I thought the shorter weeks would be the best ones, but that's not how is seems to be working out! After a five day weekend I was happy to come back to school for a 3 day work-week, but there has been nothing but confusion and chaos since yesterday morning!
Yesterday, my co-teacher would not stop asking me to do things while I was in the middle of something else, and for stuff that really wasn't important or that didn't concern her. For example, I had been dealing directly with the school administrator working on getting my airfare refund (that everyone else somehow got the first week we were here!). Everyday it seems like they are asking for a new form, or copy of something. My co-teacher came looking for me asking for copies of my passport - which I of course don't carry around with me everyday now that I have an alien registration card. I had already told the administrator that I would bring in in the next day, but for some reason my co-teacher is getting involved and she wants to make five copies. I'm not sure what she thinks she will need them for, since all the other paperwork is completed, but she insists on 5 copies even though I told her that seemed silly! She also came in ten minutes before my first class and demanded that I give her my lesson plan for the teacher workshop I was holding in the afternoon. She couldn't wait until lunchtime (still 3 hours before the lesson) she wanted it right away, which required me to put it on USB and go to the other end of the school to print it. I have this ongoing battle with her about lesson plans - she takes them in advance and photocopies stuff and gives it to the other teachers before the lessons. They kind of cheat this way, and it totally kills my order of presentation or management strategies I had for the lesson.
Also yesterday, she asked me if i would be interested in teaching the employees at the office of education since I am not teaching the full hours of my contract. I asked her how i would get there for 4pm on Thursdays since it is at the other end of town and i have no vehicle and there are no buses that come to my school. She agreed this would be a problem and that she would look into it and get back to me. Well I didn't exactly hear back. Instead, today at 2:30 she came to my class and told me that I would be giving a lesson at the office of education an hour later at 3:30, and that we would be leaving at 3pm to get there in time. I totally panicked!!! No warning = no plan, and no time to come up with one! I decide to use a lesson I did with the teachers at my school and I frantically start making photocopies. 3pm arrives of course quite quickly and I'm ready to go waiting in the staff room when she comes in and tells me, "oh never mind. The office of education isn't prepared for you to come today." WHAT?!?! They aren't prepared? they don't have to do anything! they sit, I teach! Totally frustrated, but a bit relieved at the same time, I return to my classroom to plan tomorrow's lessons and write all this down on my blog. She doesn't even know now if I will be teaching next week. Why are Koreans incapable of planning? it is so unbelievable.
That wasn't the only short notice schedule change that i experienced today. I had my co-teacher's class 4th period (just before lunch) and she decided to tell me right then that she had decided she would send her students back during period 5 for a make-up English lesson that was missed due to the holiday Monday. She couldn't have told me this yesterday while I taught in the classroom right next to hers all day or maybe during one of the million times she came to see me yesterday to bug me about something?!
So like I said, only 2 days into a 3 day work week and I can hardly stand it anymore! Maybe I'll call in sick tomorrow ;) They warned us that schedules change often in Korea - which I think is normal anywhere really, but what is the most difficult is how little notice I get (because I am on the bottom of the food chain here) when all the changes affect me directly! I think it's just one thing I will never get used to here, and something I have learned that I appreciate about the way things are done in Canada.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Fan Death
I just thought I 'd write a short note about the most ridiculous belief I have ever heard! I couldn't figure out why the other night my teacher came into my classroom at the end of the day and insisted that I unplug the fan over night. It turns out that the night before I had left it on and when she discovered that in the morning she was shocked and quite afraid. I thought maybe she was concerned about energy consumption, but it turns out she actually believes that it is harmful to leave a fan on in a room with closed door and windows. I really didn't understand, so at dinner on Saturday when talking to some other Canadian teachers, I discovered she was afraid because of the Korean belief of "fan death".
Please read the information posted on Wikipedia for a full explanation of this ridiculous belief: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death
It turns out that they even use fan death as a cause of death for some driving accidents. A car can be demolished from smashing into a wall, and COD will be listed as Fan death because the driver was enclosed in the vehicle and likely had the air on. Now that I think about it, this may also explain why whenever I've been in a car with a Korean they only let the AC run for a few minutes before they open windows and then close them again to let the AC run a bit longer - just to let in some fresh air or oxygen so we don't die! The accidents of course have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Korean are big drinkers and love to party and then drive home drunk - no! that couldn't be why they crash! ;)
Just a little more Korean craziness for ya!
Please read the information posted on Wikipedia for a full explanation of this ridiculous belief: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death
It turns out that they even use fan death as a cause of death for some driving accidents. A car can be demolished from smashing into a wall, and COD will be listed as Fan death because the driver was enclosed in the vehicle and likely had the air on. Now that I think about it, this may also explain why whenever I've been in a car with a Korean they only let the AC run for a few minutes before they open windows and then close them again to let the AC run a bit longer - just to let in some fresh air or oxygen so we don't die! The accidents of course have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Korean are big drinkers and love to party and then drive home drunk - no! that couldn't be why they crash! ;)
Just a little more Korean craziness for ya!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My first "staff dinner"
So last night I had my first staff dinner. These are outing organised by the social coordinator in the school, with team building being the goal, but the outcome is usually a hungover staff the following day. All the teachers are EXPECTED to attend these dinners where endless bottles of Soju and beer are served.
