There is something that I don't understand. The Koreans in my neighborhood seem to think I am the other teachers' mother.
When I first came to work, the students at the school and the man at the convenience store thought I was the mother of the teacher I replaced. We told them, that no, I wasn't her mother. The English speaking teachers know we don't even look alike. Also, Cassie was from Canada and I am from the US. That isn't too far apart I guess, but I would have had to be very young when she was born.
Last week I stopped to eat at a Chinese restaurant very near my apartment. The waiters kept asking me something. I tried to use my Google translate, but it didn't make any sense. Then a cook who could speak English came out and said they wanted to know where my daughter was. They had seen me walking with Ulandi, the girl from South Africa and assumed she was my daughter. I said she wasn't my daughter, just a friend. They apologized profusely and I said there was no need. I said I was from the US and she is from Africa. ( I was trying to say that we are from opposite sides of the world so relationship would be distant at best.) The waiter said, "I sorry! I sorry! I love you!" It made me laugh.
I guess all non Asians look alike to some Koreans. They can't tell when there is no resemblance between us at all.
I told the story at work to see if I do look like Ulandi or Cassie's mother but the Korean teachers there thought there was no resemblance either. Now, one of the teachers has taken to teasing me by calling me mother. She giggles every time.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Gardening Makes Friends
Here is a post for all the gardeners out there!
I have been longing for the green to come back into the landscape. (I have never seen the Korean landscape in green, but I trust it does get green. There has to be some reason for all of the hoop houses here!)
I found a small flower shop across the street from where I work. I have been in a number of times already (Lots considering I have only been in country for a month). I got gifts for several people there and several "gifts" for myself. I have some mint I bought from a truck in Seoul, rosemary and a flowering succulent I got at the neighborhood florist. They help to make my apartment more cheerful.
Today I took some garbage outside. The garbage is split into separate parts. The glass, plastic, metal and paper that can be recycled is put into a recycling area in my building. The food portions that can be composted, are put into little yellow bags and all other trash is put in blue trash bags. The yellow and blue bags are just put in the corner of a dirt area that should become a garden when things turn green here. There doesn't seem to be dedicated places to put the trash and in some places, it is just on the sidewalk. I guess the garbage collectors just travel the streets and pick it up where it is deposited.
Anyway, I was taking garbage out and I saw a little old lady working with some "soil". I put on other shoes and returned to help her. She was putting what I think is manure into some bags. I tried to help her but she told me (OK, she spoke Korean but with her gestures and a few words I knew I could make out what she was saying) that I shouldn't help because I was in a skirt and it would get dirty. I tried to let her know it was OK, but she kept pushing me away. I did help a bit, but only a bit. Then I decided to try to see if she wanted some cuttings of my mint or rosemary plant. I took a coffee cup with water and the plants outside to her. I cut some mint and put it in water. She let me know she already had rosemary and didn't need any. She chattered away at me and I caught almost none of it! Then she was worried about returning my coffee cup. I tried to let her know she could get it to me when ever I saw her but she seemed concerned so I invited her into my apartment. She came in and was fascinated with my plants and thought the fake flowers in my kitty litter dehumidifier were very pretty. She told me how to care for my plants, (I understood about 2 words out of 100) and I showed her my book of vegetable diseases. She looked through it thoroughly. I offered her tea, but she wouldn't accept as she was going to get back to the garden. I hope she returns sometime to visit with me again.
I found it amusing and interesting that even though she can't speak English and I can't speak Korean, we both speak gardening and can enjoy the same things.
I have been longing for the green to come back into the landscape. (I have never seen the Korean landscape in green, but I trust it does get green. There has to be some reason for all of the hoop houses here!)
I found a small flower shop across the street from where I work. I have been in a number of times already (Lots considering I have only been in country for a month). I got gifts for several people there and several "gifts" for myself. I have some mint I bought from a truck in Seoul, rosemary and a flowering succulent I got at the neighborhood florist. They help to make my apartment more cheerful.
