Chuseok part 3

On Monday we met up in Dongdaemun, Holly's dong (neighborhood). Dongdaemun is famous for its shopping markets, which include everything from department stores to cheap knock offs on the street. Since I'm trying to save money, I've been trying to stay away from this area, but luckily most of the shops were closed for Chuseok.

At Cerestar Department store, we stumbled upon an impressive drumming/dancing show and watched it for awhile.

Then we headed over to the actual Dongdaemun, which means "Great East Gate." During the Joseon dynasty, it was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul. It is one of only two that are still standing; apparently in February of this year a cab driver went ape wall and burned down Namdaemun, the South Gate.
After that we hit up the tents for some street food and a peek at the merchandise. Another thing that cracks me up about Korea is all the clothing and accessories that sport random phrases in English that more often than not, don't make any sense.


What??



We also walked by a group of policemen who must have been bored because they were playing tag and frisbee in a parking lot. I've been told that Seoul is a very safe city, so they must not have enough to do.


I love Korea :)

Chuseok part 2

On Sunday, I met Josie, Hugh, and Josie's friend Makeeya at City Hall station to check out the Cheonggyecheon stream, a stream that was once covered with concrete to build an elevated highway, but was turned back into a stream in 2003 as part of an urban renewal project. Apparently there was controversy about the billions of dollars spent on this project and debate about whether it's actually doing anything for the city's eco-environment, but the Koreans seem to enjoy it now and so did we. I read that it's also supposed to be symbolic of Korea's progress in recent decades.

Cheonggyecheon stream


One thing that cracks me up about Korea is that people will nap anywhere: at their desks at work, in their trucks, and apparently in the middle of downtown. This guy was sleeping next to a giant cone sculpture near the stream:



After strolling along the Cheongyyecheon and admiring the artwork and some guy's pet monkey, we took the subway up to Gyeongbok Palace (or Gyeongbokgung), one of the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built in the Joseon Dynasty.

Makeeya strikes a pose at the entrance

Another building inside the gates

Lots of kids were dressed in traditional hanbok


Palace guards (just for show)

Chuseok Weekend, part 1

This post is almost three weeks late, but I did say earlier that I would post about Chuseok. It also occurred to me that this is supposed to be about my "adventures" in Korea, and so far I've mostly talked about teaching. Not that teaching isn't an adventure, but anyway...

After the prison-like experience that was orientation, we (SMOE members) had our first full week of teaching. The week after that we got 4 days off (some of us 5) for Chuseok holiday, which can best be described as Korean Thanksgiving. This is probably the biggest holiday in Korea, and traditionally Koreans return to the towns of their ancestors to offer thanks to their ancestors' spirits for a good harvest. However, I asked a lot of teachers and students about their Chuseok plans and most of them were staying in Seoul. Actually a lot of my students said they would be spending the time off studying for mid-terms, which are going on this week at school.

They did say that people still make songp'yon, a traditional Korean pastry made of (big surprise here) rice. I've never seen so many things made from rice before moving here; or squid for that matter. Also, a lot of children wear a hanbok, or traditional dress for the occasion. (See pictures above) Otherwise, it sounds very much like an American Thanksgiving, where you eat a lot and sit around and watch TV with relatives.

When I found out about our time off for Chuseok, I immediately thought of a trip to Japan. I want to see as much as possible while I'm here, so any vacation time we have, I make big plans in my head. However, Holly (roommate at orientation) pointed out that we wouldn't be getting our first paycheck until after Chuseok, so we should probably stay in Seoul. Holly's a smart gal because I barely made it to pay day without what would have been an expensive trip to Japan.

So we stayed in Seoul and hit up some of the tourist destinations in our own backyard. I'm glad we did, because there is so much do right here in Seoul, and now I have a better idea of places to take people who come to visit me. I still don't know when Japan will happen, but Koreans celebrate a lot of holidays and there will hopefully be another long weekend soon. (Thailand and Cambodia are on the agenda for Winter Break)

On our first day off, (Saturday) we hiked up Dobongsan Mountain which is at the northern border of Seoul in Bukhansan National Park. Josie (my other orientation roommate) has lived here for a year now and decided that she is going to hike up all the mountains in Korea, so she recruited some of us to go with her. It was a moderately difficult hike, pretty rocky and steep, but nothing like the Volcano hike I did in Nicaragua during spring break '07. However, when we got to the peak, I had a mini panic attack trying to get to the top. There was nothing to prevent us from falling to our death other than this wobbly iron railing that I clung to for dear life while scaling the rock. Being a total American, I kept commenting how it was a law suit waiting to happen. In the U.S., you would have had to sign a waiver saying the park isn't responsible for your death or gotten a climbing license or something. But this is Korea, and they don't have people suing McDonald's because the coffee is too hot...yet. Panic attack aside, it was a good time and a great photo opp.

