Gwakji beach

Dear 2011 and palm trees

Hello! I've been here, and I haven't been here. Over the past year, I've become a pro at blocking things out of my mind. Full days, weeks. Of course, I remember certain things very clearly, but there were times when I couldn't even remember the previous day. Last winter, I became really bummed out. I became unable to do things that were important to me. I even forgot that I had done things. I think, I hope, that this time has passed.

Jeju-do is a magical place, but it is magical just like the rest of Korea. I think that I was caught up in the hype, I was mesmerized by the palm trees and the beaches. And then winter came and everything turned brown. A very normal phenomenon, but not in my mind. I haven't very much experience living in such climates, and I had heard that Jeju was "the Hawaii of Korea" and that it didn't snow very much at all there.

Once, I checked out the latitudes of Hawaii and Jeju-do. And I learned that palm trees do not grow naturally here, in fact, everywhere around here there are dying palm trees. I feel like I could hear them suffocating last winter. In the cold wind and snow, they were wishing that it was warmer, and wondering why they had been planted here in the first place. They helplessly stood there as their palm brothers and sisters withered and died.

But, now it is summer, and I can hear the palm trees exhaling with delight. But, I think that they know that another drastic season change is coming. The sun is telling them with it's daily shortening of how much time it stays above. The temperature is also telling them. Even though it is only the 15th of September they can already feel the warmth fading. I have the luxury of leaving this island, but they don't.

I have no valid excuse as to why I have not done this... that... the other... And now there's a Naval Base being built on a pristine volcanic formation on the south coast of the island. In 2005 Jeju was officially given the nickname "Island of World Peace" by the government. And Jeju is also in the running to be one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World". It is up against such things as the Amazon rain forest, the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. I wonder if those other things have populations of 50 million people who are constantly bombarded with images of pristine waters, relaxation, and Seongsan Ilchulbong, and encouraged to vote with monetary prizes and contests?

Yes, I have a bad taste in my mouth right now, but it is clearing up. (Amazingly, something as simple as a regular regiment of 10 hours of sleep is doing the trick.) I can blame the bad taste on different things and point fingers here and there. And I probably will. But, the palm trees cannot, and the volcanic rock cannot, and the beaches cannot. I am realizing that my role is to show people images, or share stories, or force them to watch movies that invoke emotion, that will inspire change. It is amazing to me how I feel, and how much more I love myself. I am not just spinning my wheels anymore.

Living with climate change?

These temperature fluctuations!?!

In a morbid sense, I guess it is something I'm going to have to learn to live with. I took that video one week ago, and today it was 55 degrees during the day. No, I did not have to wear my hat or my big jacket. I don't understand that at all. Can they make a jet engine powered by electricity and able t be recharged by wind energy? That would be so cool.

This is my soapbox. I want to say, Thank you, Mr. Obama. You are so much more badass than the previous president.

Hoo doggy

I heard that it is predictable to have a blog with a title that's a play on Korean words if you are a foreigner in Korea. I was like ummmmmmmm

I went to a school festival the other day

That one was the first act. Very impressive for a group of elementary students!!

Here is an example of a very interesting aspect of Korean culture:


I keep adding awesome pictures to the parking job posting, btw

education

air

Jón “Jónsi” Birgisson

There are many reasons to love the movie Vanilla Sky. One of these is the song at the end. There are few things that are more relaxing than Sigur Rós. It is sad that they are on a haitus until further notice, but at least we have Jónsi, who is quite the crowd pleaser, if I do say so myself.

There is so much fantastic debate over where the future of entertainment is going. What digital technology has enabled consumers to do, (something that I sincerely doubt that Henry Nyquist envisioned), has rendered many of the typical film and audio revenue models obsolete. That, right there, is one of my favorite things in the world. Living through times like these make all of the day-to-day b.s. a little more livable.

That brings us back to Jónsi, who has magically harnessed the power of tackling both the visual and musical aspects of the live show. The album, Go, is seriously one of the greatest albums of the year. (In my opinion, it can even hold water against Sigur Rós's ().) Please get this music if you haven't heard it.

I am kind of late posting this, but he did a live webcast-ed performance the other day, it will be available to watch online for the next couple of days or so:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130567101

He's playing in Seoul on the 27th of November. I'd love to go, but it has a little bit of a high pricetag, and I live kind of far away from Seoul... But I think that it would be worth it. If only the sharks at Sallie Mae were a little more forgiving.

Rejection

I think that the "Honeymoon" aspect of adjusting to a new culture lasted a very long time for me. Now, after 18 months, I am feeling some serious rejection. Searching Craigslist for jobs in Malaysia, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, Stockholm, Oslo, Moscow, Istanbul and Prague is a good coping mechanism.

