Exciting News!

Good or bad... I'll let you decide.

Our new supervisor didn't last long. There are reasons I can't explain here for why she left aside from what you can guess. I'm a little disappointed because I feel like if she had just hung in there for a couple weeks longer, she could've really done some good things around here to help. Her intentions were really in a good place-- or in the same place as mine and Ryan's.

Anyway, I might have mentioned this, but a couple weeks ago the mother of a pre-kindergarten kid got angry at everyone because the kid was not improving in math. When we decided to give worksheets for homework, she screamed at a staff member and pulled her kid out. The same mother who decided to pick the worst and most unlikely meaning of "mad" and got upset with me for the misunderstanding. I found it hilarious seeing as I never spoke to the kid that day except to tell him his behavior of "being mad and rude" was unacceptable and they are reading a book called "Mad Dog." As bad as this sounds, it was a load of stress off everyone's shoulders. Not only because of the mother but also because the other kid could get a break at being teased for his English. This week, however, he came back. Today went alright, but I'm going to expect the worst. That way, I won't be surprised the next time something off- the- wall happens.

On the up side my ribs, lungs, and cartilage are all finally healing! Last week was still pretty painful but I've definitely noticed the difference in the last few days, so I am very happy. Having coughing episodes where I'd end up throwing up was pretty crazy. I've never had coughs that bad where I'd gag. But all is well! And just in time for December :) December is my favorite month because I love the Christmas spirit, lights, and everything about December in general so I can actually enjoy myself and not be sick in bed! Although I know December/Christmas just won't have the same warm and cozy feeling as being back in Cali... but having something from home (Ryan and one of my stuffed animals) with me definitely makes it a little easier. I know Ryan will probably try to make this month super special and Christmas-y/Decemberish to me, too since he knows I love this time of the year.

I've been looking into yoga/ballet stretching/pilates classes to take in the next few days since I feel well enough to start working out. I'm pretty excited but nervous since I don't speak any English. Hopefully it goes over well and I can mesh into the classes without any difficulties! That's all for now.

Stay warm!

Derezzed

It's a song from Tron, and it's not an actual word if I'm correct. But I'm giving it the definition of how I feel at the moment.

The dirty, ugly side of work is coming to light. You learn that kids say things even if they don't know what they're saying. They don't understand the consequences, and you can't really be angry at them. They're kids after all. I remember being little and making excuses even if they were made up. They made sense in my head and seemed like it wouldn't harm anyone. It's only natural. Being on the opposite of the spectrum, I get why it can be so frustrating for adults. I just don't remember ever having made excuses by making false examples of an older person in my life. Example. Several weeks ago, one kindergarten kid told his mom we didn't read out of a text book, which was obviously not true. One of the Korean staff ladies got yelled at by his mom, and she then confronted us asking if we ever read out of the book. We naturally said we did, but what good is our word against a mother's own child? The staff lady called over the other kids and asked them if they remembered reading the book, and they all said yes. She rolled her eyes in frustration at the child's tendencies to tell his mother false things. I don't blame her; she gets yelled at for it.

This Friday, we were told of complaints... these ones were pretty crazy. A different kid told her mom something and made an excuse about us for her actions. I can't really go into details here, but suffice it to say, it has left me beyond frustrated at how things are run here. No supervisers and extra work, a soon quitting staff member and secretary that now knows our hard working ethics to back us up should other problems like this arise... I've got a feeling things are going to be hairy. The crazy thing is, we aren't even looking for this kind of ridiculous drama. We were thrown into work on day one with no real instruction, no expectations expected of us. All we have ever done was try to fill in the shoes of a missing secretary and to teach to the best of our abilities.

One of the other complaints was that we were not like the previous teachers. I.e., we don't talk to the mothers when they come to pick up their children. First of all, I am very irked by this because we have been compared to these previous teachers since day 1. We are compared to these teachers right in front of our faces almost on a weekly basis, and I find it pretty hurtful. We are not them and we do our darn best. Secondly, I say hello and bow to the mothers. I smile. I would talk to them if I knew that was what they wanted. Also, I would talk to them if we had a supervisor. Unfortunately, there are other kids after these kindergarteners who require equal attention as they are actually in school so preparing for them in 15 minutes is highly justified. I know it may not work the same way here, but I feel they should set up meetings with parents where we can attend so we can update them on progress and listen to what they expect of us directly. Just my opinion-- I really don't know anything.