My hiking buddies:


Like I mentioned above, Koreans can't seem to get enough squid. They were selling it in jerky form at the base of the mountain. Actually this might be octopus...but you get the idea.

I got a big kick out the signs in the park. My coteacher told me that this one means "Don't take my acorns!" and warns that park goers will be fined for doing so.

"Don't even try to bring your bugle up this mountain!" At least that's what I think it says :)


Minjung said this one says to stay off the mountain when there's lightning. I love how dramatic it is.


"David" decided to join our hike so he could practice his English with us. He didn't understand why I wanted a picture of people's backs (I was trying to be artsy) He also got irritated that we took so many breaks.


Again, this rickety iron fence was all that separated us from falling to our death. It was scary.


I must say that for all my complaining, the view was worth it. This is my new city!

"Hello, I am a foreigner"

Minjung and I were just about in hysterics about this at lunch today. She and Eunjin (another one of my co-teachers) were teaching me simple Korean phrases since for once, because of midterms, they weren’t insanely busy and we had time to sit down and chat.

I said that I would start going around saying, “I am a foreigner” to everyone, as if it wasn’t glaringly obvious. (I stick out like sore thumb most of the time here.) Eunjin said it would be unnecessary; it would be like her telling people she was Asian. I said, that’s why it’s funny.

We were also talking about how I’m sort of like a 4 year old here. I’m starting to read Hangul, but very slowly, like a kid who is just learning to read. I told them that my friend back home bought me little kid chopsticks that have a rubber gripper to bring here, and Minjung said I should bring them to lunch next week because the teachers would get a big kick out of it. I had thought the kid chopsticks were just a novelty gift at Patina, but kids here actually use them to learn, like her 4 year-old nephew. So Abby, you will be happy to hear that your chopsticks will be put to use next week ☺

I love that Minjung (my main co-teacher) and I have the same sense of humor. I told her that I think she is the Korean version of me, because every time she says something about herself (i.e. she’s really scatterbrained, she loves to sing, she loves to shop, she’s technology inept, etc) I’m like, me too! We have so much in common, we just never have time to hang out because she’s been so busy.

She and I both agreed that in October we would spend more time together outside of school, since midterms, which she coordinates, will be over, and she will be done with the English textbook she’s helping publish. We’ve made a lot of plans since discovering all of our shared interests. When she took me to immigration to get my alien registration, we sang along to the Mamma Mia soundtrack in her car and she discovered I could harmonize, since then she’s wanted to go to noraebang with me. We also made plans to go out for Thai food (my favorite) and for her to teach me how to cook a few simple dishes, since one thing we do not share in common is the fact that she can cook.

Overall it’s been a great week. Tuesday I got my alien registration card, allowing me to get a phone, and Wednesday I got paid, finally! People from home have been asking how things are going, and my response was always, “Great, but I have no phone, “or “Great, but I have no money.” Now it’s just “great,” no buts. I am having a blast here so far.
I also have a week off from teaching since the students are testing all day, so I have lots of free time at work to update this blog, practice Hangul, plan my trip to Thailand over winter break, and of course, Facebook. It also was a gorgeous fall day today; the first we’ve had here. I have no complaints ☺

Minjung and me at an Italian restaurant near the school

Small Victories

When you’re living in a city of 10.4 million people, in a country where you don’t speak the language, small victories like getting to school on your own, navigating the subway system, and reading a word (or part of a word) in Hangul feel like huge triumphs. Also when you’re me, and you’re domestically challenged and lacking practical skills, simple tasks like doing laundry and making scrambled eggs are cause for celebration.

Tonight I successfully used my stove for the first time to make dinner. Yes, I’ve been here for 2 days short of a month and I still haven’t had the courage to use the stove. I’ve been eating out for the most part or eating college-kid meals like cereal and ramen. But I quickly realized that I’m not going to save any money if I’m eating out all the time. (Such wisdom I’ve acquired here!)

