When I woke up this morning I planned on writing my 5 month anniversary blog post while desk warming (which was a "maybe" all day task) but I never got the chance.
Shocking I know. I was at school for over eight hours and I was fairly busy the whole time (I add fairly because some time I just stood/sat while everyone else spoke in Korean and I waited).
I'll back up. I haven't been to school in two weeks because I had teacher training for seven days and then I was on vacation for three of them. The training was good but it would've been more helpful if I had a training when I first got here. I did enjoy learning new activities to do with the students and meeting all of the new teachers. It was also nice to get away from the school for awhile, it was like a breath of fresh air to be around so much English. Vacation on the other hand, was full of me sleeping and eating because I got another nasty cold. I think my body knew I had a few days off and decided to stop fighting.
I came into school today knowing the following: it is a new school year, there is a new principle, I have two new CTs, and that I "maybe" won't have classes. When I walked down my hall I was greeted by the two 2nd graders (now 3rd graders) that came to my winter camp. The rest of the new 3rd graders watched me walk by with big eyes, some were even brave enough to say hello. I noticed the kids seemed to get smaller - then I saw that the classrooms were changed! Last year I walked down the 4th grade hall to get to my room and now I pass some 3rd and 2nd grade classrooms.
When I reached the end of the hall I noticed the English "experience" room (that I have been in once) was open. Inside was one of my new CTs. She is a mom of two of my students and has been teaching English for the last 6 years. Her English is great and she seems very sweet. Since she has been teaching for so long she expects A LOT more out of me, which is going to take some time getting used to. I am a little nervous at the thought of leading a 40 minute class by myself for every 6th grade class but she promises she will help manage the classes.
So how did I spend all of my time? 70% on waygook.com looking up teaching ideas for this week. 10% listening to various meetings in Korean. 10% hearing about my new role. 10% moving the new CT into her room. Good thing I had made my introduction powerpoint on vacation or else I wouldn't be ready for tomorrows classes.
My large silver lining is that the CT I share my classroom with is still my CT and she wants to take coffee breaks with me this year.
Flexibility continues to be key when teaching in Korea. Hopefully I'll have more time to update this week. Bless friends.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Trends
For a small country Korea has a lot of people all following the same trend. One of the biggest trends in Korea are smart phones - big smart phones. I'm not talking about big like a wallet. I'm talking about greeting card big. I have even seen some as big as a man's hand.
When I first got my new phone I didn't know where to put it because it felt so big compared to my simple but reliable phone I had in the states. I quickly discovered that my smart phone is in fact small and compact. Some of the phones I see on the bus are too big to fit in pockets and are even made bigger by the cute cases with animal ears on them.
My phone came with a free white plastic case and I cringed inside because I knew that it was only a matter of time before the case was gray. Over a month ago I began my exploration for a new phone case by visiting the many phone case stores around the city. These stores are covered wall to wall with bright colored cases. Some have ears and others have covers to protect the screens. Each time I came into a store I'd look for my phone model and either give up or show someone my phone. Sometimes they would show me to a small section that held 5 cases that all had cats on them and I'd leave disappointed.
Two weekends ago I walked into a new store and showed them my phone and the lady took me up the stairs into a small room with only one wall covered in cases. Once again there were only about six cases for my phone but finally I was able to find one that didn't have cats on it!
What have I learned? When the Koreans move onto bigger and better things - they don't stock the past!
Blessings friends.
When I first got my new phone I didn't know where to put it because it felt so big compared to my simple but reliable phone I had in the states. I quickly discovered that my smart phone is in fact small and compact. Some of the phones I see on the bus are too big to fit in pockets and are even made bigger by the cute cases with animal ears on them.
My phone came with a free white plastic case and I cringed inside because I knew that it was only a matter of time before the case was gray. Over a month ago I began my exploration for a new phone case by visiting the many phone case stores around the city. These stores are covered wall to wall with bright colored cases. Some have ears and others have covers to protect the screens. Each time I came into a store I'd look for my phone model and either give up or show someone my phone. Sometimes they would show me to a small section that held 5 cases that all had cats on them and I'd leave disappointed.
