Bluer skies tomorrow

At first I considered not posting this.  The internet is full of loopholes and spies; and what you think is funny and clever one day, is a weapon against you the next.  But me… I’m a sharer.  That’s why I made this blog – to share with you.  So I’m not going to be censoring myself.  I’ll just make sure to use choice adjectives when describing unpleasantries.  So here are my first few work experiences…

 

My first day of work was Monday.  No one seemed to know what to do with me, so I spent much of the day desk-warming, a term that is and will forever be near and dear to every EPIKer heart.  It wasn’t a bad experience though; I was expecting to be manning such duties, and as such, got to spend the morning Facebooking and emailing all by myself in my brightly colored English classroom.

Monday was only a half-day for me though – I got to duck out early to try and take care of some official paperwork.  All of which turned out to be a big fail, because my school employment document was not on hand when I got to the Immigration office (which by the way is called KISS = Korean Immigration Smart Services).  After that attempt was abandoned, I went with Andrew (my – by “my” clearly I don’t mean mine, it’s just easier to say it that way - TALK scholar) back to my apartment to meet with a guy from the boiler company to fix my heater.  Since my apartment had been vacant for some time (and horribly nasty as a result) the gas had been turned off and locked.   A simple turn of the screw and this very stylish man, in super shiny shoes, saved me from another night of hypothermia and Antarctic showers.

Tuesday was a national holiday (Day of Independent Movement, like our Independence Day, celebrating their secession from Japan) and all schools were closed.  I spent the day sleeping.  I woke up, off and on, but didn’t finally get out of bed till nearly one in the afternoon.   Once up, I spent the afternoon walking around a bit, before retiring to work on a PowerPoint presentation – that turned out to be useless.

Wednesday was my “official” first day of school.  I did a little ‘hello’ on the morning televised announcements, more desk-warming, went to the KISS office in the afternoon (this time successful!) and returned to school to join the Principal, Vice-principal and fellow teachers in a game of volleyball.  The volleyball match was a lot of fun!  However, I am 87% completely out of volleyball shape! My forearms hurt to receive balls, my wrist were weak when trying to hit, I backed away from digging hits when I should have stepped in to get them.   So much for being a tall, white girl who used to play volleyball… these Koreans had their hopes up for nothing!  To be kind of fair to myself, by the end of the match I did improve, improved enough to hit a spike right at the Principal, nailing her in the shoulder and nearly upsetting her wig!  Why do I like the taste of my foot!! 

 Following the volleyball match, all of the teachers went out for a Welcome party dinner.  Objective #2 – learn how Asians eat so much and stay so skinny!!!!  It seems humanly impossible that such an act could occur.  Back home you get your main dish and maybe a small side or two.  Here you get the main dish, which is HUGE, and about 20 sides dishes to accompany it.  And then, there’s another meal!!!!!!!!  I promise to be better and start photographing the vast quantity of these meals!!  You’re stomach will hurt from the sight of all of it!

No meal is complete without drinks!  Endless drinks!!  I did a shot of Soju with my Vice-Principal, but I think by the time I did my first he was on his 20^th!  You’d think after all of this that the night would be over.  Ha!  Not for Koreans!!  After the dinner party it was on to a norabang (karaoke).  I opted out of this activity.  Singing isn’t my thing, and I had my apartment to clean for the second time.  I did manage to clean my cabinets, some of my stove, rewash my floors, and do a little work on my bathroom.  I don’t think this place could every score a 100 on a health test, but I don’t think it will fail anymore either!

Tired and sore, I went to bed early looking forward to the next day of school.  High hopes were soon murdered.  Thursday I spent the morning observing my co-teacher review the Korean alphabet with 3 classes of fourth graders.  At the beginning of each class I did a little introduction of myself, told them I’d be teaching next week, and returned to my desk to warm it.  Not too bad of a start.  I was to observe and see how things work.  Except this observing did me zero good since I don’t speak any Korean!  But still, I wasn’t too upset by this.  I was taking notes on teaching: what I liked, what I didn’t, what I would do differently, etc.  Helpful when looked at in the glass is half-full kind of way. 

At lunch the Principal scolded me for not finishing all of my meal.  It’s not that I didn’t like it; I just didn’t feel well and didn’t want to eat it.  Unsure what to do, I looked at my co-teacher for help, received a sad encouraging smile and a slight wave of her hand telling me it was ok to go.  Like a beaten dog I was, walking away with my tail between my legs, unsure of what I’d done wrong!

Hoping for better things in the afternoon was just a silly thing to do.  Since I have the schedule and know what happens each period, I was not surprised at all when all the students left school and there were still 4 hours left in the day (:-l sarcasm times the universe there, in case you missed it).  So what did we do to pass the time?!  Dressed up in nice clothes I was crouched down on the ground scrubbing the floor.  Must have missed that subline in my contract.  Then we mopped.   Yup missed that one too!  Hmm… I should read closer.  Then I stood by and listened as my co-teacher and Andrew had a long talk in Korean.  “Oh, yea, so interesting, hmmm… yea.. right…”  WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!! I DON’T SPEAK KOREAN YET!!  SPEAK ENGLISH, I WORK WITH YOU TOO!!!  Not to be the sad, left-out kid on the playground, but it was a bit disheartening.  You have me scrubbing floors, without providing me with the slightest bit of information regarding my job, and yet there are still more ways to isolate me further.  Awesome.   Eventually they did start speaking in English, when I said something.

And then the biggest rug was pulled out from under me.  My co-teacher tells me that the Principal and Vice-Principal have suggested that I spend my free time (18 hrs a week) in the teacher’s lounge instead of being able to get a second desk/computer for me in the English classroom.  They are willing to put a computer for me in the TL, but not in the classroom in which I teach.  At this I had tears punching their way out of my eyes!  I am to spend 18 hrs a week in the TL, why?!  WHY!!?!  So they can see me!!!  HONESTLY!! WHAT IS THIS!!  I was in such disbelief.  I didn’t come to Korea to be seen by my fellow teachers.  I came to work with kids and teach!   After a few minutes of sputtering and total visual frustration, my co-teacher got the hint that I was not happy with this and said she would be my advocate – she’d tell the VP and Principal that I need to be in the classroom observing, learning, gaining experience.  INSTEAD OF BEING A FREAKING COLLECTOR’S DOLL! 

 

Good news of the day, I got my internet installation set up.  They’re coming out Saturday morning to get me online.  Small steps, right?  I’m taking that one small achievement with me into tomorrow and hoping for bluer skies.  I’m also giving out my gifts so that can only help brighten things too!  Or so I freaking hope!!