I had some free time right now so I decided to write a few things. Not much has really happened in the past 2 days but oh well.

Today was activity day at the school. It was Happy Easter Day. Not that close to Easter but only a month off. Well 6 weeks maybe. Well let's start the day. I keep waking up later and later. I'm about 5 minutes later for work every second day. I wish I had more discipline. Then everything was normal except once I got to the crosswalk. I feel the need to complain about crosswalks here. The traffic light system is retarded as far as I'm concerned. Well actually the one I was at at the time is fine but it's the majority of the others that I'm going to talk about. Okay, your standard four way intersection has four sets of light right? One for each direction, I guess, I'll say. Well normally at least 2 of the them are green so it's hard to turn right in traffic (or left for you lone Australian) but in Korea they've taken care of that. Only one of them is lit at a time so you can always turn right (or left) when you have a green light. I don't know what it's like to drive but to be a pedestrian you have to time it just right. So there are four crosswalks right. Well you can only walk across one of them at any point. So if you miss your chance you have to wait for the lights to change 3 other times. No one really jaywalks here either. If they did I wouldn't care but sometimes you just stand there forever waiting. The first time I thought that maybe I just wasn't paying attention and the walk had come and gone. I looked around though. Same people were there.

Well anyways, I was standing at the crosswalk. This one is pretty much familiar, only because 2 lanes can't turn right at all. Well, I sneezed and then my nose started to bleed. I rushed to the school, it wasn't that far, pretending to be fascinated by some tree leaves, signs, sky, whatever. Then I went to the bathroom and was there for 20 minutes, well it felt like that long. In reality it was maybe 15 minutes. My nose would not stop bleeding. I'm worried that maybe I have an iron deficiency or something. I've been having chicken though. Fried chicken, mind you, because I can't find anything else chicken related...unless I bought it at the market but I feel like I get ripped off there. I paid about $2 for 6 bananas. Maybe bananas are just expensive. I didn't try to haggle though. I really don't have the patience. There's supposed to be a Costco in the city somewhere with good deals and western food. I've heard some of the vendors buy all their stuff at Costco and then raise the price. If only it were closeby. Eventually my nose stopped bleeding though so the iron deficiency scare went out of my head. I had visions of me bleeding all day though. I was scared mostly because I was later than usual and no one saw me disappear into the bathroom.

So I had a normal 30 minute class and then an hour break. I'm glad I had that hour. They talked about Easter and painted eggs and did other stuff. Afterwards, we played games. I was in charge of the egg rolling game with one other teacher, though she kept leaving. The other kindergarten classes were so good. The classes rotated games. Then my Melons came to play. I thought all the kindergarten kids were a little misbehaved. Compared to mine they were angels. That Kate is so pushy and has mood swings. Yesterday her little puzzle wasn't perfect and she asked for another one. I didn't have one of course. She keeps bringing me hers. I try to help her and she gets frustrated tears it up and comes back again. I like her Tarzan talk though. Me Kate angry. Paul has quit paying attention completely.

On the plus side, this week has gone by really quickly. I realise that it's not quite over but compared to last week it's just flown by. I should also be getting internet at home soon. Within a few days probably. It'll be so nice to have something to do besides watching my TV. I'll probably venture downtown this weekend. I should be almost fully recovered by then. Maybe, I'll swing by those Korean classes.

I kind of got in trouble yesterday. Amy got ready to do some review over 2 units and found that some students hadn't done their work. It was last Wednesday and I was just starting to get sick so I was a bit rundown. These 4 boys weren't listening that day and wouldn't do their work. I didn't have the energy to do anything about it except repeat 'do your work.' Then they lied and said it was finished. I knew it wasn't but again no energy. So anyways, Amy gave me lecture about making sure their work is done and to assign it as homework if they don't finish. That was before my new rules too so I gave myself some leeway as I knew I wasn't doing my best work. I bet those of you with some degree in education, psychology, or child-based things probably think I'm a horrible teacher. I prefer to say I'm mediocre at the moment.

It's my lunchbreak now. I have to start teaching again in about 43 minutes. Luckily it's my early day so I get to leave at 7 and don't have to be back until 11 tomorrow. That's pretty much all I had to say for the moment.

The past 11 days

It's been a while since I've written anything. I'm not sure why that is. I guess it has something to do with lack of time and or desire. So this is probably the frequency that I'll be posting. Well, actually it could go either way. It turns out that I can get internet hooked up within one day...except that I need a bank account and I won't be opening a bank account probably until I get paid. Actually, my boss is supposed to open an account for me at some point. I should be getting paid on the 10th but I don't know how much it will be. It's definitely going to be my smallest paycheque. First of all, I didn't work a whole month so it's won't be my full 1.9 million won. Then I decided just to get the insurance they offered me at the school. The other teachers took it too. It seems alright but for some reason your first payment is practically equal to all the other installments combined. Actually, I don't know about that but it was a lot more than the monthly payment. There was also accident insurance so more stuff is coming out of my paycheque. I guess I'll find out when I get paid. If I were a better teacher I'd probably ask more questions but once again, I don't want to make it seem like I'm entitled to anything because sometimes I feel like an awful teacher. Someone told me today that there were having a bad day because they had to see me. It was partly a joke (I hope). Older kids hold more grudges. I think she's probably 12 or 13. Yesterday, which overall was probably my best day so far, I was called 'very bad teacher' and had tongue blown at me complete with flying saliva. He was better today. That class has a problem with anger management. Those Nobels! Well all of them but Brian but Brian is absent quite a bit. He just sits a draws.

So let's start back on last Saturday. I was woken up around 8 by the phone. Eunice called to confirm our plans. So early though. Then I got a few more calls to change times and other details. Matt and Renee decided to come and then decided not to. Anyways, I got to the station and Eunice was just getting there too. Perfect timing really. I bought my ticket and Eunice tells me to sit down. I told her that Matt and Renee weren't coming but I guess she didn't hear me though. I wonder why we're sitting and then 10 minutes pass. She makes a comment about Matt and Renee. Oh, I think, I guess she hadn't heard me tell her they weren't coming. I tell her 2 or 3 times in different ways that they aren't coming. I don't know what she thinks I'm saying but anyways she doesn't get and I give up and don't want to embarass her. She knows I was saying something about Matt and Renee but didn't understand just what it was. She pretends to of course. Eventually, we agree that they aren't coming. We get on the subway and head downtown. We end up just walking around for a few hours and making small talk. She shows me a few places where foreigners hang out. I saw a few of them.

