Jacki: What do you call all living things?
Student: Refrigerators.
Jacki (inside her head): You are the dumbest kid I've ever met.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Irony...
After having written such nice things about teaching... Irony strikes!
My kids were total terrors today.
Cheating.
Thousands of questions.
Complaining.
Non-stop chatter.
I just wanted to pull my hair out.
Kids!?! Eh!
My kids were total terrors today.
Cheating.
Thousands of questions.
Complaining.
Non-stop chatter.
I just wanted to pull my hair out.
Kids!?! Eh!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
I'm not dead...
My goodness, things have been busy here in Korea.
Let's start with the most exciting... I went to Japan. And my hagwon paid! It turns out that I needed to leave the country in order to apply for the appropriate VISA and remain a resident of South Korea. The nearest Korean consulate office is in Japan so my school bought me a plane ticket to Japan. I only stayed for two days and one night, but that is two days more than I had ever been to Japan. What is interesting about my excitement is that most people just thought my trip was common place. It reminded me of California. In California, Mexico is a pretty common destination. Of course, traveling to Mexico is always an adventure, but due to its proximity it has gained a sense of commonality... Everyone has been to Mexico. That is how Koreans feel about Japan. Fukuoka (my destination) is an hour and half plane ride from Seoul. In fact, Fukuoka is closer to Seoul than to Tokyo. So, most people who heard I was going to Japan thought it was cool... but not that cool.
Nonetheless, I was thrilled. I left early Wed. morning, hit up the Korean embassy and then started my adventure. I wandered the streets and subways of Fukuoka for three or four hours until my poor feet were exhausted and soaked. It was raining, cold and windy. I visited shrines, a historic park and finally took refuge in the Fukuoka Art Museum. And guess what they had on display... An actual ANDY WARHOL! Seriously! It was the piece titled “Elvis. ” I must have just sat in front of the artwork for 30 minutes. Not to mention pieces by Joan Miro and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It was a good day! The next day I simply gave up. It was so rainy and cold that I just couldn’t wander anymore and I went to the movies, went shopping and explored the underground subway malls and shopping centers. I felt a little guilty having come to Japan just to be a total tourist, but I figure it just gives me an excuse to go back and explore Japan properly!
And then when I returned to Korea I moved into my new apartment! How awesome! So, here’s the story… When the principal at my hagwon got fired a lot of changes were made in order to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the school. One of these measures was to move me into a new apartment. Apparently my old apartment was too expensive. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter, I was just told that I was going to be moving. You can imagine my concern. The apartment I was residing in was the size of a glorified shoebox and was “too expensive.” If they were going to move me to a cheaper place I was really worried that I was going to end up someplace worse. But, it turns out that my new apartment is SO much better! It is closer to my favorite restaurants, the gym and the subway station. It is bigger, has more furniture and is laid out better so that I have room for a comfy chair and a little table. In fact, I just got a rug for the place yesterday! There is a big open space in the center of the room so I still have a perfect private dance floor. I have more windows, hot water and a bigger closet. Of course, there are a few things that are worse. The kitchenette area is worse. The bathroom is smaller, a bit stranger and has a leaky pipe. The washing machine is broken so I need to get it fixed and the whole place is a bit dingy-er. But, I can deal with all of those things... especially if I now have more dance space!
In other news...
Last night I got hit on by a guy from Jamaica, a guy from France and a guy from New Zealand. The first observation to be made from these facts is that I’m awesome. But, once we move past the obvious... Think about the diversity! Think about the different cultures and reasons for being in Korea. Of course, Korea is one of the most homogeneous regions in the world, but in Seoul and especially in Itaewon, the foreigners congregate and you never know what you'll find or who you'll run into.
In Japan I found an awesome pair of jeans. The right color. The right fit. I love them. I am never going to take them off.
I started jogging/ power walking again. My diet has seen a dramatic increase in beer, rice and noodles, so it is time to get moving. Since I work from 2-10 I’ve been exercising after work at around 2am. It’s great! The air is cool. There aren’t a lot of people on the sidewalks, but there are still plenty of convenience stores open and business people out and about so that I feel safe. It is quite refreshing.
