So I'll just update you on what's been up since Jesse's last post. First off, we got our new April schedules and mine got MUCH better. I have started teaching two new kindergarten classes in addition to my original class and they are both great. I don't have to work until 8 any night and finish at 7 two nights, 6 two nights, and 5 on Thursdays. I still have the terrible class but it's gotten much less terrible because the ringleader of all the trouble has been expelled and 4 other kids have been transferred to other classes. They are still my worst class but now I can at least control them to some degree.
The bad news is that my better schedule isn't likely to last long. The guy who was supposed to replace Jake (the teacher who just left) never showed up. Turns out he was drafted back into the American army and couldn't come. Also, another teacher (my roommate, actually) is being fired because she has some vision difficulties and they are worried it will affect her ability to supervise the children (Korea is really un-accommodating to people with disabilities). So, losing two foreign teachers will make us have to cover a lot of work but I get paid well for overtime so it's not such a big deal.
We bought cell phones as well, which was a bit of an adventure. We ended up getting them for 50,000 each (about $50) and apparently it's a good deal. It took us ages to do, though, because, obviously, no one spoke English and we had no idea what they were asking but apparently they asked if we wanted them to charge the phone before they gave it to us. I said yes and we had to wait for over an hour for it without any idea what was going on. Our cell phones both work though and we just refill credit on it when we run out. Texts are really cheap so we text most of the time.
I've been trying to socialize more with the other foreign teachers in Uijeongbu. I went out for a girls night with a bunch of them the other night. It's really neat meeting people from so many places. At my table of 5 girls there was one from Ireland, England, South Africa, and another from Canada. Last night, was Jake's farewell dinner. Jesse and I, as well as all the foreign and Korean teachers at our school went out for gelbi (basically meat that you cook at your table with a million side dishes). I had pizza instead but it's fun to hang out with everyone.
Jesse went out with the teachers at his school one night as well and it sounds like he had a crazy time. I won't be able to explain it as well as him but, basically, they all went to this huge restaurant (there was about 50 people) and ate. He had to sit next to the principal for most of it and had to awkwardly offer to pour him drinks (and was corrected on his etiquette several times). He had to go from table to table socializing with everyone. Afterwards, they all went to a noraebong, which is basically a place where you rent a room and do private kareoke. He sang Dancing Queen because they didn't have 'Don't stop believing' and he was already in the D's. I wish I had photos of this but he said no one was taking any pictures. Everyone else sang Korean songs so he just had to clap along for over an hour. Then some guy walked him home and, it turned out, he wanted to get a drink alone with Jesse so Jesse went with him and they had a drink and talked for awhile but the guy's English wasn't very good. The guy apparently works maintenance at his school and wants to hang out with Jesse more often now.
This morning, on my way to school, I witnessed a pretty brutal car accident. A motorcycle (they drive insane here) smashed into the back of a bus at full speed and he flew off his bike and the papers he was transporting blew all over the road. There doesn't seem to be any real traffic rules and, if there are, they are completely ignored so I'm sure this kind of thing happens all the time but it was pretty awful to see. I think the driver was okay and the ambulance got there right away.
As Jesse said in our last post, we are going to Seoul this weekend for a big dinner with all the foreign teachers who went through our recruiter. We're going to try and do one more touristy thing while we're there but we haven't decided what yet. Jesse and I are planning to do a temple stay soon where you spend a weekend in a Buddhist temple and live like the monks do. It sounds interesting and I'm pretty excited.
We're still getting cold and rainy weather. I'm excited for spring to start for real!
Happy Easter everyone!
Ali
This is the group of teachers at Jake's goodbye dinner enjoying some chicken gelbi.
Jake, Me, and Jesse at Jake's goodbye dinner.
One of my kids, Abraham, doing his colouring.
My class doing their work. This isn't their normal uniform, it's their gym outfit.
The South Korean flag waving in the wind.
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