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| My houseplants |
Anyway, I was taking garbage out and I saw a little old lady working with some "soil". I put on other shoes and returned to help her. She was putting what I think is manure into some bags. I tried to help her but she told me (OK, she spoke Korean but with her gestures and a few words I knew I could make out what she was saying) that I shouldn't help because I was in a skirt and it would get dirty. I tried to let her know it was OK, but she kept pushing me away. I did help a bit, but only a bit. Then I decided to try to see if she wanted some cuttings of my mint or rosemary plant. I took a coffee cup with water and the plants outside to her. I cut some mint and put it in water. She let me know she already had rosemary and didn't need any. She chattered away at me and I caught almost none of it! Then she was worried about returning my coffee cup. I tried to let her know she could get it to me when ever I saw her but she seemed concerned so I invited her into my apartment. She came in and was fascinated with my plants and thought the fake flowers in my kitty litter dehumidifier were very pretty. She told me how to care for my plants, (I understood about 2 words out of 100) and I showed her my book of vegetable diseases. She looked through it thoroughly. I offered her tea, but she wouldn't accept as she was going to get back to the garden. I hope she returns sometime to visit with me again.
I found it amusing and interesting that even though she can't speak English and I can't speak Korean, we both speak gardening and can enjoy the same things.
An English Speaking Church
I went to Seoul last weekend to find an English Speaking Church. The web says there is an Anabaptist group in South Korea but I couldn't find where they meet for church. Also, it seems they moved their location and I couldn't find that either. I ended up finding an English speaking Baptist church.
I found the location of the church and it turned out to be within spitting distance from Phillies where I went for the orientation the previous weekend! How's that for great!
The church is made up of more than just Baptists. They accept people from many denominations there. Some became members and others associate members (so they didn't have to formally become Baptists). They also have people from all over the world at the church. The scripture was read to us in Chinese. I met some Anglicans, a man from Brazil who is a missionary to East Timor, several Americans, a girl originally from Korea but who had lived in LA, Singapore, Hong Kong and (Thailand I think). There were people from several other countries as well.
The pastor went over the values of the church and the first one is "It's all about Jesus". As long as people believe in Jesus as the son of God and as God, they will find themselves at home in the church. It was very interesting. I intend return to this church. I don't know if I can go every weekend until I find a bit of a cheaper way to get there as the cost of the taxis, subway, and then lunch adds up.
It was interesting though as several of the English teachers from my school went to Seoul for St. Patrick's day and to drink green beer. I went to find a church! I said something about the nice people I met there and one of the teachers from South Africa said, "I am sure they were nice, they were at church!" I asked how often she had been to church and she said she had only been two or three times. I am glad she got a good impression of church going people!
I found the location of the church and it turned out to be within spitting distance from Phillies where I went for the orientation the previous weekend! How's that for great!
The church is made up of more than just Baptists. They accept people from many denominations there. Some became members and others associate members (so they didn't have to formally become Baptists). They also have people from all over the world at the church. The scripture was read to us in Chinese. I met some Anglicans, a man from Brazil who is a missionary to East Timor, several Americans, a girl originally from Korea but who had lived in LA, Singapore, Hong Kong and (Thailand I think). There were people from several other countries as well.
The pastor went over the values of the church and the first one is "It's all about Jesus". As long as people believe in Jesus as the son of God and as God, they will find themselves at home in the church. It was very interesting. I intend return to this church. I don't know if I can go every weekend until I find a bit of a cheaper way to get there as the cost of the taxis, subway, and then lunch adds up.
It was interesting though as several of the English teachers from my school went to Seoul for St. Patrick's day and to drink green beer. I went to find a church! I said something about the nice people I met there and one of the teachers from South Africa said, "I am sure they were nice, they were at church!" I asked how often she had been to church and she said she had only been two or three times. I am glad she got a good impression of church going people!
Apartment Woes and Other Troubles
One of the problems I have had is that my apartment blew a circuit breaker. I had my computer and internet on the circuit that quit on me and I had to get a different extension cord to use for my computer. Also, one morning when I went to take a shower, I had no hot water. It turned out someone in the building (not me! I promise!) did something that made the entire building loose our heating. No heating meant no hot water! What a horrible shower time!
One of my partner Korean teachers for the preschool classes got into a car accident last weekend. She ended up in the hospital with no major injuries or broken bones though. She was gone all week which meant much more work for everyone and a very stressful week too when we had to make lesson plans. This is my first time making lesson plans so it took sooooooooo long to do them. Also, having substitute teachers for my homeroom class is HORRIBLE! The substitutes are too "nice" to the students and the children walk all over them. Then the children test the boundaries again with me! It is like having a "first day of class" all over every day! AUGHHHHHH!