My principal is really understanding and tries really hard to ensure that when we go out I can eat the meal since he knows I don't eat seafood. So we went to this restaurant - where you sit on the floor, of course, and in the middle of the table they put burning wood and cover it with a grill. Kind of like when you go camping except there are no flames, i guess its more like hot embers? anyways and you cook pork and pork ribs on it and then roll it in lettuce leaves with radish, onions, garlic, and stuff. it is really good! so we sit and cook and eat, and drink - lots!
the male teachers move around and socialize with the women and I of course had the drunkest of all teachers park it next to me. He poured a shot of Soju for me which I'm supposed to take and then immediately turn and fill the same glass for him to drink. My co-teacher was on the other side of my and was secretly encouraging me to pour the soju into another glass while i turn away to drink (females don't drink in front of males, you turn away to be polite). So this went on for a bit and then he was trying to tell me something by saying "beautiful" and then gesturing around his chest. I of course figured he was telling me i had nice boobs and that's why I'm "beautiful". After the other teachers starting laughing hysterically and said something to him, my co-teacher explained that what he was trying to say was that I was beautiful, but he was not, and that doesn't matter because beauty is on the inside. I'm glad he wasn't talking about the size of my chest, but now I'm not sure if i should be insulted or not - am i beautiful on the outside but not on the inside?!
Just as i think things are wrapping up and I'll get to go home, the principal announces the second venue for the evening: Karaoke! So now we go and drink more and have to sing. I of course am freaking out trying to come up with an excuse why i can't go or why i can't sing. I told them i had badminton (good one eh?) but they insisted i come. The principal and VP of course request that i sing, but its not like Karaoke at the spur where you get up with a bunch of people and no one cares how bad you are (think back to my "gangstas paradise" performance). here they are super serious (and all really good!) and you are in this private room with just your party and everyone gets up a sings alone! I am trembling by this point and trying to do shots of beer that they are serving in Dixie cups just to work up a little bit of courage. The English songs are quite limited and it was either a song by Eminem, or Girls just want to have fun. having learned from the gangstas paradise performance, i skipped the rap and went with what i know. I'm sure I was terrible, but i think just the fact that i went up made the principals happy b/c no one commented on how bad it was! When I thought I had done my duty, I got told to sing the final song of the night - that's right, I had to sing TWICE! so i did "let's twist again" and got a score of 94/100 -- the TV gives you a score after you sing.
so that was my night. I survived. these dinners can happen fairly often and I've been told that since I'm in a small school they will! I better start working on my list of excuses!
My principal is really understanding and tries really hard to ensure that when we go out I can eat the meal since he knows I don't eat seafood. So we went to this restaurant - where you sit on the floor, of course, and in the middle of the table they put burning wood and cover it with a grill. Kind of like when you go camping except there are no flames, i guess its more like hot embers? anyways and you cook pork and pork ribs on it and then roll it in lettuce leaves with radish, onions, garlic, and stuff. it is really good! so we sit and cook and eat, and drink - lots!
the male teachers move around and socialize with the women and I of course had the drunkest of all teachers park it next to me. He poured a shot of Soju for me which I'm supposed to take and then immediately turn and fill the same glass for him to drink. My co-teacher was on the other side of my and was secretly encouraging me to pour the soju into another glass while i turn away to drink (females don't drink in front of males, you turn away to be polite). So this went on for a bit and then he was trying to tell me something by saying "beautiful" and then gesturing around his chest. I of course figured he was telling me i had nice boobs and that's why I'm "beautiful". After the other teachers starting laughing hysterically and said something to him, my co-teacher explained that what he was trying to say was that I was beautiful, but he was not, and that doesn't matter because beauty is on the inside. I'm glad he wasn't talking about the size of my chest, but now I'm not sure if i should be insulted or not - am i beautiful on the outside but not on the inside?!
Just as i think things are wrapping up and I'll get to go home, the principal announces the second venue for the evening: Karaoke! So now we go and drink more and have to sing. I of course am freaking out trying to come up with an excuse why i can't go or why i can't sing. I told them i had badminton (good one eh?) but they insisted i come. The principal and VP of course request that i sing, but its not like Karaoke at the spur where you get up with a bunch of people and no one cares how bad you are (think back to my "gangstas paradise" performance). here they are super serious (and all really good!) and you are in this private room with just your party and everyone gets up a sings alone! I am trembling by this point and trying to do shots of beer that they are serving in Dixie cups just to work up a little bit of courage. The English songs are quite limited and it was either a song by Eminem, or Girls just want to have fun. having learned from the gangstas paradise performance, i skipped the rap and went with what i know. I'm sure I was terrible, but i think just the fact that i went up made the principals happy b/c no one commented on how bad it was! When I thought I had done my duty, I got told to sing the final song of the night - that's right, I had to sing TWICE! so i did "let's twist again" and got a score of 94/100 -- the TV gives you a score after you sing.
so that was my night. I survived. these dinners can happen fairly often and I've been told that since I'm in a small school they will! I better start working on my list of excuses!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
First few days of school…
So I decided not to post the entry I had written after my first day of school because my first day was terrible! The first day I pretty much sat all alone all day with no idea what was going on around me. I was given the only room in the school that has no air conditioning, and of course, the computer and TV and any other electronic equipment doesn’t work or just isn’t even there. I was surprised when I was thrown up on stage at an assembly and had to do a little speech, but thankfully, no one at my school speaks a word of English and they had no idea how bad my speech really was. I also have to wear these stupid “slippers” around school – no street shoes, or even shoes in general even if they are kept solely for use indoors. Nope, must wear slippers. So I’m walking around in $2 knockoff Adidas sandals that look ridiculous with the professional attire I’m required to wear (pinstripe suits and dresses) and because they are so bulky and floppy and whatever I fell not once, but twice on my first day! –Great start!
