Sign on the X

I told her I'd think about it even though I had already thought about it and reached a quick 99.9% accurate conclusion. She caught me off guard though and my best moments don't show themselves when I'm caught off guard, nor do my most honest ones. Maybe it was a way of saying, "I'm gonna keep you hanging for as long as I can" but I think I generally have a tendency to lead people on, especially over here. Between a language barrier and cultural differences, I get lazy. Let people assume what they want, say "yeah, sure" if it means I don't have to try to explain something again............
The "boss lady" asked me if I wanted to renew my contract, and the "boss lady" doesn't generally talk to me, but I don't generally talk to her so that's that. I wanted to ask, "Are you crazy?" and follow that by a list of reasons I would not be renewing my contract with Wonderland Junior English Academy but I left her with an I'll think about it. I have thought about it, in all honesty, but realized I just don't have it in me. Truth be told, I didn't always think I had it in me to complete one year which is why I thought about it. These past 9 months have been unbelievable and invaluable, changing me and blessing me in ways I couldn't have imagined. And I still have 3 months to go! I wouldn't be completely closed off to the possibility of another year in Korea, sometime down the time line, but I know it wouldn't be with Wonderland. They were maybe the right school for me this time, as I am still alive and kickin' but, I couldn't keep up with this pace nor could I be taken advantage of again in some of the ways I have. I don't think any of this is going to come out when I give them my verdict; I'll say no, thanks anyway and be on my way because I figure what's the point? They are who they are and will surely continue to be. So I'll take what I can, be thankful for what I can, and be really excited to come home soon with everything I can carry.

Recycling

Mary, one of my kindergartners, loves to write me notes and draw me pictures. She even moreso, loves putting them in envelopes and delivering them to my desk in the morning. In the first picture, she tells me how much her baby (sister) loves me, even though the two of us have never met. The second picture is "obviously" her under a rainbow, though she does not really have brown hair. The third picture is my favorite because she appears to be promising me gifts of socks, a car, and bread? And she wrote it on the back of her report card she was supposed to give to her mother......
She also drew a picture for me on the back of a picture which one of her classmates drew for her!

Birdseed Shirt

"...there are so many times when you need to make a quick escape, but humans don't have their own wings, or not yet, anyway, so what about a birdseed shirt?" - Oskar Schell

When you're blond and in Korea, people automatically assume you're either (a) an English teacher or (b) a Russian prostitute. I think I might have recently been mistaken for the latter. It must have been my sweat pants, t-shirt, tennis shoes, and tussle of hair pulled behind my head.....Next Saturday night out I'll go for the high heels, mini skirt with fishnet stockings and the bright red lipstick, and maybe I'll avoid weird encounters with older men.

I am unsure of the reason so don't bother asking, but apparently there is a rather large, or exclusive, Russian population here, and for another unsure reason the women have a reputation for being prostitutes. I heard the stories not long after I got here to be aware if someone inquires about being Russian as that usually indicates that dude is looking for, well, you know what. I was roaming around in a shopping mall in a subway station when a guy from Africa approached me and asked if we could get something to drink. This is not uncommon; people are generally pretty excited when they speak English and meet someone who also speaks English. So I obliged, and even though he wanted to trek across town I insisted on finding a place right there because people were plenty and I'm not stupid. I was thinking coffee, but we ended up at a fried chicken place right by the subway where he asked me where I was from. I found out nearly an hour later that my U.S.A. sounded like U.S.S.R. which quickly explained why he was making me uncomfortable. Buddy, get rid of any ideas you have right now. Oh, no, I didn't know where you were from when I first asked you. Right, except for the fact that I have an American accent. He offered to pay for dinner and we ended up talking about teaching and Africa for a bit, but he soon went back to making me uncomfortable. So rather than give him my phone number when he asked, I lied and told him I didn't have a phone and had to meet friends for a movie. So back off and bye-bye. It's all good and I was never in any danger (so don't panic parents), but I kinda wish I had picked his pocket or........hit 'im.

Abraham's Plea

I have called You Father,
I have called him son,
Who will tell his mother
Of what I have done?

I have little courage,
Have You any heart?
If You take me further,
I will surely fall apart;

Is there another man,
Or am I the only one?
Is there another option,
To show You I am won?

