Korea Life Blog
12/30/2004


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KLB - Sick Assistant


Despite being deathly ill, Cathy dragged herself to work today. She had blisters all over her mouth and looked pale as a ghost. She made it through the first class, then told me she had to leave to go to the hospital.

"Yes, I understand. Get some rest. Have a nice day."

"So, I'm so worried about you and the students."

"No, it's OK. Everything will be fine."

"I called to Bonnie and let her know. She said it's OK."

"Yes, good."

"And I told Mrs. Kwon (head of the English department at the school) that I will be going to the hospital. I'm so sorry to her. We both worried about the classroom. You have to turning off the lights and locking the door."

"Wow, that sounds complicated," I joked. "Go on, it's OK, really. You need a break."

"So, I'm so sorry I can't stay here and help you today and blah blah blah..."

This went on entirely too long. At long last, after an odd, in depth apology to the students in class B (in English) she finally staggered off to the hospital. For those of you who never lived in Korea, Koreans go to the hospital for pretty much everything. Unlike in America, where even if you have insurance a hospital visit can cost you quite a bit, it costs next to nothing in Korea because of the national health insurance system. So, when I say she went to the hospital, it doesn't mean her condition was as serious as you might be thinking. Still, it's obvious she is stressed out and needs a break. She's been sick with something or other since the start of the year, actually.

I hate to say it, well, no I don't because I expected this - but without her in the room the last two classes went extremely well. The entire atmosphere changed, and the kids picked up on it. Not a single student in class C even asked me where she was. We played games and sang songs and I didn't yell, "No Korean!" or "Minus one point," and yet the kids were well behaved. When the last class ended, I didn't have that urge to zip right out the door. I held some kids after class for a little extra study and I did the paper work for the day. I also put on some music and swept the room and reorganized the desks. It was such an odd feeling, like for the first time it was my classroom. I wish I could feel like that everyday.

Maybe you know a person like this too, but she reminds me of my boss (George from my book) when I worked as a mental health counselor. He ran himself ragged. He'd come to work early, stay long into the evening, take on all sorts of extra work. Most of what he did seemed to have no other purpose but than to impress everyone by display of his diligence. He also thoroughly relished in his position as team leader - and seemed especially at his game when the employees would come to him for help.

One night, I had a minor emergency with one of the residents in the program who cut himself with some scissors. I took him to the hospital where he got a few stitches and then brought him back home. I called the assistant supervisor, who was my friend (Rick from in my book) and explained what happened, and he decided not to call George. I did the necessary paper work and filed it. When George found out about how we handled the situation without him, he was schocked. His feelings were plainly hurt. He wanted us to call him. He wanted us to be unable to handle things without him - I guess to give a sense of purpose to his madness, or as I said before, to fill some kind of personal need by being needed.

Someday, if I ever get better at expressing myself, I would like to write a piece about such a character. I've worked for or have know many people like George and Cathy and I'm assuming most others have to. They drive me crazy, but they really make pyschologically interesting subjects.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/29/2004


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KLB - New Blog Name


I've been told by a friend I should change the name of my blog to Bitch and Bitch and Bitch and Bitch about Shawn's Co-Teacher Life Blog.

I agree I have been complaining far too much. Especially considering how easy my job is overall. The truth is, as much as she does annoy me, I probably wouldn't even think about work if it wasn't for my blog and needing a topic to explore. That's part of the point though. If I didn't have this blog, I probably wouldn't be writing. At least it's something, and based on the hit count lately (1200-1700/day) some people seem interested in it.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Great Employee, Awful Co-Worker


Cathy does make a good employee - hell, I'd probably hire her. I could pay her very little while she mindlessly does everything I ask of her.

I'm confused about what I'm supposed to think about people who work very hard and don't complain no matter what. I've been brought up to think I should admire and emulate them. Fortunately I've never fallen for that. To me, most of these people are being taken advantage of and are foolish not to see it. Or cowardly when if they do see it, they don't do anything to change their situation and simply conform because that's what everyone else is doing.

In this world, if you want to get anywhere you have to work very hard. See, I bet you just read that sentence and nodded your head in agreement. There you have it - you've also been brainwashed. Scary, isn't it? Don't feel bad - you're not alone.

Step 1. The only way to get ahead is to lower your liabilities, or in other words, the amount you spend. I call this Expenditure Concept 41C - Common Sense Liability Diminishing to Greater Wealth Building. Increasing the amount you earn won't help unless you've mastered step one. Step 2 to come in my new book: 7 Steps to the New and Rich You.

So, Cathy's been calling all the parents in her free time and finding other students to enroll in the classes during the one month winter vacation. She told me today we will have quite a few new students. Before she started doing this, we were to have just 10 or less in each class - which made me relieved because of the length of the classes (about 2 hours). It's hard enough to control/entertain them for an hour. But now it looks like there will be around 15 in each class. It may not seem like it unless you've taught elementary school before, but that's a big difference, especially since we only have six tables (when they doubled the size of the classroom they never bothered to give us any more desks).

In fact, she spent the whole day today out in the hall calling up parents and urging them to enroll their kids. So, when she told me the news, she seemed to be proud of herself. Try if you can to imagine this situation: she, beaming with pride that's she's gotten so many new students - when the only reward she or I will get for her hard work is more students and more work - and me staring back at her in stupefaction.

"Cathy, why are you trying so hard to get new students?" I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"I have to, of course. Bonnie told me to do like this."

I wanted to say to her, "Of course she told you to get more students. Why do you think? So she can make more money. Is she going to pay you a commission? I don't think so. You don't have to try so hard." However, I knew she would be unable to comprehend how I could even think such a thing much less say it out loud, and so I simply made the usual sneer-of-contempt and returned to my desk. As I said, she's a good employee but a damn annoying co-worker.

I spent the entire day teaching grammar and writing. The poor kids have been bored to death this week, but this is what I have to do. I think I'll just return to the way I was teaching, making it fun and focusing on speaking skills. The program potentially ends at the end of February anyway, and I have the option to quit at that point. Why not at least make it fun while it lasts and not worry about the consequences. If parents are not satisfied, they can send their kids off to more expensive hagwons if they so desire and we both win (while the student loses).



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/28/2004


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KLB - Final Tests


I graded all 50 "final tests" last Friday after work. I don't understand why the kids took the final test two weeks before the end of the semester, but that's another story.

Cathy made them. She did a good job (photocopying pages from supplied tests in the teachers' books) but they were much too hard. My class has been based on speaking (and why the hell not?) but these tests were based on writing (shouldn't Korean teachers be teaching writing and grammar?). As to be expected, with some exceptions, most kids did poorly and quite a few failed.

So, the kids were wondering where their tests were. I wanted to give them back and reward the kids that did well and show the kids who did poorly why we'll be focusing on writing for the next few weeks. Cathy said we can't give the tests back. Why? Because the parents will be angry - of course. OK, whatever, forget it; I didn't argue...until she handed me one last test I hadn't graded yet.

"You have to check this test," she said.

"Why?"

"It's the test. You have to check it."

"But what for? We're not giving them back, you said."

This is where a lack of communication can turn ugly. She didn't understand my point and thought I was trying to get out of grading it - as if it would kill her to grade one herself, what else does she have to do - but that wasn't the point. Frustrated, she repeated herself yet again. "This your job to grade the test."

"What's the point, Cathy?" I said, starting to get aggravated myself. "You just told me 5 minutes ago we're not giving the tests back to the kids, so why do I have to grade this? There's no point."

"Shawn, just you do this, OK?"

Once again, on the verge of a verbal lashing, I bit my cheek and smiled. "I'm going to check this test. No problem! But I want to know why, because the student won't see it."

"Oh, I see. It's so we know the student score." Oh, wow, that's so important, I thought with a sneer. I didn't say anything else, though. So I sat down at my desk and instead of starting class on time I sat there and checked the test. I'm not spending one more minute of my own time grading something that will be thrown in the garbage.