I only saw my co-teacher briefly when she came to sit with me, during the time we should have been eating lunch, to translate my three degrees and my certificate of qualifications from English into Korean so that the VP would understand it. Can you imagine how fun it is to explain who the Dean and Registrar are and why their signatures are on the degree?! The only thing my co-teacher could understand was Principal and Vice Principal of university so that’s what the Dean and Registrar have been translated as. On my Brock degree I had to convince her to just leave a blank beside Chancellor b/c I didn’t have the patience to tackle that one and had run out of comparisons. I think the hardest was trying to explain my certificate of qualifications from the Ontario College of Teachers. She couldn’t understand that OCT wasn’t actually a college, and that the page I was showing her was a summary of all my degrees.
So that was the day in brief, but things are getting a bit better and I’d rather write about that! So when I signed my contract back in Canada I was told I would be teaching elementary school, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that would entail. Most foreign teachers teach 4-6 when placed in elementary schools. Not I! I have been given the job of teaching English to every class in the school from kindergarten to grade 6. I have one class of each grade, and two grade six classes. So the only lesson plan I can repeat in a week is the Grade six plan. I’ve also got no training or experience with kids younger than grade 4. So Monday we didn’t have a schedule yet for this semester, things are very unorganized in the schools here, but I was told when I showed up Tuesday morning that we were following last semester’s schedule. That meant I had to teach a kindergarten English class first period, which was only 15 minutes away! OMG! 15 minutes to plan a 40 minute lesson and THERE ARE NO RESOURCES for anything lower than grade 3. So I’m running around my classroom looking for anything I can use, thinking the last teacher must have left me something or at least I would find out what he tough them during first semester – no luck! So I see some fuzzy, coloured dice and I grab a few of those and some flash cards, and figure we will review colours, classroom commands, numbers, and the alphabet. I show up and there are only 6 kids in the class! I was picturing 20, so right away my game of roll the dice, call out the number, and make kids run and get into groups of that number, has pretty much been thrown out the window. Also, time goes by a lot faster with only six kids to call on for everything, so I very quickly ran out of things to do with them. Their teacher also abandoned me, which they aren’t supposed to do. So here I am all alone, no ideas left in head, staring at these tiny little kids who don’t understand a word I’m saying and that are answering back in words that I don’t understand either! What a gong show. I pulled it off with a few rounds of ring around the rosie and a game of “what colour is this? Now run and find me something else that is that colour”. So that was kindergarten, and I’m so glad I only have to teach it once a week.
Later in the day while cleaning my class (there is no school janitor at our school and so I’m responsible for my class or I have to punish the kids and get them to do it), I found a cd with English songs on it. I never thought I would ever hear the Sharon, Lois and Bram song “Chooga Chooga” after Vicky and Laura (the kids I used to babysit) grew out of it, but I will likely come in handy for at least one lesson with the kindergarten kids to teach up, down and side!
In my grade 5 and 6 classes, I decided that we would do English names. So I typed up and printed 20 names for girls and 20 names for boys, using names of friends and family. Well, it didn’t work out as well as I thought it would. The girls all wanted boy names and the boys wanted girl’s names. So in one class I have a male Emma, Elissa and Carolyn and Alan and Frank were taken by girls! Don’t worry Mom, Dad, Jeff and Scott – your names were taken gender appropriately. Some kids picked their own names like Hulk and Chucky.
So today is Wednesday and I show up thinking I’m starting to get the hang of things around here. I’ve got my schedule and my lesson plans already to teach Grade 3, 4 and 1, but after the grade 4 lesson, grade 6 shows up followed by grade 4! When 6 showed up I was thrown but knew I had my lesson from yesterday’s grade 6 class to fall back on, and when 4 showed up a period late I had the plan but was expecting grade 1, so the blackboard was covered with magnets of the alphabet and numbers and flash cards of colours to review with the little kids! At lunch when I asked my teacher why no one was following the schedule, she said the other teachers don’t know the schedule yet. WHAT?! Can they look at in the teacher’s lounge maybe instead of showing up for English whenever they want to? I’ve now been told that next week we will follow the schedule, so I’m not sure how I will plan for the rest of this week.
Another delicate situation has been the lunch arrangement. Normally, all the teachers eat in the lunchroom kind of like when you eat at camp. You don’t pick and pay like at a cafeteria in Canada, you are served and eat whatever they cook. This is a major problem for me! The first day I had the choice between fish in chili sauce, octopus in chili sauce, or fish and mushroom soup –my stomach turns just thinking about it! So I ate white rice and a fresh fig. I had already told my co-teacher that I don’t eat any seafood so I knew there would be a problem. We were told it isn’t very well accepted that we bring our own lunch because Koreans are very proud of their food and are easily insulted if you don’t eat it. So I told my teacher I would pack a lunch everyday because I am on a “special diet” because I have a very sensitive stomach and get sick a lot (we were told white lies is the best way to go in Korea!). So I bring my own lunch and everyone stares at me and wants to see what I’m eating. Today the cook came put to see my lunch and boy did she look angry! I keep telling my co-teacher to explain to them that I can’t eat seafood or spicy sauce (the only seasoning they have here is chili sauce, hot chili sauce, or blazing hot chili sauce). Oh well, a few Koreans hate me, but I’m not starving!
