Gross

Oh my God, I just witnessed the most disgusting thing ever. I was teaching a freshman class, supposedly one of the smart classes. I looked up and one boy student was biting the nails of another boy student. Yes, he was clipping his nails for him with his mouth. They did it so nonchalantly. I just stood there, stunned, and let them know how disgusting that was. The younger kids here really lack basic manners and don't understand how to behave. By the way, I was not over-reacting. Mr. Yoo was also disgusted by the whole thing.

What Does A Korean Picnic Look Like?

Yesterday, wednesday, the seniors in my school, myself included, went on a picnic to Nami island. The island is over 2 hours away. It's a small island in a river somewhere in the neighboring provence. It is just a 5 minute ferry ride away. The island is a bit odd. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Part of it looks like the folk village. Part of it is a big sculpture park. The other part is just strange. Apparently it is a very popular destination for young people in love and honeymooners. Here are some shots of my students and me enjoying the day.Here are all of the classes lined up at the school getting ready to go on the bus.This was on the ferry to the island. The girls facing the camera tells me that she loves me and that I'm cute... everyday. She works at the local fast food joint in town. She's very sweet, but not a good student, just like most of my kids.

On the island there was an osterich wandering around. The people were just coming up to it and running away from it when it got too close. They were tormenting it. Now, I've always been told, and seen on t.v., that osteriches are not very nice animals. So, I was just waiting for someone to get bit. Later in the day I saw the osterich run through the main area... followed by a gang of children chasing it with rolled up posters as weapons. Crazy kids. On the way out of the park, I saw a kid with an osterich feather. I think the osterich lost.

They train the trees to look like this. Strange.This is not a space ship. It's actually a honeymoon cabin on the river. Anyway, it may blast off, so stand back.

Okay, on the bus ride back, the t.v. in the front was converted to a karaoke machine. Oh my God. It was so loud! There were flashing disco lights, and the microphone had so much reverb. It was a bit torturous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVho0scjE8A

That was my day out with the seniors. It was a nice day to be outside and walking around. Of course, like everything else in Korea, it was very strange at the same time.

Vultures

The other day I brought in a roll cake to school for the teachers. I've learned that Koreans love to eat more than anything else in the world. I've also learned that when I go grocery shopping, every few weeks to pick-up something to take to school and share. The teachers love it when I do this, and they really seem to appreciate me more when I'm a team player. Usually I bring in some Korean rice snacks. I buy them on the street. They look like rice-crispie squares, but they are not nearly as sweet. They taste kind of like "sugar smacks" but less sweet. I've also brought in oranges. Well, this day I'd been to a bakery to buy some bread so I bought a roll cake too. The cake is like a jelly roll, but filled with some kind of cream. I don't never, I never had any of it. When I set it down on the conference table in the middle of the teachers' office, the thin, polite, dainty women in the office decended upon the cake as if they were vultures or death row inmates having their last meal. This cake didn't last two minutes before it was gone. It was gone by the time I wrote one quick email. I've never seen a frenzy like it... except for on the Discovery Channel during Shark Week.

Greatness

My co-teacher, the one who confided in me, she and I get along quite well. On the day that she confided in me and we really had a serious talk together, we went to lunch, as usual. While eating lunch, she told me "You are a great person... " I felt so touched and special, then she continued. "but you'd be a greater person if you lost weight." Yup. Because inner beauty and personality and strength all depend upon your outside appearance. It didn't really bother me, since I'm used to this kind of back-handed compliment here in Korea... but I just don't quite understand the mental process that occurs when they say something like this. Maybe the answer will be found in my learning Korean. Why do they always have to make an observation and include a physically disparaging comment as well? It's a mystery. Ah Korea... land of the back-handed compliment.

Substitute

Today one of my new co-teachers told me that she is taking a 3-month leave of absence. I knew the reason behind this. She had opened up to me the other week about her son suffering from depression and seeing a psychiatrist. It had really touched me that she had opened up so much about this. To admit to some problems at home in Korea is HUGE beyond belief. But, she also knew that I worked in mental health in the USA, so she was looking for some reassurance. When she told me this morning that she was taking a leave, I told her that her son needs to be her number one priority right now. So, she was glad that I was so cordial about it.

