Today has really been an experience. I had three classes with the students, and I think they went well. Korean students are very much like American students I think; some of them are extremely smart and inquisitive, and others obviously just don't care about school. They are much harder to control than American students though, and I think that's why corporal punishment is used as much as it is (although it is quickly declining in popularity.) I had one of my co-teachers today hit one of the kids, and I have to admit it kind of bothered me. However, it is important to understand that this culture is very different. Since it is the co-teachers' role to help me maintain order in the class, it seems improper for me to take away a tool for doing so, especially one that is socially acceptable here.
In my third class today, the Vice-Principal (who is arguably the most important person in my life since he determines whether or not I will be forced to come in during breaks) came in to observe me. I was told that normally he will stay for 2-3 minutes, 5 at most, just to make sure the teacher is actually doing their job. But he stayed for about 15 minutes in my class, something which made the eyes of all my other co-teachers (I have about 5) widen in astonishment. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure the reason he stayed so long is because he was really enjoying watching me teach. I saw him holding as conversation with some of my co-teachers, telling them about my methods and such, most of which he had never seen before.
I can see why Korea ranks near the bottom of the world in English speaking ability. None of them want to talk, they dread it. I think they find it embarrassing to not be good at a school subject (Korean students are top 10 in the world at almost everything else.) I held a conversation class with my English-speaking co-teachers today and even they were incredibly shy. It's simply amazing how they are so eager to help me and are so good at speaking english, but enter the formal classroom atmosphere and they are almost as shy as the students.
One of my Korean Moms has offered to help me get my cell-phone, internet, and hot water set up today after school, so hopefully I will have all those things by this evening.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Daegu
THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN EDITED, so re-read it and just skip the paragraphs that are familiar.
I arrived in Daegu yesterday. The process of meeting our Korean co-teachers was very awkward, as all of us were put up on a stage while the teachers sat in the audience, carefully observing us. After a short introduction, the teachers' names were read along with their corresponding native teacher. I felt like I was being auctioned off.
I think I got lucky, because the person who is acting basically as my Korean Mom is very nice. Her English isn't quite as good as some of the Korean teachers we met at orientation, but it's not bad. My apartment is really great. It's a lot better than I was expecting. I even was lucky enough to get a queen sized bed. I live in a very nice part of town. It's very quiet, but just down the street is a bustling and very busy area, with lots of stores and bars and such.
I am a little bit nervous about Monday because as of right now I have no schedule, no student lists and no real idea of whether I will even be TEACHING, or just observing. However, I am somewhat reassured by the fact that I will be the lead teacher and I will have total freedom over what I teach. So if I really wanted to, I could teach them effective Starcraft strategies (the game is so popular it appears regularly in textbooks for use in examples, and I have seen multiple televised matches.) Also, apparently I will be teaching some conversation classes for teachers after school on some days. All-in-all, I believe I was told to expect around 16 hours of actual teaching time per week, which is great since my contract allows them to give me up to 22.
My internet has not yet been turned on, so I don't know when I will be able to Skype it up with anyone. I'm posting this from my school right now, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment. It's going to take me awhile to get used to this place, as I get stares and giggles from EVERY single student that sees me.
I found a great little coffee shop that's about a 10 minute walk from my house with good coffee. Bust best of all, apparently there is free wireless internet here! I was desperately hoping to find the equivalent of an Espresso Royale here in Daegu, and it looks like I have, so I am very excited about that. Also, on the way here I walked by a FujiFilm outlet which I am pretty sure develops photos, so I will try and get that done tomorrow and hopefully have them posted.
I arrived in Daegu yesterday. The process of meeting our Korean co-teachers was very awkward, as all of us were put up on a stage while the teachers sat in the audience, carefully observing us. After a short introduction, the teachers' names were read along with their corresponding native teacher. I felt like I was being auctioned off.
I think I got lucky, because the person who is acting basically as my Korean Mom is very nice. Her English isn't quite as good as some of the Korean teachers we met at orientation, but it's not bad. My apartment is really great. It's a lot better than I was expecting. I even was lucky enough to get a queen sized bed. I live in a very nice part of town. It's very quiet, but just down the street is a bustling and very busy area, with lots of stores and bars and such.
I am a little bit nervous about Monday because as of right now I have no schedule, no student lists and no real idea of whether I will even be TEACHING, or just observing. However, I am somewhat reassured by the fact that I will be the lead teacher and I will have total freedom over what I teach. So if I really wanted to, I could teach them effective Starcraft strategies (the game is so popular it appears regularly in textbooks for use in examples, and I have seen multiple televised matches.) Also, apparently I will be teaching some conversation classes for teachers after school on some days. All-in-all, I believe I was told to expect around 16 hours of actual teaching time per week, which is great since my contract allows them to give me up to 22.