There is little reason
Yet still You request,
But I know for certain,
This can only make a mess;

His blood will stain my hands,
His cry pierce my heart,
And when I hold his body,
From him I will not part,

Glory comes in sorrow,
Glory comes with fight,
But if I cannot obey this
Will you turn me from Your sight?

I have called him baby,
I have called You Lord,
I cannot choose between
The two that I adore;

As an act of faithfulness,
Please put my mind to rest,
And still my spirit's distress,
That this is all a test.


-Cassi Klipsch, 2009

10 Speed

There's busy, there's hectic, and then there's insanity. I've progressed from the first to the second and am on the verge of the last........as my co-workers say, hell breaks lose next week, so I should enjoy this stage while it lasts. After a round of lesson plans, report cards, phone studies, and teacher's workshops, we've moved into rigorous planning for next week's Speech Contest and Open House (which really means open classroom as all the parents, and whoever else they decide to bring, get to sit in on your class). After that horse and pony show, we will be forced to conduct the next session of school a teacher down, due to the recent and not-so-wise actions of a fellow American. In short, don't hit kids 'cause you'll get fired. In the midst of all this I picked up two students for private tutoring lessons twice a week. And apparently, North Korea wants to demolish this place. So I've been a bit preoccupied. I remember when I was in college, taking the max course load and working at the YMCA, my church, and nannying, and how I got my highest GPA that year our of all 4 years. I also remember being utterly exhausted and needing to crash in the midst of it all right around Christmas time. So while I'm thinking that this schedule may be somewhat benefitial, I know I won't be able to go at this pace too long...........luckily, I will be able to have my crash in Thailand. Our plane tickets have been purchased! And I'm looking forward to that.

A positive was that the principal's observation of my kindergarten class went very well today - despite Justin throwing Ellis' crayon out the window. It's no secret that I hate things like that. But I received no criticism at all which surprised me, only praise, and I think they'll be ready for the Open House. This past weekend I also made it to the zoo and Nick and Amy asked if they could tag along so I actually had company, as well a non-Korean meal of chicken tacos. I just can't eat much more rice, and wish I knew how much I have solely consumed over the past 9 months. Rice and tofu, dude. A tiny country of 50 million eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and somehow never run out. I've been looking at recipes on Martha Stewart's website which is just torture. At least I have Ma and Pa's chocolate.........I did, however, start a list of things to do and eat when I return. It's gonna be a party and anyone who wants to join is more than welcome.

Tutoring, by the way, is awesome and the zoo had no panda bears. An Asian zoo without pandas, what the flip?

Field Notes II

• All the women wear high heels everywhere. And I do mean everywhere: on the subways, to the park, to the beach, up the mountain......

• My hair is all the rage. Actually, my hair and my eyes, but particularly the hair. It's long, it's blond, and it's soft. The kids will run their hands through it, try to braid it, mount it on top of my head in a big mess, take fistfuls. I was sitting at a restaurant a couple weekends back when the hand of a grown woman came at me from the side just to stroke my locks.
  

• Right behind my hair, pencil cases are also the rage. It's all about how cool your pencil case is. They're decorated with everything from cartoons to pop stars to princesses to race cars to candy to random English phrases. Some of them have built-in pencil cases, dry erase boards, stamps, electronic games.
  

• There are no copyright laws in Korea, which is why all the music sounds the same. And why you can buy things with Gucci, Dior, Armani, and Prada stamped on it for a 1/4 of the normal price.

• Public peeing is not uncommon, especially since there aren't many trees in the city. I've seen kids relieve themselves in the street; taxi drivers pull over when nature calls and use the nearest sidewalk. The other day Amy and I were sitting at the local convenient store when a guy walked up right beside us and took a leak right there. Though it wasn't very pleasant, I was laughing so hard I had to walk away.

• There are a lot of words that are the same in Korean and English such as lemon, mango, chocolate, massage, bus, cellphone. Most kids don't realize this and with surprise when they first hear you use one. The other day I said "tomato" and one of my students gave me a thumbs and a "good job" because he was convinced I was speaking Korean.
  

• McDonald's delivers.
  

• When we go on field trips, the parents send enough food for their kids AND us teachers, which is awesome.

• They have started putting up glass doors along the subway station tracks. Korea is the world leader in annual suicides and the most common means to end one's life is to throw themselves in front of the subway.

