BBB day 2!

Day 2 of the Badger Blogging Blitz!

Two questions and a rant about something I won’t miss about the ROK.

First up,

"How does your school experience at the age of your students compare to that in Korea?"
I look forward to reading my fellow badgers’ answers to this question. We range from elementary school to high school, so we’re going to have a variety of answers.

Personally, my elementary school experience was nothing like the school in which I teach. I think there are two main contributing factors that explain why they differ. First, and most obvious, is that I went to elementary school nearly two decades ago. I hope my school (Summit Elementary) has evolved some from the time I attended it in the early 90’s. I’m positive it has because I remember our computer lab with old-school Macs that had black and green screens. The hottest game at the time was Number Munchers, the hardest level being “Prime Numbers.” I’ve had a passionate hatred for prime numbers due to my consistent low scores.

maybe level 1 wasn't so bad

In comparison, a robotics class is being taught in my classroom at the moment. First and second graders are making motorcycles out of Legos and small battery-powered motors. Pretty cool!

The other way my experience in elementary school differs is the schools’ priorities are much, MUCH different. I don’t believe I had a cultural experience in grade school. A small school in rural Wisconsin doesn’t care about such things. The most cultural tidbit we learned was what a Dradle is and the game that accompanies it. Nothing more than a candy opportunity in music class.

Contrast that with what I am doing in Korea. 5th and 6th graders have three hours of English each week. The younger students have 1 or 2 hours. I teach English but also teach about culture whenever possible. Students in my classes are already clamoring about what countries they hope to visit, and have a fairly good understanding of why English might be very important in their future.

It might seem like these students are going to be so much better off than my generation, but these kids go home and melt their faces off with World of Warcraft...

on every street corner

Next question:

"If you had the opportunity to change 5 things at your school, what would they be and why?

I think this question is better answered from some of the other writers. My big complaints are petty and embarrassing. I am the first to admit that I work in an above average school. Actually, it’s probably one of the best in the area.

1. I’d change the lunch menu. No more octopus, squid, or whole fish dishes. While we’re at it I’d remove all meat that has bones. I can’t fathom American schools giving kids dishes with bones in them.

2. Change the location of this robotics class that I’m stuck in. 8 year olds making robots means they’re also making every robot noise they can think of.

3. Corporal punishment (kidding)
A. (kind of)

4. More time for the kids to play outside.

5. More time devoted to ANYTHING that allows the students to be creative. I see a lot of followers and only one or two leaders in my classes.





My time is coming to an end in South Korea, and recently I’ve spent a bit of time on what I think I’ll miss in Korea, and things I can’t wait to escape. I thought I’d share one of the things I cannot wait to escape. South Korea's surprising inefficiency.

I could point to many examples that would display their ability to not be productive, but one in particular sticks out in my mind. It happened last week while I was waiting for the bus to school. When I see police officers in in my neighborhood I tend to watch them simply because there is no crime. I’m always curious how they spend their days (they should blog). First, their police cars are super small, basically a modern Geo Metro. What would they do if they actually had to detain someone? Next, they drive in pairs, taking the buddy system to a whole new level. I could definitely understand this if it was New York City or a rough part of Chicago. Instead, they both manage to do nothing while looking busy. This is what it means to be a diligent worker, I think. In this particular moment the two men seemed baffled by a car that had been parked slightly too close to the bus stop. They managed to secure a perimeter and wait. Next, a new SUV pulls up where two city employees get out to examine the vehicle in question. They confirm it’s too close to the bus stop and take some pictures. The first set of officers write up a lengthy ticket and put it on the windshield. They chatted a bit more, and then all drive off. Four people, 20 minutes,a ticket, and a car that doesn’t get moved.

There are many things I’ll miss about South Korea. Their form of diligence will not be one of them.




Don’t stop now. Click on the links below to check out other Badger blogs!


Julia Bass

Emily Gaynor

David Klug

Zach McLeod & Liz Wansley

Matt Marx

Soren Nieminen

BBB Day 1: Surreal Korea & Advice for Pre-Korea Keith

Day 1 of the Badger Blogging Blitz has begun, and I see a few other people have already posted their responses to today's question.  Be sure to click on the links below to check out their views!

 First up, what has been the most surreal experience so far?

