Rain, Rain, Go Away

I’m not sure whether the people of Jinju think the rain will melt them, but I did not see a single person this morning walking without an umbrella, with the exception of one young boy—who was obviously running away from the rain on his way to school. I was half waiting for some ajumma (the name used to refer to older women) or teacher at my school to walk or drive by and scold me for not using an umbrella. Instead, the kind woman whom I believe is the head of all cafeteria operations—and who, when I first got here, would always bring me a plastic fork at lunch time and who also insisted on giving me an extra piece of cake on our last day of school in December—walked me from the parking lot to the front entrance of the school with her umbrella. Then she turned around and backtracked to where she needed to go. People here are genuinely some of the kindest I have ever met.

Today is only the second time it has rained in Jinju since my arrival eight weeks ago. The majority of other days have been sunny, but cold. Truthfully, the rain brought about a slight feeling of nostalgia, as it reminds me of winters back home. Nevertheless, I still prefer the sun 

I’m finally back at school after a long winter break—that is, until I leave for a 12-day adventure to the Philippines on Valentine’s Day! The timing in which I was brought over here to be a Native English Teacher is a little strange. I arrived in the middle of the second to last week of school in December, thus only having about four full days in the classroom, and all of which I only introduced myself and played a game with the boys. I had no school responsibilities the week between Christmas and New Year’s, then had two weeks of Winter English Camp before another two and a half weeks of no school. This random week of school in February began last Friday the 5th, and will commence on Thursday the 11th. This is the final week of the school year and will include a graduation ceremony for the 3rd grade middle school boys on Wednesday. March 2nd will be the first day of the new school year.

My employment in Korea thus far seems a little crazy, but I would ultimately get the same amount of time off regardless of when I started. It just so happens that it all came in the beginning of my contract period. I will get a few more weeks of vacation come summer time, but from March until December 2011, it will be mostly about work, and I am truthfully ready to have a little routine in my life—not to mention the feeling of being productive and contributing to something larger than myself!

Expect to hear from me a bit more often now that I’m no longer off gallivanting around South Korea…