Another of my partner Korean teachers broke her phone. Her daughter is in day care and she needs a phone. I lent her my phone so I didn't keep up with emails at all. She returned it to me for the weekend, but I promised to lend it to her again on Monday if she needs it. Also, she got sick on Thursday and I ended up having a class of 15 for two periods that day. I made it through which is a minor miracle.
I got sick on the second week of school. I almost lost my voice. That is very unusual for me and very unfortunate for a teacher! It turns out over half of the English teachers at the orientation in Seoul also had problems with illnesses and loosing their voices. There is something about coming here and the climate, viruses, or maybe just stress that makes nearly all of us get sick.
My apartment is very muggy. I would like to get a dehumidifier, but the only one I found at the local Emart costs $450 and is way too large to fit comfortably in my apartment. In looking up alternatives, I decided to try cat litter to see if it will help take some of the moisture from the air. I put it into flower pots and put fake flowers in it. Yes, I even decorate kitty litter! A little old Korean lady I will tell about in my gardening blog really liked them. She thought they were so pretty!
I found a locksmith, but he didn't have the right type of key to make a copy for me. I have a small dread that one day my landlady is going to ask for my key back. I did get the neighbor man who helped me when I was locked out a gift set of juices. I heard that they probably prefer alcohol, but I don't know him enough to know if that is true or not and I wouldn't get alcohol as a gift anyway. When I gave it to him he was in pajamas. I hope it wasn't at an inconvenient time for him. Maybe my trying to be polite backfired! Ah, well I guess he knows I had good intentions.
I found the post office but it wasn't open when I went. That was OK even though I would like to buy stamps. The problem is that I need to understand how the address system works so that I can send and receive mail. Packages need to be sent to work so someone is there to receive them while letters can be sent to my house (if I can figure out which is my mailbox). The girl who was in this apartment before me never even used the mail here.
I went to Emart as I mentioned above in trying to find a dehumidifier, and I wanted to buy Q tips and toilet paper. The cotton swabs they have here are for makeup removal. When I asked the girl about what to use for cleaning out your ear she showed me a sharp stick they use. I decided not to try my luck. I tried to buy toilet paper and the employee started to put a second set of 30 rolls in my cart telling me they were 2 for 1 price. (It is something like one plus one here and I don't fully understand the sales yet.) I thanked her but said I only wanted one. She insisted so I didn't buy that brand. I don't know how to explain that in an apartment the size of mine, I can't fit 60 rolls of toilet paper!!!! I would just waste it as it would get wet, dirty, something. I don't even have enough room under my bed for that much toilet paper!
OK, enough of the petty problems for one blog. On to better things.
One of my partner Korean teachers for the preschool classes got into a car accident last weekend. She ended up in the hospital with no major injuries or broken bones though. She was gone all week which meant much more work for everyone and a very stressful week too when we had to make lesson plans. This is my first time making lesson plans so it took sooooooooo long to do them. Also, having substitute teachers for my homeroom class is HORRIBLE! The substitutes are too "nice" to the students and the children walk all over them. Then the children test the boundaries again with me! It is like having a "first day of class" all over every day! AUGHHHHHH!
Another of my partner Korean teachers broke her phone. Her daughter is in day care and she needs a phone. I lent her my phone so I didn't keep up with emails at all. She returned it to me for the weekend, but I promised to lend it to her again on Monday if she needs it. Also, she got sick on Thursday and I ended up having a class of 15 for two periods that day. I made it through which is a minor miracle.
I got sick on the second week of school. I almost lost my voice. That is very unusual for me and very unfortunate for a teacher! It turns out over half of the English teachers at the orientation in Seoul also had problems with illnesses and loosing their voices. There is something about coming here and the climate, viruses, or maybe just stress that makes nearly all of us get sick.
My apartment is very muggy. I would like to get a dehumidifier, but the only one I found at the local Emart costs $450 and is way too large to fit comfortably in my apartment. In looking up alternatives, I decided to try cat litter to see if it will help take some of the moisture from the air. I put it into flower pots and put fake flowers in it. Yes, I even decorate kitty litter! A little old Korean lady I will tell about in my gardening blog really liked them. She thought they were so pretty!
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| My Kitty Litter containers |
I found a locksmith, but he didn't have the right type of key to make a copy for me. I have a small dread that one day my landlady is going to ask for my key back. I did get the neighbor man who helped me when I was locked out a gift set of juices. I heard that they probably prefer alcohol, but I don't know him enough to know if that is true or not and I wouldn't get alcohol as a gift anyway. When I gave it to him he was in pajamas. I hope it wasn't at an inconvenient time for him. Maybe my trying to be polite backfired! Ah, well I guess he knows I had good intentions.