Two weekends ago I walked into a new store and showed them my phone and the lady took me up the stairs into a small room with only one wall covered in cases. Once again there were only about six cases for my phone but finally I was able to find one that didn't have cats on it!
What have I learned? When the Koreans move onto bigger and better things - they don't stock the past!
Blessings friends.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Souvenir 12.28
At the end of December Ulsan experienced an unexpected and uncommon snow storm.
It was the last day of school before winter break and I had no classes that day but a nice long day of desk warming ahead of me. I had been filling my bag full of distractions when I got a call from my boss.
"Did you get the message?" Soon-Ha
"No, what message?"
"The school is starting late because of snow." Soon-Ha
"It's snowing?! What time do I need to be there?"
"10a.m."
I set my bag aside, quickly threw on my warm clothes and headed outside with my camera. I was shocked but pleasantly surprised when I saw the fluffy thick snowflakes falling from the sky. I walked around my area for a half an hour and then decided it was time to get on the bus. I figured an hour was more then enough time to get to school on the bus, and I thought that if I got to school early I'd walk to a nearby coffee shop and buy a hot chocolate to celebrate real winter.
My bus stop was crowded with late starters and a large wave of people pushed their way onto the bus I needed. I found a standing spot by a handle and held on as the bus slowly inched its way forward. I quickly began to regret my decision to take the bus as it slid down the hill at an ants pace. At the next stop more people piled on and I was pushed along towards the middle of the bus. Once again the bus slowly coasted on the slush and let in more people. With each stop the bus made, the farther back I moved to allow more people in. A few people would get out of the bus and people would push for the empty seats they had abandoned. After standing for a half an hour (and only driving by 3 stops) a seat opened up in the very back and an Adjuma (an elderly women) grabbed my hand and made me sit by her. I smiled my thanks and she spoke to me in Korean with a smile on her face. The bus continued to slide around the road and I decided to make myself comfortable by taking off my hat and scarf since I was 3 stops away from school and I knew we wouldn't be there any time soon. More people continued to get on the bus. Everyone's shoulders were touching and I wondered why the bus driver even bothered to open the bus doors. But some how more people filtered through and the windows were so fogged up that no one could see a thing outside.
I started to kakoa talk (a free messaging system similar to instant message) my Co-Teacher explaining that the bus was very slow and that I would be late. She was understanding and sent me such cute messages making sure I was safe in the snow. The bus suddenly stopped and people who were by a window tried to clear off the fog to see outside. From my high position in my seat I could see that a bus in front of us was stuck. After waiting for ten minutes the bus driver decided to open the bus doors and people started to file out. I was hot and had spent the majority of the bus ride wishing I had walked to school instead so I jumped out of my seat quicker then anyone else.
The cool snowy air was refreshing and I followed a line of brave Koreans to the sidewalk. I walked past five cars, two buses, and a news truck that were all stuck on the ice that had formed a thick layer over the road. Many of the people walking on the sidewalk were dressed in fancy clothes and wearing heels. Some even carried umbrellas to avoid the snow. I kakoa talked my Co-Teacher again telling her I was walking to school. She sent me a cartoon of two little animals holding cheer pompoms and yelling, "Go, go!" Everyone continued to slip and slide along the sidewalk and I was able to pass many people walking because of my winter boots and (I'd like to think) my pro-ice walking ability.
I've always liked the long sidewalk that follows the hills between my part of town and my school. There are some large gardens below, hiking paths above, and trees lining the sidewalk. With the snow steadily falling everything seemed even prettier.
I was having a great time despite my unanswered question of why the city didn't have salt trucks on the road making sure ice didn't form when my Ipod shuttled to "Beautiful Things" by Gungor. I turned my music up and soaked in the wonder of the moment.
"You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of dust".
The snow melted on my face and it felt like a piece of home.
"You are making me new".
I didn't even mind the slow people in dress shoes that I had to pass.
No cars passed the entire mile walk and this waygook (foreigner) hummed along to the song the whole way to school (which took me playing the song three times).
