My First Classes!
I want to update on what has been happening to me here in Korea. First off, I’ve finally had my first two days of teaching. My first day of teaching was on Monday. I was supposed to teach at some all girls middle school, but they had testing. Instead my supervisor sent me to the English Experience Center to co-teach elementary school kids while the regular native English speaker was in the hospital. It was really easy and fun day. Basically all we did in the class that day was roll call, explanation of rules, the ball game for names, and some dialogues. Tuesday I taught at one of my normal middle schools out in the country. I taught four classes. In Korea middle school is grades 7-9, but they call them grades 1-3. I taught two-second grade classes and two third grade classes. I was quite surprise how disinterested the students where about participating in class. Also, at this school their English is VERY low… about elementary level for grades 1-3. For my first lesson I had no idea what to teach, so I just introduced my self, then I tried to get my students to introduce each other… but that turned out to b too difficult for most of them still. Even writing their names in English on name plaques was too difficult. The Korean English teachers (KTs) told me that this school is much lower in skill than the other schools. The last thing I tried with my students was game telephone to get them speaking… they seemed to like the game… and for the first time they had a hard time NOT to whisper, which I found funny. Some of the students refused to play though, and instead sat off to corner and either slept or bashed themselves against the wall. In one class two of the team captains accused the other of cheating (I think) so the KT punished them by hitting their hands with a stick. Here in Korea they still use corporal punishment. In any case, the KTs at this school were very helpful and we’re going to plan the next lessons together. I hope the rest of the KTs are this cooperative.
A bit about some of the other things still going on. First, I’m still homeless. My supervisor still cant find a place for me to live, so I’m still living in a high ranking educational official’s dormitory. Because there are two rooms in the dormitory I was given a roommate last Monday. My supervisor came up to me that morning and told me I would have a roommate. I asked when and he said that day. So I now have a Korean roommate who speaks very little English. She a year older than me and is a traveling art teacher for the county, much like I am a traveling English teacher. We are getting along and she keeps feeding me. She has also decided to install the internet. So, I should be wired again!
Some of things I’ve been doing for fun is…. Well not a whole lot. During the weekday I’m busy with work, then I come home and sleep. I’ve done a little bit of exploring of Gochang-eup, but not a lot. Last weekend I did go with one of my American coworkers from the EEC to the capital of the province, Jeonju. We toured Lotte department store. Did some shopping for supplies, and saw the moving My Blueberry Nights with Korean subtitles. It was quite fun. Also, I went out to dinner a few times with my coworkers. We went to the this one restaurant on Monday after work and order two very large plates of chicken, and yummy pizza (without potatoes on it) and 3L of beer. I ordered the beer. Some how I envisioned three liters more like two lol. Two of my coworkers don’t really drink, and the on one that likes beer (a Korean) only could drink a little, because she was driving. I think I drank a third of that myself… way to much beer. Surprisingly, the beer is very very light. Even after that much beer I was only buzzed.
Yesterday I did not get to teach. Instead I went to Jeonju again for a fairly pointless orientation. I met some other foreigners, but they lived so far away from me, well it kind of pointless. They show us some cultural traditions. We ate traditional Korean food (which seems to be much of the same stuff I’m eating in Gochang) and played the Korean drums. I was fun, and the weather was gorgeous that day. The only bad thing while I was at orientation I was called in my head supervisor office where they told me they made a mistake in my pay! Instead of making 2.2 million won a month with 100,000 won rural supplement, I’m supposed to making 2.1 million won a month with a 100,000 won rural supplement so that my total is 2.2 million won per month. They made cross out the old amount and sign my name next to the new amount. This seems very wrong to me, and it’s a lot less than what I was originally told my recruiter. They had said I would make between 2.4 and 2.6 million won per month. I’m actually quite angry about this. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I was hoping to be able to use this month to pay off my debts. If I was debt free I wouldn’t care about the money at all. Another issue with money I have. As of yesterday morning I had 25 dollars left. I brought 350 with me. All my money has gone to forms and supplies and bus tickets. Most of my coworkers have been treating my meals, but I know they wont always be able to treat me. I’m supposed to get a settlement allowance of 300 dollars, but I found out yesterday I wont be getting it until my first paycheck on the 25th! How is this a settlement allowance! Its more like a settlement refund! My direct supervisor feels really bad about actually, and yesterday he decided he would loan me 100 dollars. I am extremely appreciative of his kindness. All the situations I’ve been in so far though, have really come about because of miscommunication. Right now, my opinion is that Koreans, although extremely nice, have very poor communication skills, and that they wait to tell important things last minute.
Aside from problems, I am really enjoying my stay here and the people here have been extraordinarily kind to me. I guess I just need to adjust my expectation some.
A bit about some of the other things still going on. First, I’m still homeless. My supervisor still cant find a place for me to live, so I’m still living in a high ranking educational official’s dormitory. Because there are two rooms in the dormitory I was given a roommate last Monday. My supervisor came up to me that morning and told me I would have a roommate. I asked when and he said that day. So I now have a Korean roommate who speaks very little English. She a year older than me and is a traveling art teacher for the county, much like I am a traveling English teacher. We are getting along and she keeps feeding me. She has also decided to install the internet. So, I should be wired again!
Some of things I’ve been doing for fun is…. Well not a whole lot. During the weekday I’m busy with work, then I come home and sleep. I’ve done a little bit of exploring of Gochang-eup, but not a lot. Last weekend I did go with one of my American coworkers from the EEC to the capital of the province, Jeonju. We toured Lotte department store. Did some shopping for supplies, and saw the moving My Blueberry Nights with Korean subtitles. It was quite fun. Also, I went out to dinner a few times with my coworkers. We went to the this one restaurant on Monday after work and order two very large plates of chicken, and yummy pizza (without potatoes on it) and 3L of beer. I ordered the beer. Some how I envisioned three liters more like two lol. Two of my coworkers don’t really drink, and the on one that likes beer (a Korean) only could drink a little, because she was driving. I think I drank a third of that myself… way to much beer. Surprisingly, the beer is very very light. Even after that much beer I was only buzzed.
Yesterday I did not get to teach. Instead I went to Jeonju again for a fairly pointless orientation. I met some other foreigners, but they lived so far away from me, well it kind of pointless. They show us some cultural traditions. We ate traditional Korean food (which seems to be much of the same stuff I’m eating in Gochang) and played the Korean drums. I was fun, and the weather was gorgeous that day. The only bad thing while I was at orientation I was called in my head supervisor office where they told me they made a mistake in my pay! Instead of making 2.2 million won a month with 100,000 won rural supplement, I’m supposed to making 2.1 million won a month with a 100,000 won rural supplement so that my total is 2.2 million won per month. They made cross out the old amount and sign my name next to the new amount. This seems very wrong to me, and it’s a lot less than what I was originally told my recruiter. They had said I would make between 2.4 and 2.6 million won per month. I’m actually quite angry about this. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I was hoping to be able to use this month to pay off my debts. If I was debt free I wouldn’t care about the money at all. Another issue with money I have. As of yesterday morning I had 25 dollars left. I brought 350 with me. All my money has gone to forms and supplies and bus tickets. Most of my coworkers have been treating my meals, but I know they wont always be able to treat me. I’m supposed to get a settlement allowance of 300 dollars, but I found out yesterday I wont be getting it until my first paycheck on the 25th! How is this a settlement allowance! Its more like a settlement refund! My direct supervisor feels really bad about actually, and yesterday he decided he would loan me 100 dollars. I am extremely appreciative of his kindness. All the situations I’ve been in so far though, have really come about because of miscommunication. Right now, my opinion is that Koreans, although extremely nice, have very poor communication skills, and that they wait to tell important things last minute.
Aside from problems, I am really enjoying my stay here and the people here have been extraordinarily kind to me. I guess I just need to adjust my expectation some.