Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Day 7

It has been a super long day. I've been at work for twelve hours. I know the hours spent working on one's project that makes you money doesn't mean much to a seasoned work veteran but I am not such a seasoned worker! I just graduated college! And, since I am not on hourly pay anymore, I am just realizing that the time "they say" you can leave for work is just more of a suggestion of when you should have the work you have to have done,  finished by. Doing the office work and class preparations takes up most of my time, but isn't as draining as being in the classroom. Teaching the five, six, and seven year old students is so exhausting! The energy you need is amazing! I made the HUGE mistake of throwing one of the six year old boys off the stage onto a matt in the gym because suddenly I had a line of six year olds wanting to be picked up and thrown. At this point in the class, I still had twenty minuets to teach in a class that they were finding to be not that interesting, so if picking them up and throwing them would keep them occupied and kill five to ten minuets, then I was going to pick up and throw every student. Don't worry mothers and fathers out there, I made this educational. Every Korean child in my class now knows how to say "My Turn!" and "Pick Me Up!" and "That was fun!" in English now. (We are still working on Please.)  Before it was just, "Teacher, Teacher, Teacher, Teacher, Teacher, Teacher, Teacher, Teacher!" Over and over and over and over and over again. So. I am now going to 'hit the hay' (an idiom I had to teach to one of the more advanced classes) and get ready for another day.

Some Quick Korean Quirks:
- the sidewalk is made up of astroturf,  and it is as cool as it sounds. Soft Sidewalk-ing! The government must be big on healthy knees.
-sidewalks, like the highways, are divided into on-coming and going bike and pedestrian lanes. And like the  highways, I have found this exacting order for traffic and foot-flow to be totally suggestive to the public at large.
-they add brown rice to their green tea to make it less bitter and I'm totally addicted.
-Small towels are the standard favor to give at any celebratory party. Births, birthdays, bridal showers, tea parties, etc. Just embroider your name on it and it will become a perfectly acceptable gift for any occasion.

1 comment:

  1. Well, Elizabeth, you won't need to go to a gym if you keep throwing these kids around. Great for the upper body and a great cardiovascular workout! Keep up the great work.
    You are a great foodie!
    My neighbor's neice is also teaching English in another village near Seoul. She and her boyfriend have been there for 2 years and are having a great time teaching and traveling around the extended area. Would you like her address?
    Edith

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