Thanks-taking/Festival

Every weekend is so great....

It was Thanksgiving weekend in Jinju, and there was an amazing feast held at the International Church downtown, which included all the delicious staples of my most favorite holiday. Especially due to the fact that turkey is almost impossible to get in Korea, and a lot of foreigners have never even tried turkey before, my friends and I had been looking forward to this event for well over a month now; in fact, we were counting down the days. It did not disappoint.

I was also lucky enough to have my two friends from Buffalo, Tony and Jenna, come visit from their home an hour away in Masan. Icing the cake was the fact that a friend of mine, leaving for 5 weeks, has entrusted me with his rickety orange scooter. I picked it up Sunday night and now I have wheels!!!!!!! Feeling wild and free and mobile (ain't that America), it was all in all a lovely day.

happy toilet

happy eve and caroline... saturday, so beautiful and sunny :)

morgan, sarah and caroline waiting for their dinners..... the anticipation is killing us

tony and jenna <3 having some wine by the river in the sun

cat cafe.... squish ball on top of the bookshelf :)

In other news, this week (tomorrow) is the "school festival." For some unknown reason, it is causing everyone (teachers and students) a lot of stress. This is basically another day dedicated to students singing, dancing, art, and comedy routines. I was also roped into singing three songs with my co-teacher and the art teacher on guitar. We'll see how it pans out, but I'm not very hopeful. My kids have been skipping my classes for weeks now, and this week, four of my classes have actually been cancelled. Students are instead perfecting their routines in the mirrors of the bathroom (this is not only allowed.... it's encouraged). I think parents may also attend, it's a pretty large scale event. Anyway, here's more pictures!

"helping" with balloons.... mostly just trying to tie them together, then watching them be untied and "done correctly"

our "english board," which i thought looked great, but everyone else said "too much" and when i came back it was completely re-done. haha :)

i'm sure more soon.....
<3M

American PUNK!

Today I tried to teach a lesson on the origins of American names (cities, states, etc) that ended up a lesson on punk rock. Don't ask me how it got there (maybe the mohawk hair syle, etc), but from the outcome of the lesson, I will slowly make my way through a lot of different genres of music.
Anyway, my students have never heard of this before, and as I showed them pictures, music videos and movie trailers about punk rock, their jaws hung agape the entire time. They were simultaneously terrified and intrigued. Especially so when I showed them a music video of a WOMAN in punk garb (The Distillers- The Young Crazed Peeling). Though, pretty much universally, they liked the music, they could not believe people their own age looked and acted so differently.

Above: American Punks

Above: Korean Punks

I felt a strange amount of pride in America/bad-assery at this point, which I think stems from the fact that I'm in one of the most homogeneous nations in the world. I certainly don't mean to say we're the best, look at us, racism doesn't exist here, we'll put a boot in your ass, America!!! I mean to say simply that I have come to appreciate just how truly diverse and awesome and tough the USA is, though we still have a far way to go when it comes to understanding. The music played in American supermarkets is tougher than anything that comes out of Korea. People look different everywhere you look, so much so that no one bats an eyelash at seeing a mohawk walk down the street. I don't know what that really says about our culture, but I like it.

Yesterday, I got a ride home with another teacher at my school, a little woman who only speaks a little English. She told me she wants to come to the USA at some point in the future, but "I afraid of black people." Knowing she would never understand a counter argument, I had no idea what to say! Eyes wide, jaw on the floor of the car, I just kind of said, "Oh...... No......"

More soon,
M

Times I forget I'm in Korea:
1. Riding on the bus and hearing Christmas songs playing on the radio
2. Snuggling in a big bed with my friends
3. Walking / not paying attention to people/buildings
4. When it's 30 degrees out while I'm waiting for the bus (feels just like home!)

Time I remember I'm in Korea:
1. Waking up starving for a pizza/taco/pretzel etc
2. Shopping for clothes
3. Attempting to cook food
4. Showering
5. Watching TV

The lines are becoming more blurred as time goes on.