Several other things have been getting on my nerves about her. Yes, she is good at organizing the classroom and doing the Korean versions of the lesson plans on paper. But in my opinion, none of that stuff matters. It's all a waste of time, really. What I want her to do is make things based on the book that I can use to supplement the lessons. Not walk around all day yelling "No Korean! And minus one point!" (I'm so tired of hearing this!) Bonnie has told me several times that whenever I need something I'm to tell Cathy. However, since Cathy always looks stressed out and is constantly telling me how busy she is outside of work, I never ask her to do anything except make copies.

Today, after she told me the kids failed the test because they don't know phonics (implying this is somehow my fault?) I started hinting around that we have no materials to actually teach phonics with. You simply can't teach phonics only using English and a board marker, unless you do it day in and day out, but we can't with all the other things we have to do. I suggested we need a phonics book. I mentioned a book I used in the past that worked very well.

"Haha," she laughed. "Good idea but it's not possible."

So, then I hinted that phonics flashcards would be helpful, with the different sounds written on them and some drawings of different objects depicting words with those sounds. Of course, not understanding what I was talking about, she didn't get that hint. "We don't have anything like that," she said. So then I said, "Well, maybe you can write down some important sounds on index cards, like ck, ow, ou, sh, for example." At this point she looked annoyed, like she has no time to do such things, or as if that's somehow my responsibility. It's not. This is a part time job - I don't get paid to sit around and make materials in my spare time. Perhaps if I lived nearby and didn't travel so long I wouldn't mind doing extra things. However, I get paid by the hours that I teach, nothing extra. Making materials is part of her job description. I'd rather see her sitting around doing things like that than hanging about like a camera watching me and the kids' every move - or having me grade tests that have no meaning.

I've been getting really close with the kids these days and it's a shame all the other people involved with this program are taking away from that. I think all I should be doing is teaching them how to speak - much in the same way I am actually learning Japanese by only listening and speaking. It's amazing how much more effective a system that is than any writing study. Writing should come later. And, God forbid, Cathy actually teach anything. Ideally she should be doing nothing except teaching writing and grammar, and I should teach all the speaking and pronunciation. I can't imagine how quickly the kids would be learning if this were the case.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/27/2004


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KLB - Ssam Bap


I mentioned before we went to a restaurant in Songnae where we had a mountain of food for just 6,000 won ($5.75) each. Well we went back there again today and this time I brought my camera.



A sea of utterly delicious side dishes. If only I can get Julie to cook for me like this. But it would probably cost a fortune.



This poor woman has to get them all ready and then serve them too. What a chore. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...25



This fish is called kkong chi in Korean, or mackerel pike. The site of this probably would have made me cringe years ago, but now I love it. It was really good.



Can you believe how many different dishes they serve you? It's utterly amazing, if not near ridiculous. Plus you get free refills of whatever you want. We've been eating here once a week. What you do is wrap up bits of the different foods in those leaves there and stuff them in your mouth. Wonderful.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/26/2004


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KLB - DVDs


By popular demand, Julie has now added a few DVDs to her store. Unfortunately because of a few factors they are a little pricey, but still not too bad. This is because we can't buy them in quantity as we're not sure if people will buy them. Also, Korean DVDs, especially popular ones, almost always come as deluxe multi-disk sets, meaning they are nicely packaged and heavy. However, if you're looking to see a new kind of movie these are some good ones you might like. My personal favorite is The Good Lawyer's Wife.

You also can trust that we will package them well and get them in the mail right after your order. Delivery times have been averaging just 5-10 days, so it's not that bad of a wait. Thank you for all the e-mails everyone.

Click here to see what's available:





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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Christmas Lunch


All the restaurants at the department store were jam packed yesterday, Christmas Day, so we ended up walking down to TGIFs. Neither of us particularly like the place, but it's one of those places you go in Korea on special days. And it turned out to be pretty good.



All of the waiters and waitresses were dressed in these Santa-Wannabe suits.


Because it was so crowded here as well, we decided to sit up at the bar. A decision that soon paid off dearly. The bartender, a really nice guy who, all alone, was very busy making all the drinks for the entire place, came over to us with 2 free draft beers (normally 4,000 won each). He had made some kind of mistake on someone's drink order. Since he couldn't just bring over one beer, he made the second for us too. And since Julie doesn't drink (Christmas was a rare exception), I ended up with both of them. Yah! My opinion about TGIFs has changed radically. I love it there!


Here they are. Normally a rip off at 4,000 won (most places around here charge 2,000), but a real steal for free.



Complimentary nachos. I don't get it, but hey why not. Julie liked them.



Julie ordered the chicken quesadillas. They were really good. Especially with the free beer.



I don't know why I got this again. It looks a lot better than it tastes. I just really wanted a western style burger. It wasn't awful, but it's too big (yes I've been in Korea too long) and greasy and hard to eat. At least I had some free beer to wash it down with. That'll make anything taste good.


Did I mention free beer. I'll say it again, two free ice cold beers. FREE!


The watch Julie gave me was very nice. However, I've been so used to not wearing one for the last few months that I forgot how nice it is not to have anything on your wrist. (The bit about my Timex breaking 6 years ago was a joke - it broke a few months ago). I also don't need one here since I carry a cell phone everywhere which displays the time. As I said, the watch looked very sharp but was thick and rested right against my wrist bone. So, we talked about it and decided to go have a look at least at other models. Then we just decided to return it.


The only thing I really needed (besides the new smurf figures and Season 1 DVD) was a pair of sneakers. As you know, finding a pair that fits me has been a real hassle. We tried all the name brand stores and finally, at the last place, we found this nice pair of Reebok sneakers. I like the styles this year. They're pretty much a cross between shoes and sneakers, meaning I can wear them out and about and also to work. That's good for me as I travel so far and long to get to my job. I'm very happy with my gift. Thanks, Julie!









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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/25/2004


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KLB - Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas. Here are some drawings the kids made this week.



This is a sample of the Christmas card's we did. Most of them were really cute and came out nice, but they took them home to their parents before I thought to take pictures. This kid was absent today so I brought it home. It's also done wrong anyway, since when folded, half the pics will be upside down. Anyway, cute santa.



A couple more leftover pieces I found in the pile of used paper on my desk.



This card is so touching. I almost cried when I read it. Almost.



It basically says, Shawn teacher is the best teacher in the whole world. And the most handsome and kind and funny person ever. It doesn't really say that, of course. It's addressed to both Cathy and I and says she's sorry for making trouble and talking too much in class - which I thought was odd because she is always good. She's adorable and one of my favorite students. The card ends with her saying, "I love you." Awe...someone's getting an A.


Ah, I just found this picture of her. She's the one in the green shirt:






Here are a few bonus, non-Christmas related drawings from earlier in the semester. I just love kids' drawings. Remind me to bring my camera to work again because most of the good ones are on Cathy's display boards.



If you ever teach little kids, make it a point to have them draw animals.



I was, she was, you was, we all was! That guy on the bottom left is supposed to be me by the way. Notice the big nose. At least I look pretty big and strong.



They had to make some pictures for their story books. This is a sample from Class B: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. I can't even draw this well. Actually I can't even draw at all. The kids are always laugh at me when I draw something on the board.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Xmas Pix




Julie bought this nice new watch for me for Xmas. I've needed one since my Timex broke 6 years ago.



I must have spent 2 hours searching for what to get Julie. I started by looking at makeup and jewelry, but the very second you stop to look at anything 3 saleswomen close in on you. That really bugs me. The next stop was the bookstore. I wanted to by her Sex and the City, but they only carry it in English. I asked for a gift card, I think they are called that in Korean (gipu cadu) but the manager kept pointing at the Christmas cards, so I gave up. Finally I ended up in Julie's favorite houseware store and picked up a couple of nice sets. She loves organization and we really needed these. I felt bad buying her these things, but she literally freaked out when she saw them. A happy freaked out, that is. Gargamel, on the other hand, was a little dissapointed.



Last night, during and after dinner we both had much too much wine (Julie had a whole cup - which to her is like what drinking 2 bottles is to an average Joe) and we started dancing to corny Christmas songs. I particularly like Last Christmas by George Michael. By the end of the night, I started singing it. Julie keeps reminding me how silly I was last night. Damn her memory!



