Reflections on my vacation, Part 1

So, I’m sitting here in a freezing cold classroom with my worst class wreaking havoc on my senses. They are finished with their year-long curriculum, and I am left with little to do but give them a puzzle to keep them partially occupied until I can send them back to the incompetent old fart that is their “zookeeper.” You can tell a good teacher by the way his or her students behave when the teacher isn’t around. This guy sucks.

I’m glad, though, that I have this golden opportunity to reflect back on my blissfully long absence from this place and this job. Don’t get me wrong; I love my job. I just hate this class. This is the class that I broke my stick trying to manage, as you may recall. At this point in the year (They’ll become sixth-graders in a couple of weeks.) I could care less what this crew does. I only hope that these students get put in one of the good teachers’ class next year. Else, I might have to kill them.

Vietnam

When we landed in Vietnam, I was really worried about crime. All of the books and internet forums I had read told me about all of the crime that occurred in Southeast Asia. Therefore, I was sure that I was going to be robbed on my first day. However, nothing malicious happened the entire time. Aside from that apprehension, I was blown away by the insane number of motorcycles and scooters that scurried about the city streets.

We were in a van, and from the air-conditioned safety of our transport were able to look out at it all without having to face what would be certain death were we in it. However, after we arrived at our hotel and checked in, we found that despite the appearance the traffic really wasn’t that bad. See, everyone was a polite driver. Everyone would let people go in front of them. It was quite the contrast from Korea, where everyone is trying to make sure that not one single person gets ahead of them. In order to successfully manage the streets of Vietnam, remember these three rules.

1. Walk Slowly.

2. Walk Steadily.

3. Don’t Change Pace.

If you remember those three rules you could wade through a thousand scooters doing 50 MPH. They will literally flow around you like you were wading across a river.

Another thing that is completely the opposite of Korea would be the restaurants. When we sat down at the first restaurant in Saigon, we were completely floored. The menu seriously had over 700 items on it. I shit you not. 700. They had food from all over the world, too. Hamburgers, pizza, tacos, spring rolls, gnocchi, lox and bagels… Seriously, everything. In Korea, you can’t find any food that isn’t Korean or “Koreanized.” But, here we were in a third-world, developing, communist country and we could order over 700 things. We were quite happy.

People were bombarding us to buy their postcards, sunglasses, lighters, cigarettes, gum, photocopied novels, and many other things. And, these people don’t give up, either. If you say no, they stand there and give you the “National Geographic” look that makes you feel so guilty that you have to buy something. Even the cyclo drivers stake you out, waiting for you to finish your meal so that they can take you somewhere.

In Korea, even the satellite TV is 99% Korean. ESPN only shows old Olympic short-track speed skating reruns and soccer. I saw ACC basketball in Vietnam and Cambodia! They didn’t even show the SuperBowl in Korea! There were so many channels in so many languages. I know I was in a tourist area, but I think one of the things that makes a tourist area is availability of things for tourists. Do Koreans wonder why nobody comes to Korea for vacation? It’s because there is nothing here for them to come and see or do!

Anyway, after the mind-numbing shock of Saigon, we hopped on an overnight train to Nha Trang. I got sick that night. Really sick. I had a bad fever, complete with the poops and vomiting. I had one “BC Headache Powder,” so I had to buy some Tylenol from a street vendor. Also, I had to sleep in a room alone with three Vietnamese travelers, not that it mattered since I was curled into the fetal position the whole time. One good thing is that you don’t need a prescription for most medicines, so when the sun came up that morning I walked dazedly to the pharmacy and picked up some amoxicillin and some serious aspirin. I felt much better the next day.

We went on a tour of “Monkey Island,” visited the mud bath and the hot springs, and the girls went para-sailing. I know better than that, though, because it is 100% obvious that you can die from that height.

We lounged around Nha Trang for a few days, which was actually just long enough for me to feel better. We then went back to Saigon for a day and headed to a beach that might have been the most desolate place I have ever seen. This beach was like going to Topsail Island in the middle of winter. There were no restaurants or bars, and the water was seriously polluted. When we made camp on the beach, we were literally accosted by hordes of women who wanted to sell us crap. They made camp around us. Really, they sat right in front of us and began to cook things that we didn’t ask for or wan. We had to get up and split.

Overall, I’d say Vietnam was a great place. I did some things that I had never done before and I really liked the people we met. I got some great massages and some no-so-great ones. I ate some delicious food and I ate something that made me sick. Still, I highly recommend Vietnam to anyone that wants to travel.

Coming up next…

Thailand!

Back in Bangkok

We finally made it back to Bangkok.  We leave tomorrow to go to Siem Reap for four days and then head back to the “Land of the Morning Calm.”