Endings and Beginnings

Today is classless Monday, where, as you may have guessed, I have nothing to do but update my blog.

This weekend was another great one, a weekend of endings and beginnings. Friday I said my final goodbye to Aine and Gareth over dinner with 12 other great people. It was sad and happy, but mostly happy. I also met their good natured replacements, Duncan and Lana, who hail from England. Pork was eaten, laughs were had, poetry was read, all in all, it was a beautiful fond farewell.

Saturday, CR hosted a movie/lunch day at his swank college pad. He made jambalaya, I made cornbread, and after we stuffed our faces and watched Elf, six of us climbed in his gigantic bed and snuggled together for a few hours. It was lovely, and the endorphins were free flowing. The high of proximity and human touch lasted all day and night.

Yesterday I was lucky to be able to crash a Korean wedding!! It was so exciting. Though I personally had never met the groom or the bride (a co-worker of Annie, Eoin, Duncan and Lana), I snagged a "plus one" spot with Eoin and scampered along. It was supposed to begin at eleven: we arrived at a very strange hall in an otherwise unmarked building, at ten after, and the wedding was already almost over. I'd say the entire affair lasted no more than twenty minutes. It was insane, best described as a jumbled up Vegas wedding in fast forward. The weirdest part was, during the ceremony, no one was really paying attention- everyone was talking, talking on their cell phones, walking around, etc. Some guests were dresses quite fashionably and expensively, some were wearing hanbok, and others jeans and sweaters. There was no rhyme or reason. A friend of the couple was singing a song while a bunch of women in the room brought the bride roses. The bride and groom were dressed in your typical wedding dress and tux at the altar, already cutting the cake together, and the next thing I knew, they were rushing down the "aisle" (catwalk) through exploding confetti and streamers for pictures, and back up again, and back down again. During the ceremony, there was another bride already waiting at the back of the room in her wedding dress for her twenty minutes.

the wedding party

the hanbok ceremony

The photographs easily took four times as long as the ceremony. Though, like I stated previously, I had never met either of these people, they made me get in group photographs with them, haha. They photographed a staged a bouquet toss (twice!). Minutes after it was over, we followed the bride downstairs to a different floor to view her and her husband in their traditional Korean hanbok, which was beautiful and deeply ornate. After that, it was off to the "reception," which was a huge delicious buffet, in the next room, haha, that undoubtedly cost a fortune. The bride and groom showed up shortly thereafter in matching jeans, sneakers and hoodies, capping the insane outfit count for the hour at three. they came around to each table and thanked the guests for coming, and then it was over.

Another good one :)

Videos!

Swearing video snippet (NSFW).... Don't judge me, haha. They laughed a lot, and I did, too. 

From left to right: Bread, James, Paul, James II, Jacob, Ron, Bob

Today was Korea's definition of "field day" at my school. The events were more like a weirdly sexual talent show/pep rally, but it was still pretty fun to watch. Also, no one explained to me what was going on at any point during the day, so I tried my best to guess. There were quite a few events: a lot of award giving, dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, and three HOURS of volleyball, haha. By the end of the day, my head hurt. I tried to take video as much as I could.

Below is a snippet of three of my second grade girls- Rhianna, Courtney and Alicia (who are EXTREMELY shy usually!) dancing together. Rhianna (the center dancer) was the breakout star of the day, dancing in this number and singing in three others. She hasn't said a word in my class in two months!

...And another dance, by my third grade girls. Katie, Brittney (my biggest troublemaker), Jane and Olivia (the smartest girl in her grade!). I find their outfit choices absolutely adorable, considering every other day, they wear uniforms, and were allowed to choose anything for this performance, haha. 

A strange twinge of pride welled up in my heart for most of these, though it came out as laughter. 

Below is by far the coolest one, in my opinion. Though it's kind of hard to tell in the video, my students are playing traditional Korean drums. I've never seen this before, and I don't know anything about what they were doing, but I really enjoyed it. It was kind of tribal-sounding. 