Here's drunken Julie in her little dress she bought when she went to Shanghai, China last year. I made her put it on. I forgot to play China Girl, by David Bowie, as planned though. Rats. A long time fantasy goes unfulfilled again.

I really miss my family this time of year, but I did get to talk to them online for over an hour so it wasn't too bad. The nice dinner and music really made a difference too.

You, my readers have also given me a nice gift. Thanks for all the best blog votes. I was surprised just now to see I'm in first place again! I was down by quite a few the other day. I think the voting ends the last day of the year (would make sense) but I'm not sure.

Julie's taking me out to a special Christmas dinner across the street somewhere in Hyundai Department store (Department Stores in Korea are like shopping malls). I guess I can bring my camera so stay tuned for more posts. Merry Christmas.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/24/2004


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KLB - Christmas Eve Dinner


Julie came home to a surprise Christmas Eve dinner last night.



My wallet is empty but this is going to be a great dinner. It's Christmas Eve, after all, and I'm excited about surprising her.



Mmmm, that looks good. I cooked the vegetables and shrimp in wine.



Steak is extremely expensive in Korea, as it's usually imported, though my grandfather tells me it's getting high in America too (along with everything else). These pieces came from Australia and, though a little small, they were perfect, tender and delicious. There are actually two different kids sizzling here. I'm not sure about the difference because they both were labled "premium loin".



Almost ready. I put everything in together and added more wine and let it cook a bit more. Julie's in the bathroom putting on a special little dress. Can you believe she was going to wear shorts and an old T-shirt for this meal?



I'm no cook, but this meal really did come out so nice. The Charddonay went very well with it. To think that some people get to eat like this every day. But for us it probably tasted so much better. It was a real treat.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/23/2004


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KLB - You Just Can't Win


Today was a good day, for the most part. I'm up to lesson 35 of Pimsleur's Japanese. I can probably speak Japanese better now than Korean. Wish Pimsleur made an equally good Korean set. I also had a nice dinner, more rice and side dishes from the local shop:






Had a nice day at work too. The kids had to take their "final" test of the "semester" so I just sat there all day basically. I found out many of the students are quitting - or more precisely, the parents won't be paying anymore. The biggest reason is that it will be winter vacation. The next biggest reason is that several parents are disappointed with the program. This is because their children aren't doing much better with their English writing skills, and this is where I get confused.

When I worked in the hagwons, I was not supposed to make the kids write. My job, and understandably so, was to teach speaking. Ironically, because I hated those jobs so much, I used to make the kids write a lot to take up time. At this job, because I enjoy it so much, I've fully concentrated on speaking with minimal emphasis on writing. After all, that's what the Korean teachers focus on when they teach English. My kids can speak English a lot better than just a few months ago. I am proud of that.

Because most of these parents can't speak English well, though they probably can read and write a fair bit, they don't know how much their children have learned. So they have assumed they aren't learning enough. Now they will probably send their kids to more expensive private schools where they will learn even less.

Cathy, amazingly enough, agrees that the students are doing very well and that speaking is the most important aspect of learning English. She knows this, she said, because she can read and write a lot better than she can speak - and she wishes the opposite were true. She'd much rather be fluent with her speaking. (And I wish so too).

At first the fact that so many kids will be quitting bothered me. But then I realized, next semester, during the winter schedule, I will have less than 10 kids per class. That means the agency loses. They already planned the schedule for double the time and, for me, double the pay (though money in hand will be when I believe it). So I will be getting quite a bit of money for teaching about half as many kids! However, Cathy has to call all the parents and try to persuade them to keep paying. (If you didn't know, even though this a public school, the parents still pay for our program - though the cost is far less than at a private institute).


Cathy was actually very nice today and we got along well. We talked quite a bit while the students were taking their tests. I found out that her father had been sick for a long time before he died 3 years ago and that her mother was forced to work. Cathy had to do all the cooking and cleaning and also work to help out financially. That's why she's as old as she is (34) and still going to school for her master's degree. She also had no idea that my father died and that I moved out of the house and have been supporting myself since 18, when I went to college. She was even more surprised to find out this not that uncommon in America.

Julie works until after 9 at her new job. I get home around 5:30, so I've had some time alone (she used to get home before me). Tonight, now that I have a region-free player, I watched many of the extras on the Pink Floyd The Wall DVD. This is truly a great DVD with a "saucer full of features". And it sounds excellent with the home theater. There probably is no other album I have listened to more than this one, except for maybe Radiohead's OK Computer, and it was awesome to here Roger Water's commentary, though it was a bit scary to see how much he's aged. He truly is a musical/lyrical genius. If you have never seen it, you should check it out.





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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/22/2004


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KLB - DVD Player Region Free!


It pays to search the web. I had been frustrated that I haven't been able to play my DVDs from the states (Region 1) on our Korean DVD players (Region 3). Awhile ago I put a patch download on the computer DVD ROM, but I didn't know you could also do that on your home DVD player. This site has all the tools you need to do so. For mine, all I had to do was open the drive, use the remote to press 9999 and then 0 for region-free and presto, it now will permanently play all DVDs. Now I can order The Smurfs DVD from Australia! Does life get any better?

Most other players have a similar code or in some cases, a file you download, burn to CD-R and then play on your player.




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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Julie's Shop: Fixed Shipping


The shipping prices have been fixed for the teas in Julie's store and everyone who ordered has been credited. The cart was charging $9.95 instead of $4.95 per box because I plugged in the weight figures wrong on her. She's also added some cool new letter paper. I love Korean letter paper, don't you?

We've had some interesting requests for items including "casual hanbok," Korean porn (forget it), Korean movies, thick rice cakes for ddeok bokki and some others. For some things, like the rice cakes, the cost of shipping makes it too expensive, but if you're willing to pay the actual shipping cost, Julie says she'll get whatever you want.

I like the idea of having a couple of good Korean movies available, as long as people who buy have a region free player (see, by coincidence, the post above about how I fixed my own player tonight). Almost all Korean DVDs come with English subtitles and the shipping would be reasonable. If you have never seen a Korean flick, check out The Way Home, which was released in the states. It's a tender, warmhearted movie. Read about it by clicking on the image:



For the boxed tea and, of course, the letter paper it is also reasonable considering the distance. Keep checking back for new items and suggestions are always welcome.

Sorry for the updates about her store here, but she needs to get it started somehow if it's going to work. She also wishes to thank everyone for checking it out.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - "It's Time to Start Class!"


The more I think about it, the more I'm dreading working with Cathy for six hours/day instead of three next month, even if I will be getting double the pay.

I arrived early again today (I'm on a roll) and, in a great mood, I got things together then went to the computer room, which is right next door, to goof around with the early kids. They usually hang out in there playing internet games before class. I think it's nice that they can play for a bit in between study sessions. After all, these kids are in school all day, then take my class, then most of them go on to study at other private institutes into the evening.

Well, at 12:57, Cathy stormed into the computer room and started her, "It's 1:00, time for study," line.

"It's OK, Cathy," I said. "I'm here with them."

Her face flashed red in anger. "No, Shawn, it's time to start class!" And with that, I almost erupted. It took all my inner strength to hide my anger and calm down.

"Cathy," I said, forcing a smile, "it's not one o'clock yet. Calm down."

She frowned and walked out of the room, but returned just a minute later and called all the kids names again while saying, "Time for study," over and over again. Has she flipped her lid? I looked at my cellphone, which displays the most accurate time, and it clearly said 12:58. She knows several students won't even arrive for another 5 minutes.

Well, I stayed in the room with one of the kids until 1:01 before going into the classroom. Cathy was at the front of the room calling attendance and putting -1 marks next to names on the board. I sighed. My great mood was gone. In fact I had become grouchy. As Cathy squirmed, I took my time arranging things on the desk and flipping through the teacher's book until all the students arrived. Then I regained composure and took full command of the classroom, spending the rest of the class in a whirlwind of review, using all sorts of materials and techniques, to go over all of the English Time lessons I've taught thus far. The kids really got into it, too. It can't be more clear they have learned a lot. They are especially good at speaking, which I think is the most important thing. You see, it doesn't matter if I start class at 12:58 or 1:01 or 1:05. What is important is that the children are learning the language.

