Saturday, February 24th,
I decided to go to the COEX mall again. I like the Bandi and Luni's bookstore there since they have a big selection of foreign books, especially teaching material. They have quite a few other stores and it is quite popular with Koreans and the foreign crowd.
I needed to find a business English book since Pagoda doesn't have any materials for the highest level, "real business" class. Next Friday, I will transfer locations and start teaching "real business" with my curriculum. I figure that it should be fun, but require lots of work planning my classes.
Sunday, February 25th,
I decided to switch churches, since I am learning Korean at a snail's pace. Dr. Kim directed me to the MyungSung Church since it is nearby and has an English service. The English service was ok, but it seemed strange being at such a large church. The English service isn't even in the main church building and there was maybe seating for 400 or so. When I arrived, I was greeted by a welcoming staff that had me fill out a newcomer form. I was a little nervous because they had sectional seating for various cells. I guess the cells meet in smaller groups since it is a large congregation. As a newcomer, I was seated near the front. Towards the end of the service, all newcomers were asked to come up front so we could meet the pastor. As we were greeted, he handed us a gift, which happened to be two pens. After the service, I was introduced to a gentleman who asked if I had any questions. He asked me some basic information about me. I was the only "foreign" newcomer, so the other newcomers were with another person. I am not sure why, but every person that asked me questions at church didn't seem to understand my answers. I guess none of my answers are simple because of where I live, how I found my job, how long will I be in Korea, etc. I am not sure if they are worried that I am in Korea for a short time and won't visit their church for long or what. There reactions were strange, but maybe it will be different next week.
After church (services is from 1:20pm-3pm), I went to meet Ah Rong (Ellie). For those who don't know, she is from Inchon and came to UND to study English from March to December 2006. Today was the first time I had seen her since we flew to Korea on the same flight.
We met at the City Hall subway station since it is about the halfway point for each of us. It takes her about 40 minutes to get there and I took about 35 minutes. First, we went to an old palace, Deoksugung, which was of importance only when Japan invaded in 1593. The area was nice with a few different old wooden structures. After, we walked around downtown and then took the subway to Insadong. This area is in the middle of downtown, but it still has the traditional Korean look. Many of the shops sell antiques and other traditional Korean items. We stopped at a noodle shop where a man in the front window shows how to make fresh hand-made noodles. It involves a lot stretching, pulling, flouring of the dough. It was delicious and cheap. We walked by various shops and stopped for tea. Conversation wasn't too great since we both are listeners. She is going to be a teacher and I am a teacher, so it should seem that conversation starting would be easier, but it wasn't. Last, we walked along Cheonggye Stream. It is a nicely lit area that starts as a waterfall and continues as a stream and it is about 20 feet below street level. It provides a nice area in the middle of the city to walk and talk.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Korean New Year Weekend
Saturday, February 17th,
At noon, I met my father at the Lotte World complex. Dr. Kim accompanied me because my father invited him to translate for us. We ate a nice Chinese restaurant and had "Shanghainese" food since it was all sweet. My father told Dr. Kim about the situation when I was young. Dr. Kim did find out that my grandmother passed away from cancer. He also told me that my grandmother was the "May Queen" of Ewha University, so one of or the brightest student at the time. My father said that he told his wife that I was in Seoul. Due to the situation he would not be able to have me stay with him. In November, when his son finishes his military service, my father will tell his son/my half brother.
After lunch, we went to a coffee shop in the mall. We talked some more and after we finished, Dr. Kim said that he would go home and my father will spend some time with me. My father can speak some English, so we did ok. He told me that I would meet a friend of my grandmother. He has a Daewoo Leganza, which is a nice 4-door car. He drove us to the friend's apartment/condo.