More to come soon!!!
<3M

Molding the Minds of the Future of Korea

As a reward to my best-behaved, highest-level boys class, I taught them how to properly use English swear words on Tuesday in our after school conversation class.

The whole lesson began when I heard one boy call another boy a "fag." I asked him to repeat the word and explain it to me, what he thought it meant. Then I told him that word didn't even mean homosexual, it meant a cigarette, and what is so funny about calling your friend a cigarette? Nothing really. He got the point that it's not a cool word, or really even used in America (not true, really, but I don't want my students saying it). I told him American teenagers think people who say words like "fag" are outdated and would not be friends with them. (They are always hungry to know what is cool and popular in America.) So then one boy asked me, "Teacha. What do American students say that is bad?"

I hesitated for about a minute. Then I thought about middle school me, who was studying French for the third full year, and desperate to know any kind of swear words. My thought process also ran the lines of, hey. If they ever come to America, they're gonna hear these words, and frequently, too, if they ever come to New York. Most of my kids already know what the words are, anyway, and I want them to use them properly. It makes learning a language more fun! Swearing! Yay!

So, I began by asking them what swear words they already knew. Most were pretty hesitant to say anything, thinking they'd get in trouble, but soon enough, there were "farts," "son of a bitches," "shits" and "asses" muttered from every corner of the room. I started writing a list of slang words on the board, like, "sucks," "crap," etc. The response was overwhelming, they were so attentive!
Soon we were laughing and making gramatically correct sentences together. It was a beautiful thing.

Today I took video of them swearing to prove to my friends that this actually happened, haha. When I took the video, they were extremely nervous, like I was going to use it to blackmail them one day (which I hadn't initially thought of, but with a little editing, is actually a great idea). The result is comedic gold.

let's learn

Today begins the eight week period where I have nothing to teach for third grade because Korea is awesome.

I have decided to have a new and improved attitude about it. I actually feel kind of relieved because now class can be whatever I want it to be, and I can teach them garbage of my own variety instead of the kind found in their (terribly written and gramatically incorrect!) books. We already covered zombies, next item up for bid is my "ocean unit" which is basically preparing for the watching of Finding Nemo, then watching it. After that I'm going to do a lesson on rapping, play them some music videos, and have them try to write and perform a rap in English.

Today we learned about Pokemon and "new vocabulary," mostly slang words I chose during lunch, including "crap," "pissed off," and even shortened words, like "omg" and "vomit ----> vom." Then we watched a youtube video of Native Americans dancing, for no reason.

My job is mostly great.

School has been crazy lately- so many last second schedule changes that I've nearly missed a class twice this week that I didn't even know I had! It's been stressful. Thursday was my first day at school without my co-teacher (she was on a business trip) and so I was literally the only person in the school who spoke English. It was very strange... but I did alright :)

The week was long and gray, and I was too happy when it was finally Friday and the sun was shining. Friday, 11/11/11, was National Pepero Day. Pepero is a long, thin cookie stick dipped in chocolate. Yes, it's a holiday dedicated to chocolate, because the cookie sticks resemble '1's- couples consider themselves '11's and give each other Pepero as gifts (kind of like Valentine's Day, but I think even more depressing if you're a single person, haha- you're just a '1'). I came to school in a fog and was completely delighted when my students practically showered me with these cookies. I ate so much, haha, and I stashed some in my desk for later, too :) 

My two friends, Aine and Gareth, are leaving, and this weekend was their farewell festivities. It was a weekend of pizza and ice cream, rock climbing, lounging on the grass in the sun, shopping, an insane buffet feast, too much wine, karaoke, cat cafe, and lots of laughter. It was one of the best so far :)  

went to the cat cafe (again, haha) with memis.... loved this big guy! i love it there far too much

my second grade boys on friday, being themselves after school 

a very excited morgan about to dive into a giant plate of nachos

the assignment: draw you, wearing your favorite outfit. 

