The Internet Ramblings of the QiRanger

Selemat Pagi!

This weekend was one filled with great relaxation. I woke up Saturday morning and finished working on a new lesson plan. Now normally I try to really hammer out lesson pans in an orderly fashion, but this was a special case.

You see, I’ve been teaching a class for nearly three months, and while the text book is a great tool, the curriculum for the class, is well, for lack of a better word, crap. So I approached the management of the school and asked them if I could re-write the curriculum for a September 1 start date, since I was continuing to teach the class.

I received the approval, but also notice, that I wasn’t going to teach the class anymore. This necessitated me writing a months worth of lessons in about 2 hours. Now to some, this may seem like a rush job, but not really. Being intimately familiar with the materials and having flushed out the skeleton lesson plan for each story, I was simply able to drop in the associated page numbers and develop the vocabulary guides. Even the latter was easy, since two of the story exercises concentrate on vocabulary.

I’m actually quite pleased with the results of the new curriculum. I hope it aids in student comprehension and the other teachers are pleased with it as well.

Hey now!

So last night I decided to have a little fun with my 1.5 Language class. This was going to be the last time I’d have a “free” class with them, as they will be starting 2.1 on Monday and Fridays are writing days. So I put my knowledge of the Internet to use and created a fun activity for them.

Their assignment was simple: Write five questions to ask someone from Australia.

They quickly jotted them down. And the questions ranged from, “Where do you live?” to “What is your hobby?”

Once all their questions had been compiled and corrected, I opened up Skype and called three of my friends. The kids were shy at first, but really enjoyed the live video conference call with someone from Australia. It was a great experience and I hope I have the opportunity to do it again sometime.

Ain’t the Internet grand?

Chillin'

… is sometimes fairly interesting. I mean this in a loving way, since most Korean business models, practices, and expectations are not the same as many western. Yesterday was one such day when things get thrown around. I’m easy going and just roll with the changes, since in the long run, it really doesn’t affect me. Nothing I do can change the way the business and I learned a long time ago not to worry about things I have no control over.

So let’s get a little teaching update:

1) I have completed one Theme of six in my lesson plans. And while we start teaching the new curriculum on Monday, two of the books I need to actually finish the layout will not be in until Thursday. Giving me one day to finalize the lessons. The school has had all the books for months, but waited until 2 weeks until the start of the new curriculum season to actually start writing things, so it’s only now that we’re seeing all the shortfalls. Many are freaking out about this. I just laugh, since I’ve seen it in so many businesses before. As I said, I can’t change poor management, especially when it comes from the owners. I just laugh it off and do my best. I think the main reason I can do this, is that I’ve actually done the work they requested, while many others haven’t… meaning that they are scrambling to put together work that should have been completed a few weeks ago and are now realizing some of the issues they will face.

2) New incentives are about to placed at work. This I’m only hearing through the rumor mill and some stuff that was bounced in my direction in passing. I’m reserving judgement, but for the most part it is really a non-issue. Apparently they will be implementing a new “Teacher of the Month” program. That I don’t have a problem with… other than the fact, how does one establish a Teacher of the Month when the owners have no idea what really takes place in the classroom and that the “winner” will receive $200. It’s the last part that many have issues with. They don’t like that the title is tied to money and are worried that a few select few, the favorites, will win, thus causing animosity.

3) Three months of complaints and you’re out… is a new rule. I really don’t have a problem with it, since in my contract stipulates that inadequate performance is grounds for termination. The issue comes down to what is a complaint. Some parents complain about everything… “The teacher didn’t give any homework.” “The teacher didn’t check all of the homework.” “The teacher didn’t hand out the extra book.” “The teacher’s accent is too thick.” or one of my favorites, “The teacher has a scary face.” So as you can see, some of the complaints are what I call, not valid. Now if they count these non-valid complaints in the three months rule, I’d have an issue with that. But if they’re legitimate complaints, then by all means let them count. To date, I’ve had one complaint. It came from a mother saying I wasn’t giving out the storybook her child needed for homework. Seeing how I do this on the first day of every lesson, I assumed that the child had lost it and didn’t tell anyone. Nope. The child just lied, for when I gave him another copy of the story, he pulled it out of his backpack.