I had a really awesome co-teacher last year who treated me like a son, and who's wife treated me like a son, and I was surrounded by a bubble of incredible individuals. What a difference. Last year, where I lived was undesirable but my school was bearable. And this year, I live in an AMAZING location, but both of my schools are somewhat, ummmmm lacking... My how life throws curve-balls at you sometimes!

Paul Isham

Seogwi Jungang Elementary School, Jeju-do

Fall 2010

The past 18 months have been the best months of my entire life. I realize that this is thanks to the EPIK program, and what it has enabled me to experience. I’ve met many amazing people, seen extraordinary things, created memories that I will never forget, all the while having the experience of seeing bright smiles on the faces of young Korean children on a regular basis. I’ve seen parts of the world that I only dreamed of seeing before, and I am eternally grateful to EPIK for providing me with this opportunity.

I understand that, typically, Native English Teachers keep their mouths shut and do what they have to do to adjust to their particular classroom structures. But, I am not a typical Native English Teacher. I have a year of teaching experience in Korea to compare my current situation to. Last year was my year of "dealing with it". This year, I have a much clearer perception of my surroundings, and I want to change things rather than just dealing with them for a year and then being relieved to get out as fast as possible. In the following paragraphs I will address 6 different major problems that I have encountered this year and give possible solutions to these problems.

Problem #1. I have too many co-teachers.

12 different co-teachers, one for each class, is too many. I want to get into a rhythm, and it is impossible to find one when I see a new teacher every hour.

Solution #1. Change the schedule.

Change it so that I can have 1 or 2 co-teachers per grade, instead of one per class.

Problem #2. The word "co-teacher".

The word is misleading and extremely comical to me at this point. Last year, I became used to the different attitudes of certain "co-teachers". (I’m putting co-teacher in quotation marks to emphasize my sarcastic tone.) The whole sleeping thing, or reading something else, or staring out the window, or leaving, or sitting in the back of the room… The CO part of the word CO-TEACHER implies collaboration - that they must play a role in the classroom. Even if that role is simply translation and discipline. (However, “co-teaching”, in terms of the way that it was explained to us by EPIK, is not simply translation and discipline.) There is never any co-teaching (in the EPIK sense of the word) in any of my classrooms, and there never has been, at any of the 5 different schools where I have taught, last year or this year.

Solution #2. Increased communication between English teachers.

There is absolutely no communication between most of my co-teachers and me, (I realize that this is kind of my problem). But, seriously, am I expected to meet with 12 teachers separately and discuss what they can and will do to increase the performance of the students the following week?

Problem #3. Co-teachers who don't know English.

On a daily basis, I struggle with understanding how this is possible. They are, after all, English teachers, yes? I have to speak to them like I do the students for them to understand what I'm saying. The fact that teachers sometimes do not understand me is a very big problem. I feel like a good portion of my job should be helping the teachers with their English. If the teachers don't understand me, how are the students expected to understand me?

Solution #3. Help the Korean Teachers learn English.

Instead of paying Native Speakers to struggle with ungrateful children when it is utterly impossible to teach most students anything because of their horrible behavior and attitudes, pay the Korean Teachers to be confident and to learn how to pronounce English words properly.

Problem #4. Class sizes are too big.

It's a wonderful thing to see written on paper – “every Korean student should learn English”. But, the reality of the situation is, many students simply DO NOT and WILL NOT want to put forward the effort to learn the language. Forcing these students to be in class is horrible for the teacher. They bring the rest of the students down. 6th-grade elementary school students have been learning English for, how long? And some of them don't even know the alphabet. They are holding back the progress of other students who actually have cares and desires toward English.

Solution #4. Break up the classes.

Split the classes up by the ability level of the students, or their attitude quality, or their mental aptitude... Make class with a Native Speaker something that the students are rewarded with. In turn, it will make our jobs and the quality of our classes increase. Have the higher-level students be in class with the Native Speaker, while the others are in a simpler, game oriented environment. There are many Intern teachers in Korea who can help with this. Have the Intern teachers be in the room acting as a co-teacher, while the normal Korean Teacher keeps the lower level students in the classroom. Maybe even give some students failing grades, or hold them back a level, rather than passing every single one of them and forcing them to move to a higher level textbook when they didn't understand the lower level one. This creates a vicious cycle.

Problem #5. I am not Korean.

I do not want to teach 4 classes in a row. It is physically exhausting for me, and it greatly impacts the quality for my final 1 or two lessons because I can't yell or gesticulate as much as I did in the first classes.

Solution #5. Respect the fact that I am a foreigner.

Abide by the working ethics and regulations that teachers are used to in their home countries. I will teach 2 classes in a row, and then I need a break.

Problem #6. Nobody seems to have any power.

This is perhaps the most perplexing problem I have faced. Trying to get permission for something or asking about a schedule change is like pulling teeth. At both of my schools, I have asked to have dinners arranged with the teachers and vice principals and other school staff, and at both schools I have been talked out of doing this. I don’t know what it is about Korean culture… No, I am NOT just going to sit back and take something simply because “I have no power” or “I am afraid of losing face”. I have heard so often, “It is the school’s decision”, but who, actually, at the school? What does that mean? The Principal? I can’t even communicate with them! They should definitely not be making decisions that will affect my mental health.

