GEC

So I went to an English Club held at a cafe for the first time.  Been meaning to for quite awhile.  I am glad I went.  There were people there from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Poland, Mexico, and 8 from the USA.  Over 30 were there altogether.  Mostly Koreans.  However the purpose is to practice learning and speaking English.  3 of the Americans were from Omaha, Nebraska which I found pretty nifty since I graduated from a college in the next city over.

Didn't stay the whole time.  It goes officially from 7:30 to 9:30 with a ten minute break in the middle.  I opted out during breaktime since getting back to campus gets very interesting the later at night it becomes.  Had jasmine tea there which was a nice change from the lattes I had enjoyed at Starbucks early.  Can't tell you how hyper I am now.  If you know what "Korean Happy Feet" are, then I assure you I am a native at it at the moment.

Will plan on spending every Friday there that I can from here on out.  One of the older Americans who plays the guitar and sings shows up around 5-5:30pm to enjoy his music.  I plan to get there around the same time so I can listen.  He is really good despite his modest assurances that he is not.  My 3rd grade middle school student, who is trying to get into a high school in Japan that focuses on graphics and anime, is the one who introduced me to this place.  I know one of the members as she is an elementary teacher in my little town of Namsan.  Quite cool.

Internet and Stress

First off, excellent news.  The ethernet cord in my apartment has been fixed.  So I am really happy to tell you this is being written and posted from my humble abode.  Inside I am not quite so proper as I am basically doing mental dancing while screaming "It works!  It works!  It works!"

On another note, I'm very worried about the high school seniors.  They have spent the past year studying for tomorrow.  Come morning, all businesses will be closed until late morning.  All schools, except mine, will be closed.  All buses will have just the high school seniors on them.  The entrance exam for university is here.

In preparation for that, classes ended early today.  The classes I do teach tomorrow are later and end earlier as well.  It is something that is observed with religious fervor.  The value of education is very high in South Korea.

Koreans, by the way, do not like how the United States has the electoral college.  They themselves have direct voting.  So to see the USA having presidents who did not gain the popular vote is unnerving for them.  I can understand their confusion and disbelief.  Direct seems simpler in the end.

Daylight Savings

Something of interest.  I live in a country where we do not change the clock.  It is preferred this way and I can't imagine why we still do so in America today.  WWII is long over.  However each to their own.  Koreans and those who live here are very happy with not having a time chance.

Spring Cleaning

When I got back from town today, I offered to pay the student who had come with me to help me with cleaning my house.  After being sick and then doing laundry with the windows closed, my house was a mess and mold was popping up on the walls.  Without her help, I never would have gotten so much done.  I am very grateful to her.  She was able to give me a lot of advice on managing my home that I lacked as well.  I am very thankful for her insights.  We saved the mold for last.  Pulling my bed from the wall and seeing it was horrible.  Armed with bleach, I attacked the wall.  By the time I was done, I was coughing pretty badly.  This is a concern.  We opened the doors to the outside as the windows were no longer enough.  We hope all the mold that is in the air is now gone too.  At least that is my prayer.  Then I went next door and asked Teacher Keith for assistance in learning how to clean the filter in my AC/Heating system.  He showed me how to take the filter out and I went outside with it to sweep off the dirt.  It was a lot of work and we never did get to the bathroom.  I must buy more cleaning supplies and take care of it soon.

Okarina

Today I took a student into town with me to help me find and purchase an okarina.  It is an instrument very similar to a recorder, except that it is now long as much as triangular with curves.  We went to E-Mart where a store assistant, or three, helped us learn where we could buy one.  One lady called her husband for instructions on where and how to get there.  We took a bus to the Siji highschool area and went into a student store.  I bought a plastic okarina to learn on.  If I enjoy it and become good with it, I will buy a more expensive one.  This is good for starters though.

A side note:  Relations between teachers and students here are closer than allowed in the states.  I suppose it would be considered unprofessional to be friends with students.  I do not allow classtime and the relationships outside of class to interfere with their learning.  As I have seen here, it seems that the students who have these closer relationships with their teachers actually study better.  They are less frustrated and depressed.  Knowing this, I will try to learn my students' minds better so that I can help them to learn better. Adjusting to teaching in the United States after this will take getting used to.

Traditional Korean Tea House

This weekend, the bookclub I belong to met.  We went to a traditional tea house to talk about "Pride and Prejudice."  It is a very nice place.  Stone steps lead up to the top of the hill that is contained by stone walls.  It has a nice small lawn with a patio there.  We went inside.  The structure is wooden with wooden overhangs supported by wooden posts.  The L-shaped building has huge windows all around the inside looking into the lawn area.  It is a world all off it's own.  A place of peace separated from the modern world.  Inside there are plenty of western tables and comfy seats.  However, small raised corners boast the traditional tables and cushions as well.  There are old decorations displayed on the walls and against the walls.  Traditional Korean plates, chests, and knick knacks.  I enjoyed several steaming cups of tea and a sweat red bean soup with rice cake soaked in it.  It was a very pleasant two hours.

After Halloween

I'm not sure why, but my classes are really subdued today.  It is like my students have less energy, a lot less energy, than normal.

One of the more active and challenging of my classes is the junior conversation class.  The students have senioritis and for the most part have no wish to learn English.  When I come to class, I usually have most of the class missing until 5 minutes after the bell.  I am not allowed to give them a grade (assignments, tests, or attitude) so there is little to be done in docking them.

Today was a real treat.  Five minutes before class, everyone was in their seats and relatively quiet.  Surprised, I went into explaining prepositions and having students show on the board the meaning of each one.  When we moved onto sentences, I was again surprised that most of my students were actually trying to do the work.  Trying to understand.  A far cry different attitude from earlier this year.  We ended class with a game of hangman and the students didn't bolt for the door.  Who stole my students?  Conversation classes are traditionally difficult, but I appreciate their behavior.

It isn't just their class.  My International classes, though enjoyable to teach, were also just as compliant.  It is like overnight the whole student body underwent some sort of mental change.  Takes some getting used to.