As an adult I find it interesting that I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t know what the Equator was or had never heard of the Animal Kingdom or didn’t know the definition of the word “boundary.” But, there must have been a moment when I learned these things. There must have been a day when I woke up unaware and by the time I went to bed that night had become enlightened. But, I just don’t remember. I took the knowledge for granted. But, now I am on the other side of the teacher/student relationship. I don’t kid myself, thinking that I’m an unforgettable, remarkable teacher and that my students will remember all my lectures and moments when they learned something new. Most of them are just studying for the test or to appease their over-protective, over-zealous parents. And I definitely don’t want to exaggerate my role, but I do feel like I’m helping them to grow up a little. I like to think that if the person I am today is an accumulation of the knowledge and experiences I’ve gathered over the past 23 years then the people who shared or provided the knowledge played a pretty important role. Even if their roles varied in size and significance. After all, I remember the cool Ms. Dietrich in 6th grade with her thick, wavy hair who played “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” when we learned about “Lucy,” the archaeological discovery. Mr. Athenour, the awful Spanish substitute teacher, always sounded like he was coughing up phlegm when he pronounced Jacquelyn in Spanish. (“Hawk-olina”) How could I forget the librarians at all my schools who figured out how much I liked to read and would set aside new books they thought I’d like. I even remember the lyrics to a science song my mom used to play in the car “98 million miles away is the star that gives us light.” And of course, there are the teachers and people who probably wouldn’t even recognize me in a crowd, but who I vividly remember… US History with the funny, self-deprecating Mr. Miller. Mr. Mahar, the inventive elementary school principal. Ms. Robinson, the over-medicated English teacher.
To make this long story a little shorter, I think these kids might be learning something. And if learning results in growth, then these kids are growing up a little at a time. And it's fun to be part of it.
Let's start with the most exciting... I went to Japan. And my hagwon paid! It turns out that I needed to leave the country in order to apply for the appropriate VISA and remain a resident of South Korea. The nearest Korean consulate office is in Japan so my school bought me a plane ticket to Japan. I only stayed for two days and one night, but that is two days more than I had ever been to Japan. What is interesting about my excitement is that most people just thought my trip was common place. It reminded me of California. In California, Mexico is a pretty common destination. Of course, traveling to Mexico is always an adventure, but due to its proximity it has gained a sense of commonality... Everyone has been to Mexico. That is how Koreans feel about Japan. Fukuoka (my destination) is an hour and half plane ride from Seoul. In fact, Fukuoka is closer to Seoul than to Tokyo. So, most people who heard I was going to Japan thought it was cool... but not that cool.
Nonetheless, I was thrilled. I left early Wed. morning, hit up the Korean embassy and then started my adventure. I wandered the streets and subways of Fukuoka for three or four hours until my poor feet were exhausted and soaked. It was raining, cold and windy. I visited shrines, a historic park and finally took refuge in the Fukuoka Art Museum. And guess what they had on display... An actual ANDY WARHOL! Seriously! It was the piece titled “Elvis. ” I must have just sat in front of the artwork for 30 minutes. Not to mention pieces by Joan Miro and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It was a good day! The next day I simply gave up. It was so rainy and cold that I just couldn’t wander anymore and I went to the movies, went shopping and explored the underground subway malls and shopping centers. I felt a little guilty having come to Japan just to be a total tourist, but I figure it just gives me an excuse to go back and explore Japan properly!
And then when I returned to Korea I moved into my new apartment! How awesome! So, here’s the story… When the principal at my hagwon got fired a lot of changes were made in order to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the school. One of these measures was to move me into a new apartment. Apparently my old apartment was too expensive. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter, I was just told that I was going to be moving. You can imagine my concern. The apartment I was residing in was the size of a glorified shoebox and was “too expensive.” If they were going to move me to a cheaper place I was really worried that I was going to end up someplace worse. But, it turns out that my new apartment is SO much better! It is closer to my favorite restaurants, the gym and the subway station. It is bigger, has more furniture and is laid out better so that I have room for a comfy chair and a little table. In fact, I just got a rug for the place yesterday! There is a big open space in the center of the room so I still have a perfect private dance floor. I have more windows, hot water and a bigger closet. Of course, there are a few things that are worse. The kitchenette area is worse. The bathroom is smaller, a bit stranger and has a leaky pipe. The washing machine is broken so I need to get it fixed and the whole place is a bit dingy-er. But, I can deal with all of those things... especially if I now have more dance space!
In other news...
Last night I got hit on by a guy from Jamaica, a guy from France and a guy from New Zealand. The first observation to be made from these facts is that I’m awesome. But, once we move past the obvious... Think about the diversity! Think about the different cultures and reasons for being in Korea. Of course, Korea is one of the most homogeneous regions in the world, but in Seoul and especially in Itaewon, the foreigners congregate and you never know what you'll find or who you'll run into.
