The Various Musings and Ramblings of an Educated Layabout

H-W: The Energetic One

I first began this post in April last year - a lifetime again. Since then I grew with H-W and began to love the kid for the very reasons other teachers groaned about.

April 2011

After my first day, the other foreign teacher enquired 'what do you think about H-W?' He laughed as my face screwed up - I was without words to describe little H-W: 'It's like he takes crack on the school bus right?'. To be honest, it was the perfect picture to paint of the adorable H-W. This kid is an empty vat of energy and always bounding about the room with a cheerful smile.

 Recently his mother was away for 2 weeks, he got a spiffy new haircut but on her return he seems to have turned Charlie Sheen and done a 7 gram rock on the bus. Crikey was this kid psyched his mother had returned. Possibly because he seems to be a bit miffed at the new hairstyle, I like it as his grandma styles it like a 1950s Mad Men character - awesome stuff!

H-W can eat for England/Korea and the world. Everyday I'm asked for more food.

April 2012

And it went on like that - except after 6 months it's like his confidence and English ability just sprouted and I began to notice we would be having full blown conversations. Initially H-W could only answer and understand basics and he had no reading ability. Then suddenly we're talking about baseball or his favourite foods like native speakers. He made me truly feel like I'd made a difference. On my last day I was pretty harsh on him because he was being lazy in class. He started crying. He could be emotional on odd occasions but today I asked why and he just looked at me. At that time I knew I'd made a difference. And although we never remember teachers from when we were five years old, to me it didn't matter. Because I remember.

Sort it Out! Get a grip and all that ...

I don't like to think about unhappy things. Hence I withdrew from my blog when I found it hard at my last job. I don't want to be negative so I just walked away. I didn't even come back once things got better. I let myself stagnate.

Even now after leaving my job, returning home to the UK to uncertain future but definite unemployment I am still stagnating. It gets worse when you come back and live in the same place you were when you were 13. It's like a homecoming to puberty except everyone else moved on! I find myself walking round feeling like I'm 14 again, but all my friends have babies, jobs and/or moved out of the area.

I let myself feel like this for a week and now I'm making a stand. A protest against myself. I will sort it out! Even if I mess up interviews, I have to learn from it and move on. Sorting myself out.

The main issue is I don't leave my house. For several reasons, one I want to look after my sick Dad but also I don't want to have to leave my safety net. So step 1: leaving the house.

Project:me or rather sorting out my life starts today!

Abandoned Theme Park ... or is it?

In June I led my friends on an expedition to find an abandoned theme park in the centre of Seoul. On a blazing hot day we started off with an adventurer's lunch - a McDonalds. True hearty food for an afternoon of searching. We searched and walked aimlessly with a direction of vague north until we found a park. The inside the park after following a stream we discovered the theme park. To find it full ... of  children and English speaking edu-tainers. Not so abandoned.

 

Based around the Alice in Wonderland theme - it still was a pretty surreal thing to find in the middle of a big city.

 

Time Progresses

And a lot of things happen. Like usual I left my blog to grow dusty and ferment in emptiness. Mainly because I was feeling sad and I don't like to dwell. But now I am happy! Days at work go by fast and I feel less and less put upon. Although it is still busy as ever and I'm looking forward to holidays and weekends more than ever.

I had my 24th birthday with some old Seoulmates as Shannon put it in her birthday speech. I ended it all with a big mug of English breakfast tea and pancakes at Butterfingers in Gangnam. It's open til 3am which was amazing! Korea really is 'my kind of place' :)

 

Work drags on

It's been a particularly busy few weeks. Parent/Teacher conferences, project themed month, display work, cleaning classrooms after hoards of ten students. All very exhausting but I still manage to fit it in the day. Without breaks though. I'm also working at home a fair bit. Tiring. But I have an income and rent paid which is so much more than I had  3 months ago. I find the idea of looking forward to things/trips/days off  great way to get through it all. Next week I have a three day weekend due to a national holiday. I will be staying in Seoul and resting. Celebrating a friend's birthday on the Sunday. Then maybe head to a theme park on the Monday. I need to save money!

 

Cirque du Soleil Varekai

 
Saturday 7th May 2011

We booked the tickets a month ago. Located in a big blue big top around the back of the Jamsil baseball stadium I found myself dressed up (we'd decided on a formal dressed up style despite the laid back fashion of everyone else!) and ready to be impressed. I adored the performance and clapped so much my hands hurt.  Whenever I hear of  a Cirque du Soleil performance near me in the future I think I'll find myself reviewing  my budget to find the ticket price - seriously worth it!

