Sorry

I feel a little bad because I've let this blog kind of fall by the wayside a little, which is unfortunate. I've been really busy with the other blog and giveaways and stuff (if you are into kpop, check it out here)

Plus tumblr really is a much easier platform, and nicer on the eyes.

Nonetheless I will try to recap the last few weeks, but it's been a haze in a lot of places.

I tested 650+ students for speaking exams. Every student at my school grade 1-3. Grade one had a dialogue which they had to translate to Korean and memorize. The dialogue was pretty simple. But the students had real trouble memorizing it, I noticed. And grade 2/3 received three questions. They had to choose one and prepare a speech answering the one question. This went better than the dialogue, but not that great. Grading was the most difficult thing as I got no guidance regarding the division of grades (I am under the impression that ideal distribution would be like a bell where the largest number of students got a middle score. I was later informed that 20-30% of all students should receive a 10/10. lol My grading scale had to change quick.

Then I had my open class. Open class is a period when your class is open for your principal, other teachers from your school, teachers from other schools (foreign teachers and native teachers), and district supervisors to come in and watch and evaluate your lesson. Then there is a open discussion afterwards. Luckily, I knew most of the people who came in to watch and I got great feedback. Also, my class was PERFECT. So that was a relief because the class I had tends to be crazy talkative.

Now, exams are all finished, and I've got 6 more days of school left (I think it's only five days of classes, if my memory of last year serves me right). Today was my first day telling my students that I won't be around next semester. It was actually really really sad. I had some not very good classes today, and it was still sad. When I have class with my grade ones, and the grade threes (who are the only students I've taught the WHOLE time I've been here) it's gonna be super hard. I didn't cry today, but I almost did.

Well, what's next?

I have been accepted to study Korean at Sogang University (not a big deal, the acceptance, they accept everyone; the big deal is what level I test in to). I will be attending Korean classes Mon-Fri 9a.m. to 1 p.m. no breaks.

To help pay for this little endeavor, I've also secured (well, contract isn't finalized, but I've been offered) a part-time job at a pre-kindergarten hagwon (private after school program). The students are super young, 24 months to 4 years, and really adorable. I've visited the pre-k before and my good friend works there. I've currently been offered a job Tues-Fri 4-6p.m. so 8 hours a week, with a possibility for the addition of Monday and/or Saturday classes (up to about 15 hours/week). I'm really excited about this job and how great the timing works into my schedule (it still leaves evenings free for studying and plenty of time in the afternoon for lunch and class prep/studying.

The problem?

a) Housing: It's really difficult finding housing in Seoul. Especially without a ton of money. You see, monthly rent is often quite cheap (consistently less than 600usd/month, usually close to 450-500usd/month for a furnished studio in the middle of the 5th biggest city in the world is pretty damn cheap). However, Korea has key money, which is basically a gigantic deposit. I'm used to a first and last month's deposit policy. Here, however, it's not uncommon to pay 5-10,000 US Dollars in a deposit (which is returned at the end of the contract assuming no damages are incurred) before the contract starts. This policy stems from the 전세 system, which is this crazy idea to pay an enormous deposit (25,000 usd+) on an apartment and then pay absolutely no rent for the next 12 months and receive your original 25,000usd back upon contract termination. Basically free rent (the landlord profits from the interest earned on that deposit typically). Ten-fifteen years ago, this was almost the only system in place. THese days, they are moving to a 월세 system, or monthly rent system. But, still, the huge deposits are a result of the previous area of monster deposits. Needless to say, I don't have a spare 5-10,000usd hanging around for me to use on a deposit, so I'm super limited. Add my two beautiful kitties to the mix, and it's been tough. Hoon is looking at a place tomorrow, and I'm checking a place out Saturday that hopefully might work.

b) Visa Oh My God. Immigration is the most obnoxious thing ever. You see, I am currently here on a teaching visa, and actually my part-time employer has offered to sponsor my visa (same kind) which is very kind (part-timers often don't get visa sponsorship... without a connection at the place, I'd never have had this kind of support). However, I am going to be in America at the time of my current visa's expiration and Immigration seemed to have no idea how to handle this situation and the prospect of extending my visa, claiming I couldn't file to extend my visa until the very day it is set to expire. They repeatedly said to me, well, just come back on the 25th of August. As if it is feasible for me to change my non-refundable plane ticket and all my plans at the drop of a hat. When I said that wasn't possible, they just sucked air through their teeth and said, well that's a problem. Then they indicated that I would have to go on a visa run. To those of you unfamiliar with this term (almost everyone who isn't currently teaching abroad) a visa run is when you make a trip to a foreign country in order to apply for a new visa (this is if you currently are not on any teaching visa, only like a tourist visa) because you cannot apply in Korea for that visa. Most people go to Osaka for this procedure, and typically your employer will cover it. However, I don't know why I'd have to do a visa run if I am here now ready to submit all the required documentation a month and a half before my current visa expires. They are telling me to just let my visa expire and then travel abroad. When I will be in America, abroad, for three weeks. Right, sure, no problem. WHAT? WHY CAN'T I EXTEND MY VISA BEFORE I LEAVE? That's crazy.

