Soni Enjoying Mid-Season Break

By Anono J. Mus
The News Network

23-year old individual Mark P. Soni is enjoying his mid-season break from teaching. Spending time with his parents here in South Korea, "Little Soni" is enjoying his time relaxing, eating, sleeping, and sharing memories and experiences with his parents and family during the Korean Thanksgiving holiday.

"Its been a fun experience, taking a break from teaching classes, coming out here to my aunt's house in Anyang City, and seeing my parents all over again...its all good," said a laid-back Soni, who is in his rookie season as an ESL teacher at an all-boys' high-school in the city of Incheon, South Korea.

With his future in doubt, Soni knows that the future holds no bounds.

"Its all good man. I mean, KG (Kevin Garnett) and other free agents in the NBA go through this, when your contract is about to be up and all. Your future is always in doubt, but, I'm just trying to live out my life day to day and see where things are headed. You can't really whine or worry, because its ultimately going to come down to what is best for my future, and I trust in my Agent, God, to deal out what is best for me."

Soni is half-way through his teaching contract, meaning that his options are wide open: re-sign with the school, pursue Korean language training at a university in Seoul, or find a new school to teach at. "The sky's the limit," he adds.

Lately, the 23-year old little man has been experiencing some surprise difficulties during his mid-season mark of his teaching campaign. He was told by a senior teacher recently to not speak Korean anymore to the English teachers of the school and the students. Also, he is experiencing some communication issues with his new boss, who is also a fresh rookie out of university, and her English skills are not up to par as our rookie would like them to be.

"Just like other players in this ESL ballgame here in South Korea, communication is such a vital problem. Some English teachers in the schools are not adequately trained to handle and communicate inter-culturally with the native English teachers. Its a tough situation, but, just like any other job, I have to do my best to react and handle it like a man, and then some."

"I can't really complain. Yet at the same time I'm not going to let this issue idly remain, and let this be the status quo for the rest of the year. I'm going to make some fundamental changes on how I react to certain situations, such as when I cannot get my point across to the staff, or that I certainly get truthful feedback for my efforts."

Is Soni experiencing doubts about his job? Soni fires back: "Not one bit. God put me here in South Korea for a reason. To preach the Gospel. Paul once wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:16: '...for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel!" That's what I'm here for, and if I lose focus on that mission statement and goal, than this job is meaningless. So I will continue to press on regardless and do my best."

"As for co-worker issues, this is nothing different than I have experienced in the past, in other jobs that I have worked in there were some really tough issues I had to deal with, well, particulary for my life. But, I learned from all of them and I don't get too pressed about them. I can't let it get to me, because it robs the joy of teaching from me."

Soni's break continues next week as the students of Yeonsu High School Celtics take their mid-term exams.

"That's what I'm talking about! Just need some time to reflect, recharge, and write new lesson plans."

Soni is an unique individual based on the fact that he is a young born-again Christian still trying to maintain the fire of the faith. Not your typical Bible pusher, Soni is a man who is much a normal guy who enjoys a myriad of interests: from reading about foreign cultures, learning foreign languages, and watching/following the NBA, Soni's goal is to give all of his life to the Lord.

"I like it how in the Christian faith you do not need to sacrifice your interests to live a life of dull-dom. More about it, when your life is focused on Christ, your interests come second behind Him, and He takes them as an avenue to help you enjoy life more and share the Gospel more effectively with the people around you."

So for Soni, 6-months are done, 6 more to go. The Saga continues...

- Anono J. Mus is a freelance writer out of Anyang, SK, detailing about the life of ESL life for South Korean teachers, and will regulary contributes to this blog.

Korean Thanksgiving

My parents are here, and here we are, relaxing at my aunt's house in Anyang, which is south of Seoul. Yesterday I had my first Korean Thanksgiving, aka "Chuseok," which is the harvest holiday that occurs usually near the start of the Fall season here in Korea. It is a three-day holiday where Korea is on a mass-movement escapade. Millions of families hit the roads to return to their native hometowns, gather with extended family, pay homage to their ancestors, and eat. So being in Korea, this is the first time I got to experience this holiday with my parents and with all of my Korean extended family.

It was pretty fun. We went to my uncle's house in East Seoul to get busy with food and fun. We had loads of Korean food, with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins came, and we spent time talking and chowing down. Then, we finished the meal off with traditional rice cakes, called "song-pyong," which come in a variety of colors and sizes. It was great.

My parents are here for their third and final week. It was really awesome for them to come out and visit our family, re-see Korea together, and see what my new life is like. They spent a great deal of time visiting family and friends, and we also made frequent trips to the army base in central Seoul, where my father used to work.