My internet has not yet been turned on, so I don't know when I will be able to Skype it up with anyone. I'm posting this from my school right now, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment. It's going to take me awhile to get used to this place, as I get stares and giggles from EVERY single student that sees me.
I found a great little coffee shop that's about a 10 minute walk from my house with good coffee. Bust best of all, apparently there is free wireless internet here! I was desperately hoping to find the equivalent of an Espresso Royale here in Daegu, and it looks like I have, so I am very excited about that. Also, on the way here I walked by a FujiFilm outlet which I am pretty sure develops photos, so I will try and get that done tomorrow and hopefully have them posted.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Street Meat
So yesterday was the Korean Village trip. It was really, really neat. Basically, the village was a compilation of old-style houses that had been disassembled and transported from their original cities, and then reassembled in the village. Aside from the houses, there was also spectacular landscaping. We witnessed a traditional folk dance being performed, as well as tight-rope walking and an acrobatic feat that involved two slender women propelling each other 20 feet in the air using a see-saw. As an added bonus, I was able to put my 5 semesters of French study to work; I ran into a group of people from France who were on vacation visiting Korea for 10 days.
After coming home from the village, some friends and I went out for a night on the town. Seoul is an overwhelming city, even in our minuscule corner of it. We headed towards a nearby strip of bars that we had heard about, and when we got there, we were assaulted by what can only be described as the most awe-inspiring display of neon signs I will ever see. Imagine Las Vegas on enough steroids to warrant Congressional investigation and you might get an idea of what this little section of town looked like. We visited a total of 4 bars, which probably constituted about 0.2% of the bars in the area. And the best thing about these bars is their prices -- I spent a total of about 12 dollars all night, which covered drinks at all 4 bars and food.
Also lining the streets everywhere in Seoul are tiny street vendors. The majority of these vendors sell quick and tasty meat snacks. Tonight I actually tried one, a sort of Korean-style corn dog, and it was the best corn dog I have ever had. And it wasn't just the price (1 dollar) that gave it that distinction. My fellow EPIK teacher Eddie, who has spent the past 3 years teaching English in Japan, calls it "street meat". It's all extremely cheap and very popular, and in a city as large as Daegu, it should be almost accessible there as it is here.
After coming home from the village, some friends and I went out for a night on the town. Seoul is an overwhelming city, even in our minuscule corner of it. We headed towards a nearby strip of bars that we had heard about, and when we got there, we were assaulted by what can only be described as the most awe-inspiring display of neon signs I will ever see. Imagine Las Vegas on enough steroids to warrant Congressional investigation and you might get an idea of what this little section of town looked like. We visited a total of 4 bars, which probably constituted about 0.2% of the bars in the area. And the best thing about these bars is their prices -- I spent a total of about 12 dollars all night, which covered drinks at all 4 bars and food.
Also lining the streets everywhere in Seoul are tiny street vendors. The majority of these vendors sell quick and tasty meat snacks. Tonight I actually tried one, a sort of Korean-style corn dog, and it was the best corn dog I have ever had. And it wasn't just the price (1 dollar) that gave it that distinction. My fellow EPIK teacher Eddie, who has spent the past 3 years teaching English in Japan, calls it "street meat". It's all extremely cheap and very popular, and in a city as large as Daegu, it should be almost accessible there as it is here.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Don't Fight With Ajuma
Yesterday was the first of 5 days of lectures regarding teaching, life in Korea, and other things of that nature. A lot of it I had already read about, but a lot of it was new and very helpful. The Koreans have many customs and traditions in not just the household but also the workplace. They permeate all levels of society, making the Korean culture far more interesting than American culture in my opinion.
Apparently, when we first arrive at our places of employment, the school at which we work will hold a welcoming party, probably on the Friday or Saturday that we arrive. It will most likely be held at a restaurant and involve heavy drinking. However, drinking is a very special activity for Koreans. It's not just about getting drunk, although that is definitely what's going to happen; it's about bonding with one's co-workers. For men, getting drunk with another man or group of men is a sort of initiation of friendship. Also, it is not proper for you to pour yourself a drink. Instead, one must wait for another person to fill their glass, which will usually happen once the glass is empty. After someone pours you a drink, you return the favor. It's an unending circle of alcoholic bliss.
We were told that there are three types of people in Korean society: Men, Women, and Ajuma. Ajuma are essentially older women that have been wizened by years of motherhood, and now act as mother-like figures to everyone around them. The Koreans joke that Ajuma are the strongest beings on Earth, and you never ever argue or fight with them because they will embarrass you.