I would like to apologize for not writing in the past week, but I think you understand that I had better things to do, such as lie on a beach and get a tan.  The past ten days have been nothing but swimming and relaxing.  However, I must admit that I am ready to head back to winter.  I’m sick of the stinky, sticky days and the mosquito-infested nights.

So, I’m on a coin-operated computer and the alarm just went off, so I’m out of time.  More to come…

Peace.

This is paradise!

So, we’re in Ko Tao, now.  This place is paradise.  It really is.  Picture a tropical paradise in your mind, and that might come close to the reality that is Ko Tao.  We have a small wooden bungalow just off the beach, and we have rosters that wake us up in the mornings.

I opened one of the drawers in the bungalow, and a giant cockroach went scurrying about.  I shut the drawer and I didn’t tell anyone in the room for fear that they might not sleep well.  I simply drank enough Thai whiskey to make sure I slept like a baby in our non-air conditioned, cold shower pine box with a tin roof.  I really want it to rain once, but the weather here is perfect as well so I don’t foresee that happening.

I’ll get some pictures up as soon as I can.

Peace.

Hi from Ko Samui!

So, we flew out of Bangkok yesterday to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand.  We’re going to be spending a few days here.  We got in last night after dark, and I just want you to know that the Ko Samui airport is, quite possibly, the coolest airport I have ever seen.  Picture a tropical cabana with a tarmac.  It’s beautiful.

Anyway, sorry this post is short, but I have to get ready to go.  We’re taking a ferry to Ko Tao to do a little diving or fishing.  I’m hoping to spend the next few days in a bungalow on the beach.  We’ll see how it turns out.

Later, guys.  Wish you were here.

Hi from Bangkok!

OK… 

Made it through Vietnam.  I got really sick a couple of days in and it lasted for a few days.  High fever, nausea, the runs, etc…   We took a sleeper train from Saigon to Nha Trang, and I developed the fever about one hour before we got on the train.  I had no medicine, no blankets, and no warm clothes to put on.  When we booked the tickets, they gave us two sleepers in the same room and one in a another room with Vietnamese people.  I basically had to lay in a room with three strangers while curled into the fetal position for ten hours.  It was, quite possibly, the worst night of my life.

Ran to the pharmacy the next morning for some antibiotics, some aspirin, and some Immodium.  Cleared it up that day to the point that I felt like going out and laying on the beach for a couple of hours.  Did I mention to you that I was on antibiotics?  Yeah, that didn’t do to well with the sun.  Bring back the fever, along with mild sunburn and a touch of delirium.

By Day Six, I was back and ready to go.  However, it wasn’t until the past couple of days that I was finally “regular” again. 

The internet in Nha Trang was insanely bad, and I was not able to access my Yahoo address book or blog.  I was having to send e-mails just by the addresses I could remember in my head.  I asked everyone to forward them to Phyllis, but apparently no one did.  Now she’s mad at me.  Thanks, guys.

Our last day in Nha Trang was spent visiting islands and meeting monkeys.  I have some really cool pics and videos, but I’ll have to post them later.

When we finally got back to Ho Chi Minh City, they cut the electricity for most of the day in order to fix a power line ( I have pictures of the power lines you must see) so we were without internet, air conditioning, TV, refrigeration, and hot water for a whole day.  Did I mention I was in a really hot city with hardly breathable air? Harsh.

We went the next day to a beach I can only describe as the “Wando” of Vietnam.  It was only an hour from Saigon via hydrofoil, but it was a dump.  We ended up sitting in our room playing games and drinking really cheap booze while watching bad movies.  The beach was sick and the water had garbage floating in it.  The seascape was littered with oil tankers and basket boats.  Yuck. 

Overall, I must say that I really liked Vietnam, but I didn’t actually love it.  I was sick for a good chunk of the time, and we really didn’t leave the “touristy” areas, but I still didn’t really love it.  There were too many vendors hassling you all the time and it was really hard being on vacation and having a good time when you have a ten-year-old child holding his two-year-old sister in his arms asking you for money.  The sad thing is that if you give money to one of them, thirty more will scurry out of the woodwork.  You can;t save the whole country, can you?

The people were really great, though.  I though the Vietnamese people were kind and warm.  I went to the “War Remnants Museum.”  Some of that was sick.  I won’t discuss it today.  Just know that it was good to be able to plug in the MP3 player and listen to Yousef Islam for a week afterward.

Anyway, were off today to Ko Samui and islands farther.  I hope that I will be able to actually attain that week-long bungalow on the beach that I have been shooting for this whole trip.  We’ll see.

Peace.

Hey, guys. Sorry about the absence…

Well, it’s Christmas Eve.

I have been terrible at updating my blogs for the past few weeks.  I have been lazy and injured.  I pulled muscles in my back on two separate occasions while playing volleyball at school.  Since I’m the tallest person at my school and I’m a volleyball god, I’m always the person responsible for the net play.  I’m either blocking or spiking on every single possession. It has apparently taken it’s toll over the semester.

