Ever heard of Tonga Jerry? Sure you have, it's just that you've never heard it pronounced that way. See, somehow Koreans (or at least the kids) have turned Tom and Jerry into Tonga Jerry, though the etymology is a little beyond me, since the Korean language is fully capable of saying "Tom an-duh Jerry" which is much closer. My grade 4's really wanted to watch "Tonga Jerry" the other day, and I can't stop them from saying it so oddly.
In case you missed it on the news, a hurricane blew through town last week. Though really, if I hadn't been told by others that it was going to happen, I would never have known a hurricane was taking place either. Sure it was a little rainy and windy, but watching CNN the day after, they made it look like we were one of those small Caribbean islands that gets all but wiped off the map every time a storm blows through. A few hours south of us, a few dozen people died, there was damage to buildings and flipped over cars. I hardly had to close my windows it seemed so mild up here.
Still, there was a lot of rain, and it made me realize just how shoddy our apartment building is. Every time it rains, it floods. Every window in the building leaks, so depending on the prevailing wind, you get floods all across the building. Our hallway slants away from the doors, which was probably done on purpose so that the water pools away from the apartment. Our apartment windows leak too, so our laundry room was absolutely soaked as well this time. The stairwells get puddles all through them normally, and this time even the elevator got washed out and had to be repaired.
There's another hurricane (though the Asian term for them is Typhoon) coming this week. Last I saw the projected path had it traveling just north of us, but a quick look at the weather forecast still says we'll get a bunch of rain. Probably just enough to pool half the hallway.
Geez, the humidity today is through the roof. It was sunny, then raining, and now it's scorching again, and I'm so hot and sweaty I feel like I'm drowning in myself. Hey, speaking of drowning, I had an amazing choking incident the other day. Shannon and I had made a Korean-style soup, and while eating it I inhaled a small portion of it the wrong way. I was still able to get some air down my windpipe, but it was a scary enough ordeal that Shannon got behind me and starting doing a mild heimlich maneuver on me. I think I would have been just fine without it, but it was a little reassuring having her get on it for me.
It's volleyball day today too, which isn't really different than any other day this month, except I'm told in advance I should play. Every day at 3pm, "Richard, you want to play volleyball?" Actually, they don't ask me if I want to, they tell me it's happening in a tone that suggests I really should come. I have come up with the semi-ingenious plan of never bringing sports wear, which 90% of the time works, though yesterday they pleaded with me and suggested there wasn't enough players to play without me. This is kind of true in Korea, since amateur volleyball has 9 players on each side of the court. Anyway, all the teachers are supposed to play, but I really don't enjoy it. Today we're supposed to play for 2 1/2 hours. It's ridiculous the effort and importance they put on volleyball, and I feel as though there's no way for me to say I don't enjoy it without serious issues being raised by my co teachers. Why, just the other day, my Vice Principal was noticing how I never eat all my food in the cafeteria, which irked him enough to start talking about me at the table. Afterwards, we played on the same team at volleyball and he couldn't get enough of me.
All right, enough of the volleyball talk. It's lunch time now, and our new lunch lady hasn't done me any favours with the food served so far this year. It's not bad, it's just never any good, resulting in comments from other teachers about my eating habits. Phew, the drama never ends. So long!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
A Conversation With My Favourite Grade 1's
The same grade 1 kids who thought I must have met Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin on my vacation just stopped by. Today they wanted to know about my family. Well, getting them to understand what divorce is was pretty tough, but getting them to understand why my family would ever get divorced was nearly impossible. Things like that just don't happen in Korea.
They also couldn't get why I didn't go into the military. First, "Teacher, did you go in the army?" No. "Did you go in the navy?" No. "Did you go in the marine corps?" No no no no no no no. I never used or saw a gun, I told them. Again, lots of confusion, but it all got sorted out - I must have been a student back home (university students can do their military service here without actually shooting guns, doing drills, etc.). Well, the got the student part right, but I couldn't explain to them how I ended up here in Korea, so in the end I resolved it all with a "Out out out! Bye-bye! Naeil bayo (see you tomorrow0!"
They also couldn't get why I didn't go into the military. First, "Teacher, did you go in the army?" No. "Did you go in the navy?" No. "Did you go in the marine corps?" No no no no no no no. I never used or saw a gun, I told them. Again, lots of confusion, but it all got sorted out - I must have been a student back home (university students can do their military service here without actually shooting guns, doing drills, etc.). Well, the got the student part right, but I couldn't explain to them how I ended up here in Korea, so in the end I resolved it all with a "Out out out! Bye-bye! Naeil bayo (see you tomorrow0!"
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Good to Be Back
I wasn't sure how I'd feel when I came back to Korea, but after 3 weeks I'm pretty confident saying that I'm happy being back here, and more than ready to put in another year. All ready things are falling into a nice groove, Shannon and I are keeping busy with the other foreigners, and our stupid little dog is keeping up his part by not peeing on the floor and keeping people entertained.
What I imagine must have been a typhoon rolled through town last week, bringing a kind of rain I've never seen before. For days on end, it rained steadily; and not just that west-coast-drizzle you get in BC, but a constant pouring, sometimes so intense it would darken objects on the horizon. It let up just in time for the weekend so we could do a little camping, but until Friday afternoon, I was starting to think this we were getting a glimpse of what it was like for Moses way back in the day.
I'm practicing my Korean again, and things are coming along nicely. I was even able to decipher what some of the Grade 1 boys were trying to say to me, which usually isn't too hard. This time though, they had heard I went to Canada, which I guess is the same as America to them. They also figured that I must have met all their heroes from Wrestle Mania, which was about all they could talk to me about for the rest of the day. "Teacher, did you meet The Rock? Did you meet Triple H?" Too cute.
I mentioned the "stupid" dog earlier here, which I suppose was a little harsh on him, since I think for a dog, he's actually quite intelligent. What he is missing is the slightest scrap of self-confidence or independence. At our last house, he absolutely destroyed one of the bedrooms - not bad for a dog that isn't mush higher than your ankles. We fixed the room, but pretty poorly, so everyday the landlord has been calling Shannon's school hounding them for $1500 to fix the place. There's no way it costs that much to fix it, but the headache of sorting it all out is causing Shannon so much stress. Her teachers are talking about her and the dog all the time, the school won't make us pay, but there's this feeling they want us to. It's incredibly awkward.
All right, I'm off for now. I've been kinda sick the last few days, so I'm not feeling entirely up to writing right now. I even took a day off school yesterday. My principal, he's so concerned he wants to send me home again today, while the rest of my teachers ask me how I am, then scuttle off and talk about me to everyone else. I may not understand what they're saying, but I can pick up more than they know.
What I imagine must have been a typhoon rolled through town last week, bringing a kind of rain I've never seen before. For days on end, it rained steadily; and not just that west-coast-drizzle you get in BC, but a constant pouring, sometimes so intense it would darken objects on the horizon. It let up just in time for the weekend so we could do a little camping, but until Friday afternoon, I was starting to think this we were getting a glimpse of what it was like for Moses way back in the day.
I'm practicing my Korean again, and things are coming along nicely. I was even able to decipher what some of the Grade 1 boys were trying to say to me, which usually isn't too hard. This time though, they had heard I went to Canada, which I guess is the same as America to them. They also figured that I must have met all their heroes from Wrestle Mania, which was about all they could talk to me about for the rest of the day. "Teacher, did you meet The Rock? Did you meet Triple H?" Too cute.
I mentioned the "stupid" dog earlier here, which I suppose was a little harsh on him, since I think for a dog, he's actually quite intelligent. What he is missing is the slightest scrap of self-confidence or independence. At our last house, he absolutely destroyed one of the bedrooms - not bad for a dog that isn't mush higher than your ankles. We fixed the room, but pretty poorly, so everyday the landlord has been calling Shannon's school hounding them for $1500 to fix the place. There's no way it costs that much to fix it, but the headache of sorting it all out is causing Shannon so much stress. Her teachers are talking about her and the dog all the time, the school won't make us pay, but there's this feeling they want us to. It's incredibly awkward.
All right, I'm off for now. I've been kinda sick the last few days, so I'm not feeling entirely up to writing right now. I even took a day off school yesterday. My principal, he's so concerned he wants to send me home again today, while the rest of my teachers ask me how I am, then scuttle off and talk about me to everyone else. I may not understand what they're saying, but I can pick up more than they know.
Shibbal Dae Hakkyo
For those who are unaware, the title of this entry has some foul Korean language in it. I took it from the t-shirt of a girl in one of my classes, only she had it written in English. I wasn't going to write anything down for another week, but I felt I had to get this one down.
It's grade 6 class time, and these kids are definitely my favourite group. Their English is pretty good too, so I usually spend a little more time walking around the room talking to them every class. I reach this one girl, Ei Hae Mi, who's one of the nicest, sweetest kids in the whole school, and I see she clearly has "F**K" written across her shirt (only without any censoring). I get her to hold it so I can read it all, and it says "F**king College" with a big bad-ass skull and crossbones between the two words. Of course, me, totally not thinking at the moment, decide to say to her "Oh, that's a bad English word."
It was a bit selfish of me, since there was honestly no harm in her having this shirt. She didn't know what it meant, no one around her would've given it another thought, but for some stupid reason I wanted to let her know that I could understand it and it wasn't polite. Well, after that she had her Korean teacher look at it, and a few kids asked what went on, and so I tried to say it was OK and a fun shirt, and she was all embarrassed. Phew!
My lesson learned from it all? I'm not entirely sure, though though mostly I really need to be a little more careful about any comments I'm going to make around or about kids in my school. Especially their clothes.
