This week has been an emotional roller coaster.
Monday: had a break down after being told I had 200 second grade students to assess and 15 written reports of club students to write up. (I had to do it twice). They had forgotten to tell me they wanted me to do a speaking test for second graders (which takes three weeks to administer). Instead I made up SIX different tests for each second grade class which I administered verbally and then graded 200 of the written tests by today. Awesome.
Sobbed in the bathroom for like two hours and then escaped school into the rain for an hour. No heat, food, hot water in the homestay. Sweet. Hung out with Josh after school.
Tuesday: Had my second grade classes leave in silence after administering the written test...of which they were told, Grace is making you take a written test (the week after finals and I had promised them a movie). Who can blame them. Got sam gyup sal with josh and taylor after school.
Wednesday: Packed up all my stuff. Did my laundry. Sent out emails. Went with Josh and several of his coteachers. We went out for lunch and then visited Namwon, a traditional village built around the love story of Choonhyang. It was freezing but really beautiful. We went for dinner after and then one of his coteachers helped me Christmas shop for my school. I got an idea of how my idea of Korea and my experience here might have been really different given different circumstances.
Thursday: Long day. Spent the day writing evaluations and grading tests. Had the last Thirsty Thursday with the Naju Crew. I'm going to miss them.
Friday: Found out that the new subtitle file I had gotten still doesnt sync right. Had my students shouting at me to "minus, minus" even though that slowed them down and it was already slow. Was told I should have been teaching something important since an important visitor was at the school (they only told me this at the beginning of class).
This weekend I'm meeting James and some friends in Seoul. I hope this weekend fortifies me for my last few days here.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Yea Im Over it
Second class in a row that left mutinous after the pop written test. No student said goodbye.
Hot water broken again.
Today blows.
Hot water broken again.
Today blows.
Please Take Me Home
I went on a trip, a mini vacation if you will. It was great.
I began in Jeonju and spent some quality time with Sam. We visited Hanok Village and went ice skating and had a girls night talking in the quiet of the morning and watching Eternal Sunshine late into the night.
Yoon-Chan and I went to Busan for a couple days. We built a sandcastle on the beach and lounged around in our hotel. We both got sick and took subsequent days to require and take care of each other. We visited the aquarium full of ribbon eels and umbrella jellyfish. We went to a Buddhist temple by the sea. We ate Indian and Chinese food.
One night in Gwangju spent eating wine, brie, and cheese in the motel.
One day home spent without hot water or heat and teaching the kids via kPOP.
A weekend in Seoul in the Park Hyatt pretending to be richer than we can afford. Eating delicious food, enjoying my first good nights rest in weeks.
Now back to school and life in Naju. No heat most of the time, no food almost always, and no hot water since it's back to being broken. I forgot the difference between luke warm water and icy cold water. It's a big one.
Back to school where one of my teachers sprung 170 second grader assessments on me one week before the end of the semester, the week after the students take finals. I had promised them a movie, of which I spent time finding the Korean subtitiles, making 300 copies of a worksheet with different idioms, making a powerpoint to define and translate the idioms. Instead I spent all day making a verbally administered written test that takes the whole period. The teacher didn't explain to the class. All that good will I've been cultivating...culled in an instant with the words; Grace is giving you a written test (when she promised you a movie).
Fifteen Club Student assessments to write up, also which I didn't know about.
So much for an easy fun last week.
Only one week and two days until I'm out of here.
I can't wait.
I began in Jeonju and spent some quality time with Sam. We visited Hanok Village and went ice skating and had a girls night talking in the quiet of the morning and watching Eternal Sunshine late into the night.
Yoon-Chan and I went to Busan for a couple days. We built a sandcastle on the beach and lounged around in our hotel. We both got sick and took subsequent days to require and take care of each other. We visited the aquarium full of ribbon eels and umbrella jellyfish. We went to a Buddhist temple by the sea. We ate Indian and Chinese food.
One night in Gwangju spent eating wine, brie, and cheese in the motel.
One day home spent without hot water or heat and teaching the kids via kPOP.
A weekend in Seoul in the Park Hyatt pretending to be richer than we can afford. Eating delicious food, enjoying my first good nights rest in weeks.
Now back to school and life in Naju. No heat most of the time, no food almost always, and no hot water since it's back to being broken. I forgot the difference between luke warm water and icy cold water. It's a big one.
Back to school where one of my teachers sprung 170 second grader assessments on me one week before the end of the semester, the week after the students take finals. I had promised them a movie, of which I spent time finding the Korean subtitiles, making 300 copies of a worksheet with different idioms, making a powerpoint to define and translate the idioms. Instead I spent all day making a verbally administered written test that takes the whole period. The teacher didn't explain to the class. All that good will I've been cultivating...culled in an instant with the words; Grace is giving you a written test (when she promised you a movie).
Fifteen Club Student assessments to write up, also which I didn't know about.
So much for an easy fun last week.
Only one week and two days until I'm out of here.
I can't wait.
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