She lives on the 8th floor of a building with her daughter. She is 80 years old and my grandmother was the same age as her. She can speak some English. Her daughter can speak very well, probably near fluent. Her daughter said that her English is good because she attended an international school as a young child while the family was in Egypt. The daughter's sister and brother live in California. Also, she works for Nike. They both would have seen me as a small baby. The mother was surprised that I had grown so much because she remembers me being smaller than my twin brother. It was interesting to hear the daughter say that my father was quite a shy man. He was a little emotional and didn't talk too much.
After visiting, my father drove around Seoul a little bit and then we went to Namsan Tower. Namsan is a small mountain in the middle of the city. On top, there is a TV tower skyscraper. It stands 350+ meters above sea level. Seoul is only 40 miles from the sea. Thankfully, we took the easy way up the mountain. They have a cable car ride. On the observation tower, you can see most of Seoul and more. Korea is very mountainous, so parts of the city have grown around the small mountains in the area. After viewing the city and getting a better idea where each of part of the city is, we walked down the mountain. There are many steps, so I was glad that we didn't walk up the mountain.
We drove around and looked at the different city gates. He wanted to take me to a good restaurant, but it was closed due to Seollal (Korean New Year). We went to a noodle place, but they served a cold noodle soup. It was light and supposed to be good for a healthy diet. Afterwards, we went back to Lotte, so he could buy Dr. Kim a gift. I didn't know that until he had me carry it asked if I wanted a ride back home or take the subway. I took the subway since I knew that my father probably had a fair distance to travel in the other direction to get home. It wasn't exactly convenient since the fruit was heavy and I didn't realize how expensive. My father spent about $100 on the fruit box, but the fruit is very large.
At night, I went to Sinchon to socialize with some of the teachers. We went to a few different bars, but I wasn't really in the mood. I felt I needed to go since they invited me and that I will be heading to Kangnam to teach in 10 days. They all thought it was disappointing that I will be switching so soon. All of the teachers were foreign at this event. Some times, I have a hard time determining which group I fall into at Pagoda. I am a foreign teacher, but I am Korean. Many of the teachers (foreign or Korean) expect me to speak Korean, so it makes for some embarrassing and uncomfortable situations. I feel I fit in better with the Korean teachers, but they are sometimes shy since not all of them have great English proficiency. As for the foreign teachers, I don't always associate with their situation. Some are in Korea to teach and make/save a lot of money. I am not in Korea for that reason alone. Also, they teach the main PIP course, so I am not teaching classes like them. I have more freedom and different schedule. I guess I have the luxury of being in the middle and have the best of both groups of teachers.
Sunday, February 18th, Seollal (Korean New Year)
In the morning, I was woken up by Dr. Kim to tell me that they will be doing the New Year's Day tradition. They preform a "Saebae" to their parents since they are the eldest. The grandfather was dressed in traditional Korean clothing, which is a short silk jacket and loose pants that are also tied at the ankles. The grandparents sat on the couch and everyone took a turn bowing. The boys bowed and the grandmother handed them a envelope with money.
Afterwards, we ate breakfast. It is tradition to have "ddeok-guk." It is a soup with glutinous rice cakes that are sliced. It is always eaten on the first day of the year. We all ate in the living room on the floor. This was the first time that I have eaten with everyone at one time. All seven of us ate together.
For dinner, Dr. Kim's sister (Mrs. Kim), brother-in-law (Mr. Kim), and niece (Eunhye) visited. I had met Mrs. Kim and Eunhye before, but not Mr. Kim. He was a older gentleman, maybe closer to 60. Eunhye informed me that she found a job as a middle school math teacher that starts the beginning of March. She is excited because it is difficult for young Koreans to find jobs anywhere. Unfortunately, she will have a very long commute to and from work. If her mother doesn't drive her, she will walk/ride the bus for three hours each way. By car, it only takes one hour. In a few years, she would like to buy a car, but cannot right now.
For dinner, everyone ate except Dr. Kim's oldest son. We had more ddeok-guk and many other side dishes. The only thing that I didn't eat were the oysters. I have tried them before, but I don't like them too much. The food was delicious. They stayed for awhile and we talked about Eunhye's job and my changing locations. Most of the conversation was in Korean, but I understood what they were talking about a few times since Korean uses some English words.
