I was sent home a half-hour early yesterday so the entire school could be sprayed down with disinfectant after a student's recent diagnosis of TB last Friday. Yes, as in tuberculosis.
Apparently we're getting chest x-rays tomorrow?
Another student, only days before, was diagnosed with leukemia. I don't know the health status of either of the students, but neither of these things is good news.
A few days ago I mentioned it was officially fall. Upon stepping outside this morning, it felt more like winter. HOLY HELL where did all this cold air suddenly come from??
Jinju was host to Korean's national sports competition this year, which coincided with the famous Lantern Festival held every October. So, the city built a brand new stadium and sports complex, complete with facilities for soccer, track, basketball, tennis, roller blading, skateboarding, volleyball AND last but not least, rock climbing. SO, a few friends and I met up yesterday evening to hit up the rock wall at the stadium. It was my first time to this place (which is an $8 taxi ride away; or, I can take a bus, but the bus only comes by my house every hour or two, I haven't quite figured it out yet). But this place is incredible! It makes me just want to go, soccer ball, basketball, climbing gear in hand and hang out for like six hours doing all sorts of random sports-related activities. Oh, it's also right on the river so there's always the river path to run along.
Anyways, my point in that entire paragraph was to say that somewhere in between about 5pm and 8pm last night, the weather turned dramatically and now it's FREEZING COLD. Here's to hoping there's still a little warmth in the afternoon air under the sun... At least there's still sunshine.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Little Cleaning Machines
Who needs custodians and janitors when you've got 1,088 teenage boys?
Not Jinju Jeil Middle School. And not the rest of the public schools in Korea, either. I haven't yet figured out the pattern, but on most days after the final bell rings at 3:30 and classes are officially over, the boys start cleaning. They sweep, they dust, they wipe, they mop and they scrub. They clean the stairs, the floors, the windows and the desks. They empty the trash. They clean the classrooms, the hallways and the teachers' offices. Every afternoon around 3:45 I roll my chair away from my desk so the first student can sweep under my desk and the second student can mop. I think I'm the only teacher who every says "thank you." ("Thank you" is not nearly as common an expression in Korean as it is in English).
They DON'T, however, clean the bathrooms. Apparently they used to, but they did such a terrible job and would screw around so much that they since got banned from that responsibility. I'm sure they were very disappointed about that one. (We do actually have a few women who are here every day cleaning bathrooms; otherwise, the students clean EVERYTHING!).
About once a month, maybe less, Monday afternoon's sixth period becomes special deep-cleaning days. They spend an entire class period moving desks around in classrooms, wiping the blackboards clean, and climbing out windows onto the rooftops to clean the glass.
What a brilliant idea. But, I can't imagine this EVER working in public schools back home...
Not Jinju Jeil Middle School. And not the rest of the public schools in Korea, either. I haven't yet figured out the pattern, but on most days after the final bell rings at 3:30 and classes are officially over, the boys start cleaning. They sweep, they dust, they wipe, they mop and they scrub. They clean the stairs, the floors, the windows and the desks. They empty the trash. They clean the classrooms, the hallways and the teachers' offices. Every afternoon around 3:45 I roll my chair away from my desk so the first student can sweep under my desk and the second student can mop. I think I'm the only teacher who every says "thank you." ("Thank you" is not nearly as common an expression in Korean as it is in English).
They DON'T, however, clean the bathrooms. Apparently they used to, but they did such a terrible job and would screw around so much that they since got banned from that responsibility. I'm sure they were very disappointed about that one. (We do actually have a few women who are here every day cleaning bathrooms; otherwise, the students clean EVERYTHING!).
About once a month, maybe less, Monday afternoon's sixth period becomes special deep-cleaning days. They spend an entire class period moving desks around in classrooms, wiping the blackboards clean, and climbing out windows onto the rooftops to clean the glass.
