I HAVE FINALLY STARTED TEACHING! I am now just about 2 weeks in.
But before I get to that...
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| "Tour Guide" Chris giving us info |
Saturday (04 Sept) was my 1st trip out of Yoenchoen. A bunch of us went off to Deagu by TRAIN to explore the surrounds for the day. We were graciously guided by Chris and Rob (other Foreigners). Having a guide for a city is great when you do not have time. As it was though, I really appreciate Chris giving of his time and we got what we needed out of the trip. It would have been great to wonder around and explore for myself a bit more than I did though.
The purpose primarily of the trip was to learn a bit about how to use the train and subway system (Available in Deagu – NOT where I stay in Yeonchoen). I got myself a subway card that also works with some Taxi’s and some busses where I stay, so I am hoping that it will save in transport costs in the long run. We had coordinated with 2 friends from Pohang – the closest city to the coast for us, to join us (Courtney and Sam – see earlier post if you can’t remember them). It was rather comical actually, we all ended up on the same train as it left from Pohang and passed through Yoenchone on the way to Deagu and I got off our car of the train and noticed these two girls staring intently at a map, presumably to navigate their way. I realised: HEY THERE ARE COURTNEY AND SAM! I felt like such a ‘noob’ (older folks ask younger folks what I mean – it is computer slang) for all the pics I was taking around and on the Subway. Even though I got to use Gautrain before I left it was still WAY COOL! The Subway in Deagu is really easy to use as it is only 2 lines (Where Seoul has 5 I think).
In Deagu, we saw the very impressive I-MAX Cinema – (FYI: Movies cost about the same here as they do with you folks in SA), and we got shown a couple of department stores and also got what amounts to an Exclusive Books card with Keyobo Books.
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| @Keyobo books: From far left: James two of Sandy's friends whose names I can't remember Sandy, Sam, Ashli, Rob |
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| The guy in the black shirt was the gent who got angry with me at the park. |
APPARENTLY!!!, my writing is terrible as we had to write our details down for the card and I got my card reading: Creoff Wakefield! It was an easy fix though BUT if you feel compelled call me “G-ep” as very few of the children seem to pronounce my name properly as there is no /f/ in Korean. After lunch Chris went to watch a movie so we all split up. For a couple of hours Courtney and I ‘took an unplanned detour’ around Deagu (we were trying to find a specific park that had squirrels and chipmunks). Everyone else stayed with Rob and looked at the shops. We never found our park but we did find another park where I was told off by an elderly gent for taking a photo of what I later found out was a traditional game BUT the twist was that they were betting on it and I think that was illegal so he was not to happy with me. (I did get one pic though – see pics). THEN THE HISTORY LESSON STARTED...
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| Sunset shot from our train trip back |
As Courtney and I were trying to meet back with Sam and Sandy to catch our train back I got quizzed on SA history as for some reason we were talking about migrant labour. That moved onto the History of SA. I was really impressed with Courtney as she genuinely wanted to know EVERYTHING! I went from the Dutch East India Company, to settlers, The Great Trek, the Anglo-Boer war, Appartheid, Madiba, Democracy and the current state of the nation and I have a feeling that there are so many more questions Courtney would have asked if we had more time (NOW BARE IN MIND HISTORY BUFF’S that I last did history about 8 years ago so the complete accuracy of my account could be questioned).
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| The three ladies in question |
It was great to hang out with the 3 ladies again and to have been hanging out with Ashli and Colleen as well – though I must say it will be cool to get some ‘GUY TIME’ soon.
INTERLUDE:
*NOTES*
PUBLIC BATHROOMS ARE WIERD – no toilets, you have squats! (Soooo not a fan :-/ );
EVERYTHING is dependent on Electricity. If ESKOM existed in Korea I would not be able to get into my building let alone my flat (All my building locks are mechanised – MEMO: Get SURGE PROTECTOR);
EVERYTHING is CUUUUTE (food is either “cuuuuute” or “deli-sious” depending on the context): animals, plants, teachers (Apparently I am the most Handsome of my family according to two student)
CHEESE IS A COMODITY (I think I have said that before but it bares repeating)
The Water is not so bad to drink if you boil it first – it tastes like Gtown water. (Those who have not had Gtown water – you can taste a sediment taste.)