Another thing a kid said was that we are late to class. We had to laugh at this. We get there by 8:50 am... exactly one hour before class ever starts. We get there before the secretary even opens the door to school.

As if that didn't bother me enough, we found out some pretty disturbing things that, again, I can't really talk about. If you ever ask me or I normally talk to you, you will find out. This stuff that I can't talk about is the most unsettling of this entire post. So, although Friday being the end of the week would normally make me feel like everything is okay, it doesn't.

Do adults really stay immature and create drama this much? I feel this is so unnecessary...

I guess on the upside, it's only two parents from the morning. I've never had any complaints from any of my other kids' parents. Here's hoping things go better on Monday. *Crossing fingers*

Never Gonna Leave This Bed

My title is from Maroon 5. It seems fitting since I actually don't want to leave my bed or go out. Anyway, since my last post I haven't really healed like I expected. My cough came back with a vengeance one night last weekend. I had to go back for more and stronger medication this past week. The pain came back and it became pretty unbearable. I am happy to say that the medication is working and I am actually feeling as though I am recovering. Obviously, there is still a lot of pain when I move or even sleep, but my cough is, for the most part, gone and the pain is back to being tolerable. Believe it or not, this has been a pretty big hindrance in my daily activities. It makes me grumpy, really tired, not hungry... a zombie would fit my description pretty well. I didn't want to go out on weekends, I'd sleep as soon as my food digested from dinner, I didn't want to play StarCraft or go shopping for clothes I needed for fall, and I would be irritated at writing my personal statement every night.

I'm a very lucky girl, though. Ryan has been very patient and helping me pick up slack around home/school, albeit very worried and understandably stressed. My stress tends to rub on him and my stress level goes pretty high often. So I'm very appreciative of him letting me get porridge when he wants to have beef soup or something tasty. Good sport. :)

Anyway, juicy news as I promised! I can't recall where I left off, but I remember stating that our school is supervisor-less. Well, just when we thought that was the worst of our news, the Korean staff lady, who is probably the last person able to help the school function and communicate with us, told us she was going to quit by the end of this month.

This was two weeks ago. Ryan and I started freaking out thinking we might need to look for another job ASAP, but we weren't too worried since we now have our TEFL certificates. (Thanks Mom and Dad for paying for that!) A week later, the Korean lady and I were talking as I was getting more medication and I casually asked what the other Korean lady she worked with was going to do since she would be the only person working at the school other than us. (The lady also doesn't speak English so we wouldn't be able to run things at the school smoothly.) She told me the other lady was also planning on quitting. So, my initial thought was, "Peachy." I couldn't believe how much drama goes on between adults. We heard lots of screaming and yelling from our boss behind walls, and we saw lots of frustration from the Korean lady that helps us with whatever we need.

To an extent, I feel sorry for the ladies that want to quit... but sometimes, I don't. The things they do aren't hard. Ryan and I observe these ladies as we switch every hour planning lessons: grading homework with answer keys (which takes all of 5 minutes a kid) and here's a shocker...shopping for clothes online! The lady packs a child's backpack, then sits down, goes "Ahh!!!" Mutters "so hard" in Korean, puts her head down and massages her back. Ryan and I think: "What??" This happens at least 10 times a day-- I will never understand it. I try giving her the benefit of the doubt by thinking she is trying to learn English as she grades, but at the same time, it's not her job to learn English. It's to look at an answer key, correct 14 multiple choice questions, and answer phone calls. Unnecessary stress or overly exaggerated is what it all seems like.

This past week, they stayed at the school til 12 decorating/making block signs. Ryan and I looked at each other thinking I could've done all of that in 1 hour at least. 2 hours max. It was crazy. Yesterday, however, was pretty hectic I admit. She didn't have time to slack... so I offered to help her grade, write in the kids' journals, and clean up. She was so stubborn about letting me grade for some reason... as if she didn't think I could do it or she just really wanted to do it even though she didn't have time?? So strange, but she eventually gave in because it only made sense that I do it and she was crunched for time. I finished it all in 10 minutes for five kids. Makes me wonder how much I would get paid if I had her job on top of teaching.