Monday, February 19th,
I was informed that many people would be visiting today because it is Seollal and Dr. Kim's mother's birthday. Around 11 AM, Dr. Kim's father's brother visited with his wife and two sons. The sons are Dr. Kim's cousins and one of them spoke English. Dr. Kim said that he will go to Qatar to work for his Korean construction company. Everyone visited and had coffee. They left around noon.
At the same time, Dr. Kim's mother's brothers arrived since today is her birthday. Dr. Kim's mother is the oldest and she has three brothers. The oldest brother has passed away, but his wife came to visit. The two younger brothers and their wives visited. The youngest brother could speak a little English. He told me that he was a captain of a large fishing boat. He has traveled around the world to many locations such as Hawai'i, Los Angeles, Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and Indian Ocean. One of the brothers also brought his son, who works for a marketing company and is only 33 years old. Dr. Kim's cousin is 22 years younger than him.
After everyone arrived, they did the Korean tradition, "Saebae." First, the oldest generation, which would be Dr. Kim's mother's brothers bowed. Next, the wives bowed. After, the oldest generation sat in front of Dr. Kim's parents and the younger generations took turns bowing. I bowed with Dr. Kim's sons. After bowing, the sons received envelopes from their great uncles. One of the great uncles even gave me a "man won", which is about ten dollars.
Lunch was almost ready. Once again, we ate in the living room. At my small table, I was with Dr. Kim's sons and cousin. We were definitely the youngest with me being only older than Dr. Kim's sons. It was another feast as usual with many side dishes, soup, and rice. It was an interesting day with all of the guests. Dr. Kim's mother doesn't have the greatest of physical health. She has some problems walking and isn't too active. For what I have seen, she only moves from her bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. She is still able to eat sitting on the floor, which is more than I can say. My back and hip joints definitely hurt after sitting on the floor for too long. My flexibility is a lot less than in the past.
At noon, I met my father at the Lotte World complex. Dr. Kim accompanied me because my father invited him to translate for us. We ate a nice Chinese restaurant and had "Shanghainese" food since it was all sweet. My father told Dr. Kim about the situation when I was young. Dr. Kim did find out that my grandmother passed away from cancer. He also told me that my grandmother was the "May Queen" of Ewha University, so one of or the brightest student at the time. My father said that he told his wife that I was in Seoul. Due to the situation he would not be able to have me stay with him. In November, when his son finishes his military service, my father will tell his son/my half brother.
After lunch, we went to a coffee shop in the mall. We talked some more and after we finished, Dr. Kim said that he would go home and my father will spend some time with me. My father can speak some English, so we did ok. He told me that I would meet a friend of my grandmother. He has a Daewoo Leganza, which is a nice 4-door car. He drove us to the friend's apartment/condo.
She lives on the 8th floor of a building with her daughter. She is 80 years old and my grandmother was the same age as her. She can speak some English. Her daughter can speak very well, probably near fluent. Her daughter said that her English is good because she attended an international school as a young child while the family was in Egypt. The daughter's sister and brother live in California. Also, she works for Nike. They both would have seen me as a small baby. The mother was surprised that I had grown so much because she remembers me being smaller than my twin brother. It was interesting to hear the daughter say that my father was quite a shy man. He was a little emotional and didn't talk too much.
After visiting, my father drove around Seoul a little bit and then we went to Namsan Tower. Namsan is a small mountain in the middle of the city. On top, there is a TV tower skyscraper. It stands 350+ meters above sea level. Seoul is only 40 miles from the sea. Thankfully, we took the easy way up the mountain. They have a cable car ride. On the observation tower, you can see most of Seoul and more. Korea is very mountainous, so parts of the city have grown around the small mountains in the area. After viewing the city and getting a better idea where each of part of the city is, we walked down the mountain. There are many steps, so I was glad that we didn't walk up the mountain.