I made it to school close to 11am refreshed but tired. Thankfully I didn't have anything to do besides sit at my desk and eat lunch. It was a perfect kind of day.
It was the last day of school before winter break and I had no classes that day but a nice long day of desk warming ahead of me. I had been filling my bag full of distractions when I got a call from my boss.
"Did you get the message?" Soon-Ha
"No, what message?"
"The school is starting late because of snow." Soon-Ha
"It's snowing?! What time do I need to be there?"
"10a.m."
I set my bag aside, quickly threw on my warm clothes and headed outside with my camera. I was shocked but pleasantly surprised when I saw the fluffy thick snowflakes falling from the sky. I walked around my area for a half an hour and then decided it was time to get on the bus. I figured an hour was more then enough time to get to school on the bus, and I thought that if I got to school early I'd walk to a nearby coffee shop and buy a hot chocolate to celebrate real winter.
My bus stop was crowded with late starters and a large wave of people pushed their way onto the bus I needed. I found a standing spot by a handle and held on as the bus slowly inched its way forward. I quickly began to regret my decision to take the bus as it slid down the hill at an ants pace. At the next stop more people piled on and I was pushed along towards the middle of the bus. Once again the bus slowly coasted on the slush and let in more people. With each stop the bus made, the farther back I moved to allow more people in. A few people would get out of the bus and people would push for the empty seats they had abandoned. After standing for a half an hour (and only driving by 3 stops) a seat opened up in the very back and an Adjuma (an elderly women) grabbed my hand and made me sit by her. I smiled my thanks and she spoke to me in Korean with a smile on her face. The bus continued to slide around the road and I decided to make myself comfortable by taking off my hat and scarf since I was 3 stops away from school and I knew we wouldn't be there any time soon. More people continued to get on the bus. Everyone's shoulders were touching and I wondered why the bus driver even bothered to open the bus doors. But some how more people filtered through and the windows were so fogged up that no one could see a thing outside.
I started to kakoa talk (a free messaging system similar to instant message) my Co-Teacher explaining that the bus was very slow and that I would be late. She was understanding and sent me such cute messages making sure I was safe in the snow. The bus suddenly stopped and people who were by a window tried to clear off the fog to see outside. From my high position in my seat I could see that a bus in front of us was stuck. After waiting for ten minutes the bus driver decided to open the bus doors and people started to file out. I was hot and had spent the majority of the bus ride wishing I had walked to school instead so I jumped out of my seat quicker then anyone else.
The cool snowy air was refreshing and I followed a line of brave Koreans to the sidewalk. I walked past five cars, two buses, and a news truck that were all stuck on the ice that had formed a thick layer over the road. Many of the people walking on the sidewalk were dressed in fancy clothes and wearing heels. Some even carried umbrellas to avoid the snow. I kakoa talked my Co-Teacher again telling her I was walking to school. She sent me a cartoon of two little animals holding cheer pompoms and yelling, "Go, go!" Everyone continued to slip and slide along the sidewalk and I was able to pass many people walking because of my winter boots and (I'd like to think) my pro-ice walking ability.
I've always liked the long sidewalk that follows the hills between my part of town and my school. There are some large gardens below, hiking paths above, and trees lining the sidewalk. With the snow steadily falling everything seemed even prettier.
I was having a great time despite my unanswered question of why the city didn't have salt trucks on the road making sure ice didn't form when my Ipod shuttled to "Beautiful Things" by Gungor. I turned my music up and soaked in the wonder of the moment.
"You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of dust".
The snow melted on my face and it felt like a piece of home.
"You are making me new".
I didn't even mind the slow people in dress shoes that I had to pass.
No cars passed the entire mile walk and this waygook (foreigner) hummed along to the song the whole way to school (which took me playing the song three times).
I made it to school close to 11am refreshed but tired. Thankfully I didn't have anything to do besides sit at my desk and eat lunch. It was a perfect kind of day.
Monday, February 4, 2013
4.
Today marks my 4th month in Ulsan, South Korea. Some days it seems like I have been here a lot longer then 4 months, other days I feel like a new baby still.