Tonight we have our first staff dinner. It is quite typical for Korean coworkers to have a work dinner almost weekly. This is where they all get drunk and then bring up any issue that they have with each other – crazy but that’s how they solve problems: drink and fight. So I can’t even imagine what I’ll be faced with on my plate, and then in regards to how this week is going with my teaching and my not eating in the lunch that is served. I hope no one hits me tonight :S (in Korea it is OK to hit people, as I learned my first week here when the lady hit me to get off the phone!)
So I’m off to dinner soon, and maybe there will be a good story on my blog after tonight!
So I decided not to post the entry I had written after my first day of school because my first day was terrible! The first day I pretty much sat all alone all day with no idea what was going on around me. I was given the only room in the school that has no air conditioning, and of course, the computer and TV and any other electronic equipment doesn’t work or just isn’t even there. I was surprised when I was thrown up on stage at an assembly and had to do a little speech, but thankfully, no one at my school speaks a word of English and they had no idea how bad my speech really was. I also have to wear these stupid “slippers” around school – no street shoes, or even shoes in general even if they are kept solely for use indoors. Nope, must wear slippers. So I’m walking around in $2 knockoff Adidas sandals that look ridiculous with the professional attire I’m required to wear (pinstripe suits and dresses) and because they are so bulky and floppy and whatever I fell not once, but twice on my first day! –Great start!
I only saw my co-teacher briefly when she came to sit with me, during the time we should have been eating lunch, to translate my three degrees and my certificate of qualifications from English into Korean so that the VP would understand it. Can you imagine how fun it is to explain who the Dean and Registrar are and why their signatures are on the degree?! The only thing my co-teacher could understand was Principal and Vice Principal of university so that’s what the Dean and Registrar have been translated as. On my Brock degree I had to convince her to just leave a blank beside Chancellor b/c I didn’t have the patience to tackle that one and had run out of comparisons. I think the hardest was trying to explain my certificate of qualifications from the Ontario College of Teachers. She couldn’t understand that OCT wasn’t actually a college, and that the page I was showing her was a summary of all my degrees.
So that was the day in brief, but things are getting a bit better and I’d rather write about that! So when I signed my contract back in Canada I was told I would be teaching elementary school, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that would entail. Most foreign teachers teach 4-6 when placed in elementary schools. Not I! I have been given the job of teaching English to every class in the school from kindergarten to grade 6. I have one class of each grade, and two grade six classes. So the only lesson plan I can repeat in a week is the Grade six plan. I’ve also got no training or experience with kids younger than grade 4. So Monday we didn’t have a schedule yet for this semester, things are very unorganized in the schools here, but I was told when I showed up Tuesday morning that we were following last semester’s schedule. That meant I had to teach a kindergarten English class first period, which was only 15 minutes away! OMG! 15 minutes to plan a 40 minute lesson and THERE ARE NO RESOURCES for anything lower than grade 3. So I’m running around my classroom looking for anything I can use, thinking the last teacher must have left me something or at least I would find out what he tough them during first semester – no luck! So I see some fuzzy, coloured dice and I grab a few of those and some flash cards, and figure we will review colours, classroom commands, numbers, and the alphabet. I show up and there are only 6 kids in the class! I was picturing 20, so right away my game of roll the dice, call out the number, and make kids run and get into groups of that number, has pretty much been thrown out the window. Also, time goes by a lot faster with only six kids to call on for everything, so I very quickly ran out of things to do with them. Their teacher also abandoned me, which they aren’t supposed to do. So here I am all alone, no ideas left in head, staring at these tiny little kids who don’t understand a word I’m saying and that are answering back in words that I don’t understand either! What a gong show. I pulled it off with a few rounds of ring around the rosie and a game of “what colour is this? Now run and find me something else that is that colour”. So that was kindergarten, and I’m so glad I only have to teach it once a week.
Later in the day while cleaning my class (there is no school janitor at our school and so I’m responsible for my class or I have to punish the kids and get them to do it), I found a cd with English songs on it. I never thought I would ever hear the Sharon, Lois and Bram song “Chooga Chooga” after Vicky and Laura (the kids I used to babysit) grew out of it, but I will likely come in handy for at least one lesson with the kindergarten kids to teach up, down and side!
In my grade 5 and 6 classes, I decided that we would do English names. So I typed up and printed 20 names for girls and 20 names for boys, using names of friends and family. Well, it didn’t work out as well as I thought it would. The girls all wanted boy names and the boys wanted girl’s names. So in one class I have a male Emma, Elissa and Carolyn and Alan and Frank were taken by girls! Don’t worry Mom, Dad, Jeff and Scott – your names were taken gender appropriately. Some kids picked their own names like Hulk and Chucky.
So today is Wednesday and I show up thinking I’m starting to get the hang of things around here. I’ve got my schedule and my lesson plans already to teach Grade 3, 4 and 1, but after the grade 4 lesson, grade 6 shows up followed by grade 4! When 6 showed up I was thrown but knew I had my lesson from yesterday’s grade 6 class to fall back on, and when 4 showed up a period late I had the plan but was expecting grade 1, so the blackboard was covered with magnets of the alphabet and numbers and flash cards of colours to review with the little kids! At lunch when I asked my teacher why no one was following the schedule, she said the other teachers don’t know the schedule yet. WHAT?! Can they look at in the teacher’s lounge maybe instead of showing up for English whenever they want to? I’ve now been told that next week we will follow the schedule, so I’m not sure how I will plan for the rest of this week.
