KOREA Day 5

Fri, May 1, 2009 at 5:44pm

I have completed my first day teaching, having taught two classes Friday morning; 630-8am and 9-1030am, and an evening class 8-930pm. All three classes went well, considering it was my first day and I was working on roughly 5 hours sleep this morning. I know this will only get easier in time, but holding conversation and discussing points of dialogue with students is not terribly difficult, especially when you recognize the students have been studying English for many years and are nearly fluent. I am only helping them overcome their nervousness of the English language, whether it be speaking without hesitation, reading aloud in class, or using proper grammar. We also have text books to follow for every class I teach, which provides discussion points and exercises for the students.

Every student has a self-appointed English name, or a creative name they prefer to be called in class and by English speaking teachers, such as myself. This morning's students introduced themselves to me as Julie, B.H. (short for Byung Hak), and Tyger. Julie is a 40ish mother of two, Tyger is a 21 year old man returning from world travels as part of his mandatory military commitment, and B.H. is a retired Engineer after 25 years with Hyundai Motor Co., and is currently searching for another job. All three students are enrolled at their own expense and determination to improve their English skills. It's a Korean holiday this weekend, Buddha's Birthday, so I was told many students were absent for family celebrations, Soju chugging festivals, etc., despite being the first day of classes. Most will probably start fresh next week following the long weekend. B.H. returned for the evening class and was my only student, so we enjoyed casual conversation for the class period. After class he invited me to play screen golf with him on Saturday at his local club. Apparently, we have a 3pm tee time. I can only imagine this is like a golf simulator, but I will soon confirm and update accordingly.

So Thursday night I was invited to a local bar with James and another teacher from the school, Jinny. She is Korean, but speaks fluent English, after living in Australia for over a year. Like most Korean women, she is small and petite, and most cute, but unlike other Korean women she speaks English with a profound Australian accent. What an amazing combination! Perhaps I will elaborate on this at a later time..

Since Thursday night was my first bar experience drinking with other Koreans, everything I read about this seems to be true. First of all, Koreans do not like to drink on an empty stomach, so when we arrived food was promptly ordered for us. Thin, breaded, lightly fried pork cutlets, similar to Japanese style Tonkatsu, with a terriyaki-like sauce was served. Another fine Korean dish. A side plate with very small fried fish (similar in size and shape to shoe-string fries) and a mayo-ketchup dipping sauce accompanied this. I'm sorry to report this dish was not as good as the pork. Regardless, they never allow your glass to become empty, so the beer flowed like water. The beer pitcher was this massive container with a lid, that was made of very thick clear plastic and looked like a small keg with a handle. Seriously, the size and thickness of this thing looked as if you could drop it out the 8 story bar window onto the street below and it would safely bounce back. The Koreans I befriended told me I look like Bruce Willis. (Not certain if this is a good thing?) They then provided what I was told is a complimentary Korean name for me, though I can't recall the specifics of this. It was a really good time. At one point in the night, Korean hip hop began playing over the speakers and the lights dimmed. The bartenders then began a most impressive fire breathing and bottle juggling routine. I was told one of the bartenders is training for a national competition. I'm not certain how many glasses of Korean beer I enjoyed prior to being reminded of early morning classes, and politely excusing myself. James, who does not drink, was the responsible party here. I was too busy learning Korean handshakes and teaching my new Korean friends how to pump fists and other variations of the American high-five. Good stuff..

So after class this morning, mostly feeling tired from the nervousness of this morning and the beer last night, I returned to my apartment and had an incredible 3 hour nap. It's relatively peaceful sleeping in my apartment, despite the busy noises of the street below. It's also somewhat dark with the blinds down, and there is a nice breeze with the windows open. Sadly, I was awakened at 230pm by my Landlord with a tremendous surprise.. Now I haven't been entirely honest when describing my apartment earlier. The bed I was provided when I first arrived was small, sort of like a large kids bed. In fact, my feet dangled off the end of it. Laugh all you want, especially those who remember me sleeping in a Spiderman kids tent after a wedding several years back, but I am totally serious. The Landlord and her two workers have greatly improved my accommodations, despite interrupting my most relaxing nap. But wait , it gets better..

As I stood there half-awake watching the Landlord direct her two goons, I noticed something very different about this bed than any other bed I have called my own. I'm not sure what gave it away first. Perhaps it was the four wheels they used to wheel the new bed into the room, or perhaps it was the collapsible side rails. Either way, it's all good. Ready for this? I am sleeping in a 100% authentic hospital bed, complete with collapsible tv tray, and (best part) the back raises and lowers to make eating, watching tv, taking medications, and drinking through a straw easier! No joke. After the wheel locks were secure in their locked position (don't want to wake up in the middle of the room after a rough night's sleep) I spent a good twenty minutes playing with this feature. I'm sure their will be more good stories involving this , but for now, it's a great improvement and I am most pleased.

That's the news from Korea. Have a great weekend!