I found the post office but it wasn't open when I went. That was OK even though I would like to buy stamps. The problem is that I need to understand how the address system works so that I can send and receive mail. Packages need to be sent to work so someone is there to receive them while letters can be sent to my house (if I can figure out which is my mailbox). The girl who was in this apartment before me never even used the mail here.
I went to Emart as I mentioned above in trying to find a dehumidifier, and I wanted to buy Q tips and toilet paper. The cotton swabs they have here are for makeup removal. When I asked the girl about what to use for cleaning out your ear she showed me a sharp stick they use. I decided not to try my luck. I tried to buy toilet paper and the employee started to put a second set of 30 rolls in my cart telling me they were 2 for 1 price. (It is something like one plus one here and I don't fully understand the sales yet.) I thanked her but said I only wanted one. She insisted so I didn't buy that brand. I don't know how to explain that in an apartment the size of mine, I can't fit 60 rolls of toilet paper!!!! I would just waste it as it would get wet, dirty, something. I don't even have enough room under my bed for that much toilet paper!
OK, enough of the petty problems for one blog. On to better things.
A Visit to Seoul
First, I am sorry to all who follow my blog when it is sporadic. I have had computer troubles, illness etc. So please be patient with me. I will endeavor to post more regularly.
On the weekend of the 12th and 13th, I went to Seoul for an orientation weekend with CIEE, the group I used to find a job in Korea. There were almost 20 other teachers from the US and Canada who had arrived in Korea at about the same time I did. We were all meeting with representatives from CIEE. We were given a tour of Seoul and talked about the Korean culture, food, how to be effective as teachers, what was expected of us, and more.
I took the subway to the center of Seoul. The subway here is unlike any I have used before. It is very clean and all of the passengers seem to know the proper etiquette. There are several seats in the front of the car that are for disabled, mothers with children, or elderly people. These seats are kept free at all times even when the car is full (except for rude foreigners who don't understand). There are another 2 to 4 seats that are designated for pregnant women. These seats can be used until an expecting mother arrives and then are expected to be vacated. If a seat is empty it is catch as catch can. I gave up my seat to an older woman once. When another seat was vacated, she tried to get me to sit in it. I told her no, it was ok, but she moved to the other seat so I would take my original seat. She was very kind. The subway was confusing when it was explained to me by my school administrator, but after I realized how it worked, it was not nearly so daunting!
The CIEE group met at a hotel and traveled to an American pub/restaurant called Phillies to meet. There were people from many places in the US and even one from the town in PA I was born in! He knows my relatives there. There were several from NY, NY. They seemed more different from me than the Koreans I have met here. Isn't it strange that I can see similarities between myself and others when we have to understand only the most basic of communications but when we can communicate better I start to see just how different we are. Some of the teachers seemed nice and others made me see why we are "ugly Americans". Maybe ugly is too strong and it should be ignorant Americans. I guess I thought if they traveled here they would have some idea of the culture or just how to be polite! Also, there were several of the teachers who are vegetarian. I find it a bit odd to travel to this country of meat lovers when you are a vegetarian.
We went to see one of the palaces. It is in front of the Blue House which is Korea's version of the US's White House where the Korean President lives. The palace has been rebuilt as it was almost totally destroyed during WWII and the subsequent Japanese occupation. I took some photos, but I would like to return when there is green and leaves on the trees! I realize I don't appreciate buildings without gardens or trees to go with them.
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| The palace building with the throne room. |
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| Throne Room of the Palace |
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| You can get in free if you wear the native dress. Our group photobombed this group of Koreans who were only too happy to cooperate. |
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| The Blue House where the Korean President lives. |
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| They are trying to save the trees. Each is individually wrapped and propped up. |
We found the area of Seoul where all of the foreigners hang out. I found a bookshop with used books in English! I also found a large bookshop that sells new books and has a decent English part. It is much busier than any Barns and Noble I have been in except around Christmas time!
I also found a Starbucks and was able to buy some real coffee beans so I can brew my own at home. One of the things here is when you order a drink at a restaurant, it is not very large, and you can't get refills. If you want more, you just buy a second soda. Also, there are not very many restaurants that serve diet soda. Apparently the frequency of diabetes is rather high here due to the fact that they put sugar in almost EVERYTHING. Even the chips that are cheese chips are sweet!
