My co-teacher Sue was appointed a full time position at another school yesterday. I knew that she would be leaving sometime in the next two weeks, but this quick departure came as a surprise. I was a bit nervous about teaching the grade fives without someone to translate, as Sue translated everything for them (there was more Korean spoken in that class than English!) Sue is a great teacher, she has the students admiration and respect and is able to manage her classroom quite well (especially considering she just graduated from teachers college!) I'm really going to miss Sue. She has been SO helpful with everything here and has made my transition into life in Korea much easier. Jeff and I plan on having her over for dinner sometime soon.
I planned for my solo lesson, and was a bit nervous, but figured that I could handle it. The homeroom teachers of two of my grade 5 classes stayed in the class with me (you can't be alone in a classroom in Korea unless you have a teaching certificate FROM a Korean university....) but none of them assisted me (they don't speak English). I was pleasantly surprised to find that my classes went really well. The students understood what I was saying (and the class finished WAY earlier than expected because we didn't have major translations....) and we had a good time. After teaching these three classes today (the last one was attended by the computer teacher who asked if she could assist me... she didn't do anything thing, but she did repeat after me with the kids - I think she just wanted to practice her English!) I realised how happy I would be in a class on my own. I had complete an utter control over what happened in the classroom, and how it happened in the classroom. We ended up randomly singing a few English songs - which the kids ADORE! I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's classes.
That being said, I am getting a new co-teacher at the beginning of next week. I have no idea what her (I'm assuming she's female, most teachers here are...) qualifications are (or if she can speak English). It will interesting to see how things go.
~Jen
So today our school (Duksan) held a little flea market of sorts. Not sure for what purpose - maybe as a fund raiser. But anyway, it was pretty neat. I wish that I had brought my camera.
There was a lot of stuff being sold, for dirt cheap prices too! Lots of old clothes, books, stuffed animals, mostly, but there were also backpacks, marbles, hair clips, and much more. The students were pretty good salespeople and by pretty good, I guess I mean aggressive. As soon as I walked onto the playground, I had half a dozen students clamouring around me trying to get me to buy their goods, pushing each other out of the way and competing for my attention. It was hilarious.
The books were mostly old textbooks. I'm not sure what subjects they were, but I found it funny that the students were all still trying to sell them to me, even though I can't read (well, actually, I can read the alphabet, I just don't know what the words mean).
As for the clothes, well, there were plenty of tacky, brightly coloured garments available. The students were trying to sell me skirts and purses, often as a gift for Jen, but also sometimes for me!!! I even had one student try to sell me toddlers' shoes and shirts, and another attempting to get me to purchase 3 inch heels!
Most of the items were only about 50 cents or so, so it was a pretty good price. Each homeroom class had their own table / blanket on the ground and some of the classes seemed to be doing quite well - probably by virtue of their aggressive salespeople getting their friends to buy stuff!!!
All in all, it was kinda random, but a whole lot of fun. I'm glad that I had a chance to interact with the students outside of the classroom.
I've been feeling sad that we haven't posted a lot of pictures recently. I always find blogs more interesting when there are pictures to accompany the post. Upon downloading pictures from my camera today I realised I haven't taken pictures off my camera in a really LONG time!
So, here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.
Jeff finally got his engagement lens. He figures that since I believe in equal rights for women that he deserves a present for the engagement since my ring cost so much... I have to agree with him. It's not fair for the girl to receive a gift and the guy to be left with nothing (except a beautiful bride..!) So, here he is with the guy who sold us the lens. It was quite the experience!
We went to the mushroom festival - it was pretty lame. Sara is sad because her butt is wet.... the next day was much more fun.
For more pictures check out the link on our picture page.
Corporate Hoes and CEOs party night at Kelly's. This is Kelly, Dan, and Richard. It was a fun night that ended at a Norae Bang (singing room...)
E-Mart bunnies make me happy... I always make Jeff stop and look at the bunnies, they are SO cute! It takes everything I have not to come home with one....
Our Thai food was DELICIOUS! We ended up at Buddha's Belly in Itaewon. Mmm... the food was so good.
So, from now on we'll try to post more pictures with our blogging... hope this tides you over for now. Peace out.
~Jen
So, I'm at work, I have 20 minutes left before I can leave and I'm bored. I've marked about 100 tests this afternoon and my eyes are tired... We're heading off for Thai food tonight with some friends. I'm excited about the food, hopefully it will be good!
I'll give you some funny language stories while I wait.... Both my co-teachers speak great English, but there are still some words they are unfamiliar with.
1.) "Martinis are cheaper at the theatre." Yes, martinis.... however, she meant matinees.... I still kid her about this mistake....
2.) Co-teacher: "We're going to see a movie about Vee-tho-van.