I have to go back to the doctor today, and he’ll hook me up to a machine that electrocutes me.  It actually feels great afterward.

Anyway, nothing new to report except that we are all set to go on our vacation.  We have our flights booked, a hotel to stay in for our first few nights, and our visas.  We leave on the 2nd and come back on the 31st.  One month of winter will be traded for one month in a tropical paradise.  Suckers…

We’re going to Vietnam first, then to Thailand, and our final stop will be in Cambodia.  It should be interesting.  I bought two 2GB memory cards for my camera, so I’ll take loads of photos and post them as I can.  I might be in an out of contact for a while, but that’s nothing new, right?

I’ll try to make phone calls to different places tomorrow night, but I have to work on Wednesday morning so I probably can’t stay up late and call. Christmas is only a one-day holiday here.  Oh well…

Anyway, I’ll call if I can and I’ll be updating every day until I leave for vacation.

Jamie

PS:  Don’t forget that I’m moving the blog over to jamieiskorean.blogspot.com.  I’ll be posting on both for a while, but then this one’s gonna be shut down.

WordPress sucks. I’m moving to Blogspot.

OK…  It seems like everything is better on the other side.

WordPress officially sucks. WordPress has shortcomings.
I can’t embed the videos I want.  I ahve trouble uploading the pictures I want.  The code writing sucks.  Blah, Blah, Blah…

Over the next week or so, I’m going to transition to the new site. I’ll send out emails to everyone so they can change their links.

jamieiskorean.blogspot.com

I’ve made one post just to get it started, but I’m gonna have fun over the next week vamping it up and making it personal.

Dave and Rachel might want to check out my first post.  It’s about NC State beating South Carolina in Orlando…

By the way, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  The way my schedule works doesn’t allow me to call at any reasonable time to talk to anyone.  It’s either call at 7:00 AM EST or call at 5:30 PM EST when everyone is taking a nap.

My crappy Monday…

My week has started off with a flop.

1) It’s cold. Really cold.

2) My first class on Monday is always a fifth grade class. It is absolutely my worst class of the week. They are horrible, vile little hooligans. They caused Number 3.

3) I broke my stick. I have a stick that I carry around to use as a pointer. Occasionally, I will smash it against a chair just to make some loud noise. Today, I smashed it repeatedly as hard as I could until it broke.

What happened? Well, they are horrible kids. Yes, I’m still angry, but that doesn’t make it any less true. They were angry because I moved their seats so they weren’t sitting beside their favorite chatting partners. Some of the students decided they were going to put their heads on their tables in protest. Some of them decided that they weren’t going to sit where I assigned them. Some of them decided they were just going to talk over me across the class since they couldn’t sit beside their friends.

I calmly began class after moving their seats, and they would not do anything I asked. I continued like this for about five minutes. See, most teachers here have a Korean co-teacher in their classes with them. I don’t. These kids wouldn’t respect my authority at all. So, I decided to make them fear me instead.

These kids are like dogs. Some are smart dogs, like the dog that understands words like “sit,” “stop,” or “speak.” Some are really stupid dogs. You know, the kind that don’t really get anything you say. Then, there are bad dogs. Those are the dogs that don’t care what you say. All of these dogs may be different, but they all understand what it means when their master is screaming at them after smashing something on a table.

4) While these little turds were trying my patience, the Wolfpack was losing to a scrub team.

5) Lunch was zucchini everything. I’m allergic to zucchini.

6) I normally eat lunch as fast as I can so that I can get out of the lunchroom before the fourth grade class gets there. There are four boys that like to sit surrounding me and ask me in Korean if every mouthful of food I eat is delicious. They stare and point and gawk and irritate the living shit out of me.

Today, I failed to eat two mouthfuls before the teachers sitting around me finished their food, left, and the fourth graders came in. Miserable. It’s good that I couldn’t eat most of my lunch, I guess.

7) My phone ran out of minutes in the middle of a conversation.

8) I wanted to rent a video tonight. I went to a close video store, and the woman wouldn’t rent to me for some unknown reason. I went to my video store, and the kid who works there had gone home for some unknown reason.  The doors were locked, and the woman selling fish cakes outside didn’t know when, or if, he was coming back.

This Monday sucked a fat one.

Thoughts on Teaching

I had to write an essay for my bosses about “Life in the Classroom.” I thought I might share it with you guys…

__________________________________________________________

             When I first entered the classroom four years ago, I must admit that I was a little intimidated by the situation. It only took a moment for me to remember the type of kid that I was: rotten, obnoxious, and inattentive. I seemed to think that every one of my students would be like I was. However, I quickly came to realize that the situation would be much different than I expected.