Things aren't bad here, though. These are just some pet peeves and worries.

Anyway, last week, we went on a field trip with the kindergarteners to a park near Bundang, which was fun. This week, two students that moved out of my class into Ryan's for a month, transferred back in because his class was too hard. Now my MWF 2-4 class, which is already tough to control, has 6 kids again. Whooo! Always up for a good challenge. :P Yesterday, the "hectic day" I mentioned was an early Halloween party for all classes Monday through Friday. They do something called Market Day where they have cards earned from the points Ryan and I give them, and they buy toys, stationaries, and other things. It was pretty fun and it made the week go by a lot faster.

Tomorrow, we are going to Yonsei because Ryan wants to show me around. I've only been there once and that was with my family a couple years ago. Should be fun, and I'm feeling well enough to do it! Long update and quite overdue. I can't remember if I'm leaving anything out, but if I remember anything it will be edited in this post with a big **EDIT** sign. :)

When At Starbucks...

You blog!

Since my last blog, my cold hasn't gotten any better. Last week, I started experiencing slight and bearable pain around my right rib area. I figured it was bruising from coughing-- something I've had before. I had also looked it up on the Internet so I wasn't worried. One of the Korean staff ladies took me to a pediatrician's office just for a quick check-up. It was a funny experience being a kid again. I felt like I had a mother signing me in all over again since I don't speak Korean. She had to tell the nurse all my symptoms, tell me to weigh myself, everything my mother used to do with me. Anyway, the doctor said it was just very light bruising from my coughing and sent me on my way with different medication not at normal pharmacies.

Well about two days later I started coughing violently and felt like something popped near my rib. At first I kind of freaked out but then pain quickly took over the fear. Ryan was in the kitchen asking if I was okay and I couldn't talk from the sharp and immense pain. The next day, I tried taking a deep breath and I felt like something inside was collapsing. Basically, something didn't feel right. The Korean staff lady took me to get an X-ray just to be sure I didn't have a cracked rib as it is possible to get one from traumatic coughing. The doctor felt around my chest area to see if I had any pain or swelling when he pushed some pressure onto me. After looking at the X-rays, he said I had chostocondritis-- inflammation where the bone and cartilage meet, and he said my muscle (or lung??) was very, very bruised. I think I could've guessed looking at my X-ray. One looked way brighter than the other, haha. Anyway, he gave me new medication. 5 pills 3 times a day plus cough medicine and about a week's worth. This will take 3-4 weeks to heal, though.

Leaving Starbucks now. Maybe I'll finish updating at another time. 10/16/11

Updates...

Coming soon! I promise! I am going through some new health issues. It's been a while since my last blog, but I am sloooowwwlllyyy getting better. Patience! I've got some new juicy news.

Feeling a Bit Under the Weather

But alas, that won't stop me from writing!

This week has definitely been interesting. I haven't decided whether it's good or bad, really. Currently, I am sitting in my favourite coffee shop where a kind fellow always makes mine and Ryan's day. It's called Tombola, and it's right outside our apartment complex. Every time we come here, he manages to turn my frowns into smiles. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like that other than Ryan, my brother, and my dad. (Oh, and my Uncle Bob, Uncle Aaron, and cousins Evan and Adam.) He doesn't know a thing about mine or Ryan's day, and he just makes us feel like the black cloud never hovered over our heads to begin with. Although there is a language barrier, he tries to speak English, apologizes when he can't translate when we should be the ones apologizing... everything he does is so wholehearted and sincere. He just might be the most humble stranger I've ever met. Ryan and I always talk about how sweet he is and how he just melts our hearts to pieces, and we've never met anyone quite like him. I personally can't wait for Christmas because we both want to give him something in return just for being him. We talk about how if we were rich, we'd buy him a plane ticket to anywhere in the world he'd want to go and he can bring a friend. Just a few moments ago, Ryan joked about how he wouldn't be surprised if he followed us all the way back to our apartment complex yelling, "Thank you! Kamsahamnida! Annyonghi kaseyo!" I can't help but laugh because I kind of believe it could happen, and it wouldn't bother me, either. Or Ryan for that matter.

