Lunar New Year break

Most of Asia celebrates Lunar New Year on Jan. 26 It is one of their gift giving holidays. I got a gift box from my director again, full of soap and toothpaste. From the gift box on Chusok and the one this week, I will have enough toothpaste to last me a year.
I have Monday and Tuesday off this week. It has been an eventful holiday. On Saturday I went to my friend Yong Jeong's family's house. His mother cooked the traditional Lunar New Year soup. It is a delicious Mandu (dumpling) soup. I ate until I popped. The area they live in is further out of town, but the govmt. is expanding and there are new buildings up all around, happy and clean looking because of the newness. They don't look dingy from all the pollution like the rest of Seoul. It was a nice getaway for the day, and his family is very kind. His mother told him that she thinks of the time he was in America alone for a year, and sees me as a daughter to her. I was very touched and look forward to seeing her again in the springtime.
I also went exploring yesterday with Mandy and we took a subway ride to Nakseongdae. There we visited a monument in honor of a historical general, Gang Gam-chan. There was also a beautiful shrine built in his honor, and people were visiting on Lunar New Years to bring him gifts of rice wine and soju. It was so beautiful, and a very sunny day with big billowy clouds.
Today Mandy and I will go to the Olympic Park and see some artistic statues. I look forward to another outing.
I have been attending yoga classes this month and really enjoying it. I think I will keep going.
Well, that's all for now. I miss my people. Send lots of love.

Road bumps

I had heard from people who have worked here in Korea for more than one year that halfway through a year contract you better watch out. If the directors of the hagwan you work for don't get the impression that you want to stay for another year, then they will start to treat you like crap. Last week was hell week for me. So many issues coming from different directions.

I have known for a while that the older Kindergarten class graduates in February. We still have some younger students, but we are going to need about 20 more to enroll to get the numbers back up. We are also losing a lot of our older students, and are in desperate need to enroll more students to get the school out of financial trouble. I have outright asked the head teacher if the directors are going to be able to keep 4 of the American teachers for the rest of the year. She confidently said, "yes...I think so". I think since there are 4 Korean teachers leaving at the end of their contract in Feb., the directors may only hire a couple more Korean teachers, and this may level out the money situation.

Also, two Fridays ago, myself and a Korean teacher were pulled into a meeting about a conversation class that we were both struggling with. It is a one month winter intensive class and I was given a simplistic grammar/vocab book to use. I had been trying to use the book, but one student complained that it was too easy. Complaints from students are like bombs exploding because of the enrollment scare. So the director and head teacher told me and the Korean teacher that we were teaching wrong, and that we should just use the book as a springboard and teach conversation. It was a long meeting, spoken 85% in Korean, with a little English sprinkled in, but each time just repeating the same thing over and over: "if the students are not happy, then it is just probably the teacher's fault". I tried to eat humble pie for dinner that night, and figure out what I could do differently, even though that had not been explained.

This past Monday I had the class again. The page we were on displayed a big outdoor bbq with foods all over the page, and the words of the foods next to each food. I tried asking the two students to describe in English what it is they see on the page. Silence. I prompted them with words from the page, still more silence. It was painful, and the director was there observing, and it looked like she was going to boil. So after the class I got a talk again, and I asked so many questions so that I could get some clear cut answers about how to teach this class. The head teacher said to have the students close their books and repeat sentences that I come up with. So less of a conversation class, and more of a speaking English verbally, without comprehension. That's just how I see it. She also told me to do a better job with lesson plans, which I did need to hear, but I needed both the instruction and the criticism together, because I didn't know how to make a better lesson plan without knowing how to lead the class. So Tuesday night I made some lesson plans. I was feeling more confident when I went to school Wednesday, but before my class had even happened I got another talk that I better just start doing better or else. Or else? Or else what? I asked what was meant by that, and more talking in circles, but I got the message. In my defense I said that this was all happening very fast, and that I would like the chance to show my improvement.

