I've been paid. After almost two months of living on very little (well, very little after I managed to blow just about everything I had on my first weekend in Seoul) I've suddenly become rich.
1.8 million, in fact, which if you ignore the currency and actual value, is likely to be the highest wage I ever receive. You pricks back in Scotland slaving away for a few hundred a week, look at me now, with almost 2 million in the bank just for speaking my native language to a handful of little slanty eyes.
There's a few things I have to do with my money.
1. Pay back people who lent me money.
2. Buy a hifi.
3. Buy CDs.
4. Buy a mobile phone.
5. Buy lots of cushions.
6. Get drunk.
7. Get drunk.
8. Get drunk.
etc
I got paid on Thursday then, and went out for a meal with Kristi. She lives on the subway line, which is very convenient. Less conveniently, she's a vegetarian, which in my area seems to be an impossible option. But she eats fish, so we found somewhere.
Then we went to what might be my favourite bar in Korea so far. It's a dimly lit bar, with a warm feel and comfortable sofas, and although the music is Korean pop it's at a relaxed volume. And there's a free pool table, and the woman who serves the drinks is a delightful, friendly woman who seems eager to help and to make your experience the best it possibly can be.
Nothing last night, but tonight I'm meeting up with Matt and we'll see what happens from there. We're both bad influences on each other so if we're on form then we can expect bad behaviour.
Also, we're going into pie-making business together. But more on that later.
Saturday, 31 January 2004
My Fellow Teachers
There are a number of pros and cons to my school and the working conditions. On the plus side, the kids are mostly all very good natured, enthusiastic, well-intentioned and quite fun. Some kids are very bright, others entertaining, and even the worst kids really aren't all that bad when I consider how awful kids can be. Nothing I can't control. Also, the school is very near my apartment so I can pop back on free periods, and my apartment being on Daegu's one subway line is an absolute godsend. And my working hours, while not ideal, still has me finishing the day before 6pm. Many English teachers operate from about 3pm to 9pm, which I'd hate.
The negatives of the school are the erratic director who's management skills are highly questionable, the sometimes relentless succession of classes and the poor teaching materials I'm given and was thrown in with without any explanation. But you take the rough with the smooth, and my deal isn't so rough as to be unbearable. Far from it.
All these are just details that I suppose weren't beyond what I'd have expected about teaching in Korea. I wasn't expecting slick professionalism. But what I am a little surprised about is the main negative of the job - the other English teachers.
Outside of my school, most of the English teachers I've met seem fine. Well, in some bars I've seen a few that look like pricks (usually the ones who've been here too long actually) but by and large they're all pleasant people. It's a good ex-pat community. But none of them are at my school.
My two fellow teachers are David and David, but let's call the second David "John", not on a careless whim, but because that's his middle name and the name he's called at the school (the kids wouldn't be able to deal with two "teacher-Davids").
John first. I've mentioned him before, and I've been out with him a few times. Although he'd never be someone who I'd get on particularly well with back in Scotland (he's Scottish, by the way), on a personal level I find him ok. Sometimes. He has definite virtues, such as a strong sense of social justice. However, it's all very counter-balanced by the fact that he's deeply pessimistic, horribly cynical, always seeming to looking for another thing that's wrong with the world. Given a situation, he'll immediately hone in on the problems. I prefer to look at the positive aspects and I think that's why I'm a much happier person than he. He always brings me down in the staff room because since I've started he's never stopped going on and on about everything that's wrong with the place.
John hasn't just got a chip on his shoulder, he's got an entire goddam McCain's factory.
But he leaves in a few weeks anyway. I probably won't mind meeting up with him for the occasional drink, but I'd rather cut off my own leg than work with him again.
The other teacher, David, I've mentioned a few times before. He's the paedo-teacher. Probably an unfair monicker but hell, if he will insist on wearing gigantic and slightly shaded glasses, it's an obvious one.
I think he's probably a good teacher. He's had many years experience. But he seems unable to interact on an adult level. He has nothing to say for himself. I suppose he's the absolute personification of a "geek". And he's got a whiny nasal American accent, not to mention the fact he's one of the least physically blessed men I've seen in my entire life. Everything about him screams "unfortunate". And it makes me shudder to think how he'd have turned out if any of the other 100 million sperm had beaten that one winning sperm in the race.
Oh dear. It's too easy to be cruel about this man, but hey, honesty's the best policy - but truth hurts.
If he was a friendly man, a good laugh and had a few interesting stories, I wouldn't write about him so harshly. But so far his only redeeming feature is that I think he's a good teacher, and that he maybe just keeps hmself to himself.