But it’s all good. One grand adventure. If you stress about every little thing in life, you let it pass by. Put your faith where it belongs and it always works out for the best.

… we went away to celebrate the end of summer!

Pics!

The one-room

… have passed and it seems just like yesterday I was stepping onto a plane for a grand adventure in Korea. Truthfully, I really didn’t know what to expect. I went into this with the attitude that anyone can do anything for a year, no matter how bad it may be. I am pleased to report that I was wrong. My time here has passed quickly. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that it was a recent payday, I wouldn’t have noticed that another month had passed.

One question I often get (and teased about) is my apartment. The one-room is great. I really do enjoy it. For years I lived in a large 2500 sqft house by myself. It was big and really didn’t suit my lifestyle. Sure there were rooms that had stuff in it, but I never used them. I’d get up in the morning. Walk to the kitchen, make my coffee, and then proceed to where I had the computer set up and read emails and whatnot. I’d then go running and return home to do some massage work. I ate in the kitchen or took my meal back to where the computer was.

The items I purchased over the years were rarely used and as I started selling things off, it was a great relief to see them finally out of my life. Now here in one-room, I have much the same life. It’s more like camping with the Internet. I get up in the morning, turn two steps and start the stove for the coffee. Then I take two more steps and turn on the computer. After morning coffee, I run 3 miles, return home, and take a shower. Then I go to work.

Nothing really has changed. With the Internet, I’m still able to communicate with those that I need to and watch movies and shows from home. Some people are concerned about the small size, but really… how much of your home do you use on a daily basis? I never used mine. I love the small accommodations. But I will admit that I will upgrade to a two-room when available. Not because I hate this place (although the lowered ceiling does get to me at times), but because I want to be able to spread out a bit more and also host some visitors. Having one room really cuts down on that possibility for friends staying for long periods.

Life in Korea really hasn’t taken that much getting used to as well. I’m not sure why, but I find mixing into the Asian culture quite easy. I’m not sure if it has something to do with my interest in Chinese history, martial arts, and medicine; or if had to do with some travels abroad last year. I really do find the people here a blessing and love meeting the locals around the one-rooms. They’re al so friendly and when I get a chance one weekend, I’m going to take some soju out and enjoy some with the older men in the area.

I also have to admit, that living in a large city is quite interesting. I’ve never been in an area where you didn’t have to own a car. That being said, I do miss my 4Runner, but I’m happy to say that being able to go out my door, get on a buss for W700 and then got off where I need to be is fantastic. In addition, jumping on a train for W900 and striding off in Seoul without having to navigate traffic is a blessing. The downside is that transportation stops running at midnight… so if you’re out and choose not to start heading home at 11pm, you’re in the city until 5:30am, unless you pay for a cab.

Probably the one thing that I still haven’t been able to come to terms with is the lifestyle here. It is very common for many Koreans to stay out until 2 or 3 in the morning (or up online) and then get ready for work at 6am. I can’t do that. I need at least 5-6 hours of sleep. In fact, when we come home from work, there’s a local bar that often has many patrons sitting out on tables next to the road. We usually pass by there around 10:30pm or so…. and small children (3-4years old) are out with them, wide-awake. It’s a strange site.

I also appreciate how safe it is here. People really go out of their way to take care of one another. While everyone place has violence and robberies, the overall feeling is one of calm and security. Maybe it’s because no one really has anything worth stealing.

Roaming around in Korea has been a bit more of a challenge… simply because there is a lot of English instructors here and I haven’t really been forced to learn that much Hangul or Korea. I have been remiss and I need to correct that. I do know enough Korean to get around and order food and get home if needed. I’ve picked up some of the Hangul, but really need to sit down and spend an hour or more a day learning the language, since I will be here for an extended amount of time.

Knowing a little bit helps greatly, since we (the teachers) frequent a great Korean restaurant and we can just sit down and order what we want… and cancel that order and change our minds if need be. It’s a great feeling to walk into a foreign land and be able to speak a different language (when you haven’t gone to school for it) and have the locals completely understand you.