• I go jogging in the park now that the weather is nice; bright and early - 6:30am, and get more "hellos" and high fives then you think would be available at that hour. 3x's a week there is an aerobic group that conducts under the bridge and I am very inclined to join them.
  

• I spotted this house on a hiking trip a couple weeks ago and was aching to go inside and check the layout. It's like a tunnel!
  

• 
  

Just Call Me "Joe"

One of my favorite movie scenes and something to remember throughout the day:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1EOnVSSJYs

Excuse Me, Have You Met Your Child?

I've had Tom as a student for about 3 months now. He is now my student because he has been passed around to just about every other teacher until they tire of him and pass him off in shifts. I had heard stories about him for about 6 months before actually having him in the same classroom with me. "It's kinda like working with a special needs child isn't it?" remarked Nick after a week or two. It's exactly like working with a special needs child to which I am rather accustomed to having done it for 2 years.....Except then I was responsible for one kid and just had to make sure he got to the bathroom and didn't run in front of oncoming traffic. Tom is one of 6 kids who I am supposed to conduct a class with giving tests and homework.
I suppose every child is wired for two instinctive actions: picking their nose and pressing every button they spot. That's Tom, but only he posses these traits with the vigor of about 10 children combined. Sometimes I catch him lying on the air unit completely horizontally as if it were a cot, with shoes off and arms out like he's going to take flight. He draws on the board with a pen, pencil, or crayon; he plugs random objects into the electrical socket, and despite the watch strapped to his own wrist he repeatedly asks what time it is. When I fail to answer him he comes up beside me, grabs my arm and stares at my own watch counting the seconds aloud and not even blinking. This is all much less worrisome than his desire to dangle things out the window, like his own head. "Tom is out the window," he'll announce. Or he'll ramble out a line of Korean, and make sure to inform me that he is in fact speaking Korean, despite the fact that I've told him not to. He has recently taken to the seemingly painstaking task of double all the letters in his words when he writes. For example, chicken becomes cchhicckkeenn, cheese becomes cchheeeessee and so on and so forth. I was momemtarily pleased with this for the mere fact that he was actually sitting down, but his celebratory jumping up and down like a rabbit or a really competive hopscotcher followed by a victory lap around the table sent that feeling packing.
I'll be teaching and suddenly hear Korean commentary because Tom has turned the television on and is flipping through the channels. He was handed a dose of disappointment when he asked to "borrow the play button" on the remote control and was told no. His greatest pleasure is the copy machine, sure to be defunct because of his little fingers one of these days. He comes into the teachers' lounge before and after every class ready to see the workings of the green or orange button. We told him he couldn't go in there anymore because it was a room for teachers, to which he asked if he could bring the copy machine out into the hallway. And his mother calls wondering why he never has his homework done..........

Listology

Recommendations for your summer enjoyment, most of which I have discovered and utilized to pass the time while being over here in Korea......................

TUNES:
1. Strawberry Swing by Coldplay
2. Ocean and a Rock by Lisa Hannigan
3. A Dustland Fairytale by The Killers
4. Corners by Allie Moss
5. The Chain by Ingrid Michaelson
6. Goodnight, Travel Well by The Killers
7. Viva La Vida by Coldplay
8. Elephants by Rachael Yamagata
9. Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay by Sara Bareilles
10. What a Difference a Day Makes by Dinah Washington
11. Gonna Get Over You by Sara Bareilles
12. Time To Pretend by MGMT
13. Mellow Mood by Bob Marley
14. Just Dance by Lady Gaga

BOOKS:
1. This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin (a fascinating and scientific account as to how and why music moves you and sets your moods)
2. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenger ( a little risque and graphic, but a clever and beautiful story about a couples' unique journey together)
3. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith ( an often hilarious and moving story about a group of randoms living in Edinburgh, Scotland. The first of four in a series)
4. All the Names by Jose Saramango (follows the determination of a "nobody" at the central registry to locate an unknown woman he has unexplainably become fascinated by - quite brilliant.)
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (recommend reading before seeing the up and coming movie; the story of a father and son on a journey of survival through desolate America. Intense and perfectly executed)
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Saffron Foer ( a wildly entertaining and heartbreaking narrative from a young boy who lost his father in 9/11 and sets out on a mission to find the lock of a mysterious key his father carried on his keychain)

