Do You Know Where I Live? (26 November)

That's what I said...

My week always starts and ends with my favourite class.  They’re a very chatty group so it just makes the lesson so easy.  Today, they clearly feel like doing no work so we end up just chatting.  A student asks me if it’s true that I live in Solkkoji-village which is right next to the school; I thought they all knew that by now.  When they discover that I still can’t pronounce my address correctly after nearly two months, they take it upon themselves to teach me the proper pronunciation.  Of course, to my ear, I am saying it correctly but this doesn’t always seem to be the view of the Koreans. 

The 50 minutes pass far too quickly but it’s a great end to the day considering that my first lesson – my beloved second grade students who have very honestly told me that they prefer the previous waegook (the one who lasted only three weeks) – finally told me today, in their second last week of lessons with me, that I’ve been repeating work that the Korean teachers have already covered in the other English classes.  It’s not only me, however.  Both the Kiwis and I have been doing this since we’ve been working from the assigned textbook – we now understand why the second graders always look so bored in class!

By the end of the day, I’m eager to leave school and get ready for the Yeonggwan Girls’ High School Concert tonight at the Gunsan Cultural Centre.  The final bell is only minutes away from sounding when my co-teacher appears at my desk with a favour to ask of me.  I’m thrilled that she’s actually approaching me with tasks since I was really under the impression that she is not particularly fond of me.  It turns out, since stating that I actually enjoy editing and proofreading work, she needs me to proofread a doctoral thesis for a friend of hers.  He’s helped out the school with some or other program and has asked her to proofread the thesis for him but she’s finding it more difficult that expected (and her English is great) since the thesis is written in English.  I’m happy to do the editing – I just wish it could have been a week or two earlier when I hadn’t just been given 45 journals to review and provide detailed comments on.

A Cultural Experience of Note

Undeterred, I make my way to the apartment of the New Zealand couple with whom I’m attending the concert.  One of them used to teach at the high school that is hosting tonight’s performance and has told us that it’s quite an impressive show.  Impressive doesn’t even begin to cover it.

First of all, this school has a full orchestra.  Granted they’ve had to garner outside help – which explains the few male faces scattered in both the orchestra and on stage – but this is still an incredible orchestra.  In addition, these students are only performing in the orchestra so, what seems to be most of the remaining students, are all on stage singing in choirs, girl bands and traditional items too.  Second, the quality of the performances was outstanding and inspiring.  I attended a performing arts high school in South Africa and the standard of our orchestra was nowhere near that of the orchestra before me tonight – our orchestra wasn’t even as big as this one.  It’s yet another example of how, when Koreans commit to something, they always give 100%.  Third, considering the endurance test that constitutes high school in this country, it’s even more impressive that these kids have found the time to prepare an hour and a half show of this quality.  Apparently, they’ve been preparing for it for six months but they’re singing, dancing, and playing really complex pieces and then adding all of the technical aspects of which the Koreans are so fond too.

For example, the orchestra played a Shostakovich waltz in d minor.  This may not mean anything to many of you so to try and contextualise this briefly: Shostakovich is a modern composer; a waltz, as you probably already know, is a dance with a steady three count beat and can be played at various speeds.  In the animated movie, Anastasia, Anastasia heads to the Winter Palace in Moscow (or is it St. Petersburg) to find Dmitri.  While there, she sees a painting of herself as a child and her now deceased family and sings a song that naturally leads to her waltzing around the room with imaginary figures.  This is the waltz that this school orchestra plays. 

While they’re playing, the clip from the movie Anastasia is playing and the orchestra is accompanying the dancers on screen.  Since this clip is too short to fill the duration of the actual music, the clever computer people at the school blended it into a scene from a Korean movie that shows a couple waltzing.  What’s so impressive about this? Watching the clips carefully, I was overwhelmed to discover that the orchestra was playing in perfect time to the movement on the screens – it had been rehearsed so that it sounded like they were actually accompanying the dancers from these clips.  Anyone who has studied music can tell you that this is pretty impressive!

Wholehearted Commitment

Not to be outdone by the orchestra, there are a series of perfectly choreographed choral pieces, traditional Korean musical instruments including the breathtaking traditional percussion group, and the inevitable Korean pop dances.  Every move on stage is flawlessly executed and in sync; the students seem to move seamlessly from one movement to the next like a well-oiled machine.  I can’t help but admire the discipline of Korean students.  South African students could really take copious notes from Korean students where discipline and professionalism are concerned.