Finally I found someone with a brain who told me that actually all I have to do is go now to immigration once and then again to the same office after I return to mark a change of workplace. Welp, that's simple enough. Why didn't someone tell me in the previous 5 hours I spent trying to figure this situation out???

Now I'm at a cafe, and it's getting late and I should hit the sack.

The reason I can't write at my apartment is because the kitties managed to chew the ethernet cable (the little plastic part at the end). They bent the plastic just enough to make my internet non-usable. So I cancelled my internet and go to a cafe twice/week to get the wifi. The rest of the time I only use my phone or my work computer to access the internet. It's cheaper this way anyhow. I'd probably be going to a cafe this often anyways. and now I don't have to pay the 38,000 won/month that my internet cost.

Thanks for listening to this ramble.

This weekend a follower of my tumblr is coming to town and I'm looking forward to meeting up with her. Also, wish me luck with my doggone housing search!

xoxo
Wally

Work. School. Work. School.

A quick update on things in my life.

Right now across from me, my Korean co-teacher is cutting her hair with office scissors. I find this to be strange but comforting. I can get away with doing pretty much anything I want here. Korea is so weird. It's like teachers don't really teach.

I finally caught up on most of my work. In spite of a terrible computer fail earlier today, I managed to finish all of my final exam questions, and begin working on my lesson plans for my summer camp. My computer decided to eliminate all of my grade 1 and 2 exam questions, as well as all of the charts and pictures I had to include in the exam. So, I had to recreate everything, re-edit the photos, and re-write the questions. But I finished!

I also FINALLY wrote all of my stupid letters back to my students. They do this thing where they write letters asking for advice from a teacher. I get a lot of letters, because I'm intriguing to students, but they don't actually ask for advice because they don't know enough English. So, instead, they just write these ridiculous letters that basically say: "TEACHER! I LOVE YOU!" and the like. So I write back these equally ridiculous letters like, "wow, thank you very much. I hope you love English class a lot too!" and I decorate them with hello kitty stickers and various gelly roll pen doodles. I sound like i don't like this activity, but really I do. It's an ego boost when I have 10 letters on my desk and the other teacher in my office has three. ^_^

I also finally created a board with outstanding student work. It has stars and gold and drawings by my students right now. It seems to spruce up the room a little.

Also, we finally finished stamps. THANK GOD. I hated giving those stupid stamps with a passion. Now, stamps are over. Or at least until next semester! *^_____________^*

Now I just have to adjust to a totally new schedule that was just changed.

Oh, and for the best news of my entire week. This one student, the evil one who made me cry back in November. The one who seems to intentional try to make every teacher go mad, has reformed. By some miracle or some grace of god, this student today in my class was a perfect angel. We had free study time, so it's not like thre was really much of anything to do. But, still. Previous free studies have been like torture for me, where she just loses control and goes crazy. Today, she spent the entire 45 minutes studying. She even raised her hand and asked me a question. And while her question was in Korean, and I had trouble explaining, she sat and listened until she understood. And then she went back to studying. I've never felt such sheer unadulterated joy in my life. And so after, to reward the 5 or 6 students who were really good, including reformed demon student, I had them stay a minute late and I gave them Chupa Chups lollipops. The one student, when I said she could have one, looked at me with a look that could only be described as utter shock and awe, and said, "Teacher, ME?!" and when I said yes, she said, "Oh teacher, really very very thank you! I love you! Thank you!" I think that she and I have been growing on each other. I have to give her lots of attention, but that's okay. If I praise her (even verbally, not just with candy/bribes), she seems to perform much better. So everyday, I look for some way to say something positive to her, in hopes that she will continue to behave well. Then, at lunch, she and her friend came back to my office to talk to me, and reformed demon student MADE ME COFFEE. omg. I can hardly handle it.

So yeah. That's my life these days!

xoxo
A

Well, three more days of school left. Ack! I'm getting closer and closer to full-blown freakout but I'm not quite there yet. Tutoring is basically killing me.

I have an exam tomorrow, one tuesday and then a presentation on Wednesday. After that I have one paper to write, and I am ALL DONE!

It's fantastic having no exams on exam week. Absolutely fantastic.

This afternoon I have a mini frisbee tournament. Really it's just a series of scrimmages against the Gainesville ladies from 1-5 p.m. Hopefully that will go well. I could use some frisbee-related encouragement right about now. The banquet/party was super fun, but there are some bad things involved. First of all, I got wicked drunk and was crazy hungover pretty much all of yesterday. I still have a lingering headache as I write this. Most importantly, however, is that we went WAY over on our total budget for the banquet, and didn't get nearly enough money to pay for everything. As such, we are really in the red, and I'm not really sure how we're going to get it back.

Well, I should be getting ready for frisbee.