A month has passed since I first arrived -- amazing. I guess time flies when you're having fun playing the crane game.
@@@
Teachers are the ones who nurture the adults of the future, I've heard. Teaching is such a great job because you get to work with kids, I heard. I've never heard anyone mention that teaching can be a nice treat for a sadist.
I like to ask random students questions during the class. Most are hesitant, but will softly eek out an answer. Some are brash and proudly answer, no matter how little sense they make. Then there are the timid: they either stare down at their book when I approach them or just sit there. When they just sit there, I'm not sure if they are waiting for me to move on or if they are thinking about the answer. I suppose these timid students are simply incapacitated with fear, like the fear that filled America in the early 20th century, when Prohibition was enacted and Americans realized they couldn't get shit-faced on the weekend. Public speaking is a common fear, (I would guess even moreso for these young students), so I try not to get angry at them. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy seeing them sweat or hearing their moans of agony as I call their name in class though.
It's called "tough love," kids.
I could just show my students a Disney movie and have them just laugh and enjoy class, but I want them to practice as much as possible, because of course, practice does make perfect.
I was thinking of showing them a clip from Rocky III to encourage and inspire them to have the courage to speak in class. Instead, I decided to show them this video of a man that can't count to "20" (fkn hilarious):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv62SN9P008
The lesson I told my students after showing them the video: practice makes perfect, you lil fuckers.
Apr 30, 2009
Apr 23, 2009
Deadlier than Gambling
I've never understood why people salivate at the thought of visiting Las Vegas. I visited LV for the first when I was 23. I was unimpressed. Aside from the grand sights such as New York, New York or the Bellagio Hotel water show, I consider Las Vegas to be nothing special. The entire city is filled with hustlers and I hate the idea that the entire city is built on the failed dreams of many. The main draw of gambling did not have much appeal to me either.
So it seems I'm starting to build a collection.
In many parts of Korea (including my hood), there are crane games dispersed randomly along streets and alleys everywhere. They are filled with not only stuffed animals, but also cigarette lighters, keychains, drinks, and in one I even saw an enclosed pack of wife beaters. Since I've
gotten here, I've spent close to about $20 on these crane games. As long as I win occasionally, the items (which are bizarre or unique beyond anything I've seen before, like the pachinko lighter seen to the left), are great prizes and are at a reasonable price. I find myself filled with joy when I hear the clunk of a cigarette lighter hitting the metal tray below and jumping in dismay when the crane-claw suddenly and "magically" loses it's grip on it's way to the drop point. Maybe this is what Vegas gamblers feel.
gotten here, I've spent close to about $20 on these crane games. As long as I win occasionally, the items (which are bizarre or unique beyond anything I've seen before, like the pachinko lighter seen to the left), are great prizes and are at a reasonable price. I find myself filled with joy when I hear the clunk of a cigarette lighter hitting the metal tray below and jumping in dismay when the crane-claw suddenly and "magically" loses it's grip on it's way to the drop point. Maybe this is what Vegas gamblers feel.
Apr 21, 2009
Life is Good
I did not think it likely, but I am actually living at a higher standard here than in Hawaii/the US (for you guys who care about the numbers, the GDP-per-capita of S. Korea and U.S. are around $27,000 and $46,000 respectively).
Let's compare, shall we?
US: 16x16 studio apartment, paid $850/month. no utils, not furnished.
SK: still a studio, but bigger and furnished and my employer takes care of the rent and utils.
US: sweat my ass off in Hawaiian summers, esp. since my apt. faces away from the mountain.
SK: compact A/C attached to the wall and a heater for these lingering cold days (did I mention I don't pay utilities?)
US: stall with fear upon sight of giant roaches that originate from the jungles of Hawaii and somehow make their way into my apartment
SK: no roaches in my apt or city, so I can leisurely let my trash pile
US: no recycling b/c I do not have space in my 15x15 to be storing trash. oh, and fuck the $.05 refund.
SK: recycling bins right at the entrance of my building. convenience is a great incentive to recycle.
US: pay $1.25 to wash and dry, each. i still have missing socks and somebody stole some clothes from me once.
