This upcoming weekend marks the 8 month anniversary of my arrival in the ROK.
EIGHT MONTHS!!!
It is wild to me that it has already been so long. It is even wilder that the time until my contract is up is suddenly looking so *short.* 4 months is really no time at all.
As I have begun to realize that decisions are soon going to have to be made and have started to give a lot of thought to just what those should be, there are only two things that I have been able to conclude with any sense of certainty;
1. God has a good and perfect plan for my life.
2. I will drive myself crazy if I try to figure out exactly what that plan is.
So, rather than try to figure it out, I have resolved that I will simply go along with it. Uncertainty is what brought me to Korea in the first place, and my time here has proven to be a literal God-send. I doubt I've made it clear through my blog just how much perspective I have gained and how much I have grown up since being in Korea, but, believe me, it has been happening. And the knowledge that, despite my own best efforts, I ended up where God wanted me to be, is truth that I am holding onto tightly as I navigate through a very muddled pool of intentions, desires, and job applications in looking towards my next step.
Updates to come as I figure out just what that step will be....
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
White Day
Yet another in a long string of relationship-related holidays in Korea, today was White Day-- the day guys finally reciprocate the affection showered on them this same time last month.
Ahh, so much commercialized love all around.
The 14th of next month, which is pathetically called Black Day, will be dedicated to the singles. But rather than being a day of celebration as it has been in the past couple months, this 14th will be marked by groups of singles gathering to eat jajang-- chinese noodles with a black sauce-- and bemoaning the misery that is their relationship status.
Oh, Korea.
Ahh, so much commercialized love all around.
The 14th of next month, which is pathetically called Black Day, will be dedicated to the singles. But rather than being a day of celebration as it has been in the past couple months, this 14th will be marked by groups of singles gathering to eat jajang-- chinese noodles with a black sauce-- and bemoaning the misery that is their relationship status.
Oh, Korea.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Spring Flower Envy
The weather in Korea is KILLING me right now.
A couple weeks ago we had a few really beautiful days. I went out in a t-shirt, went for a walk in the park, and sat outside to journal and read. It was aaaaamazing. It made my heart extremely happy to be able to enjoy clear, warming weather, and know that spring was well on its way.
As soon as I expressed my happiness to my Korean friends, however, I was immediately warned not to get too attached. They described a phenomenon which Koreans refer to as "Spring flower envy," in which the winter begins to fade but becomes envious as the spring flowers start to bloom, and so comes back with a vengance to get in one last big punch before finally conceding defeat. This year, that meant another snowfall, with ice and slush once again covering the streets.
Apparently, this kind of pattern is really common in Korea, but it is nonetheless really depressing for me. As a born and raised southerner this has been the coldest winter I have experienced in my life, and I can now tell you that while I do love snow, I am officially NOT a fan of the cold. Besides, with Christmas and New Years having gone by, the thrill of winter-iness has long passed, and I am more than ready to feel the sun on my face and be able to wear skirts and sandals again.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
New semester... New outlook
I've kind of been a failure at blogging lately, and want to try to get back into the habit, so here goes.. a short blurb about the last week and a half!
I am currently in the midst of my second week of teaching in the new semester. This year, I have first and second grade (7th and 8th grade) students, rather than first and third like last term. I actually had a lot of apprehension going into this new semester-- mainly because, after getting off to a VERY rocky start last time, I had finally found a rhythm that allowed me to enjoy the second half of the past semester... so I REALLY feared breaking that and having to go back to feeling the way I did in the beginning. Because it was definitely not fun.
Fortunately, though, starting off this new semester has been a completely different story. Work still holds plenty of challenges for sure, but I am getting a lot more joy out of my job, and am feeling much more confident in the classroom. This time around, I knew what to expect and was prepared, which has made quite a difference. In addition, I am no longer phased when informed of schedule changes the day-of, and I no longer beat myself up for things that I can't control. And I can't overstate just how much more bearable my work life is because of these mindset shifts!
I am coming to really embrace the fact that, in spite of the challenges, there is a lot to be thankful for in working for a Korean public school. For one thing, it is a very stable position, and I don't have to worry about the possibility of my school shutting down-- a very real fear for many working in hagwons here. I am also kind of a rock star to the students, who simply love me for being the only foreign face among them-- and while it's definitely strange and can be pretty annoying at times, it's also often something that- on most days- I can harness and use to my advantage. Plus, working in this system, I rarely have to worry about grading and am generally given ample time for lesson planning while at work. I can usually get about a week or a week and a half's use out of one lesson for each grade and ability level that I teach, and that gives me a lot of freedom and flexibility, both at work and in life in general. Teaching here definitely does not consume my time the way that it can for teachers at home.
All in all, working as an ESL teacher in Korea, despite some of the unique challenges, is not a heavy load to bear. It leaves me a ample room in my life to explore, learn and grow through my time here, and that is something for which I am truly grateful.
I am currently in the midst of my second week of teaching in the new semester. This year, I have first and second grade (7th and 8th grade) students, rather than first and third like last term. I actually had a lot of apprehension going into this new semester-- mainly because, after getting off to a VERY rocky start last time, I had finally found a rhythm that allowed me to enjoy the second half of the past semester... so I REALLY feared breaking that and having to go back to feeling the way I did in the beginning. Because it was definitely not fun.
Fortunately, though, starting off this new semester has been a completely different story. Work still holds plenty of challenges for sure, but I am getting a lot more joy out of my job, and am feeling much more confident in the classroom. This time around, I knew what to expect and was prepared, which has made quite a difference. In addition, I am no longer phased when informed of schedule changes the day-of, and I no longer beat myself up for things that I can't control. And I can't overstate just how much more bearable my work life is because of these mindset shifts!
I am coming to really embrace the fact that, in spite of the challenges, there is a lot to be thankful for in working for a Korean public school. For one thing, it is a very stable position, and I don't have to worry about the possibility of my school shutting down-- a very real fear for many working in hagwons here. I am also kind of a rock star to the students, who simply love me for being the only foreign face among them-- and while it's definitely strange and can be pretty annoying at times, it's also often something that- on most days- I can harness and use to my advantage. Plus, working in this system, I rarely have to worry about grading and am generally given ample time for lesson planning while at work. I can usually get about a week or a week and a half's use out of one lesson for each grade and ability level that I teach, and that gives me a lot of freedom and flexibility, both at work and in life in general. Teaching here definitely does not consume my time the way that it can for teachers at home.
All in all, working as an ESL teacher in Korea, despite some of the unique challenges, is not a heavy load to bear. It leaves me a ample room in my life to explore, learn and grow through my time here, and that is something for which I am truly grateful.
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