I had reason to fear the gas stove. When I lived in Uptown after college, I once didn’t turn the gas off all the way on our stove and left the building for the day. That afternoon I got a call from my roommate telling me that our neighbors called the landlord about the gas smell, and she came home to a note from the fire department saying they broke in to shut the gas off. I could have burned down the entire building, or if I had stayed home to take a nap like I had considered, died of asphyxiation. I personally think gas stoves should be outlawed, but apparently not everyone is as clueless as I am.

The stove in my apartment here has a gas pipe on the wall that you have to turn on, and I was scared that if I played around with it, I would blow up my apartment or something. I know it’s ridiculous, but I don’t have a good track record in the kitchen.

So I made eggs and beef patties for dinner tonight, and I’m feeling pretty proud of myself. Sad I know.

Missing North

Written 9-18-08

Don't tell the IT staff at North, but I'm still able to access my e-mail account there. Since today is a slow day at my school, (the kids are testing so I have lots of free time) I was browsing some of the staff e-mails and opened up the Homecoming Coronation list. Reading the names made me a little sad. My first year at North, I knew maybe one or two of the students nominated. My second year, a few more. This year, not only do I know most of the students nominated, but I recognize the names of younger siblings in 9th and 10th grade. One of the things I love about teaching is getting to know my students, and it would have been fun to have some of their younger siblings in class this year. It also would have been neat to see my first group of sophomores, the class of 2009, walk at graduation this year, but that is unlikely. Even if I decide to stay another year in Korea, which I am considering, I can't take my home leave until the end of July. (If I don't stay another year, I finish my contract in the end of August)

Not that I regret coming here at all; it's been amazing so far and I'm learning so much, but it was really hard for me to leave North, and I like that I still have my e-mail account and that my teacher page is still up because it's like I haven't been officially "erased" yet.

So I'm going to take a moment to be a big sap and say to all my former kiddos that I miss you guys and even though I'm not standing at the door every Friday to say this, I still hope you're being safe and making good choices :)

~Ms. S.

A much needed update

(Written 9-18-08)

I have a lot of excuses for why I haven't done a good job of updating this, (no internet at home, no time at school, etc.) but it really comes down to the fact that so much has happened in the past 25 days that rather than try to capture it all in a blog posting, I've just been avoiding it.

I have no excuses today, however. Yesterday (they are very last-minute here) I found out that my students have a pre-SAT test all day so I'm not teaching. Instead I'm sitting in a room full of kids diligently filling out bubble sheets. If I had to sum up the Korean Education system in one word, it would be that: testing. At least at the high school level, everything (curriculum, instruction, scheduling) is geared toward preparing students for university entrance exams, a.k.a. the Korean SAT. In Korea, everything seems to depend on your score on this exam. Without a good score, you can't get into one of the top universities, which means you won't get a good job and will have a miserable life. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but that's what you would think because of how much emphasis they put on this test.

My students take placement tests, or mid-terms, twice a semester and spend their days and nights studying for these tests, which are supposed to prepare them for THE test, which they take senior year.

As a result, the teachers have to cover a certain amount of textbook material before each placement test and drill this material with the students. Instruction consists of a lot of rote memorization and repetition; there is no room for creativity or student-centered learning.

That's where I come in. At orientation, S.M.O.E. representatives told us that our primary goal here is to get students excited about speaking English. They study English beginning in 1st grade at the public schools, and as a whole, are very good at reading and writing it. Speaking English is another story. Since there is no oral portion of the entrance exam, it hasn't been the focus until recently, when the government decided to fill the schools with us Native English Speaking Teachers. (NEST's) As a NEST, I am supposed to plan fun, engaging lessons that will get my students speaking English and enjoying it, but at the same time, review the textbook material so they can prepare for the test.

Easier said than done. Even though the 10th graders are divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, (they’re called streaming classes) there is still a wide range of ability in each class. There are always those 2 or 3 rockstars that sit in the front and answer every question, often because they’ve lived abroad with their parents. Then there are the kids towards the back, who are either sleeping, texting or chatting with their neighbor, who either don’t understand what I’m saying, or are just completely uninterested in speaking English; I’m not sure which.

Such is the reality of teaching. Even back home I had the rockstars who loved to read and write and had me edit their essays multiple times before they handed them in, and then there were the kids who would rather stick pencils in their eyes than write a 5 paragraph essay. One of the hardest parts of my job was trying to figure out how to meet the needs of all my students; regardless of ability level, and it’s the same thing here.

