Another month under my belt

So you’re probably wondering…what the heck have I been doing for the last month?  Well blogging is obviously not the answer!  I promise to try and update more often.  Thanks for checking back in and not abandoning meJ

The last month has been full of many more new experiences.  Here is breakdown of some of the highlights…

Verakids Staff Meeting

One Tuesday night a couple weeks ago we had a staff meeting after school with all the teachers.  The Director went over upcoming event and we had to do a self-evaluation.  After the meeting was when the fun actually started.  We all headed out for dinner, where we had a tasty chicken stir-fry type dish.  Sometimes I get a false sense of confidence in my chop sticks ability, thinking I’ve mastered the skill.  Then I’ll have to use them to something like a chicken wing or the noodles in my soup, and I’m brought back to reality! 

After dinner we all headed to the first bar.  I quickly learned the night was a sort of initiation for new teachers, with some good old fashion peer pressure to drink!  They took it easy on me, but some of the other new Korean teachers were not so lucky.  Drinking is very big part of Korean culture.  If your boss says drink, you drink, no questions asked.  Apparently this has been toned down a bit in recent years, but Koreans still love to cut loose.  The night was full lots of beer, soju, drinking games and more food.  We went to two more bars after dinner and at each, several appetizers were ordered, even though we’d just had a huge meal.  I guess they need all the food to help them hold their alcohol.  The night finally came to an end and I got back to my apartment around 2:00 am.  Needless to say, there were lots of tired (and some hung over) teachers the next day a school!   

Stan Teacher’s Wedding

One of the highlights of my time here so far has been attending a traditional Korean wedding.  Stan, the other American teacher at my school, tied the knot this month to his lovely wife Jay. 

Jay and Stan dressing in traditional hanbok, looking stunning! 

The ceremony was held at Namsangol Hanok Village, which is a mini folk village with a number of traditional Korean-style houses.

Traditional Korean-style house

There was a translator at the wedding, which was nice to help us English speakers understand what was going on.  Since the wedding was held at a public place, there were several tourists standing around, which made it somewhat difficult to see and hear at times.  I don’t the tourist realized it was a real wedding happening, not something for their entertainment! 

In Korea, instead of giving gifts to the bride and groom, you just give money.  This helps pay for a dinner hosted after the ceremony and provides the new couple with some seed money.  The dinner was held at a nearby restaurant, and again, we had a very tasty meal.  I’ve loved all the Korean food I’ve tried so far.  I’m trying to take more pictures of things I try and will post them later…not that I can ever remember the name of the dishes.   

Another great thing about Stan getting married was his parents made the trip east.  The came into the school one morning during their visit and the kids went crazy!  The kids loved meeting them and were mesmerized.  I think one of my students, Minsang, said “Oh my God!” at least 100 times that morning in reference to our visitors.  I asked Stan’s mom to come into my homeroom class because the students were so excited to meet her.  They all introduced themselves and she asked if they had any questions.  Expecting questions about Stan Teacher or America, she got, “Why do crocodiles chomp?” 

Noraebang

The stereotype is true…Koreans love karaoke!  This weekend I went to my norabang, which is a signing room.  Stan and Jay had a house warming party, where we had dinner at their apartment, then headed to a nearby norabang.  By “nearby” I mean across the street; they are literally located everywhere!

We had quit the international crowd.  Three of Jay’s good friends were there, who were all Korean, but spoke English.  Stan’s best man from the wedding, who’s Swedish, came with his Korean girlfriend.  And lastly where three Peruvian brothers who were Stan’s old neighbors.  One of them was married to a Russian gal.         

The norabang was a good time, but not like a karaoke bar back in the states.  We had our own private room with a table and booth for sitting.  There was a big tv screen for displaying the lyrics and videos and the lights even dimmed when a song came on.  The song selection was decent, with several English songs, along with Korean.

For me, karaoke is something I enjoy watching, but not actually participating in.  On the rare occasion I do sing, I require several backup singers and plenty of liquid courage.  None of these things were available and just watching was not an option.  My signing ability is not a talent I like to lead with when meeting new people, but I had no choice.  So I put on my big girl panties and picked the first song I came to that I knew all the words…”Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.  Whenever it is played at piano bars, I have no problem signing it at the top of my lungs, so I gave it my best.  I butchered it, but survived and made it very clear I had a one song limit! 

As always, thanks so much for reading.  I’ve listed my addresses on the page now, so cards, letters and packages are all welcomed.  The ones I’ve gotten so far have made my day and I have them displayed in my apartment.  You’ll also notice the kids at the top of the page are actually my students now, not the google image result of Asian children!   

Btw…Happy Easter!   



The One Month Mark!

A month ago, I arrived in South Korea…unreal!  It really does not seem like it has been that long.  Everything still seems so fresh and each day I experience something new.  The calendar does not lie though, so it must be true. 

Some aspects of my life are starting to feel normal.  Going grocery shopping and riding the bus to work are second nature now, and my apartment feels quit cozy.  At school, the kids and I are getting into the swing of things as well. 

Being a brand new teacher, I had a lot to learn (and still do)!  I’d be lying if I said I never got frustrated; it is a daily occurrence, especially when the students are extra chatty and energetic.  It is not that my students don’t know the rules, because they do.  They would test me and at times things got a bit chaotic. 

After one week of being super nice teacher, I had to lay down the law!  We went over the rule again and I introduced the “Star Student” sticker board to reward good behavior.  Thursday my first student got to 10 stickers and earned a prize.  Of course it was the only girl in the class!  Some boys still have zero stickers.  I’ll catch them being good, and the next minute they are yelling at their friend on the other side of the room.  Sometimes I’ll give them stickers just so I have leverage to take them away when they are bad!

Pattie, my “Star Student” with her lollipop reward!

Here are some pics of my kiddos.  For more, click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2618582&id=15907471&l=5f4a70ddfe

Brad, sitting quietly for once:P

Rex

Minsang

Noah, who is in one of my After School classes

Color, color, color

Last weekend I consumed some green beer in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  Koreans don’t really celebrate the holiday, but of course foreigners do!  I went into an area of Seoul where all the festivities were.  From my estimates, I think every foreigner in Seoul was there!  It was honestly a bit overwhelming being surrounded by so many non-Asians.  A girl I met told me here friends were in the crowd, but she couldn’t find them.  Everyone was wearing green all the white people looked the same…this girl was from upstate New York. 

Anywhere there is a large group of foreigners, you can bet there is street drinking happening.  Koreans are not big on the concepts, but of course foreigners love it.  Who does not get a thrill out of doing something you were raised to believe as wrong, even if it is perfectly legal here.  All the gas stations and convenient stores in the area didn’t plan very well for the occasion though because they all sold out of beer.  We had to travel a few blocks, but were able to find 3 beers and a couple bottles of soju.  After the temperature dropped, I spent the rest of the night at an Irish pub.  It was packed and at times, you could easily forget you were even in South Korea.  It is funny how you have an instant trust and bond with anyone whose native language is English in a foreign land.  For example, a girl sitting next to our table offered me a taste of her beer and I of course accepted because she was from Texas.

The street full of English speakers!

Stella, who I teach with, and I at the Irish Pub

  Just a random Korean guy being AWESOME!

Today was our first field trip and we visited a transportation museum.  Of course I was nervous about losing a student, but I kept track of all 8.  And even though it was a stressful day, the kids had a good time.  We were only there for about 2 hours, but it was plenty of time for a presentation on safety and to explore the museum.    

Here are some pics from the day, but you can see more here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2618583&id=15907471&l=31d363d25f

An unsuccessful attempt at a class pic 

John going for a ride

Minho checking out some different car parts



Just Another Day...

With one full week of teaching now under my belt, I’m slowly starting to grasp my daily routine.  There is definitely room for improvement with my teaching style, but I can only hope that will come with time.  At least now I understand when, who I should be teaching.  Half the time I know what I’m supposed to be teaching and I’m working on the how. 

So what is typical teaching day like for me?  Funny you should ask…let me just tell you!

Technically I need to be at school by 9:30am, because that is when students arrive.  I try to get there earlier though to settle in a bit and prep for the day ahead.  Each morning I ride the bus to work, which takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how long I have to wait.  All the buildings still look the same to me, covered in Korean writing, so I remember my stop by 2 lefts, around a corner, and it is the stop before going under the bridge. 

The bus stop is only a couple minute walk to my school.  When I get to the building, I take the elevator up to the sixth floor, remove my shoes, and walk inside.  Some students get dropped off by their moms, but most get picked up by shuttle buses the school runs.  When they arrive, they come to the classroom, remove their cups and notebooks from their backpacks, and then stick their bags and folded coats in their cubby holes.  Since my home room students are the oldest in the school, most know the routine and can do it on their own.   

We start the morning off with a snack, usually porridge or fruit.  When they finish, students take their cups to get a drink of water from the water cooler, go to the bathroom and get ready to start class.  Our first class does not start until 9:50am, so we have time to go over the days of the week and update our calendar. 

Students stay in their home room class throughout the day and different teachers come to them for each subject.  I spend most my time with Red Class, my home room students, and Orange Class.  Orange class is 6 students that are 4 and 5 years old.  Subjects I teach include Sharing Time, Story, Journal Writing, Phonics, Science, Math, English Game and Arts & Crafts.  The classes are 40 minutes long and there is a 5 minute “break” in between.  I never teach the same thing twice, which keeps it interesting I suppose.  I’m working on teaching my students to use the restroom and get water during the breaks, not in the middle of class…it is a difficult concept for some to grasp! 

We don’t eat lunch until 12:45, so as you can imagine, every day I hear, “Teacher I’m hungry!” about 10 times.  There is no cafeteria in the school, so students eat in their classroom.  They each have a lunch box/tray they bring every day, and most come with a spoon, fork and little kid chop sticks.  I get the food from the kitchen, and then fill up all the students’ trays with rice, kimchi, and whatever else we’re having for the day.  Our cook is awesome and we always have tasty food!

In Korean culture, it is considered very rude to not eat all the food on your plate.  Being a picky eater is not really an option.  Because of this, I have to force all the kids to clean their plates.  Most gobble up the food with no complaints, but one boy struggles every day.  He’s always the last to finish and tries to tell me his food is too spicy.  I feel bad for him, but have to enforce the rules.  He’s becoming very familiar with the phrase, “Keep eating!”

When students finish eating, they take their cups and get a drink of water.  This is one of the things that kills me the most here…Koreans consume an insanely limited amount of liquid!  During a meal, they will give you the tiniest glass of water you’ve ever seen.  I try to have a water bottle with me at all times because otherwise, I feel like I’ll shrivel up!

After getting their water, they’ll brush their teeth.  I suppose dental hygiene is important to them.  The final step before they can start playing is to wipe down their face with a baby wipe.  Then they spend the rest of the hour playing in the classroom with legos and blocks.    

There are two more classes after lunch, then it is time to send the kids packing at 2:45.  The end of the day is spent zipping up coats and putting on backpacks.  We have to make sure the kids look presentable to go home so their crazy mommies know we take good care of them during the day! 

Some kids stay for ‘After School’ which is basically an extra English lesson.  It last an hour and on Mondays and Wednesdays I have 5 students and on Tuesdays and Thursdays 2 students. 

At 4:00 I’m done teaching, but still have a few more things to do before heading home.  First I clean my classroom, which consist of wiping down the tables, then vacuuming and mopping the floor.  This was one of the only schools that didn’t have a swine flu outbreak last year due to their cleaning practices.  Impressive huh?!?!  Then I start on my lesson plans for the next day.  Eventually I’d like to get ahead of the game a bit and plan things further than just a day in advance.  According to my contract, I can leave at 5:00, but usually end up staying later to finish up everything. 

When I do get home, I eat dinner, relax and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow!  

Here are some pics from my school:

Bulletin board in my classroom…decorated by the former English teacher

The kiddos’ tables

Front of the classroom

Cubbies and the door to our class

The lobby slash general play area

The gym

My Dogs are Barking!

Part of Korean culture is to remove your shoes before entering someone’s home.  This is the case at some restaurants as well, along with my school.  I’ve never been a fan of having my feet confined to shoes, so I was very excited about all this bare foot time.  My excitement has dwindled though. 

Anyone who has a job that involves standing all day can attest it can be challenging at times.  Well try doing it barefooted!  There are some flimsy “guest slippers” that I’ve been wearing, but today I really need to make a trip to Home Plus (aka Korean Wal-Mart) to buy some slippers with more support. 

Other than this minor discomfort, I’d say my first week here has been a success.  Still getting settled into the teaching routine at school, but I love my kids already.  I have 8 students in my homeroom; 7 rambunctious boys and 1 sweet little girl!  Even though we’ve only spent 3 days together so far, their little personalities are already starting to shine through and I’m really looking forward to our year together. 

