Predictibility is Boring

Opie (a korean guy) also said my head is like texas - no plants (no hair) and no animals...and VERY BIG

Monday Dec. 21^st

8:33 A.M

According to Friday, the 18^th….I’ll know nothing what kind of teaching I’m looking at during the ‘vacation.’ (don’t forget the air quoting)…

8:43 A.M

Oh how I hate it when my co-teacher’s on the phone – looking at me, saying my name…

에 따르면 어떤 가르침을 바라보고 금요일, 알고 있는 어떤 가르침을 바라보고 있어를 방학 동안겠습니다."(을 잊지 말Mike을 인용해 공기 오는 걸 보면 직장 동료와 교사 전화를 - 내 얼굴을 보면서 얼 어떤 가(miker teacher)르침을 바라보고 굴을 보면서

8:58 A.M

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, nothing yet…gotta teach!

12:44 P.M

Good lunch, still no word! No worries, just a bit nervous. Here, look at pics between Mokpo and Seoul, good train trip!

Still no idea about January…

3:44 P.M

Hahhaha, ohhh poor homegirl. So she comes over to me with a piece of paper, written WORD for WORD about what she wants to get across to me. The exact transcript of our conversation I feel so bad, so, so bad.

Poor, poor girl.

Anyway, I’ve commendered the piece of paper that she wrote down what to say to me. She just left to go give my new schedule to the Principal.

Mike,

Are you busy now? I am sorry to say, but our principal has decided on a different plan that you and I have chosen to take. I feel very bad to say this on you but its time to deliver the news. Please don’t hate him or me, but you must have a mandatory teaching time in January. The Vice Principal said you must teach 2 and a half weeks, he said like that. I’m sorry, but I hope we can work an out.

…sigh.

Oh well, what are ya gonna do? Now, for the days that I'm not teaching. Do i have those days off? Am I staying from 9-5 but only teaching from 10 to 12:30....?

(its hard not to love it here)

Tuesday Dec. 22^nd

12:22 P.M

Poor kid, he’s been ‘chosen’ to compete in the district wide English Speaking Test. Homegirl didn’t know about it til 3:30 yesterday and she asked me to write out a dialog for him. I made it as simple as I could and everything would be perfect.

Well homegirl wanted something harder.

And he had to memorize it…

And I have to come up with 26 to 32 lesson plans in a week and a half.

And go to a conference…

Sigh, now they want me to teach 3^rd graders…

Make that 40 lesson plans in a week and a half.

Or lots, and LOTS of hangman.

3:13 P.M

Woah, so after an interesting day to say the least. Looks like I have to teach from Jan 14^th til Jan 29^th. Still no idea yet, I could end up teaching the 3^rd graders from Jan 3 til the 6^th. Still no idea, but I’ve been lesson planning for 3 hours.

Trying to get ready, for something…not that I know what it is?

3:58: P.M

Apparently there’s a new and old contract now. Hopefully my school doesn’t expect me to sign into a new contract, but they (national offices) are trying to make all the proviences do the same thing. So I may have a new contract….hmmmm.

Honestly I can’t say I’m that worried about it. I just expect 26 days off in February, my pay – my rent paid, and a bonus at the end of the year. And the 22 hours of teaching a week, as I signed into.

In America, lots to expect, Korea…could be the same pretty soon…:-\

Here's my take on it all:

At the end of the day though, I’m having a hard time bitching about not having January off. I came over here to teach, and figured I’d be doing it. Besides, predictability is boring…I wanna see how far I can be pushed in a Korean classroom. Teaching alone is one thing, but for 2.5 weeks, could be another. Plus, no co-teacher...or CD to go off of. All me...There is only one way to find out if I can handle it/do it…

I’m ok with teaching, just don’t take away my ‘mandatory vacationing time.’ This is crazy, but fun. I feel weird complaining about what I do here.

I see the private teacher’s who’ve got 10 days off the ENTIRE year. They also don’t have a co-teacher, or a curriculum to work with. They’ve gotta do what I just did all day – for a year. Its hard to bitch when ya hear some of their stories. Friend of mine just got fired from her job because no one liked her, and she’s the sweetest person in the world. We’ll just see what happens over the next few days – it’ll be fun!

Sunday Dec. 27^th

Ok so I’ve got the next week and a half off, not as I assumed…I’d be teaching. I thought.

Right before I left Friday, I was told I AM teaching 3rd graders, but for the week I was going to teach 6th graders. So now I must re-lesson plan...I like to push these kids, but thats a bit much.

I’m stuck with the old contract, which is a good thing.

Apparently there will be no more suprises.

We’ll see…

Strait answers are overrated!

oh how I love KOREA!!!

Tuesday Dec. 8th

8:43 a.m.
The vacation goes like this. Dec. 24th til March 2nd….buuuuuuuuut.