Me: "Who? Luther Vandross?"
Co-teacher: "No, Vee-tho-van...." she pulled up the movie website, it's Copying Beethovan. Apparently I get to watch the film with the rest of the teachers next Tuesday at the World Cup Stadium (luckily for me it's in English with Korean subtitles!)
Random Thought of the Day....
By the way (hahaha.. that's the name of a convenience store here...) does anyone know how I can clean my ring of hard water stains? The gold and the diamond are less sparkley (apparently this isn't a word...) and I worry that perhaps my stone could fall out in the future from all the extra grit.
Okay, I'm out. I've obviously been sitting here for too long, this post is pretty random...
~of course it's Jen, not Jeff who posted....
We have mold.
Yes, mold. Well, maybe it's mildew... I can't seem to figure out the difference, but either way, I can smell it when I go to bed, I smell it when I wake up, and I can smell something musty right now as I write this post.
After spending half a day on Saturday trying to obliterate the mold that took up a spot in our bedroom, it still smells musty.... So, we both talked to our co-teachers today and a solution was found - "send the accountant from my school to scope out the situation". Thus my afternoon began. With the permission of both the principal and the vice principal, the school accountant (with her courageous - yet lacking - English effort), the other school accountant (who was enlisted because she has a car - who wants to take a 1/2 hour subway ride when you can ride in the comfort of a Korean car!?), and I set off for my apartment.
After driving around the block a few times (I've never driven up to my apartment, I'm not sure how to get there by car!) we managed to make it to my place. It was 1:30pm at this time. I ushered the school accountant (I'm afraid that I don't know her name, and my co-teachers don't know her name, so, I don't call her anything, which is not uncommon for me in my school seeing as I barely know the names of the people I share an office with!!) into my apartment to see this mold. Although we had cleaned the mold/mildew (whatever!) on Saturday, there was still our "utility room" that needed to be dealt with, and I was ABSOUTELY CONVINCED that there was mold behind our dresser....
Unfortunately (well, maybe fortunately) there was no mold behind the dresser but the accountant was still impressed. She began to tell me how bad our apartment is and how apartments that are only three or five stories tall are usually poorly built... but if we sign on for another year we can move....
After assessing the apartment, the accountant and I headed over to E-Mart to purchase the necessary mold-fighting items. We came home with some one time use boxed dehumidifiers (I think they're filled with salt...), mildew spray stuff, and febreeze. The accountant then proceeded to inform me of how to use all these goods before we headed back to the school.
Environmental Disclaimer - this is a side note, connected to my escapades, but not furthering the story...I have a bit of a problem with the purchases that were made. As a self-proclaimed tree hugger/granola cruncher I was not happy to be spraying chemicals in my house and purchasing things that will only need to be thrown out. But, as a foreigner living in Korea, it is difficult to procure items, especially eco-friendly ones. I can't even find chocolate chips, let alone an eco-friendly mildew remover.... so, for now I must resign myself to the fact that I can only do so much. I will continue to use baking soda in my laundry with less soap, to recycle and compost, and to TRY to buy minimally packaged items (though this is also a very difficult task in Korea....) in order to do my part for the environment.
Okay, I'm out. Here's hoping that by the end of the week we will be mold free (and free from the musty smell!
~Jen
Tuesdays are frustrating. They usually are. Well, to be clear, the whole day usually isn't bad. It's just one class. And that class will be the death of me.
I don't what it is, but the entire class is horribly chatty. But that's not all, they don't listen to anything. I ask them to quiet down so that I can hear the other students talking. They don't listen. I ask them to stop talking so that I don't have to speak over everyone. They don't listen. I ask them to keep it down and keep on task. They don't listen.
It's so frustrating and disheartening how little respect they show for each other and for both myself and my co-teacher. I've even yelled at them to be quiet, to show some respect. It works for about 2 minutes, then they are back at it. I am truly at a loss at what to do with this class. And it totally deflates me.
Luckily, the class right after this one is full of saints (well, maybe not quite saints, but by comparison, they are pertty close) and it's nice that I don't have to end my day off on such a tiring note.
Anyway, if you're ever wondering how I'm doing here in Seoul, well, if it's a Tuesday, you'll always know that I'm pulling my hair out in exasperation! I know, I know... welcome to the teaching profession!
As promised, I've delivered a couple of pictures for your enjoyment - just don't laugh too hard! So, without further delay.
Jen and Sarah belting out the tunes and really getting into the spirit of things. Richard is keeping the beat with his trusty tamborine.
Here's our grand finale - Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer. A true classic that got everyone up and singing, even the random Irish dude we met at the bar that night joined in. I think his name is Shamus.
