I realize that I have been silent for over a week and I apologize. I have no big fancy tale about how my amazing life has kept me so busy that I couldn't find the time to write. In fact, it has been the mundane routine and fighting a cold that has kept me from writing.
Earlier in December I was informed that I will be running an English camp by myself January 2nd-22nd and ever since then I have been spending my desk warming afternoons scanning the internet for different ideas for a fun but educational English camp. I settled on a themed camp because it will be easier for me to plan and also to keep the students interested and actually wanting to come back the next day. My Theme is going to be Harry Potter and thankfully there is a ton of information online about different activities like following directions (and making "potions" in the process), using the future tense (and making "predictions") and using describing words (and making up different animals). I am very excited about this camp and REALLY hope the kids enjoy it. I'll write more on that later.
Friday the 14th I had an unfortunate encounter with not one, but two buses.
I left my apartment at 8:10am, not because I needed to be to school early, but because I was ready for school already and I didn't know what else to do. It was a cloudy morning with a chill in the wind. I stood at the bus stop for less then a minute when a 412 bus came forward. I hopped on and made myself comfortable in my usual seat (on the right hand side in front of the back door for an easy get away). A few of the women on the bus had umbrellas. I shook my head in dismay. I've learned that if ANY Korean (young or old) are carrying an umbrella: it will rain. Everything was routine with the first few stops and then the bus came to the roundabout. Instead of bypassing the circle by going in the first turn lane that makes a u-turn the bus drove forward into the circle and exited two streets later. As soon as I noticed where the bus was headed I jumped up and pushed the "stop" button. My thoughts towards the bus were not friendly because I knew the bus was marked 412 and it sure wasn't headed the way a 412 bus should go! When I jumped off the bus I looked at the side number that is painted on the bus and it read: 442. I was now a half a mile away from the nearest bus stop that would take me to school. I power walked a few steps until I decided: who cares what anyone thinks. And thats when I started to run. I ran around half of the roundabout and up a hill towards my school grumbling the whole way about poorly signed buses and drivers not checking to see it their electronic number was the same as their route. The few people waiting at the bus stop all stood there looking at me. I'm sure it really was some sight to see: a foreigner in a big winter jacket, with a thick scarf, a colorful headband, and a balky bag bounce up the hill. I was out of breath by the time I reached the bus stop but just in time to see another 412 putt up the hill. For a second I thought: oh, maybe that is why I missed the real 412 bus, it looks like it won't make it up the hill. Well it did and when it opened it's doors up all of the Korean's at the bus stop got on so I figured that if they trust the slow bus then it must be okay. I got my free transfer onto the bus and the bus drove a few feet and then stopped. The bus driver restarted the engine and continued up the hill. When he reached the next stop he turned around and told everyone to get off. So once again I scanned my bus pass and followed the now bigger group of Koreans. I looked at my phone and noticed it was 8:28 already and I knew I was a 20 minute walk but a 4 minute bus ride to school. I decided to call one of my co-teachers so she'd know I was on my way but that I'd be late. No one answered. We waited for a minute or two for the 415 (which also goes past my school) to arrive. I waited in line as the frantic passengers all pushed to get on the new bus. I was so warm with all of my layers (I wear a lot of clothes at school to stay warm) and getting pushed around in the bus didn't help. Thankfully I only had a stop light and a bus stop to pass before the bus reached mine. I jumped off the bus for the last time that morning and ran across the street and up another hill to my school. And that's when it started to rain. Somehow I managed to get to the school parking lot at the same time as one of my co-teachers.
What lessons have I learned? Trust the painted number on a bus and not just the electronic one. If a bus is not driving so fast that I think it will kill me, then I shouldn't get on it. And I should always check the weather before leaving the apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment