Hi all,
Fall is here in Seoul! I'm currently at school, and I'm freezing. I figured out that there is no central heat in my school or my apartment. My apartment only has floor heat (my floor gets very warm. I don't really understand how to work this function right now. I actually can't turn it off?). My school is like a concrete ice box, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to teach all bundled up throughout the winter. It is really bizarre- every day I come in and all the doors and window of the school are wide open. When I go to my classroom, my coteacher always opens the windows too "because the air is not fresh." I think I'm missing something.
The last couple weeks have been fairly uneventful. I've been trying to stay in more often - I waste a lot of money and calories going out to eat, out to coffee, and out to bars. My schedule now consists more of going to school, going to the gym, making dinner, taking a shower, and watching tv, reading, or hanging out with my friend Arianna who lives upstairs.
School has also been fairly uneventful too. I'm still battling the 6th grade- working daily on how to teach kids not to be little punks. It's really exasperating some days because I get so frustrated and want to just yell at them, but none of them have...any...idea....what...I...am....saying...unless....I .....talk....like...this.... and...it....is...sooooo... hard....to....talk...like... this....when...a...kid...is... being...absurd...Even....at... this...speed....half...of... what....I...say...is...beyond. ..their...comprehension... level. Ugh.
I've started making kids stand in the corner, write sentences, or pick up the classroom after class.
There are, of course, the kids that make my day enjoyable. Some of them are absolutely adorable and really nice. There are others who are hilarious. For example, the other day I had words on the board in a large video game controller I made, and when I hit the "button" next to the word, the students had to do whatever the word said. I hit the button "Dancing," and while most kids shyly boogied, I had one kid jump all the way across the classroom singing and dancing to "Superman that Ho." He can't make a full sentence, but he clearly has picked up on at least some American "culture." Most of my kids know completely inappropriate or useless English- I don't know where they get it from, but I catch them giving each other the finger all the time and I had an adorable little 4th grade girl come in with "F*** You" on her binder the other day. I made her erase it and tried to tell her that it was a very bad thing to say, but I'm pretty sure she didn't really grasp what I was saying. Where do they get this stuff?? Most of them can't even tell me what day it is.
My principal, per usual, has also been hilarious this week. Yesterday, he walked over with the vice principal and goes "Andie. every year. we take picture. our school family. you family. you take picture. you choose. today or yesterday."
and I go, "tomorrow?"
and he responds, "today or tomorrow. you choose."
"and i go, "it doesnt matter... today is fine."
and they look me UP and DOWN and say, "tomorrow?"
and I say, "today?"
and they respond, "andie. you choose! today or tomorrow."
and I say, "today."
and they look at me, and my hair and clothes and go "oh ok tomorrow."
Before I left school yesterday he told me to make sure I "look good" tomorrow "for photo." Then he added to "do make-up." I want to say I was offended, but he really means well, and I know he really likes me so I don't think he is being mean. This is my life, haha.
I've started studying Korean in the afternoons. It is not going anywhere fast, and although I can read Korean/Hangul, I have NO idea what 99% of it means. I have no desire to be fluent, I really would just like to be functional. When I speak with Koreans here who only know a little English, they all seem so impressed that I speak English. It's weird- I want to say YOU are the one who is practically bilingual- I only speak my native language and a little French. They need to give themselves more credit.
Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to Seoul Fashion Week to see two designers. I have no idea what to expect. Then Friday I am debating on going on a hiking trip with my school that lasts until about 10pm. I can't imagine this will be fun, but I'm thinking I should probably go anyway. If I don't go, I have the day off and I'm going to put together a Halloween costume with my friend Sam. I'll probably spend the rest of the weekend enjoying more of Seoul- shopping and exploring!
Miss you all!
Andie
Fall is here in Seoul! I'm currently at school, and I'm freezing. I figured out that there is no central heat in my school or my apartment. My apartment only has floor heat (my floor gets very warm. I don't really understand how to work this function right now. I actually can't turn it off?). My school is like a concrete ice box, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to teach all bundled up throughout the winter. It is really bizarre- every day I come in and all the doors and window of the school are wide open. When I go to my classroom, my coteacher always opens the windows too "because the air is not fresh." I think I'm missing something.
The last couple weeks have been fairly uneventful. I've been trying to stay in more often - I waste a lot of money and calories going out to eat, out to coffee, and out to bars. My schedule now consists more of going to school, going to the gym, making dinner, taking a shower, and watching tv, reading, or hanging out with my friend Arianna who lives upstairs.
School has also been fairly uneventful too. I'm still battling the 6th grade- working daily on how to teach kids not to be little punks. It's really exasperating some days because I get so frustrated and want to just yell at them, but none of them have...any...idea....what...I.
I've started making kids stand in the corner, write sentences, or pick up the classroom after class.
There are, of course, the kids that make my day enjoyable. Some of them are absolutely adorable and really nice. There are others who are hilarious. For example, the other day I had words on the board in a large video game controller I made, and when I hit the "button" next to the word, the students had to do whatever the word said. I hit the button "Dancing," and while most kids shyly boogied, I had one kid jump all the way across the classroom singing and dancing to "Superman that Ho." He can't make a full sentence, but he clearly has picked up on at least some American "culture." Most of my kids know completely inappropriate or useless English- I don't know where they get it from, but I catch them giving each other the finger all the time and I had an adorable little 4th grade girl come in with "F*** You" on her binder the other day. I made her erase it and tried to tell her that it was a very bad thing to say, but I'm pretty sure she didn't really grasp what I was saying. Where do they get this stuff?? Most of them can't even tell me what day it is.
My principal, per usual, has also been hilarious this week. Yesterday, he walked over with the vice principal and goes "Andie. every year. we take picture. our school family. you family. you take picture. you choose. today or yesterday."
and I go, "tomorrow?"
and he responds, "today or tomorrow. you choose."
"and i go, "it doesnt matter... today is fine."
and they look me UP and DOWN and say, "tomorrow?"
and I say, "today?"
and they respond, "andie. you choose! today or tomorrow."
and I say, "today."
and they look at me, and my hair and clothes and go "oh ok tomorrow."
Before I left school yesterday he told me to make sure I "look good" tomorrow "for photo." Then he added to "do make-up." I want to say I was offended, but he really means well, and I know he really likes me so I don't think he is being mean. This is my life, haha.
I've started studying Korean in the afternoons. It is not going anywhere fast, and although I can read Korean/Hangul, I have NO idea what 99% of it means. I have no desire to be fluent, I really would just like to be functional. When I speak with Koreans here who only know a little English, they all seem so impressed that I speak English. It's weird- I want to say YOU are the one who is practically bilingual- I only speak my native language and a little French. They need to give themselves more credit.
Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to Seoul Fashion Week to see two designers. I have no idea what to expect. Then Friday I am debating on going on a hiking trip with my school that lasts until about 10pm. I can't imagine this will be fun, but I'm thinking I should probably go anyway. If I don't go, I have the day off and I'm going to put together a Halloween costume with my friend Sam. I'll probably spend the rest of the weekend enjoying more of Seoul- shopping and exploring!
Miss you all!
Andie
Gosh, does the principal want you to look like a hussy or something? Doesn't he realize that you are beautiful just the way you are?
ReplyDeleteLove you.