On a list of 10 things I want to do in Korea, #2 is "pay off all debt outside student loans." And I will admit, I have a lot. Whether that be because I wasn't taught very well, I was an irresponsible twenty-something, or just simply doing what I had to to get through school is sort of irrelevant at this point (though a fashion design's fabric, sewing machines, art supplies, and 10 bridesmaid's dresses and showers, and a propensity for vehicles that need stuff, get expensive for a student).
A lot of factors added up in the end--Chicago's expensive, Rasmussen was overworking and underpaying, I bought a "newer, but dependable" car that turned out to need even more money, and my second job had to lay off some teachers. Regardless, when you find yourself with a master's degree, in the middle of the city, doing what you need to do to pay rent and your car payment, insurance, and produce all in the same month, shit gets bad. I can complain about our societal values, and priorities in terms of putting young Americans through college, or I can deal. After a prolonged "it's not fair" tantrum, I chose to deal. And along with many other waygooks, moved to Korea.
Many of us choose this route because it enables us to both do something we can be passionate (some of us like the teaching a lot) about, and still make enough money to live and pay off debt--something that seems impossible in the US. Most of us (I find) did this because working for the high-stress-low-reward mantra wasn't worth it. We leave our friends and family behind for money, lack of options, adventure, etc. Sometimes it doesn't seem worth it--missing out when someone who is close to you gets really sick, or dies, or gets married, or has their first baby...
But today. Today I paid off 2 credit cards I've had for over a decade. A DECADE. I danced around in my underwear this morning to some really terribly fun music and smiling from ear to ear.
Today, I got to feel proud of myself. That reminded me why.
*For those concerned about banking and transferring money (very meticulous to set up but super easy after) home, email me. I'm happy to help.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
It's the Simple Things
When spring did it's thang and finally came around in Korea, I was so delighted to walk around campus with its cherry blossom trees. Their aesthetic doesn't leave anything to be desired. But, I genuinely felt pain thinking about how much I missed the spring's lilacs--something about the crisp, sweet smell that literally brings a smile to my face, every time.
I liken it to the fact that there were a bunch outside my grandparents' house where I grew up playing kick the can and running through the sprinklers. I had a rainbow bathing-suit, yellow jelly shoes, and bangs of course, and loved hiding between the lilacs and the old rail-wheel.
And in graduate school, my last was the smallest bedroom I've ever been in, but had 2 VIP windows cornering my bed; and there were lilacs all over the backyard, making my favorite pastime napping. One who knows me would say my memory is less than stellar, but I will always remember spectacular napping.
Anyway, I got the best night of sleep I've gotten since I got to Korea last night. Window open, breeze coming through, and...
I liken it to the fact that there were a bunch outside my grandparents' house where I grew up playing kick the can and running through the sprinklers. I had a rainbow bathing-suit, yellow jelly shoes, and bangs of course, and loved hiding between the lilacs and the old rail-wheel.
And in graduate school, my last was the smallest bedroom I've ever been in, but had 2 VIP windows cornering my bed; and there were lilacs all over the backyard, making my favorite pastime napping. One who knows me would say my memory is less than stellar, but I will always remember spectacular napping.
Anyway, I got the best night of sleep I've gotten since I got to Korea last night. Window open, breeze coming through, and...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Fongcut
After Korean class this morning I stopped off in the bathroom and realized that my hair was stuck in my pants. It was literally long enough to be slightly tucked into my pants. I meant to get it cut before I left Chicago, but I "meant" to do many things that didn't get done before I left. Many. But I was a bit regretful, since Kang forewarned me, "Fong, I'm worried about you and those hairdressers. They do what they want." Though I'm known to sometimes just cut it myself, which is not a smart move, I still lacked the courage to jump into a salon and be like, "Aight, go to town. I know you don't understand me, so just do whatever."
Anyway, as I was walking through downtown, I ended up by Bubble Bar, and walked by Michael's Hairsalon International. I'm a skeptic at heart--of the $90 cuts AND the $30 ones, and even with a couple good recommendations from other girls I've met. I looked up and thought, "What the hell? It's hair." Until he started cutting...
I have to admit, I was panicking on the inside when took my hair out of the pony and started cutting, straight across my chest, like a 10 year old would think to do. After a while, I was like, whatev, cheers to a quick 10 inches cut off?