Another delicate situation has been the lunch arrangement. Normally, all the teachers eat in the lunchroom kind of like when you eat at camp. You don’t pick and pay like at a cafeteria in Canada, you are served and eat whatever they cook. This is a major problem for me! The first day I had the choice between fish in chili sauce, octopus in chili sauce, or fish and mushroom soup –my stomach turns just thinking about it! So I ate white rice and a fresh fig. I had already told my co-teacher that I don’t eat any seafood so I knew there would be a problem. We were told it isn’t very well accepted that we bring our own lunch because Koreans are very proud of their food and are easily insulted if you don’t eat it. So I told my teacher I would pack a lunch everyday because I am on a “special diet” because I have a very sensitive stomach and get sick a lot (we were told white lies is the best way to go in Korea!). So I bring my own lunch and everyone stares at me and wants to see what I’m eating. Today the cook came put to see my lunch and boy did she look angry! I keep telling my co-teacher to explain to them that I can’t eat seafood or spicy sauce (the only seasoning they have here is chili sauce, hot chili sauce, or blazing hot chili sauce). Oh well, a few Koreans hate me, but I’m not starving!
Tonight we have our first staff dinner. It is quite typical for Korean coworkers to have a work dinner almost weekly. This is where they all get drunk and then bring up any issue that they have with each other – crazy but that’s how they solve problems: drink and fight. So I can’t even imagine what I’ll be faced with on my plate, and then in regards to how this week is going with my teaching and my not eating in the lunch that is served. I hope no one hits me tonight :S (in Korea it is OK to hit people, as I learned my first week here when the lady hit me to get off the phone!)
So I’m off to dinner soon, and maybe there will be a good story on my blog after tonight!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Mt Yudalsan
So we've discovered a whole other part to the city ---Mokpo is huge! We finally go a hold of a map of Mokpo and found our way to the other side of the city where we could climb mount Yudalsan. The "mountain" is only about 280m above sea level, but the hike was long and we were were pretty tired by the end. Another couple is talking about doing a hike up a mountain that is closer to 900m high and that is not far from Mokpo, so I think we will join them for that hike and then actually be able to say we hike up a mountain. The hotel in Italy where we stayed on our honeymoon was higher up in the hills than Mt Yudalsan so I think we are ready for the next challenge! The view was quite impressive though!
For the most part, there were stairs and cleared paths to follow to the top of the mountain.
This was the view of Mokpo from the top.
A bit tired by the time we made it back down, but perfectly placed were these little resting huts where we re hydrated and regained a bit of strength!Yesterday Milton and I also had our first "celebrity" moment when two young boys followed us around town for a bit. These kids must have only been about 7 years old and they were playing around in the streets when they saw us. Like everyone who sees us in the streets, they started out by yelling any English words they knew and giving us high fives. They then followed us to the E-mart where we were doing a bit of grocery shopping. They tried to put toys in our cart so that we would buy them for them and they looked quite surprised that we kept refusing. Is there some kind of tradition that I don't know about where foreigners buy gifts for everyone they meet?! We thought we had lost them when we went down to the first floor but they managed to find us again in the freezer aisles where they decided it would be fun to just hang off our cart while we shopped. This got pretty tiring after a while - they had been following us for over a half hour. I told Milton to get rid of them, a task at which he failed pathetically. And finally when I started to shoo them away with my hand and started saying "find mommy" they protested in disappointment but got the message and took off. After that we thought we were safe until this morning when we ran into them in the Internet cafe! Thankfully, they seem more interested in the online gaming that is going on, but they still come and offer us single little puffed rice snack (think a single chip or Cheetos stick) when they want to yell some more English at us. We'll be sure to bring the camera next time so that we can post photos of them.
Tomorrow should be an adventurous day too...we are off to get our alien registration cards, open bank accounts, and try to connect Internet and phone service. Milton's co-teacher has taken on the task for us and I thank god she volunteered because I'm not sure we would succeed at all the tasks with the help of my co-teacher. She means well but this is what I got as instructions from her:
The top left is apparently the map showing me which building I need to go to. I couldn't tell it from any other intersection in the city!
Top right is the list of things i need to bring or do in order to get my alien registration. I understand the price: 10 000 won is what I will have to pay (equivalent to 10$)
I think the white piece of printed paper is something I am supposed to give the immigration office as proof that I am working here, and on it, on the three little post-it notes are the address, phone number and something else that I can't read because it is all written in Korean!!!
So like I said, tomorrow should be an adventure for us and I am really glad that Milton's co-teacher will be taking us to do all of this because I think she at least understands that we don't speak Korean yet. I'll let you know how it goes!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Learning lots!
I have a bit more time tonight to write so I thought I would fill in a few details from a few other things that have happened since we arrived last week.
instructions on how to use the washroom:
I guess the first adventure was heading to the hospital for HIV and drug testing. We were a group of about 50 foreigners and so the education office organized a group trip to the hospital rather than leaving it up to us to do on our own, which was a really good idea b/c it was a bit of a process. We arrived in one building where we sat and waited to be called in alphabetical order to go in and see a doctor. He asked a few questions (are you healthy? do you have allergies? etc) and then printed us our bill. We then headed to another area of the hospital to pay our 36 000 won for the blood and urine tests we were about to do. We then headed to a completely different building and had to find our way to a second floor area where they would do the blood test. Once we found the spot, we had to wait in line to get a number, then wait again for our number to be called. They had about 6 nurses all set up behind a counter waiting to take our blood - picture the passport office where you get your number and wait to be called but instead of going to a counter and handing over documents, you throw your arm on the table and they stick a huge needle in your arm. Once the blood was taken they gave you a little plastic bottle to pee in. The bathroom was conveniently located right next to the blood taking area. You needed to give at least 30 ml which for some people seemed to be a problem and the Koran's were very strict on this and made people head back to the washroom for more pee. Once you had the required amount you walked back to the blood taking area to hand in your sample. This was the most embarrassing part because unlike home where they give you a little brown bag to put your sample in, you had no privacy and had to do the walk of shame across the waiting area with your pee perfectly exposed. We all saw who was well hydrated and who wasn't! Other than the part where you had to wait in line at 4 different places to get everything done, the whole thing was pretty painless and fairly efficient. A few Canadians were a bit disappointed to find out that the drug test was mostly for methamphetamine and hardcore drugs - not THC. It turns out that a few years ago all the Canadians were failing the drug test b/c of their smoking habits so they eliminated that drug from the list.