In Japan I found an awesome pair of jeans. The right color. The right fit. I love them. I am never going to take them off.
I started jogging/ power walking again. My diet has seen a dramatic increase in beer, rice and noodles, so it is time to get moving. Since I work from 2-10 I’ve been exercising after work at around 2am. It’s great! The air is cool. There aren’t a lot of people on the sidewalks, but there are still plenty of convenience stores open and business people out and about so that I feel safe. It is quite refreshing.
As an adult I find it interesting that I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t know what the Equator was or had never heard of the Animal Kingdom or didn’t know the definition of the word “boundary.” But, there must have been a moment when I learned these things. There must have been a day when I woke up unaware and by the time I went to bed that night had become enlightened. But, I just don’t remember. I took the knowledge for granted. But, now I am on the other side of the teacher/student relationship. I don’t kid myself, thinking that I’m an unforgettable, remarkable teacher and that my students will remember all my lectures and moments when they learned something new. Most of them are just studying for the test or to appease their over-protective, over-zealous parents. And I definitely don’t want to exaggerate my role, but I do feel like I’m helping them to grow up a little. I like to think that if the person I am today is an accumulation of the knowledge and experiences I’ve gathered over the past 23 years then the people who shared or provided the knowledge played a pretty important role. Even if their roles varied in size and significance. After all, I remember the cool Ms. Dietrich in 6th grade with her thick, wavy hair who played “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” when we learned about “Lucy,” the archaeological discovery. Mr. Athenour, the awful Spanish substitute teacher, always sounded like he was coughing up phlegm when he pronounced Jacquelyn in Spanish. (“Hawk-olina”) How could I forget the librarians at all my schools who figured out how much I liked to read and would set aside new books they thought I’d like. I even remember the lyrics to a science song my mom used to play in the car “98 million miles away is the star that gives us light.” And of course, there are the teachers and people who probably wouldn’t even recognize me in a crowd, but who I vividly remember… US History with the funny, self-deprecating Mr. Miller. Mr. Mahar, the inventive elementary school principal. Ms. Robinson, the over-medicated English teacher.
To make this long story a little shorter, I think these kids might be learning something. And if learning results in growth, then these kids are growing up a little at a time. And it's fun to be part of it.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Wonder Years...
I'm not a big TV show crier. Every now and then my eyes will mist over, but only for the true TV couples and heartbreaks... Mulder and Scully, Josh and Donna, Jim and Pam. Like I said, only the true TV romances. But, there is one couple that has been bringing me to tears on a regular basis for the past two weeks...
Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper.
I've been treating myself to a Wonder Years marathon over the past few weeks. As a kid I watched the television show on Nick-at-Nite especially during the summer when they would play re-runs of the show during "Block Party Summer." I loved the show then, but it never occurred to me that the show was never made for kids. Of course it was wholesome television and entertaining, but the show is truly for those who are no longer kids. Years ago I'd watch the show and think about how cute Fred Savage was and how I was so glad I had dark hair like Winnie Cooper. But, as a 12 year old junior high school viewer there was no way for me to truly appreciate the essense of the show. Because the show isn't about a 12-year old junior high school student. The show is about an adult remembering what it was like to be a 12-year old junior high school student. And it isn't until you grow up that you realize that there is a difference.
Those really were the Wonder Years.
Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper.
I've been treating myself to a Wonder Years marathon over the past few weeks. As a kid I watched the television show on Nick-at-Nite especially during the summer when they would play re-runs of the show during "Block Party Summer." I loved the show then, but it never occurred to me that the show was never made for kids. Of course it was wholesome television and entertaining, but the show is truly for those who are no longer kids. Years ago I'd watch the show and think about how cute Fred Savage was and how I was so glad I had dark hair like Winnie Cooper. But, as a 12 year old junior high school viewer there was no way for me to truly appreciate the essense of the show. Because the show isn't about a 12-year old junior high school student. The show is about an adult remembering what it was like to be a 12-year old junior high school student. And it isn't until you grow up that you realize that there is a difference.
Those really were the Wonder Years.
Just keep writing...
I’ve been meaning to write on the blog for the past couple of days, but I just haven’t been able to articulate a single interesting story. Lots of things are happening (as usual), however I seem to be confronted with a case of writer’s block. But, my father told me that even when I have nothing to write I should just start typing and see what comes out… So, here we go.