TV/MOVIES:
1. The Iditarod on Discovery Channel (follows the historic race)
2. Spanish Dinner (mini series with Gwyneth Paltrow and 3 buddies skipping around Spain)
3. The Office (hilarious)
4. New York Times Tiny Kitchen (found on YouTube; a writer for the paper prepares creative meals in her tiny Manhattan kitchen)
5. Expedition Africa on the History Channel (4 explorers go deep into the heart of the African wilderness)
6. Australia (a drawn out yet rip-roaring film across the Outback)
7. Mama Mia ( a cheesy, ridiculous musical. Count me in.)
8. 7 Pounds (Not usually a fan of Will Smith, but liked him in this movie; sad yet inspiring)
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (again, somewhat sad......but unlike anything I've seen before. Fascinating)
10. Defiance (the true story of a group of soldiers during WWII who set up camp in the woods and held their ground for as long as they could)
11. Marley and Me (I like Owen Wilson, and this family fun film about a beloved dog was better than expected)
12. Bride Wars (definite chick flick and provides a good laugh)
13. Slumdog Millionaire (winner of best picture Oscar for a reason)
14. The Proposal (I haven't seen this yet, but Sandra Bullock stars so........)

Heartbeats

Mondays are never particularly glorious or thrilling, no matter what your job is or what country you're living in. They are overwhelming, disruptive, and often inconsiderate.....and this one came rather early as I woke up at 3am and laid in bed with an ungranted desire to fall back to a deep sleep. After I chatted with my Mom for a bit, I headed out for a jog in an unexpected beautiful morning, which was the first of many surprises.

Before the bell even rings, I see the head of sweet little 5 year-old Mary peeping behind the door at me while I'm sitting at my desk. She shoots her hand out with an envelope and then after a momentary pause, grins from ear to ear and shoots back down the hall. I open the envelope and inside is a homemade bead bracelet, and a letter that reads: "You are my best teacher, Cassi. I want to make you happy. I love you." I almost melted into a puddle right there.

I have altered the classic game of "Simon Says" into "Teacher Says" (the kids truly wanted to know who the heck Simon was and why he was telling them what to do), and it's now a crowd favorite. It has become not only a great wake-up routine but great bribery tool, as my kindergartners absolutely love it. "Teacher says? Teacher says? Ooohh, teacher no says!" They laugh themselves into stitches, call each other out, challenge each other, and then walk around the rest of the day declaring themselves as the teacher says champion. It's the cheapest entertainment ever.

A co-teacher informed me today that one of the little girls in my kindergarten class lost her toddler sister just last year when she fell out the window of an apartment building.............as her mother was making a mad dash towards her and didn't grab her in time. That is why this child's parents have seemed so distant, and why this little girl has as well. I'm not a mother, nor have I ever even met this one, but I wanted to just wrap my arms around her. Again, my heart was being tugged.

After my last class, Nick and I headed down to our little Family Mart (711) spot to chill for a few because it's such a nice evening. This old man comes up to us and asks where we're from. After calling the USA home, his eyes light up and he goes into this whole spiel about how he visits D.C. every summer to see his brother. With half of his speech in English and the other half in Korea, he goes on to say how much he loves the U.S. because he remembers the Korean War; he believes President Bush had a big heart because he did away with someone as evil as Sadam Hussein; he believes that if North Korean ever try to do something stupid that the U.S. is good enough to come to their aid because that's what they do. I had a moment of being proud. Very proud.
He then proceed to admire our arm hair and tell Nick that he resembled a "Hollywood TV star" because he had "fine face." We also had to inform him that the 2 of us were not an item, which he seemed kinda disappointed about. And if students ever give us trouble he gave us permission to smack them upside the head, and if that didn't work, it's just as ok to give them a good kick. He then graciously declared himself as my Korean grandfather, gave me a drink and the thumbs up, and was on his merry way. This was without question the greatest encounter I've had here thus far. And I've had a few great ones.

When I got home I got a call from the mother of a student of mine. Come to find out, her daughter likes me so much that she wants me to tutor her older daughter and is picking me up for dinner later this week.

Just when I think the day's going to be a bore.................