The rest of the week I was still confronted with other things, my teaching in every class was being scrutinized. I have been here almost 5 months without any feedback. Things seemed to be going smoothly until last week. No 90 day review here, seems its a 5 month review. Next was even better. I was given a brand new class last week. This is the irony to me. It's a Korean woman, who speaks very little English, that I am supposed to teach her how to teach Kindergarten. I found it odd that they were using me to teach her, since my teaching methods had come under such scrutiny. I was given a book to use that is mostly in Korean with about 10 vocab. words in it, and asked to teach her.

I did the best lesson plan that I could. Much of the first twenty minutes was spent explaining words that I was using to her. Then I had her come to the board and role play being a teacher. I was given a review of the first class afterwards, and told that I need to let her speak more. This is getting to be such a joke. I'm really having to save face at work, and try to meet their absurd expectations, while after work letting it roll off, and remembering that I am in a different culture with a major language barrier.

I am friends with the Korean coworkers, and a couple of them have told me that the director gets stressed and goes on a witchhunt, in so many words. They have experienced the same kind of scrutiny, and I was advised to just nod my head and take some deep breaths. I was really appreciative of their confiding that to me. It made me feel much better. It was so strange after 5 months of working here to be put on the chopping block like that. Soon after my troubles, the other American teachers were being confronted, just not as severely as me. But there was definitely "something in the water" last week.

I did confront the director about it, and asked her if she was planning on firing me. She said no, but that they just wanted to give me a little shock. The winter intensive class was only one month, and she needed results faster than I could give them to her. I understood, but didn't understand why she didn't tell the American teachers about the expectations for the winter intensive classes. None of us have a teaching background, and giving us books that don't match the class make it quite difficult to know how to teach a class. It was a frustrating week to say the least. I did start using new methods in my classes, and am feeling more confident that my teaching is matching the director's expectations.

I'd like to see what March has in store for the school, so that we can know just how much better or worse things might get. I think my contract is safe for the rest of the year. I hope so. I like this school for the most part. The directors have cared for me sufficiently, and we have compromized at times, even though it was difficult for us to understand eachother culturally. I have quit smoking and am taking a yoga class twice a week. These are some truly positive things that have come into my life starting this new year, and I am grateful for all that I have.

Chicken poop home

In Korea, especially around my neighborhood. They have very different ways of advertising. The neighborhood consists of a maze of streets. Usually specific streets sell a certain product. There are a few attached streets with beef restaurants. Some pork streets, some seafood, then there are rows of beer and soju bars. The restaurants are my favorite entertainment. I will upload some pictures as soon as I can get back down there and take some. It's really cold right now for little outings. But anyway, the front of the restaurants picture what they are serving. You will first see a picture of some cows grazing in a field, and right next to it is a picture of raw meat on a platter. Lots of raw meat pictures for both beef and pork all over the front of the restaurants. There are also cute cartoon depictions of a happy pig beside a happy cook, and at the top of one restaurant a big happy purple squid bids you come in for some delicious squid soup. I guess the happy animals have no idea they are about to be someone's meal. The raw meat pictures are interesting to me. I guess it is appetizing to see, and helps people make their decision about the best place to eat.
I just recently learned the name of one of the food products that had me laughing for days. They serve chicken butt here, called dak dong jip, which literally translates to chicken poop home. Ummm, yes, waiter, I'd like some delicious chicken poop home for my meal please! You have to understand that the language and usage of is so very different here from America, but things like this are just too good not to tell you about. I forgot my camera when I went grocery shopping, but man is was a trove of good stuff. Squid lying out for purchase, large quantities of cooked pig legs at the deli. The market is really into the pig heads. They have them displayed on rotating disks to draw buyers to them. Yummmmmmy!
Ok, just felt the need to share. Happy eating, everyone.