I’m going to Japan next week. I have deal with some immigration stuff, so I have to leave the country and go to the nearest Korean embassy. That happens to be in Osaka, Japan. I’ll only be there for two days, but that is two days longer than I’ve ever spent in Japan. Very excited!
I’m moving into a new apartment next week. I haven’t seen the apartment. I have no idea if it is bigger, smaller, closer to the school, farther away, etc. I just know that my apartment was getting too expensive for the school and that the former principal was responsible for my apartment, so I am being moved. I’ve been told the apartment is bigger (it couldn’t be any smaller), but there are no guarantees. I like change so I’m looking forward to the move, but I’m balancing that excitement with the worry that I’ll end up with a crappy place to live.
The other day I was out with some friends and one of the girls at the table knew how to read palms. I had her read mine. According to her reading, I am going to live an average length life. I have above average intellegence. I am very independent, like adventure and change, but appreciate guidance. I will meet a handsome man (obviously!), but I will be a bit of a wanderer until around age forty when I will finally settle down. The reading sounded good to me!
On another rather fun evening, I acquired a couple new family members… most interestingly, a big brother. My brother, Gabe, is older. We are from Denver, Colorado and he has been in Korea for two years. He told me how much he liked it here, so I followed in his footsteps and moved out here two months ago. I'm kinda nervous about being here, but I’m so glad to have my big brother to show me around. This was the story my friend and I built. We had a couple people believing it too. To people who doubted us we’d ask, “No seriously, just look at us. Everyone always tells us we look alike.” A few particularly gullible people responded that we did, in fact, look alike. For the record… Gabe and I do not look anything alike! Good times.
I’ve been teaching science to 4th and 5th graders and I have to say… I am much better at this than I expected. And of course, the kids are very funny. We’ve been talking about plant cells and animal cells. One of the kids spoke up and told me that some humans are plants. I told him that that was impossible, but he explained that some people are plants and just lay in bed all day. I asked, “Do you mean that some people are vegetables?” He was talking about lazy people. Ha! Of course there is the classic mispronunciation of the word “organism.” According to my kids all living things are “orgasms” and can be divided into kingdoms.
All is well in Korea.
Shout out to my good friends Brian and Lindsey. Both have clearly proven themselves to be both rockstars and achievers! (Not that there was ever any doubt!)
I’m going to Japan next week. I have deal with some immigration stuff, so I have to leave the country and go to the nearest Korean embassy. That happens to be in Osaka, Japan. I’ll only be there for two days, but that is two days longer than I’ve ever spent in Japan. Very excited!
I’m moving into a new apartment next week. I haven’t seen the apartment. I have no idea if it is bigger, smaller, closer to the school, farther away, etc. I just know that my apartment was getting too expensive for the school and that the former principal was responsible for my apartment, so I am being moved. I’ve been told the apartment is bigger (it couldn’t be any smaller), but there are no guarantees. I like change so I’m looking forward to the move, but I’m balancing that excitement with the worry that I’ll end up with a crappy place to live.
The other day I was out with some friends and one of the girls at the table knew how to read palms. I had her read mine. According to her reading, I am going to live an average length life. I have above average intellegence. I am very independent, like adventure and change, but appreciate guidance. I will meet a handsome man (obviously!), but I will be a bit of a wanderer until around age forty when I will finally settle down. The reading sounded good to me!
On another rather fun evening, I acquired a couple new family members… most interestingly, a big brother. My brother, Gabe, is older. We are from Denver, Colorado and he has been in Korea for two years. He told me how much he liked it here, so I followed in his footsteps and moved out here two months ago. I'm kinda nervous about being here, but I’m so glad to have my big brother to show me around. This was the story my friend and I built. We had a couple people believing it too. To people who doubted us we’d ask, “No seriously, just look at us. Everyone always tells us we look alike.” A few particularly gullible people responded that we did, in fact, look alike. For the record… Gabe and I do not look anything alike! Good times.
I’ve been teaching science to 4th and 5th graders and I have to say… I am much better at this than I expected. And of course, the kids are very funny. We’ve been talking about plant cells and animal cells. One of the kids spoke up and told me that some humans are plants. I told him that that was impossible, but he explained that some people are plants and just lay in bed all day. I asked, “Do you mean that some people are vegetables?” He was talking about lazy people. Ha! Of course there is the classic mispronunciation of the word “organism.” According to my kids all living things are “orgasms” and can be divided into kingdoms.