To give you an example of just how amiable this guy is:

Ryan handed me a cup with water he poured into it. I asked him if his water tasted like smoke and he tasted mine. We both made a grossed out face and realized it was only mine; someone probably was a smoker when they drank out of it. Well, we handed it to this man just to let him know it was dirty (not because we were trying to be picky-- we thought it would be out of interest for other people, too). He humbly bowed his head several times, fussed with his hair as if embarrassed, and as we rounded back to our seats, he came around the corner with bigger cups filled with ice. Ryan and I felt so bad... this guy was just the most generous guy we've ever encountered. This guy seriously makes you gravitate towards his contagious personality. This is getting sappy, but if you met this guy, you would just keel over at his gentle and welcoming disposition.

I digress. He cheered us up from what was becoming a stressful week. As I mentioned in the previous post, the younger supervisor who helped us settle into work finished her time last week. The older woman they were going to hire decided this past Monday that she didn't want the job, thus leaving us supervisor-less. This is a problem because the supervisor is supposed to be the bridge for us to the Korean staff as she speaks both English and Korean. Also, she plans the lessons for our classes. Well, the problem became apparent yesterday when one Korean staff member approached me with a worried look.

The kids we have come from rich families and so take education seriously-- hence, expensive hagwon school, right? Well, some kids' mothers watch the lesson plans with a careful eye and interrogate their children right after class on what they did in class. Then they check off each thing on the schedule to make sure we are doing our jobs. I had no idea about this, but luckily I take my job seriously and follow the plan religiously. I sometimes even throw in extra things to push their learning curve. Anyway, she tells me about the moms and that I now have to plan a week's worth of schedules for five classes and 9 hours a day worth of material. I was pretty unprepared for that just because it came all at once, and Ryan and I hardly have time to prepare anything before/in between classes already.

Ryan and I quickly strategized how we were going to do this in one day: today. Because we teach kindergarten from 9- 2 together, we figured we could take turns for an hour teaching while one person made lesson plans for the respective classes we teach. This worked out pretty well, but it was very stressful as well since there was a lot of technical changes that needed to be done (more so on my part) and also some other nit-picky things that needed to be altered to the parents' wishes (which I know nothing about). It's a lot of pressure to say the least: I want to make sure I am meeting the parents' demands but at the same time, no one prepared us for this the right way. To be fair, we are thankful that the Korean staff teacher is understanding and as helpful as she can be to us. I do feel a little paranoid that I am not planning the lesson plans how she would like them. All I can say is I put a lot into the time I was given, so I can feel confident that I did everything to the best of my abilities and in the children's best interests.

Some other stressful things: 1) A kid running into a door. One of our kindergarteners had to go to the doctor's during lunch because the wooden door he ran into caused his eyelid to bleed, on the outside mind you. We were informed that the mother had a moment of rage and that she was taking him to a plastic surgeon. Our reaction to this was ".................................." because really, it was just a cut... I don't think the mother's anger was directed at us, but whether it was to us or the Korean staff, or even both of us, it was a little ridiculous. Everyone agreed. She later calmed down, which was good, because it was still pretty stressful to deal with. 2) A kid who is incredibly sick coughs deliberately in your face and general direction more than 7 times. He does not hold back, either. It is with all his might... almost hoping you might catch his illness. So I am now coming down with a cold-- I am starting to lose my voice and am in the stage of what I like to call a man-voice. 3) How in the world do you teach kids that don't know "What is_____?" They don't know "read" "spell" or "write" even if I do motions. It's one thing to legitimately not understand things if you are trying but these kids don't even try. I guess I should have more sympathy. I just don't see how these kids can have no motivation to learn a simple word when I can remember being their age and paying attention like the world would end if I didn't. Then again, I didn't have to learn a second language at a later age. I lost my fluency in Chinese at the age of six as I was immersed completely in English both at home and at school.