Then he finished and put me in the hands of this lovely Nepalese girl who was obviously a student (for she was watching diligently), for shampooing. The second this girl got her hands on my head I couldn't have cared if a 10 year old really had cut it. She massaged my scalp and temples for forever...it was grand.
After unwrapping the tightly tucked towels, I had two people blow-drying at the same time, which if you know me, is a blessing. He had cut way more than I asked for, and although he did it all fru-fruey, I was happy. And if I can't shave it yet...
The BEST part:
19,oooW (like $17) for a cut, and the best shampoo + scalp/neck massage ever. Shit, I'm going back every week for a shampoo.
facebook.com/hair.gwangju1
Anyway, as I was walking through downtown, I ended up by Bubble Bar, and walked by Michael's Hairsalon International. I'm a skeptic at heart--of the $90 cuts AND the $30 ones, and even with a couple good recommendations from other girls I've met. I looked up and thought, "What the hell? It's hair." Until he started cutting...
I have to admit, I was panicking on the inside when took my hair out of the pony and started cutting, straight across my chest, like a 10 year old would think to do. After a while, I was like, whatev, cheers to a quick 10 inches cut off?
Then he finished and put me in the hands of this lovely Nepalese girl who was obviously a student (for she was watching diligently), for shampooing. The second this girl got her hands on my head I couldn't have cared if a 10 year old really had cut it. She massaged my scalp and temples for forever...it was grand.
After unwrapping the tightly tucked towels, I had two people blow-drying at the same time, which if you know me, is a blessing. He had cut way more than I asked for, and although he did it all fru-fruey, I was happy. And if I can't shave it yet...
The BEST part:
19,oooW (like $17) for a cut, and the best shampoo + scalp/neck massage ever. Shit, I'm going back every week for a shampoo.
facebook.com/hair.gwangju1
Friday, April 15, 2011
My New Grub Club
My office sits 5 of us--a math teacher (the mama), an ethics teacher (the one male), two of my co-teachers (both close to my age--one single, one is married with a 2 year old), and me.
The office is cute. Small, but good, because in the big offices, you obviously get way more teachers.
It's pretty great. We have rituals. Boombox playing either sountrack to "Miss Saigon" or "pop classics" in which Koreans have remade their versions of American adult contemporary "classics". Think Chicago. Someone always buys apples or oranges, cucumbers, and carrots, and little drinks with plenty of vitamin-C (they're always stuffing the C down my throat) and little crackers. Jin-Sook also has this magical little egg-steamer that hard-boils eggs in 8 minutes.
Since the weather turned sunny, we've been doing a weekly lunch together on the days we all have 5th period off--one where we don't go to the cafeteria. We huddle next to the windows, eat our cut fruits and veggies, then walk arm-in-arm for coffee on campus. And then Jeong-Eun helps me with my Korean homework.
Or we go off-campus, all piled into one tiny car with a baby-seat. One time, Chinese. This week we went for spaghetti. I had this amazingly light spaghetti with bulgogi and clams; there was a spicy risotto, and a soupy spaghetti they claim "cures the soju hangover." We talk over (what I call) the auto-appetizer--Korean restaurants bring food automatically, when you sit down--which at this restaurant happens to be colored marshmallows with a burner to "warm it up" and I tell them, while they listen intently, about the magic of s'mores.
It's not my Chicago Grub Club, but we are focusing on other ethnic foods. And, I am missing my Jews and the Jew-sian jokes, and of course the food, but I think I can handle our little office parties for a while.
The office is cute. Small, but good, because in the big offices, you obviously get way more teachers.
It's pretty great. We have rituals. Boombox playing either sountrack to "Miss Saigon" or "pop classics" in which Koreans have remade their versions of American adult contemporary "classics". Think Chicago. Someone always buys apples or oranges, cucumbers, and carrots, and little drinks with plenty of vitamin-C (they're always stuffing the C down my throat) and little crackers. Jin-Sook also has this magical little egg-steamer that hard-boils eggs in 8 minutes.
Since the weather turned sunny, we've been doing a weekly lunch together on the days we all have 5th period off--one where we don't go to the cafeteria. We huddle next to the windows, eat our cut fruits and veggies, then walk arm-in-arm for coffee on campus. And then Jeong-Eun helps me with my Korean homework.