Its really nice to see my parents again. They are fine and keeping strong in the faith. As parents, they are concerned for my future and want to make sure I am staying the course on my faith with Jesus Christ, as well as making the right choices in my day to day living. As a free agent coming up next March, which is a lot of time to consider the future, I am not sure if God is calling me to continue to grow, evangelize, and become a better man in this land. I have set some goals for myself, such as learning more of the Korean language and to continue to travel East Asia., and become a more stronger man that is dependent on the power of God.

But, for now, I thank God for my family. There is a song by Christian rap artists DeepSpace5 called "Truth Be Told." Their chorus runs with the main line, "when life gets old, these suits get old, let the truth be told, I thank God for my family." God gives us family to strengthen us when life gets old, and that's the truth.

Family first.

Mid-Contract Blues

Right now, some of my friends and I are in a "Mid-Contract Funk." Being an ESL teacher is sometimes a roller coaster ride, and with each teacher having a different personality, the reactions are varied. With each teacher being at a different school, we face different circumstances and situations that can present new joys or challenges as the semester wears on. Usually, a new ESL teacher experiences the "honeymoon" phase for three months, where everything in their new environment is exciting, the school seems great and everyone is friendly, and the classes are a blast. By month six, most teachers are settled into a routine and are seeking to find new ways to make their jobs more efficient and fun. Sometimes, that's where the new challenge begins.

Some teachers I know who are in the same teaching program as me, are facing problems in the classroom at this point. By month six, alot of times its the fact that the kids know who you are, know what kind of stuff you will put up with them, and how you teach, this is where the new fun begins, and I mean that sarcastically. Some classes will get used to it, or some will not and try to test your patience. Whether its because the students are just burnt out (I think they are always burnt out), or some just don't like English, the mid-contract malaise can test an ESL teacher's strength.

One teacher from Australia is experiencing logistical problems, where he cannot get the funds or the equipment such as a DVD player or projector screen to help support his classes. Some, including myself, are experiencing discipline problems, to find ways to properly being stern without going beserk. I have never let my patience wore thin yet, yet I have gotten upset and stern with the class when they are out of line. One of my friends almost walked out on her class because the kids were that bad.

Now, let's not say that the kids are evil and their sole purpose is to make a foreigner's life miserable. However, a variety of reasons rise to see why kids will push the limits:

1. They don't understand the ESL teacher. That's the prime reason most kids act up.
2. They don't like English. The way they teach English here in Korea, like it is another math subject, doesn't add up to the interest factor. I bet kids see this language as just a skill set rather than a form of expression and communication, no wonder English gets old.
3. They're kids. I was once a kid.

So, I'm compassionate on these kids that they have to study all day, to come into my class to hear me blah blah like I was Charlie Brown's teacher in the cartoon. However, that does not mean I will let them off easy.

I am praying to God to give me wisdom on how to become a better teacher. One area of my teaching skill set I drastically need to improve on is discipline and motivation, and I pray that He provides me the wisdom, like He gave to Solomon, to rule with an iron hand but to give much with it.

I'm not like other teachers who come here just to party. Yet no one at my school has given me a mission statement, so I have to give my own. I don't answer to the Vice-principle or his boss, but I answer to God. If He knows I am doing my best for Him, despite hard times and the good, then I can take away satisfaction.

As for my ESL comrades, we have to encourage each other to swap lesson plans and to keep our ideas fresh to maintain a fun classroom. Yet I promised myself never to sacrifice challenge for easiness, because I did not travel half-way across the world to teach boring stuff, but good, practical English.

Its make or break time.

Life Update and "A Little About Foreigners"

Tuesday was a little weird. I thought that it would be a normal day, and I had my lesson planned and ready to go.

Then, as usual, Koreans sometimes let you know about a schedule change...literally, last minute. So I walked to my first class, 1-5, and no one was there. "Hmmmm..." weird.

I proceeded to the main office, and one of co-teachers said that the schedule changed...yay.

Then I also got another notice today that one of my computers in our English Zone will be "re-distributed" due to lack of funding, to be given to another department head in our school. All of my music and picture files were on that computer, so again, I had to download them, and upload this music to another computer, which took an hour because computers can be such butt-munches.

Ahhh...that's Korea for ya sometimes, just last minute. You cannot do much about it, you just have to play your cards right and move on.

I'm looking forward to this weekend because my parents are coming to town. Its going to be a really great "reunificiation," (Korean terminology) and my parents get to see what my life is like here in South Korea. I hope they find it to their liking, and they'll be probably shocked on how different it is since...1977. Yup, they're in for a shock. They will be staying three weeks with different relatives, and we'll update our lives and catch-up on the latest and greatest through fellowship.