We stayed in a hotel that is called The Hotel The Designers. Every room is different, designed by a different designer. The room I stayed in had a fancy toilet that sprayed water at you. It also had a bathtub the size of a child's swimming pool. What a luxury! It was the only bath I have had since being in Korea! The breakfast was interesting though, it was a mix of breakfast and lunch type items. No, it wasn't supposed to be brunch. You could eat nachos or pasta salad with your eggs. Oh yes, and no meal is complete without pickles!
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| A bathtub fit for a queen, but the tub and sink are in the room with the beds. |
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| Pasta salad and pickles for breakfast anyone? |
Sunday, March 6, 2016
My Apartment
Just wanted to share some pictures of my mini apartment.
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| My bed and desk |
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| A view from my door. This is my entire apartment. |
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| My kitchen. How much baking do you think I can do in that toaster oven? |
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| My chair and wardrobe. It holds all my clothes but my shoes. |
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| My bathroom. Yes in the upper right is the shower-head. |
The past week or Why I haven't published in a while
Friday Feb. 26
Friday morning the entire SLP school, excepting myself and Judy (my Korean partner teacher) went to the preschool graduation ceremony. Judy and I stayed at the school to prepare our classrooms for the first week of class. This was both a good and bad thing as we had more time to prepare but no time to understand how the ceremonies go. All of the teachers and secretaries went to a nice restaurant for lunch where they had a chocolate fountain and a self serve coffee machine that ground its own beans.
In the afternoon Laurence and Ulandi, English speaking teachers, arrived from South Africa. I helped them learn about the buses and how to get to and from the hotel and school. They were to stay in the hotel only until Sunday when they moved into their apartment that had been recently vacated by the departing English speaking teaching couple.
I took them to a restaurant near our hotel for supper.
Saturday Feb. 27
OK, I admit I was lazy and tired and I only left the hotel for supper eating some snacks for brunch. I slept A LOT. Not from jet lag, more from having worked for 10 to 12 hours with much stress each day.
Sunday Feb. 28
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| a view from the 8th floor |
I did not find a church that spoke English and I could not understand the schedule on the door of the place I am pretty sure was a church, so I didn't go to church. In the afternoon I explored a shopping outlet that was nothing like an outlet mall. The cheapest purse after the 50% discount was $200 US dollars. I then went to the area where my school is and did some browsing and ate lunch/supper. It started to snow and I took some photos of the town in snow. More sleeping.
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| The building I work in. My school is on the 8th floor. |
Monday Feb. 29
On Monday after school I went with the teacher whose apartment I was going to get to learn how to unlock the door, what the trash schedule was, where the apartment was located, how to use the heat, washing machine etc. She told me about grocery stores, and many other tidbits that would come in useful.
Tuesday March 1
Tuesday was a South Korean National Holiday. I didn't get it off. I took a taxi to school because I needed to take my suitcases with me (the first time I took a Korean taxi). When I got to the building, the elevator wasn't running because everyone was to be off for the holiday so I had to wait for one of the school administrators to come to get my things up to the school. The administrators were flummoxed by my having brought my things, but they had not told me what else I could do.
Stacy, one of the administrators took me to my apartment at 2 pm. There was much cleaning to do and a trip to E Mart for bedding and other necessities. (Korean beds are about as comfortable as sleeping on a non-carpeted floor! It was OK for a few days at the hotel (even then my leg and arm went numb from sleeping on my side), but that won't work for an entire year so a mattress pad was necessary as well as some comfortable pillows and a proper sheet! That was my first visit to E Mart.
I was up until about 1 am cleaning and organizing my apartment. No, the apartment is not large, you might even call it minuscule, but that makes organization all the more imperative.
Wednesday March 2
My first day of school was hectic and stressful. So many things that people popped their heads in and said, "Didn't you __________?!" when I said that no one had told me they acted like well I should have just gotten that information by osmosis.
In one of my afternoon classes I handed out flash cards. They were not important at all, just a way to get the 12 children to do something. We had to give out books, take role, and try to teach on the first day in only 40 minutes. Well, in all of the chaos (that class is notorious for being poorly behaved) I missed giving a card to one girl. It just so happened her mother was watching the class on CCTV and couldn't understand why I would slight her child. I heard about it from several of the Korean teacher afterward. I wish I could apologize directly to the mother but she doesn't speak English or she would have realized it wasn't a big deal anyway! Korean mothers are VERY overbearing!
