Welcome Home

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Taking a vacation from what seems to be a vacation was a new concept for Cass and I, but after our jaunt to the Philippines, we found out that we come back to Korea with fresh eyes. Still, seeing signs we don’t understand, and being surrounded by people that can only half communicate with us, has become the familiarity of home. It was over a week since we had to… “Gangnam Apat-a ka Juseyo (go to Gangnam Apartment please),” but pulling into the Family Mart (‘Fam-ee-lee Mawt ka juseyo’) and tossing our backpacks on the cement from the backseat of the taxi, I had one of those moments when you sigh, and feel the comforts of the familiar.

In the air, on our way home from Manila, I had a sense the craziness of that place kind of grew on me during our second, and shorter stint there. The uniqueness of the Jeepneys, the hot pink male urinals lining the streets (really just a wall to go pee behind), the hostel boys climbing to the tips of the mango trees to retrieve the fruits in order to share with us, and the stares from the locals didn’t seem as intimidating as before. We left with accomplishments in the fact that we navigated this whirlwind and unreputable city and have come to enjoy it. We knew, that landing back in the confines of Korea, with the Taal volcano adventures, sugar sands of Boracay, and badge of diarrhea honors, it only meant that we’d have to get back to work. Back we go, to the world of kimchi, ajimas, and peeling like the Basilisk snake guarding the Chamber of Secrets in Harry Potter, and saying goodbye to the always friendly ‘Mabuhays,’ Adobo (the signature Filipino spicy marinated meat dish), and unforgettable sunsets.

We got home to an onslaught of change in our schools, most of which is happening over the next couple of weeks. There is only one week of ‘school’ scheduled in the month of February; a kind of graduation week when the students come back from vacation, I’m assuming, to tie up any loose ends that may have existed before winter break. I ended up teaching three classes the entire week, 3 hours out of the 40 total that I was there. Needless to say it wasn’t the most exhilarating week of teaching in my life, but it could’ve been worse.

The week ended with several teacher dinners celebrating the end of the school year and a sixth grade graduation ceremony that rivaled some high school versions I’ve attended. We, the teachers, dug out tables and chairs from the bowels of the school and helped transform the school gym into a reception hall of sorts. Balloon decorations lined the stage, microphoned podiums stood sentinel over the fresh flower centerpieces, and snack dishes sat on the clothed tables. The students’ names were announced and they accepted their bindered ‘diplomas,’ followed by multiple speeches from the office of education’s higher-ups. It was quite the spectacle, lasting as long as any typical graduation with the same excitement level, but we’ve all learned by this point that Korean style has never been one to give less that 150% effort towards anything.

One other large difference in the schools here compared to back home, is the required teacher turnover. Every teacher must change schools after five years and is given an option to voluntarily do so after three. I’m not sure how or why this came into being, but I do know that, come March 1st, I will be in a completely different situation. My school is losing a total of eight people, six out of sixteen teachers, a huge percentage. I am sad to see people like my Korean teacher, Mig Young move to another city, the super-teacher, Mrs. Im from 1st grade, our school nurse who lives in the same apartment complex and took me to winter camp everyday, but the hardest is my co-teacher Mr. Kim. There was always the plan, within my school, to move him from the English room to a homeroom teaching position, and I don’t think that excited him much. When an opportunity came that would allow him to become a vice principal years earlier at a different school within Yeoju, he took advantage of it. I am very happy for him, but am saddened that I will not share laughs with him daily. Cassie’s situation is different, but sad just the same. Her two good friends that have been wonderfully helpful, Eun Hee, and Josephine, are leaving her school. They are both staying within Yeoju, and it just so happens that Josephine will be coming to my school. So, if you followed all those arrows in my flowchart, things will end up being very different for the both of us after the annual teacher shuffle around the country.

The teacher dinners have been lining up for me because of the transition period of school; first is the male staff dinner/pool/no rae bong night, then a congratulations on the year all staff dinner/pool/no rae bong night, then a goodbye to our leaving staff dinner/pool/no rae bong night. Those have been busy and I’m cherishing the remaining, but dwindling moments I have with my departing staff friends. P.S. those singing rooms still haven’t gotten old…

The one thing that has slowed down considerably is my time during the day and this seems to be a common thread among the English teachers this time of year. There is technically spring break for the last two weeks before the new school year resumes in March. I’ve been filling my time writing, surfing the internet, and all kinds of other really productive stuff. It is technically spring vacation, but isn’t a vacation, for the teachers are required to show up and prepare for the new classes … get that one?

With my new found free time, I have been dabbling in the world of writing, sending some articles and examples to different websites and magazines to see if anything catches on. I invite everyone to check out an article I got published about our time at Boracay.
http://www.lovetripper.com/readers/2009/02/boracay-philippines-next-big-thing.html
Also, keep an eye on the website www.hackwriters.com where a similar article will be one of the features on the website for the month of March. No, no, no, I’m not some kind of card carrying travel writer yet, but I’m enjoying posting these blogs for all of you and I’m just curious if there is a chance to expand on it all. Check them out, spread the word, share this blog site and we’ll see what happens. Regardless, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Many people have inquired about my shoulder. I went to the doctor earlier in the week and got some good and bad news. Bad news- I have a few tears in the tendons of some Korean accented piece of anatomy I couldn’t quite decode. Good news- with rehab exercises and avoiding any quick movements, the doctor thinks it should heal itself. No surgery, just a lot of light weigh and full range of motion type of exercises! So Cass and I are using it as motivation to join a health club, one is very close to the apartment, to work off all this kimchi weight.

Some of you may remember the days previous to leaving for Korea. It was filled with constant emails and late night phone calls to a teacher recruitment agency called Reach To Teach. They were incredibly helpful for both of us taking us step by step through the preparation and necessary red tape. The agency, and particularly a person on the other end of the communication named ‘Mitch,’ was instrumental in us taking this incredible opportunity. Well, this past Saturday, the agency organized and invited all the Korean teachers they’ve placed to a meet-and-greet at a bar in Seoul. After navigating a busy Irish pub and all its belligerency, we can finally put a face with all the emails and phone calls. We had a wonderful time meeting and chatting with him over a few beers. He is as genuine and thoughtful in person as he is while assisting people like us in such a big transition in their lives. These events will be start becoming more consistent with a growing population of teachers using Reach To Teach in Korea and we look forward to more of them.

That’s about all the news from this end; I can feel Cass and me awakening from our winter slumber, despite the lingering cold weather. We have tickets to catch Jason Mraz in Seoul this weekend, starting to get plans together for a quick trip to Beijing during a long weekend in May, and if all goes well, a jaunt to the DMZ. Until then, we are going continue exploring this little jewel of a country and I’ll most definitely keep you posted on it all.

Oh… and too bad for the fellow University of Northern Iowa alumnus, Kurt Warner, who came up a little short in the Superbowl (come on… I couldn’t help, but give it up for a fellow panther!)

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Comments

[Marc]

Sounds like...
A severe case of post-vacation blues...No worries, the other 7000 islands await.