Friday, March 6, 2009

2. Lamb or Mutton?

0^C
Started as gusting sleet, turning into a brilliantly blue day. Still incredibly windy though.
The new principle generally gets presents for coming to a new school. All week I’ve seen a courier carrying pot plants into this school yet I thought nothing of it. This was until I was invited into the Principles office yesterday for some homemade hangover cure (a mixture consisting of ground dried Ginseng and milk), and I was defiantly in for a surprise. Almost every vinyl tile in this office had a decorated pot plant on it! What in the world he’s to do with all these gifts escapes me.

Sleet is evil. I experienced sleet today for the first time in my life. Defined as partially melted snow or a mixture of snow and rain, it really is my least favourite weather option. It just means that it’s still as cold as if it were snowing, but wet (and what’s even more bothering to me is the lack of snowballs). At the moment it’s gusting down with whiplash ferocity.

Boredom is blissful. As I mentioned previously, the school year started this week. Though now, being Friday and the end of the week, I still haven’t done a thing except attended one class with two students. Now the struggle lies between being bored and being lazy. For all those who know me; I’d gladly choose the lazy option, right? Well I’m glad I live up to your expectations; so bored that I crave something to do, yet on the other end of the chopstick, so lazy that I don’t want to do anything constructive. I’ve found a medium, I read a book and facebook.

Facebook, no seriously. Is there any other way of juicing information out of people (with their consent) than through Facebook? Facebook knows what I like and what I dislike, who I’m good friends with, where I’ve been, where I live now, and where I’d love to live, and I’ve only been on for only a few short months. and I’m positive that if Oscar the Grouch sat down with all the information I’ve ever typed into Facebook, then he’d be able to psychoanalyse me to a tee. Next we’ll have Facebook shrinks: “feeling lonely, feeling distressed, feeling something? Simply click on the HelpMe! application and all your worries will instantly vanish” [96,239,229 people have joined this application].

Music is my saviour. Ok I’ll get to that one later. First of all..

Typing saviour. As if it wasn’t bad enough that everything on my computers are in Korean (ie Microsoft office and Windows), now I type in something such as saviour or analyse and It feels the need to correct my spelling as if there was something wrong with it! Honestly, how many squiggly red lines must a guy create before Word realises he’s from Australia!? Criticise, organise, judgement, honour, gaol, gimmeafreakinbreak.

Music is my savior. Over here you’d go crazy from all the Korean babble unless you tune out. I’ve been told thinking too much is a dangerous thing to do, which I somewhat believe. So I tune into my very own radio station at
www.jango.com which plays music from the artists I type in and then cross-references them to other like music. Music I’ve never heard of yet music I suddenly realise that I’m quite fond of! For example, I type in Matchbox20 and after a few songs Powderfinger, Coldplay etc etc and now I’m listening to Frou Frou – Let Go, its great! Please visit www.jango.com and subscribe today!

Illogically logical Koreans. If another teacher in Korea were to read that they’d know exactly what I was talking about. But how to explain..? The well-known example, I sit at my desk from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, and only teach less than 12 hours a week. Yet, I have to be at my desk for the whole time! Another example just presented itself; forty minutes ago I typed that last sentence. I was told that I needed to teach now! So I left and now I’m back. No warning, no time to prepare, and obviously it was quite the disaster. I taught the 5/6 class, from two different textbooks in the same class. How can I teach them both 40-minute classes without dividing the class? It works well in theory that two fifth graders and two sixth graders can be taught in the same class.. but in practice.. nothing happening!

I love life. The few months were a little difficult (those who have been following from the beginning would know), though now I’m enjoying every second of being here. Sure I have my good and bad days, but if it’s a weekday and I’m interacting with the kids, then it’s automatically a good day! Each and every one of them love to smile and generally be happy.. its inexplicable just how happy these little dudes and dudettes are at times! There’s so much to learn just by observing them. As you can see my qualms are very trivial, I mean who but a very bored person complains about Microsoft Office’s word recognition software and sleet?

Ok that’s enough of my rambling. I’m staying in this weekend I think, just to recover from the Welcome Party and then Thanks for the Welcome Party Party.

PS: Look what I found in Seoul!! :D




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bloody hell mate those are the most random, unorganised, and boredistic (!) ramblings! Excellent read though. How was the lamb?

Anonymous said...

Hmm! So you are bored but are too lazy to do anything about it. That's defn my brother!

Maybe you should talk to Papa about how to teach composite classes. Imagine trying to teach 25 kids of grades 5 & 6!

What you need is to make some nice hot Vindaloo with that lamb! Though I prefer having bones in all my meat dishes. Bones is what gives the curries the flavour AND not to forget it awesome to chew on!... While you are having dinner, of course... not afterwards... I mean I don't hide my bones so I can chew on them later!

Love
Bhen

MiguelESL said...

Illogically logical...yes I know what you mean. Always enjoy ur blog Kraze. Just wish my laziness wouldnt get in the way of making my own.