All is well in Korea.
Shout out to my good friends Brian and Lindsey. Both have clearly proven themselves to be both rockstars and achievers! (Not that there was ever any doubt!)
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Enchanted...
"Asked on CBS's "The Early Show" whether she and Obama should be on the same ticket, Clinton said:
'That may be where this is headed, but of course we have to decide who is on the top of ticket. I think the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me.'"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/campaign_rdp
What is this?
Someone needs to vanquish this witch!
Oh... and when this election is made into a movie. Susan Sarandon would make the perfect Hillary Clinton!
(I just finished watching Enchanted. What an adorable movie!)
'That may be where this is headed, but of course we have to decide who is on the top of ticket. I think the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me.'"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/campaign_rdp
What is this?
Someone needs to vanquish this witch!
Oh... and when this election is made into a movie. Susan Sarandon would make the perfect Hillary Clinton!
(I just finished watching Enchanted. What an adorable movie!)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Changes...
Well, things are changing... for better and worse!
Yesterday was the first day back to work after Mr. Lee was fired. And even on the first day the changes were evident!
There was a meeting with all the teachers. Schedules were handed out to every teacher. The textbooks were properly labeled and curriculum schedules for the entire month were distributed. Each teacher was only scheduled for the days they were contractually obligated to work. It was wonderful! Everything was organized. Everyone knew exactly where they needed to be, when they needed to be there and what was expected during class!
A few other benefits...
1. I no longer teach on Saturdays! Hooray! Of course, I have lost the overtime pay that I earned on Saturdays, but I can go out with my friends who all have the weekends free!
2. I also don't have to teach TOEFL classes anymore! TOEFL classes are the training classes for the English-As-A-Foreign-Language tests that students have to take in order to attend foreign schools. TOEFL classes are boring! (Think of how exciting your SAT prep courses were... See what I mean?)
3. I get to teach two of my favorite little boys... Tom and Harry. They are about five years old and the silliest little boys you have ever met! They can't sit still for even thirty seconds, but they laugh and giggle, so I can't stay mad.
4. There is MUCH less prep work for all my classes. Teaching 5th grade history takes much less effort to explain than trying to convey the implications of anthropocentrisim and cost/benefit impact analysis to middle school children!
Nonetheless, changes are usually bittersweet. I no longer teach my favorite debate class. It was a group of about six students, all boys and one girl. The boys were rowdy and really goofy. The girl was quiet and shy, intimidated by the boy's extroverted personalities. But, the girl became more confident and the boys became more focused and I always had a very good time!
In fact, this wasn't the only debate class I lost. I lost most of my debate classes! I'm teaching mostly elementary (4th and 5th grade) US history and science. I still teach some debate on the weekends, but only on Sundays. What a shame!
But, as you can see there are many more positives than negatives. I'm very happy with my situation.
Onto other news...
I'm reading Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men." I've wanted to read it for awhile, but I just hadn't made time. I came across a passage that I thought was beautifully written...
" The end of man is knowledge, but there is one thing he can't know. He can't know whether knowledge will save him or kill him. He will be killed, all right, but he can't know whether he is killed because of the knowledge which he has got or because of the knowledge which he hasn't got and which if he had it, would save him. There's the cold in your stomach, but you open the envelope, you have to open the envelope, for the end of man is to know."
I'm going to the American embassy tomorrow. I know it sounds silly, but I am really looking forward to those 45 minutes I'll spend on American soil.
By the end of the month I'm going to have to make a 3-4 day trip to Japan. Poor me.
Within three months I'll have to take a 4-5 day trip to California. Poor me, again.
I don't think I'm going to be getting a bigger apartment. I may be stuck in my shoebox for the next nine months. In that case... I'll make it a bad ass shoebox!
Yesterday was the first day back to work after Mr. Lee was fired. And even on the first day the changes were evident!
There was a meeting with all the teachers. Schedules were handed out to every teacher. The textbooks were properly labeled and curriculum schedules for the entire month were distributed. Each teacher was only scheduled for the days they were contractually obligated to work. It was wonderful! Everything was organized. Everyone knew exactly where they needed to be, when they needed to be there and what was expected during class!
A few other benefits...