Just nod your head

Schools back in session. It's my first week back since the winter break. We have some winter intensive courses. Some of mine are given fancy titles like "conversation" class. I get two teenage students who have only been learning English for two years, a first or second grade level word book, and am asked to create an environment of conversation and dialogue with my students. I look at the pages in the book, knowing that it is useless in helping me in a conversation class, so I ask my students about what they see in the pictures. I ask them to describe what they see. .......30 seconds later, no response. So I prompt them with English words and ask them to add to my description......no response. Some of my classes with the older kids are just painful. And then the director complains that I don't engage the kids enough, and adds that I need to explain "is" and "are", "a" and "an", which isn't conversation but grammar. So I'm being told to not use the book given to me to teach with, teach conversation and grammar at the same time, and I don't really know what to do. I know I can improve. I have no teaching background, and really no training from my directors, they just want me to figure it out on my own and somehow magically get my students to speak conversation English. In reality I wish they would just call it what it is, or at least give me materials I can use to teach the type of class they want. I feel like so much of this English education culture here is about study, study, study, just for the sake of studying. Not really creating a progressive learning environment, but pretending it is one. It's the same with the students. When I give report cards I can't really say if a student is doing poorly. I have to say the student is doing good so that the parents will keep them enrolled here. I'm sure the standards are higher in the public school system and at the University level here, but at private English hagwans it seems disorganized and ineffective.
After many similar situations thus far. I take it with a grain of salt, and do the best I can with what I have. It is impossible for me to try and rationalize with anyone, they just see it as a sign of disrespect. So I just nod my head and agree that it is my fault and I will try to do better. And on many levels I do and will keep trying to learn ways to get through to the students and make English fun and easier. I know I'm not perfect, and I accept that there are many things I can learn and improve on. I guess it's a matter of deciding how much energy to put into a job based on what you are getting paid and how many resources are provided to you.

Winter blah

It's cold, cold, cold. Depressing. I did go workout today. 30 minutes on the treadmill walking fast, and 50 sit ups. I think working out will start to help with the depressing cold feelings. I have a hard time with going regularly, but I think Mandy and I can start going together bc of her new schedule, so that should help me get to the gym more. I am also going to start yoga on Tuesday. Twice a week for a month. That will give me something to look forward to.

I'm glad the break is over. I was getting really bored. There is not much to do in Seoul except shop, go to PC rooms, and bars. I'm tired of all of that, so just hung around my neighborhood most of the time. At least with work I have something to fill up a void of energy. I will have new students for a winter intensive course this month.

It's so strange! I feel huge. I feel like I look pregnant, but I have so far lost 13 pounds. I've lost it gradually, so it hasn't felt like I'm losing weight. It's a weird feeling. Normally I would be jumping up and down, but here in tiny land I still am much larger than Korean women. It is just coming off without my knowing it. I will focus more on my abs in the gym and see what affect that has on my belly fat. I wonder how much I will lose in a year?

Uuuugggghhhh

Winter. Winter in a huge dirty city. Nuff said, but I'll continue. Freezing, rainy, slippery, gray, dingy, smelly, nothing to do, huge city. I can't wait until spring.

I'm still here!

Yes, it's Katie. Been a long time, I know. Just wanted to drop a line to say hi and wish you all well for the holidays. I am spending Christmas in Seoul, Korea this year. It will be kinda lonely, but never a dull moment I always say. I have now been working here for 4 months, I have 8 left to go. It's interesting here. Quite different from the States! Fashion sucks, music sucks, everything and everyone seems to be born from this spawn of giggly, cuddly, cute teddy bears, and panda bears, and chiming noises to tell you the washing machine is finished, or the subway stop is ahead, a little digital cutesie music world that I find bizarre.

The temples and palaces are amazing here. The history is fascinating and romantic and so very old here. Some areas of Seoul have great avenues lined with delightful shops filled with traditional art and masks, and I plan to bring some of it home with me. There is mountain hiking a plenty here (I'm not much of a hiker, usually miserable for 90% of the time hiking, but the small amount spent veiwing the scenery between spasmic gasping for air somehow makes it worth while for me. It's absolutely beautiful and feels spiritual to see it in person, or else I'd just look at pictures of scenic beauty and breath better). Shopping is pretty cool, some foods are new and delicious, some not so much.

I live really close to a covered outdoor market called Yeundoungop Chi-jang. It's huge. Different vendors sell a wide range of items from spices to underwear. You could buy fermented and pickled cabbage, called Kimche, or pick a number of types of fish or squid laid out on ice for the entire day while stray cats and dogs roam around. Pigs head on display in the butchers stand (yummy), huge "Rocky punching" slabs of meat hanging inches from the walk way, and of course the delectable frozen dog bodies in the window slide freezers for viewing and choosing the best canine cuts. The market is fascinating, usually a bit smelly from all the Kimche and fish. The spices are pretty to look at, but I haven't the foggiest clue how to cook with them. Mostly foods like meats and vegetables are sold there, but they have other goods too. Blankets, granny panties, shoes.