So last night I had my first Noraebang (literally, singing room... norae - singing, bang - room) experience. This is the way karaoke was meant to be done! We've got loads of pics and a video too I think, so don't worry, we will be posting some incriminating and embarassing evidence shortly. Truly though, having your own room so you can blast out the tunes with your friends by your side, without the heckling masses booing you off stage, or having to wait 4 hours for your turn is what singing is all about. In one hour, we got to sing maybe 15, 20 songs instead of sitting at a bar all night to get one song.
I was actually quite impressed with the selection of English songs that were available too. We'll definitely be returning soon. Just like PC bangs (internet cafes), these things are everywhere and so you don't have to travel far if you and your pals suddenly decide that you need to stretch the vocal cords.
Stayed tuned, we'll post pics soon!
Who knew that Sundays could be so much fun?
-jeff
I was deeply shocked and saddened to find out this morning that the Rwandan refugees from one of the refugee camps that Right to Play worked in were repatriated by force on Wednesday night. The article describing the repatration was in the Montior, a Ugandan newspaper that is not run by the government. My friend and co-worker also received an email from one of our refugee sports council members (and friends) confirming the recent repatriation:
Hullo Jennifer!
How are you?As you told me before you left us in Oruchinga now everything going on. Than one is to repatriated refugees by force. This was yesterday in Nakivariand Kyaka II. for Oruchinga their are still waiting what will be but not yetinformed. Please I request you to inform me if you receive this massage.
Other ways we are still trying this world.
Greet all for me.
"God be with us" Mtheos.
I have tried to find more information online (thinking that both of my sources may be a bit biased, or perhaps not biased, but from the mouths of the refugees, I'm not sure what the Ugandan government and UNHCR (the United Nations High Commission for Refugees) has to say about the whole thing....
I worked in Uganda with Rwandan refugees, implementing sport and play activities in the Oruchinga refugee settlement. While I was there in 2004, UNHCR and the Ugandan government had been talking about repatriating the Rwandans who were still living in Uganda ten years after the genocide had occurred. My people (the refugees I worked with) were deeply fearful of this possible repatriation, they feared that Rwanda was not safe for them. In addition to the lack of security, my refugees had built a home in Uganda. Their children had been born in Uganda and had grown up there. They had homes in Uganda, and land. Gardens, and friends. To return home to Rwanda meant uncertainty. It would be highly unlikely that the overpopulated country of Rwanda would have any land left for those who had not returned after the geoncide.
My heart broke when I heard this news. I know that UNHCR and the Ugandan government cannot continue to support these displaced Rwandans, but I cannot help but think of these people who were forced into trucks in the middle of the night and sent back to a land where the only memories they have are of death and sadness.
I am thankful for the few young refugees (my friends) who have left Uganda (Nsabimana John, Rubayiza John, and Innocent Mugyenzi) to study at various United World Colleges around the world. I am thinking of those Rwandans who lived in Kyaka II and Nakivale, who are now back in a foreign land.
~Jen
Ok, so we've kind of neglected our blog for the last little while. And it just keeps getting worse as time goes by, because the more time we wait, the more stuff we have to write about and the longer the post becomes and the less we want to write, so we wait...
You can see where this is going. So... I decided that we should write at least something. There really is too much to catch up on in one post. I'll be honest. I don't want to write all of this in one go either. But really, neither do you want to read all about it in one go. But I digress...
So what's going on now? Hmmm, well my students will be starting midterms tomorrow (yes, they have exams... and regular classes too, actually, on Saturdays). So two of my classes today are cancelled so the teachers can review with them. Midterms will continue into Monday and Tuesday next week. This means that I've got a lot of time to prep for my next lessons and to slow down a little. The first month of teaching has been good, but it's been somewhat busy as we've been adjusting to a new workplace and a new home at the same time.
Outside school, we've been keeping an active social life and have been planning lots of activities and trips. We just returned from a mushroom festival (it was small and uh, well... interesting) and a river trek (super cool) last weekend. I'm still sorting through the pictures, which I'll post soon, but in the meantime, I have uploaded some pictures of past weeks' adventures, so check those out while you wait.
Tomorrow, we're having a large group of our friends join us for a Thanksgiving dinner. We're pretty excited! It'll be Richard's first Thanksgiving (he's a Brit) and a little early for Becky (she's from south of the 49th parallel), but we're all excited. No turkey, but there'll be roast chicken, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and apple pie for the traditional stuff. Then we've also got channa masala, chili, fresh breads and cheeses, and of course an assortment of salads and veggies. Our place is going to be packed (we're going to cram about 12 people into our tiny apartment!), but it's going to be a blast.
So that's the news of late. Hope that everyone back home is doing well.
-jeff
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