The most surreal experience I’ve had in Korea has been going on for 20 months now.  I don’t see or feel it on a day-to-day basis, but when I step back from my routine and actually examine what I’ve done in South Korea I begin to realize.  Going from nothing to calling a foreign country “home” has been a long, but fantastic experience.

I realized this after declaring this question too difficult because I don’t deem any single event to be all that surreal.  I’ve normalized everything in Korea, even the apartment lifestyle.  But when I look at the larger picture, I recognize this whole experience has been a bit mind blowing.  The day I graduated from UW I was not ready to move to Asia.  I wasn’t ready to move to Asia the day I moved to Asia.  Maybe it’s actually a good thing, but I had not prepared myself mentally to live in a different country for a year, especially in Korea where I didn’t speak a word of the language.  But that is why this experience has been what it is:  I started from nothing and clueless, and have managed to make it my home. 

A few things that I've been surprised by, or have led me to calling SK "home":

1.      My ability to teach--  I had some serious doubts about whether or not I could teach in an Elementary school.  They proved to be reasonable doubts, too!  The first few months I really struggled with the age of the students and recognizing what they need.  I was fresh out of college where we attend lectures and discussions, now I was teaching little kids who scream, kick, pull hair, and CRY.  I feel bad for the first students who had to suffer through my inability to connect and understand them.  I still don’t necessarily understand them, but I’m tolerant.  Now I have forged a few relationships with some of the students that I’m proud of.  Students don’t fear the thought of talking to the English teacher, and some even seek me out. 

2.     New Friends-- The new friends I’ve made in Korea will last a lifetime.  Sounds cliché, and it is.  I’ve made friends from every English speaking country in the world.  I suppose I’ve met more Americans than any other country, but I still have friends from the UK, from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and of course South Korea.  I’m very fortunate to have met all these great people.  If there is one thing all the ESL teachers have in common, it’s that we all have a unique story to tell or experience to share.

3.     Living in Korea--  More specifically, living in Korea and not absolutely hating it.  Korea is unlike any other country I’ve spent time in, so to move there permanently (for 20 months now) was a struggle.  I’m proud of my ability to adapt.  I don’t notice it really, but comparing myself from 20 months ago, to today, is crazy.  It forces you to be outgoing, and I now appreciate that as much as anything I’ve learned since coming to Korea. 

    

It’s been surreal to realize how I’ve grown and changed without even knowing it.  It’s been a fun ride!  

This has been a long post already, so I’ll quickly answer the last question.  

What 5 things would you tell yourself before boarding the plane to come to South Korea?

5 Things I’d tell pre-Korea Keith:

1.     Dude, stop complaining that you’re leaving all of your friends behind.  Turns out you won’t be the only foreigner in Korea!  In fact, you’ll make more friends than you did in college, and become surprisingly close to them due to the crazy experiences you’ll have while coping in a new country!

2.     Bring an extra stick of deodorant.

3.     Learn more Korean than “Anyong”

4.     Don’t wait til Japan to start cashing in on the free booze offered on international flights.

A.     Fly Korean Air more often.

5.     Be prepared to deal with things you cannot prepare for.  Patience is a virtue.



Finally, I'll give a short recap of my typical Monday.
Today was fairly common, my first two classes were moved to different periods.  English is always the first to get bumped or canceled.  I'm okay with this, but sometimes it can be very obnoxious to prepare lessons to find out that you won't need them.  They always get used eventually, so it's no biggie.  What's more annoying is when I'm the last to find all of this out... Oh well, could be worse!
I killed two hours with my sixth graders before lunch.  These kids have a ton of energy and make a point to do their best to break my spirit.  They've only succeeded once or twice.  I've broken theirs every other day.  Mess with the bull, you get the horns!  Not really, but I like to think I have some sort of effect on them, and it certainly isn't English.
Lunch consists of white rice, standard kimchi, whole fish soup, and a yogurt/fruit salad.  It wasn't too shabby.  Lunch is always an uplifting time.  My little rugrats always scream my name (keiss) and beg for high fives.
Back up stairs to knock out those two classes that got re-scheduled.  Same lesson as the previous 6th grade classes, so no prep needed.  Students' behavior is similar, shitty.
Today is the first day of my after-school advanced English class.  This is the one class I'm really excited about.  I've chosen some of the best students in the school and we'll be reading books and watching the movie version of the book.  We started 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' today, and I think the kids are really going to enjoy the class.
Finished the class up, blogged more than I have in the past 2 months, and now I'm walking out the door to the gym.

Come back tomorrow for some more answers to Korea's most important questions.

Again, I'd like to point out that there are even better blogs to check out!  Here are the links

Julia Bass
Emily Gaynor
David Klug
Zach McLeod & Liz Wansley 
Matt Marx
Soren Nieminen

badger blogging blitz Day 0

I'm returning to my crappy blog this week to join my fellow badger teachers in a blogging blitz.  We'll be discussing a few interesting topics each day, and giving our perspective on life in Korea.  We might also add additional stories that we find unique and have sculpted our time in the ROK.  At the bottom I'll link to each of their blogs, and I encourage you to visit theirs because they're very good writers and usually have a witty thing or two to say.

Here's your Badgers starting line-up!!
Julia Bass
Emily Gaynor
David Klug
Zach McLeod & Liz Wansley
Matt Marx
Soren Nieminen

few photos

In Guri.  Friends are stuffed and struggling to drink.   

John.   

Oshkosh

Dorian

view from my window

controversial food

Melanie and Wonjong

February 3rd

Blog update?  Why?  It's only been 6 weeks since my last post...


WOOPS, time got away from me, I guess.  I suppose I could do a bit of an update for anyone who gives a rip about the shenanigans going on over here.  I'm afraid most people will be greatly disappointed in my portrayal of the last few weeks, as it hasn't been much more than just hanging with friends and having a few dinners and drinks each week.


I suppose I did go on a small trip for the Lunar New Year holiday.  LNY is a pretty big deal around here, and one better have some plans, otherwise you're a big fat nobody!  (recall last year, I went to Hong Kong)  So, a few buddies and I went on a trip to the Korean mountain-town of PyongYang.  Previously, I made the stupid mistake of thinking this was the site for the 2018 Winter Olympics.  WRONG.  That is PyongChang, duh...  Anyways, we missed the first bus because we might have bellied up to the bar for a few hours too long.  Actually I was at a karaoke bar til about 8 AM, and the bus left at 5:45... You know me, just can't stop singing those sweet Korean pop songs!  Actually, I think I'm officially uninvited to all future karaoke outings because I only sing Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight."  Their loss.  So, after a few hours of sleep and thinking I missed my trip to the ski resort I get a phone call from my buddy, Kevin.  I guess Kevin didn't hear his alarm clock because he missed the bus, too.  So, at 1 PM we headed to Seoul to catch a bus to PyongYang.  After many hours we finally arrived at the pension.  (pension= a small hotel where you rent floor space and blankets to sleep with friends)  That night we met up with all the friends that actually made the bus, and had a few drinks before hitting the hay.


The next day was a total loss...  shit hit the fan.


Kevin, on his second run of the day took a small fall at the bottom of the hill, and unfortunately landed on his shoulder in just the wrong way to completely destroy it.  Before I could find him he was already in the resort's doctor's office.  After a few X-rays he found out the bad news that he needed surgery to repair everything.


After my first run I twisted my knee up a bit, but nothing near the severity of Kevin's injuries. (I've visited the doctor, he thinks it's an ACL injury.  I think he's batshit crazy...)   So the rest of the day was spent resting and licking our wounds from the slopes.  We came to the conclusion that we would need to leave the next day, because neither of us were in any condition to snowboard any more.  So, that night we made the most of our time at the resort by meeting new people and making some new friends.


The next day was the actual LNY holiday.  Turns out all of Korea gets in their car on that day and tries to go somewhere.  Traffic was HORRENDOUS.  The total journey to get back to Suwon was about 8.5 hours.  Luckily, I got some shuteye on the way back, but still wouldn't like to do that trip again.


So, Kevin went to a doctor in town and confirmed that he needed surgery.  Surgery was last friday, and he spent the next 4 days in the hospital.  He's getting better, though.


In other news, the weather is colder than something that's really freakin' cold.  In fact, the past two days have been the two coldest days in Korea in about 5 decades.  Naturally I decide to go out and meet friends on these days... School is freezing...  I'm not allowed to turn on both of my heaters during the day when students aren't in the classroom.  I'm in full winter clothing as I type.  Oh well, it's Friday, and I'm one class from being free for a few more days.