When the day was finally over I got to go home. I bought some baskets I needed and some food on my way home. When I got to the apartment I couldn't get in!!!!! It was terrible. I tried several times. Finally I went to the convenience store next door and borrowed the cell phone from one of the clerks to call my school, but it was after 8 pm so no one answered. I went back to my building and tried my door again with no result. Thankfully a neighbor was exiting his apartment. I asked him to help me and he tried the door then called my landlady. She said to wait 10 minutes and try again if I couldn't get in to call her. He gave me her number. I tried unsuccessfully in 10 minutes and again 15 minutes after that so I returned to the convenience store. The clerk called the landlady for me and she
came in about a half an hour. (All of this was me speaking English and everyone else speaking Korean. Don't tell me God can't translate!!!) She took another 10~15 minutes to get the door open. The door works with a key pad and apparently the batteries needed to be changed!
I finally got into my apartment by about 10 pm. Over 12 hours later than I left it.
Thursday March 3
I bought a SIM card for my cell phone.
It was another "first" day of school because it was the first day of the term for the Tuesday/Thursday students. I got to go home "early" (after my last class) because of the night before. After buying a SIM card I went to sleep.
Friday March 4
Finally, the end of the week. More junk at school, but I didn't stay past 7:15 pm because the other new teachers and I decided to come in over the weekend instead.
And that catches you up to this weekend!
The Korean School System
OK, it is time to explain the Korean schooling and how I fit into it. Yes, I will try to keep it simple, but that is almost impossible because I can't quite grasp it myself.
First let me explain about Korean ages again. When a child is born he is one year old. Also, when new year rolls around he is now two years old. Yes, so a Korean child born in December of 2015 is now two years old. So, when I tell you that I am teaching seven year old children, their ages are actually from the ages of 4 (born in Sept. 2011) to 6 years old. So they are pre-school children. We also have classes of six years old, but that is in Korean ages.
Children start school at about the same chronological ages as American children. English is a mandatory subject in School here. Children are really not supposed to be required or allowed to learn English at a pre-school age but education is very competitive and rich parents want their children to have advantages so they put them in English pre-schools like ours. Most of the students at our school have parents who are very wealthy.
Even after the children are in school, their parents send them to our school in the afternoons so that they will get extra help in English. The curricula was designed to have the students speaking, reading and writing English in order to take the necessary tests and to have them prepared if they want to study abroad. Our pre-school classes begin at 9:50 am and run until they are sent home by 2:30 pm. Then at 3:00 pm the after school students begin arriving. I teach until 6:20 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and until 4:10 on Tuesday and Thursday, but classes continue until 8:00 pm every weeknight.
In the mornings, I teach the "7" year old's, then at 3:00 I teach elementary and middle school age students. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have 4 classes of elementary and middle school aged students and on Tuesday and Thursday I only have 2 classes of them. Each of my classes I have a Korean teacher who teaches the students either before or after I do. The native English teachers (like me) teach phonics, reading and writing. The Korean teachers concentrate on vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. I really don't yet know all of the breakdown between what we teach but that is a snap shot of what is taught.
The morning classes are a real challenge because the students don't understand English, but they also don't understand how to act in school. They have to learn to line up, raise their hand, sit nicely, when to work and when to play, and so many other things. We are having our hands full just to teach them how to do anything. The previous teachers said this will take about a month. I have an easier time than some of the other new teachers because when they start to act up, I can give them a good glare. When they see me become silent and glare they quickly straighten up. One of the new teachers is Ulandi. She and her husband, Laurence, are from South Africa. Ulandi is very young and sweet. She reminds me of Micah Doty. She has trouble getting the children to obey her. She is very frustrated right now, but she has the youngest children in her classes. They are not intentionally bad, they are just too young to be easily containable. She says that she doesn't want to have any children after this. :) I just smile and let it go. People change their minds about so many things.
Laurence and Ulandi are very nice. Laurence has a degree in chemical engineering so HE LIKES MY JOKES!!!! Yes everyone, I actually found someone who gets my jokes!!! He even makes some poor jokes himself. Every time there is trouble with a machine or stapler Laurence will say, "Let me look at it. After all I am an engineer, but if I can't fix it, that's ok. I am after all a chemical engineer!" I am also having fun showing them some things here, after all, I was here a Whole Week before they were! No, seriously, I did much more research before coming here than they did. Also, many of the people who come here like to take advantage of the foreign communities and the drinking culture. I like to meet other native English speakers, but, I still am enjoying interacting with the Koreans and I don't have a drinking culture.