Sometimes, writing in this blog makes me realize mid-blog or mid-sentence that I need to be more lenient. I am trying to assume the most adult role I can possibly assume at my age and sometimes forget my natural tendency to be a kid that I naturally I am. As cheesy as this sounds, I suppose I am trying to find balance with the 6 year old I naturally am and in being an adult in the real world. When I act like a grown up, I really act like a grown up. And when I'm myself naturally, I forget the rules of the world and am at play with everything and everyone around me. I find that I take after my mom's "whip-you-into-shape-into-no-time"attitude when it comes to education with kids aged 7-10. I remember not liking it, but at the same time I appreciate it. I knew then (and even now), though, that there are better ways that are conducive to learning faster. I know because my dad used to balance my mother's education techniques, which I also appreciated very much. Patience, even with mistakes, gentle encouragement, and firm pushing. It was a good balance. In all honesty, growing up, I preferred the latter and today, I still do. It's just my upbringing that brings out the stereotypical Asian mom characteristics. Oy vey. In any case, that's the thing I am trying to figure out: balance. I have it half way figured out in terms of discipline. Oh well, it's a learning experience, right?

On the plus side, we gained another kindergartener this week and hopefully, another little princess if her mother decides she wants her to keep attending. This week is a test trial, I think. It would be good for the only girl in this class to have her best friend back in class. Ryan and I absolutely adore the only girl in this class-- she's incredibly smart. We were joking about how her brain is too advanced for her body. She knows too much but her brain has to process and figure out how to convey what she's trying to say, sometimes. It's too cute for us to handle. We glance at each other from across the room and giggle. Everyday, she just says or does the darndest things-- sweet, smart, or comedic, and we just want to squish the cute out of her. It's good to hear from her mother that she adores me. :)))) I just want to take her home with me, haha. And Ryan admits his heart melts when she hugs/sits on his lap/kisses him.

These kids-- hard and good times-- make everything here and back at home worth it. Hopefully I can jot down some funny things Ryan's told me about his classes. Or maybe I can get him to write on here, too, because he has more interesting things happen in his classes in my opinion.

Anyway, that's all for now. Zoom zoom!

Time for a blog again. I have a lot of pictures to update both on Facebook and here as well, but maybe over the weekend.

Some things Ryan and I have noticed since last weekend:

In the US, if boys or men cross their legs tightly, they get made fun of or are assumed to be gay. (Some exceptions Ryan and I thought of were professors, lawyers, doctors, and businessmen. I honestly have no idea why we thought of them specifically, but it's what came to mind.) However, here, it seems to emit sophistication or something of the like. I actually had that first cross my mind as I was eating across from Ryan. I saw two men probably a few years older than us behind him, and I'm not sure why I thought of it then, but my brain just seemed to zone in on what would be peculiar in the US. I think I'm used to it since I've seen it in Korean dramas. Maybe-- I'm not really sure.

Also, during our lunch break this week, we were walking back from grabbing some coffee. While standing at a corner waiting for the walk signal to turn green, an old man ecstatically said, "Hello! Hello! Hello!" until Ryan and I turned our heads. He then said, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!" Then he proceeded to walk ahead of us. Everyone around us looked just as confused as us. Ryan and I laughed, but as we were walking behind him, he told me about how this had happened to him while he studied at Yonsei last summer. He said he thinks it might be because they think he is in the army. He was happy I finally got to witness this, and I laughed because he fit the mold-- tall, caucasian, and muscle-y.

Now, as far as our week has been going, it's been much better than last week. Our supervisor is leaving the job this week, so the new supervisor came in to get a hold on things. She is much older, and I think she speaks better English. Lately, we've been having the Korean ladies sit in on our class-- we're not sure why. Evaluate most likely... it's kind of uncomfortable, but I'm just now getting used to it. Today, though, the new supervisor sat in on one of my classes and it was like treading on water all over again. So weird. There were times when she would help explain things to the children in Korean, but she realized how hard it was for me to teach the class because they can't understand very much English. She suggested I read the sentences to have them repeat after me, but from testing out the waters (and personal experience) it is very easy to make the same noise without looking at what you're reading. I know these kids pretty well by now as it is our 4th week. I've tried what she's suggested and figured out that when I have them read it to me afterwards by themselves, they don't have a clue at all as to how to say some things. I find it better to have them read the sentences so that I can correct them and know which words they have problems with. I can then hone in on what I want to fix over the next 1.5 hours and I can also correct them on the spot while they are actually paying attention.

Although it was a friendly first day suggestion, it was a little frustrating. Not sure why-- I guess I just felt that it wasn't her place to tell me on her first day observing? Or maybe because I've tried what she suggested and it didn't work? I'm not sure. I do like the new lady, though. She seems very nice, professional, and helpful.

That's all I can think of for now, so ta!