We drove around and looked at the different city gates. He wanted to take me to a good restaurant, but it was closed due to Seollal (Korean New Year). We went to a noodle place, but they served a cold noodle soup. It was light and supposed to be good for a healthy diet. Afterwards, we went back to Lotte, so he could buy Dr. Kim a gift. I didn't know that until he had me carry it asked if I wanted a ride back home or take the subway. I took the subway since I knew that my father probably had a fair distance to travel in the other direction to get home. It wasn't exactly convenient since the fruit was heavy and I didn't realize how expensive. My father spent about $100 on the fruit box, but the fruit is very large.
At night, I went to Sinchon to socialize with some of the teachers. We went to a few different bars, but I wasn't really in the mood. I felt I needed to go since they invited me and that I will be heading to Kangnam to teach in 10 days. They all thought it was disappointing that I will be switching so soon. All of the teachers were foreign at this event. Some times, I have a hard time determining which group I fall into at Pagoda. I am a foreign teacher, but I am Korean. Many of the teachers (foreign or Korean) expect me to speak Korean, so it makes for some embarrassing and uncomfortable situations. I feel I fit in better with the Korean teachers, but they are sometimes shy since not all of them have great English proficiency. As for the foreign teachers, I don't always associate with their situation. Some are in Korea to teach and make/save a lot of money. I am not in Korea for that reason alone. Also, they teach the main PIP course, so I am not teaching classes like them. I have more freedom and different schedule. I guess I have the luxury of being in the middle and have the best of both groups of teachers.
Sunday, February 18th, Seollal (Korean New Year)
In the morning, I was woken up by Dr. Kim to tell me that they will be doing the New Year's Day tradition. They preform a "Saebae" to their parents since they are the eldest. The grandfather was dressed in traditional Korean clothing, which is a short silk jacket and loose pants that are also tied at the ankles. The grandparents sat on the couch and everyone took a turn bowing. The boys bowed and the grandmother handed them a envelope with money.
Afterwards, we ate breakfast. It is tradition to have "ddeok-guk." It is a soup with glutinous rice cakes that are sliced. It is always eaten on the first day of the year. We all ate in the living room on the floor. This was the first time that I have eaten with everyone at one time. All seven of us ate together.
For dinner, Dr. Kim's sister (Mrs. Kim), brother-in-law (Mr. Kim), and niece (Eunhye) visited. I had met Mrs. Kim and Eunhye before, but not Mr. Kim. He was a older gentleman, maybe closer to 60. Eunhye informed me that she found a job as a middle school math teacher that starts the beginning of March. She is excited because it is difficult for young Koreans to find jobs anywhere. Unfortunately, she will have a very long commute to and from work. If her mother doesn't drive her, she will walk/ride the bus for three hours each way. By car, it only takes one hour. In a few years, she would like to buy a car, but cannot right now.
For dinner, everyone ate except Dr. Kim's oldest son. We had more ddeok-guk and many other side dishes. The only thing that I didn't eat were the oysters. I have tried them before, but I don't like them too much. The food was delicious. They stayed for awhile and we talked about Eunhye's job and my changing locations. Most of the conversation was in Korean, but I understood what they were talking about a few times since Korean uses some English words.
Monday, February 19th,
I was informed that many people would be visiting today because it is Seollal and Dr. Kim's mother's birthday. Around 11 AM, Dr. Kim's father's brother visited with his wife and two sons. The sons are Dr. Kim's cousins and one of them spoke English. Dr. Kim said that he will go to Qatar to work for his Korean construction company. Everyone visited and had coffee. They left around noon.
At the same time, Dr. Kim's mother's brothers arrived since today is her birthday. Dr. Kim's mother is the oldest and she has three brothers. The oldest brother has passed away, but his wife came to visit. The two younger brothers and their wives visited. The youngest brother could speak a little English. He told me that he was a captain of a large fishing boat. He has traveled around the world to many locations such as Hawai'i, Los Angeles, Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and Indian Ocean. One of the brothers also brought his son, who works for a marketing company and is only 33 years old. Dr. Kim's cousin is 22 years younger than him.