1. I no longer teach on Saturdays! Hooray! Of course, I have lost the overtime pay that I earned on Saturdays, but I can go out with my friends who all have the weekends free!
2. I also don't have to teach TOEFL classes anymore! TOEFL classes are the training classes for the English-As-A-Foreign-Language tests that students have to take in order to attend foreign schools. TOEFL classes are boring! (Think of how exciting your SAT prep courses were... See what I mean?)
3. I get to teach two of my favorite little boys... Tom and Harry. They are about five years old and the silliest little boys you have ever met! They can't sit still for even thirty seconds, but they laugh and giggle, so I can't stay mad.
4. There is MUCH less prep work for all my classes. Teaching 5th grade history takes much less effort to explain than trying to convey the implications of anthropocentrisim and cost/benefit impact analysis to middle school children!
Nonetheless, changes are usually bittersweet. I no longer teach my favorite debate class. It was a group of about six students, all boys and one girl. The boys were rowdy and really goofy. The girl was quiet and shy, intimidated by the boy's extroverted personalities. But, the girl became more confident and the boys became more focused and I always had a very good time!
In fact, this wasn't the only debate class I lost. I lost most of my debate classes! I'm teaching mostly elementary (4th and 5th grade) US history and science. I still teach some debate on the weekends, but only on Sundays. What a shame!
But, as you can see there are many more positives than negatives. I'm very happy with my situation.
Onto other news...
I'm reading Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men." I've wanted to read it for awhile, but I just hadn't made time. I came across a passage that I thought was beautifully written...
" The end of man is knowledge, but there is one thing he can't know. He can't know whether knowledge will save him or kill him. He will be killed, all right, but he can't know whether he is killed because of the knowledge which he has got or because of the knowledge which he hasn't got and which if he had it, would save him. There's the cold in your stomach, but you open the envelope, you have to open the envelope, for the end of man is to know."
I'm going to the American embassy tomorrow. I know it sounds silly, but I am really looking forward to those 45 minutes I'll spend on American soil.
By the end of the month I'm going to have to make a 3-4 day trip to Japan. Poor me.
Within three months I'll have to take a 4-5 day trip to California. Poor me, again.
I don't think I'm going to be getting a bigger apartment. I may be stuck in my shoebox for the next nine months. In that case... I'll make it a bad ass shoebox!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Big Foot...
One more funny story.
The other day I was walking home and I noticed a very small child (3-4 years old) staring at me as I turned the corner. I looked over, smiled and waived. At the top of his lungs he pointed at me and shouted "America person" in Korean. He turned and ran away as fast as he could. I kept walking, laughing to myself. A moment later I heard more yelling. The boy had returned with his sister and was pointing to me as I walked away. The only words I recognized were, "America person."
Maybe they think that Americans are simply urban legends.
In that case, just call me Big Foot.
The other day I was walking home and I noticed a very small child (3-4 years old) staring at me as I turned the corner. I looked over, smiled and waived. At the top of his lungs he pointed at me and shouted "America person" in Korean. He turned and ran away as fast as he could. I kept walking, laughing to myself. A moment later I heard more yelling. The boy had returned with his sister and was pointing to me as I walked away. The only words I recognized were, "America person."
Maybe they think that Americans are simply urban legends.
In that case, just call me Big Foot.
Leap Year...
Well, the past few days have been crazy! Totally unpredictable.
A few weeks ago our hagwon expanded and all the high school and middle school staff moved to the fifth floor in our building while the elementary staff stayed on the third floor. We were using new classrooms and just getting organized in our new offices. It seemed as though the school was growing and all was well... I was wrong!
At about 9:30pm on Tuesday, I was just getting my things organized to go home and one of the supervisors came into the office and told everyone that they needed to pack all their things and move them back to the third floor. Very surprised, and a bit nervous, I gathered my things and started moving downstairs. A group of five big Korean guys started tearing down the offices... unhooking computers, moving desks, clearing furniture and hauling it out of the office. Within thirty minutes the fifth floor offices were bare and it was obvious that something was very wrong. Two of the supervisors pulled aside the foreign teachers and explained that the investors had just fired the principle and that the hagwon was being downsized, back to its original size. Our jobs were safe. Everything was fine. But, Mr. Lee (the principal) had been lying about the hagwon finances and he was immediately fired.
It was incredibly chaotic. It felt like a movie scene where a fly-by-night organization was being shut down in order to get out of town with all the money they stole.
But, let me give you a few more interesting details.