If this continues, I'm going to have to call Bonnie from the agency and have a talk about who exactly is in charge of the classroom. The way it is now, I feel like I have my boss in the room with me instead of an assistant. That I have to worry about what I'm doing because Cathy will not approve.

I don't totally despise her yet, but we are simply not a good match. She wants it her way, everything done mechanically and meticulously, and I want it my way - loosely structured and fun for the kids. So far we've both been compromising, but it's just a matter of time before things go sour and a heated argument ensues. At least it makes interesting blogging. Stay tuned.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/21/2004


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KLB - Level Testing


So, the end of this month will mark the end of the first "semester" with my students. Cathy told me today that we have to give new level tests next Tuesday, and so, "Next tuesday you come one hour early, "Cathy said. I guess it's a demand.

"What for?"

"It's level test day."

"So we're going to change the students around?"

"Yes, right."

"But I know exactly who needs to be changed."

"Oh, good. Who should we change?" I went through and named a bunch of kids who need to be moved down a level.

"Oh, no. That's impossible."

"What is?"

"Students only can move up. Not down. No, never."

"Well, why not? They're in the wrong level."

"Parents don't want."

"Fine, then. So we can move some up?"

"Of course."

I went through and picked 4 or 5 kids who could be changed up a level. "So, now we don't need a level test." We really don't, since I know every student's strengths and weaknesses and a test will be just a waste of time.

"Oh, no," Cathy said, shocked. Somehow I see her ending up just like Brenda from my book, I swear.

"Well, what's the point of the test if they can't go down. C class students can't go down or up then..." (since they are the highest level).

"The parents wanting this test." I'm starting to realize that whenever I disagree with something, Cathy cleverly tells me it's what the parents want. What can I say to that? - I know, I'll say "Bull shit! Get them on the phone right now." Instead I said, "This is my classroom. I am King here. I make the rules. You make the copies. Nobody tells me to do a level test and lives to see the sun come up."

OK, I didn't really say that. I just smiled and shrugged it off and said I'd be there early.

I know that the agency wants to give the test to make it look like we're doing something. The parents will never see the results, especially if their kid does poorly, and the kids will either stay in the same class or move up a level. The problem is, with some exceptions, there are many kids that need to be moved down. Ideally I'd like to keep my second class as is, keeping a lot of the smart kids in it (75%) - moving a few down to class A and a few of the exceptionally smart ones to class C. There's nowhere to go for class C (meaning their level test is a complete sham). But apparently we can't do that without looking bad. So, I'll go in and waste my time giving a level test for show and then have mixed classes again. Oh well. Life could be worse, I suppose. I could be back teaching in a hagwon!



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/20/2004


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KLB - Another Week Begins


Since I've gone back to working out, I've had too much energy. I was operating on 6 hours of sleep yesterday and then went to bed at 3:00 in the morning only to lay there, not tired, until 5:00. Then I bounced out of bed at 10:30 and I haven't felt tired all day. Perhaps the combination of not smoking or drinking (I haven't gone out in ages, actually), exercising and eating a lot of protein and vegetables is doing the trick. Lately I just feel fantastic.

It was a pretty good day at school. It usually goes well on Mondays and Wednesdays when I can just teach the books. English Time is actually a very good series. It has a lot of decent vocabularly, songs and a workbook that keeps the kids busy without me having to explain much. This is a big plus when you're not allowed to speak Korean.

Cathy didn't even annoy me, except for when I showed up early. The door was locked and I went down to the office to get the key. Cathy, key in hand, was on her way up the stairs and, when she saw me, she gasped and apologized then burst into a sprint down the hallway to open the door. Thanks Cathty, now I can get into the room 15.6 seconds quicker than if you just walked. Phew!

I'm going to watch more movies tonight with the new surround-sound system. We can't believe what an improvement it makes with this setup. We put two of the speakers behind our heads to get, as I keep telling Julie, "The total surround sound experience!"

That Stallone movie, Lock Up, which we watched last night made us laugh. It seems like more of a comedy than an action movie. Still, it has a few plusses, one being the music track which sounds great and a few decent scenes that make it worth the price of admission (3,000 won!).


I'm just checking online for user reviews of this movie and am startled to see such a kind rating on Yahoo! Movies.

Running Man, on the other hand...I can't believe that was once a famous movie.

Well, Julie wants to use the computer and check on her Korea Shop. She's had quite a few orders already, thanks to my readers, I assume, and is already adding new teas and picking out different Korean items to add. All of these teas are really good, by the way (I made sure she picked kinds westerners would like) and I'm sure you will enjoy the taste. Make yourself a little cup while you read through the KLB archives. Thanks again everyone!


Don't forget to vote every day for your favorite blog (cough cough - mine).




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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/19/2004


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KLB - Smurfy Home Theater


Christmas has come a bit early around here. We went all around the big electronics market yesterday in Yongsan, but we just couldn't find a better deal than the Home Theater set they have up the street at Homeplus.

So, this is my gift to us for Christmas. Julie will be buying a pretty nice bed frame/mattress today from CJV Home Shopping. Korean bed sets are sleek and it should look pretty nice in here, except we'll have less room then. Personally, I've been in Korea so long that I've become accustomed to hanging out and sleeping on the floor, actually preferring the big empty spaces to the clutter of furniture. Also, sleep on the floor (well actually a thin mat) has been very good for my back. However, Julie really wants the bed, and I'm sure after 6 months without one, it will feel very nice to sleep in style.



It took a lot longer than it should have to set all this up. The damn speaker stand kit - which they tied to charge us 50,000 won for ($47) until Julie talked them into giving it to us for free - turned out to be a major pain in the ass. They bases just wouldn't line up right. We must have run those long wires through the stands 50 times in the process. Oh well, it's done now. Julie's feet - sold separately.



The sound really is great for the money. I paid just under 300,000 won (about $285) for the set, which includes the nice DVD player and 5 speakers. But we're also going to sell our previous DVD player too, so it's that much less. We're going to buy a bigger stand, which we'll need when the new bed comes.

If anyone wants to buy our basic DVD player, the DMTech, it works fine and is only 4 months old. We'll take 75,000 won:






Gargamel will be guarding it in the meantime...

By the way, that reminds me. They've release Season 1 of the Smurfs on DVD, but only in Australia for now, of all places. That pisses me off. I hope they release them here so I can watch them on my DVD player, which is set for region 3. I don't feel like going out and getting the DVD player modded to play all regions just for the smurf disc. I can still watch them on the computer though, which is region free.





You can also pre-order the new 2005 smurfs release, which this year is really cool. After a lot of complaints, including a few e-mails from me, they've finally gone back to the classic-style smurfs, rather than these corny new ones they've been making every year such as "cellphone smurf" and "computer smurf" which has them dressed up in gay colored clothes. Well, no more of that for now.



A really nice set. I'm probably going to buy it sooner or later, once it is released officially. I do wish, however, that they'd release a new Gargamel figure for a change. They've made 10 new (mostly silly) smurfs every year for the past 15-20 years, but not a single new Gargamel since the 80s. I don't get it. And, why are the original Gargamel figures the same size as the smurf ones - and Azrael is too. Click on the pictures and take a look at all of the cool smurf toys that are readily available to order. I bet you didn't know they're still making all these toys, did you? If you were a fan, why not pick up a little memento such as Gargamel's Castle or a few smurf houses.



Well, time to order a pizza and watch some more 3,000 won ($2. 90) DVDs which I picked up in Yongsan. I've got classic Stallone and Arnold here. By the way, some street vendors had a bunch of DVDs of movies that are in the theater right now in the states or not yet released on DVD anyway, such as Sniper, National Treasure, Meet The Farkers, and a host of others. My friend in China gets any DVD for just $1 each, though, so they're not that great a deal unless you're dying to see something now.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/17/2004


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KLB - Rosetta Stone Korean






I downloaded all six Rosetta Stone Korean CD image files from E-donkey and mounted them with a virtual drive (so I don't need to burn them) and have been testing them out. Of course, I will buy them if I like the series. So far I don't really like it that much, but the sound quality is good and the interface makes it easy to replay the sentences and repeat them. It's also nice to have all the pictures. However, once again, as seemingly is the case with all Korean study guides, the speaking is unnatural and Julie tells me nobody talks like that. At least it's something.

I've been studying Japanese more and more using Pimsleur, which is a very good system. I finished the first 30 lessons (one lesson is 30 minutes) by listening to them on the subway everyday and I can already say that I've retained a lot. Pimsleur is very effective because it's all listening and repeating over and over again, and practicing what you've learned so much that by the end of every lesson you really remember quite a bit. Even after not listening for a few days, you still remember most of the each lesson. Also, what they teach you is actually useful. I know how to say things like, "You want to drink beer with me, don't you?" or "How much is the the beer." Instead of "The ball is under the desk," or "My nose hurts." With the long commute I can study 4 lessons a day and I have 60 lessons yet to go. I'm excited to think how much I will know at that time. Then I will just have to go and visit Japan again to test it out. Who knows, maybe I'll end up there someday teaching English.

So, why the hell are you studying Japanese when you live in Korea? you might ask. Well, it's because it's something to do on the train besides reading a newspaper or staring at my cellphone and I haven't found any good Korean language audio mp3s yet. It's also much easier for me to hear and speak than Korean. Unfortunately, the Pimsleur Korean series is only 10 lessons of extremely formal Korean, but the Japanese is really good. It should be for how expensive it is to buy (I'm going to buy it soon, of course.) This might be because the Japanese is informal. According to the notes provided with the series, Japanese people never expect foreigners to speak formal Japanese, whereas in Korea, if you speak to elders using informal Korean, called banmal, you will come across as being a rude moron. I just don't see myself talking to elders in Korean enough for me to learn the very difficult formal sentences. Not to mention, if you speak formally to your Korean friends they will think you are overly polite and probably a bit weird, if they can even make out what is your saying (since they won't be expecting anyone to speak to them that way).

Well, back to studying Korean. It's a language o' rama around here lately.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Vote


There's a new place to vote for your favorite Korean blog:


Vote now: Asia Blog Awards


It's fast and easy. Just look for the Korean Blog category and cast your vote.


You may recall that last year I placed second in a "Best Korean Blog" contest to a blog that is actually written in Korean. Now, hopefully, it's time to take home the gold!

If anything, this site provides a lot of links to a lot of interesting blogs you may not have found otherwise.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/16/2004


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KLB - Special Edition Update


I've sold out of copies of the special printed edition of KLB, and the printer won't sell them at reasonable discount unless I buy another 100. With Christmas around the corner, I can't afford to spend that much for now.

You can still pick it up off of Lulu.com in America (they do have international shipping, but it's not cheap) for the Holiday price of just $14.95. Also, if you spend $25 on their site before Christmas, you'll get free shipping in the states.








P.S. I got in another 100 copies of Island of Fantasy this week, just in time for the holidays. The price before Christmas is only $7.96 by credit card (enter code IOF20) or 8,000 won by bank machine. Click here for more details including a sample, reader comments and reviews.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Cold Rabbit


I was in the elevator on the way up to the office-tel when I saw this humerous sign tonight:




It's written by the building's security guard and, it basically says that he found a rabbit on up on the roof and the owner should call him. But it's the last line that made me chuckle. "The rabbit is cold." Awe, what a nice guy. I'm not sure how the rabbit ended up on the roof...someone probably bought it and then decided ditch it, or maybe someone brought it up there to play with and it got lost. On a side note, it felt good that I could actually read and understand this Korean scribble.


[Update] I received this email today:

I think the last line of that note says "The rabbit says he is cold". Choop dae yo = Choop da go hayo = said he is cold. Just thought I would let you know.

That's actually more funny and cute than what I thought it said. I saw the word for rabbit and the verb for cold but now I plainly can see I missed the "to say" verb. The security guard doesn't look like he has a sense of humor. Apparently he does.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Cathy's New Slippers


I bought the slippers for Cathy:



Now she can get out of the old workboots and hopefully relax a little bit.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Jingle Bells


I left the office-tel pretty early today again, but I stopped to have a sandwich and a cup of coffee and winded up arriving just a few minutes before class. Thursday is Theme Day, my least favorite day of the week. I'm supposed to teach these little kids about Christmas in America while only speaking English and without any materials. Since we're behind in the books (I don't move on unless the kids have learned the material) I thought we could skip the BS and use the book again, then maybe have them draw Santa Claus or whatever. Wrong. Cathy had printed lyrics of Jingle Bells and decided it would be fun if I teach them to sing it. Now, for those of you teaching in Korea, you can sympathize with me. For those who live elsewhere and haven't taught English to foreigners, think about how difficult it would be to teach these lyrics to little Korean kids:


Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
We got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot

A day or two ago
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed at me as
I there sprawling laid
But quickly drove away.

Now the ground is white,
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls along
And sing this sleighing song.
Just bet a bob-tailed bay,
Two-forty as his speed,
Hitch him to an open sleigh
and crack! You'll take the lead.

Not only that, but she printed enough for every kid in every class. I just looked at her blankly and said, "I can't teach this."

"But you have to. The parents want."

"The parents want them to learn this song?"

"Yeah, I think so."

I sighed and said, "Well, that's too bad. We can listen to this song, but I'm not going to teach this. It's impossible. If you want to teach them this song, feel free."

"Oh, no, not me. You're the teacher. You have to teach."

"No, thank you."

She also had made copies of a Christmas card worksheet the agency gave her. At first, this dismayed me as well, but I worked out how to explain to the kids how to make them and simply put on the Christmas music while they did so - which ended up being fun. I put the Jingle Bells lyric sheets in with the ever-growing pile of useless handouts Cathy makes. I feel sorry for the tree that lost it's life to make them. At least there's an ajusshi (older man) that comes to the school every week to pick up paper that can be recycled.

Cathy had a big blister on her bottom lip today. I asked her about it, and she said it's from stress and not sleeping (as I mentioned before, she tells me daily how she only sleeps a few hours every night). I want to tell her to relax, not worry about everything so much and take it easy, but what's the point? I know her reply would be, "But I have to like this. I'm Korean." And, I suppose, telling her that would be about as useful as her telling me to be more serious and work harder.

Later, about halfway through one of the classes, I looked up and saw her diligently making snowflake decorations for the backboard while humming and bobbing her head to the Christmas music. Even though I think she causes herself stress, I felt bad for her. I walked over and talked to her a bit and told her what a great job she's doing. The back board really does look very nice.


I looked down and noticed she's still wearing the same beat-up old workboots. I asked her if she wanted me to pick her up a pair of slippers from Walmart, like the ones I wear. I was going to do this a long time ago, actually, but I completely forgot and also wondered if buying them would insult her. She beamed and said yes, that she has really wanted a pair, "but, I have no money." Now, I know for a fact you can buy these slippers just about anywhere, including Walmart, for 1,000 won and they would last her at least a semester. I swear that psychologically she makes herself miserable to attract attention.

Anyway, I'll pick her up a pair tonight and continue to try, at least, to be nice to her even though she drives me nuts. I'm dreading next month, the winter program, when I'll be working 6 hours/day with her. The program has been approved. I'll be teaching a variety of subjects to the same kids using a load of materials, 100 minutes each class instead of 50...and for double the pay! That's actually quite a lot of cash for working from just 10 - 4!




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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - More Cheap DVds




I picked up three more DVDs in Singil Station today for 9,000 won ($8.25). The guy added a bunch of different titles today and he keeps charging me less than the sign says (3 for 10,000 won). What a bargain!



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/15/2004


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KLB - Passive-Aggressive


Because I can't strangle Cathy, I've become passive-aggressive. I realized this the day when I purposely showed up 2 minutes late, the very day after she complained that I should be there 10 minutes early (for what reason, I still don't know since she is there so early).