Another thing I’ve been reflecting on has been my teaching experience. And to be honest, it’s quite odd. I’ve always enjoyed academia. In fact, for those that don’t know, my first three professional jobs were with Universities. Perhaps “enjoyed academia” isn’t the right phrase… LOVE EDUCATION is probably more precise.

Now it doesn’t need to be a University, but some sort of learning environment that I crave. I’ve missed that over the years. Being here at the hogwan fills that void. I still wake up, eager to get to work and talk with my students…. even the bad ones (because they are entertaining in their own way). When I first elected to start this journey, I was a little concerned because I had never taught young children before. All my teaching had been with high school students or adults in vocational colleges or in a University setting.

There are a lot of challenges in teaching these children. In fact, there are a lot of similarities with teaching ESL here and in the Southwestern United States. What I mean by that, is that for many of these students, the 90 minutes they’re at school is the only English practice they receive. And when the goal is to become fluent so that you can pass an English test to study abroad.

But I do love it. I play learning games and get to see “ah-ha” moments and skills develop. It’s the main reason why I’ve decided to continue teaching after this contract is over. I’m not sure if I will continue working with young children, but the kids are so damn cute. My favorite classes are ones where I get to work with the kids to think outside of the box. So much of their education is about rote memorization. That’s why I like reading comprehension classes. Where we can sit down and read a story and then I can grill them about details and how it can relate to their lives. I love seeing their cognitive wheels turn and am pleasantly surprised by the results. I can really see myself doing this long term.

The food is nothing short of awesome. I’ve always love noodles and there are some great dishes here. In addition, I’ve always loved rice… and well… I’m in Asia, so you get the picture. The street vendors and little shops have been a saving grace, since I can get a very filling meal for $3. The one thing I really do miss is spicy food. I just can’t find any here that meets my tastes.

But after work, there’s really nothing that hits the spot more like some bipimbap or some roasted meat and rice. Sounds bland, I know, but with onions, kimchi, and some other things, it really hits the spot.

Well, this has gone on for some quite time… and I need to pack and get out of the one-room for my weekend away.

Cheers and have a great day!

Soju!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to give thanks where thanks are due. Jinro, you rock.

A few weeks ago, my Soju video was featured on the Korean YouTube page and now has about 30,000 hits. Jinro contacted me shortly after the feature, thanking me for the video and asked if they could send some soju my way as a token of their thanks.

It came today.

5 free cases… 100 bottles.

Damn. Let’s party for the next year.

The following was printed in the Reuters News Oddly Enough secion:

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A stillborn Israeli baby who was pronounced dead by doctors “came back to life” on Monday after spending hours in a hospital refrigerator.

The baby, weighing only 600 grams at birth, spent at least five hours inside one of the hospital’s refrigerated storage units, before her parents, who had taken her to be buried, began noticing some movement.

“We unwrapped her and felt she was moving. We didn’t believe it at first. Then she began holding my mother’s hand, and then we saw her open her mouth,” said 26-year-old Faiza Magdoub, the baby’s mother.

The baby was pronounced dead several hours earlier, after doctors at Western Galilee hospital in northern Israel were forced to abort her mother’s pregnancy because of internal bleeding. Magdoub was 23 weeks into her pregnancy.

“We don’t know how to explain this, so when we don’t know how to explain things in the medical world we call it a miracle, and this is probably what happened,” hospital deputy director Moshe Daniel said.

The baby was then taken to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit for further treatment, but doctors were not sure how long she will live.

Motti Ravid, a professor of internal medicine, told Israel’s Channel 10 that the low temperature inside the cooler had slowed down the baby’s metabolism and likely helped her survive.

(Writing by Avida Landau, Editing by Mike Collett-White)

Is this odd? No.

Is it amazing and what many would call a miracle? Yes.

One of the things that I really found interesting when walking around Korea were the special tiles on the sidewalks. They were everywhere. Beside the streets… in the subway stations… in the bus terminals… up to the storefronts…

Follow the yellow tiles through the tunnel.