Red class, which is my homeroom, are all 6 or 7 year old students.  That is in Korean age though…there is a difference!  Koreans start counting your age from conception, so the time you spend in the womb is a year.  Basically a new born baby is 1 years old.  Then on the Lunar New Year, which is in February, everyone turns a year older.  Complicated huh?  Most Korean are a year or two younger than their age, so my students’ Western ages would be 4 or 5.  And I’m 27…not happy about that!

Along with completing my first week of teaching, this weekend has been filled with a lot of other firsts.  Friday night I went to my first foreigner bar here with the other teacher from my school.  It was like a little slice of America being surrounded by so many English speakers!  Most people at the bar were teachers as well, so it was nice to chat with them and learn about their experiences.  While I was definitely one of the greenest people there, I did meet a guy who had just got off the plane at 4:30 that morning.  Holy jet lag!

Saturday I made my first trip into Seoul.  One of the Korean teachers at my school had invited me to go on a city tour that was being sponsored by a bike show in town.   Three of her other friends came with us too – all teachers; 1 from Ireland and 2 from California.  We rode a bus around the city, making a stop to tour Gyeongbok Palace.  We saw the changing of the guards, where the King slept, had meetings, ect and walked through the South Korean Folk Museum.  This was the first “touristy” thing I’ve done since arriving, so it was nice to learn a little something about Korean culture and history…other than what I observe day to day!  After the palace, we had lunch.  So far I’ve liked all the Korean food I’ve tried, even if I’m not always sure what I’m eating.  Following lunch we had some time to wondering around a shopping area and then had some tea.  After the city tour, the five of us went bowling.  While I failed to break 100 both rounds (I scored 99 once though) it was still a good time.     

I still have so much to learn here, but it is nice have one week under my belt.  Only 51 more to go…haha!  Thanks so much for reading.  I hope you enjoy my ramblings.  I always love to hear what is going on back in the States, so shoot me an email or facebook message sometimeJ  Jodi.Hasekamp@gmail.com  

My tour group at Gyeongbok Palace

First Day of Teaching…kinda

Today was Orientation at my school!  It was a way of easing the students (and myself) into school life.  Parents, mostly well to do stay at home moms, brought their children to school this morning.  I stood at the door, smiling and trying to look as friendly as possible.  Every once in a while I'd through in a "Good Morning!" "Welcome!" or bow, just for good measure.  Koreans are very big on first impressions!  Outward appearance is extremely important.  In America you might expect a Kindergarten Teacher to wear a stylish denim jumper with apples sown on it, but teachers at my school were wearing sequins dresses.  All the moms looked like they just walked off the runway.  Look for the next Bravo hit, "Real Housewives of Bundang". 

 Things were a bit hectic, with children running around everywhere.  Everyone seemed to act like this was completely normal though, so I just kept smiling:)  The 6 and 7 year olds were divided into two groups, one of which I lead with a Korean teacher.  There were 10 students in our class and as I’m sure you can imagine, insanely cute. 

Today’s theme was family, so we talked about different members of a family and sang a song.  All the students in my class today spoke some English, which I was grateful for!  When I asked them who was in a family, they were able to tell me Mommy, Daddy, Brother, Sister, Grandmother, Grandfather.  Needless to say, I was impressed and relieved! 

I then read the students a book called, “Bee-Bim Bop.”  Bee-bim bop is a traditional Korean dish and the book was about a little girl helping her mother prepare dinner for their family.  After the story, we made bee-bim bop out of clay.  Then had a snack – milk and a roll.  There was one glass of spilled milk, but no tears, so I felt like the day was a success.  I was only with the kids for an hour and half in the class and we were very busy the whole time, so it went by quickly. 

To wrap up the orientation, all the teachers were introduced to the parents.  By the way, there a total of 5 Korean teachers at my school, along with an Assistant Director and Director.  The Director and 2 of the Korean teachers speak very good English.  As for the others, there is a bit of a language barrier.  I had to give a brief introduction of myself to the parents, which I don’t think they understood at all, but they did clap! 

For lunch, all the staff went out to a restaurant.  Looking back, I wish I would have taken advantage of some of those yoga classes at the gym, because sitting crossed-legged through a whole meal is a bit challenging.  The food was delicious though, so all is good!  Milestone of the day was trying kimchi and actually liking it!  I had radish and cabbage kimchi; apparently there are hundreds of different flavors. 

The teacher bonding continued and we went for coffee after lunch.  Finally we headed back to the school where the Directory reviewed expectations, roles, duties, ect with me and the other foreign teacher.  Some questions answered, but still feeling very confused!