Anyway, I thought I was getting rid of him in March. His contract expires then and the director told him it wasn't being renewed as they didn't need three teachers any more. A bit of a kick in the teeth considering he's the most experienced and has been there 2 years.
But then John decided that enough was enough and he gave his month's notice. The director did a U-turn and offered David a new contract - but at a lower salary. He didn't take it, but when another contract with the same salary was offered, he took it.
If that had happened to me, I'd have told the director where to shove it. I might have shoved it there myself, although it's not an attractive mental picture.
So, it looks like I'm stuck with paedo teacher for the rest of my contract. I'd have much preferred someone new, as few could be much worse.
But at least David buys pizza for everyone every Thursday.
The negatives of the school are the erratic director who's management skills are highly questionable, the sometimes relentless succession of classes and the poor teaching materials I'm given and was thrown in with without any explanation. But you take the rough with the smooth, and my deal isn't so rough as to be unbearable. Far from it.
All these are just details that I suppose weren't beyond what I'd have expected about teaching in Korea. I wasn't expecting slick professionalism. But what I am a little surprised about is the main negative of the job - the other English teachers.
Outside of my school, most of the English teachers I've met seem fine. Well, in some bars I've seen a few that look like pricks (usually the ones who've been here too long actually) but by and large they're all pleasant people. It's a good ex-pat community. But none of them are at my school.
My two fellow teachers are David and David, but let's call the second David "John", not on a careless whim, but because that's his middle name and the name he's called at the school (the kids wouldn't be able to deal with two "teacher-Davids").
John first. I've mentioned him before, and I've been out with him a few times. Although he'd never be someone who I'd get on particularly well with back in Scotland (he's Scottish, by the way), on a personal level I find him ok. Sometimes. He has definite virtues, such as a strong sense of social justice. However, it's all very counter-balanced by the fact that he's deeply pessimistic, horribly cynical, always seeming to looking for another thing that's wrong with the world. Given a situation, he'll immediately hone in on the problems. I prefer to look at the positive aspects and I think that's why I'm a much happier person than he. He always brings me down in the staff room because since I've started he's never stopped going on and on about everything that's wrong with the place.
John hasn't just got a chip on his shoulder, he's got an entire goddam McCain's factory.
But he leaves in a few weeks anyway. I probably won't mind meeting up with him for the occasional drink, but I'd rather cut off my own leg than work with him again.
The other teacher, David, I've mentioned a few times before. He's the paedo-teacher. Probably an unfair monicker but hell, if he will insist on wearing gigantic and slightly shaded glasses, it's an obvious one.
I think he's probably a good teacher. He's had many years experience. But he seems unable to interact on an adult level. He has nothing to say for himself. I suppose he's the absolute personification of a "geek". And he's got a whiny nasal American accent, not to mention the fact he's one of the least physically blessed men I've seen in my entire life. Everything about him screams "unfortunate". And it makes me shudder to think how he'd have turned out if any of the other 100 million sperm had beaten that one winning sperm in the race.
Oh dear. It's too easy to be cruel about this man, but hey, honesty's the best policy - but truth hurts.
If he was a friendly man, a good laugh and had a few interesting stories, I wouldn't write about him so harshly. But so far his only redeeming feature is that I think he's a good teacher, and that he maybe just keeps hmself to himself.
Anyway, I thought I was getting rid of him in March. His contract expires then and the director told him it wasn't being renewed as they didn't need three teachers any more. A bit of a kick in the teeth considering he's the most experienced and has been there 2 years.
But then John decided that enough was enough and he gave his month's notice. The director did a U-turn and offered David a new contract - but at a lower salary. He didn't take it, but when another contract with the same salary was offered, he took it.
If that had happened to me, I'd have told the director where to shove it. I might have shoved it there myself, although it's not an attractive mental picture.
So, it looks like I'm stuck with paedo teacher for the rest of my contract. I'd have much preferred someone new, as few could be much worse.
But at least David buys pizza for everyone every Thursday.
Tuesday, 27 January 2004
Wordsearches
Wordsearches are good. They keep kids occupied for loads of time, and if any other teacher happens to look into my classroom as they pass, it gives the impression my kids are working hard and that I'm in control.
My teaching is style is less about education and more about making others think I'm a great teacher.
Wordseaches are not at all educational.
My teaching is style is less about education and more about making others think I'm a great teacher.
Wordseaches are not at all educational.
