just another American teacher in SK

Yellow dust (hwangsa) is an annual phenomenon in Korea, caused by strong winds carrying a combination of pollutants and fine sand from the Gobi desert in Mongolia and the Taklamakan desert in China.  The Korea Meteorological Adminstration issued the yellow dust warning for Seoul last weekend, with a density level about 20 times higher than normal for this time of year. 

You can’t really see the dust, but you can definitely tell it’s there.  The sky is gray and hazy and most of the Koreans wear face masks.  If you are outside for any length of time, your throat gets scratchy and sore, and people with any respiratory issues are considered “at risk” during a yellow dust storm.   It permeates everything, everywhere ~ masks, window sealants, air purifiers are all “hot” retail items. 

The first time I saw it was in the evening, and I thought it was just a thick fog.  However, when I asked the students about it the next day at school, they told me about the yellow dust phenomenon.  Pretty wacky stuff!  That would explain why so many students are ill and why they sound like they are hacking up a lung when they cough incessantly ~ and perhaps why there has been a dramatic increase in public spitting and horking (which is so unbelievably gross that I won’t even go into it …)

Anyway, Tim is totally weirded out by it and is walking around holding a towel up to his face (he hasn’t purchased a mask yet) ~ he looks like a total goofball, but I guess a booger green towel is better than nothing.

I received my first “love note” today from one of my students. 

He’s a super-smart kid ~ he just returned from an English Acheivement Camp, where he received the award for #1 student.  He’s one of the kids who goes to school from 8am-10pm every day ~ regular school, After School Activities (more class with me), hagwon (evenings until 10 or 11) ~ plus some weekends and language camps.  I noticed him the first week of school, because he looked so tired ~ almost fragile. 

Anyway, the way it works is that the student writes a note on paper distributed through the counseling office specifically for the purpose.  The note is then given to the homeroom teacher, who passes it on to the recipient (in this case, me).  The recipient then responds, gives the note back to the teacher, who then passes it on to the student. 

I’m sure it is not unusual for the foreign teachers to get notes, but it is really special and sweet.  I will post a photo of this sweet boy sometime.

Hey y'all ~ I'm kickin' back, with my 20 ounce mug of real coffee (not the instant crap from a tube), feelin' pretty darn pleased with life in general today.  I'm actually starting to feel comfortable here ... I've talked about it before ... [Continue reading this entry]

I got my first "care package" from home ~ hurray!!  When it arrived in the administration office at school, the staff didn't know quite what to make of it ~ it aroused quite a bit of curiosity among the teachers ... [Continue reading this entry]

TGIF?  Not so much ...   My Friday schedule is a real bummer ~ I have classes back-to-back (with a break for lunch) from 840am-505pm. I'm definitely looking forward to a gathering of the native English teachers ~ we are taking the 630 express bus ... [Continue reading this entry]

There are so many common mannerisms here that are just plain disturbing ~ spitting, staring,  slurping, scraping, screaming ...  schlupping along in slippers. How lazy are you if you cannot even pick up your feet when you are doing the most basic of human ... [Continue reading this entry]

I FINALLY HAVE INTERNET CONNECTION IN MY HOME!!  OMG ~ email, Google, PC television!!   I don't care what it is, as long as it is in English.  I can watch global television news (!!!!)  for the first time in weeks, live US television (Letterman! Jon Stewart!), ... [Continue reading this entry]

Korean culture is very different than American (and probably, most "Western") culture, and adjusting to a completely new way of life has left me a bit shocked and daunted at times.  Things that make perfect sense to me do not make ... [Continue reading this entry]

My Alien Registration Card arrived today.  Actually, I was more relieved to have my passport back than the receive the ARC, but now I will finally get internet (hopefully tomorrow, but I won't hold my breath ...), have access to my ... [Continue reading this entry]

We're pretty bored here ~ so bored, in fact, that Tim and I have dedicated the day to "cleaning".  Actually, it's more a day dedicated to chemical analysis. Neither Tim nor I have been able to figure out what any of the gels, liquids, ... [Continue reading this entry]

The relationship between the native English teacher and the co-teachers is a critical and delicate one.  The primary co-teacher is the person assigned responsiblity for coordinating the native teacher's work at school each day and assisting with adjusting to life in Korea.  The classroom co-teachers are Korean English ... [Continue reading this entry]

My schedule is always changing ~ I never really know where I am supposed to be or when.  Today, for example, we started classes early and shortened the period length to accomodate ... something (?) and the day ended at ... [Continue reading this entry]

There are two "must carry" things here ~ tissue/toilet paper and hand disinfectant.  You never know when you are going to be in a squatter with no tp, and you don't know where the other person's hand has been, perhaps without a ... [Continue reading this entry]

I was working on lesson plans this afternoon, actually searching for a word puzzle generator, when I happened up to the Fartmatic 5000.  (http://www.thepcmanwebsite.com/media/fart/) 

The cleaning crew (a small litter of 14-year-old boys) was in my office at ... [Continue reading this entry]

This is a real question ~ "Has anyone figured out how the garbage works?" We've been told that waste disposal and recycling are very important in Korea and that we should follow the guidelines carefully.  The majority of the waste is ... [Continue reading this entry]

It was a FANTASIC weekend ~ it was wonderful to get out of town and back to civilization.  I really need to get out more often. On the way back to the island, I'm sitting there on the express bus leg ... [Continue reading this entry]

Woke up this morning, put on my slippers, turned on the tv …

I don’t have a tv in my apartment.  It just doesn't make sense, because there are no television programs in English ~ not even news networks (no BBC, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Seoul is an enormous city ~ statistics suggest it is the 8^th  largest city in the world, with a population of about 11 million (compared to US cities:  NYC 8 million, LA 4 million, Chicago 3 million, Minneapolis/StP 700,000 …)  ... [Continue reading this entry]

I read the English newspaper (Korean Herald) as frequently as I can, and try to catch up with the Pioneer Press and StarTribune, for local news ~ I just happened to read the following article in the Korea Times: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/03/117_41268.html

Foreign residents who come to Korea with a long term visa are required to obtain an Alien Registration card from the local Immigration Office within 90 days of arrival and carry it on their person at all times.  It is advisable that ... [Continue reading this entry]

Living in Korea is a dramatic  lifestyle change ~ it's impossible to be fully prepared for complete immersion in a world that is very different that what you're used to.  I guess you learn to relax and "go with the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Teaching English in Korea is not an easy job.

You may be thinking "How hard can it possibly be?  If you speak English, you can teach English ~ right?"  WRONG ~ just because you speak a language does not ... [Continue reading this entry]

I knew it would happen ~ I knew it would happen at some point ~ but I didn't anticipate that a student would proclaim his love for me while I have having a conversation with the Principal of the school ... [Continue reading this entry]

I'm going to dedicate this post to telling you about my school and a little bit about the Korean education system. The Korean public education system is divided into three parts: six years of primary school, three years of middle school, ... [Continue reading this entry]

There is a video from our teachers orientation that is pretty cool.  Go to www.epik.go.kr , click on video clips, it's the first one (dated 2009/03/03). I will be posted photos as soon as I can figure out how ~ ... [Continue reading this entry]

Thank you to everyone who picked up the call this evening/morning/afternoon ~ it is wonderful and comforting to hear familiar voices.

Bill, I love you 17.  Give a big hug to my sweet girl.  Mom, it was good ... [Continue reading this entry]