While I was teaching some of my elementary students about time, we had to figure out how much time they go to school. From 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. for English class. And it doesn't end there! Afterwards it is time for piano class or violin lessons or learning how to play the ocarina (one of the kids is enrolled in classes for all three!) If I spent 12 hours at school when I was 10 years old... I might end up a little crazy too.
Recently I heard that Korea surpassed America for number of hours worked in a week or day, but thqat there production is still about one third of an average American. People basically just go to work to do normal life stuff, even sleep in some cases.
My job feels like it follows this ethic in someways. I am there but for three hours some days, I don't have to do anything! I have free periods. It is basically a 9:30-6:00 job but after dealing with the Hyatt, I might as well be lounging on the beach sipping some Mai Tais... or Chillin at a Hof sippin some Soju.
I am going to take pictures of work life tomorrow. One of my homeroom students celebrates his birthday tomorrow, which is a huuuuge deal in Korea. It is awesome for me, because I get to eat cake instead of teaching.
Yes, that is right, the 6 year olds I teach have homeroom, and switch classes every period; something I didn't do until High School, and it scared the crap out of me.
I am improving on my teaching skills in leaps and giddy skips.
My Hangugo (Korean language, I think) skills are still not that great, but I am now able to read almost everything around me, even though the words still don't mean much to me. I have the basics down now and it is becoming very natural for me, which feels comforting. I am ready to continue on the quest to learn this language, even if it will only be applicable for only 11 more months of my entire life.
On top of my language studies and work, my perpetual attempts at furthering my art in music and writing continue. I have been staying away from the computer and sticking to cassette and paper. The TV has only been a distraction twice so far, although I may be able to count my Korean television show watching in the category of learning the language. I met a guy here who was well into chopping down the language barrier and he recommended watching Taxi Driver and Friends in Korean repeatedly, he was, however, also an ass and I don't want to take his advice.
Overlapping and in between, I have been experiencing Seoul and the Republic of Korea. It is expandingly interesting here. There is so much to take in and be a part of, it follows that when I speak of it, my time here will sound like a long vacation. Even sometimes I feel as though this blog may be one long, boring, vacation slide photo session. On the contrary, I am doing my best to live life to the fullest. Maybe life should just feel like a long vacation. Some of you reading this will think "I wish" but even vacations have their drawbacks. Maybe in life, those drawbacks are just drawn out sometimes too.
Here are some of the life I have been living:
Renae and I were walking around here area and there was a small dirt road between two buildings. We took the trail and it lead us away from the cars and the buildings. It is nice to get away into nature, even if it is just an island of it, in the middle of a super sized metropolis. I like taking pictures of bugs. I am on a bridge, a straight overpass, suspended over a six lane road, but it is built for more than walking. There are beautiful bushes surrounding a winding path that makes you feel like you didn't just step out of the woods; that the road below you is a mirage and when you continue forward into the thicker forest, the sound of the cars disappears back into your imagination.
Chuseok is a thanksgiving holiday. It happens on the full moon in September. It was on a Tuesday this year. Most jobs were off for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Some people get off the whole week. Family's gather to pray for and to recent ancestors and to share thanks. There are a lot fo tradition games that I was in charge of doing with all the classes. I didn't know about any of them... except for Chiki Chagi! I impressed everyone at the school, including the teachers, with my Chiki Chagi skills. (Little did they know that I had been practicing for years in America under the guise of Hacky-Sack! That was so cool. I felt like the Mac of Chuseok. In the picture above, Renae's Tae Kwon Do class was invited to Chuseok Dinner with their Master, Sun. I happily tagged along, and even though they were serving duck, there was another vegetarian and they made some extra-special dishes for us. We took a bus to the mountains. The bus was innovative and I have not seen one like it before. In Mexico, there was a stool in between the pilot seats of a van to fit more people. This van has two fold down seats in the isles; so cool:
After making some a great new friend and going to a bar with Renae's Tae Kwon Do instructor (who seems to hover around the same intensity with rockin' out that I do,) we decided to go to the Korean Traditional Village the next day.
On the entrance to a small village area.
This structure is a tribute to a Woman's fidelity after marriage.
An older gentleman relaxing by the river. No one lives at the village except for some animals and the Buddhist monks there.
and Korean scarecrows.
...cool statues and lame people who want to be like them.
On the way to the temple; lattic has never looked close to this cool.
I didn't take pictures near the temple out of respect. I feel some things have to be left out of my world in the age of digital information. I was humbled. I pictured monks rising at 3am to do their chores and prayers; the one whose job is to beat the drum, the other whose job it is to sweep... chilling. Awesome.
I have a series of this turtle coming out of its shell. I could not believe after I took the first picture, that its neck kept stretching further. The next shot is a catfish scaring it back into the shell. How long is the neck...? the world may never know.
Renae and I say 'Hi.' The folk village was quite nice. There are many other pictures and there is much to explain. I know I will be back someday, but the Korean teacher who recommended I go to this place during the holiday (less of a crowd) told me of another place, an actual folk village. I know these boots will take me there. I am not sure if they will bring me back.
I want to live in a small community growing peppers. I love peppers.
I hadn't charged my camera for a month in Korea. It died in the folk village. I was relieved.
The next day is Chuseok...
the adventure, told through the new and exciting medium of blog, will have to be serial.
I have to teach in the morning and it is getting late.
I hit my first little bought of homesickness a few days ago. I miss you all.
1 comment:
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