After everyone arrived, they did the Korean tradition, "Saebae." First, the oldest generation, which would be Dr. Kim's mother's brothers bowed. Next, the wives bowed. After, the oldest generation sat in front of Dr. Kim's parents and the younger generations took turns bowing. I bowed with Dr. Kim's sons. After bowing, the sons received envelopes from their great uncles. One of the great uncles even gave me a "man won", which is about ten dollars.
Lunch was almost ready. Once again, we ate in the living room. At my small table, I was with Dr. Kim's sons and cousin. We were definitely the youngest with me being only older than Dr. Kim's sons. It was another feast as usual with many side dishes, soup, and rice. It was an interesting day with all of the guests. Dr. Kim's mother doesn't have the greatest of physical health. She has some problems walking and isn't too active. For what I have seen, she only moves from her bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. She is still able to eat sitting on the floor, which is more than I can say. My back and hip joints definitely hurt after sitting on the floor for too long. My flexibility is a lot less than in the past.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Teaching in March
Thursday, February 15th,
Today, I met with the HR Director. She talked to me about switching locations and teaching role. In March, I will start teaching "Real Business" English. I believe that I will only teach that course. It does mean that my schedule will be quite different and not exactly ideal. I will teach from 7AM to 10AM and 7PM to 10PM. It would be nice if I could live closer to work, but for now, I will continue to live with Dr. Kim and have a 45 minute commute. It will be nice to only teach one subject, but I was told that there isn't a formal book. The previous teacher has built up a collection of material that I hope he will pass onto me since he is leaving for a regular corporate job. I will observe his class next week and receive some formal training. This class will be challenging because I will teach business people with English levels that should be closer to fluent. To begin, I will receive an hourly wage for the first three months. After that time, Pagoda will determine if I should go to a commission-based pay rate based on student enrollment. If I do a good job and I am able to retain and recruit students, then I should earn a better salary by working on commission.
On another note: Dr. Kim's wife passed her driver's license exam. She and Dr. Kim went car shopping. Dr. Kim was kind enough to inform me that they were shopping for a used car because he expects that she will have a few "bumps and scratches" when she is driving to work. Many of the roads are quite narrow in Seoul, so driving is quite a challenge. I see many cars that have bolt-on extras to protect from minor bumps and side-swiping, but there are still numerous cars that have visible damage from scratching other cars.
Today, I met with the HR Director. She talked to me about switching locations and teaching role. In March, I will start teaching "Real Business" English. I believe that I will only teach that course. It does mean that my schedule will be quite different and not exactly ideal. I will teach from 7AM to 10AM and 7PM to 10PM. It would be nice if I could live closer to work, but for now, I will continue to live with Dr. Kim and have a 45 minute commute. It will be nice to only teach one subject, but I was told that there isn't a formal book. The previous teacher has built up a collection of material that I hope he will pass onto me since he is leaving for a regular corporate job. I will observe his class next week and receive some formal training. This class will be challenging because I will teach business people with English levels that should be closer to fluent. To begin, I will receive an hourly wage for the first three months. After that time, Pagoda will determine if I should go to a commission-based pay rate based on student enrollment. If I do a good job and I am able to retain and recruit students, then I should earn a better salary by working on commission.
On another note: Dr. Kim's wife passed her driver's license exam. She and Dr. Kim went car shopping. Dr. Kim was kind enough to inform me that they were shopping for a used car because he expects that she will have a few "bumps and scratches" when she is driving to work. Many of the roads are quite narrow in Seoul, so driving is quite a challenge. I see many cars that have bolt-on extras to protect from minor bumps and side-swiping, but there are still numerous cars that have visible damage from scratching other cars.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Teaching/Korean New Year
Monday, February 12th,
This last few days of teaching have been quite amusing. Last week, one of my students came to class a little under the influence of alcohol. Class isn't until 5pm, and I found out during class that her graduation was earlier in the day. Afterwards, she went to dinner with her family and drank some beer and soju. During class, she said she had a headache. It was quite interesting to hear that she drank some alcohol and still made it to class.