What a brilliant idea. But, I can't imagine this EVER working in public schools back home...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
I'm Gonna be a Superstar
Okay, not really. Not even close, with my (lack of) talent. BUT, that doesn't mean I can't FEEL like a star during the midnight hour when my friends and I escape to a magical place called a "norae bang."
Norae = song, bang = room. Song room. Singing room. Karaoke room. Room where one can feel like a star for the night.
Koreans love their norae bangs. I'm convinced, in fact, that without norae bangs Korea and Korean culture just wouldn't be the same. It's not uncommon for a night out in Korea to end in a norae bang (for Koreans and foreigners alike). It's also not uncommon to end up in a norae bang with coworkers--principals and vice principals included--after a school dinner. The first time I sang in a norae bang was actually in front of my vice principal (who has an amazing voice) and about seven other teachers. A coworker picked out "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. Let's just say that Dancing Queen is WAY out of my range and I was humiliated. Luckily, they didn't fire me after my terrible performance.
One becomes accustomed to the norae bang session with ease after the first one or two times. Now, when my friends and I make the late-night decision to end the evening with a norae bang session, it goes a little something like this:
Walk half a block to the nearest norae bang (they're everywhere here). Enter, pay the fee (usually around $20 for one hour), order a few beers. Enter into our 'assigned' room, grab the song book, the mics, the tambourines, kick off our shoes and start singing. The norae bang employee will soon bring in a plate of snacks, usually consisting of something like peanuts, dried squid and other little crunchy snacks. People have their usual songs, like "Hotel California," "Piano Man," "La Bamba," The Beatles, Oasis, you name it. The options are endless (well, almost; we've only been able to find Journey once in a norae bang).
If there are enough people (I'd say more than six), the music never stops. There are songs in the queue so as soon as one finishes, the mic is passed on to the next star. The room is usually set up such that there is a big-screen tv in one corner or end of the room and then a line of seating (often time velvet lined and padded with cushion and pillows) around three walls and a table in the middle, thus leaving plenty of performing (i.e., singing AND dancing) space. We dance on the cushioned seating and it's more likely the dried squid will be tossed around like a ninja star rather than eaten.
Norae bangs are like a black whole, or a vortex of fun where time seems to stand still. My latest norae bang session? We walked out after almost three hours to daylight. Yes, it was almost 7am the next day. Thankfully, we were handed complimentary cans of coffee on the way out.
Norae bangs are the perfect ending to a night out on the town.
See for yourself and tell me you aren't just a LITTLE jealous that YOU can't also be a superstar singer for the night (even my parents joined in on the norae bang fun during their visit!):
Norae = song, bang = room. Song room. Singing room. Karaoke room. Room where one can feel like a star for the night.
Koreans love their norae bangs. I'm convinced, in fact, that without norae bangs Korea and Korean culture just wouldn't be the same. It's not uncommon for a night out in Korea to end in a norae bang (for Koreans and foreigners alike). It's also not uncommon to end up in a norae bang with coworkers--principals and vice principals included--after a school dinner. The first time I sang in a norae bang was actually in front of my vice principal (who has an amazing voice) and about seven other teachers. A coworker picked out "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. Let's just say that Dancing Queen is WAY out of my range and I was humiliated. Luckily, they didn't fire me after my terrible performance.
One becomes accustomed to the norae bang session with ease after the first one or two times. Now, when my friends and I make the late-night decision to end the evening with a norae bang session, it goes a little something like this:
Walk half a block to the nearest norae bang (they're everywhere here). Enter, pay the fee (usually around $20 for one hour), order a few beers. Enter into our 'assigned' room, grab the song book, the mics, the tambourines, kick off our shoes and start singing. The norae bang employee will soon bring in a plate of snacks, usually consisting of something like peanuts, dried squid and other little crunchy snacks. People have their usual songs, like "Hotel California," "Piano Man," "La Bamba," The Beatles, Oasis, you name it. The options are endless (well, almost; we've only been able to find Journey once in a norae bang).