In two weeks I'll be making my way to Incheon Int'l Airport to fly down to THAILAND!  I'm quite excited about it, and just started to do a bit of planning for it.  I plan on spending most of my time on the islands of Koh Tao, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangan.  No special plans as of yet, but just to get out of Korea will be nice.  Experience some warmth, and a new way of life.  Thailand is the land of smiles, and from what friends have told me it seems to be one of the happiest places on Earth.  Well, count me in!  I'm definitely up to check that out!  There might be a blog post or two after that trip!  Unfortunately there will be no entries while I'm on the adventure, because I'm not taking my laptop.  I plan on only taking my backpack to make all the travel easier.  


That's all... my 1st and 2nd graders are about to show up, and I need to get the room ready.  


Hope everyone is doing well!


Take care!


keith

Ding Dong the Communist leader is dead

Just moments ago the news of KJ-il's death made its way around all the korean lunch tables.  I have only gotten the opinions of the English teachers' office, but it was much gloomier than I had anticipated.  I was the one who broke the news to them, so of course they went off to do a bit of personal research before talking with me.  I was most surprised by what they think might happen next.  One teacher thinks revolution, one thinks China will drop on by, and they both think the US will have their fingers up North Korea's nose regardless of the situation.  I think a whole lot of thumb twiddling will occur at first, but it would seem the time is right for something a tad bit on the crazy side.  South Koreans want to be reunited with their lost relatives, and others might see economical incentive to take part, but I hope who ever takes over (probably his equally crazy son, KJ-un) something is done about the known labor/prison camps.  

I'm a bit excited to be in South Korea during this historic time.  Perhaps something spectacular happens, or maybe it'll be like 4th of July and you convinced your mom to buy the really big and expensive firework that turns out to be a dud.  Fingers crossed for something to happen that's both safe and leads to progress on the peninsula.  

In Keith news, I had an extremely easy day today as I had 5 of 6 classes get canceled due to the end of the semester.  I should be working on my winter camp plans, but I still have 1/2 a day to make some sort of constructive effort in that department.  For now I will sit on facebook and either share KJ-il jokes, or discuss what will happen in the coming months in regards to SK and NK.  

Hope your day is better than KJ-il's

-keith

heating wars

I've been apart of an ongoing war within the school the past few weeks that got extra ridiculous this morning.  An interesting fact about Korean schools is that they are only partially heated, and the same goes for AC in the summer. For some reason my school has appointed the copy machine guy at my school as the heating czar.  I don't have a clue what his name is, but for the sake of simplicity I'll give him a western name for this blog.  So, Frank is the heating czar.  I can't communicate with Frank, but from his body language it would seem that he doesn't much like foreigners.  I don't deal with Frank outside of my heating and cooling needs, and the occasional fix in my room.   Frank checks my lights and heat use every day multiple times.  if I leave for more than a few minutes I'm expected to turn off my heat, which seem absolutely absurd, but I comply since that is easier than explaining why I think it's ridiculous.  I'm not sure if I forgot to turn off my heat during lunch or while I was teaching in a different class, but it seems like I pissed Frank off a little extra recently.  Frank, as heating czar, has the ability to control my room's heating... and I know when he adjusts the heat or turns it on/off because it makes a certain noise each time he touches it.

Today, I came to school per usual and turned my heat on as I walked into my room.  No more than 5 seconds later I heard the him turn my heating off.  I thought it was a mistake so I turned it back on... and bam, 2 seconds later he turned it off!  For him to respond that quickly to my turning the heat on would imply that he watched me enter the building and waited at the controls to turn the heat off as soon as I turned it on...  I thought it was funny so I shared this with my co-teachers, but they didn't think it was funny.  They tried turning it on only to find Frank turning it off immediately.  Finally, we called down to the office and shared our displeasure with them.  Finally, Scrooge (Frank) turned my heat back on at a lower than usual temperature and locked the controls so that I can't adjust them.  I don't much care since I prefer a lower temperature than my co-teacher, but I'm sure he's enjoying the thought of winning the heating war.  

Regardless, it's Friday and I don't give a shit if my room is hot or cold.  Tonight is the opening of a new bar in Suwon that everyone is excited for.  It's called Sam Ryan's, and there is the same bar in Seoul that everyone goes to on the weekends to watch sports from back home.  They have a ton of big screens showing sports, and customers can request any game they want.  They also have the cheapest beer and the best western food in town.  Their ribs special will be a staple in my weekly routine, I'm sure.  

 

Happy Holidays to everyone

keith