Today, I found out a different student missed class on Friday because she was still hungover. She was a little embarrassed, but we laughed it off because she was the only student to attend today. The students are still on winter break since Korean New Year is late this year. Many students travel to other parts of Korea for vacations, so students will sometimes tell me that they will miss class.
Korean New Year is this weekend. I have been informed by Dr. Kim that I will get to see some of the Korean traditions. They will preform a "sebae", which is a little strange according to Western culture, but normal for them. It has to do with bowing and showing respect to elders. After the "sebae", children usually receive money from their elders. I think many people will come to Dr. Kim's house because his mother and father are the oldest people in their respective families. I will get to meet many new people and Dr. Kim says that they are interested in meeting me.
This evening, Dr. Kim informed me that my father had contacted him. He asked to meet me this Saturday at Lotte World. My father invited Dr. Kim to be our interpreter for the day, so I think that Dr. Kim is also excited for Saturday. Lotte World is a recreational complex with amusement park, shopping, ice rink, movie theater, hotel, and more. We will meet for lunch around noon. Afterwards, I am guessing that my father will take me shopping to buy something. During our first meeting, he said that he wanted to buy me something, but he wasn't sure what to get. I am guessing that he will use this location as a chance to socialize and shop. I am really looking forward to meeting again. I told my fellow teachers that my plans for the weekend are uncertain if hear from my father. A couple teachers are planning a social event for Saturday, but I guess that I will have to arrive late.
This last few days of teaching have been quite amusing. Last week, one of my students came to class a little under the influence of alcohol. Class isn't until 5pm, and I found out during class that her graduation was earlier in the day. Afterwards, she went to dinner with her family and drank some beer and soju. During class, she said she had a headache. It was quite interesting to hear that she drank some alcohol and still made it to class.
Today, I found out a different student missed class on Friday because she was still hungover. She was a little embarrassed, but we laughed it off because she was the only student to attend today. The students are still on winter break since Korean New Year is late this year. Many students travel to other parts of Korea for vacations, so students will sometimes tell me that they will miss class.
Korean New Year is this weekend. I have been informed by Dr. Kim that I will get to see some of the Korean traditions. They will preform a "sebae", which is a little strange according to Western culture, but normal for them. It has to do with bowing and showing respect to elders. After the "sebae", children usually receive money from their elders. I think many people will come to Dr. Kim's house because his mother and father are the oldest people in their respective families. I will get to meet many new people and Dr. Kim says that they are interested in meeting me.
This evening, Dr. Kim informed me that my father had contacted him. He asked to meet me this Saturday at Lotte World. My father invited Dr. Kim to be our interpreter for the day, so I think that Dr. Kim is also excited for Saturday. Lotte World is a recreational complex with amusement park, shopping, ice rink, movie theater, hotel, and more. We will meet for lunch around noon. Afterwards, I am guessing that my father will take me shopping to buy something. During our first meeting, he said that he wanted to buy me something, but he wasn't sure what to get. I am guessing that he will use this location as a chance to socialize and shop. I am really looking forward to meeting again. I told my fellow teachers that my plans for the weekend are uncertain if hear from my father. A couple teachers are planning a social event for Saturday, but I guess that I will have to arrive late.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Being a Korean adoptee
In my life, I have faced many situations that are very unique to me and my twin brother that are not faced by the people around us. Especially, since meeting my Korean father and interacting with more people in Korea, I have realized more and more about myself. Some things are good and some are not so good. I am still searching to find whatever I can. There isn't anything specific, but this is something that I am doing to discover who I am. Some days, I really question myself and what I am doing. Even though I am in my late 20's, I sometimes feel that my maturity isn't always at the same level. My career is just starting and I am taking a path that most people wouldn't even dream. I have issues that I am working on and trying to understand my how my values and beliefs have developed. Until this year, I haven't had much interaction with other Koreans and/or Korean adoptees. Prior to my arrival and now that I am living in Korea, I have been doing more research about Korea and other Korean adoptees. I found an article in the "Minnesota Monthly" that is quite interesting about the life as an adoptee. I recommend that you check it out. Some things in the article may seem anti-American, but I think that a lot of it applies to my life. I hope that it gives you a better understanding of Korea, history, the culture, and adoption.