 

Down Time

I haven't blogged for a while because I felt sad. The owner of the school took a dislike to me and I took it personally. The workload weighed upon my shoulders and I became someone who cries on a night. Then I got over it. She doesn't like me, big deal, she still has to pay me. Plus I enjoy working with the children - even when they're playing up. Although my enjoyment levels dip slightly when they decide drooling and running around the room in front of my director is more preferable to learning the new song for the competition next week.

Even A in the oldest class, when she ribs me constantly I'm cracking up. She's given a long and complicated nickname that encapsulates everything that annoys her 'Bobbie slow as snail Young teacher'. For some reason, she gets frustrated very easily by the smallest things that do not affect her. So, takes it out on me. I think my laughter response further fires the frustration.

My moods improved as I slowly gained confidence in dealing with the younger children and I realised that if worst came to worst I still have options. Also a flurry of national holidays, well two, and a big children's day performance for the foreign teachers meant no regular staff meetings. Something I enjoyed immensely. Also I had something to look forward - days off and cirque du soleil tickets. I loved both the time off and the performance!

Only four more weeks til the next national holiday which is a three day weekend - oh the options! I think I'm staying in Korea and probably going to Busan for some beachtime in June. 

So, while I use the day off to catch up on lesson plans and ideas to use to protect myself during staff meeting times as it is raining. And dream of the future, because whatever happens it is bright and I am lucky. And Dad keeps reminding me to save up money for it :p

Cherry Blossoms make my happy

I woke up refreshed early Saturday and went to see cherry blossoms in bloom!

 

Sarah - The Clumsy One

In my 'forest mammal' homeroom (my class has a particularly amusing animal name) Sarah has warmed up to me considerably over the last few weeks. I remember I spent the first week or so genuinely worried she didn't like me, only to discover this not engaging eye contact gig of hers is universal to all races, creeds and colours. She's just a little awkward and perhaps can not really see out of her smudged up, child-friendly, bendy red rimmed glasses.

She also has these massive indoor slippers. Huge blocks of red plastic Crocs that she lumbers around the room in, often dragging her feet as if she were deformed in some way. She'd pass for an awesome Frankenstein's monster in the future. Sarah's not a graceful swan either, her motor skills leave something to be desired. But isn't that what's loveable about five year olds? You never see a five year old gymnast and go 'aaaaw', you'd react in terms of 'genuis ooOOOoo'; whereas after sometime Sarah makes you want to give her a big hug.

Yeah, after school I'll have a little chuckle about her antics, but after slipping down the stairs on the way to the subway today I've become to realise there's a lot I see of myself in Sarah. I was, and still am, the little awkward kid with the thick glasses trundling round the room like a small elephant. And 15 years or so later I wouldn't have it any other way.

IV Drips and Teeny Tiny Water Sips

Only one month in and I've already taken a sick day. Oh no. But I was seriously sick. Death's door, poisoned by food and alcohol.  Granted probably my fault for mixing beer and barbeque on a school night. Well, completely my fault. I was puking in taxis, puking in bathrooms, puking in my room. Needless to say it was graphic, nasty and wrong. Sorry if this is openly gross but the situation was awful. I also have no shame left in me anymore.

And the next morning I was white as a sheet, continuously vomiting. Couldn't make it to school. Managed a hot shower. I managed to get the news to my workmates as they were leaving to go to work that I was sick. And thankfully at 10.30am, the lovely Korean teacher and owner's husband came in the school bus to pick me up. From there, they whisked me off to the school where the director took one look at me and told them to get me to a doctor. I've never wanted an IV drip before but I felt so dehydrated and crappy that in my head I thought to myself - if it's offered I'm not saying no. Needless to say it was offered and for two blissful hours I laid being dripped electrolytes and other beautiful bodily fluids back into my body. After a little child supervision at work, mainly due to there being no one else there and miscommunication I headed home early to nap and rest.

I have learnt my lesson. Work hard. Take care of your self. Then ensure you're fully taking care of yourself. Leave playing hard to the weekend. I also have a lot of dry cleaning to be carried out due to the aftermath -_-

Anyway, three days later I'm all good :)