Or we go off-campus, all piled into one tiny car with a baby-seat. One time, Chinese. This week we went for spaghetti. I had this amazingly light spaghetti with bulgogi and clams; there was a spicy risotto, and a soupy spaghetti they claim "cures the soju hangover." We talk over (what I call) the auto-appetizer--Korean restaurants bring food automatically, when you sit down--which at this restaurant happens to be colored marshmallows with a burner to "warm it up" and I tell them, while they listen intently, about the magic of s'mores.
It's not my Chicago Grub Club, but we are focusing on other ethnic foods. And, I am missing my Jews and the Jew-sian jokes, and of course the food, but I think I can handle our little office parties for a while.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
A Day in the Life
Each day, I'm sure my 11 year old sister goes to school and comes home, like typical Americans do, complaining of any amount of homework they have been given--unhappy little complainers in the making--never giving a second thought about what it might be like to go to school in a foreign country.
Most EPIK teachers I know have elementary schools. They have students who barely understand anything, especially directions; BUT they have sports day, picnic day, English camp week, field trips, songs day, and more. All the teachers (including Koreans) leave at the same time and have dinners together. And so on. But many of them also aren't really finding the teaching rewarding--or rather that they won't/aren't making a difference.
My students go to school from 8:30 (some start earlier with private tutors) and go until 10pm (some go longer). They have lunch and dinner at school; at break they are running to the snack shop on campus to grab some sugar to stay awake for the next 50 minutes of class, which ends up being about 12 minutes, when they literally cannot keep their eyes open. All in the name of standardized college entrance exams. Here is a great video (thanks Matt) to paint a portrait.
I would consider this the biggest challenge of teaching in a high school in Korea.
I have a fairly large range of English skills--results of the widely-varied amount of English they've had before, during, and after school before high school. I have 17 classes of either all boys or all girls classes; each with 35-46 students.** It's all different--one class is a nightmare (for every teacher in the school), and yet another is the most diligent, motivated, excitable bunch I've ever had the pleasure of teaching.
The problem is, I can't blame them one bit for wanting to sleep through my class. I mean, flirting with the teacher, slapping the classmates you are with for 15 hours a day/6 days a week is going to get OLD. I do what I can to include as many real life situations and videos as possible, but some just can't do it. Some of them I can even tell they WANT to. But...just...can't...keep...eyes...open! One of my co-teachers commented today,"you must go through a lot of money for candy." For some of them, it's the only thing that keeps their eyes (and the energy of the whole room) on the prize.
In the afternoon, they get a 20 minute break. One that is spent cleaning the school. I've come to love my little 3rd grade (american equivalent to seniors) boys.
"Hello teacher!" Everyday. They're so happy to have gotten "stuck" with my room. I give them candy and help them practice for their (very intense, repetitive, vocabulary tests); though lately, they've been helping me with my vocabulary more.
"Hello students! How are you today?"
"Oh, veddy tired. Veddy tired." "So, so." "Fine thank you. And how are you?"
Each Friday, we all do the whole "TGIF" shpeel, and then they start talking about class until 6pm on Saturday. Monday we talk about how they studied on Sunday. Even on the first 72 degrees day! Yet, each day, they leave my room, "thank you teacher. I love you. See you tomorrow!" I really love them too. That's heart.
Knowing the levels of stress that I had in graduate school, working at Rasmussen, etc., it all sucked. Ulcer sucked. Wrinkly, dried up, and bitchy sucked. But I was post-25. They are 15-17. I've read about the suicide rates being high here among their age group, but I found this (and used it for my essay writing class too) interesting:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/04/2011010400291.html
All in all, I don't pretend to have answers (and we all know America's system is jacked too, at least they play much fairer here, student to student). I just feel icky about it sometimes. The Korean teachers are grossed out by it as well. The system is spending a massive amount of money to bring native English speaking teachers in and I hear (office gossip) that they are talking about trying to cut the hours slightly (an idea some of the parents are rejecting). I understand the justifications for why they're doing it. I would just be so interested to have a conversation with some of the people who have this discourse, and run the show. Or shit, even just a fly on the wall.
In the meantime, the least I can do is buy some candy, and help them with their vocabulary tests on break.
**But I also have 2 Teacher Trainings classes (for the 9 other Korean English teachers) and 2 Essay Writing courses that I'll talk about later.
Most EPIK teachers I know have elementary schools. They have students who barely understand anything, especially directions; BUT they have sports day, picnic day, English camp week, field trips, songs day, and more. All the teachers (including Koreans) leave at the same time and have dinners together. And so on. But many of them also aren't really finding the teaching rewarding--or rather that they won't/aren't making a difference.