The Korean teachers are very nice especially Judy. She is my partner in the mornings. My first week we did many things together, but this last week when classes started, she has been so overwhelmed I rarely get to talk to her. Also she has a son who is about 10 or 11 (American years) and another child (I think a girl) who is 20 months old. I really appreciate her attitude, but she is a perfectionist and has had to learn (quickly) that not everything can be done perfectly when we have no time to do it.
OK, next post will be about my trying week this past week and how I felt all your prayers!
First let me explain about Korean ages again. When a child is born he is one year old. Also, when new year rolls around he is now two years old. Yes, so a Korean child born in December of 2015 is now two years old. So, when I tell you that I am teaching seven year old children, their ages are actually from the ages of 4 (born in Sept. 2011) to 6 years old. So they are pre-school children. We also have classes of six years old, but that is in Korean ages.
Children start school at about the same chronological ages as American children. English is a mandatory subject in School here. Children are really not supposed to be required or allowed to learn English at a pre-school age but education is very competitive and rich parents want their children to have advantages so they put them in English pre-schools like ours. Most of the students at our school have parents who are very wealthy.
Even after the children are in school, their parents send them to our school in the afternoons so that they will get extra help in English. The curricula was designed to have the students speaking, reading and writing English in order to take the necessary tests and to have them prepared if they want to study abroad. Our pre-school classes begin at 9:50 am and run until they are sent home by 2:30 pm. Then at 3:00 pm the after school students begin arriving. I teach until 6:20 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and until 4:10 on Tuesday and Thursday, but classes continue until 8:00 pm every weeknight.
In the mornings, I teach the "7" year old's, then at 3:00 I teach elementary and middle school age students. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have 4 classes of elementary and middle school aged students and on Tuesday and Thursday I only have 2 classes of them. Each of my classes I have a Korean teacher who teaches the students either before or after I do. The native English teachers (like me) teach phonics, reading and writing. The Korean teachers concentrate on vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. I really don't yet know all of the breakdown between what we teach but that is a snap shot of what is taught.
The morning classes are a real challenge because the students don't understand English, but they also don't understand how to act in school. They have to learn to line up, raise their hand, sit nicely, when to work and when to play, and so many other things. We are having our hands full just to teach them how to do anything. The previous teachers said this will take about a month. I have an easier time than some of the other new teachers because when they start to act up, I can give them a good glare. When they see me become silent and glare they quickly straighten up. One of the new teachers is Ulandi. She and her husband, Laurence, are from South Africa. Ulandi is very young and sweet. She reminds me of Micah Doty. She has trouble getting the children to obey her. She is very frustrated right now, but she has the youngest children in her classes. They are not intentionally bad, they are just too young to be easily containable. She says that she doesn't want to have any children after this. :) I just smile and let it go. People change their minds about so many things.
Laurence and Ulandi are very nice. Laurence has a degree in chemical engineering so HE LIKES MY JOKES!!!! Yes everyone, I actually found someone who gets my jokes!!! He even makes some poor jokes himself. Every time there is trouble with a machine or stapler Laurence will say, "Let me look at it. After all I am an engineer, but if I can't fix it, that's ok. I am after all a chemical engineer!" I am also having fun showing them some things here, after all, I was here a Whole Week before they were! No, seriously, I did much more research before coming here than they did. Also, many of the people who come here like to take advantage of the foreign communities and the drinking culture. I like to meet other native English speakers, but, I still am enjoying interacting with the Koreans and I don't have a drinking culture.
The Korean teachers are very nice especially Judy. She is my partner in the mornings. My first week we did many things together, but this last week when classes started, she has been so overwhelmed I rarely get to talk to her. Also she has a son who is about 10 or 11 (American years) and another child (I think a girl) who is 20 months old. I really appreciate her attitude, but she is a perfectionist and has had to learn (quickly) that not everything can be done perfectly when we have no time to do it.
OK, next post will be about my trying week this past week and how I felt all your prayers!
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| Ulandi and Laurence on our trip to E Mart |
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| Heather Teacher and Judy Teacher |
A Grocery Shopping Trip
Well, I am so sorry it has been over a week since my last blog, but I will get you all up to date again. First though, I will let you know about a shopping trip.