Now, the guy who is going to be her substitute. Where to start? First, he did not introduce himself to me, which I think is just such an incredibly rude thing to do! Second, he is very young. He just graduated last year. He has not taked his English exams yet to become a full fledged teacher. He has substitute taught for 2 months, that's it! He is about to be thrown to the lion's den that is Juksan Comprehensive High School. He has no idea what he's in for! God bless him. Also, from speaking to him a bit, his English is not good. I don't believe that he'd be able to pass his spoken English exam to become a teacher. Maybe I can help him to become more confident with his English. It is going to be an interesting few months.

Happiness In A Bottle

While I was at the air base the other day, Dini (whose husband is retired military) gave me a bag of some things she'd bought for me at the base store. It was two bottles of mop and glow. I was so excited! You simply can't believe how ecstatic I was to get these bottles of mop and glow. So, this weekend, I spent my free time cleaning my apartment and waxing my floors. They are so shiny now! It makes me so happy to have clean and shiny floors now. I know, I'm a total dork... but you live in Korea for a year with yucky looking floors and then see how geeked you get over some mop and glow.

Are You Stupid?

After my stomach problems of last week, I found myself sitting at school and thinking. Now, my plan had been to stay in Korea for several years, and to ultimately get my master's degree while working here. That would take 5-6 years total for me. However, sitting here and thinking it suddenly hit me. Am I stupid or what? I don't know if PHYSICALLY I could stay here for such a long time. I mean, with the periodic painful stomach problems that I have, I'm really concerned that this could develop, over time, into something severe. I'm worried about getting an ulcer or worse. The cuisine of Korea is just too corrosive to my system.

So, I've begun to think about this being my last year in Korea. I will spend my time searching other countries for jobs. The only prerequisite for me now is that the cuisine of my new country is not based exclusively on peppers. I ignored the cuisine issues before coming to Korea and it has proven to be a huge deal. Living in a country and simply not eating the food there really isn't an option in the long run. It's doable on a one week vacation, but not if you're living there full time.

Now, all of this could change. If my stomach somehow makes a surprising turnaround, then I may stay in Korea as planned. But, although the pay here is great, it is not worth my health becoming abyssmal.

More Appreciation

Tuesday, on our day off for Teacher Appreciation Day, I went to Songtan to meet a friend for lunch, and to hang-out before our visit to the air base to enjoy surf & turf. I had such a wonderful day out. I ate some passable Italian food (which is about as good as it gets in Korea) with my friend Jude. We walked around town, had coffee, visited the black markets. It was a very relaxing kind of day.

Later that afternoon, we all gathered outside of the air base. There were quite a few of us. Victoria, Jude, myself, Edith (who has just left Korea), Tjaart (a South African from my town), Anna (an Oregonian), and Beverly (a Canadian from my town). We all went on the base to enjoy steak and lobster. Victoria had two lobsters! Having lived in Main, she really missed lobster. It was my first time having it, and it was ok, but I think I prefer crab more.

Well, the evening was perfect. We all had a great time. I hope we get to all go out again like that in the future.

The next day at school, there was another gift on my desk. This time, instead of a three-pack of glucosamine, I received a 3-bottle box of cooking oil. I'm just glad it wasn't a big box of spam.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

Tomorrow is teacher appreciation day in Korea. Now, in the U.S.A. teachers get a whole week... but I'll take what I can get. I do get the day off, so that is amazingly good. Well, today I came into work and there was a gift on my desk, all wrapped up in shiny mylar wrapping paper. It was a gift from the students' parents. I was startled to open it and find a box set of glucosamine. Now, for those of you who don't know, glucosamine is a drug that is good for your joints. It's usually taken by arthritic people. Everyone received this gift. I began to think, in America, if you were given glucosamine, you'd get offended and say "What makes you think I need this? I'm not an old man yet!" But here, it's just a normal gift. Interesting. Cultural differences at work again.

My Poor Tummy

I woke-up at 3am this morning with stomach pain. Not again. Yup, same as usual. I was up until 7am vomitting and just being in pain. I called in and was able to nap until noon-ish. I went to the doctor and got the same dosage of meds that I've always gotten. I have no idea if this medication works, but I take it anyway. They did include these 15 packets of goo that I have to drink. It's really disgusting. The frustrating thing about this is that it just attacks me whenever, and for no reason. At least it's been about 3 months since it happened last. I'll feel better in a few days.

Mr. Sandman

Tuesday I finally received my CPAP in the mail. It was a Korean miracle! On the bus ride home I fully read the instruction book (I'm like that). I was so anxious to get to sleep when I got home. The good thing is that this machine was quite easy for me to get used to. It starts with a very low level of air blowing into your nose (you get used to it) until you fall asleep, then it delivers the pressure that is needed to keep you alive. I only woke up twice during the night.