If there are enough people (I'd say more than six), the music never stops. There are songs in the queue so as soon as one finishes, the mic is passed on to the next star. The room is usually set up such that there is a big-screen tv in one corner or end of the room and then a line of seating (often time velvet lined and padded with cushion and pillows) around three walls and a table in the middle, thus leaving plenty of performing (i.e., singing AND dancing) space. We dance on the cushioned seating and it's more likely the dried squid will be tossed around like a ninja star rather than eaten.
Norae bangs are like a black whole, or a vortex of fun where time seems to stand still. My latest norae bang session? We walked out after almost three hours to daylight. Yes, it was almost 7am the next day. Thankfully, we were handed complimentary cans of coffee on the way out.
Norae bangs are the perfect ending to a night out on the town.
See for yourself and tell me you aren't just a LITTLE jealous that YOU can't also be a superstar singer for the night (even my parents joined in on the norae bang fun during their visit!):
Monday, October 18, 2010
Rockin' Out
I've been slacking... But, that's typical.
It's officially autumn in Jinju. The nights are cold, the morning air is crisp and the afternoons remain warm under the sun. The leaves have yet to turn, but I am told that will happen in the next few weeks. Jinju weather right now is really quite refreshing.
Summer in Jinju was, in one word, epic. I hardly had time to bat an eye between all the beach days, baseball games, festivals, picnics, bike rides, hikes, rock climbing trips, late night norae bang sessions and Mongolia. Mmmm, rock climbning. Rock climbing has become an addiction--no, an infatuation--for me and a handful of friends here.
I was first introduced to climbing during the summer of 2009 and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, after spending over a week in Squamish, British Columbia, climbing was absent from my life for the next ten months or so. Until, of course, Korea brought it back.
Below is part of a blog post I wrote near the end of my Squamish trip. Sitting here moments ago, I recalled writing this while still in Squamish and thought it would be interesting to re-read what I wrote when I was being introduced to the sport.
"Seductive Squamish: Adventures on the Rocks
It's now my eighth day in Squamish, British Columbia, and impressed is an understatement of how I feel about this place. It's breathtakingly beautiful, with the town nestled between massive rocky peaks and an endless green of fir tree after fir tree. I know I have been lucky; I've seen nothing but sunshine and blue skies until today, where I now take refuge in the Squamish Public Library from the chill of overcast skies and intermittent drizzles of rain.
I could not think of a better place to be introduced to the sport of rock climbing. Throughout the past week, I have tested my mind and body in ways that until now have been unfamiliar to me. It's as much a mental game as it is physical, demanding from your mind an intense focus on each move, with a need for problem-solving and piecing together a puzzle, all while hanging on by fingertips and the tips of your toes, shifting your weight until you find the right balance to stay on the rock.
No doubt, there is an adrenaline rush that takes you right up to the top of the rock (although, I never truly notice it until I've reached the peak, and then even more when my feet are safely back on the ground). The rush of feeling you get on the inside is indescribable, and nothing like that of finishing a race, winning a soccer match, or reaching the summit of a long hike."
I include this because I was trying to think of how to describe what climbing feels like to someone who has never done it before. Having always been an athlete, I've had plenty of experiences that demand an incredible amount of physical and mental exertion, concentration, focus and confidence. I'm familiar with pushing my mind and body to new places, above and beyond what I had expected from myself. I'm used to challenging myself and being challenged by people around me. But, that still doesn't even begin to cover what it feels like to climb.
I guess I'll just post some pictures of this year's climbing adventures instead.
These are from Sancheong, about a half hour north of Jinju. This was my very first outdoor climbing trip in Korea:
The next two photos are from what we call the "Sea Wall," about 45 minutes south of Jinju in Samcheonpo. This is a great warm-weather climbing spot since the ocean is right there. That means we swim, climb, swim, sunbathe, climb, swim, etc. Good stuff.
Probably one of my favorite places in Korea thus far, Yongseo Pokpo (Forgiveness Waterfall), is a few hours away but a place we've returned to a few times. As you can see, all the climbing routes are right there next to the falls. Like the Sea Wall, we can climb, swim, climb, swim; AND, there are places to pitch a few tents to make a great weekend out of it. As you can see in the last photo, we gave night-climbing a go after we'd already had dinner and sat around a campfire for a little while.
The rest of the pictures are from my most recent climbing trip up north to Chuncheon, near the North Korean border. There were six of us total and we did a four-pitch climb; this was also the first multi-pitch climb for three of us, so it was an awesome weekend.
It's officially autumn in Jinju. The nights are cold, the morning air is crisp and the afternoons remain warm under the sun. The leaves have yet to turn, but I am told that will happen in the next few weeks. Jinju weather right now is really quite refreshing.
Summer in Jinju was, in one word, epic. I hardly had time to bat an eye between all the beach days, baseball games, festivals, picnics, bike rides, hikes, rock climbing trips, late night norae bang sessions and Mongolia. Mmmm, rock climbning. Rock climbing has become an addiction--no, an infatuation--for me and a handful of friends here.
I was first introduced to climbing during the summer of 2009 and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, after spending over a week in Squamish, British Columbia, climbing was absent from my life for the next ten months or so. Until, of course, Korea brought it back.
Below is part of a blog post I wrote near the end of my Squamish trip. Sitting here moments ago, I recalled writing this while still in Squamish and thought it would be interesting to re-read what I wrote when I was being introduced to the sport.
"Seductive Squamish: Adventures on the Rocks
It's now my eighth day in Squamish, British Columbia, and impressed is an understatement of how I feel about this place. It's breathtakingly beautiful, with the town nestled between massive rocky peaks and an endless green of fir tree after fir tree. I know I have been lucky; I've seen nothing but sunshine and blue skies until today, where I now take refuge in the Squamish Public Library from the chill of overcast skies and intermittent drizzles of rain.
I could not think of a better place to be introduced to the sport of rock climbing. Throughout the past week, I have tested my mind and body in ways that until now have been unfamiliar to me. It's as much a mental game as it is physical, demanding from your mind an intense focus on each move, with a need for problem-solving and piecing together a puzzle, all while hanging on by fingertips and the tips of your toes, shifting your weight until you find the right balance to stay on the rock.
No doubt, there is an adrenaline rush that takes you right up to the top of the rock (although, I never truly notice it until I've reached the peak, and then even more when my feet are safely back on the ground). The rush of feeling you get on the inside is indescribable, and nothing like that of finishing a race, winning a soccer match, or reaching the summit of a long hike."
I include this because I was trying to think of how to describe what climbing feels like to someone who has never done it before. Having always been an athlete, I've had plenty of experiences that demand an incredible amount of physical and mental exertion, concentration, focus and confidence. I'm familiar with pushing my mind and body to new places, above and beyond what I had expected from myself. I'm used to challenging myself and being challenged by people around me. But, that still doesn't even begin to cover what it feels like to climb.
I guess I'll just post some pictures of this year's climbing adventures instead.
These are from Sancheong, about a half hour north of Jinju. This was my very first outdoor climbing trip in Korea:
The next two photos are from what we call the "Sea Wall," about 45 minutes south of Jinju in Samcheonpo. This is a great warm-weather climbing spot since the ocean is right there. That means we swim, climb, swim, sunbathe, climb, swim, etc. Good stuff.
Probably one of my favorite places in Korea thus far, Yongseo Pokpo (Forgiveness Waterfall), is a few hours away but a place we've returned to a few times. As you can see, all the climbing routes are right there next to the falls. Like the Sea Wall, we can climb, swim, climb, swim; AND, there are places to pitch a few tents to make a great weekend out of it. As you can see in the last photo, we gave night-climbing a go after we'd already had dinner and sat around a campfire for a little while.
The rest of the pictures are from my most recent climbing trip up north to Chuncheon, near the North Korean border. There were six of us total and we did a four-pitch climb; this was also the first multi-pitch climb for three of us, so it was an awesome weekend.
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