School is in full swing again and I'm hoping that with my regular schedule back I'll be able to write a little more. These stories I'm recording are the best kind of souvenirs after all.
While on vacation I went to an eye clinic with my neighbor Jihea. I had been hearing over and over again about how Korea has great deals on eye wear and decided it was time to get new glasses and try contacts again.
I'm not sure if I would've been able to get my eyes checked without Jihea because no one spoke English to me (but then I did bring a translator so they were off the hook). First they had me look at this small computer and a picture of a sail boat slowly became clearer. Then began the ever boring part: one or two (that was in English). A few times I had to look at colors and say what one was more vivid or what lines that were in a circle were bolder. After about twenty minutes I was done with the check up and the hard part began - putting in the contacts. They had a short video for me to watch about how to put them in and take them out. Thankfully I got them in with little trouble (compared to last time I tried contacts). I then was brought around to the other side of the store where they had cases and cases of glasses ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 won. I started trying on some of the 20,000 glasses but quickly saw a major problem - all of the adult glasses were WAY to big for me. I kept smiling at Jihea not fully knowing how I was going to explain that I'd like to try on kid glasses (in Korea it is a HUGE compliment if they tell you that you have a small face because they think small faces are pretty). I really didn't want to point out my small face because it still embarrasses me when I am told I have a small face, I can't help it! But thankfully she agreed that the glasses were too big for my face. I explained to her that my mom buys kid glasses back home. So she waved down a lady about our age and together the three of us looked through the kids glasses. They both laughed with me as some of those glasses were still too big for me.
In the end I settled on a pair that I'm not in LOVE with, but they definitely are Korea worthy! I was able to get scratch resistant and non-glare lenses at a great prince too. The best part of the trip was after I picked the frames and lenses out they told us to get some coffee and wait for the glasses to be ready. We had just sat down with our coffee when they gave me my new glasses. I walked out of the store an hour and a half after arriving with a new pair of glasses, contacts for 6 months, and a bunch of free things. Talk about service!
When I told Jihea that in America I would've had to go back to the store a few days later for my glasses and contacts she just smiled and told me, "Korean's are fast because we don't like to wait."
It has been so nice to not wear glasses and I am SO excited to start sunglass shopping. Bless friends.
School is in full swing again and I'm hoping that with my regular schedule back I'll be able to write a little more. These stories I'm recording are the best kind of souvenirs after all.
While on vacation I went to an eye clinic with my neighbor Jihea. I had been hearing over and over again about how Korea has great deals on eye wear and decided it was time to get new glasses and try contacts again.
I'm not sure if I would've been able to get my eyes checked without Jihea because no one spoke English to me (but then I did bring a translator so they were off the hook). First they had me look at this small computer and a picture of a sail boat slowly became clearer. Then began the ever boring part: one or two (that was in English). A few times I had to look at colors and say what one was more vivid or what lines that were in a circle were bolder. After about twenty minutes I was done with the check up and the hard part began - putting in the contacts. They had a short video for me to watch about how to put them in and take them out. Thankfully I got them in with little trouble (compared to last time I tried contacts). I then was brought around to the other side of the store where they had cases and cases of glasses ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 won. I started trying on some of the 20,000 glasses but quickly saw a major problem - all of the adult glasses were WAY to big for me. I kept smiling at Jihea not fully knowing how I was going to explain that I'd like to try on kid glasses (in Korea it is a HUGE compliment if they tell you that you have a small face because they think small faces are pretty). I really didn't want to point out my small face because it still embarrasses me when I am told I have a small face, I can't help it! But thankfully she agreed that the glasses were too big for my face. I explained to her that my mom buys kid glasses back home. So she waved down a lady about our age and together the three of us looked through the kids glasses. They both laughed with me as some of those glasses were still too big for me.
In the end I settled on a pair that I'm not in LOVE with, but they definitely are Korea worthy! I was able to get scratch resistant and non-glare lenses at a great prince too. The best part of the trip was after I picked the frames and lenses out they told us to get some coffee and wait for the glasses to be ready. We had just sat down with our coffee when they gave me my new glasses. I walked out of the store an hour and a half after arriving with a new pair of glasses, contacts for 6 months, and a bunch of free things. Talk about service!