A few weeks ago we lost one of our most important teachers at the school. She was tired of Mr. Lee's disorganization and disrespect so she decided to take a vacation and then work somewhere else. We had been really struggling to fill in the gaps. But, then last week another really important teacher, Cathy, just quit. Out of the blue, she just said she wasn't coming back. If you have been reading this blog, you'll remember the previous post about how the school was too disorganized to fill-in for her classes and it was a last-minute scramble to cover the schedule. Well, on Tuesday night when I was moving my stuff back to the third floor, Cathy was there. I was really surprised. Here is what happened....
The Korean teachers at the school have hated Mr. Lee for a long time and tried to get him fired, but failed. So, when the first teacher left a weeks ago things got chaotic, but not enough for Mr. Lee to be fired. So, Cathy plotted with some of the other teachers. She went to the major investor, told him that she was quitting entirely because of Mr. Lee. After she left, the Korean teachers knew that her classes needed to be covered. (The Korean teachers are amazing... So smart! So organized! Really fantastic!) But, this time they decided to just let Mr. Lee and the supervisor do their jobs. They weren't going to step in and cover the classes. And, of course, just as the Korean teachers predicted... Mr. Lee didn't do his job and the classes were awful and the kids and parents complained. This incident and the financial "discrepancies" were enough to inspire the investors to fire Mr. Lee.
Of course, I found out about all of this later over beers with the other teachers. It was brilliant! As soon as Mr. Lee was fired, the investors immediately asked Cathy to come back (thank god!) and things are already MUCH more organized. I am particularly happy because Cathy sits next to me in the office and she is an awesome desk-mate!
And the last detail... I got a text message from Mr. Lee yesterday. He wants to meet with me and talk "important business." He sent the same message to another English teacher at the hagwon. He's going to try and steal us to come work with him. There is no way that is going happen!
Crazy, huh?
Gotta love this shit!
Onto other fun stories...
The debate tournament this weekend has been so much fun! I had to give the PM speech in the demo debate and I was excited, but SO nervous. My hands were shaking. It was only about 100 people and I got a knot in my stomach! No kidding. I can assure you that debating is not like riding a bike. When it comes to debating skills... Use it or lose it!
And, I have an embarrassing confession. I was the PM, but either my partner or I could give the final rebuttal speech. I was so nervous that I let my partner give the speech. I acted as though I was being generous and gracious... But, I let me nerves get the best of me. It was pretty bizarre and personally unacceptable for irrational fear to take control. But, I'm trying to defy my tendency to be too hard on myself, and I've decided to let myself have this one slip-up. Here is my rational. Leap Year! It was Feb 29th when I acted like a total debate-pansy! It must have been the extra day, the moon cycles or the pattern of the stars that was throwing me off. So, I'm going to allow myself to wuss out once every four years. But, that means that I've already met my quota for the next four years. I'm going to have to step it up!
Jacki is not a pansy!
And while I am not a pansy, I am a total hobo! Last night I met up with a couple of my friends in Gangnam. We had such a goofy time. These guys are really funny and every time we go out, it always ends up being a kickback, go-with-the-flow night! Well, by 2:30am it was down to just two of us. We were done drinking and grabbed fast food just as the restaurant was closing... but we had no place to eat! Looking for warmth, we just sat on the floor in the subway station. Seriously. Leaned up against the wall and kicked it in Gangnam station. We looked like homeless people! I have no doubt we probably contracted numerous diseases and viruses from the filthy station, but it was really fun. Good times.
One more debate note; my students are winning rounds! They are so proud... glowing with energy and excitement! And I am more than happy to reward them with double high-fives for their achievements!
Finally... I have an awesome purse! It is an authentic Harvey seat belt purse that I've had since Christmas, but just never used. I pulled it out my closet and it is finally making its debut. It looks awesome and is my new favorite purse. Way to go Mom... Great present!
A few weeks ago our hagwon expanded and all the high school and middle school staff moved to the fifth floor in our building while the elementary staff stayed on the third floor. We were using new classrooms and just getting organized in our new offices. It seemed as though the school was growing and all was well... I was wrong!
