First week impressions

Great week. My students are pretty good. There are a few demons (many of them named Harry) but nothing that can't be handled. I only teach 6 or 7 classes a day and we work out of books so it isn't difficult. Should be a pretty easy job. Plus this is 'Winter Intensive' so this is a busy month. Next month I get a new schedule and probably won't start till 10 am or so. Not quite sure how I feel about that yet. I'm usually not good with downtime.

So far, I've seen very little of the country. A bit of my neighborhood and a lot of Michelle's (which is downtown and has more parks, shopping areas and bars). I have however found 4 karaoke bars in my neighborhood, a gym, lots of fish stands and a place that teaches Kendo (the fine Japanese art of hitting others with sticks). I haven't checked out the gym or Kendo dojo yet but I will.

Over the weekend I went with some co-workers and some other teachers from nearby and we volunteered at an orphanage. The kids there were great and were really happy to have us there to play with. Wish I had brought my camera. It sounds like it's a monthly thing though, so I will have another chance for pictures.

In fact, the only pictures I've taken so far are the one's below that I just took of my apartment. This Thursday I'm taking the ferry to Japan to get my visa. I'll be sure to take pictures there.


This is my flat. Pretty big and with internet and cable. Not pictured is the Winnie the Pooh comforter that was on my bed when I arrived.


The awesome shower. The sink, toilet and shower are all in one room. You just stand in the middle of the room and shower and the water drains through the floor.


That's about it. I'll let you know how Japan goes (it's just a two day trip) and how the upcoming Lunar New Year goes as well.

Kids in Korea

This is going to be a kick ass year. I had my first day of work today and it couldn't have been easier. I was a bit nervous going in, though I was more nervous to meet my co-workers than to teach really. My co-teachers are all really cool and I think we'll get along great.

And the classes were awesome. I started at 8:30 and taught taught six classes, observed three. I teach kids from kinder to elementary and all of them are insane. I was kinda hoping for the stereotypical model Asian student. Quiet, polite, well behaved these students were not. Half of my classes were pretty good, though I think they were pretty excitable due to the fact they had a new teacher. The other half spent a good portion of their class out of their seats, screaming and running around. One kid spent a good twenty minutes running up to the front of the class to hit my butt. Between classes I would chase kids around the corridors and under their desks with them howling with laughter the whole time. It was a riot.

So I learned pretty quickly any lesson plans I might have are out the window and I'll have to switch to a rapid fire technique: quick excercises and games to keep them entertained before they take matters into their own hands. I've been told that the emphasis is more on fun and entertainment than on actual learning which makes sense if you understand the school system here. My school isn't a state school at all and is more of an afterschool program. This is EXTRA school. For 4-5 hours a day. Even more impressive is the fact that it's now winter break for these kids and they are still going to school. Learning English here is like what playing a music instrument is in the states. You do it for a few years while you're a kid then drop it after you grow up. This leads to a much more lax system at the English agencies (called Hagwons) around the country. That's not to say that I won't be doing real teaching, it will just be a lot different from the Czech businessmen that I was teaching before. I mean, none of them ever made a game out of hitting my butt...

In Busan

Hey everyone. I made it in ok and I think I'm going to really like it here. I don't have time to say too much since I'm at a public internet station and my minutes are dwindling but I'm here and so far things are good. Good and really crazy foreign. I can't even begin to describe the "shower". I'll be back with picures and details once I get internet at my flat. Probably in a week. Hope you're all well. Late.