When I told Jihea that in America I would've had to go back to the store a few days later for my glasses and contacts she just smiled and told me, "Korean's are fast because we don't like to wait."
I love the black case they gave me to hold my contacts and a small bottle of cleaner in.
It has been so nice to not wear glasses and I am SO excited to start sunglass shopping. Bless friends.
Monday, January 28, 2013
long and overdue update
"Some days I feel like I am an overpaid babysitter who the kids sometimes accidentally learn from" - Meredith.
The quote above was said by my friend Meredith a couple Friday nights ago while we were chatting about our winter camp experiences. I couldn't agree more.
What have I been doing the month of January? Babysitting... I mean.... I have been solo teaching at a free winter camp at my elementary school. I knew it would be a lot of work but I don't think I expected it to be as much work as it turned out to be. As I had said before I spent the majority of December preparing materials for camp but as my days slowly went by I realized I didn't have nearly enough materials to make it through fifteen days of teaching hour long lessons.
I taught four classes a day. Two in the morning and two after lunch. Both sessions were split by the kids level of English. One group spent an hour with me and then switched for an hour with the Korean teacher. My classes varied in size from 7 to 15 students. Some of the higher level kids really got into my Harry Potter theme but sadly some of my younger kids couldn't sit still long enough to have an enjoyable class. An hour is far to long to sit and listen to someone talk in a foreign language, especially when you are in 2nd and 3rd grade.
One of the hardest parts of camp was remaining flexible. Before camp I was asked to write lesson plans and give them a schedule for the whole camp. No problem. Then on the first day of camp I was told that the materials wouldn't be ordered until midway through the camp. And then a few group days were moved around which meant I had to move my schedule around again. In the end I think I moved my lessons around four times. At first that frustrated me but as camp progressed I decided to throw my hands in the air and accept that whatever happens happens from day to day.
At the end of each day I had to start preparing for the next day of lessons by making powerpoints or games. I even spent a frustrating night trying to figure out how to make an origami dragon. In the end I'd say it was a success. I think I tricked the kids into using English in a fun way, which was my goal. The best part for me was getting to know the students names finally and also getting to know them better.
The quote above was said by my friend Meredith a couple Friday nights ago while we were chatting about our winter camp experiences. I couldn't agree more.
What have I been doing the month of January? Babysitting... I mean.... I have been solo teaching at a free winter camp at my elementary school. I knew it would be a lot of work but I don't think I expected it to be as much work as it turned out to be. As I had said before I spent the majority of December preparing materials for camp but as my days slowly went by I realized I didn't have nearly enough materials to make it through fifteen days of teaching hour long lessons.
I taught four classes a day. Two in the morning and two after lunch. Both sessions were split by the kids level of English. One group spent an hour with me and then switched for an hour with the Korean teacher. My classes varied in size from 7 to 15 students. Some of the higher level kids really got into my Harry Potter theme but sadly some of my younger kids couldn't sit still long enough to have an enjoyable class. An hour is far to long to sit and listen to someone talk in a foreign language, especially when you are in 2nd and 3rd grade.
One of the hardest parts of camp was remaining flexible. Before camp I was asked to write lesson plans and give them a schedule for the whole camp. No problem. Then on the first day of camp I was told that the materials wouldn't be ordered until midway through the camp. And then a few group days were moved around which meant I had to move my schedule around again. In the end I think I moved my lessons around four times. At first that frustrated me but as camp progressed I decided to throw my hands in the air and accept that whatever happens happens from day to day.
At the end of each day I had to start preparing for the next day of lessons by making powerpoints or games. I even spent a frustrating night trying to figure out how to make an origami dragon. In the end I'd say it was a success. I think I tricked the kids into using English in a fun way, which was my goal. The best part for me was getting to know the students names finally and also getting to know them better.
Me on the first day of camp wearing my Harry Potter themed clothes.
The students made their own magical animal. This is one of my favorites because of it's creative name.
One of my favorite lessons was "potions" because the kids got to experiment mixing different substances (like pink vitamin water and baking soda).