I'm also posting a few photos that we took since we got here. These first few were taken on our field trip day to the folk village and to the Songgwang (?) temple. We also had two traditional Korean meals that day -- i suffered a bit and only ate the rice!
Folk village
Milton with his co-teacher Mirah and her son, and me with my co-teacher Seul Gi
Me struggling to find veggies and food that has not touched seafood. The second course was a communal bowl of soup that had whole brown shrimp (heads, eyes, and all) floating around in it.
The table looks great but what was in the bowls was less appetizing...
Milton actually ate these little fish-eew!!!
The work that went into painting these temples in unbelievable!
It was crazy hot walking around all day in the sun so this is me stylin' in my new Korean straw hat that I picked up for 5 bucks!
instructions on how to use the washroom:
Not sure what this carving's significance was at the historic folk village?!
My own beautiful artwork...a traditional Korean fan that members of the higher class would normally carry around. Made this fan on Thursday at the National museum in Gwangju, but we really could have used them earlier in the week when we were melting in the extreme heat!
In the streets of Gwangju - no clue where I am or which direction I should go in!
And one last pic for my family... does this look at all familiar??? the smaller Korean version of the old family vehicle.
So that's it for photos for now. If you check Milton's blog I think he posted the pictures of our apt. I've been typing and adding photos for an hour now and don't have the patience to add anymore! so check out his blog if you want to see our new pad.
Today was a pretty good day... My teacher actually showed up at noon and took me to our school. I met the principal and vice principal and we all went out for lunch. My co-teacher told the principal that I'm not big on seafood but that i love chicken so the meal was a nice surprise ( i had prepared myself for the worst!). we sat on the floor Korean style and had a whole chicken each (tell them what you like and you'll get it!). Its a small whole chicken boiled in broth and then they add rice that is then served to you exactly that way. So its like chicken soup but with a whole chicken! The meal was good and then we were back at school were i picked up my teacher's editions of the English textbooks, had a look at what my schedule will be like, and found out that someone will be picking me up each day to get to school. It was a much better day than Friday was and I am feeling much better about my job now. I also found out that, like Milton, I don't have to go to school this week -YAY, one more week off!
One more last little bit before i log off. A few things I've learned so far in Korea:
1- everything in Korea is completely backwards to what common sense would tell you. For example: red lights you drive right through, just honk your horn before you do it; things that should be salty are sweet, think sweet garlic bread and sweet spaghetti sauce; and things that should be sweet, like cookies, aren't that sweet.
2- its OK to hit apparently - i had my first hitting experience yesterday while on the payphone with my mom. A Korean woman apparently didn't want to wait for me to get off the phone, she just slapped me on the shoulder a few times and pointer at herself to let me know it was her turn! I've been warned to avoid the staff room too b/c teachers will hit each other to solve problems at school.
and much, much more... but I'll save it for another day b/c you must be sick of reading by now!So that's it for now. still no Internet or phone at home, but i found out today that we need our alien registration cards to set that up so hopefully we will get those Friday and by next week we will be back in touch with the world!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Arrival in Mokpo
So we have finally arrived in Mokpo and are pretty much set up in our apartment. We arrived in Gwangju Saturday aug 16th and had orientation until Friday. Lots of seminars on what we will be teaching and presentations about the culture and what to expect from our students. The week was long but most of the orientation was useful. We also had a few field trips in there to a Korean folk village, the national museum, and to a temple retreat.
Friday was the day our co-teachers were to pick us up and bring us to our apartments...it was quite the day! I had met my co-teacher earlier in the week as they were invited to join us for our field trip to the folk village. My co-teacher is very nice but I think taking care of me is a bit too much responsibility for her. Her name is Seul Gi and she is 23 years old and just starting teaching this year. She was so nervous the day she came to meet me. In Korean culture, the older you are the more respect you get even if you are only a year older than someone. So since i have more teaching experience and since i am 3 years older than her she (according to her culture) owes me lots of respect. She has to bow to me and serve me (and all the other teachers in the school) meanwhile, I'm the one out of my element and have no idea how I'm going to teach these little Korean kids! So Friday she was supposed to come get me in Gwangju and bring me to Mokpo. She didn't show. She had asked Milton's co-teacher to pick both Milton and i up and bring us to Mokpo. Milton's teacher for some reason decided to bring her husband and her son which then meant that there was no room in the car for me or my luggage since Milton and his luggage barely fit! So we asked her to just see if one of the other 15 teachers or principals going to mokpo could take me. Makes sense in Canada right? well, not in Korea. So before i know it i have the supervisor for high school teachers in mokpo approaching me and trying to figure something out for getting me to mokpo. If he's involved it's a big deal (which means someone somewhere down the line got in big trouble!) He came back to find me a few minutes later to tell me that my principal was on the way and would be there in an hour to get me. Him and then the language program director for the province came to find me to tell me that plans had changed, that my teacher was on her way but she got lost. I carried my bags down to the front doors and was waiting when the supervisor came back and told me to load my bags in his car, he would be driving me. By this time I'm totally confused but just happy to have a ride. It turned out that Milton and I loaded half our bags into his co-teacher's car and the rest into the supervisor's car who drove both Milton and i to Mokpo. Someone is in serious trouble now we figure if he is driving us!