It's so weird seeing white people here. I feel like I can just go up and talk to them like we have some kind of automatic connection. I guess there is but the immediate urge to start a conversation is strange. I haven't done it yet though. There's always some kind of hello though and it feels like a common, 'I know what you're going through' is exchanged. Probably more on my part. Anyways, not that important. Downtown, there are more foreigners. There's some military base near downtown. I don't know where but there are military people about. Every foreigner is either connected with the military or is an English teacher. Not many tourists. Maybe there are. What do I know, honestly?

Then Eunice invited me to go to Busan with her and some friends. She calls me at 8 and tells me she'll call me again. She doesn't. On Monday, she tells me her friend's boyfriend doesn't speak English and would've been uncomfortable. I still don't understand why there wasn't a phone call though. So on Sunday, I cleaned and my parents called. Anything else? Nope, don't think so.

Monday to Wednesday was pretty much the same as usual. Eunice called me almost every night to talk about nothing really. She's nice and everything but her interaction with me is almost definitely only educational. I feel like an language whore sometimes. People just feel like they can come up to you and talk to you. I went to the gym yesterday. Oh yeah, last Saturday I got a gym membership. Anyways, this guy, Chen, just comes up to an starts having this full blown conversation. That would never happen anywhere. Anyways, he leaves but I run into him again and we have a conversation by the water cooler for 20 minutes or so. I always feel so awkward having conversations with strangers and leaving conversations too. They also like to drop names in conversation to see if you know the person. He knows Naomi and Simon, both from Canada. He didn't ask if I knew them but it was obvious from the pause after their names that he was checking. Kids too just like to yell out hello and laugh to their friends. It doesn't happen often though and isn't too annoying. There was a kid on the subway with his mother. He didn't notice me at first but then he saw me. I was 3 feet from him. I guess I can blend as long as you don't look right at me. Then he asked if I liked computer games. His mother seemed a little embarassed. I told him they were alright. I didn't want to start anything. He told me goodbye later. There have been a few people that stare. Not many but it still makes you uncomfortable. You can just feel their eyes or look across at a reflection and see them doing it. It's not too bad. Definitely not as bad as I imagined. Most people don't give me a second look. Well sometimes a second but never a third.

Back to my week. I had a hard time waking up on Thursday. I was so tired. It was also a field trip day. We went to the football stadium. Korea hosted the World Cup in 2002 I think. It looked a little imposing. The front was a mix between Soviet Russia and Startrek. Big pointy things over the entrance. Otherwise it was a normal stadium. We went to a sports a museum. Everything in Korean so I didn't learn anything but I guess we don't go on field trips so that I can learn. It was with my kindergarten class. Paul wasn't there luckily. He's a strange little guy. Lately, he calls me Shawn teacher, then Matas teacher, and finally I'm Julie teacher, or elephant teacher. He thinks it's hilarious. He doesn't like to listen either. Today we made 3D glasses. Did he put the red and blue plastic over the eyes. No he cut out weird little shapes and glued them to the side. There's must be some line between genius and (it'll sound harsh but I don't know what other word to use) retardation. I don't know on which side he is. I saw a bit of the city on the bus ride. We also had a little picnic in the park. Sometimes Koreans are super hygienic. There was some other word I thought of at the time but it escapes me know. Sanitised maybe. Anyways, for some reason they can't sit on the grass. They all brought these little maps and seemed concerned that part of me was sitting on the grass. The kids all brush their teeth at lunch and some teachers and then they have their little surgical masks. But then you see them sometimes and they're chewing with their mouths open or not covering their mouths or even turning away when they sneeze. Maybe that's how I got sick. Glenn always sneezes right on his paper no matter how close to it my hands are. Maybe that's just a kid thing. Then again, nobody cares where they spit either. Somethings are just confusing.

So that was the field trip and then back to teach my 6 afternoon classes. No one else has that many I swear. From 630 today I swear I was the only one teaching. I taught until 8. Just 2 girls too. I was so run down by then and my throat was pretty sore. One class was a bit of a disaster. It was a science experiment. I didn't have the directions in English but they were there in Korean so I decided I'd let the kids tell me what to do. I've never so many outside materials before. Usually everything is in this little package but this one required all this water and all these kids are telling me different things. Kids tell me hot water. Only one place for that but it's coffee/tea hot water. It deforms their plastic containers. Turns out it said hot water. My boss came in and helped. I haven't been that grateful or embarassed in a long time. Anyways, I managed to survive. Then Renee's parents are in town so Jupiter town us all out for Korean barbeque. It was alright. Duck was on my 'Do not eat' list but I really didn't have much of a choice. You don't get to order individually. I didn't want to starve. There was that and salad basically. Renee is a picky eater too. She doesn't like Korean food. It's nice to know that she hasn't starved to death. I actually had some salad too. It wasn't a bad meal but I would've preferred it if it had been chicken or something on my acceptable animals to eat list. I also hard some hardboiled duck eggs. Like chicken but harder shells. I was a bit sick too so I might not have picked up on other differences. It was a nice meal.

Jupiter took me home and reluctantly brought up some stuff he'd noticed while I taught. It was stuff I basically knew but it's always embarassing to have someone tell you. I made a resolution to change things though by introducing new rules.

Friday was such a long day. I didn't feel well. I was tired and kids don't care at all. My Einstein class was actually very well behaved. That was a nice surprise. Julie had yelled at them. I'm glad I have them first. Julie has them second so if their names go up on the board, there'll be trouble when Julie comes in. Friday night I ordered a pizza and watched the end of Survivor and the Apprentice. I tried to go to bed early but I couldn't. Too much caffeine and too much light. There's maybe 6 feet between my window and another window. The buildings are the same and when this neighbour of mine has his light on my room is so bright I don't need any kind of light. I really need some curtains. I figure one of those eye mask things would be cheaper. I'd feel a bit girly having one maybe but if it helps me sleep. I couldn't get to sleep last night either. That light is so bright.