SK: a washer right in my apartment, though I have to use a Korean dryer (aka hanging my shit on a chair)
US: pay $7 for a plate lunch that consists of meat, rice and a scoop of mac salad. have a heart attack afterward.
SK: there is a plate-lunch-like place right by my place that I can get a tonkatsu plate for less than $2 USD. I also eat, on average, probably 3 different types of a vegetables a day.
US: need a car to drive to... well, everywhere. pay for gas, insurance, and punch a hole in the wall when somebody hit-and-runs you (which happened once and gave me a giant headache)
SK: walking distance (max 5 minutes) from work, the gym, a basketball court, a pay phone, 7-11, the bar, the stationery store, bus stop, a sewing shop, grocery store, eyeglass store, PC lounge, coffee shop, and loads of restaurants.
Life here is suiting me so far.
Let's compare, shall we?
SK: still a studio, but bigger and furnished and my employer takes care of the rent and utils.
US: sweat my ass off in Hawaiian summers, esp. since my apt. faces away from the mountain.
SK: compact A/C attached to the wall and a heater for these lingering cold days (did I mention I don't pay utilities?)
US: stall with fear upon sight of giant roaches that originate from the jungles of Hawaii and somehow make their way into my apartment
SK: no roaches in my apt or city, so I can leisurely let my trash pile
US: no recycling b/c I do not have space in my 15x15 to be storing trash. oh, and fuck the $.05 refund.
SK: recycling bins right at the entrance of my building. convenience is a great incentive to recycle.
US: pay $1.25 to wash and dry, each. i still have missing socks and somebody stole some clothes from me once.
SK: a washer right in my apartment, though I have to use a Korean dryer (aka hanging my shit on a chair)
US: pay $7 for a plate lunch that consists of meat, rice and a scoop of mac salad. have a heart attack afterward.
SK: there is a plate-lunch-like place right by my place that I can get a tonkatsu plate for less than $2 USD. I also eat, on average, probably 3 different types of a vegetables a day.
US: need a car to drive to... well, everywhere. pay for gas, insurance, and punch a hole in the wall when somebody hit-and-runs you (which happened once and gave me a giant headache)
SK: walking distance (max 5 minutes) from work, the gym, a basketball court, a pay phone, 7-11, the bar, the stationery store, bus stop, a sewing shop, grocery store, eyeglass store, PC lounge, coffee shop, and loads of restaurants.
Life here is suiting me so far.
Apr 16, 2009
Blame it on the... I don't know?
My last class had finished and the students had all left. I was surfing the web when a male student walked in.
"...hi!"
"hey, how are you?"
He started to move side to side, opening his mouth as to speak, but closed it, probably uncertain of what to say. He dawdled like this for about a half minute.
"Don't be shy and say what you want; there's nobody around." I was more than aware that many students felt afraid to speak English around their peers.
"..."
He paced side to side and then simply exited. About a minute later, I saw more heads peering in and then heard a thump on the ground and the shuffling of knees against the ground. It appeared that the same student was crawling behind the divider in the room, while his friends poked their heads in and giggled. He appeared in the back of the room and sat on a desk there.
"Are you here to use the computers?" (this is the multimedia room we're in).
"..." (the same nervous dawdling)
As I got up, he got up too. He ran by and I could swear he murmured out, "I love you." His friends giggled and ran away too. I was thinking two things at this point:
1 - This is probably what really hot girls experience. The situation between me and the student is way different than one with a hot chick and eager pursuer, but I imagined that hot chicks have probably seen similar things (a guy being tongue-tied, being shy, acting queer).
2 - This kid is fucking weird.
"...hi!"
"hey, how are you?"
He started to move side to side, opening his mouth as to speak, but closed it, probably uncertain of what to say. He dawdled like this for about a half minute.
"Don't be shy and say what you want; there's nobody around." I was more than aware that many students felt afraid to speak English around their peers.
"..."
He paced side to side and then simply exited. About a minute later, I saw more heads peering in and then heard a thump on the ground and the shuffling of knees against the ground. It appeared that the same student was crawling behind the divider in the room, while his friends poked their heads in and giggled. He appeared in the back of the room and sat on a desk there.
