First Week is Completed

September 2, 2005

Well, I survived my first week. At the Girl's Middle School I teach Grade 1 and Grade 3 (equivalent to Grade 7 & 9 in Ontario). They are quite a mix of levels. Some of the girls who understand well are too shy to speak which makes it frustrating. Some of the risk takers who will speak don't understand very well but at least they are trying. My High School students are Grade 1 and 2 (equivalent to Grade 10 & 11).

The one idea I tried to get across to them this week is that if they don't speak they will never learn English and that I don't care if they make mistakes because that is how they will learn. I tried saying their Korean names in each class and made mistakes so that they would see even though I made mistakes, I still tried. I think they got the concept. We will see as time goes on. I am going to set up a contest for the ones who will come and speak to me. The ones who come the most often and tell me their names so I can learn their names and who will speak to me, I will pick 2 people each month to receive a prize. There will be a prize for the 2 who are the most improved too. You should hear some of the names.

Well next week is another week and still some students to meet. I have 6 classes out of 7 on Monday at the High School and this will be my first day with them. I am going to be a tired little puppy after those classes.

I will also be teaching Elementary kids at English Town which opens September 21. I always say I like variety and I definitely have it here - all ages!!

The Korean teachers teach 6 days a week. They have one Saturday off per month and in the New Year, they will have 2 per month. Then sometime after the New Year, they will only work 5 days but probably still work the same number of hours (I am speculating).

Today I went to the little snack shop just outside the school property with one of the English teachers and the lady who runs the shop told the Englsh teacher that her daughter had told her about me and said she likes me, so the shop lady gave me a free Coke. Different people have been giving me different things all week. It's really cute!!

I mentioned to the same teacher that I would like to get a massage and was there any place for me to do that. She said she didn't know but the next thing I knew, she was taking me down to the nurse's office where there is a massage chair. So she and a couple of other teachers got me set up in this chair. Not only that, but when I was finished there and was going back to my English lab, I met the VP (who is a beautiful lady always dressed in formal Korean dress - beautiful) and she started to give me a massage while I was walking down the hall, then in broken English told me to sit down. OH MY GOSH!! The hands on this woman were unbelievable!! I like a hard massage and BOY DID I GET ONE!! Then she proceeds to go back to her office and gets me this thing that looks like a short shepherd's hook and shows me how to use it on myself to get the kinks out and tells me I can have it. All righty then!! I thought I was going on the Gong Show and was about to be yanked off the stage??!! It was pretty funny. Man, could she give a massage!!

The driving around here is INSANE. Except for actual intersections that have lights, no one pays any attention to who has the right of way. It's every person for him or herself. You go half way into the intersection, look both ways and go through. Hopefully there is no one coming through that is bigger or faster than you and decides that they have the right of way. YIKES!! Really glad I am not driving.

I'm heading into the "big city" Gwangju on Saturday to check out the downtown area with Sheilagh. There are some teachers going to a film festival there and, if Sheilagh wants to, we may join them. They are seeing a Thai film and having authentic (not Koreanized) Italian food. I'm up for that!

Interesting tidbit......it seems that many Korean couples don't live together during the week because one of the 2 works far from their home and only comes home on Saturday. One female teacher admitted to me that she actually feels "free" with this arrangement. I can imagine why!! Very interesting!!

Catch up with you later.