Then on Saturday I was still sick. It was some kind of cold. Is some kind of cold. Just sore throat and stuffy nose. Not much of a cough. Anyways, I didn't do much on Saturday. I decided to leave my house around 330 or 4. I decided to just walk up the street to the next subway stop. It turns out there's a big department store not far from my house. Well the next subway stop which was maybe 10 minutes by foot. I didn't go in and ended up walking to the 3rd stop and then just rode it back home. I went to E-mart and bought a few things. No mask though. I cleaned some more. Had left over pizza. I watched SNL and some other stuff that I don't remember. SNL is strange. They show it on Saturday nights but because of the difference by the time the show airs it's Sunday afternoon here so basically the show is already a week old. Kill Bill Vol. 1 came on so I watched that. They have decent movies sometimes. My viewing is rather limited by the fact that I don't know Korean. It really is true. Shows that I didn't care about before will probably become my favourite shows. Sex in the City comes on daily, even at like 8am. I still don't know know if it's 'and the city' or 'in the city.' I imagine they translate it differently though so it isn't too racy. What do I really know though? Maybe they translate dildo into whatever it is in Korean. There's a town called Dildo in Newfoundland. I've actually driven through it.I also found out today that the name Jill translates into vagina in Korean. Too bad I don't know anyone named Jill.

Sunday was pretty boring. I stayed home. Cleaned a bit. Actually, while the new pope was being 'sworn in' for a lack of a better word, I was cleaning my bathroom thinking there was nothing else that makes you feel quite so unimportant. Meanwhile the new Pope was basically the most important person at that point in time. I didn't even leave my house on Sunday, I think.

Monday morning I was feeling better and had one of my successful days teaching, well of all 12 days. One was definitely my best class ever. I was so on top of things. It didn't even feel like that long a day. I also finished practically everything I needed to have finished. I just have to write about how great someone in my class is tonight. I nominated him for student of the month. I have to write a whole page. Then I'll have to take a photo with him and they'll hang it up. They choose 3 students from different classes to be student of the month. I've seen the old students of the month. I already told you about other stuff that happened yesterday and today.

My last thought is that I need to meet some new people. I thought that Matt and Renee would introduce me to some other people around the neighbourhood but they haven't. I don't want to spend every weekend at home cleaning my apartment. There's just my kitchen left. It is pretty filthy though. We the fridge is and the washer. The coutertops are immaculate though. It's just the floor really. So I have at least one day worth of work. I don't know how to meet people though. There are bars but I'd feel so strange going to a bar alone. Matt and Renee are nice but I can't just be friends with them, especially since they're a couple. Her parents are still in town too and I was sick so we couldn't do anything last weekend. I hope we do something together on the weekend. It really is more of their responsibility to invite me places since I'm the new person though, right? Maybe I will have to go to a bar alone at some point. Then there are Korean language classes at the YMCA on Saturdays at 11am but they're on Saturdays....at 11am. I also don't really want to hang out in Daegu every weekend though either. Maybe I'll go this Saturday.

Well, I think that makes me all caught up. Time to go home and write wonderful, wonderful things about Richard. It's 12 minutes past the time I wanted to leave too. Until the next.

First Full Week

Well after a not-that-exciting weekend, I was back at the school. It turns out that nearly all the books that the kids use have teachers' guides. They completely ay out the lesson and I think that really they're meant to be hour long lesson so I can skip stuff in them. The only drawback is that I can never find them on the shelves. I think I know where they all are now. I feel a bit like a teacher in the Simpsons though. Well, in the episode where Lisa takes all the teachers manuals and then the teachers know nothing. I'm currently very incompetent. Maybe in a few weeks, I'll have a handle of what I'm doing or at least be able to pretend I do. Apparently, I've come at a very strange time. I guess they really only test the kids every few months, well with a battery of tests. They're doing it this week though. I've had to administer a few tests which is fine but the problem is that the tests are short and there's nothing else planned for the lesson so the kids make all kinds of noise and talk to each other in Korean. I have no control at all. They talk to each other during the tests too. I don't think they take me seriously. I also don't know how much I'm supposed to help them so sometimes I practically spell out the answers. Some of them have really bad English. They have a hard time using the past tense. They love the present tense. I feel like I could imitate them though. Yesterday I go to grandmother house. That's actually pretty good but it's the general pattern. They all go to grandmother house.

I like a few of my kids. The ones I thought would be trouble are quite troublesome. Kate is so bossy and stubborn. Today I made her cry. I'm still not sure why. I don't think she wanted to play the game. She always telling me what I should be doing. She's kind of like Tarzan. She says a few key words and bounces her fist off her chest to emphasize herself. Sometimes I have no clue what she means. Today, Erica said she had to go to the bathroom. I'm not supposed to let them go because it's probably a lie but it encourages them to do their work. Anyway, Erica went to the front desk and told them I wanted tape. Sometimes the kids just run out of the classroom. I'm going to have to find my inner iron fist. Anyway, Jupiter tries to confirm with me that I wanted tape and I tell him 'No, I don't need tape.' The tape was practically in her hands. They always want some strange item for who knows what and get depressed and mad when I tell them no. After words, everyone was calling Erica Pinocchio. They know Pinocchio but not liar. They also like to hide under the desk Karen who was so good at the beginning of the week has turned bad. She would've never hid on me on Monday. It's all Kate's influence I'm sure. Justin likes to erase my writing on the board. They are fascinated by dry erase boards.

I'm sure all this talk about kids is kind of dull but I really didn't do that much this week. First of all, I have to be at work around 9am 3 days a week. Monday I came at 9 anyways. Friday I don't have to be in until 11. That's not so bad except I have to be there until 8pm 4 days a week. I get to leave early on Thursday. At 7. Wow! No one else works that late all the time. Well Amy I think but she's the boss. Well teaching boss. Jupiter is the business boss. My mornings are easy compared to the others I guess but by 8pm I don't feel like doing anything so I just go home and find one of the 3 stations with something English and watch it. I've decided to quit watching the Tonight Show. That would be annoying to only hear about American pop culture. I'd rather be completely out of the loop and get to feel all superior because I was overseas. The up side is that I never hear the name Paris Hilton and no one cares that Britney Spears is pregnant. I read it opening my hotmail account. Actually Interns is on the American Forces Network or maybe it's one of the Simple Life's.