The instrument on the left is called a haeggum and has two
strings that are bowed.  The one next to it looks like a horizontal
harp and is also bowed. There was also a Korean flute and another
instrument that I don't recognise and can't identify.

Part of the traditional percussion group.

"Bad Girls" from Miss A's Good Girls, Bad Girls (K-pop)

Part of the finale.

The teachers and students share the stage - actions, song and all!

On top of several fantastic performances and glittering costume changes for every one of these performances, the final number is simultaneously mesmerizing, inspiring and just all-round incredible.  All of the Korean teachers joined the students on stage to sing several songs together.  Not only do these teachers sing wholeheartedly but they do all the silly actions too.  Watching this finale, I once again think of how grateful and fortunate I am to be teaching in South Korea – you’d never convince many teachers back home to do something like this which makes me a little sad to think of just how much enjoyment and relationship building SA teachers are missing out on….

No War! (25 November)

NZ2 has to attend the EPIK Orientation in Seoul from today.  Considering North Korea attacked Yeongpyeong Island in South Korea (approximately 150km West of Seoul) on Tuesday, I’m sure many EPIK teachers are even less enthusiastic about having to head to Seoul for the next six days.  EPIK seems to have thought of this too and sent out the following message to everyone who had to attend orientation:

            No War!  Don’t wori & go 2 Seoul for ur OT – Fr Ofis of ED^^

Translation: No War! Don’t worry and go to Seoul for your Orientation Training from the Office of Education (Korean smiley face). 

At least someone had a sense of humour!

School work has been rather limited this week so my lessons seem to consist of playing hangman rather than fighting my kids to work on their speeches.  One of my classes laughed at me when I told them that my goal is to get at least one question per class each day – I managed three out of four classes so I’m pretty happy with my score.  By the end of the day, I’m starting to regret not having maximised my down at school this week since we’ve just been given around 45 journals each and told to give an overall comment of each journal.  These comments form part of the students’ university portfolios, of which English proficiency is apparently an important part, so the main purpose of this task is to try and make the students look as good as possible.  We have two weeks to comment on the journals and hopefully there’ll be some interesting reading along the way….

Second Korean Dinner and a Nickname (24 November)

Introducing Six-pack

Each week, we have to comment on journal entries written by our first grade students.  The classes are rotated each week so we should, in theory, mark a different set of journals each time.  What the students write about each week, is entirely up to them and is, at times, rather amusing.  One such entry this week was about the gorgeous PE teacher at school.  This particular student kept referring to the teacher’s six-pack and how she’s heard that he has a six-pack even though she hasn’t seen it.  NZ2 had the glorious job of responding to this entry.  All he could think of to say: “I’m glad to see you have such a strong interest in Physical Education.”

Now, let’s get one thing straight: this PE teacher is beautiful!  He’s one of the younger teachers at school, very shy and barely acknowledges the foreign teachers although he can speak pretty good English – with flawless pronunciation.  The journal entry has led to an informal nickname between myself and NZ2 who now refer to him as six-pack – not in his presence, of course.

With little actual work to do at school today, it’s a fairly tedious stretch of time at school.  Tonight is the first grade (Grade 10 students) teachers’ dinner.  It’s a great opportunity to kind of socialise with my Korean colleagues who otherwise don’t really talk to the foreign teachers but I’m also aware that we’re being watched very carefully for our reactions to the meal. 

Korean Dinner: Round Two

In true Korean style, the dinner is arranged for 17:30; it would have been logical to set the dinner for 18:15 so that the teachers who still have a class from 17:10 – 18:00 (yes, the high school students’ school day really is that long!) could also have joined us for dinner but 17:30 it is.  This means that both of my co-teachers won’t be at the dinner as they still have classes in this period on a Wednesday evening.  We’re only told this on Wednesday afternoon.  True to Korean hospitality, Mr Jeong (one of my co-teachers) arranges for another colleague to drive both myself and NZ1 to the restaurant and to basically ‘look after us’ while at dinner.  When he phones me to relay this information, he tells me that one of the maths teachers from his office will be looking after us.  I’m told that this particular teacher doesn’t speak much English but NZ1 will be there so I don’t need to worry.  I’m not quite sure what to read into this – if anything.  My first thought – which I somehow manage not to express – is: If it’s the Oh-so-gorgeous maths teacher, I don’t mind!

At 17:00, I’m waiting at my desk as instructed and I’m delighted to discover that it IS the Oh-so-gorgeous maths teacher who is taking care of us.  Unfortunately, as I discover later in the evening, Mr Maths is married – he managed to tell us that his wife is an English teacher at a middle school in Gochang (about 2 hours away from Gunsan – talk about a commute!) and he has a baby boy.  Handsome, a total sweetheart, proud dad and genuinely good person: What a catch! I still need to try and take a photo of him….

