Wednesday, December 07, 2005
December 7, 2005: Teaching, Playing, and Planning
First of all, I'm really enjoying teaching. The past month has been interesting because we've had a whole bunch of student teachers from our affiliated university here. For one week they were here just to observe classes (i think there are about 85 of them). Then a few weeks later they came back to practice teaching some classes. So that's what this week has been about. (oh - while i was writing just now, two of them came here to get their evaluation from me). Before each class, the student will tell me what they want me to do .. how to help with the class. Basically, I am only being used as an English voice during certain activities. The rest of the time I am sitting and observing and writing an evaluation of their teaching. It's kinda crazy cause they are the ones in teacher's college and I haven't been to teacher's college but I am a teacher, so they come to me for help and suggestions and my opinion. I feel very comfortable in this role after only having taught for a couple of months. I feel so wise and like a real teacher - it's great! :P
I definitely prefer teaching the classes though. It's pretty painful to watch most of these teachers... they are nervous and they have to teach in english, so you can imagine how awkward it is. It's hard not to step in and help... or to correct them. You should see Hyun-ae and I watching... we constantly look at each other across the room and make helpless faces. This whole thing has really made me realize how comfortable I am as a teacher though. And I don't think my students are enjoying their english classes too much this week... I have a feeling they will be relieved when Hyun-ae and I take over again. Makes me feel good.
Ummm... other than that, I went to Seoul again this weekend for a couple of bday celebrations. A Canadian who lives over there was celebrating his bday, so his friends here (my Chuncheon friends) went over to party with him. I decided to tag along, so I told Kurt and YunJu. And it turns out that it was Yunju's bday too! Soooo... I went early on saturday and met up with her first and we just hung out around the city and then met up with more of her friends and had dinner at "Outback Steakhouse". Good ol' western food. Afterwards, Kurt had an ice hockey game at a local arena. It was quite surreal stepping into the cold arena and watching the game... really felt like Canada.
Then, after the game, we stepped out of the arena into a huge snowfall! It was Seoul's first snow of the year and it was piling up huge. Holy Canada day! I had already seen a couple of snowfalls in Chuncheon, but YunJu was very excited to see the first Seoul snowfall on her bday. Apparently it didn't snow until February last year, and this was the most it snow they had seen at one time in over 5 years. Good times. Then we met up with all of my Chuncheon friends at a bar around midnight and hung out with them until about 5am when we went back to Kurt & Yunju's place to crash for the night. Every time I go out here, it seems I don't get home until 4 or 5 am. It's a little crazy, but that's how they like to do it. I don't know if it's a Korea thing, or just an English teacher thing. One really memorable part of the night was walking into a big outdoor square at around 3am. The lights from the buildings all around combined with the thick snowfall and untouched white snow on the ground was so pretty and we all felt like it was Christmas. The drunker of my friends were very excited... this led to some good wipeouts and snowfights. I wasn't drunk, so I was quite entertained. :)
Andrea (Dre), Yunju, Me, and Kurt
Speaking of Christmas, don't worry family - I actually have some plans. A group of us are going into Seoul on Christmas Eve to watch a musical. I believe it's produced by an Irishman, so I'm guessing it's all in English :P. It's a mix of a bunch of different Broadway acts rolled into one 2-hour production called "The Spirit of Broadway". Sounds like a good time. Apparently it's a big party in Seoul on Christmas Eve, so should be fun afterwards too. Not sure what Christmas Day will involve, but I'll be with my friends so it should be good. I'll most likely meet up with Kurt and Yunju again.
I'm pretty sad that basically all of my Chuncheon friends are leaving in January and February though. I get along with a few of them really well and I'm afraid their replacements might not be so cool. Most of the foreigners here aren't for some reason. Anyway... that's a little while away, so I won't think about it. And maybe they'll be even cooler... who knows?
I'm still very excited for Thailand in January. I just bought my flight ticket and I'm trying to arrange other parts of my trip now... like my SCUBA course and train tickets while I'm there. Very fun! AAAAANND I'm also looking forward to my friend Jess coming to visit me for the first week of January!! She already booked her ticket - yay Jess!! (I can always count on you to be a good traveler!) AAAAAAAANNNNDDDDD... my Toronto roomie, Amanda (pretty sure most of you know and love her) is trying to plan a trip here in May!! Woohoo!!!!
Ok... time to cut off this email. I guess I did have a few things to say. :P