I have a lunchbreak that's about 2 hours and another one where we actually eat lunch for 40 minutes. I've been doing my lesson plans though because I'm not as efficient yet and have no clue what I'm doing. It's hardly worth doing them though because sometimes the kids are so bad that we get nothing done or like today I prepared for the new edition (the kids have the old edition). That was with Einstein. They actually say it the German way here. Einshtein. They kind of listened today. We played a game today where they had to sit to be able to answer questions and get points. They have way to much energy. Too bad there's no ritalin here. A lot of these kids would probably be diagnosed but then again it is overdiagnosed and they're completely different with their Korean teachers. I need to instill more fear in them. Paul from my kinder class was practically in tears when I decided I'd had enough and was going to take him to Amy teacher. He was supergood for about 3 minutes and slowly progressed back into badness. Young kids really don't carry grudges. They must be used to not getting their way. That class also likes to tell me they're angry. Their answers are so funny. One kid said that he was perfect, happy, and a little bit angry. Katherine today was fine, great, happy, and sad. Sometimes I think they are just messing with me. Paul was miscounting and giving me wrong answers. Chin was mouth, nose was eyes, until he was almost sent to Amy teacher. He's such an oddball. For an H word he drew helicopter and actually had the patience to write it all out. I was proud of myself. He also drew a helicopter for G though. There was some kind of superhero in that one though and lots of swords.

Korean kids all seem to love anime, comic books, and yo-yo's. Everyone has a yoyo. It's not just boys either. These girls had some comic book of cinderella. I still don't understand why none of the characters look Asian. They're also all very good at drawing Sailor Moon type characters. They also all have this weird fascination with my hairy arms. They rub them, sometimes vigourously, and pull it. Some of them call me monkey teacher. I was warned beforehand about this and it actually doesn't bother me. I thought it would. They don't mean anything by it and I'm sure (I hope at least) that the fascination with fade.

Oh, the only thing that was going on this week was phone-teaching. I have to call up each kids and have a 3-5 minute conversation with them or make them read a book. Something with speaking basically to impress the parents. I actually don't mind it at all except for all the time it takes for each student. I didn't finish them all actually so I'll have to sneak into next week. They sound so cute on the phone and can't misbehave or anything. Especially when they read these lines like 'Don't be silly' with their little voices and Korean accents. I've definitely spent way more time with the under 10 crowd that with adults. A little strange. I need to meet other foreigners not that it would make much of a difference with me working until 8, even on Fridays. It's my first real weekend I guess so there's some hope. I've heard where of some of the places where the other teachers hang out but I'd feel so strange going into a bar alone. Maybe I'll force myself to do it some weekend. This weekend though Eunice and I are going to go downtown. She's another teacher. I've only talked to her for maybe 10 minutes total. She just invited me tonight, maybe 2 hours ago. I just found out my phone number today. I was waiting for someone to give it to me but realized today that that might just never happen. I would've asked yesterday but I felt more that a little incompetent. They have windows to all the classrooms and sometimes they just stop and watch you. It's obvious they are there. I just didn't want to presume that they would want me around for the rest of the contract. I still kind of expect to be sent home. Maybe it's just that it seems hard to believe I'll be here for a year. I'm such an outsider.I don't know how to look at people, ask for things, do I smile at people on the street or not, how do you even communicate when neither of you has a sense of the other language. I've been in this situation before I guess but it wasn't ever long-term and it was a least a semi-tourist area so at least someone spoke English if only scam artists. Here, they'll speak and I have no idea what they are trying to tell me until 2 seconds after it's too late. I really understand why non-english speakers just smile and nod when you know they have no idea what they are trying to say. Anyways, I have a phone number now. It's +82 (53) 643-0511 or something like that. C'mon it's not like you were actually going to call me.

I'll tell you a bit about my neighbours now. I haven't actually seen them but they are called the party couple. Well, named so by the guy who lived there a few months before me. They come home late and wake me up. The first time was Monday night. The girl was yelling in Korean and the guy had his voice raised. It was kind of disturbing actually. It got a little violent and all I know is that someone was hit several times. Probably the woman, well probably both really. I just really didn't know what to do. I'd barely know what to do at home let alone here. I decided it was probably best to do nothing. I haven't even seen them before and I'd hate to be some western moral authority. The next night they came home late again. Thankfully no violence or yelling. I think the apartments are decently insulated for sound but not from the hallway. You can hear everything that goes on in the hallway but not the other apartments.

I ordered a pizza the other day for the second time. They're a nice pizza couple. My best friends in my area are the pizza couple and the woman who works in the shop below my apartment. Once she wasn't that friendly but there were others there. I feel like my bad Korean endears me to people. I say what I think the word is with a big question mark at the end. Just hello, thank you, goodbye. Annyong haseyo, komapsumnida, and annyonghi kyeseyo. Goodbyes are strange though only because the one staying says something different than the one leaving. Something like Go in Peace and Stay in Peace. Sometimes both say go in peace. I don't know what haseyo means. Anyways, the point of that was that they just end up having to repeat what I say so they can reassure me. What else can I say in Korean. Ppang sareo shinae-e kayo (I'm going to the town centre to buy bread), Cho-nun Tyler-ieyo. Pizza chom chuseyo (please give me a pizza). Canada-saram-ieyo (lit. I'm a Canada person, well 'is Canada person,' cho-nun just means 'as for me'). Americans are Miguk. Australia is Hoju so Australians are Hoju-saram. The nice thing about Canada is that it' practically the same in every language. I don't know how Koreans got Hoju out of Australia. I don't know any other country except England. English is Yongmal or Yongukmal. Ok so I forget.

My one odd incident, well outstandingly odd, happened yesterday. Some guy saw me and just came me over to him and says 'Hey' like I knew him. Says some stuff in Korean and eventually he spits out High School so I tell him Hogwon or is it Hagwon/Hakwon/Hokwon. Something like that private english language school. Then he gives me a high five. I'm so uncool and am not good at high fives. He was older too. At least 35 or 40. That was weird.

I'm sure I lost your attention awhile back and it's getting a little late. I really need to get internet at home so I don't have to come to this PC house. Luckily it's not expensive. Time to go home. Maybe I'll actually be able to sleep in tomorrow.

My first weekend in Daegu

My first weekend here wasn't all that exciting. I had to go to the school at 11:30. Of course, I worried that maybe it was 10:30. I showed up at 11:20 or so. I'm pretty sure it was 11:30 though since neither said anything.

Amy talked about the different classes and what textbooks they were using and how old they were. I'm not sure if she was giving me their Korean ages or their actual ages. Korea has this odd age system. As soon as a child is born, they're automatically 1 year old. Then on the New Year everyone is automatically one year older. So some kid born in December can turn 2 in less than a month. It's a little weird so I think you have to subtract at least a year or 2 to get someone's actual age. I guess I would be 24 already if I had been born in Korea. I really don't understand the mass birthday though. Anyways, that went on for over an hour I think. Then we had a break. I didn't really know what to do so I went to the bathroom, walked around, and looked at a map. I was a pretty dull map. Then it was time to start again. More of the same. Then her, Jupiter, and I had lunch. It was Korean food and it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was bulgogi. It was fried pieces of beef and slices of onions and other vegetable-like slices. Not the best meal but not nightmare food. There was also rice. We ate in the conference room which has all these pictures of students of the month. They showed me a few of the teachers. Ones they thought were good and why they were good. Subtle advice really. Maybe not so subtle. One guy was from Edmonton but that was a few years ago. They didn't tell me where the others were from. One was from the USA.

Then we went back to the room. We didn't really do anything. No wait I think we went over the rule book. I always have to wear a shirt apparently. That was the only weird rule. I know what they meant but it just sounds strange and what I was wearing was fine they said. I think just no T-shirts. Then Amy and I had a little discussion. She doesn't like Americans, hates Japan, and likes to watch sports but can't find anyone to watch them with. She's 32 or maybe 30 who knows. Oh another strange rule was that I'm to be proud of myself as a Wonderland teacher and of Wonderland.

Afterwards, I go back home and grab my guidebook and Teach Yourself Korean book and hop on the subway to go downtown. I need to buy a towel so I decide to go to towel street. The subway system was a bit strange but I figured it out watching the other maybe 5 people in the station. After you pay you get this weird little plastic token. I walked to entrance but there was nowhere to put it. What do you do with this token then? I wait for someone to go through. There aren't any turnstyles so really I could just walk through but there's someone watching from behind glass. It didn't even occur to me actually because I didn't even notice there weren't any until I walked through. Maybe I just take them granted. Apparently though it's some magnetic disk and you just put it on top and then it beeps and you walk through. I still have the disk though. A little strange.

I wait for the subway to come. There was a tragic accident on the subway in 2001. The train derailed and some people died. I wonder if maybe the subway will kill me. Not seriously, I just contemplate the possibility. I get on the train. It's pretty empty really. It's about 3-4 on a Saturday. I feel a little out of place just because everyone is Asian. It doesn't really feel all that strange except that I stand out I guess. Or feel I do. I don't know if I mentionned this but Jupiter, my boss, said he wanted the colour photo because in the black and white one I sent he thought I looked east asian. I don't know how he could've thought that. I couldn't possibly be such a cultural/ethnic chameleon. So know I've been mistaken for or been told I look Russian, French, Bosnian, Turkish, German, Argentinian, Chilean, English, and East Asian. I can understand most of them except for Turkish and East Asian. In person though he said I didn't look east asian at all. Still strange though.

I'm on the subway for what feels like a long time. I feel like I'm so far from downtown. I'm the third last stop and I think there are 6-7 stations to downtown. I got off and walked around downtown a bit. They have a pedestrian street downtown. An Asian Stroget or Florida St. I'm trying to find Towel street though. My Lonely Planet map isn't helpful at all because the streets on it aren't labeled and I have no idea which way is North or East or anything. I find a park but I don't know which park. Eventually I see ________ (I forget what exactly) written on the side of a building. It's on my map. I eventually make out where I am. I go to the bookstore and buy a Korean phrasebook and dictionary. Then I walk on to Towel St. Lots of towels but they are all little vendors in little stores. I'm intimidated by the language barrier and I figure the towels are probably more expensive then at E-Mart. I'll go to E-Mart. I see this big cathedral and it feels strange because I'm supposed to be in Asia. 25% Of Koreans are Christian. They used to have a very strict hierarchy and the equality in Christianity was popular for some. Oh yeah, I found out when leaving the station that you put the token in as you leave. Still no turnstyles. Also they have a 800 and 900 won fare. I have no idea what the difference is. I bought the 800. I went back home. Ate the rest of my pizza and actually unpacked. I swept the floor and rearranged some furniture. I doubt they'd ever been moved. Underneath one the floor was grey with dust. No white or tiny pink squares to be seen. I swept everywhere except the entryway were all that dust was. It's out of the way...kind of. I decide that I'm wash the floors the next day. Wait, I also went to E-Mart and bought some towels. They have Japan written on them but they're the nicest ones. I'm worried because Koreans hate Japan but not that worried. Those Japanese textbooks are a big deal here and the fight over these barren rocks called Dokdo. Some people have even changed their legal residence to the islands as a sign of support.

Sunday I didn't do very much. I walked down some new streets, bought a calling card that doesn't work for overseas calls. Didn't wash the floors because although I have a mop, I have no bucket. I also went to a PC house as they are called here and figured out how to call home using my parents telephone provider. I don't know how much it was but I talked to my mom for 20 minutes or so. My dad was already asleep by the time I'd figured it out. I also bought some raman noodles, bread, and some cookies. I clean a pot and boiled the water for 20 minutes and then added the noodles. I don't have a microwave. I wonder if I should get one. That was the end of my weekend. Well one day weekend since I actually had to go to work on Saturday. Only 4 days behind the present.

