Home for a Visit

It’s Thursday afternoon – two hours to go until I can head home. It’s a bit of an odd situation here at school. Unlike in Canada where the major school break traditionally takes place over the summer, Korean pulic schools do their big break in the winter time. This means that graduation happens now – tomorrow actually.

The big break happens at this time of year, I would imagine, because of the weather. Most schools here are old, and not particularly weather-proof. They are cement, cavernous, and not well-insulated. I have been told that the big break happens now because it’s simply too damn cold to run classes at this time. That’s pretty true – especially when the schools seem to insist on leaving the hallway windows open in -10 degree weather. Snow collects in corners of the hallway, but nobody seems to notice. Students are still asked to mop floors – even though it almost instantly turns to ice. Strange.

Why it’s been weird this week is that we just had a vacation – sort of. The second semester ended (in a practical sense: exams finished etc.) back in December. Then, it was vacation time – except for myself and those few teachers who were running extra courses through January. My Winter English camp ran for three weeks, then I had a week and two days off, and yesterday, I came back to school to teach for two days before going back on Vacation. This happens, apparently, because parents don’t like the idea of teachers having two solid months away from the school. So... teachers come back to their schools, we have two days of nothing classes and then a grad cermony for the grade 9 students.

It’s odd to be here at school right now – it’s limbo: it’s not the end of a semester, nor the beginning of a new one. What it is, is me trying to teach while ALL of the other teachers are showing movies in class. I’m not exaggerating – I walked down the hllways a lot today and yesterday and what I saw in each room was a flat screen TV playing a movie while groups of students gathered and chatted together, did each other’s hair, or played cell phone games.

Really, I don’t mind – I would resent being asked to come into school for three days in the middle of my vacation too - I do, in fact. Unfortunately, I have been told that I need to teach. It’s my role as Native English Teacher – they “NEED” to hear my voice. Sadly, when the lesson I planned with a friend didn’t go over as I had hoped due to students not giving a rat’s ass at this time of year, my co-teacher approached me and said, with a bright smile, the following:

“The students expect games and movies, so they don’t want to listen to your lesson. Maybe that’s why you’re frustrated...”

Yeah. Maybe.

Anyway, this week was a bit of a write-off as far as school went. There’s not much to do as plans for next semester won’t be in place until March. It’ll be interesting though – our school (and specifically the English department) will see some welcome changes then. Getting through yesterday and today though was a chore – for students and teachers – especially those teachers who were expected to actually teach.

Anyway, it’s vacation time – officially – after the ceremony for the graduating grade 9s ends at around noon, I’ll be helping Seong Sook pack her things (she’s moving to a new school next year) and then heading to Myeong-dong for one last dinner with a few people who will be going home at the end of this current contract – in others words, but the end of the month.

It’s been a decent January – aside from the frustrations that came with the territory. I went on a couple of hikes, had a birthday party with games and friends at my place – that’s becoming a bit of a tradition here – and went to Avatar in 3D IMAX with 15 of my closest buddies.

Getting tickets to Avatar was tough to pull-off. In Korea, people are mad for their movies Avatarv is the hottest ticket in town. Tickets go online one week before, any time between 4 and 9 am. Therefore, there was Seong Sook, days after surgery, waking up at 4 am to continually hit “refresh” on her computer until the purchase button actually lead somewhere. She snapped-up 16 tickets for a Sunday matinee, and after she logged out, the entire week – including our show – was completely sold-out. Online forums were reporting that people were scalping their Christmas Day Avatar tickets for upwards of 50,000 won (roughly $50.00 CAN dollars).

Anyway, we all went and it was well worth it. If you’re curious, you can read my review here. The best thing about all Korean movie theatres (IMAX or otherwise) is that you can book your seats in advance – no zany lining-up hours before the show.

Another cool thing that happened this month was baby-sitting a friend’s sweet puppy while he ran off to Thailand and Cambodia for 10 days. Bodie is a Miniature Schnauzer and he’s about 7 months old or so. Black with white paws, ear tips, beard, and eyebrows. He’s got a lot of character in that face. Sweet as can be – completely loves to be around people. He got attached to me pretty quickly and loved when I came home. He doesn't lick, but he enjoys sniffing at your from very close range for a long time. If I lie down, he’ll get up on my chest and just press himself down until his chin meets mine – staring into my eyes and sniffing. I love it. At night, he waits until I’m under the blanket, then he hops-up and settles under my arm like an arfing teddy bear. When I wake-up, he’s right there sniffing and staring at me eye-to-eye, starting to wiggle, as if to say “What are we gonna do now?”

We had some adventures – went for walks by the river, took him in his carrying case to a friend’s place in Hongdae, and introduced him to many people. Johnny came to pick him up lat night, and I’m going to miss him for sure. It already feels empty in my place – no, I won’t miss the pungent smell of puppy accidents, but I will miss the snuggles and muffled woofs when he hears a neighbor. Bye for now, Bodie.

Anyway, big plan for this month is that I’m heading home for a visit. I believe I mentioned before that I had been battling with the idea of maybe doing another adventure somewhere in SE Asia this winter, but – well... it’s a long story, and this is getting long enough. Short answer is, I miss my family, and it’s important for me to be home with them for some decent length of time. I know it’s February and all, but hey – it’ll mean ice-skating, visits to my nephew’s school, taking them to plays, movies, coffee, and dinner with friends, and just BEING home.

For a while, I could say that I wasn’t exactly excited to be going home – excited wasn’t the right word. I had already surprised people once, and this that was at Christmas. That was exciting. This time, until today, I could say that I was more simply “happy" about ging back - it was a Christmas Eve Feeling as opposed to Christmas Day. Well, now you can consider me happy AND excited. I got a hand-drawn card in the mail from my little buddy, Christian James Taylor today. It said that he missed me and that he hoped I would come back soon. I am planning on suprising those little guys. That’s going to be exciting. No big plans for great gatherings. I’ve naturally lost touch with more than a few people over the past 2.5 years, but that also means I’ve strengthened the relationships I have managed to hold onto. Visiting home feels natural – that’s kind of weird. I wish my Rabbit could come with me. There's so much I want to show her – next time for sure.

See you soon, family and friends back home.

Hair

A while back, another online debate question was asked of my students for the English debate. The question was this: "Should students be allowed to have any hairstyle that they want to?"

Korea is a relatively strict place in terms of public school dress codes and such. I heard stories that up until 3 years ago, students at my middle school had no enforced rule for their hairstyle. Apparently, the elderly people that live around our school complained to the school staff that these kooky kids and their crazy-ass hair were contributing to the moral decline of the community. Hence - a new hair rule was developed. It's what you'd expect: keep it short, keep it clean, and if you're a girl, wear bangs and/or a ponytail.

I post the following responses because they were interesting for me to read. I have students who responded with one line, students who wrote complete and complex paragraphs, and students who wrote nothing.

The responses below are at least in part the result of pasting the Korean response into a translator of some kind and seeing what it comes up with. More often than not - it is completely unintelligible. Sometimes, there is a hint of the original intent. Anyway, it's always interesting for me to read these and try to glean some level of meaning from them. This way, teacher and student are both speaking in code, and it feels like the playing field is being leveled a bit. It's actually kind of fun.

Here (unedited) is what some of my students had to say on the subject. See if you can figure out what they really meant to say...

Student #1

"Because the head plentifully there are long students to surroundings. Of course I am not am not long. Bud dyes and the person is and the head route [lu] I think like that because the person who wants being. And the school rule [manh] is long with my thought and is many. Is like that but only the head is freedom."

Student #2

"I approve to hair freedom. The freedom which raises the head because the student being human rights must be is in order to think that. The head grows automatically and the thing we capacity even the necessity which will cut think the money that is not."

Marriage and Babies

I've been saving this for a while, but there's no time like the present. Last semester, in wake of the World Health Organization's findings that South Korea had the world's lowest birthrate for the second year in a row, our school decided to throw this topic at our middle school students for an online debate: "Should Korean men and women be legally obligated to marry and have children?" - meaning, should there be some sort of enforceable punishment if people don't?

To me, this was worded in a way that didn't allow for the possibility of an incentive program for couples who wish to have more children: government sponsored day cares, tax breaks etc. It seemed to be more about - "Get married - or face the consequences!" Anyway, this was an effective way to get students to think about one of their country's current woes: the fact that the population is aging fast, and there seems to be a genuine fear that the lack of balance between old and young will lead to a situation where the elderly will be in dire need of care, and there won't be enough youth around to give it to them. It's hard to believe when you see all the tots roaming about Seoul, but the stats don't lie.

Here's what my kids think:

Student #1 (People should be legally obligated to have children)
I think it is the obligation to have children. Why? Because to the development of human labor is required. But humans are not capable of the descendants of labor will fall. The society can not develop. Some peopl said "child's education coats is very very expensive, so i don't like born my baby" But, We should know. If you have a baby, If you don't have a baby. Babies. It is very important meaning to us. When you have a problem, Babies can make you feel happy. Now the end It is the obligation to have children.

Student # 2 (People should be legally obligated to have children)
A marriage and having children are necessary. These days, low birth rate is big problem of society. Our future is children, but the children are disappear. Recently, the people want to choice a marriage themselves. So marriage age is older. Accordingly a woman delivered of a child healthy is dangerous. Now I'll tell you about why a marriage and having children are necessary. First all of the animal are make a match.
We are animal too. People must bear descendant so a marriage is necessary. Second a marriage is filial duty to parents. The biggest filial duty is giving grandson and granddaughter to parents. Third, a marriage is good for our health. Research result a single life are die faster than couple. Because couple live with lover, couple are not lonely and when they have hard problem, they are solving the problem using consultation. Accordingly couples mind and body are better than a single life.
Fourth, children is our future. If children don't exist, we are not live and our economy don't develope. So my opinion is a marriage and having children are necessary.

There's nothing like getting married and having children out of filial duty - Jesus...

Student #3 (People should NOT be legally obligated to have children)
marriage is selection
Marriage with does the person who likes doing put on.
The person among whom does not happily.
If last weaning duty, injures a human rights.
So the marriage is selection.


Student #4 (People should NOT be legally obligated to have children)
The marriage is selection. I think marriage isn't legal obligation. I have two cause for my opinion. First, marrige is a relation for love, so if we are marrige, we should love for us. but who want to be single, but obligation for marrige is taking ones freedom. Second, marrige isn't always increase in fertility. we can increase in fertility for marrige, but we have double income no kids. It means ther are marrige, but they have not kids and baby, so it can show "marrige isn't always increase"
So, we shouln't marrige and having children be a legal obligation a a member of a nation. we think about freedom is the most important in nation.

It's always interesting to see which students regurgitate information fed to them, and which ones think for themselves.

The Smell of Hospitals in Winter

It's 2010. Huh...

It's also a Saturday night, and I find myself happy to have turned down a couple of invitations: one for Itaewon, and another for Gangnam - both with good people, but tonight my place is too cozy and I just kind of feel like being here. I forced myself to bed early last night, and didn't force myself up at any time this morning. Lazy day.

I have had some free time - when I'm not unnecessarily forcing myself to be a perfectionist with Winter Camp planning. I've been visiting the hospital in recent weeks, and it has been mostly good. I've been introduced to the world of coded phone-calls from sympathetic voices on the other end, an have developed a new appreciation for powdered soups and innovative ways to enjoy smoothies with someone you love.

I guess all this free time means that I should take a moment to update. It's always tough to know where to begin. I suppose an "update" means telling about things that have happened over the last while, but a lot's happened over the last while, and since I don't write in here enough to catalog or relate events as they happen, you get to read my attempt at summary.

Christmas was good - great actually. I didn't really expect it to be - being that this was my first Christmas away from home without the distraction of Thailand. I got involved in Christmassy stuff, and I filled my place with good people. I felt lucky often. Christmas Eve was all about late night games and food, and going to sleep with an apartment full of giggling friends. We woke-up to Tim Horton's coffee brewing, a huge collective breakfast, and Douglas and his German friends making some authentic mulled-wine which filled the house with a smell that I thought could only be found in extremely strong Christmas potpourris. I was in a room that heard four languages that day. That was cool. Then off to TBS Radio for the Christmas Caroling broadcast, then to Papa Park, then home in the falling snow.

There's been a lot of snow here. A 60-year record fall happened on our first day of English Winter Camp. It was a good start. This time around, I've been working along-side a great new friend. Teaching with someone and having some cross-over with our schools' students has made this experience measurably different from the summer camp that I ran on my own. If anything, it's been refreshing to have someone from "back home" (even though "home" is New York) to talk to in my day-to-day at work. I haven't had that since leaving my hagwon last year. I'm surprised at how much I missed it. The kids have been cool. Gabi and I both have worked hard to make this a worthwhile experience. I have had some genuine laughs with my students and co-teacher, and it feels like the first school-related laughs in a long while. Apparently it was needed. These students can be golden, and it's been good to have a manageable group - students who are interested in communication. It's happened organically - except perhaps for Mario who hasn't yet learned to ask where the washroom is, in English. One week to go.

I've been reading. Not nearly as much as I'd like to, but I've been enjoying it for the first time in a long time. Perhaps "enjoying" is not the best word to use when reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road, but I can say that I'm glad to have read it. Finished it before Christmas - in the midst of the festivities actually, and it was a jarring contrast to say the least. Made me think of my family, made me think of the possibility that everything I take for granted could end cruelly, and made me value what I have - people mostly. I am mid-way through Mark Haddon's brilliant mystery, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Fantastic stuff. A once-in-a-lifetime story to encounter and be delighted by. Next up: I might even finish that Harry Potter series so that I can read all the retrospectives I've been shielding myself from.

I've seen a few films. Found a great little art house cinema near the Myeong-dong Catholic Cathedral. They play the small foreign stuff that no other theatre seem to want to touch. Saw Moon - pretty excellent, but I wanted more in some hard to define way. Sherlock Holmes was entertaining as hell, and then I forgot all about it once I left the theatre. The Road was well-acted and harrowing - but pulled some punches and lacked the poetry found in McCarthy's prose. That's hard stuff to capture. Douglas and I had a look at The White Ribbon, Germany's entry into the 2010 Oscars Foreign Film category. You can read my review here if you like. It's dark stuff. I also saw Inglorious Basterds a couple of days ago. Some truly inspired and entertaining stuff. It wasn't all gold, but Tarantino never fails to engross me. I watched it by myself and had there been a camera to capture my reaction, that would have been entertaining too. This film had some of the most intense and tortuous scenes of dialogue building into violence that I've seen in a long time - my stomach is knotting just thinking about it. Avatar IMAX 3D next weekend. It's truly an undertaking to get tickets for that movie here. More on that after I see it.


I'm also going home - in February, for a shorter visit than I would like. I'll be coming by myself - the person whom I wish could accompany me being unable to travel this time around. This will allow for some quality time with the people I need to see, namely, my family, and a few friends. I'm not planning any grand get-together. Rather, I plan on a few coffees and dinners - not to mention a few trips to the theatre with my movie-loving friend. I won't have time to see all the people I will want to see. It's good to know that going in. Basically, if you're reading this, I will see you. That helps to narrow it down. In addition to seeing my family, I'm also looking forward to following-up with my school research. Despite the challenges this year, a teacher is still what I want to be. Funny how a life plan can change by the places you go and the people you meet. I'm looking at doing a one year teaching program at a Western Canadian University before heading back to Korea for what looks like at least a couple of years. Home is where my family is. Korea is where the better part of my heart is. How did that happen? I'm hoping to find a program that will allow me to study from abroad while I'm here - shortening the time needed to stay at school in Canada. I may as well make myself useful in my own schooling terms during those cold or humid Korean nights.