            After I found my strengths and discovered my weaknesses, I realized that I could be a fantastic teacher. I had always considered myself to be a “kid at heart,” and I never thought it would help me so much in the classroom. The ability to have fun and educate at the same time is what truly sets a good teacher apart from an exceptional one.

Also, I realized that my knowledge of grammar and my inherent ability to make such a subject bearable combined to allow me to perform well as an educator. Either students want to learn or they do not. Sometimes it can be a near impossible job to change that. However, if a teacher can try to make the subject fun or at least bearable, it can create a world of difference.

Often I find that students who begin learning filled with apathy can transform themselves through unwittingly learning. After you establish that the student’s ability is improving, and you demonstrate it to the student, you can actually see the interest in learning English blossom. It is one of the more rewarding aspects of the job.

I began my career in private academies. The situation in private academies is much different than that of a public school. In a public school, classes are much larger. The average level of English comprehension is much lower, and the amount of classes taught during the course of a week is dramatically reduced. I originally thought that this would pose a great problem for me, but I quickly realized that it would help me in so many ways.

My experience has allowed me a wealth of knowledge about teaching. In public schools, we are required to teach a set curriculum. However, this doesn’t mean that we can’t supplement the material with handouts, worksheets, puzzles, and activities that will enrich and educate the students above and beyond the basic curriculum. The first thing I do every morning is evaluate the day’s lessons and see what activities I think will be most beneficial to the students.

For example, if the lesson is more speaking oriented, I might prepare a worksheet that is writing intensive. If the lesson is more about writing, maybe the worksheet will involve and encourage reading comprehension. Also, I always have puzzles involving the unit’s vocabulary available to fill gaps in class time. I find that puzzles do wonders with respect to vocabulary absorption, word recognition, and writing ability.

Korea has a culture of mixing public school with private supplementary education. The learning and educational process in Korea is quite competitive, and it affects the classroom in many ways. It’s easy for an English teacher to identify the students that do attend private English academies. I try to make sure I don’t give special attention or unfair benefits to those students. It is important for a teacher to treat all of his or her students as equals. Otherwise, that teacher is performing a disservice to himself or herself and all of the students he or she teaches.

The combined effort of a public school teacher supplemented by a private academy can create a great atmosphere for learning English. However, not every student has those opportunities. I teach in an older area of Mokpo, where private English Academies are scarce and parents with the resources to afford such schools are less likely to exist than in more affluent areas. Therefore, I find that I am often the sole connection to the English world for many of my students. This places a burden on me to do my best for those students who don’t have the advantage of supplemental English instruction.

Occasionally, though, this situation creates uncomfortable circumstances. One of the major cultural differences a newcomer might find is that Korea lacks a multicultural population. As English teachers, we all come from countries with large and diverse populations. In Korea, you will find the opposite.

The result of this circumstance is at least two-fold. First, the obvious… We look different than your typical Korean. You will often hear comments about the size of your nose or the “smallness” of your face. However, for some students, the curiosity can become too much. While staring is a constant and the majority of students know the boundaries, the occasional vulgarity presents itself. It rarely happens, but unfortunately does happen, that a student will treat me like an animal. He or she might grab a piece of hair and pluck it from my head. Another student might stick his or her finger in any number of places on my body. This is a result of lack of knowledge about foreigners, but it can be offensive and distasteful.

Also, the introduction of a non-Korean into an environment based on Confucian principles can be troublesome for the children. Children in Korea are taught to respect their elders. Usually, they do. However, as a foreigner, especially one that does not speak Korean, we usually find ourselves outside of the Confucian scale. Many children are confused about whether they should respect us as elders, treat us as equals, or look down upon us. The best students will respect you. The worst will look down upon you.

As a teacher in this situation, I must say it can be trying. It is always important to remember that at the end of the day, we are dealing with children. By definition, children are immature, ignorant, and naïve. We cannot allow ourselves to become distraught or angry with the children. We must set a good example and be positive with the children. I think that we take for granted the fact that we grew up in such diversity.

Curiosity in children should never be stifled. A child wants to stare at my nose? It doesn’t bother me any more. Why? Well, maybe it is the first large nose that student has ever seen. Maybe if he stares at my nose for a few seconds, he will let the next teacher he meets slide without that humiliation. All in all, I’d say that the classroom environment is as much for the students’ education about different and foreign people as it is the students’ English education.

Overall, my experience in Korea has been outstanding. I feel like I am having a positive influence on my students, friends, and host country by being positive, knowledgeable, and polite. Being a great teacher requires a lot of patience and understanding, and I think that those qualities are as important as any for having a positive experience in Korea. The lessons learned in the classroom are as important for me as they are for the students.

Wolfpack!

Nice job beating back the Tarholes…