There are exceptions though. My favorite classes hands down are the all-girl, intermediate level classes. They participate and do what I ask and seem to truly enjoy learning English. My last class of the week, 6th period on Friday, is one of these classes and it’s nice ending the week on a happy note. Especially when there are classes like the all-boy, beginner and intermediate level who are definitely the most challenging groups. I have one class that is an intermediate, all-boys class that makes me wonder what I am doing here. It takes them about 20 minutes to settle down and do the activity, and even then, less than half of them are actually following along. I call them the “steak boy” class, because there is one kid who skips up and down shouting, “I love steak, I love pizza, I love chicken!” Every question I ask in class he somehow manages to insert something about steak into his response. It was hysterical the first time, but now that it’s a regular occurrence, it’s not so funny. And unless I want to start carrying around a stick and threatening whacking them (which sadly occurs in schools here) I have no consequences and therefore no authority. I do have one means of getting them to do what I ask, and that is games. They love competition, and I think I will just tell them if they behave like that, they won’t get to play the game at the end of the period.

Overall, things are going really well. It’s just that I’m fighting the battle of a lack of motivation with a lot of these kids. Unless they put a speaking component on the university entrance exam, only the students who have lived abroad or want to be diplomats actually want to practice speaking. I also don’t assign any grades, which was my students’ main motivation back in the U.S. If they didn’t pay attention and do the assignment, they didn’t get credit for my class. I don’t have that here. But similar to teaching back home, I am trying to focus on the things I have control over and just doing the best that I can.

Media-less

I am so out of it these days. I missed the RNC in my hometown, I heard from someone at Orientation about McCain choosing a running mate, and now my mom is asking me in an e-mail about Kim Jong Il's possible stroke. She asked if people were talking about it over here, and I wouldn't know. I live in a city of 11 million people, but I might as well be living in grass hut in Fiji. I still have no phone, cable or internet in my apartment, and I don't speak Korean. (I am learning the alphabet, slowly but surely) With the exception of my Facebook mini feed, all my news is through the grapevine. It's pretty sad. I'll have to start making more of an effort to stay informed. Once I get my Alien Registration Card, I can get a phone, internet, and cable channels in English.

Apparently the media here are talking about Kim Jong Il (in Korean) According to my co-teacher, South Koreans are hesitant to speculate about his condition because of the lack of evidence, and in fact, she's heard that his condition is improving and chances are he won't keel over anytime soon. Maybe I'll head up there this weekend for the Chuseok holiday and investigate. (Just kidding)

Here's today's New York Times story for more info: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/world/asia/11korea.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

P.S. More on Chuseok and my first week of teaching later...I've been crazy busy this week and this site is blocked at school.

SMOE Orientation

I never realized how addicted to caffeine I was until this week. Here at orientation they serve what is a poor attempt at coffee every morning. It was maybe originally coffee, but has been watered down until the coffee flavor is barely detectable. They also have a convenient store that sells nearly everything but Diet Coke, which has always been my afternoon fix.

I am dying. I usually have at least a 12 oz. of strong, black coffee every morning and then a Diet Coke pick-me up in the afternoon. This is the first time in years I've had neither, and I feel like a walking zombie and get a withdrawal headache everyday. I know this means I'm an addict and should cut back, but I love both and am not ready to give them up. I've been complaining a lot to my poor roommates who have to listen to me fantasize about a tall dark roast with room for cream.

In my "dong" (neighborhood) there are plenty of coffee shops, so I'm fine at my apartment, but it's been a rough week here at the Hyundai Learning Center. On top of that they have us in sitting in lecture halls all day long listening to speakers. It's good information, but they could have condensed it into 3 or 4 days tops, rather than a whole week.

On the bright side, I've met a lot of really cool people to hang out with. We're scattered all over Seoul and so far no one is in my dong, but like my roommate Holly said, it just gives us a chance to explore more of the city. It's good having positive people around, because I've heard that you can get frustrated and homesick and fed up at times, so I'll need people like Holly to lift my spirits. You should actually check out her blog because she's much better at updating it than I am: http://theadventuresofhollynicole.blogspot.com/

I'll write more soon, I actually have to go give a practice lesson with my other roommate, Josie, who is also awesome and has a blog of her MANY travels you can check out here: http://www.travbuddy.com/bigbluemonster

Peace

Some of my new teacher friends:


Me & Josie working our obliques


Learning traditional Korean dancing


I haven't been a fan of the food at orientation. This is Tuesday night's octopus and seaweed: