I have the day off today!! Bad news - it's freezing cold and SNOWING.
I know! Sam 'The Main Event' shares my feelings exactly.
Monday, February 28, 2011
DAY OFF
Good news/bad news, blog!
I have the day off today!! Bad news - it's freezing cold and SNOWING.
I know! Sam 'The Main Event' shares my feelings exactly.
I have the day off today!! Bad news - it's freezing cold and SNOWING.
I know! Sam 'The Main Event' shares my feelings exactly.
Friday, February 25, 2011
CUTE
Not much to say, blog
Just a cute picture.
That's Tinkerbell, or Tink, showing off her artistic side. That's my finger with the cap to the pen she's holding as a hat. I drew the eyes and mouth, she drew the mustache. I chose a 1930's TV personality type accent for this finger puppet, who successfully taught Tink and three of her classmates meanings and the spellings of grass, rabbit, puppy, and butterfly on Wednesday.
Just a cute picture.
That's Tinkerbell, or Tink, showing off her artistic side. That's my finger with the cap to the pen she's holding as a hat. I drew the eyes and mouth, she drew the mustache. I chose a 1930's TV personality type accent for this finger puppet, who successfully taught Tink and three of her classmates meanings and the spellings of grass, rabbit, puppy, and butterfly on Wednesday.
FREE!
Great news blog,
I was eating lunch with one of my coworkers on Thursday. We sat at the stools facing out the windows to the busy sidewalk. Usually we try to avoid this because often times if feels like we are (The New and Improved White Person!) on display for public gawking. But on this day we were watching construction workers empty (and by the sounds from inside refurbishing by way of demolishing) everything from the Starbucks next door. Well we look up and we see this guy walk by, look at a couch, turn to his girl friend and say something, and then the two of them pick up the couch and walk away! We naturally went outside to see what else we could snag; and because it's the right thing to do (not worth possible deportation for thieving) we asked a construction worker if it was cool take a couple items for our own collections. Here's the result:
They are pretty comfy. I don't mean to be greedy after it's free, but if I had had the time to go back and get a third on I could strap the legs together and make a couch!
I was eating lunch with one of my coworkers on Thursday. We sat at the stools facing out the windows to the busy sidewalk. Usually we try to avoid this because often times if feels like we are (The New and Improved White Person!) on display for public gawking. But on this day we were watching construction workers empty (and by the sounds from inside refurbishing by way of demolishing) everything from the Starbucks next door. Well we look up and we see this guy walk by, look at a couch, turn to his girl friend and say something, and then the two of them pick up the couch and walk away! We naturally went outside to see what else we could snag; and because it's the right thing to do (not worth possible deportation for thieving) we asked a construction worker if it was cool take a couple items for our own collections. Here's the result:
They are pretty comfy. I don't mean to be greedy after it's free, but if I had had the time to go back and get a third on I could strap the legs together and make a couch!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
RESPONSIBILITIES
G'evening blog,
Just got the full brief about the upcoming graduation/end of the year ceremony that's happening this Friday! There are four kindergarten classes, two upper and two lower and the two upper ones will be moving on, or over to afternoon classes, and the the two lower ones will be moving up. The kids will all be wearing their tradional Korean dress clothes, plus costumes for some performances of songs and little plays. Should be phenomenally cute and fun, but sad also because I won't see some of the kids again.
This photo is one of the four kindergarten homerooms. Interestingly enough the biggest trouble makers in this class are the calmest in this picture. Haha and there's Eddy, second from the back on the left. He's out numbered one to eight by the girls but he manages okay.
Back to graduation, the teachers are in charge of putting on the performance. PRETTY nervous about the whole situation actually.
....
Just got the full brief about the upcoming graduation/end of the year ceremony that's happening this Friday! There are four kindergarten classes, two upper and two lower and the two upper ones will be moving on, or over to afternoon classes, and the the two lower ones will be moving up. The kids will all be wearing their tradional Korean dress clothes, plus costumes for some performances of songs and little plays. Should be phenomenally cute and fun, but sad also because I won't see some of the kids again.
This photo is one of the four kindergarten homerooms. Interestingly enough the biggest trouble makers in this class are the calmest in this picture. Haha and there's Eddy, second from the back on the left. He's out numbered one to eight by the girls but he manages okay.
Back to graduation, the teachers are in charge of putting on the performance. PRETTY nervous about the whole situation actually.
....
Friday, February 18, 2011
SLEDDIN'
The Kindergarteners of Hwajeong ECC Athletic Alliance League (or...KHEAAL...) has the distinguished honor to present:
Sled Day 2011....
Sled Day 2011....
Thursday, February 17, 2011
VACATION, part III
SAYINGS
Hi blog,
Woo, long day. We went sledding with our morning classes and I forgot to bring my camera! I'll snag some pictures and maybe videos from other people and then re-post them on here when I can so check back because it was pretty cute.
I'll get into that more fun, visual stuff later but in the mean time I've got time to kill and I assume you do too since you are reading this blog. Welcome all time killers. So let's a-ramble. Something happened today that brought to light another facet of my (vast sphere of influence in the lives of the youth in Korea) teaching gig. It's the little sayings I often repeat, that the kids in return pick up.
Woo, long day. We went sledding with our morning classes and I forgot to bring my camera! I'll snag some pictures and maybe videos from other people and then re-post them on here when I can so check back because it was pretty cute.
I'll get into that more fun, visual stuff later but in the mean time I've got time to kill and I assume you do too since you are reading this blog. Welcome all time killers. So let's a-ramble. Something happened today that brought to light another facet of my (vast sphere of influence in the lives of the youth in Korea) teaching gig. It's the little sayings I often repeat, that the kids in return pick up.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
SUBURBAN LIFE
'S Happenin blog,
I got news from over Californie way that the Grammys happened the other day; and in accordance with Arcade Fire's win for best album I thought I'd do a lil blog about living in the The Suburbs.
When I first moved here I was aware that there would be some distance from where I live to the center of the world's 8th largest city. The school I work for advertises the distance as around 30 minutes by subway, but to be real it's an hour+ travel at least to get anywhere cool.
In this photo I live half way between that red dot that says Goyang, and the river directly below it. So I live in the suburbs. Where I live is literally younger than most of the people who live in it. From what I've read (on wikipedia FTW) the area was mostly built after 1980 on farm land to house overflow.
I got news from over Californie way that the Grammys happened the other day; and in accordance with Arcade Fire's win for best album I thought I'd do a lil blog about living in the The Suburbs.
When I first moved here I was aware that there would be some distance from where I live to the center of the world's 8th largest city. The school I work for advertises the distance as around 30 minutes by subway, but to be real it's an hour+ travel at least to get anywhere cool.
In this photo I live half way between that red dot that says Goyang, and the river directly below it. So I live in the suburbs. Where I live is literally younger than most of the people who live in it. From what I've read (on wikipedia FTW) the area was mostly built after 1980 on farm land to house overflow.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
VACATION, part II
How's it going, blog?
Sunday night! Didn't do anything outlandish or newsworthy Friday or Saturday, I'll still use the cold as an excuse...because it is cold. Seriously. My knuckles are always ice cubes, my cheek bones need personal defrosters, my sizable forehead is like a frost net.
But today was g'times! I went to a meeting of the Seoul Book Swap, where one goes to do as the name implies. It's at a westerner pub in the westerner neighborhood of Itaewon, where the American military base is located. There were a handful of American and Europeans there, no one really my age though, and maybe two dozen books that either people brought or maybe were left there. They were for the most part all crime, mystery, but that what I brought too.
I picked up two books (I over-swapped) and had lunch, possibly some chili cheese fries, and a couple of beers with a friend of mine. He's the one who told me about it, and also he goes to the Seoul Improv Troupe that meets just down the street. So we wasted a couple hours around the neighborhood and then we went to the Imrpov thing and it was a blast. Probably 15 Americans hanging out, was my first time so I sorta stumbled through but it was still cool to be around that many (well funny people but also) Americans. Hopefully go to em again next week but we'll see.
On to the PICTURES....
Sunday night! Didn't do anything outlandish or newsworthy Friday or Saturday, I'll still use the cold as an excuse...because it is cold. Seriously. My knuckles are always ice cubes, my cheek bones need personal defrosters, my sizable forehead is like a frost net.
But today was g'times! I went to a meeting of the Seoul Book Swap, where one goes to do as the name implies. It's at a westerner pub in the westerner neighborhood of Itaewon, where the American military base is located. There were a handful of American and Europeans there, no one really my age though, and maybe two dozen books that either people brought or maybe were left there. They were for the most part all crime, mystery, but that what I brought too.
I picked up two books (I over-swapped) and had lunch, possibly some chili cheese fries, and a couple of beers with a friend of mine. He's the one who told me about it, and also he goes to the Seoul Improv Troupe that meets just down the street. So we wasted a couple hours around the neighborhood and then we went to the Imrpov thing and it was a blast. Probably 15 Americans hanging out, was my first time so I sorta stumbled through but it was still cool to be around that many (well funny people but also) Americans. Hopefully go to em again next week but we'll see.
On to the PICTURES....
Thursday, February 10, 2011
NEW KIDS
Oh hey, blog
It's been a while. Goods news though, I got my computer fixed for cheap and although I lost everything (again) good news is that I'll be back in full communicado pretty soon.
Work has been wild lately. We started a full new schedule of classes this week, it's fun because there are a lot of new kids who think my whole make-goofy-faces-and-noises-when-in-doubt routine is golden. In some cases though it is already sort of taking a toll on all of us teachers. My class of very young KG aged kids take a ton of sustained energy and that classroom has no windows so it's steamy in there. It also requires a fair amount of prep because if you can't wing it - if you don't have a new activity ready to go when they lose interest in the last one it's hopeless. Also the class expanded from 8 to TWELVE four year olds. I average probably a little less than one cry a day though so it's going pretty well.
The 3 year olds are literally impossible. There is a camera in each room, all of which are hooked up to a TV in the recpeption area....and for the class with the 3 year olds the Mothers crowd around AND WATCH each class. Wow. It doesn't really happen (that I know of) for other classes but in that one when the kids get up and try to tell me something urgent (usually bathroom related) and I have no idea what they are saying because it's in Korean, a mother will see their kid trying to communicate to me and come to the room and take them away. But when they are in class they draw all over the tables, hide under chairs, grab my tie, just cry, pick a page in the books and just start coloring it, and anything that is in their hand goes in their mouth. No exceptions.
It's been a while. Goods news though, I got my computer fixed for cheap and although I lost everything (again) good news is that I'll be back in full communicado pretty soon.
Work has been wild lately. We started a full new schedule of classes this week, it's fun because there are a lot of new kids who think my whole make-goofy-faces-and-noises-when-in-doubt routine is golden. In some cases though it is already sort of taking a toll on all of us teachers. My class of very young KG aged kids take a ton of sustained energy and that classroom has no windows so it's steamy in there. It also requires a fair amount of prep because if you can't wing it - if you don't have a new activity ready to go when they lose interest in the last one it's hopeless. Also the class expanded from 8 to TWELVE four year olds. I average probably a little less than one cry a day though so it's going pretty well.
The 3 year olds are literally impossible. There is a camera in each room, all of which are hooked up to a TV in the recpeption area....and for the class with the 3 year olds the Mothers crowd around AND WATCH each class. Wow. It doesn't really happen (that I know of) for other classes but in that one when the kids get up and try to tell me something urgent (usually bathroom related) and I have no idea what they are saying because it's in Korean, a mother will see their kid trying to communicate to me and come to the room and take them away. But when they are in class they draw all over the tables, hide under chairs, grab my tie, just cry, pick a page in the books and just start coloring it, and anything that is in their hand goes in their mouth. No exceptions.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
VACATION ! part one
Well hello blog,
Good to be back online! No new or good news on my computer situation so I'm coming to you live from what's called a PC Bang (pronounced bong) with a direct translation of PC Room, but otherwise known as an Internet Cafe. It's super cheap compared to other countries I've been to and it adds up to around 60 cents an hour - also there is no spell check so bare with me. Anyway on to the good stuff!!
I went on a 2 night three day stay at a vaccation rental known as a pension with some co-wokers and over our five day Lunar New Year break from school.
This is the subway station at the end of our journey. It was about 2 hours total with a few transfers by subway to the area, to the north-west of Seoul. The couple that we were renting the pension from where really nice and they offered to pick up all six of us at the subway station. It was about a fifteen minute drive from the station up into the woods where the couple lived on their pear farm. Korean pears are much different than the pears back home, there are tomato shaped and grapefruit sized and DELICIOUS.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
BLOGNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Bummer news blog,
My hardrive crashed on my labtop two days ago! A.k.a, $%@#!! I was in the middle of writing a long post about the weekend, but that was sacrificed to the computer gods apparently. I'm on the computers at school now and there is no spell check so I'm sorry in advance. Anyway I'm taking it in tomorrow and if all goes well I'll be up and running again in the next 10 days. If not, then not.
Work has been crazy the last two days. Some may recall how Janurary was special "Intensive" classes. Well those are done and now it's normal classes in the mornings and different classes in the afternoons. Gettin a new schedule down is sorta chaos but the new classes included two or three classes a day with pre-school aged childern. I had one class with four year olds who are easy enough to work with and are keen on silly faces so I'm good there. I had one class today however with three year-olds and it was their first day of English school. One boy took advantage of the situation and decided to peel any pictures or drawings taped to the walls, and one girl cried the second she looked at me.
But I feel that I handle them pretty well actually so the day has been great! Sometimes all the mothers will stay IN the room with the kids and the other teachers find that off-putting to say the least. Oh and did i mention- I don't start work until 1:35pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Beautiful thing huh?
My hardrive crashed on my labtop two days ago! A.k.a, $%@#!! I was in the middle of writing a long post about the weekend, but that was sacrificed to the computer gods apparently. I'm on the computers at school now and there is no spell check so I'm sorry in advance. Anyway I'm taking it in tomorrow and if all goes well I'll be up and running again in the next 10 days. If not, then not.
Work has been crazy the last two days. Some may recall how Janurary was special "Intensive" classes. Well those are done and now it's normal classes in the mornings and different classes in the afternoons. Gettin a new schedule down is sorta chaos but the new classes included two or three classes a day with pre-school aged childern. I had one class with four year olds who are easy enough to work with and are keen on silly faces so I'm good there. I had one class today however with three year-olds and it was their first day of English school. One boy took advantage of the situation and decided to peel any pictures or drawings taped to the walls, and one girl cried the second she looked at me.
But I feel that I handle them pretty well actually so the day has been great! Sometimes all the mothers will stay IN the room with the kids and the other teachers find that off-putting to say the least. Oh and did i mention- I don't start work until 1:35pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Beautiful thing huh?
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