New Years / January

Happy New Years everyone!

So, maybe you remember that I mentioned for January my schedule was changing. Kids have a winter break of a month of two from public schools, so Manchon is offering morning classes to all these students that are on "holidays". I would be working early hours, 5 days a week with Curtis and Shelly at Manchon, teaching older kids that you can actually have a conversation with. WELL, let me tell you about how big of a screw up LIKE schools is...their ability to be unorganized is remarkable.

We have already had several meetings with Heeduk discussing what the plan was etc etc. So on December 31st, I taught at Chimsan and noticed I was still on the schedule for the week, so I casually asked who was taking over for me on January 2nd (we got the 1st off). My manager Mr Lee had no idea what I was talking about, and didn't know I was teaching at Manchon for January. He quickly got on the phone, and I went to teach a lesson wondering what kind of can of worms I had just opened. A while later I was called into our lounge area to celebrate New Years, we all ate some nice cake and hung out while our kids did whatever. Mr Lee came in, not too happy, and jabbering in Korean with one of the secretaries. He was clearly not impressed, and it all got resolved (kind of)...of course I get the short end of the stick again. There was no teacher lined up to take my place for one, and two, the kids at Chimsan have gotten used to me, like me, and he didn't want to give me up.

SO, I will in fact not be teaching at Manchon for January- hugely disappointing. This means I won't be teaching with two of my best friends here. I will keep working 6 days a week instead of 5. I will be teaching little kids instead of smart older kids that want to do well. Curtis and Shelly's schedule is 8:00 - 3:45. Mine is 3:45 until 8:15. Curt and I were going to join the gym in Manchon because we get a discount at the building they work in, and can work out together - cant do that anymore. Curt and Shelly will likely easily make 800$ in overtime at Manchon because of all the essay marking. Also, Manchon had Wednesday off so a bunch of us had plans to go skiing / snow boarding a few hours away - but my school was open so I had to work while Curt, Roy, and some other people hit the slopes.

So Wednesday the 2nd I went to work, and while photocopying I could hear Mr. Lee going on still about how Heeduk wanted me at Manchon. I think it really rubbed him the wrong way...especially how I was the one to tell him - and only did I barely tell him. Well I guess I skipped over New Years - we all stayed in Daegu and celebrated the New Years. This New Years is not as big as Chinese New Years in February. We went to Bell Park, as we call it, where there was a firework show. People were handing out roman candle fireworks and people were just holding them in their hands firing them into the sky. Its lucky nobody stumbled and took someone's eye out! The traditional Korean thing to do is to go to the ocean and watch the sunrise, so I suspect the East coast was jammed with Korean people. We thought about doing it, but Curtis and Shelly worked until 10:30 so it just wasn't feasible.

Because Roy went skiing, I was in charge of his dog Bart for Tuesday night and Wednesday. He is just too cute, kept me company, and warm at night. He did get a little excited and left a puddle in my room, broke a dish of food, and was constantly gnawing on my hands, but it was fun to have him around.

Today (Thursday) I was at Manchon, and tomorrow as well, because of the last minute changes I needed to fill in until they figure it all out. It definitely sucked getting up at 6:30 in order to be there by 7:30, but it felt more like a real work day, and I left work while the sun was still out! The school was super busy with lots of kids and teachers, and it was a bit hectic as everyone tried to get organized for this special month. I think Heeduk works like 18 hour days, every day for January. I got to teach Curts economic class for 1 1/2 hours, and a bunch of essay classes. Econ was easy, we just took up a test and did some readings. The essay classes were basically brainstorming and making sure they knew how to write a good essay. It was so much better than teaching basic English to youngsters. It wouldn't be so disappointing if they hadn't offered this to me and then taken it away..It would have been so much better if I was just never offered this position.
One nice thing this week was the Heeduk took Curt, Shelly and I out for Galbi (Korean Barbecue). Even this little trip epitomized the LIKE school way. Mr and Mrs Kim asked where the other teachers were, and we all thought "Well, you have to actually TELL the other teachers they are invited for dinner if you want them to show up". We went to a big restaurant that serves only the freshest beef. The meat is always from a cow slaughtered that morning so you can eat the beef raw. We tried several kinds. One kind you cooked first, but you basically ate it super raw, browned and warmed up a little bit. Another plate we got you just eat raw with chopsticks. It was delicious! It just melts in your mouth. It might make a vegetarians stomach turn, but it had our mouths watering for sure. We also had pork, but you had to cook that well like we would back home. On the other side of the restaurant it serves fresh fish and seafood. All of the fish are alive and swimming in tanks, and you choose which one you want to eat, and then it gets butchered in front of you and you eat it (raw, I think). It was a very interesting place for sure. Also, Heeduk had a cousin join us for dinner who will be at our school in January. We thought she looked out age and we were like, "Oh, she is teaching?", and he was like "no, she is in her first year of highschool". You know, 25, 15, whatever..its crazy how hard it is to tell people's ages over here!

Oh, this week I also tried Beondegi, silkworm larvae that are boiled and seasoned, and sold everywhere on the streets here in Daegu. It was not tasty, and I was spitting and sputtering a little bit, although I did get most of it down.