"Are you here to use the computers?" (this is the multimedia room we're in).
"..." (the same nervous dawdling)
As I got up, he got up too. He ran by and I could swear he murmured out, "I love you." His friends giggled and ran away too. I was thinking two things at this point:
1 - This is probably what really hot girls experience. The situation between me and the student is way different than one with a hot chick and eager pursuer, but I imagined that hot chicks have probably seen similar things (a guy being tongue-tied, being shy, acting queer).
2 - This kid is fucking weird.
Apr 14, 2009
The Challenge of the Educator
Teaching is for the most part, very enjoyable, and a lot of this enjoyment stems from the feeling of achievement in teaching. When I see kids' attention and I hear them answering my questions in class, I feed off their energy and effort and this makes me want to be an even better teacher to them. However, of my 20 classes, I have about 3 that make me cringe to think about them -- they make me want to say, "not these f***ers again." The least I can do, as a professional, is to give them a lesson, no matter if only 1 student understands and no matter if they could care less. I could do more though, but I ask myself this: do I want to do more for them? The first step in change is the desire to change. I could open myself to helping them, but that does not matter if they are not seeking help. In a harvest, there are always going to be some bad crops. Thinking about this seems to be the hardest part of teaching.
Apr 13, 2009
Pics
The view from outside my apartment: I actually live in front of a university. Cherry blossom trees are everywhere here.
I don't think that any Asian country is complete without some knock-offs or copyright infringement, don't you agree? Here are some rip-off Sun Chips (notice that it's only called, "Sun").
A picture of my apartment. It's a studio, but with ample space and a decent-sized kitchen. The bathroom has no curtain (I guess it makes cleaning the toilet easy).
Amongst the foreign goods, there is a familiar friend at the store: the Spam variety pack.
Yeah, we be gangsters rollin up in our Hyundai and throwing that Korean won down like it's a kim chi pancake. Yeah, this be 1,000,000 KRW. It's only worth $700 though.
My frying pan has the names of the 12 months on the bottom. Korean kitchen fashion, maybe?
I don't think that any Asian country is complete without some knock-offs or copyright infringement, don't you agree? Here are some rip-off Sun Chips (notice that it's only called, "Sun").
A picture of my apartment. It's a studio, but with ample space and a decent-sized kitchen. The bathroom has no curtain (I guess it makes cleaning the toilet easy).
Amongst the foreign goods, there is a familiar friend at the store: the Spam variety pack.
Yeah, we be gangsters rollin up in our Hyundai and throwing that Korean won down like it's a kim chi pancake. Yeah, this be 1,000,000 KRW. It's only worth $700 though.
My frying pan has the names of the 12 months on the bottom. Korean kitchen fashion, maybe?
My 15 minutes
As humble a man as my friends know me to be, I have to admit that I do enjoy being the center of attention once in a while. And so far at my school, I've been getting more attention from people than cargo ships in African waters do from Somali pirates.
I thought I would easily blend in with the rest of the Korean staff (being the Asian fellow that I am), but I have actually gotten stares from day 1. Word spreads and for reasons like me being American and being a relatively young teacher, I have quickly gripped the attention of students and teachers like a bucket of KFC extra crispy chicken does at a Weight Watchers meeting. The other English-speaking teachers like getting to know me, the non-English speaking teachers are stunned when I can say a Korean phrase moderately well, and as shy as my students are about speaking English, some of the more goofy ones have shouted at me "you are very handsome!" in class, "Hi!" when they see me in the hallways, and one girl even professed her love for me in class (humored, I replied, "that's good"). Word got out that I speak Chinese too, so students have been telling me "ni hao ma" (hi) and "laoshi hao" (how are you, teacher?) at random times. In fact, just yesterday, a group of about six girls came up to my desk after class and encircled me -- like a pack of vultures do to a gazelle's carcass on the African sahara -- just to ask me to speak Chinese.
It does not take much to strike the curiosity of students their age, so I'm just going to keep a level-head. When I head back, I'll just be another average joe in Hawaii. I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy all the attention... just a little.