And so - I have re-signed at my school for next year. I know this was the right choice. Bitch as I may about certain things, I know that my situation is a good one. I have changes in mind for things I'd like to do with my classes next year, and I already know that certain work relationships are headed towards a changed for the much better. I'm grateful for this.

I'm also grateful for meeting Papa Park. People - and moments you share with them - usually form my greatest Christmas memories. A couple of years ago, Steph's dad and some of his church buddies invited us to come along with them on Christmas Day to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. They brought guitars and we sang carols for the patients there. It was one of the most meaningful Christmas Days I've spent. I wish I could be there to do it again.

This year, it was Papa Park. One of my best friends here, has been lucky enough to have a father working here as well. Through a roller-coaster of a December, Papa Park, had a blood vessel burst in his abdomen, two surgeries - both of which he had a 20% chance of surviving, three weeks in a hospital, reconnection with his son, a promise of full recovery, a flight back home to Vancouver to see friends and family, then the worst fortune - a rupture of the repaired artery, and a sudden death. My friend called me with the news the day he found out. I stayed with him. He was unbelievably strong - stronger than I am being as I write this - and he was off home to deal with the death of his father - someone he had bought a golf glove for this Christmas. He was told he would be back on the links by Spring.

My friends and I had the great pleasure of meeting Papa Park on Christmas Day. After the radio station, we went straight to the hospital. Our friend wheeled him out to us and though he was out of breath, and sleepy from the medication, he spoke to us for some time. He held us captive with stories of growing-up, moving to Canada, becoming a father, working odd jobs - a limo driver for Audrey Hepburn, a Tae Kwon Do instructor - everything for his family. Papa Park broke into tears when he saw the friends that his son has surrounded himself with here in Korea. It was hard not to cry with him. It was one of those father and son moments that made me long to be with my own dad - just sitting there and knowing the value of what we have.

I listen to a lot of Christmas music, and I have many favourites, but in recent years, "recent" meaning since the Christmas of 2004, one of the most played for me has been Hawksley Workman's Almost a Full Moon. It's more winter songs than Christmas songs, really. But the best on the album is "Merry Christmas, I Love You", which opens with this lyric: "If God takes you, he leaves a huge foot-print of love and kindness behind which is where you once stood." It's a strange opening for a song of the season, but somehow a perfect one for this season. I met him only twice, and both times were brief, but I'm glad to have met Papa Park, and I will miss him.

Christmas Eve

It's here already in Korea - 2:24 am exactly as I write this. I really wish that I didn't have to be at school today, but I do. Shabby. I'm going to cross my fingers that they let me out early, but they may dock me half a day's wages for picking a man's pocket every 24th of December - that's a little Christmas Carol humour for ya...

Well, Christmas Eve is here. I am ready for it, though I wish that I had a few more days to enjoy the anticipation. Isn't that always the way.

I've done pretty well though. I've enjoyed the city - it's pretty at this time of year. Lights everywhere and carols too - though I could do without the Korean love for Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." It plays on repeat in some places.

I've also been lucky enough to take my old student from last year to one of my favourite Korean destinations: Everland - even more cool at Christmas time. Pig and I rode the T-Express and I took in the Christmas fireworks with old and new friends. My Korean sister joined us too. I also got to meet Pig's family which was very special. My favourite student in one of my favourite places with some of my favourite people at my favourite time of year. I liked it.

And tonight, I am going to bed far too late because I decided to take the time to skype my sister and her family. She finally got the webcam working on the laptop, which meant a view of the Christmas house - with the Christmas dog and two excited Christmas tots opening their presents from Uncle Dave. The Peppero box was a huge hit - good luck on keeping them from eating all of it before Boxing Day, Sandy and Jay.

Just a good night - and all this after sharing It's Wonderful Life in Korean subtitles with someone who was watching Mr. Potter scheme and George and Mary overcome for the first time. I guess Christmas away from home can still be special if you let it. It's a tough trade though. I miss you guys. Merry Christmas. I wish I could be there for real hugs and real snow. Roger Whittaker and a good imagination will just have to do.

A Christmas Eve Radio Broadcast

Well, folks... it looks like you might be able to hear ol' Christmas Davey and his friends over the radio this Christmas Eve afterall. I'll make this long story short, because I likely told it before...

A few weeks ago while waiting in Hongdae to head to to Maria's place to pracice our Christmas carols, a Korean woman in a hurry run smack into Sung Sook. She apologized in English, which we found odd, then she moved on. A few minutes later, she came back to where we were standing and asked us if we were a band. I guess the keyboard and guitar we were carrying kind of suggested that we might be.

We explained why we were there - that we were a group of foreign teacher friends who just wanted to get-together to do some caroling over the holidays. This woman, Sehee is her name, introduced herself as a DJ from a local English radio station here in Seoul. In short, she wanted us to come into the studio on Christmas Day to chat about why we were doing this as well as to sing a few carols for their listeners. Why not?

So, after warning Sehee that we really are strictly amateurs who struggle to hold any note, she was even more convinced that we would be the right fit for Christmas Day. It's best to lower expectations.

So, that's what we'll be doing - after waking up late in the morning, having some breakfast at my place, and maybe playing some more Cranium, we will be heading down to Chungmuro Station to practice our five selected songs for the Christmas Day travellers, before moving on to the radio station to chat and sing a few carols.


For anyone back home who is interested in listening-in, don't expect the Morman Tabernacle Choir, but do expect a Christmas shout-out from Seoul - we will in effect be the Ghosts of Christmas future, being that we are 16 hours ahead. We will be on-air from 3:10pm - 3:40pm Christmas Day (Seoul time), which makes it 11:10 pm Christmas Eve (Calgary time), or 1:10am for anyone listening in Toronto - Shannon, Chris, Jenn, Maria :)

Check the TBS link by clicking here if you'd like to listen - just look for the "on air" link on the left hand side of the page. We'll be thinking about our friends and family back home, and we would love to reach you through the radio at Christmas time. Turn on the fire place, pour yourselves some egg nog, and listen to a bunch of homesick amateurs murder some Christmas classics.

A Christmas Princess

Today, I asked Mrs. Lee if her daughter was getting excited about Christmas...

"Of COURSE!" was the answer.

Now, understand that "Of COURSE!" and variations on the same theme, are common answers from Mrs. Lee. The first time I heard her use it was when I asked her if she went to church:

"Of course not! I am NOT Christian!" In a country where 85% of the population is Christian, it didn't seem like such an obvious answer. But, through this year, I would hear Mrs. Lee use it to answer such questions as:

"Did the schedule change for today?"
"Of course!"

"Do the students clean the school every day?"
"Of course!"
"So... we have no janitors?"
"Of course not!"

"So... this form that you gave me today, is due yesterday?"
"Of course!"

...and the list goes on. Everything is an obvious answer to Mrs. Lee. So, her daughter was getting excited. I inquired as to what she was hoping to get for Christmas. Mrs. Lee's straight-faced answer was: "A toy dog with a crown and a pink dress."

Of course.

She then went on to tell me, with a classic Mrs. Lee amused grin, how each year before Christmas, she takes her children to the Lotte Mart near my house. She then tells each child to choose one toy, get on bended knee before the shelf, and pray to Santa Claus to bring it to them.

"So, is Santa going to bring the crowned, dress-wearing dog to your daughter?"
"Of COURSE!"
"And what about your son?"
"He wanted a baseball glove and some baseballs."
"Are you going to get those for him?"
"Of COURSE NOT!"
"Why not?"
"He didn't pray hard enough."