Then, when she told me not to read the paper, I started walking into work with the newspaper in my hand which I set on the desk instead of keeping in my bag as I used to. Not very mature, but I don't want her to think she's the boss when she certainly isn't. If I want to keep the newspaper on the desk and glance at it when the students are busy, that's my choice. At least I don't read it cover to cover like I used to at the miserable hagwons I've worked at. Here I actually do teach the kids, and I do a good job. I don't have any real problems and it's obvious they like me and enjoy the classes (which is probably why I don't have any problems.) This is because I established myself early on and am generally in a good mood and make them laugh a lot, while maintaining that needed aura of authority. I can't tell you how much a good environment and some organization can do for you as a teacher. Until now I thought I simply disliked the profession.

Today, Cathy annoyed me yet again. Perhaps she also is becoming passive-aggressive in her own right. I've been early all this week, and now I know why I don't want to be early. At 12:55 she started making the kids sit down. "Time to study!" she crooned.

"Cathy, they have 5 minutes, let them play. They aren't bothering me."

"Oh, no. We have to start study on time, Shawn." Then she proceeded to write their names on the board and asked me to call attendance. As usual, only 5 students were even there yet. The other kids always come a little late from their previous class, which doesn't bother me, but this, of course, drives Cathy mad. "Minus one point!"

So, I did it yet again, the passive-aggressive approach. Instead of calling attendance, I took my time with the things I bought: sharpening the new pencils, unwrapping the erasers and opening the tantalizing bag of sugar-ball candy. I waited until every last kid showed up to start class - at 1:05. Cathy just sat there, fidgeting, looking at the clock and staring at me like I'm out of my mind.

While mostly I wanted to remind her she's not the teacher, I'm also tired of starting class then getting interrupted when the other students barge in. (Cathy always makes them apologize - every single day for being late - and does the obligatory "minus one-point" routine. These poor kids must be traumatized as they race down the hall to avoid this embarrassment). Since I jump right into things, I find myself having to stop and repeat everything again for the late kids. Why not just start class at 1:05 and let the early-birds play with the mounds of educational toys we have until then? Seems logical to me.

The next thing on the long list that irks me, is that she keeps them late too. I used to end class right at the 50 minute mark, on time, as it's their last class of the day and often parents are waiting outside or they have to get to another private school. There's no doubt I also like the break to get ready for the next class or play with the kids that arrive early. But then Cathy would make them form a line and stand there, while they're noisily chattering and raising hell, to get them to repeat things they've learned or scold them for being noisy or this and that and the other thing when all I want, and all they want, is to say goodbye and get going. So, to compensate, I started ending class 5 minutes early, knowing full well they wouldn't be out of the room for at least 5 minutes, probably 10. You can imagine the unease this caused Cathy.

"Shawn! It's too early! We have more time for study. How about play a game?"

How about you go with the kids, I felt like saying. Make sure they get home safely and do their homework while you're at it! "Cathy, I sighed. You always keep them for 5-10 extra minutes anyway."

"But all teachers do that. This is Korea."

"Right, this is Korea. The kids must hurry to wherever it is they study next."

"What? I don't understand."

"Clean up time, kids, make a line." And, so, they took 5 minutes to clean up and make a line and ended up leaving punctually at the 50 minute mark.

I sometimes think if I didn't have an assistant, everything would be perfect. But I do like that she does the detailed paperwork and cleans the classroom (in Korea the teachers or the students have to clean the classroom and even the school). I know I don't want to do all that. But that's the thing - that's her job. Yet she wants to be Ms. Classroom-Management too. I guess what I want is an assistant who does her assistant-duties and doesn't interfere with the way I want to run the class, or at least doesn't annoy me. Maybe I should just sit down with her and explain myself, as difficult as that would be, but I know she is very sensitive. She's also older than me, which makes it all the more awkward, especially in Korea.

Don't get the wrong idea. I know it sounds bad, but you wouldn't see it by watching us interact. We are cordial to one another, for the most part. It's just her constant worrying and frantic desire to be perfect that takes away from the otherwise rewarding job that I have. In other words, "Minus one point."



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Dumb and Dumber


I'm on a DVD kick lately. If you know of any places to get them for 5,000 won or less, let me know on e-mail. There's a DVD stand in Singil Station, which I walk through everyday to transfer to line 5. Today I found Dumb and Dumber. The sign said 5,000 won ($4.70) for 1, or 10,000 won ($9.40) for 3. I couldn't find two others that I'd ever watch, so I tried to pay the 5,000 won. The friendly guy smiled at me and handed me back 2,000 ($1.85) won. I'm not sure why, but I didn't complain. That's only 3,000 won ($2.80) for this classic comedy!


Plus, if you look at the top, this is the "special edition"...ooh...ahh! That just means it's displayed in a widescreen format, but they also added surround sound which wasn't in the original. It's also got a few extras including two original trailers and a lame photo gallery, but I'm guessing those come with the regular DVD.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - MSN


Awhile ago I mentioned that my blog, or most people's blogs for that matter, weren't showing up in the new MSN - Google-like search engine. Well, I was checking my referrer log and noticed a lot of new hits coming from there, so I had a look:


Korea Blog Search on MSN

Now, if only I can get my blog come up first under a search for xxx or big boobs...millions of people would be able to visit my site and find out what I had for dinner yesterday!



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written by shawn matthews   -|link


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KLB - Exciting Update


I woke up. I went to work. I taugh English to little kids. I came home. I ate tuna sandwiches for dinner. I couldn't exercise because my body was too sore. I took a nap instead. I had some weird dreams. I got up and used the computer. Later, Julie and I went to Walmart. I bought candy, pencils and eraser for my students. I came back home. I boiled eggs (I eat the whites for protein) and made a vegetable salad without lettuce. I'm going to bed now.





Stay tuned for more exciting updates. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/12/2004


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KLB - Bargain Shoppers


Well, it's back to the health club for me finally. There's a new gym in the next building over right above a Wonder Land, the infamous English institute franchise.

In Korea, you have to bring clean shoes to the health club, or a pair you no longer wear outside. One of the problems I have in Korea is shopping for shoes/sneakers though, and I had no sneakers. Apparently, in addition to big bodies, Americans have big feet too. My size in America is 10.5, which is about average for a man. In Korea, this size is huge and often they don't carry it.



I found these pretty nice sneakers at Save Zone down the street for 35,000 won, or about $32. In Korea, my shoe size is supposed to be 275 (milimeters), according to this conversion chart. But that's night right because 275 is much too small. 285 is right, in my case. It's hard to find anything above 280, though. Even 280 is not easy, but they had them in this style. Unfortunately, they were skinnier than I thought and just uncomfortable, so Julie and I returned them later.

On the way out the door at Save Zone, Julie spotted a special sale going on and, so, I got a couple of decent button up shirts for 5,000 won ($4.80) each.
They supposedly were 10xs that price at one time, according to the tags, but whatever. They're just for work anyway. No photo because Julie has them in the wash.



So, after searching high and low at all the stores around here for a basic pair of sneakers, I found this pair at Home Plus, still size 280, but they fit about right. They're pretty much the ugliest sneakers I've ever seen, but at 7,500 won ($7.) I guess I can live with them; they're just for the health club anyway.



While at Home Plus we noticed a sale they were having on kodungo (mackerel) fish. There was quite a line of eager women and Julie waited it out. Can't beat 580 won (55 cents) for a fish. We also got a little sushi for a bonus and a bottle of South African Chardonnay that was really good.



Tonight we picked up this toaster oven at Walmart for about 20,000 won, ($19). Julie starts her new job tomorrow. They provide dinner for free, but she was worried about what to eat before work since her last job provided lunch, so we got this. She loves toast and bagels.



I just love what it says on the box - Mom was right: Eating breakfast keeps your health. He who has health has hope. He who has hope has everything.



While we were at Walmart we saw they were having a clearance sale on this chair: 15,000 won ($14). Now that really is a bargain, seeing as the second cheapest one they carry is small and 50,000 won.



Finally, no DVD collection is complete without Rambo First Blood, which they had for just 4,800 won, ($4.60).