Again, we’re the first teachers to arrive at the restaurant so, naturally, we hide at one end of the table.  When the principal, vice-principal and other teachers arrive, they seat themselves away from us so Mr Maths takes it upon himself to not only sit with NZ1 and I at dinner but to communicate with us – much to the amusement of several other teachers. 

At the end of dinner, I remember to acknowledge my principal and vice-principal and thank them for the meal.  Mr Maths drives us back to school where several teachers are returning to continue with marking or prep and admin work.  I can’t help but wonder how they cope with their schedules here!  As I walk across the school grounds towards my apartment, I encounter several of my students heading back to school with snacks from the mini-mart next to my apartment building.  Most of them greet me and a few eagerly stop and thrust some type of food in my direction.  I’ve barely had time to register something brown and tubular in appearance before they attempt to shove it in my mouth with expressions of “Taste, Taste…So Good!”  Fortunately, it’s a sweet candy type snack so I’m safe.  Their offer of food shows that they’re really warming up to me – or trying to poison me but that’s another story altogether….

A Most Eventful Day (23 November)

A Surprise Start

As I arrive at school this morning, something seems out of the ordinary.  It takes me a moment to realise that that something is the police car that is parked in the driveway leading into the main building of my school.  My first thought: They’re here to question a waygook.  What did we do?  As I enter the main building, I see my vice-principal and a few more important looking people (one of whom I’m sure must be the principal) hurrying down the stairs.  Something BIG is going down, it seems.  One of the teachers in my office is clearly dying to inform someone of the scandal so I don’t have to wait too long to get the news…

The first and second graders are writing mock tests all day today.  Apparently, when one of the homeroom teachers arrived in the classroom this morning, there was a student ‘sleeping’ at one of the desks.  Since this is not unusual, the teacher tried to wake the student since the tests were about to begin.  It turns out the student was sleeping but had passed out.  It was a third grader who seems to have been out drinking since the CSATs finished last Thursday and has literally been travelling around town.  The student was a bit belligerent so the school called the police to handle the situation.  The funniest part of this incident is that it wasn’t even a student from our school!  Surely, after a three year endurance test that is high school in this country, you’d want to break out of a classroom rather than into one? 

Korean Charades

With an interesting start to the day and having narrowly escaped a minor cold over the weekend, the last thing I feel like doing is invigilating (or proctoring as the Americans call it and consequently so do the Koreans) tests.  Fortunately, I only have one test to supervise.

Arriving at the class, I’m surprised when the Korean teacher leaves me alone to supervise the exam.  I’d been expecting to stand at the back of the room as usual and spend the next 50 minutes trying to prevent my soul from escaping my body but now I find myself in the unexpected position of sole supervisor.  Okay…I can do this – after all, I’ve done it lots of times in South Africa.  I move to the front of the room where I stand next to the teacher’s desk and try to look official.  A few minutes later, I notice one of my co-teachers doing waving at me from the corridor outside of the classroom. He then proceeds to do what appear to be leg squats in the corridor and it takes me a few seconds to realise he’s attempting to communicate something to me non-verbally. 

I’ve already discovered that Korean non-verbal communication is almost non-existent so I’m even more confused when he points to the desk and does another squat.  Clearly this approach is not successful for either of us because he eventually enters the classroom to speak to me.  I’m told not to “torture [myself] by standing”.  Apparently this is not a very important test so I am free to sit at the teacher’s desk and play around on the internet as long as I’m physically in the classroom.  It certainly makes invigilation more fun than when we have to just stand and try not to be bored.

By the time I return to my desk, my fabulous co-teacher has sent me the edited version of my lesson that was filmed last week.  It’s the first time I’ve seen myself teach so I’m quite excited as I load the clip.  Within five minutes, I’ve irritated myself with the number of “Okay”s and “Alright”s that I seem to use repetitively as space fillers – I’ve never even realised that I do this!  The combination of the flapping about of my hands and the gestures that serve NO purpose make me want to walk out of my own lesson although I don't understand how my students manage to sleep with all that noise.  It’s an interesting, embarrassing and frustrating 40 minutes of watching myself but I also have to admit that I speak very clearly and am a better speaker than I previously thought.

Breaking News - And Then Back to Work!