I thought I would easily blend in with the rest of the Korean staff (being the Asian fellow that I am), but I have actually gotten stares from day 1. Word spreads and for reasons like me being American and being a relatively young teacher, I have quickly gripped the attention of students and teachers like a bucket of KFC extra crispy chicken does at a Weight Watchers meeting. The other English-speaking teachers like getting to know me, the non-English speaking teachers are stunned when I can say a Korean phrase moderately well, and as shy as my students are about speaking English, some of the more goofy ones have shouted at me "you are very handsome!" in class, "Hi!" when they see me in the hallways, and one girl even professed her love for me in class (humored, I replied, "that's good"). Word got out that I speak Chinese too, so students have been telling me "ni hao ma" (hi) and "laoshi hao" (how are you, teacher?) at random times. In fact, just yesterday, a group of about six girls came up to my desk after class and encircled me -- like a pack of vultures do to a gazelle's carcass on the African sahara -- just to ask me to speak Chinese.
It does not take much to strike the curiosity of students their age, so I'm just going to keep a level-head. When I head back, I'll just be another average joe in Hawaii. I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy all the attention... just a little.
Kids Say the Darndest...
4/10
I've been here in Korea for over a week now and I'm about to start my 3rd full day of teaching.
My job is actually not very time-consuming. In terms of actual hours in front of students, I have about 20 hours (22 classes per week at 45 minutes per class). I do have 20 different classes with about 40 students per class, which is a lot though. But since they study the same lessons, the preparation work I do is spread many classes that the per class prep time is really minimal.
Teachers are okay with physical disciplining here. I am the main teacher while another teacher is supposed to go around helping students who don't understand what I'm saying. However, this teacher usually just ends up being a policeman and hitting kids who misbehave. I even saw one teacher go around with a foot-long stick (she's actually a very sweet lady though).
Finally, a first-time ever installment of "Korean Kids Say the Darndest Things!"
-When I introduced myself, I told everyone I was from America. I asked them to guess which state I was from and a student guessed out loud, "Canada!"
-After introducing myself, I asked the classroom if they had any questions about me. One student shouted out "you are very handsome!" That same student later asked me if I had a girlfriend. That student is male.
-Finally, I tried playing the telephone game with my students yesterday. I don't think everyone understood me because the message never reached the end. When I went around to see where the message stopped and asked them if they got the message, one student shouted out, "the message is 'we were sent an email from Kim Jong-Il' " The actual message was, "Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden." Close enough, I suppose.
I've been here in Korea for over a week now and I'm about to start my 3rd full day of teaching.
My job is actually not very time-consuming. In terms of actual hours in front of students, I have about 20 hours (22 classes per week at 45 minutes per class). I do have 20 different classes with about 40 students per class, which is a lot though. But since they study the same lessons, the preparation work I do is spread many classes that the per class prep time is really minimal.
Teachers are okay with physical disciplining here. I am the main teacher while another teacher is supposed to go around helping students who don't understand what I'm saying. However, this teacher usually just ends up being a policeman and hitting kids who misbehave. I even saw one teacher go around with a foot-long stick (she's actually a very sweet lady though).
Finally, a first-time ever installment of "Korean Kids Say the Darndest Things!"
-When I introduced myself, I told everyone I was from America. I asked them to guess which state I was from and a student guessed out loud, "Canada!"
-After introducing myself, I asked the classroom if they had any questions about me. One student shouted out "you are very handsome!" That same student later asked me if I had a girlfriend. That student is male.
-Finally, I tried playing the telephone game with my students yesterday. I don't think everyone understood me because the message never reached the end. When I went around to see where the message stopped and asked them if they got the message, one student shouted out, "the message is 'we were sent an email from Kim Jong-Il' " The actual message was, "Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden." Close enough, I suppose.
First Entry
4/7
Leaving
Getting my visa, selling my car, packing and booking a flight to SK all happened in a week. Needless to say, it was hectic. I was left with surprisingly little information about my work and accomodation; they just basically said "fly over and we'll have a caravan pick you up." Hey thanks guys, I appreciate the detail when you consider the length of time I plan to stay here.