I had never seen anything like them before. It took me a while to figure it out, but they were guides for the seeing impaired. You see, the tiles show an impaired person where to walk… essentially a way to follow a line from place A to location B. In addition, as they need to turn, the route changes as well to take them to their final destination.

Stop here

When you reach the end of your destination, or at an intersection, the tiles change to “bolts.”

Coming from Arizona, where we have no such things, I thought the attention to detail to providing these cues for the seeing impaired was fantastic. But they do fall short in one area. You see, there is no way for these seeing impaired folks to cross the street. There are no buzzers on cross-walks. In fact, many of the cross-walks don’t work.

What good does it to get someone to the intersection if the government isn’t going to help them navigate the traffic as well? Furthermore, traffic intersections routinely see cars blow through red lights (including city buses), so while I’d like to see a buzzing system… I’m glad there isn’t.

The fifteenth of August is a special day here in Korea. In 1948, the Republic of Korea was formed, thus, my new home has a birthday today.

Many may not realize this, but Korea has a very long history, dating back almost 5000 years to 2333 BCE. The first evidence of people inhabiting the Korean Peninsula was during the Lower Paleolithic period.

Korea was originally united with China, under the Three Kingdoms period before emerging from that shadow and prospering on its own. It has prospered as democracy since 1948 and continues to work towards unification with North Korea.

The Korean economy is one of the strongest in the regions and continues to see exponential growth as of late.

Happy birthday, Land of the Morning Calm.

————

Back with the Knife

I woke up this morning to the sound of pounding rain cascading against the roof and windows. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve always found that sound relaxing and revel in when there are huge bursts of thunder. It’s awesome. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about today. No, I actually wanted to reflect on the past week.

While it was never a conscious effort for me to make videos to be featured on YouTube, I think deep down it was always a desire to get some sort of feature on the front page. When that happened last week, I was really surprised, since the video that was chosen really wasn’t one of my best. Or so I thought. You see, I forgot why I made that video and as I’ve been reading the comments it really hit home why I made it.

Since the feature, the video received an additional 23,000 hits. 23,000! That really blows my mind. Many of the views have been from Korea and the plethora of comments being left are from other ESL teachers and Koreans here or abroad. While I haven’t had time to respond to comments like I’d like to, the positive remarks have really moved me. Because they’re all saying the same thing… how refreshing it is to see a foreigner take the time to really embrace the local culture and experience life in Korea.

In fact, because of the feature, many Koreans have taken the time to look at my other videos and comment on some of my cultural history ones. That has been really insightful, because they have appreciated my effort to understand the history and present it in a professional manner. It’s because of these last few statements, that I have chosen not to make a video of my trip out to Hwaseong Haenggung.

Martial Arts

The Palace is small, but filled with a rich history. However, the real joy in going to the palace with the fortress is seeing the cultural demonstrations put on each weekend. For my money (even though the shows are free), take a trip on Saturday. At 11am, there is a free demonstration of the 24 Martial Arts. It’s an amazing show of skill, that really gives a glimpse into Asian military history. The performance is about 45 minutes and includes disciplines China, Korea, and Japan. It is amazing and should inspire all who see it to read up on how these forms were developed and implemented. In fact, it lead out group into a discussion on the origins of Tae Kwan Do.

Dance

The afternoon performance consists of various cultural musical performances and dances. Many in the West are captivated by the pageantry of the East, and will not be disappointed here. The music and skill displayed is really unmatched by anything of recent mind and does great justice to the rich national history of Korea.

Every day I’m growing ever more thankful for my time here in Korea. I am able to live in a country that will give me the opportunity to explore a great deal and do what I love most: learn. Not only from the texts that will prepare me for each location visit, but from the people. Some of the comments in the videos and private messages have indicated that some would like to meet me… and being open to that sort of thing, I think once these summer classes are over, I will set up some sort of meeting in Seoul because I want to really get to know what it means to be in Korea… and the only way to do that is meet and get to know Koreans.

————————–