I’m so engrossed in watching the video of my lesson that I barely notice that the mail has arrived and that there’s a parcel for me.  I’m impressed that the books that I ordered on Sunday afternoon from the fantastic English bookstore, What the book, in Itaewon, has arrived – at least, the first half has arrived!  There’s not much time left in the afternoon but it’s enough to fit in a 30 minute news broadcast about North Korea attacking Yeongpyeong Island which is part of South Korea.  It’s interesting to watch such footage and not have a clue what is going on so I quickly log onto the BBC’s website and try to catch up with the news while my colleagues watch the tv in our office for approximately one minute, shrug their shoulders and return to work.  It’s rather sad, and a bit like a murder in South Africa, that this is so much a part of daily life in Korea that an attack on the country doesn’t even stop a work day for most of my colleagues.

Dinner With the Staff

It’s soon time to leave for the second grade teachers’ dinner tonight with the principal and vice-principal.  Since the vice-principal is in my office, I know exactly what he looks like and I try to greet him appropriately each day.  The principal, however, could be anyone since I’ve only seen him once.  Consequently, it shouldn’t surprise me to find myself talking to NZ2 in the entrance hall of the school and be perplexed when he suddenly bows rather low in greeting to a male colleague.  An enquiry later has him laughing and telling me that that was the principal and I barely budged!  I attempt to memorise his face so that I can just about touch my head to the floor the next time I encounter him in the hallway which, apparently, is rather frequently and I just haven’t realised it was the main honcho…

Dinner is an interesting event and the first time I’ve gone out with Korean people actually.  We’re seated in the traditional section (ie. On the floor) and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the three foreign teachers are the first staff to arrive.  By the time the rest of the teachers and the principal arrives, we’re hungry and eager to eat.  My school, still labouring until the miscomprehension that I’m not actually a vegetarian but rather just eat small quantities of meat, has thoughtfully phoned ahead and ordered bimbimbap for me.  This is a dish that consists of various mixed vegetables (bibim) and rice (bap) and is surprisingly tasty although a bit too spicy.  I literally have tears rolling down my cheeks as a result of the spicy nature of the food although I am actually enjoying it.  After the meal, we’re served Korean tea which tastes strongly of cinnamon, is cold yet sweet and deliciously refreshing!  My first true Korean meal is a success.  With a bit of luck, tomorrow’s first grade teachers’ dinner will go just as well…

After such an eventful day, it’s understandable that all I want to do is go to bed by the time I get back to my apartment which, in reality, is at around 18:30.  Instead, I curl up with a good book now that I have some more reading material…

Death of a Television (That Was Never Even Used) (20 November)

Having been in Korea for nearly two months, I finally had internet installed today.  It was apparently meant to be done on Thursday but I didn’t understand the text message that was sent confirming this so I was out all day.  Fortunately, Koreans are rather forgiving...or they mutter something about the dumb waygooks - either way, I don't understand. 

The technician arrived early and I immediately felt sorry for him when I realised that he spoke almost no English.  However, as many similar incidents continue to amaze me daily, this didn’t affect his ability to successfully provide me with internet and a landline telephone – I finally have communication with the outside world once again!

The total process took around an hour and a half and, for about 20 minutes in the middle, I was convinced that he had run away after hearing that I wanted my internet in English. 

Sadly, my television appears to have died a silent death.  The technician told me that it was too old to connect to cable – it won’t even tune into basic channels….

A Day Off and Creepy Men (18 November)

As mentioned in my previous post, the final year students wrote the CSAT today which meant that we had a day off school.  In less than an hour, I somehow managed to fill my entire day with social engagements starting with morning tea with the Kiwis at NZ2’s apartment.  It’s an interesting morning with lively discussions on various topics mostly relating to Korea, Japan and our school.  It’s so lively that I end up being late in meeting another friend for a movie at CGV.  True to Murphy’s Law, when you actually need a taxi, there are none available.

When I finally flag down a taxi, I’m grateful that the driver has understood my request that he take me to CGV cinema.  Nearly 20 minutes later, I’m less than happy with my decision to sit in the front seat!

His English is limited but we somehow have a conversation as to the different genres of movies that we enjoy.  This moves into the usual questions of whether or not I’m  married, have a boyfriend, if I’m an English teacher and how old I am.  Having answered all of these questions, he starts making the most of every red light and tries to put his arm around me each time while asking if I want him to come to the movie with me. Uh…anio! Short of physically jumping out of the car or scrambling over the seat to get away, I’m as far into the corner as I can get and he still doesn’t take a hint.  Not only is this the most uncomfortable taxi trip I’ve had so far but it’s turning into one of the longest – literally!  There are no words to describe my relief when I see the CGV sign ahead of us.  Unfortunately, the unease of this ride is about to increase ten-fold. Realising that my destination is near, the driver has one more question for me:  Instead of the cinema, can he rather take me to a Love Motel?