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/January-2007/Asian-Fusion/index.php?cp=1#artanc
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/January-2007/Asian-Fusion/index.php?cp=1#artanc
Thursday, February 8, 2007
For the Critics
Wednesday, February 7th,
This is for the critics who think that things could and will go wrong in Korea for me. I have had a couple bumps in the road with my health and pay this month.
So far, my health hasn't been the greatest in Korea. Hopefully, it is only stressed related with change in environment and work. My back pain has become more noticeable and I hope that I can rest it more now. Since the weekend, I have not been feeling well. I don't have serious symptoms, but my digestive system is giving me problems. I can't eat too much and have some heartburn. I am not sure what is causing it, but I am not in a hurry to find out how good Korean medicine is.
Well, I am a week into my second month of teaching. I have a little different schedule, so I teach for six hours straight without a break. It is good and bad. I don't have to wait for classes, but my voice gets tired by the end, if I have to do a lot of explaining. My classes are very small this month. I only have one, three, and three students in my three classes. This means that I don't have classes with enough students, so I won't be paid by the hour. I will be paid the student's tuition fee. I found out after my meeting with the branch manager that my pay will be less this month by a large amount. Next month, I will move to the Gangnam (main branch) location to teach. At that location, I should have more students and possibly teach another class, so my pay should be better.
I am finally getting used to teaching my classes and socializing with some of the teachers in Sinchon. At Gangnam, I will probably teach a different course level with a new book, so I will have another challenging two months with learning a new book and meeting new teachers. It should be better for my commuting time. I should have about 40 minutes instead of 55 minutes on the subway each way.
Even though my classes are small, I really enjoy my students this month. Their atttendance is good, so far. They participate better when there are fewer students, so I don't have to pull teeth to get them to talk. Sometimes, it can be challenging because I can have group activities or games, but overall, I think this month is off to a good start.
This is for the critics who think that things could and will go wrong in Korea for me. I have had a couple bumps in the road with my health and pay this month.
So far, my health hasn't been the greatest in Korea. Hopefully, it is only stressed related with change in environment and work. My back pain has become more noticeable and I hope that I can rest it more now. Since the weekend, I have not been feeling well. I don't have serious symptoms, but my digestive system is giving me problems. I can't eat too much and have some heartburn. I am not sure what is causing it, but I am not in a hurry to find out how good Korean medicine is.
Well, I am a week into my second month of teaching. I have a little different schedule, so I teach for six hours straight without a break. It is good and bad. I don't have to wait for classes, but my voice gets tired by the end, if I have to do a lot of explaining. My classes are very small this month. I only have one, three, and three students in my three classes. This means that I don't have classes with enough students, so I won't be paid by the hour. I will be paid the student's tuition fee. I found out after my meeting with the branch manager that my pay will be less this month by a large amount. Next month, I will move to the Gangnam (main branch) location to teach. At that location, I should have more students and possibly teach another class, so my pay should be better.
I am finally getting used to teaching my classes and socializing with some of the teachers in Sinchon. At Gangnam, I will probably teach a different course level with a new book, so I will have another challenging two months with learning a new book and meeting new teachers. It should be better for my commuting time. I should have about 40 minutes instead of 55 minutes on the subway each way.
Even though my classes are small, I really enjoy my students this month. Their atttendance is good, so far. They participate better when there are fewer students, so I don't have to pull teeth to get them to talk. Sometimes, it can be challenging because I can have group activities or games, but overall, I think this month is off to a good start.
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