a lovely, warm and sunny saturday afternoon on the grass at jinju castle

sarah on her climb up the difficult wall

and me from the top!!!! it was really hard! i am so sore today, haha

ryan, at a delightful level of physical pain at the buffet

the whole bloated gang! me, sarah, ryan, eve, annie, aine, kyle, gareth, cr, caroline, sean, billy and eoin

Though I'm sad my friends are leaving,
Just, happy.
:)

An Education

Today, my mom sent me a link to a CNN news story about South Korea having one of the top education systems in the world. The clip showed Obama asking ROK President Lee Myung Bak for his thoughts on education, and praising Korea for having such a progressive stance. While I wouldn't disagree, I don't think having "the top education system in the world" necessarliy equates to having a system that is problem free, fair 100% of the time, or even considerably more effective than education systems from other parts of the world. I'm not dumping on the education system here, rather I think it's very good, and I'm certainly thankful to have the opportunity to be here, but it's difficult not to notice that corporal punishment is more prevalent than not, and the special education programs are virtually non-existent. I am also certainly not stating that the education system is better in the US; I am highly aware of the extreme problems with funding, and also aware that education varies greatly state to state. I'm very thankful that I was given the (increasingly rare) opportunity in the US to get a good education in a well-financed state and had a seemingly endless amount of extra-curricular activities within arm's reach.

The news program also painted a rosy picture of children being in school for ten or twelve hours a day when the truth is, they're exhausted. They just want to be kids, and play computer games, spend time with their friends and eat snacks after school. I am not envious; I see my students falling asleep in class because they're up until midnight doing homework from two schools, then have to start all over again at 5:30 the next morning. Crazy how things are so different.

Here's another problem: a complete lack of organization. On a daily basis, my co-teacher informs me of schedule changes quite literally last minute. Yesterday, while walking to my class, she informed me that there would actually be no class that day. Later on, during lunch, she told me she had "forgotten to mention" the class from the morning would actually be in 45 minutes.

Also, yesterday my third grade students took their final exams. That's a true statement: they are finished learning mandated curriculum for the rest of the year. However, the school year doesn't end until February 15. Doing the math, that's about eight weeks of a weird kind of limbo where I can't really teach them anything, but I have to teach them something: that's right, no showing movies allowed. It's frustrating beyond belief; when I asked my co-teacher about this discrepancy, ie, why they are finished so early, and why I basically have to babysit them for eight weeks, she replied, "You just need to prepare them for high school. With your own materials." So, yes, they have to be in school from 8AM to 4PM with me every day, that is absolutely finite. But, what I'm teaching them is my choice, and it certainly won't be rocket science, especially considering they've already been accepted into high schools, and I can't give them any more grades, tests, or critiques.

Ultimately, I will try, at least at first, to teach them something interesting. This week we're learning how to survive a zombie attack. Next week we will explore the depths of the world's oceans. One the one hand, it's quite affirming that I get to teach whatever I want, and even better when my students are interested in the things I also like. Soon there will be a lot of middle schoolers in Gyeongsangnam-do that really like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 90s R&B songs.

Two Months

I did it..... I passed the two months mark! With flying colors, I might add... I didn't even notice two months had passed until today. It's crazy. On one hand, I feel like I left Buffalo yesterday. Time really flies!! I've been so busy, and meeting new people and experiencing new things.


On the other hand, I feel like I've been in Korea two years, not two months. I feel very used to my life: I have a really good schedule, and most of the time, I'm comfortable and happy. Teaching and planning are now second nature, and I'm having more and more fun with my students. I still get incredibly homesick sometimes, though the instances are far less often these days. I'm very lucky to have found a group of dynamic, intelligent, funny friends with similar interests. It's also really comforting to know my way around, to have a favorite place to eat, shop, etc. It makes it feel more like home. It's getting better all the time! Yay Korea!


It's a beautiful fall day outside- 70 and sunny. Tonight is girlfriends pizza and movie night, and I'm siked.

<3 more soon