For those of you who don’t know, Love Motels hire out rooms by the hour.  Since most Koreans live with their parents until they are married, it’s nearly impossible for them to do the dirty deed in their own homes.  Convenience is greatly appreciated in Korean (and Asian) society so Love Motels were opened where young couples looking for some intimate times together can go for an hour or two.  I’ve also been told that Love Motels are actually really good and cheap accommodation! However, given that I live in Gunsan, there’s no reason for me to stay at a Love Motel which suggests that this driver has another desired purpose.  I all but fall out of the taxi in my haste to escape and am relieved to see my friend waiting outside for me.  Now, had the cute Korean guy who sold us our tickets tried any of the stunts the taxi driver pulled, maybe I would have been less resistant…

Always Think Twice (17 November)

The filmed lesson went rather well considering that the class that I ended up using had received no warning that they would be filmed.  Thankfully, my students rose to the occasion and really went all out to put on a good show for the camera. 

While the GETs have been worrying about their filmed lessons, the final year students have been stressing over tomorrow’s CSAT (Korean SAT): In Korea, this exam is literally the make or break as it determines which university you attend; the name of the university is more important that the actual qualification or your grades it seems and most students aim for the SKY universities (Seoul, Korea and Yonsei) as these are the top three universities in the country.  Of course, realistically, only so many students can be accepted into each of these institutions so there are always going to be several thousand very disappointed graduates who feel that they’ve failed for not being accepted by their school of choice.  The pressure on these kids is unbelievable and what follows seems even more ridiculous.

Apparently, plastic surgery is THE graduation gift to give – if one can afford it of course.  In a country obsessed with appearance, many high school graduates have plastic surgery within days of writing the CSAT.  The most popular procedures seem to be: nose jobs, acne removal and making the skin smooth, creating double eyelids like Westerners have and ear jobs.  Apparently these appointments are made months in advance – motivation to get the kids to study even harder? – so that they have at least two months to fully recover from the procedure before starting university in the new year.

As a result of the CSAT, most high schools have given the rest of the grades the afternoon off and we’ll have the whole of tomorrow off since there’ll be no students at school.  Although the students could leave at 13:00 today, the teachers had to work a full day which wasn’t too bad considering I actually had things to do today.  The best part of the day was that my boxes that were shipped from South Africa finally arrived despite all the customs hassles last Friday when there were no English speaking staff at school who could help me.  I’m relieved to finally have my boxes as my wardrobe has effectively doubled!  It takes me three trips to carry all of the boxes back to my apartment since they were delivered to my school instead of my apartment which is across the road.  On the final trip, I’m surprised to see my vice-principal waving at me in a rather friendly manner – he’s been a bit cold to me since last Friday and I wasn’t really sure what I had done wrong.  As I’m walking back to my apartment, it hits me…

Lesson 4: Never assume anything

Last Friday, I was supposed to go to Seoul with my first graders (grade 10) to look at Seoul and Korea Universities.  I really wanted to make the trip but ended up having to have a CT done instead at the hospital and that was the perfect day for such a long procedure since it didn’t affect any of my classes.  As a result of the trip, there were few teachers at school that day and no English speaking teachers at all.  I was trying to sort out documentation that was needed for the agent to process my things through customs – this included a copy of two pages in my passport and, in my case, one page from each passport since I left SA and entered Korea on two different passports.  My passports were in my apartment and my vice-principal was out so I didn’t think it would be a problem for me to go home and collect them. 

My mistake was in only bringing the EU passport since that was the one that had my Korean visa in it.  In true Korean style, I only receive small quantities of pertinent information at a time and didn’t think that I would need both passports.  By the time I return to my desk, my vice-principal is back in the office where he watches me enter with my passport, sit at my desk and frantically enter information from the passport on my computer.  He then watches me photocopy a page from it and fax it.  I think nothing of it.  When this is later repeated with my South African passport, I still think nothing of it.

Today, it hit me: How must that have looked to him?  Here I am, trying to convince my colleagues that I’m happy at school and enjoy living in Korea and all they see is me suddenly appearing with my passports and frantically entering information on my computer – he probably thought that I was buying a plane ticket home!  Fortunately, the arrival of three boxes of personal belongings from home seems to have convinced him – and everyone else I work with – that I intend staying for a while!