We made soap as a group one day.
Some other things we did was to practice the future tense through making "predictions". The kids really got excited when they got to predict who would win in an arm wrestle contest, me or a student. Oddly enough some of the young boys beat me while the next day I was able to beat the 5th and 6th grade boys. On the last day of camp the older kids got to write their own story. Most of them ended in death but at least they were creative in English.
I've been enjoying a few restful days off before the last three weeks of the semester begins in February.
Bless friends.
Friday, January 4, 2013
3.
Today marks the end of the 3rd month that I’ve
been in Ulsan, South Korea. December started out slow and cold but as Christmas
approached my days seemed to fly by.
For the longest time I have wanted to write a blog post with
the title saying: “Korea: 595 Foreigner: 3” because things seem go the opposite
of what I’d like them to and honestly some days I feel like Korea wins all of
the battles I face. But this afternoon I decided to visit my favorite coffee
shop and reflect on my life and it hit me: no matter how confusing the logic
and culture is; this is also a very generous and forgiving place.
I’d like to share some of those stories today.
The common interactions I experience with the Koreans in
public places typically involve big, unblinking eyes, quickly spoken Korean (as
if I can understand the language if they use hand motions), and grabbing my arm
to steer me in the right direction. But sometimes I encounter this magical,
get-out-of-jail-free, royal treatment.
- Meredith, Janene and I bought tickets to Seoul this past weekend. Janene and I got tickets for the express bus that left near my apartment while Meredith got a ticket for her express bus stop. We figured that if my ticket said 7:40 that she’d need to buy a ticket for earlier so she bought a ticket for 7:10am. At 7:30 I see Meredith in the window of a bus and I quickly jump on the bus and the driver takes my ticket and looks at it and then at me. I could tell something was wrong and I started to ask if we had the wrong bus but he just waved me on the bus. He did the same with Janene’s ticket. We just laughed as we got the back seats and settled in for the 4 and a half hour ride to Seoul.
- In Seoul we were relying on our Subway Map App on our cell phones and while we were deciding what direction to take an older man came up to me and started pointing to the map. We told him where we were going and he literately started grabbing every young Korean who walked by asking if they spoke English. After a few failed attempts he got one to help us. The funny thing is we would've figured it out eventually, but it was nice to be "taken care of". The older man even got on the same subway car and made sure we got off at the right stop.
- The best example of this kind treatment is on our journey back to Ulsan early Tuesday morning. We had a slow start due to snow and missed our bus home. While we were trying to decide what to do a bus driver got out of his bus and looked at our tickets. He then started to talk to us in Korean and kept pointing to his bus. He ended up getting another man to help translate and told us that the bus driver wanted to give us a ride and that we can switch to an Ulsan bus later. So we got on the bus not fully understanding what was happening. We only knew that the bus was headed for Busan (which is the big city an hour away from Ulsan). About 4 hours later the bus stopped and the driver stood up and motioned for us to get off the bus. So we grabbed our bags and got off. I expected to be at a bus stop but instead we were on the freeway pulled over behind another big express bus. The bus driver motioned for us to get onto the other bus and we handed over our tickets that said Ulsan. The passengers in the new bus seemed surprised to see waygooks (foreigners) get on the bus. I had barely made myself comfortable in the seat when we arrived in Ulsan. I still don't fully understand what happened but somehow that first bus driver got us home!
There are certainly worst places to be lost and confused. I can now say confidently that I'm going to survive the rest of the year. In fact I look forward to more crazy-confusing-get-out-of-jail-free experiences.
Bless friends.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Pictures
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Far too much has happened since my last post so instead of writing about it - I'll show you.
Far too much has happened since my last post so instead of writing about it - I'll show you.
Daegu, South Korea. December 19th 2012 Election Day
The Petroglyph Museum, Ulsan. December 22nd
Grand Park, Ulsan. December 23rd
Christmas Day!
The Students Talent Show, December 27th
Snow! December 28th
Chandeokgung Palace, Seoul December 31st.
The Bosingak Bell was rung 33 times to bring in the New Year.
Blessings in this new year friends.
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