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/11/2004


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KLB - Plug for Hate Sauce


Just want to give a plug for this guy Brian's new website. Most of you probably do not know him, but his original blog (which is cut up in this new site) of living and teaching in Japan was the inspiration behind my blog. After living back in Canada for some years and blogging about everyday boredom, he just recently went to Europe for awhile so he's back in high gear. I love the layout.






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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/10/2004


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KLB - Assistance or Annoyance?



Yesterday, Thursday, started off good. I usually leave my apartment at 11:30 and arrive to the school between 12:59 and 1:01 because of the train/bus schedule. On Thursday I left earlier for a change. By coincidence, Cathy sent me a message saying she would be late. I replied "No problem, I'm early. Take your time." She sent back 2 or 3 replies telling me she's sorry and the meeting at the agency's office was long and to tell me where she put the handouts for the Christmas Theme.

So, I got to the school 15 minutes early, unlocked the door and casually played with the kids for awhile before class. It actually seemed very nice not to have Cathy in the room yelling "No Korean!" and "Minus one point!" Everything was fine, but then, at just about 1 o'clock, I looked out the window and saw Cathy sprinting toward the school, her bag flapping wildly about.

At 1:00, she burst through the classroom door, huffing and panting and, without even removing her jacket and bag, she proceeded to make kids be quiet and sit down. "Stop doing! (gasp, pant, cough) Sit down - it's one o'clock. Time for study!"

"Cathy," I said. "Calm down. It's not a big deal. I can start class, you know." Half the students weren't even there yet.

"So terrible," she panted. "The meeting too long. Train, (gasp, pant) 3 transfer, so far, I hurry so much."

"But I told you I was early and to take your time," I said futilely. In her mind, she probably thought she was impressing me with this psychotic display, or trying to show me how important it is to be punctual. There can't be any other reason seeing as we're on the third floor far away from the main office and nobody checks on us. All the sign-in sheets are in her folder, which the office stamps once a week.

"This my job. I have to do like this. I can't late."

The problem here is that she is so typically Korean and I am so typically American that our personalities are in conflict. To me, it's a laid-back job, 3 hours a day teaching English to playful little kids...not to be taken too seriously - or too lightly, sure. To her, it's serious business. It's her job, and she has a responsibility to do it to the best of her ability. It's her duty. And, as she put's it, "I'm Korean."

I used to fall for this "I'm Korean, I have to be like this," routine until I met Julie who's shown me that it doesn't matter if you're Korean, it's who you are and how you choose to be. For example, as I said in my last post, Julie's boss was two weeks late her pay and, so, she quit. Simple as that. Her co-workers, mostly 30 something women who still live with their families, still haven't gotten paid (she knows this because she's sort-of close to one of them) keep doing their job, never even think to confront their boss, much less quit. These are women who make about 800,000 won ($750) per month teaching 8 hours a day (Julie had special pay and a special schedule because she was the English teacher).

Also, now that I think about it, I'm American - yet you don't see me running around the city eating Big Macs and shooting people. OK, that was a little joke. But really, you don't see me rushing off to work at 7:00 AM to help some corporation make more money. You don't see me taking out a huge bank loan to buy a house and a car which I have to work to pay off for eternity. These are things, if I were back there, I would say I do because I'm American and that's what Americans do. Still, though I'm not doing those things, somehow I'm managing a pretty decent life. I certainly am as happy as most people I know, if not more. I am almost positive I'd be miserable if I did like most people back home do. In fact, if I hadn't made the decision to make a change, to do something different, I'd probably be back there right now digging my grave.


ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference


Robert Frost

Well, before I overdo it, back to Cathy. This conflict of interest reared it's ugly head again today. It was Friday, game/activity day. I was going to just teach the book, but since the kids were so good this week, and not many had arrived yet, I let them play Hangman. Since I rarely play this game, they really like it (if you play it too often they get bored fast). After they played it one at a time for awhile, I had them make teams and play using paper. They loved this and were absorbed in what they were doing, so absorbed that I took the chance to sit down. With nothing to do, I started the word jumble in the newspaper.

"Shawn, don't do that," Cathy said.

"Don't do what?"

"You can't newspaper, now."

"Why not?"

"Because this is public elementary school."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, don't do that, please."

I wanted to say, "You worry about you, and I'll worry about me," or "I need a thousand copies of this Hangman drawing - so get to it," but I was so taken off guard by her, I was speechless. All I did was make an odd kind of sneer and continue the word jumble. What the hell does she care if I look at the newspaper? She's just my assistant.

She didn't say anything else, but I could see her out of the corner of my eye fidgeting nervously as I worked on the jumble.

She takes this job much too seriously, in my opinion. In fact, she takes everything too seriously. She tells me all the time how she only sleeps 2 hours/night because she is so busy studying. I'm not sure why she tells me this so often. Is she playing the martyr role? Does she want me to feel sorry for her? Does she want me to think highly of her diligence? The only thing I feel is pity for her. Who gets only two hours sleep because they are studying? I went to college for four years and I never got less than 10 hours of sleep. I also had a part-time job at a furniutre store. I still graduated - with pretty good grades too (3.5). Even had my classes been in the morning, I wouldn't have needed to stay awake all night studying...then again, maybe if I was studying Korean Education (her major is English Education) I would have.

Anyway, I'd be happy if she were to sit in the back of the room and work on her studies or read a magazine when she wasn't busy, instead of annoying me and interrupting my class and making inane suggestions...oh that reminds me. What gave me the idea for playing Hangman rather than using the book as planned, was that most of the kids, as it turned out, were away on some kind on some kind of school trip. So I was playing the game with the first class for at least thirty minutes when Cathy says to me out of the blue, "Shawn, some kids are not come today. So, why don't we play game with the students." I looked from her to the kid at the board who was laughing insanely as he drew his Hangman caricature of me. I looked back at Cathy, but she didn't make the connection. "That's what we're doing, Cathy," I said, finally. "I don't understand."

"Oh, the kids go on a trip...blah blah"

"Yeah, I got that part. That's why I'm playing this game with the kids."

"Oh rearry? Oh, I see. Good idea."

I did have one piece of good news today. Three students quit. Two are pretty smart kids but very noisy...they're cousins and they're going to India for a few months with their families. And the best news of all...the kid with the mental problems who plays with toys and roams around the room all period causing trouble has also quit. No explanation was given, and none was needed. What luck! This even made Cathy happy.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/8/2004


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KLB - "He's Got the Passion!"


Bonnie showed up at work today. I wasn't really surprised. I thought she may come in to ask me again about teaching next week part-time, and that's just what she did. By coincidence Julie was with me at the school today for the first time. She's quit her job because her boss hasn't paid her in 6 weeks (2 weeks late, though she managed to get 1/3 of it after asking over and over again). Her boss claims she has no money and will pay her all of her pay the following pay day (December 25...yeah right) but Julie doesn't believe her - so, unlike the other teachers who naively do whatever the boss says, she's quit. She already lined up another job down the street which she will start on Monday and if her old boss doesn't pay her, she plans to call the labor department soon - which may work, seeing as how the boss doesn't pay her taxes, of course (tax evasion is a very common at private schools in Korea). Julie's pretty fiesty about some things and is astonishingly brave...you should have heard her on the phone with her boss this morning...yikes.

Anyway, Bonnie wasn't expecting to see Julie, of course, and it worked to my advantage because while I was teaching Julie told her how I felt bad that I couldn't help her next week but it's just too early and too far. Bonnie pleaded a bit, saying I was the best teacher they have (she was really impressed with the open-house, she said) and finally gave up. There was some good news, though; she's working on the winter schedule. If all goes as planned, I will teach the three classes for two hours each and get double the pay for the month. That will be nice. I'll make sure to pick up some Sesame Street videos across the street at the department store.

Bonnie left, but Julie and Cathy stayed and watched me teach. Though I didn't think I was doing anything that special, apparently Cathy told Julie she's never seen me teach so well before, and that "he's got the passion" today. I have to admit, today's lessons went particularly well, except for the second class - mostly girls - who told Cathy they don't like that I have a girlfriend. They refused to even say hello to poor Julie who was a little embarrassed. The whole class they remained eerily quiet and it was like pulling teeth to get them to talk (until I whipped out the stickers!)