In the car we were told that he was driving us to Milton's school where Milton's co teacher and mine would be joining us to take us to our apartment. It was only and hour drive from Gwangju to Mokpo and we got to Milton's school (under the pouring rain) and there is no sign of my teacher or Milton's teacher at this point so Supervisor Kim accompanied us into the school to meet Milton's principal. Milton's principal didn't speak a word of english but was very nice and gave us the tour. Milton's school is AMAZING! it is brand new and super clean with all kinds of high tech equipment and a huge gym (which is important b/c the teachers in korea all play volleyball on Wednesdays for some reason and the foreign teachers have to play too). after the tour we head back to the Principal's office and wait for our teachers to show. Milton's finally shows but still no sign of my co-teacher. After an hour wait and several calls she finally shows up (she got lost because she is also a new driver and just got her license!) My teacher finally walks in and everything seems fine - no shouting or even anything that seemed like an angry tone, but words were exchanged in Korean so i have no clue what was said. They offered her a drink which she took and then suddenly out of no where burst into tears and ran out of the room! What is going on?!?!?!
she comes back in and i just feel so bad for the girl but there isn't much i can do. I tried to figure out what was going on but she doesn't speak much english either. What i think happened is that she was leading a school scouts camp that day and had tried to make arrangements for me to be picked up by Milton's co-teacher. Milton's co teacher can't do anything without her husband (he had also accompanied her to the folk village earlier in the week) and so when she filled the car with her hubby and son and figured out there was no room for me and our luggage she got on the phone and tried to bail on my teacher. I think my teacher got in huge trouble and just couldn't take it anymore and broke down. I tired to tell her not to stress it was all OK, i made it to Mokpo, but the Canadian laid back way just doesn't exist in Korea. Why they put a new, inexperienced teacher in charge of hosting the foreign teacher is beyond me -- they really could learn a thing or two from the new teacher inductee program like Ontario has!
Finally around 5pm we arrive at my school (after getting lost b/c my teacher can't drive and doesn't know her way around) and my school is the dump next to Milton's. It is tiny, and so run down. It is just outside of the city and, of course, there is no bus that will get me there so I'm not sure how this will work. and by this time the principal has left for the day, who was the reason we were going to the school in the first place. What a day!
They finally take us to our apartment which was the ray of sunshine that day - we finally find our home for the next year and can unpack after living out of suitcases for about three weeks now. We are very happy with our apartment! we have a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, and a spare room - all separate distinct rooms as apposed to a square box, open concept apt that some people have been unfortunate to get. We live a block from E-mart (like K-mart with a grocery store) and we are right in the middle of the city. The gym is also one block away and another girl who has been here for a few months is going to help me set up a membership. We can walk to the waterfront - about a 15 minute walk, and have already discovered lots of nice little restaurant/bar and shopping streets. we are surrounded by mountains that we will eventually hike up, and we have already been looking at used bikes so we can get around town that way too.
We made a few immediate purchases - speakers for our computer so we can play music, a spaghetti pot for Milton and a small oven (like a big toaster oven with a rotisserie) for me b/c i can't stand the thought of frying everything for a year! (Emma, you'd be proud of my oven purchase. For starters it was on sale for 49$, and then when the salesman said they had none left, I got the floor model for 39$!)
So we are pretty much set up here in Mokpo. I am meeting my principal tomorrow - I think. My co-teacher asked me to meet him Monday but wasn't sure when. When i asked her how I would know when and where she said she would call me. I reminded her that she had just picked me up and obviously I hadn't had a chance to get a phone. She then said she would call Milton's phone. Again, i reminded her that Milton was in the same boat as me - she is not the brightest I think (she also loves to talk to me in Korean as if i have any idea what she is talking about!) So I tried to skip a few steps and I let her know that we also had no home phone yet and no Internet. "Oh" she said. "DUH!" i was thinking. So i asked her what time, and of course she had no clue. So i said pick a time and come get me and tell your principal that's when I'll be at school. For some reason this will not work. So the plan for now is that I will wait downstairs at my building and someone, she doesn't know who, will come and get me a noon and I will somehow meet the principal. We'll see how it goes ---it may be a good story for my next entry !
Hope all is well in Canada! I'll have Internet and phone soon (Milton's co-teacher who is a bit more reliable said she will help us set that up this coming Friday) so hopefully we will be in touch with you all soon! I'll also post pictures soon.
ciao for now!
