Winter Enclosure and Christmas
12/18/03

The last month has had its ups and downsÉhowever nothing extreme. As we watched the leaves change and the winter freeze set in, we have become routine. The weekdays are obviously spent teaching at our hogwon, Crepia. People say teaching is a gift you can give yourself that continuously gives. IÕm finding this a little hard to believe. In the past, IÕve said how fast the days go by, and this is still true. But I think the two-month mark is a fair point in time to elaborate a little more on the teaching aspect of this whole sojourn. I have been teaching one kindergarten class and 8 junior high classes. This schedule will soon change to incorporate some high school intensive classes for the month of January and I will loose the kinder-kids. IÕm searching for a way to say everything. ItÕs funny because it seems like I talk to everybody I meet about my classes and have plenty to say as well. I should start with my temperature, which is over-all luke-warm. Throughout most days there is this subtle frustration because of little things like 25min not being long enough to teach much to a class considering the limitations of the language barrier and the fact that the kids donÕt take notes. Most donÕt even have paper they can access to write something down.  Also, each class is really an hour long, split between a Korean English teacher and a foreign English teacher. For us new foreigners who work less, arenÕt bilingual, earn more money, and are over-all less qualified teachers, there is a power-distance between the two staffs. So when an unmotivated Korean teacher is obviously going too slow or fast for a class, we have a hard time reaching a resolution with our grasshopper voices. A few classes tend to act on the fact that American teachers wonÕt hit them and canÕt effectively discipline without taking severe measures. This is a not-so-quiet frustration.  Overall discipline and communication are the two big headaches. Communication is especially temple squeezing in the lower level classes.

 We do prepare a little for the classes but as you can guess 9 classes a day limits what you can do.

 So as you might guess the honey moon period is over.

 Outside from the classroom Crepia has been very fair to us. A few examples of this are their rapid response to our mold problem in the old apartment, the holiday gifts, and the distance they will go to make sure we are content. The money is always paid on time. So we show up on time. IÕm sure most of the teachers are thinking most of the cons are typical of any teaching job and I believe you. IÕve worked with retired public school teachers and their list exceeds mine by miles. And this school does liberally invest in the quality of the curriculum. This year may also prove to manifest a corridor of varied doors to a vast variety of futures. For example, with the experience and background I could be an English professor at a Korean University. Our character of a director, Mr. Lee (who prances around with light compliments and snack food asking ÒWhat is my job?Ó to which we are to reply ÒYou are the morale officerÓ and he says ÒYes, number one job, moral officer, do you know?Ó) is a good director. Although some aspects may be a little shady, or ÒdodgyÓ as the canucks say, his basic philosophy is to keep the teachers proud, invest in them and they will be the best in the market. Not a bad philosophy to work under.  In addition to Mr. Lee most of the staff are very friendly. One in particular spends an hour a week helping us with our Korean in return for help with advanced English.

 12/24/03 Playing Santa Claus

 Yesterday was an interesting day at Crepia. For the afternoon classes we held a Christmas party potluck style.  Each hour, almost all of the kids brought something into the classroom and we had plenty leftovers. A popular dish was something called Òtuk-po-geeÓ which is large rice noodles, fried rice rolls, hard boiled eggs, and a fish cake like thing all cooked soaking in a red-pepper hot sauce.  Another was Kim-bop, which is rice, eggs, carrots, ham, and pickled radish rolled together in a seaweed sheet. It serves well as a cheap, quick snack that is readily available on most corners. Aden also added some flavor to her classes by brining in her guitar and playing Christmas songs. Her rich, refreshing, pure voice brought in admirers from all over the school including Mr. Lee, who was very impressed.  Later on around 4:30 I was shipped out as Santa Claus to deliver presents to 30 homes of the kindergarten kids.  Two Korean teachers and I jumped into a van packed with wrapped gifts the parents had provided and a portable radio. We went about 20 minutes out of town into a rural farmersÕ country side. This was my first time to see this lifestyle, as it is a stark contrast from the city life.  We drove down twisted one-lane roads, dodging ancient mystics, lost in thought, perhaps remembering when the roads were the walkways and there werenÕt any machines to share the space with.  Sidewalks werenÕt on the blue prints and now there is no room, as it seems the fertile earth is far too precious.  The farms but against every essential structure.  Homes are small and tight. With formless, improvised yards big enough to store a couple pieces of farm equipment introduced by a 4 foot tall gate that tells of the a long tale of the physical repercussions of years spent bending over laboriously in the family gardens and farms, I felt humbled to be so graciously invited inside (even though I was dressed up as Santa and who wouldnÕt let olÕ Santa in?).  Families of 4-5 live in homes with 2-3 small rooms.  Grandparents always live with their children and grandchildren and actively help out around the house.

Most if not all of the families had small 2-foot high Christmas trees, although I didnÕt see any presents or stockings. We visited about 4 country homes and then headed back to our neighborhood of Gasuwon. Back in town, most of the kids live in towering cookie-cutter apartment complexes. The elevator rides with got a bit hairy because when ever there was a small child sharing the ride with us she/he usually ended up shirking in horror at the tall, hairy, white guy dressed in glowing red.  It was pretty funny, the same thing happened in most of the homes we went to with small kids. The parents got a kick out of the Santa get-up, some more than the kids. TVÕs are the status symbol here. Most homes are about the same size so the square footage difference between the wealthy and poor is not that great but the size of the T.V. is a red flag. One place in particular had elevated out of the entire realm of ÒT.V.Ó  and straight into the league of theaters. Their entire wall was basically a flat screenÉSanta was jealous and wanted to stay.  Our task took much longer than we thought, and we didnÕt deliver the last gift until after 10pm.  In appreciation for the extra hours Mr. Lee took me out to eat at a Chinese restaurant owned by one of the families I had just visited.  

  12/25/03

  And there is officially 10 minutes left. I was sick for the last couple of days with a heavy sinus clog. Not much holiday spirit being this far away from family who I miss dearly. With out family Christmas is pretty hollow unless youÕre a merchant or Christian. I spent the day resting, rating Òbush in 30 seconds adsÓ, and sleeping, trying to get ride of this to no avail. Last night, Mr. Lee put us up in the Spapia Hotel in the touristy side of town. We stayed in traditional nobleÕs room and went out to a karaoke room until about midnight.  Aden had a good shopping spree today and kept me going of Chinese medicines and hot tidies.  We just finished watching the comedy ÒHot ChickÓ and had some good laughs. Tomorrow we go back to school and then we will venture up to Seoul sometime this weekend. Midnight. ItÕs over here, but the folks back home still have 15 hours.  Now itÕs time for more rest.