I'm a teacher now?

I started writing this earlier but somehow managed to change the keyboard to only write in Korean characters and couldn't get it back. Anyways, here's last Friday:

I don't have to be at school until 11. Or was it 10? I was pretty sure it was 11. I decide to go over to my new apartment and see if I can't take out any money with my bank card. I follow my directions, Glass house, blue house, then my building. I walk inside but it doesn't look familiar. I go back outside to see if there was some other entrance that I'd used. Can't find one. I go back in and find number 305. My key doesn't even pretend to fit in the look. Did Gareth give me the wrong key? Nope, I'm at the wrong building. They look exactly the same. Grey building with red windowpanes and a convenience store underneath. I find my apartment and go inside. I look around a bit but really there was no point to coming here so I leave and go to E-Mart. I heard they had a machine that accepted foreign cards. I find a few banks along the way. 타일르 (my name in Korean...I think)

It's happened again so I'm writing in a new window. Maybe it just happens. Anyways, my card doesn't work at any of the banks. I make my way to E-Mart. It seems farther than the other day. I find a bank machine right at the entrance. It doesn't work. Maybe there's another machine. There is. Nada. I find another one. It actually looks promising. There's a Cirrus logo and everything. Finally I get to see what Korean money looks like. It's kind of boring. Not very colourful and it's all the same. For some reason, the largest denomination in Korea is 10,000 won. Nothing bigger. So I have this huge stack of 20-10,000 won bills. 10,000 won = 10 USD. Small, right? I take it and rush back to Wonderland in case I really was supposed to be there at 10. Nope, it was 11. Lately whenever someone gives me a time, I remember it and then later I question whether it was an hour before. It never has been so I'm beginning to think something is wrong with me. I'll just have to trust my memory a little more.

I get to the school. I have an outline of stuff that I plan to do. All of the sudden the bells goes off and I go to the classroom. My Melon class. Paul isn't there but there's this new boy named Justin. I don't really remember what I did exactly. It didn't go that badly I thought. Erica doesn't really listen to me and Kate only wants to do something else. She likes to be in control. Catherine's a bit crazy but she can be controlled. Karen and Justin are both good. Then I get an hour break while they have lunch and then I have to play a little boardgame with them. Unfortunately there are 5 students and it's a partner game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Everything is fine except Kate is upset and doesn't want to be my partner. She pouts and walks around the room with this big scowl. I'm not sure if they're following my instructions but they're playing some kind of game. Karen and Catherine finish. Karen doesn't mind being my partner. The kids aren't crazy so that all that really matters to me at this point. Another break and then Einstein. I'm a bit worried......

..with good reason apparently. Einstein is crazy. First of all, everytime I go into the class they are hiding. Only 3 places to hide really so I don't know why they think it's so much fun. Actually, I didn't find Travis. He was hiding behind the door. The smartest place really. Helen wasn't there today. Laura likes to be in control. She seems a year or 2 older than the others. Glenn likes to lie in the middle of the table and to be anywhere but in his chair. Laura and Glenn chase each other. Basically 40 minutes of craziness but all they had to say was Yes, I do or No, I don't. I figure they know so I can let them be a little crazy. They are so crazy.

A lot of the other classes have tests. That's all there is to do for these classes so once they finish it's more craziness. Every class has one totally crazy person and then a semi-crazy person who would be good if not for the crazy person. Maybe some classes have several crazy people. Kepler doesn't listen. Nobel doesn't listen. Nobody listens. My ELE501 class is alright. Only Sammy doesn't listen but he's not loud so it's okay. Then it's my last class. 2 Girls and 3 boys. Only 3 people total today. Lauren, Aidan, and Robert. Robert likes to be called Bin. In that class, the girls seem smart enough and the boys just act dumb and the girls get pissed off at them. It's happened everytime.

It's Friday night. Oh yeah. I slept in that day and Matt and Renee left me their key. I leave after them. On the way back to their place I notice that I still have their key. Turns out they both have keys so no harm done. Jupiter comes and we take my stuff to my place. I feel bad because my bags are heavy and I leave on the 3rd floor. Nothing to be done. Jupiter leaves me. I go get a pizza and write down some stuff that's on my building. I go to the pizza place that Gareth showed me. They don't speak English and I only know how to say Hello, Yes, and Thank You in Korean. They know pepperoni though. I think all the foreigners they've dealt with want pepperoni. I give them my address but they don't know where it is. In Korea, every building has a number but the numbers are in no kind of order so number 47 and number 12 could be beside each other. Very odd system. I get on his motorbike and he drives me to my house. I'm sure it's exactly where he thought it was but the address I have him probably confused him. Oh well.

I go to the convenience store underneath my place. I go to get water but I'm worried it might be flavoured or carbonated. Out of fear, I get Pepsi. I don't really like Pepsi but it's the only thing I recognise with certainty. It's all I bought so far actually. I should go to another store next time maybe. The pizza man arrives with my order. I give him the money I owe him but he wants to tell me something or ask me something. I have no idea. I think it might be about paying at the store but it really seems like he wants something unless it's just for me to understand. He leaves eventually, defeated.

I was going to unpack but basically I do nothing but watch TV. A few English programs. I have CNN Asia, Arirang which is Korean based but in English or with subtitles at least, and the American Forces Network. All the others are Korean though at times they have English programs but with Korean subtitles. The American Forces Network or AFN is a bit strange. Decent shows but no real commercials only public service announcements all about military life or worse, 1980s PSAs. "Oh no I don't want to have sex so I'll tell him I'm not ready to be a mother and ask if he's ready to be a father. Then we'll go back to just watching TV." There are also these really weird commercials about terrorism. Apparently, window seats are best if you're in the middle but aisle seats are better at the front and rear. I have no idea why but it's best to sit in those seats to avoid terrorism. They also tell me where to sit on busses. No wonder people are so scared of terrorists. I go to bed around 1030. I still haven't talked to my parents.

