teacher added 2 periods onto my schedule- a 5th class with the student who lived in America for a number of years. I got him hooked on Anthony Bourdain during vacation, so I've turned the extra class into a Bourdain hour with him. He needs a break from 4 days of doing whatever it is I make him do in class. And really, I need a break, too.  Besides, he talks through most of the show, so he's still getting good conversation practice. The other extra class is with 2 students for some review of whatever I want to do. Today was the first time I met with them, and I wanted to review body parts. And it was semi- genius, if I may inflate my ego for a minute. I started with having them draw a person with whatever number of heads or arms or whatever I asked. When they got the hang of what I was doing with them, I had them choose how many of the other limbs. Listening and application rolled into one. Then I pulled out the candy, and modeled, and explained, and modeled again until they finally understood what we were going to do with it- make candy people! Now if I can only keep this class entertaining for the rest of the year... I'm glad to have it though, because I get to do things I did a lot at home and haven't really had chances to do here yet. 


I ended up sharing the rest of the candy in the teacher's office after sending as much as I could with the students. Who knew adults would really be interested in marshmallows? The Korean ones smell like a bathroom- no offense. 

fatherly advice

From my middle school 3rd grade student. He tells me that maybe I should sleep all weekend because I'm tired, so I can be well rested. I say that I hope to enjoy the nice weekend weather and he goes on to insist that I really ought to just stay in bed. And then later, we're in another classroom for an extra class my co-teacher wants me to have with him and I'm about to go get my computer. I mentioned that it's a big school, and as I get ready to go he says, "Wait, will you know how to get back here?" Ha. It turns out that he was the one who needed help finding his way back because he'd never been to the third floor. That punk. :) 


I think people who have no affiliation can come into the school to use the bathrooms... I've run into numerous old women in hiking gear, and I've never seen them before. Plus they have that cranky expression stuck on their faces that makes them look scary, and the last one I saw didn't lock the stall door... awkward.

understanding where the frustration comes from

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, but not a lot of teachers speak English in my school beyond the 2 English teachers. And those who do don't know a lot, so communicating with my faculty is mostly absent or 없어요 as you could say it in Korean. Taking the student body as a whole (of the classes I see), the foreign language level is low. Really low. Like, many don't know what to say when I ask "how are you?", and that's something I always ask them. Beyond the one students who lived in the states for a number of years, there's one student who knows enough English to hold a pretty decent conversation, a high school 3rd grader who can speak about limited topics (do you like...?, American metal and rock music, and smack down wrestling, whatever that is). A very small number- like 2 or 3- of students can piece together a very sketchy exchange of question and answer, with me filling in what Korean I know to help. So it's common for there to be days when I don't really talk to anyone. That's frustrating in the professional setting. 

What makes me really want to pull out my hair and start a brawl sometimes is hearing my name being said among students and the co-teacher or between teachers in the office- a combination of my name and the words "foreigner" and "American" (said in Korean of course). I know those words well- we hear them called and exclaimed in the streets sometimes by kids so surprised to see someone not Korean in their territory. Maybe it's acceptable to discuss a person when they're present, but not actually include that person in the conversation here. But it makes me uncomfortable, and lately I'm hearing it more often. The students are asking questions, my co-teacher is answering, but isn't offering to translate anything for me. I know, I should probably inquire about it myself, but I'm passive and I don't want to come off as demanding or rude. Depending on the day, I either just shrug it off and say "TIK" (this is Korea, as started by a friend), or go home at 5 feeling uneasy and uncertain about how the faculty feels about me. 

It's easy to go with the thought, "dumb broads," but today what I always knew in a foggy way occurred to me explicitly. It's not the people I'm frustrated with, it's not the country. It's me. I'm frustrated with myself for not knowing how to effectively, or even remotely communicate with Koreans in their language. That because of this, I'm always in the dark about something- who am I kidding, about most everything- and it's going to be a long, slow, and difficult time getting to a point where I will be less oblivious to this world and leaning towards some degree of comprehension. 


I wonder sometimes as the Koreans are laughing about the foreigner in the room, if they understand the magnitude of what it means for me to be here. I left everything familiar, easy, and beloved to me half a world away. Thank GOD for foreigner friends.


And honestly, I doubt that most of what they say is menacing- they laugh and show shock at the smallest of anything. Reservations in the showing of amusement, surprise, and disgruntlement seem to be lower here. I freaked some teachers out last week because I had a 3/4 length sleeve sweater on and it was cold that morning. They laughed and discussed it for 10 minutes with me at my desk. If they want to be sly, they seriously need a new code word.

I get a sense of comfort from knowing that I'm frustrated at myself instead of Korea in those awkward moments of knowing that I'm being discussed. I don't want to hold negative feelings for this country, especially for the people I work with and teach. It would be due time for me to go back home when or more hopefully if that ever happens. 


In the meantime, I started studying Korean with a friend this week. We're aiming to replace the class that was canceled. He found a good textbook, and the grammar book I bought on my own is proving to be an excellent supplement or booster. I'm noticing that I'm understanding more of what I hear- ever so slightly- and that I'm also able to deduct what kind of context people are talking in if I don't understand the general idea. This will also be a good opportunity to discover all of the coffee shops in Eunhang Dong. 


Photos were taken using the Canon 30D I am purchasing from someone. See, mom? Totally worth it.