View from my new apartment. Up on the 11th floor.
Me and 2 of my grade 5 students
Lauren, myself and Ryan at the first Kia Tigers baseball game of the season
Well as most of you now know, I'm back in Gwangju, South Korea for another year of dance parties, Island hopping, drag nights, baseball games and fake weddings. Oh, and I suppose that other minor pursuit of most foriegners here... teaching. Saying goodbye 5 months ago was merely a see you later since I knew Gwangju would have me (along with a few other Jews) back for round 2! So here I am, in a brand new apartment, working in a new school in a whole different dong (neighborhood). It's been just over a month since I arrived now and it's already been an eventful number of weeks.
Things are a bit different this year. I guess to start, my students dont have any crazy names like Lady Gaga or Micheal Jackson. There is no Obama and certainly not a Pikachu. Sooo... to make up for it (or to just blatenly entertain myself) I have a Jack Daniels and a Tom and Jerry. Hey, anything to get through the day, right?!
Another big change this year is the absence of basically any other foriegn person(s) at my workplace. I am the only foriegn teacher at my Hogwon this time around and it is taking some getting used to. Growing up in a white suberban Jewish community where you would easily blend in at your nearest Sobeys while ordering a Kosher cut of meat poses a discreet challenge to my ease and vulnerability. Thankfully, this is isn't my first experience as a minority in an Asian country although this year it seems to be somewhat more prudent.
However, being a clear minority does come with it's advantages. I am the "expert" on any foreign/English related questions at work and am able to get away with a lot more than I could last year. For example, if the lesson I've planned for a class ends with 15 minutes to spare, a short episode of Mr. Bean or The Simpsons is always in high demand. If asked by my boss how this relates to the task at hand, I, being the only foriegn teacher and thus looked upon as an all-encompassing English intellect, explains the benefits of basic English conversation attained through humerous television entertainment and vola... I am back to my esteemed position as a foriegner with English as a first language who in turn, must know what's best! :)
Now I assumed comming back to Korea as an English teacher, I would undoubtedly, be teaching English. However that is not the extent of it this year. I am also an (unqualified) Math AND Science teacher! Luckily I have the big answer book, but there have been days where I left the prized hardcover in my office and...well... it's been a long time since I had to tackle grade 6 multiplication and division questions! Plus if most of you know me at all, you know my brain just isn't mathematically attuned, I guess you could say (I usually just turn my back to the class when using my fingers to count). Well thankfully I am teaching in an Asian country. Not to sound stereotypical, it's just that these kids are brilliant when it comes to answering mathematical equations so any answer they say aloud, I assume is correct and respond with a smile.
It was reassuring comming back this year having already an idea of what to expect. I knew right away not to give the aggressive taxi drivers at the airport even a minor glance that they could potentially mistake for a reason to harass me for money trying to justify paying a cab to drive four hours from Seoul to Gwangju opposed to utilizing the brlliantly run bus system. I was wary of those Korean's who catch you waiting in line to buy a bus ticket (or whatever it may be) holding you ficticiously hostage while reading passages from the new testament hoping and literally praying I will have an instant revelation in the middle of the bus terminal. And I was hardly expecting an ajuma (old lady) to push her way directly infront of me in line just as I was next to be served. I think having gone through these past experiences, they don't seem as intolerable anymore. Don't get me wrong, they are, for the most part still ridiculously rude and inexcusable, but in a way have become somewhat endearing and a funny staple of Korean culture.
Even though this is year two for me, I will still be going through new experiences and learning new customs and traditions I didn't get a chance to familiarize myself with previously. It has now been just over 1 month since I arrived back in Korea and time is already passing me by. I hope to keep this blog updated as often I can and end with some quotes and Korean proverbs that remind me why I'm here. It is almost the end of cherry blossom season which means summer is just around the corner! Only 10.5 months left to go... but who's counting!?
Much love to you all!
"A turtle can only travel by sticking its neck out"
Signing off,
Gillian Teacha