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| Just in case the 'evil stairs' jump out at you without warning |
Korean Middle school children are not as good at soccer as I had feared.
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| Another view from a train window, this time on the way to Pohang So continu’eth the saga... Sunday (05 Sept) was a frustrating day – with no internet I was having a really tough time figuring out how to plan my lesson for the next day. I spent my afternoon at Sandy’s place using her net. I got there just after 12 and only left at 23:00. She made ‘Gimbap’ for supper, which is a seaweed roll of rice (she used brown) with crab sticks, pickled something, fish something and cucumber. YUMMY! While I was working the 3 ladies were working out. It was a strange experience glancing up every now and then only to see their reflections doing various movements that don’t lend themselves to being repeated. When I got back to my flat I continued to work until 1am before finally finishing. Monday 06 Sept: TROPICAL CYCLONE DAY!! As much as the weather warned of tropical storms (ooooh, I’m scared!) All it was just heavy rain. I think any effect from the Tropical Cyclone had worn off as it had crossed the mainland before it got to us. Following my last encounter with rain I had since bought myself a much bigger umbrella! Great Success!! I got picked up outside “Dunkin Doughnuts” by Mr Park-WAY BETTER than walking to the terminal for 30min and catching a bus (*TIP* Make friends with as many teachers as you can. They are so helpful that if you would like a lift or something you will find someone who is willing to help you (UNLESS you are instructed not to visa vie my 3rd Co-teacher who was not comfortable giving some of her responsibility to another teach – thus I have to walk to the terminal on Thursdays to catch the bus to Imgo – though I only need to catch the 08:40 bus)). I held my 1st official classes this week. My 1st class was a slideshow about me and a little about SA, then I asked them to prep answers to questions. The levels of English usage varied in all the classes. What gets me is that you get 1st graders (so about 12-13yrs old) who are better speakers than 3rd graders (about 15-16yrs old). I intro’ed a “Yellow and Red Card” system for discipline and a voucher system for rewards. And they really took to it. I had one bad lesson (Lesson has since been re-named: MY FIRST BOMBED LESSON) because I was trying to find my feet with how I was going to present the content but as the week has gotten on my presentation has become so much better already! The slideshow was about ME – where I am from, my family (including our dog Charlie) and what I most love about SA (*TIP* PREP IS EVERYTHING! It is no joke so stay on top of it and one bad lesson doesn’t make a bad year. REMEMBER THESE THINGS POTTENTIAL TRAVELERS!). After getting dropped at home by Jade... OH JADE!!!  Right so... on Monday I got taken a side for a “chat”. Apparently I strayed away from tradition last week by asking Jade to drop me outside my house on the Monday. I was ‘kaking’ myself when I thought I had done something seriously wrong, but I think I may have made her uncomfortable by asking to be dropped outside my place. From what I gather unless you are married that is like the guy propositioning the girl (if she is single that is) so I was asked if it was ok if she dropped me a block away from my place and I walked the rest of the way. I was so relieved when that was all the “chat” was about. I just asked that when I don’t conform as expected to please be told sooner rather than later next time to avoid the faux par. ... (continues) I had a quiet night with what I later discovered was pork curry (I thought the pork was chicken as it was chopped rather fine) for supper and an episode of extreme engineering. Tuesday’s lessons followed a similar pattern to Monday. There is one little boy in my 1st grade class, he is so sweet. I can see he really wants to try and likes it when I sit with him to help him (he has learning difficulties) but he just can’t get the words out unless I prompt him. I really like the little guy though. The girls seemed to have taken to me as they have no fear of talking, which is different from my Wednesday and Friday school where the boys take the lead. The teachers want to hold conversation classes with me as well so we had our 1st informal one that afternoon. It was a bit stymied. They, I think, don’t