Friday was the day our co-teachers were to pick us up and bring us to our apartments...it was quite the day! I had met my co-teacher earlier in the week as they were invited to join us for our field trip to the folk village. My co-teacher is very nice but I think taking care of me is a bit too much responsibility for her. Her name is Seul Gi and she is 23 years old and just starting teaching this year. She was so nervous the day she came to meet me. In Korean culture, the older you are the more respect you get even if you are only a year older than someone. So since i have more teaching experience and since i am 3 years older than her she (according to her culture) owes me lots of respect. She has to bow to me and serve me (and all the other teachers in the school) meanwhile, I'm the one out of my element and have no idea how I'm going to teach these little Korean kids! So Friday she was supposed to come get me in Gwangju and bring me to Mokpo. She didn't show. She had asked Milton's co-teacher to pick both Milton and i up and bring us to Mokpo. Milton's teacher for some reason decided to bring her husband and her son which then meant that there was no room in the car for me or my luggage since Milton and his luggage barely fit! So we asked her to just see if one of the other 15 teachers or principals going to mokpo could take me. Makes sense in Canada right? well, not in Korea. So before i know it i have the supervisor for high school teachers in mokpo approaching me and trying to figure something out for getting me to mokpo. If he's involved it's a big deal (which means someone somewhere down the line got in big trouble!) He came back to find me a few minutes later to tell me that my principal was on the way and would be there in an hour to get me. Him and then the language program director for the province came to find me to tell me that plans had changed, that my teacher was on her way but she got lost. I carried my bags down to the front doors and was waiting when the supervisor came back and told me to load my bags in his car, he would be driving me. By this time I'm totally confused but just happy to have a ride. It turned out that Milton and I loaded half our bags into his co-teacher's car and the rest into the supervisor's car who drove both Milton and i to Mokpo. Someone is in serious trouble now we figure if he is driving us!
In the car we were told that he was driving us to Milton's school where Milton's co teacher and mine would be joining us to take us to our apartment. It was only and hour drive from Gwangju to Mokpo and we got to Milton's school (under the pouring rain) and there is no sign of my teacher or Milton's teacher at this point so Supervisor Kim accompanied us into the school to meet Milton's principal. Milton's principal didn't speak a word of english but was very nice and gave us the tour. Milton's school is AMAZING! it is brand new and super clean with all kinds of high tech equipment and a huge gym (which is important b/c the teachers in korea all play volleyball on Wednesdays for some reason and the foreign teachers have to play too). after the tour we head back to the Principal's office and wait for our teachers to show. Milton's finally shows but still no sign of my co-teacher. After an hour wait and several calls she finally shows up (she got lost because she is also a new driver and just got her license!) My teacher finally walks in and everything seems fine - no shouting or even anything that seemed like an angry tone, but words were exchanged in Korean so i have no clue what was said. They offered her a drink which she took and then suddenly out of no where burst into tears and ran out of the room! What is going on?!?!?!
she comes back in and i just feel so bad for the girl but there isn't much i can do. I tried to figure out what was going on but she doesn't speak much english either. What i think happened is that she was leading a school scouts camp that day and had tried to make arrangements for me to be picked up by Milton's co-teacher. Milton's co teacher can't do anything without her husband (he had also accompanied her to the folk village earlier in the week) and so when she filled the car with her hubby and son and figured out there was no room for me and our luggage she got on the phone and tried to bail on my teacher. I think my teacher got in huge trouble and just couldn't take it anymore and broke down. I tired to tell her not to stress it was all OK, i made it to Mokpo, but the Canadian laid back way just doesn't exist in Korea. Why they put a new, inexperienced teacher in charge of hosting the foreign teacher is beyond me -- they really could learn a thing or two from the new teacher inductee program like Ontario has!
Finally around 5pm we arrive at my school (after getting lost b/c my teacher can't drive and doesn't know her way around) and my school is the dump next to Milton's. It is tiny, and so run down. It is just outside of the city and, of course, there is no bus that will get me there so I'm not sure how this will work. and by this time the principal has left for the day, who was the reason we were going to the school in the first place. What a day!
They finally take us to our apartment which was the ray of sunshine that day - we finally find our home for the next year and can unpack after living out of suitcases for about three weeks now. We are very happy with our apartment! we have a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, and a spare room - all separate distinct rooms as apposed to a square box, open concept apt that some people have been unfortunate to get. We live a block from E-mart (like K-mart with a grocery store) and we are right in the middle of the city. The gym is also one block away and another girl who has been here for a few months is going to help me set up a membership. We can walk to the waterfront - about a 15 minute walk, and have already discovered lots of nice little restaurant/bar and shopping streets. we are surrounded by mountains that we will eventually hike up, and we have already been looking at used bikes so we can get around town that way too.
We made a few immediate purchases - speakers for our computer so we can play music, a spaghetti pot for Milton and a small oven (like a big toaster oven with a rotisserie) for me b/c i can't stand the thought of frying everything for a year! (Emma, you'd be proud of my oven purchase. For starters it was on sale for 49$, and then when the salesman said they had none left, I got the floor model for 39$!)
So we are pretty much set up here in Mokpo. I am meeting my principal tomorrow - I think. My co-teacher asked me to meet him Monday but wasn't sure when. When i asked her how I would know when and where she said she would call me. I reminded her that she had just picked me up and obviously I hadn't had a chance to get a phone. She then said she would call Milton's phone. Again, i reminded her that Milton was in the same boat as me - she is not the brightest I think (she also loves to talk to me in Korean as if i have any idea what she is talking about!) So I tried to skip a few steps and I let her know that we also had no home phone yet and no Internet. "Oh" she said. "DUH!" i was thinking. So i asked her what time, and of course she had no clue. So i said pick a time and come get me and tell your principal that's when I'll be at school. For some reason this will not work. So the plan for now is that I will wait downstairs at my building and someone, she doesn't know who, will come and get me a noon and I will somehow meet the principal. We'll see how it goes ---it may be a good story for my next entry !
Hope all is well in Canada! I'll have Internet and phone soon (Milton's co-teacher who is a bit more reliable said she will help us set that up this coming Friday) so hopefully we will be in touch with you all soon! I'll also post pictures soon.
ciao for now!
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