***
The Un-Hawaii Weather
When I first got of the airport, it was probably around 50 degrees F. Being that the airplane and airport were controlled environments (i.e. warm as hell), I didn't mind it when I first stepped outside at 6PM with only 3 layers of clothes. I exhaled and was greeted by the unfamiliar sight of my breath. The driver offered me a cigarette... while I was dragging my luggage across a crosswalk. I took it because I didn't want to be rude... and it also looked appealing considering the cold temperature (well, as appealing as a cigarette can look).
During the ride, I realized how much being in a moving vehicle can accentuate cold weather -- my hand, hanging from the caravan window, went numb in about 15 seconds. When I finally arrived, I was greeted by the other English teachers who are Korean nationals. At this point, it was nightfall and I was shivering. We ate at Uncle Tomato, I was introduced to my apartment, and my face was introduced to the pillow.
***
The Frustration of Educators
Seongji Middle School welcomed me with open arms. I was glad to be here and I expected an astute set of students. I mean, no students could have been worse than the ones at my own middle school, so these Korean kids in this academically-emphasized society should be cake in relation... right? Oh boy, somebody must've slipped something into my kim chi jigae when I had that thought.
I'm not exactly Michelle Pfieffer from "Dangerous Minds," but after my first morning of classes today, I feel like I understand kids a little better. Kids, though they have varying temperaments, all respond in a similar way when they are forced to do something they don't want to: they act out. For some, this simply means reading a comic book during class. For others, this means sleeping in class. And for others this means talking to their friends. For an extreme example, some at my own intermediate school that I attended shouted obscenties made threats to the teacher. It's all acting out. So comes the frustration: you have 1/2 a class that is wanting to learn, but another 1/2 that is disruptive and could maybe care less. And thus, the big question that all educators probably have thought long and hard about: what do you do with the latter half?
***
Boy, what a week.
Leaving
Getting my visa, selling my car, packing and booking a flight to SK all happened in a week. Needless to say, it was hectic. I was left with surprisingly little information about my work and accomodation; they just basically said "fly over and we'll have a caravan pick you up." Hey thanks guys, I appreciate the detail when you consider the length of time I plan to stay here.
***
The Un-Hawaii Weather
When I first got of the airport, it was probably around 50 degrees F. Being that the airplane and airport were controlled environments (i.e. warm as hell), I didn't mind it when I first stepped outside at 6PM with only 3 layers of clothes. I exhaled and was greeted by the unfamiliar sight of my breath. The driver offered me a cigarette... while I was dragging my luggage across a crosswalk. I took it because I didn't want to be rude... and it also looked appealing considering the cold temperature (well, as appealing as a cigarette can look).
During the ride, I realized how much being in a moving vehicle can accentuate cold weather -- my hand, hanging from the caravan window, went numb in about 15 seconds. When I finally arrived, I was greeted by the other English teachers who are Korean nationals. At this point, it was nightfall and I was shivering. We ate at Uncle Tomato, I was introduced to my apartment, and my face was introduced to the pillow.
***
The Frustration of Educators
Seongji Middle School welcomed me with open arms. I was glad to be here and I expected an astute set of students. I mean, no students could have been worse than the ones at my own middle school, so these Korean kids in this academically-emphasized society should be cake in relation... right? Oh boy, somebody must've slipped something into my kim chi jigae when I had that thought.
I'm not exactly Michelle Pfieffer from "Dangerous Minds," but after my first morning of classes today, I feel like I understand kids a little better. Kids, though they have varying temperaments, all respond in a similar way when they are forced to do something they don't want to: they act out. For some, this simply means reading a comic book during class. For others, this means sleeping in class. And for others this means talking to their friends. For an extreme example, some at my own intermediate school that I attended shouted obscenties made threats to the teacher. It's all acting out. So comes the frustration: you have 1/2 a class that is wanting to learn, but another 1/2 that is disruptive and could maybe care less. And thus, the big question that all educators probably have thought long and hard about: what do you do with the latter half?
***
Boy, what a week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