Other good news of the day is my luggage arrived!  Thanks to my mom’s mad packing skills I probably could have lasted a few more days with my carry on essentials, but it is nice to have all my belongings necessary for the next year. 

I made it…barely

I have never necessarily considered myself a ”lucky” person, but by no means would say I was “unlucky.”  I generally keep a laid back attitude, try not to stress and things seem to fall into place.  The last couple days have really pushed this theory to the limit though!

Tuesday morning, the day before I am supposed to leave for Seoul, I wake up with a headache and sore throat.  As the day goes on, I’m freezing and my body is achy.  I’m going downhill fast, so I go to Urgent Care that night.  Turns out I have a 103 degree fever and swollen glands.  Good news is I don’t have the flu.  Bad news is the doc thinks I have strep throat or mono!  She tells me there is no way I can fly and writes me a note to change my flight.  Not really an option at this point, so I immediately start praying for a miracle.

The miracle came in the form of a powerful steroid and antibiotic prescription.  The next day I wake up feeling much better…the trip is still on!  The plan was to pack Tuesday not, but since that didn’t happen, my mom and I spent all day Wednesday packing and repacking.  After making some cut throat decisions about what to bring, everything finally fits, with the exception of the “mail pile.”

I get to the airport in plenty of time for my 8:35pm flight to Chicago.  It continuously gets delayed and I start to get nervous.  Despite the rumors of it getting canceled, it finally arrives a little after 10:00pm.  Through my excellent eavesdropping skills I discover a guy on my flight from STL is also headed to South Korea to teach English.  We make it to Chicago and into the international terminal right as our flight to Seoul starts to board.  It was touch and go, but all was good.

The flight itself is not too bad.  Sure it was long, but I slept and watched a couple movies.  The real kicker was when we landed in Seoul and me, along with my fellow STL passengers are left waiting at the baggage carousel empty handed.  Who would have seen that coming…my luggage is lost!  Fingers are crossed it gets delivered to my school in the next couple days.

My dad was concerned how I’d be able to handle all that baggage myself, but thank God it was a non-issue…ugh!  I get to my school with no problems though and all the other teachers are very nice.   Along with the Korean teachers, I met the other foreign teacher.  It is his second year teaching English and is married to a South Korean lady.  They live just down the hall from me.

Lucky for me, the former foreign teacher came into the school today and helped me get my classroom set up.  I’ll be a homeroom teacher in “Red Room.”  Still trying to figure out what exactly that means, but I know it involves snack time, lunch and putting on coats.

She then brought me back to her old apartment slash my new apartment.  It is nicer than I expected and fully furnished with bed, couch, tv, desk, night stand, coffee table, washing machine and a refrigerator.  She left me pretty much everything I need, or at least need to get settled in.

I am a bit overwhelmed right now, but I think that is to be expected!  Despite a few bumps in the road, things are going good.  Thanks for reading and I’ll keep you posted! 

Life is Journey, not a Destination…

But if it was, my next destination is South Korea!  In less than a week I’ll be embarking on the biggest adventure of my life so far.  If you are wondering if I’m excited, the answer is YES!  If you are wondering if I’m nervous, the answer is YES!  I’m also feeling every emotion in between.

By chance if you don’t know my background very well, let me clarify a few things:

·         My college degree is in Agribusiness Management, not education

·         I don’t speak any Korean, but I have a pretty good handle on English

·         My passport lacks any stamps from Asian countries, but I throw up the peace sign on a regular basis

·         I don’t know anyone currently living in South Korea, but lots of friends of friends of friends…6 degrees of separation right?

Despite all these fun facts, I am in fact qualified to teach English in South Korea.  Four year college degree…check. Native English speaker…check. 

For the past few weeks I’ve been gathering what I think I’ll need to pack for a year abroad.  While Seoul is a booming developed city, I am packing some luxuries from home, or at least putting them in a box for my mom to mail me. 

·         Deodorant…apparently Asian folk don’t sweat as much as us Westerners

·         Tampons…not a priority for the ladies of the far east

·         Shoes…size 9.5 are hard to come by in a country of the small footed

Check back later for a full list of acceptable items to include in my care packagesJ As of Friday morning KST, I should be in South Korea, granted I survive the 14 hour flight.  More details to come. 
Disclaimer: I’m new to the blogging world, so with time, I hope to make this page a little easier on the eyes.