As for life for me and my friends, some are still struggling, some are doing fine. Its really an experience thing and how they react to the environment around them. Right now, one of my acquaintances who lives in my apartment building is struggling to "quit his job," because he works at an independent English school (Hagwon) where the owner is a crook. The owner has been stealing money that is rightfully his, such as one month's wages, pension, and other guaranteed monies. So we had a long talk last night, and truth be told, he said his perception of Korean people will be a little more pessimistic now because of his dealings with the people at his school, who do not treat him fairly. So for him and some others in this country, there's an extreme side where some foreigners are simply not enjoying life in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Then there are some foreigners who are loving Korea and will do what it takes to adapt and fit in. Their schools are giving them the support they need, and they have friendly staff. These type of foreigners are also very outgoing, but level-headed about how to approach life in a foreign land. I am proud to say I am in this category. The trip to Japan helped me realize what kind of role I should play as a foreigner, while being Korean at the same time, in how I conduct my day-to-day affairs.

For me, my biggest thing is consistency with a little dash of surprises. I believe God has been helping me with the "surprises" bit. I mean the element of surprise where I unexpectedly met strangers here in Korea, Korean or non-Korean, or going to new places I never been. My goal is to expand on that AFTER my parents leave Korea: to travel more around the countryside in Korea and discover some gems that I would not get to see in the cities.

I met some foreigners, however, who are straight up weird. Of course, my definition of "normal" might be "weird" to you, but you know where I'm getting at: there are some goofy characters in this nation. But then again, you need to have a special character to travel in many cases: the ability to be comfortable alone in certain situations, highly independent, a strong character, and open-mindedness. Some foreigners, excluding diplomats, soldiers, and businessmen, lack the last two. The reason, I believe, that many have a really difficult time in adjusting to foreign lands is they do not take the time to adjust or learn what they are getting into, the culture.

Many Westerners, including myself, come from a culture where individualism is emphasized; i.e. "don't tread on me." Yet to come to this highly Confucian country, where authority must be obeyed and the rule of law is based on that authority rather than reason, some people do not gain the natural insight on how to adapt. So the biggest struggle for many foreigners is not necessarily homesickness, even though many, even myself, get homesick from time to time. However, the biggest struggle is they refuse to let go of their own culture and make an effort to get to know this one.

Of course, there are some things in this country that just do not fly with me, and things I won't understand: like the futility of some aspects of the education system here in South Korea (I highly respect the Korean student and the board of education's goals to create upstanding citizens), but I don't believe that rote memorization of material will help produce great human capital. Or the treatment of women here in Korea, which all my friends and I totally agree here is in many ways not right and not fair (women aren't totally put down in this country, but on a superficial level, women are not given the opportunity to try and play fair in many areas of life here, like on the job).

But as a foreigner, the biggest advantage I have is to help freshen minds. Its okay to put your two cents in as a foreigner and share new ideas with Korean peers on how we do things at home, but don't think its the perfect philosophy on how to conduct a society. The Korean society's culture highly dictates the affairs of the government, social interaction, and achievement, and on the opposite end, also causes some unwanted social consequences (the shunning of bi-racial children, suppressment of true individuality, and perhaps a too hard-working society). We as Americans struggle with this same two-ended stick.

For foreigners to enjoy their teaching jobs and to gain a pleasant life outside the classroom, there are some key things they can do to get it done:

1. Learn the language - even if you are just staying a year, it goes a long way to establishing new Korean friends

2. Get involved with friends - and make new ones

3. So what if you're a foreigner? Take advantage of it. Teach people about your country. Most will never leave or never have been outside this country, just like some in our respective countries never have been outside of ours.

4. Pick up a hobby. I did. I play ball or go jogging. I go to Korean classes and meet new expats and other Koreans.

5. Sightsee. Sightseeing the old relics of Korean requiem gets your mind to gain an insight of the foundations that built Korea today, even though its split into two.

So, that's pretty much my life right now. I am trying my best to maintain a strong, spiritual relationship with Jesus right now, as well as maintaining a lifestyle of positive, forward thinking attitude to work hard to enjoy living here in Taehan Minguk.

Back to School

Its back to school. New semester, new lessons, new start.

The kids really did not leave school, so they are pretty much school lifers. It really is a tough system, so one of my goals this semester is to give them a "relief class" where they can practice their English and talk about things outside what they learn day to day. Its a steep goal, but with God, all things are possible.

My parents come next week, so I'm really excited about that as they both travel to the land where they met one another, and for my mom, return to see her family once again.

Have a great week.