At about 9:30pm on Tuesday, I was just getting my things organized to go home and one of the supervisors came into the office and told everyone that they needed to pack all their things and move them back to the third floor. Very surprised, and a bit nervous, I gathered my things and started moving downstairs. A group of five big Korean guys started tearing down the offices... unhooking computers, moving desks, clearing furniture and hauling it out of the office. Within thirty minutes the fifth floor offices were bare and it was obvious that something was very wrong. Two of the supervisors pulled aside the foreign teachers and explained that the investors had just fired the principle and that the hagwon was being downsized, back to its original size. Our jobs were safe. Everything was fine. But, Mr. Lee (the principal) had been lying about the hagwon finances and he was immediately fired.
It was incredibly chaotic. It felt like a movie scene where a fly-by-night organization was being shut down in order to get out of town with all the money they stole.
But, let me give you a few more interesting details.
A few weeks ago we lost one of our most important teachers at the school. She was tired of Mr. Lee's disorganization and disrespect so she decided to take a vacation and then work somewhere else. We had been really struggling to fill in the gaps. But, then last week another really important teacher, Cathy, just quit. Out of the blue, she just said she wasn't coming back. If you have been reading this blog, you'll remember the previous post about how the school was too disorganized to fill-in for her classes and it was a last-minute scramble to cover the schedule. Well, on Tuesday night when I was moving my stuff back to the third floor, Cathy was there. I was really surprised. Here is what happened....
The Korean teachers at the school have hated Mr. Lee for a long time and tried to get him fired, but failed. So, when the first teacher left a weeks ago things got chaotic, but not enough for Mr. Lee to be fired. So, Cathy plotted with some of the other teachers. She went to the major investor, told him that she was quitting entirely because of Mr. Lee. After she left, the Korean teachers knew that her classes needed to be covered. (The Korean teachers are amazing... So smart! So organized! Really fantastic!) But, this time they decided to just let Mr. Lee and the supervisor do their jobs. They weren't going to step in and cover the classes. And, of course, just as the Korean teachers predicted... Mr. Lee didn't do his job and the classes were awful and the kids and parents complained. This incident and the financial "discrepancies" were enough to inspire the investors to fire Mr. Lee.
Of course, I found out about all of this later over beers with the other teachers. It was brilliant! As soon as Mr. Lee was fired, the investors immediately asked Cathy to come back (thank god!) and things are already MUCH more organized. I am particularly happy because Cathy sits next to me in the office and she is an awesome desk-mate!
And the last detail... I got a text message from Mr. Lee yesterday. He wants to meet with me and talk "important business." He sent the same message to another English teacher at the hagwon. He's going to try and steal us to come work with him. There is no way that is going happen!
Crazy, huh?
Gotta love this shit!
Onto other fun stories...
The debate tournament this weekend has been so much fun! I had to give the PM speech in the demo debate and I was excited, but SO nervous. My hands were shaking. It was only about 100 people and I got a knot in my stomach! No kidding. I can assure you that debating is not like riding a bike. When it comes to debating skills... Use it or lose it!
And, I have an embarrassing confession. I was the PM, but either my partner or I could give the final rebuttal speech. I was so nervous that I let my partner give the speech. I acted as though I was being generous and gracious... But, I let me nerves get the best of me. It was pretty bizarre and personally unacceptable for irrational fear to take control. But, I'm trying to defy my tendency to be too hard on myself, and I've decided to let myself have this one slip-up. Here is my rational. Leap Year! It was Feb 29th when I acted like a total debate-pansy! It must have been the extra day, the moon cycles or the pattern of the stars that was throwing me off. So, I'm going to allow myself to wuss out once every four years. But, that means that I've already met my quota for the next four years. I'm going to have to step it up!
Jacki is not a pansy!
And while I am not a pansy, I am a total hobo! Last night I met up with a couple of my friends in Gangnam. We had such a goofy time. These guys are really funny and every time we go out, it always ends up being a kickback, go-with-the-flow night! Well, by 2:30am it was down to just two of us. We were done drinking and grabbed fast food just as the restaurant was closing... but we had no place to eat! Looking for warmth, we just sat on the floor in the subway station. Seriously. Leaned up against the wall and kicked it in Gangnam station. We looked like homeless people! I have no doubt we probably contracted numerous diseases and viruses from the filthy station, but it was really fun. Good times.
One more debate note; my students are winning rounds! They are so proud... glowing with energy and excitement! And I am more than happy to reward them with double high-fives for their achievements!
Finally... I have an awesome purse! It is an authentic Harvey seat belt purse that I've had since Christmas, but just never used. I pulled it out my closet and it is finally making its debut. It looks awesome and is my new favorite purse. Way to go Mom... Great present!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