2nd Day of Observation

The second day plays out pretty much like the first except that during the afternoon I watch Renee and some of the Korean teachers. Renee and Matt are from Sudbury, Ontario. Actually, this day is kind of a blur to me now. Maybe I should've done this sooner.

The Melon class (all the Kindergarten classes have fruit names) is pretty much the same as the day before. All the kids are afraid of Amy Teacher. She's the Vice-President and she's the one that disciplines the kids hardest. It's part of her job description I think so that we don't alienate the kids by being overly harsh. I don't know how harsh she can get. I'm told she has a little belt.

Jupiter tells me that I need to give him my passport, my tickets, and 2 passport photos. He needs to register me with the local authorities. I need to get some photos so over the lunch break Matt and Renee take me to a photographers. I also tried to get some money from the ATM. One wouldn't take my card and the other is only in Korean. Luckily red buttons mean cancel everywhere I guess. It's my second day and I have no money and have yet to spend a dime. Matt and Renee have given me food and Matt pays for my photos.

During the afternoon, I watch Renee. She seems like a good teacher. Then I watched some of the same kids with their Korean teacher. I didn't know these kids could behave so well. Apparently, they know that the Korean teacher means business but they think that the foreign teacher (i.e. me) is for fun and games. Glenn doesn't jump on his Korean teacher, Julie, at all. Then I watched one of Renee's classes again. She has one student named Sarah who asks me all kinds of questions and draws a picture and covers it with 'no's' and then draws another. I don't know what that's supposed to mean. Another Korean teacher and another dramatically different class. Actually, the Nobel class is pretty good anyway just a little restless maybe. The afternoon classes are all named after scientists. I have Einstein, Kepler, Newton, and Nobel. The kids are better behaved with the Korean teacher though.

I start to make some lesson plans. Matt and Renee tell me they're pretty much not worth doing and once I don't have to show them I should quit making them. I just look at the assigned pages and make stuff up to do. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing at all. That night I had to stay later than Matt and Renee so I could do my lesson plans for the next day. I have to start teaching tomorrow. I go to Gareth's after school to get my key. I meet him on the way. I can't believe all he has is this backpack. I guess you really don't need that much travelling. Maybe I've brought too much stuff. Anyways, I get the key and say goodbye to Gareth. He goes off to the station to go to Seoul and I go to Matt and Renee's. All my stuff is there and Jupiter is going to give me a ride the next day to take it all to my place the next day.

That night, I eat a chicken kebab, or chicken on a stick and some slices of pizza. I had leftover pizza for breakfast too. I'm not big on breakfast and they'd run out of bread that morning. We watch CSI and then a movie. Equilibrium. Disutopia movies take themselves so seriously. It wasn't bad. Then I go to bed.

First day in Korea

I decided that even though I'm writing this all at once that I'll break it up into a few different sections just because. I doubt it really adds all the much. I guess it's just for the index. How is it that I could ramble on forever about nothing? Also, I don't know why I'm using the present tense. Does it add excitement? I think that lit teachers say it does. Too much rambling.

I wake up and have no idea what time it is. I'm cold and try to go back to sleep. I don't really succeed but just manage to stay in some weird between sleep and consciousness state. Finally there's a knock at my door and it's time to get up. I realize that the bed I'm sleeping on is just 3 mattresses stacked on top of each other. Strange. Ok, backstory. Matt and Renee live on the 9th floor of an apartment building. Not that it's important really, just a detail. Not necessarily backstory either. I have some toast for breakfast. The shower has no curtain nor anyplace for one. Renee gives me a warning about my bathroom. We walk to school. They basically just take me to the faculty room and I feel lost and don't know what to do. I meet Amy the head Korean teacher and Gareth who I will be replacing. I'm to observe classes today, April 6th, 2005. I flip through some books trying to look busy and check my email. There's only one computer in the room so I feel like I can't use it freely and get off.

Observation begins. I guess Gareth was teaching these kindergarten kids but was just playing 1-2 game. Hide and go seek in a small room with a table and some chairs. Well there's a display case but it's not really anyplace you could hide. So instead, I'm going to watch Amy Teacher. Everyone has teacher behind their names. There are only 5 kids. No one uses their Korean names at the school and they all have English names. Some are a bit strange. One mother insisted her child be called Bona. I've only heard of Bona though. I'm glad I'm not teacher a Bona. In my kindergarten class there's Karen, Kate, Catherine, Erica, and Paul. Paul is a bit shy or else just doesn't know what he supposed to say. Karen is very smart/advanced. Kate is tall. I mimic Erica a bit while Amy has her back turned. I think that Erica will be my favourite.

After watching Amy Teacher teach for awhile, we go back to the faculty room. This part actually happened earlier but you can pretend. Jupiter comes in and asked my what I want to be called. I tell him that Tyler is fine. He seems little disappointed and tells me that my name is close to a Korean word meaning "to admonish" and tells me it would be better if I went by my middle name so the kids are distracted. I'm trying to retain some sense of anonimity on this blog but really all I have left is my name and all those numbers linked to my name. Everyone but the other foreign teachers are calling me by my middle name. This is going to be weird.

Gareth and I leave Wonderland so he can show me where I'll be living. He's leaving tomorrow night. Gareth is from Marble Arch in London and travelled from London to India by train and bus I guess. They ran out of money in India and he and his girlfriend found these jobs in Korea. He in Daegu and she in Seoul. He's leaving his position after less than a month to move to Seoul. I guess he gave his notice on the 3rd day. It's nice to know that the school had no problem (well relatively I guess) releasing him from his contract. To get to my house I take a left at the intersection, a right at the glass house, left at blue house and then straight. The buildings on this side of the road aren't high rises at all. There are some typical Asian looking houses (well with an Asian facade at least). Maybe I'll be living in one of these. We get to my place. It looks like an office building. There's a 24 hour store below me. That's nice especially because you can't drink tap water. The apartment is nice enough. A studio. I have cable TV, a funky looking washing machine, and a stovetop that I still don't know how to use. Luckily the subway station is literally 2 seconds from my place.