Korea is an enigma,it is pretty incredible. It’s a society that has undergone such tremendous economic change in a short amount of time. The past 40 years has brought Koreans out of poverty and into a leading country for industry. There are a few generations of Koreans living together in the present that could not be more different in their life experiences. I see this through things like the markets. Older women called "adji-mas" (most definitely incorrect spelling, but correct pronunciation) who pull heavy carts of vegetables and other goods around all day. They can no longer stand up straight because they spent their lives carrying their lively hoods on their backs. And the women in the markets who sit on sheets of cardboard by their vegetables, sometimes napping, other times gabbing with the vendors beside them. It seems a slower more peaceful paced way of life, but a less attractive one to the modern younger generations of South Korea, that spend early morning to the late hours of night working, or studying to become successful, make more money and have more "things". Their fascination with western culture has no limits, and in my opinion they could rival any country in a stake for the most consumerism. Old traditions still taught, but new pockets of rebellion tested in clothes, gender perceptions, music, the usual starting points for upheaval of old standards.

Lets talk about fashion. Korean men and women are for the most part small and slim. The clothes sold here are a mixture of the worst 80's and 90's looks put in pot and simmered until all the colors mix into drab gray, beigie-brown mucus. This year plaid flanel is the rage. Many more mature, married women wear what I refer as sheek bag dresses, which looks fine on them because they are tiny and can get away with wearing something that looks like a potato sack. Some of the fashion is completely outrageous. Fur coats are huge here, and tacky black and white and red and white table cloth design pea coats that make me throw up in my mouth a little. Today I saw a respectable woman in her 50's wearing a hot pink coat with pink fur lining around the collar. It was hard for me not to laugh out loud.

The men, well the younger ones in their teens and 20's wear a lot of members only jackets, tight jeans, and fashion tennis shoes. Their are a lot of mullets here, but not redneck mullets, these are the retro mullets, with sleek straight black hair that seems somehow electrically charged. They still look pretty ridiculous. I’m currently tutoring a 16 year old that will be going to high school in America in January. I told him to get a hair cut. And the other day when he came in wearing a white long sleeve shirt with “Konglish” wording and a black and white “Ambercrombie and Fitch” looking photo of a guy’s stomach on it, I carefully explained that he probably shouldn’t pack that in his luggage when he goes to America. He’s a cool, seemingly heterosexual kid, like many others here, who wear things that would be perceived very differently in America. Please do not misunderstand my descriptions. I am not homophobic, it’s just that a lot of things that are considered fashion here would be seen in America as…..not “straight”.

Once the men get out of college they must get corporate jobs and at that point all of them seem to be wearing the same dark suit and tie. Except, sparkly gay ties are really popular, and I see a lot of bejeweled purple, hot pink, and red ties being worn by business men. Some of the older gentlemen who were probably the pioneers of SK's fortune, they go all out pimp style and wear white suits with the crazy ties, or purple suits with matching hats. And this is not seen as odd here, it’s a sign of power and, I think, manliness. For the most part, the white collar class all look the same. Get on the subway quittin time on any given day and see hundreds of men wearing dark suits. The blue collar guys are less discriminate and mostly work outside in the cold. They wear whatever they get their hands on it looks like to me. They are a completely different story. Another time perhaps.

Shoes. Shoes are a saving grace for reputation here. The shoes here are amazing, and they are everywhere. From department stores to subway stations, shopping is a national past time here. Not to say there aren't a lot of shoes with fake diamond looking rindstones, because there are, but there is also so many styles from Europe, Asia, sexy, rugged, retro, edgy, punk, elegant, anything. Boots are everywhere, beautiful long leather boots that make any woman look strong, curvy, and sexy. Adorable flats, pumps, heels, kitten heels, uggs, baby doll, every style, every color. I especially enjoy seeing women wearing the thigh high "ask me about my blow jobs " boots, because those are also sold right along with the “I'm fierce-sexy-independent-but not a prostitute" boots.