I am in my apartment now. That is another story. I needed to go shopping for groceries and for some other things for my apartment. There are three "grocery" stores near where I live and work. They are very small stores and do not have nearly the items that I need or would want. I have been shopping four times so far so I will tell you a bit about all of the experiences together.
When you shop and it is raining, there is an stand at the entrance to the store where you can "bag" your umbrella. You place your furled umbrella into a disposable bag. Then you don't drip all over the store. The first store I visited when it was raining, I did not realize what the umbrella bagging station was so the woman behind a counter tried to get my attention. She wanted me to bag my umbrella, but I didn't understand what she was asking me so I just said that I wanted to shop and she realized I didn't speak Korean and let me go. Ah, the trials these people have to put up with with us foreigners!
Buying eggs in Korea is interesting as well. You have a choice between chicken eggs or quail eggs. Also, the eggs I bought have the photo of the farmer on them so that I know whose chickens laid these eggs. I guess it is their version of buying local.
Another thing to get used to is how they sell their vegetables. They sell pre-pealed onions. The potatoes are unwashed as are the carrots. They do sell some washed carrots and potatoes, but the carrots here are very large. Here they prefer larger carrots not the small ones.
In that store I looked for coffee, but they only sell the instant kinds. I had to go to a large store equivalent to Walmart known as E Mart to buy real coffee. Also, there was an entire isle (20 feet) plus a center display, of the instant coffee and only a short section (about 4 feet) of coffee beans and ground beans. Although everyone here claims to like coffee, it really just means they drink the instant stuff. The cereal choices are interesting as well, one brand has a kiwi and spinach flavored cereal.
I am in my apartment now. That is another story. I needed to go shopping for groceries and for some other things for my apartment. There are three "grocery" stores near where I live and work. They are very small stores and do not have nearly the items that I need or would want. I have been shopping four times so far so I will tell you a bit about all of the experiences together.
When you shop and it is raining, there is an stand at the entrance to the store where you can "bag" your umbrella. You place your furled umbrella into a disposable bag. Then you don't drip all over the store. The first store I visited when it was raining, I did not realize what the umbrella bagging station was so the woman behind a counter tried to get my attention. She wanted me to bag my umbrella, but I didn't understand what she was asking me so I just said that I wanted to shop and she realized I didn't speak Korean and let me go. Ah, the trials these people have to put up with with us foreigners!
Buying eggs in Korea is interesting as well. You have a choice between chicken eggs or quail eggs. Also, the eggs I bought have the photo of the farmer on them so that I know whose chickens laid these eggs. I guess it is their version of buying local.
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| Chicken eggs on left and bottom, Quail eggs top right |
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| Quail Eggs |
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| Extra large carrots |
In one of the three supermarkets near my house, I went down the isle with the canned foods. They had canned tuna and salmon, they also had canned corn and right next to it was the canned silk worm larvae. I know it was right where you would expect it to be right?
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| Buy your corn and silk worm larvae, maybe a casserole? |
E Mart was an education in itself. I took a taxi there as I didn't know which bus to use. Also, I knew it would be easier taking a taxi home with all my purchases. Inside, you use a coin to "rent" a cart. That way when you return the cart you get your coin back. You can also "rent" a locker to put your things in before you enter the store. The greeter bows to you and says what is equivalent to hello or welcome as you enter. The ground floor contains clothing, makeup, hardware, appliances, technology, toys, and stationary. The hardware department is interesting as you can buy boards that are wrapped in plastic! The basement has the housewares and groceries it also has a food court. The E Mart has both very Korean food and some western food with brands that I can recognize.
Once you get your items, you take them to the check-out on the ground floor. After paying for your items, you place them back into the cart and take them to a boxing station. It is kind of like when Sams clubs had you put your purchases into boxes, but at E Mart you must use tape to reform your boxes. Then you use some strong ribbon to make a handle for your box.
The first time I went to E Mart I had to get an employee to help me with my boxes. She also helped me call for a taxi because I didn't have a phone. She was very kind and helpful. I couldn't adequately express how grateful I was for her help. Since then I have relied on 1. a nice girl at the bus stop and 2. a taxi that was already there, to get home. The third trip was today and I took my fellow English teachers from South Africa to the store. They were wanting to save money but I explained that really, a taxi is the only way when you have loads of heavy groceries to transport back to the apartment.
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