Saturday, 24 January 2004
Interesting Account Of Holidays
Still on Korean holidays. H is visiting from Cheonan. We went out last night, drank a little. Today we wandered about. Tonight we'll go out, drink a little. Tomorrow he goes back to Cheonan. Monday I go back to work.
I took ages crafting this meticulous and detailed account of my last couple of days so I want you all to appreciate it
I took ages crafting this meticulous and detailed account of my last couple of days so I want you all to appreciate it
Thursday, 22 January 2004
Happy Lunar New Year
Happy Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year as it's probably reported over where you are. Lunar New Year is the main holiday over here, and as such I don't have to work again till Monday, which suits me fine.
I don't really know what the whole LNY thing means, but I do know that it's the Year of the Monkey. This means that all those with pet monkeys will be blessed. I was born on the Year of the Horse, which is a bit of a let down for me. I've only ridden a horse once in my life, in Iceland last September, and I'd rate it in the worst 10 experiences of my life. Lower down the scale than losing your wallet, the harsh betrayal of an one-time friend, and diarrhoea.
Yes, diarrhoea has been a contemporay issue for me (the other two, fortunately, not so). I was not a well person on Monday. I knew on Sunday that my health was not at its fullest, but Monday it hit home. Monday also happens to be my hardest day of work, and I felt lousy throughout. A couple of classes I had to sit down because I was feeling so dizzy. But I battled through, because the hardcore don't succumb to illness. But when it was finally time for me to go home, then I assure you that my bathroom was one place that nobody would wished to have been.
But no pain, no gain. What I gained, though, I can't really say for sure.
So, my holiday started yesterday and, like today, I haven't done much yet. However, tomorrow H may be visiting and on Saturday we plan a trip to Gwangju, which is an area full of temples. I have a suspicion that one temple is much like another, but we'll see.
I'm also a little upset as because of the Lunar New Year, the nearby megastore Carrefour is closed, and it sold Leffe. Leffe is a marvellous beer but one which will be unavailable for now, as I expect Carrefour to be closed till Monday. While on Christmas Day all shops carried on as usual, and were packed (although Christmas is still celebrated here), they take this one more seriously.
Oh, I have a phone number too. I don't know what the UK code to dial out the country is (001?) but after that it's 082 053 984 9413. If you want to call me at an appropriate time then please do. I am 9 hours ahead of the UK, so between 10am and 3pm there it will be 7pm and midnight here. These times are fine, and on weekdays I'm often around in my apartment.
Ok. That's it for now.
I don't really know what the whole LNY thing means, but I do know that it's the Year of the Monkey. This means that all those with pet monkeys will be blessed. I was born on the Year of the Horse, which is a bit of a let down for me. I've only ridden a horse once in my life, in Iceland last September, and I'd rate it in the worst 10 experiences of my life. Lower down the scale than losing your wallet, the harsh betrayal of an one-time friend, and diarrhoea.
Yes, diarrhoea has been a contemporay issue for me (the other two, fortunately, not so). I was not a well person on Monday. I knew on Sunday that my health was not at its fullest, but Monday it hit home. Monday also happens to be my hardest day of work, and I felt lousy throughout. A couple of classes I had to sit down because I was feeling so dizzy. But I battled through, because the hardcore don't succumb to illness. But when it was finally time for me to go home, then I assure you that my bathroom was one place that nobody would wished to have been.
But no pain, no gain. What I gained, though, I can't really say for sure.
So, my holiday started yesterday and, like today, I haven't done much yet. However, tomorrow H may be visiting and on Saturday we plan a trip to Gwangju, which is an area full of temples. I have a suspicion that one temple is much like another, but we'll see.
I'm also a little upset as because of the Lunar New Year, the nearby megastore Carrefour is closed, and it sold Leffe. Leffe is a marvellous beer but one which will be unavailable for now, as I expect Carrefour to be closed till Monday. While on Christmas Day all shops carried on as usual, and were packed (although Christmas is still celebrated here), they take this one more seriously.
Oh, I have a phone number too. I don't know what the UK code to dial out the country is (001?) but after that it's 082 053 984 9413. If you want to call me at an appropriate time then please do. I am 9 hours ahead of the UK, so between 10am and 3pm there it will be 7pm and midnight here. These times are fine, and on weekdays I'm often around in my apartment.
Ok. That's it for now.
Sunday, 18 January 2004
Soju, Rice Wine, Hiking, Haeinsa and Bad Behaviour
I had a number of reasons for wanting to leave Scotland for Korea, one of them being that I thought it would curtail my drinking. It's fair to say that in Scotland I was a most excellent drinker, but at the back of my mind was an awareness that each week 90% of my wages were spent on alcohol and some weeks I wouldn't have a sober evening and I knew this wasn't hugely healthy. In Korea, I reckoned, I could cut down on the alcohol a little.