This leads me into my next observation. There are a lot of freakin prostitutes here. AAAAAAA LLLLLLOOOOOOOTTTTTTT. A lot. A lot of Korean and Russian prostitutes. I don’t know the Russian story, but I guess it’s pretty freakin bleak in Russia because they seem to sell their women to every country on the globe, and South Korea is no exception. I have a friend who is stationed at the Army base here. He has given me the low down on the “double barber shop poles”. Army guys are debriefed by their superiors when they get here on how to recognize prostitute “venues”, and told to stay away from certain areas. I’m sure you can visualize the image of the turning barber pole in front of a shop, well the ones with the double poles are supposed to mean haircuts “and more”. Unfortunately, instead of deterring most men from finding themselves in a “sticky” (sorry for the pun) situations, it seems that most of the base goes prostitute shopping the next town over.

Prostitutes are very busy near the base. They are also all over the rest of Korea. It’s something new to me. I mean, I’ve seen it in the States, but not so much of it. I think it’s illegal here, but so is porn, and they play that on the television every late night weekend, and have about 30 porn channels that you can pay extra for. Don’t worry, I’m not engaging in porn viewing. I wish I could get turned on, but the screaming and crying women coupled with the crazed looking, slobbering men, who then turn out to be “really wanting it” women and still more crazed slobbering men, rape porn just doesn’t seem to be my favorite television. I know, it’s crazy, who wouldn’t love it? It’s really strange here, the sexuality of the society, confusing. It’s all covered up, but oh so available.

Ok, it’s definitely time to change the subject. I’d like to address the family systems here. Children start school in daycare, they sit in class rooms and learn subjects very early in life. At age 4 many start music class and begin to learn instruments. Taekwando (again I'm sure incorrectly spelled) is a national sport here, and all children take it. They begin Kindergarten public school around 6 or 7, and by middle school they are trapped in one of the most competitive education systems in the world. Middle schoolers and highschoolers go to school and take extra-curricular and extra academic study classes from early in the morning, many times until 9 or 10 at night. There are a limited amount of Universities here, so the students with the highest averages get into the best schools. It is freakin nuts how hard kids are pushed here. Success is a mark of character and worth as a member of society and family pride. Koreans begin at a very young age to feel great shame if they aren’t the “best”. This is a large task to compete with millions of other people wanting the same thing, to be “successful”. Since there are few natural resources in Korea, the society puts a lot of pressure on education and business.

Family is a lifetime obligation here. Kids don’t turn 18 and get pushed out of the house and on their own. In most cases a man or woman lives with their parents or siblings until they marry. Parents take go to great lengths to provide their children with the most opportunity for education throughout their youth, and continue to support them until the “big break” into the biz, and the expected marriage occurs. This gives the sons and daughters more money to spend on themselves, and the time to make the grades and do some “husband shopping”. I don’t know what to think of this system. I guess it’s obvious that there is less of a society of “individualism” here, and more of a community, and respect based culture. Every move in life, every success or failure seems to be a reflection of the entire family, and it is all tied so deeply together here.

As for myself, I'm learning my way around. I walk a lot, read a lot. Teaching is easy but exhausting. I'm thinking a lot about my future when I return home, and my next goals. I'm glad for the isolation from so many other thoughts, and the ability to think about my future in a more relaxed state of consciousness. I'm enjoying my stay here. It's extremely stimulating and I hope I can do better about conveying my experiences to you all with this blog. I will try to catch you up on outings and adventures, and not so much a social commentary like this one : ) I did visit an enormous palace today. I got some picture with my new camera and will post as soon as I can get them on my computer. So I'll try to write again soon. It helps when Amy pesters me to write in this blog. Somehow she is like my alter concsience that gets tapped into when she sends me a message. I don't know what I'd do with out her : )

I’m really tired from writing now. There is so much more to tell. And I’m afraid I haven’t listed all the wonders and deserving qualities of Korea, but I will. There just so much to tell, and I had to get this out first. Next time, I promise a tour guide of the museums and pleasant restaurants : ) I’m really glad for this experience. Although I miss everyone so much, this is a really neat year spent.

Much love and holiday cheer,
Katie