So I may have just lost all of January, I may have to teach when my school is closed. I'm not sure (of course) yet. And neither co-teacher knows whats up. I got an email from the director over here saying something about teaching while I'm on 'vacation' - that most every school will do the same thing. So I may have to do an english camp….

4:23 p.m.
After Kor-english with homegirl, I've understood that I'm obliged to do a camp for parents and teachers of the school. It could be in January, maybe Feb. maybe even every Friday in March. No. Idea. Yet.

it is snowing though...

Haha, sooo, there's no point in planing….EVER. Either way, I will have off for 26 days in february, maybe all of it depending on what happens with January.

The school doesn't know about the 'mandate' to make us English teacher's come in when the school is closed - if I MUST teach, I'd rather do it when the school is 'open.' Maybe teach every Friday in March for an hour or two. Open to who ever wants to come. Now its up to tomorrow to decide if that is 'ok.'

4:51 p.m.

I've been trying to kill a fly for 10 minutes…

it snowed ALOT

Friday Dec. 11th

Still no idea what I'm doing in January...but I'm off to Seoul tomorrow!

Sunday Dec. 13th

Woah, good times in Seoul...

So here's the deal, it was amazing. We didn't get in til about 7 PM in Seoul so we didn't have anytime to go see stuff...but I'll be up there again in January so we'll do much sight seeing then...







I'll be honest though, I got some GREAT pictures on the way back...

Noribong

Monday Nov. 30^th, 2009

8:47 A.M

So I wonder if teachers in America are that worried about their lesson plan. I’ve got a general idea of what I’m doing, God knows if its gonna work. Only one way to find out!!!

Worst case scenario…hangman.

12:24 p.m.

sigh, long day. Those kids were crazy…lesson plan worked well though

7:17 p.m

Son’s of anarachy is awesome!

http://one-tv.net/tv/sons-of-anarchy/

Tuesday Dec. 1^st, 2009

8:41 a.m.

This is probably the most stressful time in the Korean life I live. if homegirl (hunni) doesn’t show up…what, happens? Do I teach alone? Do I teach a lesson that I haven’t been told about? Nor do I know what lesson it is…I’m just not supposed to worry about it…Do I teach with homeboy? Do I teach at all?......It always feels good when she shows up.

I’ll trade 20 minutes of stress for this Korean life though – that’s for damn sure…haha

8:47 a.m.

She’s here, no worries....

8:54 a.m.

Hm, teaching alone. Didn’t expect that…haha. This is fun man, ya gotta keep on your toes!!! Monotonious? Not a bit.

Wednesday Dec. 2^nd, 2009

…taught some english, found sportscenter.com

checked the facebook….the norm

Thursday Dec. 3^rd, 2009

It was just a matter of time before my co-teacher got in a fender bender. Dwoode, this chick does NOT know how to drive…haha. Its cross cultural that women have a hard time doing the whole…driving thing.

Thank GOD she’s ok though, she’s a tough cookie.

Anyway, word around the campfire is there is some type of conference for all public english teacher’s to learn about the Korean culture’s work place. Here’s a snap shot of my work place:

4 teacher’s: all on ebay....co-teacher: reading a book...me: blogging

I wonder what’s gonna happen? Either way, I’ve gotta work 4 days out of 2 months, that’s not too bad. Not to mention, I’d love to learn about what I’m supposed to do. Really, what AM I supposed to do…haha. I don’t lesson plan. I've actually gotten yelled at for trying to get ahold of the CD we use. Homegirl told me to 'finally relax' ....haha. I allow my co-teacher’s to teach their class, I’m their co-teacher…they’re not mine.

Anyway, so homeboy (k-won) just told me a story about his honnymoon…christmas 2004. He was supposed to go to Bali, instead he went to Vietnam because something came up at the last minute – didn’t tell his family.

Remember what happened Dec. 26^th, 2004??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

…woah

Saturday, Dec. 5^th

So it is time to show you around Mokpo. A few friends of mine and I went to “Peace Park” but must be said as “piss park” in order for the taxi drivers to understand ya. Freaking snowing, SNOWING, when we got there…and about 17.84 mph winds.

I had a wind-o-meter on me…I take it everywhere.

Then, it was time to show these rookies Moes and Noribong. Baha, Noribong is kareoke Korean style as you should WELL know by now. Its WAY too much fun. (there’s a fly on my screen – its massive…)

Then we grabbed some dunkas (fried pork with cheese in the middle) and it was off to Moes...

then it was time to teach about Noribong - karaoke, Korean style.

you get your own room, and a free bucket of 'fries'...actually, not bad

adam had lots of fun...

Anyway, noribong was great. Noribong is a collection of great hits done by...myself. such as….

My girl, bohemian rhapsody, walk this way, hey jude, piano man and i was actually…living on a prayer. (haha, get it) I’m sure I lost my voice at some point during THAT song….hah

Sunday Dec. 6^th

Wow UT…really? Only by a point?!?