want to look bad in front of other teachers so they don’t try as much as they do when it is just me. Wednesday 08 Sep: I went to my main school pretty much for the 1st time today as I had not had the chance to meet the students properly before. They were great today really. Small classes: 1st Grade: 7 students; 2nd = 9; 3rd = 7. The third grades were a little shy but the other classes were awesome. I did my Intro lesson for them and will do the same for my Thursday school as well. The 1st graders are holding a play in October for a festival so I was asked to correct and run through the script with them for pronunciation. Great fun! I used all the vocal range I could muster to do different voices and then I was asked to give them 1 x 1 acting and pronunciation lessons! My voice is a little sore now :-P I played soccer with the 1st and 3rd graders and they are not as good as I expected which makes me look good :-P. I did, however, get a nasty bruise for slipping onto the clay playing surface, lost my balance and bailed. Nice and swollen. GOODY :-/ – DEEP HEAT TONIGHT I THINK! To take a break from all of everything, the ladies and I went out, initially to play some pool (only to find out that they only have billiard tables) so we settled for Coffee at our regular haunt, DA Vinci’s. It was there where we found the one innocent i.e. gullible person in our group (go on you know who I am talking about... the one person whose mind refuses to slip into the gutter despite the opportunities and who is trusting enough to believe most things that are said). Colleen saw that the coffee shop had some Apples behind the counter and just to pull our leg, Ashli asked why there were tomatoes behind the desk. SANDY ATE IT UP! She was sold, so for the last few days and for the next many I suppose, she is going to be the one who ‘can’t tell the difference’ between apples and tomatoes. It got to the point where we would just not let it go and all burst out laughing. Whenever anyone looked at Sand or Ashli we would just start laughing again. Again you know those kind of moments. This went on for about 15min (in all that time, Colleen seemed very cool and unphased by this raucous laughter around her). EVENTUALLY we calmed down and settled down to our coffees. (Though following the incident we have brought it to Sandy’s attention at least 8 times since :-P)  Thursday I visited my 3rd school and my co-teacher couldn’t stop complementing me on how smart I was as I had got myself to school by catching the right bus and doing so by speaking Korean! That was short lived – I forgot my presentation at home :-( However I had about 3 hours before my 1st lesson so was able to plan and re-create my presentation with minimal issues (despite the Korean menus in all the Computer programs). All in all Mrs Yoon (my 3rd co-teacher) was really impressed with my work so that was a good start :) Over the last 2 days we had been planning a trip to the coastal city of Pohang which is about a 1hr train drive away, for the weekend (or a portion of it). It is Sam’s birthday (incidentally 9/11) and Sandy and I went out and bought her a nice small pot plant from us to her. I also got myself my 1st plant – a cactus called Pedro (Apologies to said individual and to Kirsty, if you are both reading this – I mean nothing by it). I watched MULAN 2 in Ashli’s room while she was doing a gym session and I also took the advantage of using her internet. (I am being assured I will have net and a cell phone by the end of next week. Friday 10 Sept: It was a good day as well. My 1st lesson was cancelled so I spent 4 hours in the office working and researching lessons (and the odd bit of Facebook to take a break) before my 1st class. They were trying so hard, this class but sadly their level is very low. They were struggling with basic directions. But Points to them for at least trying, though I did warn two girls who were talking while I and others were presenting. My final class for the day was the acting class of 3rd graders – again lots of fun. This evening, we all went out for pizza (the best so far) and finished the day with Ice-cream (though Ashli and I had planned to find a place to have a drink to celebrate the end of our 1st week as teachers). It is so wonderfully strange how I seem to always find my kind of people – good hearted, wholesome honest people. We had lots of fun tonight. Tomorrow it is OFF TO POHANG! |
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