Today is our trip to a Korean folk village. I will be taking pictures, but they won't be up for another week or so probably.
Apparently, when we first arrive at our places of employment, the school at which we work will hold a welcoming party, probably on the Friday or Saturday that we arrive. It will most likely be held at a restaurant and involve heavy drinking. However, drinking is a very special activity for Koreans. It's not just about getting drunk, although that is definitely what's going to happen; it's about bonding with one's co-workers. For men, getting drunk with another man or group of men is a sort of initiation of friendship. Also, it is not proper for you to pour yourself a drink. Instead, one must wait for another person to fill their glass, which will usually happen once the glass is empty. After someone pours you a drink, you return the favor. It's an unending circle of alcoholic bliss.
We were told that there are three types of people in Korean society: Men, Women, and Ajuma. Ajuma are essentially older women that have been wizened by years of motherhood, and now act as mother-like figures to everyone around them. The Koreans joke that Ajuma are the strongest beings on Earth, and you never ever argue or fight with them because they will embarrass you.
Today is our trip to a Korean folk village. I will be taking pictures, but they won't be up for another week or so probably.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
First day in Seoul
Our first day in Seoul has been great. Although the orientation itself has been really stupid, meeting people from all over the world has been really cool. I was talking with some really nice people from Britain a couple hours ago, and later tonight I'm going out for drinks with a guy from New Zealand (along with some other American people I met).
Seoul is an overwhelming city. Its metropolitan area, which includes the city of Incheon, home to the country's major airport and where I flew in, is the second largest in the world. According to wikipedia, the area houses around 23 million people. That's roughly half of South Korea's entire population. Seoul reminds me of Chicago because there is a large river inlet that runs through a large part of Seoul, and hotels and other skyscrapers line the river edge for miles. While traditional metropolitan cities have one large area that holds the bulk of the skyscrapers, Seoul seems to have half a dozen. It's really incredible. There is a complex network of bridges and highways that crisscross both the river and the other freeways. Korea's mountainous geography also intrudes into Seoul's jurisdiction, but the Koreans see this as just another place to put their buildings; there are several jumbles of very Asian-looking structures built into the sides of large hills. There are some really nice restaurants on some of the streets, but there are also some tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants in which customers sit on the floor, rather than at a table. There are plenty of western stores, such as Outback Steakhouse, 7-11, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robins. For some reason, small printing shops seem to be all the rage here, those and small hardware shops. I can't imagine how these places stay in business with so much competition. My roommate and I must have walked a quarter mile earlier on some random Seoul street and saw half a dozen print shops. It's pretty strange.
The University that we are staying at is pretty nice. There is a small lake in the middle of campus and all the buildings circle around it. The campus is right smack in the middle of downtown, and it's really easy to leave campus and experience the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul. Everyone here has a roommate, and I was lucky enough not to get stuck with some overweight middle-aged guy. Normally I wouldn't be so discriminate, but there are a few of them here and they are all rather strange. I was talking with one of the people I am going out for drinks with tonight and he told me that one of these weird guys sat next to him during their arrival last night and presented him with a business card which claimed the man's profession was "Gospel Science Fiction Writer". Apparently this guy is some creepy cross between Johnathan Edwards and Isaac Asimov.
Tomorrow (I think) we are supposed to be visiting a Korean Folk Village. I am not exactly sure what this is going to be like, but I have heard mixed reviews.
Seoul is an overwhelming city. Its metropolitan area, which includes the city of Incheon, home to the country's major airport and where I flew in, is the second largest in the world. According to wikipedia, the area houses around 23 million people. That's roughly half of South Korea's entire population. Seoul reminds me of Chicago because there is a large river inlet that runs through a large part of Seoul, and hotels and other skyscrapers line the river edge for miles. While traditional metropolitan cities have one large area that holds the bulk of the skyscrapers, Seoul seems to have half a dozen. It's really incredible. There is a complex network of bridges and highways that crisscross both the river and the other freeways. Korea's mountainous geography also intrudes into Seoul's jurisdiction, but the Koreans see this as just another place to put their buildings; there are several jumbles of very Asian-looking structures built into the sides of large hills. There are some really nice restaurants on some of the streets, but there are also some tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants in which customers sit on the floor, rather than at a table. There are plenty of western stores, such as Outback Steakhouse, 7-11, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robins. For some reason, small printing shops seem to be all the rage here, those and small hardware shops. I can't imagine how these places stay in business with so much competition. My roommate and I must have walked a quarter mile earlier on some random Seoul street and saw half a dozen print shops. It's pretty strange.