The next morning, I woke-up wihtout a headache, which was great. I was also more rested. During the day I was feeling more awake. I'm not 100% better, but after a week or so of using it and getting used to it, I'm sure I'll really see the difference.

No, I will not model any of my sleep gear for those of you who wanted to see (you know who you are). But this is what I got. You can use your imagination. By the way, the machine is only the size of two vcr tapes. Pretty small compared to the older ones.

And The Bureaucracy Rolls On

Well, my CPAP machine (for sleep apnea) arrived in only 3 days. The bad news is that it has been stuck in Korean customs since wednesday morning. First the problem was that they couldn't reach me (because my phone number is a US number given by the company). Then, they needed customs duty. Then they found out it was medical equipment and wanted the prescription. I was at school, and did not have my prescription with me. Mr. Yoo called the hostpital to get a copy, and they wouldn't fax him a copy of it. So, friday morning I brought everything in, and it was faxed immediately.

It wasn't delivered.

Today, monday, it was delivered to my apartment, and no one was there, so they didn't deliver it. Now, they were told the week before to deliver it to the school, and they simply ignored this. For some reason they couldn't get it to my school today, which is just 20 minutes away from my apartment... so, I must wait another day.

Korean bureaucracy keeps rolling on. I mean, sure, I could die in my sleep, and I wake up every morning with a severe migraine due to the apnea, and it's super hard on my heart... but the Korean customs office needs to stamp some papers. That is the problem, Koreans love rubber stamping things so much that they just make more red tape. Stamping makes them feel super powerful.

Frustration.

Korean Language Class

Saturday was my first trip to the Korean language institute. It took much longer to get there than I thought it would. It takes an hour to get to Seoul to the express bus terminal. Then, it took an additional hour on the subway to get to the institute. It was a bit exhausting, and Victoria and I were 20 minutes late. Next week we will be on time.

The institute is quite nice, with many classes running at one time. Our class has only 3 students in it, which is a blessing really. Besides Victoria and I, there is a young guy named Jimmy (I think that's his name). We are all teachers, he's been here just a couple of months, still in the honeymoon stage of his life here. Our teacher was a nice young Korean woman who spoke absolutely perfect English. The lesson was entirely over the alphabet, reading simple syllables, and pronunciation. This was all review for me, but helped to clear up some of the very close vowels.

I think this class is going to be such a great thing for me. I really can't wait until next saturday for our next class.

New Toy

This week, I ordered a new toy off of the internet. It's an iRiver D26. That is an electronic dictionary. It is the top of the line here in Korea. It is really meant for Koreans learning English and Japanese. It has the normal Korea-English, English-Korean dictionaries. It also has Korean-Korean, and English-Enlgish. There's an English usage dictionary, English idioms.

As if that isn't enough, it also serves as a PDA, keeping your calendar and address book and all of that. It also serves as an Ebook reader, and an electronic photo album. It even has an mp3 player.

My favorite function is something called "brain vitamin." You pick the mood you're in, and it will play the appropriate soothing elevator type music. Pretty interesting.

The machine is all in Korean, but most of it is easy to understand. The good news is that the support software for it is in English, so I had no trouble loading my music onto the device.

It may be an extravagant purchase, but it has already come in very handy.

No Smoking

This week I have taken over the role of anti-smoking police at my school. I'm currently showing some videos to my students (as a nice break from their midterm stress). I like to use the library to show the movies, because there is a big screen and projector and surround sound. All it's missing is the popcorn. The library is only accessible by going outside.

On monday and tuesday, I caught kids smoking out there, behind two outbuildings and right next to the school. Well, the kids see me, know they're busted. I grab them by the arm and take them to a Korean teacher to have them deal with the students. Now, I caught two students smoking out there twice each. One student I caught between first and second period, and then again between second and third period! I looked at him that second time and said "Could you be any stupider?" Well, my co-teacher informed the homeroom teacher about the kids. I'm really not seeing anything being done about it.

So, I've taken it upon myself, when I'm down in the library, to stand out there between classes. The students just look at me through the windows, waiting to see when I leave so they can smoke. I stay there until they're in their next class. I feel so deliciously evil when I do this to them. Also, when I see the offending students, I say "Hello smoker." The other students pick on them for this. I figure, maybe they'll stop if they get tired of being ridiculed by their peers.