It's grade 6 class time, and these kids are definitely my favourite group. Their English is pretty good too, so I usually spend a little more time walking around the room talking to them every class. I reach this one girl, Ei Hae Mi, who's one of the nicest, sweetest kids in the whole school, and I see she clearly has "F**K" written across her shirt (only without any censoring). I get her to hold it so I can read it all, and it says "F**king College" with a big bad-ass skull and crossbones between the two words. Of course, me, totally not thinking at the moment, decide to say to her "Oh, that's a bad English word."
It was a bit selfish of me, since there was honestly no harm in her having this shirt. She didn't know what it meant, no one around her would've given it another thought, but for some stupid reason I wanted to let her know that I could understand it and it wasn't polite. Well, after that she had her Korean teacher look at it, and a few kids asked what went on, and so I tried to say it was OK and a fun shirt, and she was all embarrassed. Phew!
My lesson learned from it all? I'm not entirely sure, though though mostly I really need to be a little more careful about any comments I'm going to make around or about kids in my school. Especially their clothes.
Monday, September 03, 2007
One Home to Another
You gain so much when you go traveling, whether it's knick-knacks, language skills, memories or perspectives on life. This time I managed also to gain 5 or 6 pounds, though it could be even more if I were able to measure myself.
Yes, the trip to Canada was a most enjoyable experience, and I indulged as much or more than I thought I would when it came to food. While I don't think I managed to eat all the goodies I was looking forward to, I certainly ingested most of them. After a year away though, some things weren't quite the way I remembered them. My taste in beers has changed a bit and I didn't really enjoy chips and other junkie snack foods as much as I thought. Maybe I just ate too much too soon.
For those unaware, I had a whole month in Canada, which wasn't nearly enough time and yet I'm still glad to be back in Korea. A week in Saskatchewan, a few weeks in Calgary, then finishing the time off with a trip throughout BC, it got to be quite tiring being on the road and doing so many things. Shannon and I drove over 6200 km with the car, which if you did it all at once would probably be over three days of straight driving. Four if you took bathroom breaks.
I'm at a bit of a loss now when it comes to deciding where my home is at the moment. For sure my home country is Canada, but it's tough being there without an actual home, house, or space to call my own. Shannon and I spent a good deal of time on couches, in tents, and in spaces that while maybe private, were not "our" space. Yesterday we spent nearly the whole day lying on the couch reading, and it felt great to relax in our own space (though it's quickly becoming our own "mess").
The vacation though was wonderful, and I loved every moment of it. Except the few minutes wake-boarding in Waskesiu, where my feet got stuck in the bindings and I was sure we'd have to get a hacksaw and cut me out. Thankfully Shannon's cousin is a tough dude, and the two of us were able to wrestle me out. Otherwise, catching up with friends and family was amazing, even if sometimes it was only for a few minutes in a parking lot. Sorry to everyone I tried to meet up with but didn't, but I'll be home in a year, and you're always invited to come to Korea and visit me here. Oh, and thanks everyone for the comments on the blog. I'm amazed how many people are reading this here, so I promise entertaining and humorous stories for the next year and beyond. Till next week!
Yes, the trip to Canada was a most enjoyable experience, and I indulged as much or more than I thought I would when it came to food. While I don't think I managed to eat all the goodies I was looking forward to, I certainly ingested most of them. After a year away though, some things weren't quite the way I remembered them. My taste in beers has changed a bit and I didn't really enjoy chips and other junkie snack foods as much as I thought. Maybe I just ate too much too soon.
For those unaware, I had a whole month in Canada, which wasn't nearly enough time and yet I'm still glad to be back in Korea. A week in Saskatchewan, a few weeks in Calgary, then finishing the time off with a trip throughout BC, it got to be quite tiring being on the road and doing so many things. Shannon and I drove over 6200 km with the car, which if you did it all at once would probably be over three days of straight driving. Four if you took bathroom breaks.
I'm at a bit of a loss now when it comes to deciding where my home is at the moment. For sure my home country is Canada, but it's tough being there without an actual home, house, or space to call my own. Shannon and I spent a good deal of time on couches, in tents, and in spaces that while maybe private, were not "our" space. Yesterday we spent nearly the whole day lying on the couch reading, and it felt great to relax in our own space (though it's quickly becoming our own "mess").
The vacation though was wonderful, and I loved every moment of it. Except the few minutes wake-boarding in Waskesiu, where my feet got stuck in the bindings and I was sure we'd have to get a hacksaw and cut me out. Thankfully Shannon's cousin is a tough dude, and the two of us were able to wrestle me out. Otherwise, catching up with friends and family was amazing, even if sometimes it was only for a few minutes in a parking lot. Sorry to everyone I tried to meet up with but didn't, but I'll be home in a year, and you're always invited to come to Korea and visit me here. Oh, and thanks everyone for the comments on the blog. I'm amazed how many people are reading this here, so I promise entertaining and humorous stories for the next year and beyond. Till next week!
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