But from the evidence of the booze soaked weekend I'm just emerging from, this may not turn quite as anticipated.
On Friday night, John - the Scottish English teacher at my school - invited me out for a meal at Mr Noh's house. Mr Noh was a friend of Josh's (my predecessor at the school) and had got to John a little too. As his English is patchy, I think John wanted me as back-up.
This wasn't required, in the end, as a friend of Mr Noh's was there and was fluent in French and so they talked deeply about politics and other weighty issues while me and Mr Noh knocked back the soju and wine at an admirable pace. Any language barrier was soon forgotten and me and Mr Noh were jabbering away about God knows what. Very likely about entirely different subject matters.
The next thing I know I'm waking up at 7am on Mr Noh's sofa. I have no memory of how the night ended so I have to speculate that I passed out quite abruptly and they just left me. From what I've been told about Koreans, Mr Noh would probably have been delighted to have drank a Westerner to unconsciousness. Though I can't imagine he was in too healthy a state.
I quickly got up and headed back to my apartment, to get a couple hours rest, for Saturday was to be a big day. Mik had invited me, along with a number of others (including Matt) hiking in a national park about 2 hours away, staying in a village called Haeinsa. So I met him and Matt at the bus station at 11am, joined by two people I'd not met before - an Australian with a ginger moustache called Tom, and an American girl in her first week in Korea called Kristi.
The hiking was fun. We went past some mountain temples and up a snow-covered trail to a giant stone carving of a Buddha. Tom was fairly quiet but seemed decent, but Kristi made a good impression. She knew Mik from an English teaching course in Madrid and had recently travelled in Ethiopia and Eritrea, two countries I'm intrigued by.
Anyway, that evening we went out for a meal, joined by a number of others: a couple, English James and Rhiannon who were very likeable, John who was a friend of Matt and Kristi's also from the Madrid course, two Canadian girls I didn't see much of, and a decidely odd looking American guy called um... dammit, it's slipped my mind. Him and his (male) Korean "friend". This American guy looked like a cartoon, with giant glasses and a peculiar body shape that made his body and head look like a giant balloon, with his legs hanging like strange spindles. His Korean manfriend had some nonsense name, and later became very affectionate with me and Matt, stroking our buttocks at every opportunity.
The meal was good, and copious amount of rice wine - a foul tasting liquid - was downed. We became more and more raucous and our behaviour at the subsequent Norebang (Korean karaoke rooms) was very badly behaved. We were guzzling beer like twisted little monkeys, and collectively singing with a frightening disregard for self respect. The tambourines were in heavy usage, including being walloped against the wall to make as much noise as possible. Everyone was all over the place, and it was a hilarious night.
I sang "Creep" by Radiohead in a duet with Kristi, which my memory has as the most tuneful moment of the night.
Haze envelopes the end of the night, but I know there was a degree of misbehaving. I recall being in bed with Matt and three girls (Kristi, Rhiannon and a Canadian girl who, as Rhiannon sagely observed, look like one of the pig-nosed met from The League of Gentlemen) but I passed out before I could turn this situation to my advantage. Oh well.
Back in Daegu for the afternoon today then. I'm soon meeting Matt and Kristi in town to see a film.
Oh yeah. Mr Noh works in a hospital, as some kind of manager/advisor. So a way, he could be called "Dr No". Thereby being the first James Bond villain I've ever known.
*
But from the evidence of the booze soaked weekend I'm just emerging from, this may not turn quite as anticipated.
On Friday night, John - the Scottish English teacher at my school - invited me out for a meal at Mr Noh's house. Mr Noh was a friend of Josh's (my predecessor at the school) and had got to John a little too. As his English is patchy, I think John wanted me as back-up.
This wasn't required, in the end, as a friend of Mr Noh's was there and was fluent in French and so they talked deeply about politics and other weighty issues while me and Mr Noh knocked back the soju and wine at an admirable pace. Any language barrier was soon forgotten and me and Mr Noh were jabbering away about God knows what. Very likely about entirely different subject matters.
The next thing I know I'm waking up at 7am on Mr Noh's sofa. I have no memory of how the night ended so I have to speculate that I passed out quite abruptly and they just left me. From what I've been told about Koreans, Mr Noh would probably have been delighted to have drank a Westerner to unconsciousness. Though I can't imagine he was in too healthy a state.