Yes, I'm in a good mood. As I've said before, this is the first teaching job I've actually liked, where I have been able to make progress with the kids. I felt an odd sense of pride as the kids excitedly spoke in English in front of Julie and Cathy, raising their hands so energetically, some sighing and almost in tears when I didn't call on them, and everyone remembering most of what I've taught them. We played a few games and sang songs, even had a singing contest (man, these kids love to sing) and I gave out stickers, which made them crazy with joy. It's amazing how much kids get excited a little thing such as a small red sticker.

I wish I had my camera for the sam gyeop sal / bo ssam dinner we had near Songnae Station...it was fantastic, but you'll just have to take my word for it until we go there again.

After the gigantic meal, I beat Julie at two games of pool using a free 30 minute pass we got but never used. (Yes, it took us 30 minutes to play just two games).

Now we're about to watch a couple of DVDs we picked up: Nuremburg (my choice) and some teenager-type movie called Honey (Julie's pick)...



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/7/2004


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KLB - "It'll Be So Fun For You!"


I got a phone call from my "boss" today, Bonnie. She said she had a wonderful opportunity for me - that I can teach part time next week in the morning at a school not far from where I work, from 9 - 12, and then take a taxi to my normal job.

"Yeah," I said, sighing. "I see. For how long?"

"Just a week," said Bonnie.

"Well, I'm not sure."

"What? This is very good. It'll be so much fun for you and great experience."

I started to laugh. I couldn't help it. Bosses are always pulling stunts like this when they need something, making it look like it's an opportunity for you, not them. Luckily I've learned this lesson before. Back in Ulsan my boss took me out to dinner only to ask me to teach extra classes (no extra pay) and called it a wonderful chance to gain more teaching experience while being proud to help their school grow. Being put on the spot I said yes - and, of course, regretted it.

The fact is, Bonnie needs a foreign teacher to promote her program in the school for a week so that the school can see it firsthand and, of course, so she can make more money if they accept it, at which time she'll hire a regular teacher. I told her I'd think it over and let her know.

"Well," she said, about to make a high-pressure sale. "I have to talk to the principal there tomorrow, so I need to know."

"Ok, then my answer is no. Good luck!"

"What? Why?"

"It's too far and too early."

"Oh, come on. It's not too early."

"I'd do it if I lived closer. I'd have to leave here by 7:30 and I wouldn't be home until almost 6. It's not worth it for a one week job."

"I need a teacher. You have to help me out here," she pleaded, finally admitting the truth.

"I'd like to, but, no, I don't have to and I'm not going to do it. I'm sorry, but that's my decision. You needed the answer now and it's best I just tell you, right?"

She tried talking me into it a few more annoying minutes before giving up and hanging up with a quick goodbye. Obviously she was aggravated and disappointed and I did feel a little bad that I couldn't help her, but mostly just bad that she called. Though I'm under no obligation to do this, and she was requesting it as a favor (yet by making it seem a favor to me) I wound up looking like a bad guy for not helping her out, at least in her eyes. Now I'll wonder if she'll pay me on time this Friday or conveniently forget. Ah, the joyful politics of work...



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/3/2004


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KLB - The Korea Times Review



Click here to read The Korea Times review of Island of Fantasy.



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/2/2004


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KLB - Trudging Along



The rash is all but cleared up, thanks to those pills I got, I guess.

Same old confusion between Cathy and I at work. She gets all worked up and flustered by what I consider nothing. I mentioned to her that the kids were noisier than usual during C class this afternoon...which really didn't bug me. But apparently Cathy thought I was enraged. She kept the kids after school - I had no idea why at the time - and so I awkwardly put on my jacket and got ready to go as she and the kids watched in silence.

When I got home, Julie told me Cathy called upset, worried I was angry at her and the kids. I really had no idea anything was amiss, and I thought Cathy had kept the kids late because she had something to tell them. Apparently she berated them for angering me and she felt horrible as if she is failing in her job. I just laughed at this because she's always getting all worked up over nothing. In fact, she spends half the day in a perpetual state of panic, running back and forth, yelling "no Korean!" and "minus one point" and keeping kids after class to scold them during her breaks. The only thing she does that's of any use to me is make copies.

Now she's complaining she has no time to make copies because I don't get to work early and, during breaks, she has to talk to the kids, call the parents and try to find kids that are late. I've already told her for the tenth time I refuse to leave my house earlier than 11:30 to get there by 1:00. As it is, that's 3 hours of travel time per day, which I don't complain about except when she/they tell me to come early. This is the only complaint they have had about me, that I know of, and I've offered to find another job if this is so important. The agency said no, and they really want me to stay, of course. Since Cathy lives nearby the school, it's very easy for her to get there early and open the classroom and whatnot, so I don't understand what the fuss is about.

Besides, in my opinion, making copies - which she only has to do once or twice a week since we normally use a book - can be done any time (for example, in the thirty minutes that she's there before class starts) and she doesn't have to be in the room yelling "no Korean!" every 15 seconds...in fact, the less she's in the room, the better. The kids are confused as to who is in charge, and half the time I am too. I've given up on worthwhile communication with her, because she never knows what I'm talking about. This is because her English isn't fluent and when I do say anything to her she gets flustered and upset, thinking there's something terribly wrong (as was the case today) when in fact I'm just mentioning something or sharing an idea.

Now that I think about it, everyone involved with this program makes a mountain out of a molehill...it's just three classes with 15 kids in each class. Seems to me a pretty basic concept: students come to class, I teach them English, they go home...too bad they have make it so complicated.


Well, enough ranting about that. Time to get some grub. We had a big pizza last night. Tonight, I guess it's Korean food, maybe kalbi tang, mmm.


[Update] I sent a message to Cathy not to worry and eveything is fine. Julie and I picked up some bagels, tomatos and sliced ham and made delicious ham and cheese bagels with caesar dressing. Now we're going to watch "Secret Window" a movie based on a Stephen King story. (Just watched it and man that was one ridiculous movie.)



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written by shawn matthews   -|link

12/1/2004


South Korean Flag








KLB - Return of the Cheese Burger Rash


I thought the rash was going away, but when I work up this morning it was all over me again. I stopped by the pharmacy and this time I showed him my stomach (yesterday I just asked for some anti-itch cream) where the rash was the worst. He agreed I had an allergic reaction to some food and sold me some anti-allergy pills for 2,000 won (less than $2.00) Hopefully these will work. The rash isn't as annoying as it is unsightly. Fortunately, it hasn't affected my face at all and isn't that noticeable on my hands unless you look closely - which means nobody can see it.

Julie had gotten up and gone to work before I woke up. When I got out of bed and noticed the rash again, I sent her a text message from my cell-phone: "That cheeseburger-rash is back on my body! Damn!" -- implying she'd have to help me at the pharmacy later. Unfortunately, I used the "reply function" and didn't realize I sent the message to Cathy, my assistant, who had sent me a message the day before to tell me something about the classroom. To make it worse, somehow I had turned off incoming calls on my phone, which I didn't figure out until later when I was on the subway. So, when Cathy received the message from me (God knows what she must have thought) and tried to call me back, I didn't answer. Then she freaked out thinking I wasn't coming to work. She called Julie in a huff whose number she still had from before whining that I shouldn't miss work and I have to call the agency and blah, blah (God forbid you miss a day of work in Korea!)

Once I figured out incoming calls were off, Julie got ahold of me and, after a lot of laughter, ended up straightening it out with Cathy, who was very relieved I'd be going to work (but, of course, put on the obligatory display of concern when I got there).

Well, I just popped a couple of the pills and will lay down and watch Shrek 2, which I just rented after returning Farenheit 9/11. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow, my body will be normal again, but the pharmacist said it could take a few days. I definitely won't be eating any peculiar looking/tasting fast-food burgers in the future. Yuck.

At least I don't look like this poor guy.


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written by shawn matthews   -|link

Chicken-on-a-stick, for sale outside of Songnae Station in Bucheon, near Incheon. The best chicken-on-a-stick I've ever had.
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