The University that we are staying at is pretty nice. There is a small lake in the middle of campus and all the buildings circle around it. The campus is right smack in the middle of downtown, and it's really easy to leave campus and experience the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul. Everyone here has a roommate, and I was lucky enough not to get stuck with some overweight middle-aged guy. Normally I wouldn't be so discriminate, but there are a few of them here and they are all rather strange. I was talking with one of the people I am going out for drinks with tonight and he told me that one of these weird guys sat next to him during their arrival last night and presented him with a business card which claimed the man's profession was "Gospel Science Fiction Writer". Apparently this guy is some creepy cross between Johnathan Edwards and Isaac Asimov.
Tomorrow (I think) we are supposed to be visiting a Korean Folk Village. I am not exactly sure what this is going to be like, but I have heard mixed reviews.
Friday, August 22
I arrived in Seoul yesterday evening around 5:00pm local time. The city is easily the largest I have ever seen. The University we are staying at is small but nice.
My computer is currently dead and I have no power adapter yet for the plugs, which are different here, so I can't post anything detailed about my trip yet. I'm posting on my roommate's laptop so I'm going to keep this short.
In summary, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. More posts to come in the next couple of days...
My computer is currently dead and I have no power adapter yet for the plugs, which are different here, so I can't post anything detailed about my trip yet. I'm posting on my roommate's laptop so I'm going to keep this short.
In summary, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. More posts to come in the next couple of days...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wednesday, August 20th
I am posting this from the terminal in Denver. The first flight went smoothly and was uneventful. The layover here will apparently be about an hour more than expected due to delays. More updates to come...
The timestamp on the blog is on Denver time.
But remember, non-posting on my part probably just means I am unable to get on the net.
The timestamp on the blog is on Denver time.
But remember, non-posting on my part probably just means I am unable to get on the net.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tuesday, August 19
So I was just doing some perusing of the ESL forums before my flight tomorrow, and I came across this little gem of a news article. Now for those of you who haven't heard about this, there is a particular urban legend that circulates throughout South Korea known as "Fan Death". Fan Death occurs when a person or persons are in a sealed room with an electric fan running: the fan lowers the person or persons' body temperature, resulting in death by fan.
This is an excerpt from a newspaper article regarding a Korean student in an English as a Foreign Language class at a University (yes, this person is in college...) in Canada. To read the full article, check the link on the right side of the page, where I will be posting links to interesting/pertinent articles relating to Korea:
"While many are familiar with the 'bad luck' associated with walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, or the meteorological effects of squishing a spider, no other piece of folklore promises such a swift and sudden demise as fan death.
Jennifer Choi, 27, says she doesn't remember when she first heard of fan death, but says that the belief was instilled in her at a very early age.
'It is something I've grown up knowing, just like you don't go swimming until half an hour after you've eaten.' Her aunts in Korea would tell her, 'Don't point the fan straight at your face; you never know ... you might die.'"
I love Korea already.
This is an excerpt from a newspaper article regarding a Korean student in an English as a Foreign Language class at a University (yes, this person is in college...) in Canada. To read the full article, check the link on the right side of the page, where I will be posting links to interesting/pertinent articles relating to Korea:
"While many are familiar with the 'bad luck' associated with walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, or the meteorological effects of squishing a spider, no other piece of folklore promises such a swift and sudden demise as fan death.
Jennifer Choi, 27, says she doesn't remember when she first heard of fan death, but says that the belief was instilled in her at a very early age.
'It is something I've grown up knowing, just like you don't go swimming until half an hour after you've eaten.' Her aunts in Korea would tell her, 'Don't point the fan straight at your face; you never know ... you might die.'"
I love Korea already.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, August 18
I finally got the site up and running. I was planning on using GoDaddy but they are too expensive, so this free hosting will have to do.
I'm going to post links to news stories involving the Korean peninsula in the middle right section of the site, just above the "About Me" section, so be sure to check that out from time to time.
There won't be any pictures for a little while as I have no digital camera, only a 35mm SLR film. I'm not even sure if I can get photos developed here, though I'm sure I can do it somewhere. I'm going to try to post updates during layovers, mainly so my parents know that my planes didn't crash and burn.
I'm going to post links to news stories involving the Korean peninsula in the middle right section of the site, just above the "About Me" section, so be sure to check that out from time to time.
There won't be any pictures for a little while as I have no digital camera, only a 35mm SLR film. I'm not even sure if I can get photos developed here, though I'm sure I can do it somewhere. I'm going to try to post updates during layovers, mainly so my parents know that my planes didn't crash and burn.
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