I quickly got up and headed back to my apartment, to get a couple hours rest, for Saturday was to be a big day. Mik had invited me, along with a number of others (including Matt) hiking in a national park about 2 hours away, staying in a village called Haeinsa. So I met him and Matt at the bus station at 11am, joined by two people I'd not met before - an Australian with a ginger moustache called Tom, and an American girl in her first week in Korea called Kristi.
The hiking was fun. We went past some mountain temples and up a snow-covered trail to a giant stone carving of a Buddha. Tom was fairly quiet but seemed decent, but Kristi made a good impression. She knew Mik from an English teaching course in Madrid and had recently travelled in Ethiopia and Eritrea, two countries I'm intrigued by.
Anyway, that evening we went out for a meal, joined by a number of others: a couple, English James and Rhiannon who were very likeable, John who was a friend of Matt and Kristi's also from the Madrid course, two Canadian girls I didn't see much of, and a decidely odd looking American guy called um... dammit, it's slipped my mind. Him and his (male) Korean "friend". This American guy looked like a cartoon, with giant glasses and a peculiar body shape that made his body and head look like a giant balloon, with his legs hanging like strange spindles. His Korean manfriend had some nonsense name, and later became very affectionate with me and Matt, stroking our buttocks at every opportunity.
The meal was good, and copious amount of rice wine - a foul tasting liquid - was downed. We became more and more raucous and our behaviour at the subsequent Norebang (Korean karaoke rooms) was very badly behaved. We were guzzling beer like twisted little monkeys, and collectively singing with a frightening disregard for self respect. The tambourines were in heavy usage, including being walloped against the wall to make as much noise as possible. Everyone was all over the place, and it was a hilarious night.
I sang "Creep" by Radiohead in a duet with Kristi, which my memory has as the most tuneful moment of the night.
Haze envelopes the end of the night, but I know there was a degree of misbehaving. I recall being in bed with Matt and three girls (Kristi, Rhiannon and a Canadian girl who, as Rhiannon sagely observed, look like one of the pig-nosed met from The League of Gentlemen) but I passed out before I could turn this situation to my advantage. Oh well.
Back in Daegu for the afternoon today then. I'm soon meeting Matt and Kristi in town to see a film.
Oh yeah. Mr Noh works in a hospital, as some kind of manager/advisor. So a way, he could be called "Dr No". Thereby being the first James Bond villain I've ever known.
*
Thursday, 15 January 2004
Photo Diary Excuse
Another short entry. The reason I'm not writing much, by the way, isn't because I don't have much to write about (oh, the pages of school politics I could tell you about, or the various idiosyncrasies of children) but I'm currently deep into work on my photo diary.
For those of you that don't know, my photo diary was my project of 2003. I vowed to take at least a photo a day so I'd have a photographic record of every day of the year. I made notes too, so I'd know what I'd done every day and have photos to prove it. Well, this mammoth and expensive task is now complete and I've begun writing up my year. This isn't a small job - I think it'll be the end of February before I'm done.
But because I'm doing so much work on that, my writing here suffers. Hopefully I'll get a bit of momentum back here because I've no shortage of material.
I'll try and get a proper entry soon. But for now, all you need to know is that work's hard but ultimately satisfying. I can last a year easily, and right now wouldn't write off another, albeit at another school probably.
And I'm drinking far less too. Money reasons in part, but also because the beer here is pure pish in a glass and I can't face going in teaching when still off my face from the night before.
Alas, I know myself too well, and by March the odds are even that my kids will start to wonder about their crazed, drunken English teacher swigging from a brown paper bag every few minutes.
For those of you that don't know, my photo diary was my project of 2003. I vowed to take at least a photo a day so I'd have a photographic record of every day of the year. I made notes too, so I'd know what I'd done every day and have photos to prove it. Well, this mammoth and expensive task is now complete and I've begun writing up my year. This isn't a small job - I think it'll be the end of February before I'm done.
But because I'm doing so much work on that, my writing here suffers. Hopefully I'll get a bit of momentum back here because I've no shortage of material.
I'll try and get a proper entry soon. But for now, all you need to know is that work's hard but ultimately satisfying. I can last a year easily, and right now wouldn't write off another, albeit at another school probably.
And I'm drinking far less too. Money reasons in part, but also because the beer here is pure pish in a glass and I can't face going in teaching when still off my face from the night before.
Alas, I know myself too well, and by March the odds are even that my kids will start to wonder about their crazed, drunken English teacher swigging from a brown paper bag every few minutes.
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