Solution #6. Give the main co-teacher in charge of the Native Speaker more power.

They can communicate with us the easiest, and they do so the most often. Native English Teachers are very special people, who are willing to fly across the world to share our knowledge of English with the malleable minds of youthful Koreans. We are adults and we are capable of making valid decisions.

I don't want to "take my money and run". I want to make a difference. Last year, I became complacent. I don't want to be complacent about anything in life. I want to change minds and inspire people. My creativity is being almost completely thwarted by struggling with these issues. I am a valuable asset to this country's educational system, that's why I am being paid to be here. I can provide motivation to ensure that the future of Korea is booming. But I cannot do this while I am struggling through my life. I want to be happy with my job. I don't want to just do it so that I will have a paycheck.

Paul Isham

More parking pictures

Just about every day, I am forced to do some interesting freestyle walking, or get off my bike and walk it in the "car diving area" of the street because some inconsiderate Korean person has done some unimaginable thing with their car and left it there. Often times, I curse out loud and stand, gawking at it, with my mouth agape. I take a picture. (I think that I might need to start a new blog that's completely devoted to awful parking jobs.) I can't believe how some people park. I've added some new pictures to the earlier posting entitled, "My, that's a wonderful parking job!"

I've got some good ones lately

I've started taking pictures of sleeping students. I've found that they really don't like it! HaHA! Their friends often will smack them or yell at them because I am photographing them. Maybe I will even project the pictures at the beginning of the next class?!?









































































































































































I have found that this is a way to cope with the ghastly phenomenon of Korean students sleeping in class. I know that, when I was in High School, occasionally I slept through some classes. Sometimes there was more than two people sleeping in a class, but it was not common. Now, in Korean public schools, that is not the case. I don't know if it is the fact that the students don't have enough breaks, or that they have to study for too many hours, or because they are up all night playing video games, or they don't enjoy English, or that they know that they know that they can get away with it (because for some reason the Korean teachers permit it), or that they have a very warped perception (IMO) of manners... But, the reality is, I'm here and my English ability makes me very special. So they can sleep during my class, ok. I will take pictures of them though.

Pessimism is important to remember

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-radical-pessimists-guide-to-the-next-10-years/article1750609/singlepage/#articlecontent

I am becoming more and more fond of the idea of living in Canada.

and it is so good on beans

stains from clothes? keep colors bright? clean bathrooms and toilets? dog pees on the rug?

http://odyb.net/food-cooking/62-little-known-uses-of-vinegar/

It can't get any worse

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39495001/ns/world_news-americas/?GT1=43001

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/opinion/04krugman.html?_r=1

My, that's a wonderful parking job!

About this last photo - Do you see that bus right next to the car? Well that's because it is a bus stop. So this woman pulls up, turns her hazard lights on (thank you!!!), gets out of the car while her kid is sitting in the back reading.

When I first arrived in this country, I thought that it was funny and cute, the way that people seem to drive really slowly sometimes and stops wherever, because they're "just going to be in there for a minute or two".

I don't think that's it's cute anymore. Funny? Well, yes.

A photo assortment from the GREATEST SUMMER EVER

Corn sugar

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/09/27/130158014/ben-jerry-s-takes-all-natural-claims-off-ice-cream-labels

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/01/new-high-fructose-corn-syrup-scam.aspx

This deserves its own posting

Korean public schools like to randomly (well to us Native Speakers it seems random) change your class schedule without telling you until right when it happens.

I'm sitting in the "Happy English Zone" the other day, looking at the clock, and the time is rolling past, and no screaming students are arriving. I know something's up, but I'm a patient person, and I've been through this before. 35 minutes pass, and then! I hear screaming students in the hallway. The sound gets closer. The students file into my classroom, followed by their Korean teacher. I am still relatively new, and at this particular school I have 12 DIFFERENT CO-TEACHERS, (which is a very frustrating issue)... Needless to say I don't know all of them personally yet. Even by face, it would be hard for me to pick them out of a crowd. That's how involved they are in the classroom. But, this is not a "bitch about my co-teachers" blog posting. I will say something rather bitchy, though, and that is that a few of them don't know English. This is a very perplexing problem for me, it is something that I am trying to deal with right now with the POE, actually. (POE = Provincial Office of Education).
So, the teacher walks right up to me and says some weird thing that I don't understand, and proceeds to draw a circle and some lines on the paper in front of me. (The part in the blue pen):

















After a few grueling minutes of awkward communication, I realize that he wrote a "45" with a circle around it, with arrows on either side. He was trying to tell me that 5th period ended at 2:45, instead of its usual time.