My students go to school from 8:30 (some start earlier with private tutors) and go until 10pm (some go longer). They have lunch and dinner at school; at break they are running to the snack shop on campus to grab some sugar to stay awake for the next 50 minutes of class, which ends up being about 12 minutes, when they literally cannot keep their eyes open. All in the name of standardized college entrance exams. Here is a great video (thanks Matt) to paint a portrait.
I would consider this the biggest challenge of teaching in a high school in Korea.
I have a fairly large range of English skills--results of the widely-varied amount of English they've had before, during, and after school before high school. I have 17 classes of either all boys or all girls classes; each with 35-46 students.** It's all different--one class is a nightmare (for every teacher in the school), and yet another is the most diligent, motivated, excitable bunch I've ever had the pleasure of teaching.
The problem is, I can't blame them one bit for wanting to sleep through my class. I mean, flirting with the teacher, slapping the classmates you are with for 15 hours a day/6 days a week is going to get OLD. I do what I can to include as many real life situations and videos as possible, but some just can't do it. Some of them I can even tell they WANT to. But...just...can't...keep...eyes...open! One of my co-teachers commented today,"you must go through a lot of money for candy." For some of them, it's the only thing that keeps their eyes (and the energy of the whole room) on the prize.
In the afternoon, they get a 20 minute break. One that is spent cleaning the school. I've come to love my little 3rd grade (american equivalent to seniors) boys.
"Hello teacher!" Everyday. They're so happy to have gotten "stuck" with my room. I give them candy and help them practice for their (very intense, repetitive, vocabulary tests); though lately, they've been helping me with my vocabulary more.
"Hello students! How are you today?"
"Oh, veddy tired. Veddy tired." "So, so." "Fine thank you. And how are you?"
Each Friday, we all do the whole "TGIF" shpeel, and then they start talking about class until 6pm on Saturday. Monday we talk about how they studied on Sunday. Even on the first 72 degrees day! Yet, each day, they leave my room, "thank you teacher. I love you. See you tomorrow!" I really love them too. That's heart.
Knowing the levels of stress that I had in graduate school, working at Rasmussen, etc., it all sucked. Ulcer sucked. Wrinkly, dried up, and bitchy sucked. But I was post-25. They are 15-17. I've read about the suicide rates being high here among their age group, but I found this (and used it for my essay writing class too) interesting:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/04/2011010400291.html
All in all, I don't pretend to have answers (and we all know America's system is jacked too, at least they play much fairer here, student to student). I just feel icky about it sometimes. The Korean teachers are grossed out by it as well. The system is spending a massive amount of money to bring native English speaking teachers in and I hear (office gossip) that they are talking about trying to cut the hours slightly (an idea some of the parents are rejecting). I understand the justifications for why they're doing it. I would just be so interested to have a conversation with some of the people who have this discourse, and run the show. Or shit, even just a fly on the wall.
In the meantime, the least I can do is buy some candy, and help them with their vocabulary tests on break.
**But I also have 2 Teacher Trainings classes (for the 9 other Korean English teachers) and 2 Essay Writing courses that I'll talk about later.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Up Yours, Cameras
A few things have hindered my posting frequency--forgot the goods for old camera, lost the new camera in a week, which of course led to a decent amount of self-loathing. That and, I've been sleeping a lot. In the best way possible. I had forgotten what sleep was like. Guilt-free sleep--no "8 more essays to grade tonight", or "birthday parties-turn-too-good-a-time", or appointments to keep, instead of sleep. Sleep. That and, I've probably been lazy. But for now, I'll blame the guy that took my camera from Bubble Bar (Happy Christmas, guy!), and say that it was worth the wait, for I return with a photo of my favorite thing I've seen so far.
And there it is: the bum washer. Sure enough--you have the wash, rinse, and dry functions. Oh, and did I mention, the seat is heated? Gotta love it, you get the squatter, or the queen bee of toilets. Makes me feel like I'm going 1.21 gigawatts in a DeLorean.
And there it is: the bum washer. Sure enough--you have the wash, rinse, and dry functions. Oh, and did I mention, the seat is heated? Gotta love it, you get the squatter, or the queen bee of toilets. Makes me feel like I'm going 1.21 gigawatts in a DeLorean.
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