He shows me around the neighbourhood a bit and we go back to the school. I observe him for the afternoon. He's not the best example of a teacher. The first class is a bit out of control and one kid, Glenn, jumps from the table onto his back. They barely listen to him at all. This is more how I imagined it would be. I guess the kids only take the Korean teachers seriously. I watch him the rest of the afternoon and he gets progressively more control in each class as the kids get progressively older and more advanced in their English. At least it gets better throughout the day. It's too bad that Gareth is leaving.

I go back with Matt and Renee to their house. We have spaghetti and watch the rest of Troy. That's what happened. We watched some both nights. I don't know how much later they stayed up than me on the first night. We also watched the end of CSI. It was the father not the mother's fiance. Troy ends. I take a melatonin capsule for my jetlag. Matt warns me that it makes dreams intense. I take one instead of two, My dreams don't seem any more vivid. Maybe I should've taken two.

I think that's enough writing for one day. I had no idea I'd go into such detail. It's also mostly content and only a bit of rambling at the beginning and now at the end of course. Maybe I'll catch up to the actually present at some point. I need to figure out how to get internet at my house.

I made it!

Ok, so I've now been in Korea for 4 days I guess. I got here on Tuesday night around 9, well Daegu I guess. Let me go back.

I woke up on Monday morning (well technically I never went to bed) and went to the airport only to discover that my flight to Vancouver had been cancelled due to mechanical problems. I checked in for that flight, which was 1.5 hours later (so many flights to Vancouver from Edmonton) and then my parents took me to Tim Hortons where I had some apple juice. Then we decided to go back home since there was no point hanging around the airport when we live maybe 15-20 minutes away (the advantage of living at the southern end of Edmonton). I went home and watched TV. I learnt something interesting....I think, then back to the airport.

I get on my flight and fall asleep almost right away. I wake up and realize that I'm on my way to Korea for a year. I panic somewhat and then fall back asleep. I got to Vancouver, walked right out of the airport into a cab. The driver was nice. He'd read something about teaching in Korea and said that the Koreans resented having to learn English and didn't want foreigners there (uh oh). I arrived at the consulate and I asked if my passport was ready and some guy didn't really say anything but just motioned for me to sit down. Luckily I was only sitting down for maybe 20 minutes and some other guy called my name. My passport was ready. I got in a cab and went back to the airport. I didn't really talk to the driver. I did manage to walk around downtown Vancouver for 5 or 10 minutes though but I didn't get to do anything else in Vancouver.

I'm back at the airport. There are a lot of Asians in the international teminal. I look at the flights. For some reason nearly all the flights are going to Asia except for one to Mexico City and one to New York JFK. Maybe another one. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Beijing maybe. I walk around a bit. I sit down and watch the Price is Right then I go eat a cookie and have some more apple juice. Everyone one my flight is Korean except for a few people. Some are figure are probably going to teach English as well. I think about talking to one of them but don't. My flight is fine. I'm sitting on the aisle with a Korean man on the other aisle (it's a 2-3-2 plane) and his 5 year old daughter in between us. I sleep a bit but not that much. There's a white man half a row ahead of me on the other side of the aisle. I spy as he flips through his passport to see if he's going to teach English. Jonathan Bankman from some town I've never heard of in Manitoba. I don't see a visa but figure that I'm a good spy. There are a few movies. I watch Before the Sunset but am disappointed because I thought it was another movie with a similar title. It was alright though for an aeroplane movie. Then I go to sleep and wake up to find that Friday Night Lights is playing. I decide not to watch it so instead I just look at the screen. After 15 minutes I decide that's silly so I decide to just give in and watch it. Watching it made me grateful to be out of Texas and reconfirms my belief that American are way too into sports, especially high school ones. Why is this even a movie? I don't even remember if they won or lost. I fall back asleep. Then I look up and Alias is playing and it's halfway through an episode. I watch but 3 minutes later they cut it off and tell us we're landing.

The Seoul airport is nice. So much room. This isn't what I thought Asia would be like. Then again it's supposed to be the 2nd or 3rd nicest airport in the world. I go through immigration. I notice there's a special immigration line just for investors and it's next to the diplomatic line. How bizarre! The immigration lady doesn't say a word to me. I get my bags and go out. There's a man with my name on a sign. I've always wanted to be met at the airport by someone with my name on a sign. He doesn't speak much English and he offers to take my bags. One is way too heavy to carry. I carry it. I thought that I would be taken to the other airport for a domestic flight to Daegu. I realize that I'm just going to be taking a bus the whole way. The bus comes and I just get on.

The bus stops at some place. There's an announcement and people get off. I figure it's a break to get something to eat or go to the bathroom. I need to go to the bathroom but I'm hesitant to get off in case I'm left behind. There are only a few people left on the bus and I decide I can make it. I go in to the place which seems like a food court at the mall without a mall just a little kiosk. I can't find the bathroom. I go and walk along the outside. There it is! with the man and woman bathroom sign. I don't know whether I have to pay to use it or not. I use it without incident. I get back on the bus. It's still empty mostly. I decide to look at my korean book and put it away quickly. Too tired. Eventually, the TV comes on and the news is read. There were some fires and Korean people said things in Korean. Then a soap opera came on. Their emotions seem very exagerated. Funny how when you can't understand, everything just looks so cartoonish. Then we stop at a station and I'm worried since I don't know at which station I'm to get off. The man at the airport only told me 4 hours. 3:50 Minutes. I get out my guidebook and realize I'm far from Daegu. The bus has some English on it, including this place, east Daegu and west Daegu.

Then an hour later we stop again and everyone gets off so I follow. Being the only non-Asian on the bus a man picks me out right away and says my name. I figure it's my boss, Jupiter but I don't know for sure. He tells me that he's going to take me to Matt and Renee's and I'm going to stay there because someone is still living at my place. We go to McDonald's. It tastes the same. He then tells me his name. It is Jupiter. He takes me by the school and then to Matt and Renee's. They have special lanes here just for doing U-turns and they're everywhere. How bizarre. I get to Matt and Renee's. They seem nice. I stay up for a bit so that I'm not going to bed at 9:30. I ask them some general questions about Korea and we watch Troy for a bit, well I do (the for a bit part) and go to bed or maybe that was the second night. My bed seems wobbly.