By the way, my friends, Happy Thanksgiving from South Korea!
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving with your family and friends back in the States, and that you enjoy the Christmas Holidays, remembering about our Lord Jesus who makes our lives more special in what we do and say.
Thanks for reading my blog.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
SK Wyverns: Champions of Korean Baseball
I'm very late in writing this, but the Wyverns did win the Korean Series from last month! Pictures are on my MySpace and Facebook accounts.
It was total euphoria at Munhak Stadium as the home team brought home the Korean Series title. Listening to the roar and fireworks as the Wyverns came down from a 2-0 series deficit was just total bliss. And James doubted they were going to come back. Have faith my friend!
Their impressive win earned them a ticket to the Asian Cup in Tokyo, facing an all-star team from China, the champion of the Taiwanese League, and the Chunichi Dragons for the Japanese Baseball Organization.
But this time around, our beloved Wyverns fell short of winning a second successive title, losing 6-5 in the chamionship of that series to the Dragons. Our boys just came close to conquering all of Asia!
What was so awesome about this experience is that in my first year in South Korea, I got to see a team win a championship...live. I've never had a hometown team in my life win a championship. These are stories for my kids. If I stay another year, perhaps I can watch them defend the championship.
It was total euphoria at Munhak Stadium as the home team brought home the Korean Series title. Listening to the roar and fireworks as the Wyverns came down from a 2-0 series deficit was just total bliss. And James doubted they were going to come back. Have faith my friend!
Their impressive win earned them a ticket to the Asian Cup in Tokyo, facing an all-star team from China, the champion of the Taiwanese League, and the Chunichi Dragons for the Japanese Baseball Organization.
But this time around, our beloved Wyverns fell short of winning a second successive title, losing 6-5 in the chamionship of that series to the Dragons. Our boys just came close to conquering all of Asia!
What was so awesome about this experience is that in my first year in South Korea, I got to see a team win a championship...live. I've never had a hometown team in my life win a championship. These are stories for my kids. If I stay another year, perhaps I can watch them defend the championship.
Back Again
Man, its been a while since I did this blog! Thank the Internet filter at my work! But, its good to be back again to update on what's real here in Incheon, SK.
Lately, I've been teaching a myriad of lessons via PowerPoint, talking about weather and Thanksgiving. Both lessons went down really well, despite the fact they are boys who can't sit still for a moment. I've been also teaching my evening class with the 2nd level (juniors) students, as well as my favorite ajumma class on Friday afternoons.
Outside of school I've been staying indoors, reading books, studying Korean and for fun, Japanese (just the Hiragana script), spending time with my aunt's family weekly, and hanging out with my friends Dave and James. I'm starting to establish my own routine.
My friend Bobby, famous Bobby with his goofy self, is opting out of his contract real soon to pursue a new life in...Kenya. He met his future wife in Kenya, so he will be leaving Korea real soon to take over his future brother-in-law's PC Cafe. For him, "Africa is a place where he feels the most peace." I say good luck to you, my friend.
Last week, I went to another trip to Busan, doing more sightseeing and spending time with a friend down there. I visited President Syngman Rhee's former presidential house, the Chungyeolsa (a shrine dedicated to the fallen Koreans during the invasion of Japan from 1592-1598), and the UN Cemetary. All were great pieces of history that bring out the worst and best out of the human experience.
School is going well, especially with the national SAT's finished, our senior students can breathe with some relief, even though test scores are nail-bitingly being checked to the dotted i. Also, sooner and sooner I am inching towards the end of my first contract, and I am right now in the process of making a decision towards the future. In due time, the right path will come, but there are alot of factors that will come with that decision.
The semester has not been that bad, and I'm just trying my best to improve as a teacher. One thing I'm proud that God is doing in me is my disciplining skills. When I first started this gig, I was very scared to discipline kids because I'm naturally a gentle guy, I don't like conflicts. I don't like getting angry or going out of my way to put my foot down. But sometimes, with the way kids behave, especially boys, they cry for discipline. I used to not like it when others say, "young people ask for discipline," but I'm starting to see how it works.
So, I've been putting down my authority on my students who have no interest in the class, which is fine, not all kids are going to learn English, but its the kids who try to distract others or do things that are clearly out of line. I gave "red cards" (just like soccer) this week to kids who cussed in English during class, and one to a kid who kept making a mess out of the English Zone. What intimidates them is when I talk to them after class, because I turn on my angry voice.
As one teacher taught me, "be firm, but be fair." That's how the game goes. I discipline kids with the chance for redemption. Just like how God does to us: he disciplines those he loves.
Outside of the teaching realm, I've been following my favorite sport...basketball. The NBA is in full swing, and my Wizards made a full recovery to start the season 6-6, but with Gilbert Arenas out for a few months, things are not going to look great for a while. We need him as a leader and a scorer. Thanks to the Internet, I can keep up with the pleasures of home with a touch of the mouse.
So, as fall goes into more chillier temps and the nights come closer, I continue this journey to maximize my experience in East Asia by seeking God and becoming a better man.
Lately, I've been teaching a myriad of lessons via PowerPoint, talking about weather and Thanksgiving. Both lessons went down really well, despite the fact they are boys who can't sit still for a moment. I've been also teaching my evening class with the 2nd level (juniors) students, as well as my favorite ajumma class on Friday afternoons.
Outside of school I've been staying indoors, reading books, studying Korean and for fun, Japanese (just the Hiragana script), spending time with my aunt's family weekly, and hanging out with my friends Dave and James. I'm starting to establish my own routine.
My friend Bobby, famous Bobby with his goofy self, is opting out of his contract real soon to pursue a new life in...Kenya. He met his future wife in Kenya, so he will be leaving Korea real soon to take over his future brother-in-law's PC Cafe. For him, "Africa is a place where he feels the most peace." I say good luck to you, my friend.
Last week, I went to another trip to Busan, doing more sightseeing and spending time with a friend down there. I visited President Syngman Rhee's former presidential house, the Chungyeolsa (a shrine dedicated to the fallen Koreans during the invasion of Japan from 1592-1598), and the UN Cemetary. All were great pieces of history that bring out the worst and best out of the human experience.
School is going well, especially with the national SAT's finished, our senior students can breathe with some relief, even though test scores are nail-bitingly being checked to the dotted i. Also, sooner and sooner I am inching towards the end of my first contract, and I am right now in the process of making a decision towards the future. In due time, the right path will come, but there are alot of factors that will come with that decision.
The semester has not been that bad, and I'm just trying my best to improve as a teacher. One thing I'm proud that God is doing in me is my disciplining skills. When I first started this gig, I was very scared to discipline kids because I'm naturally a gentle guy, I don't like conflicts. I don't like getting angry or going out of my way to put my foot down. But sometimes, with the way kids behave, especially boys, they cry for discipline. I used to not like it when others say, "young people ask for discipline," but I'm starting to see how it works.
So, I've been putting down my authority on my students who have no interest in the class, which is fine, not all kids are going to learn English, but its the kids who try to distract others or do things that are clearly out of line. I gave "red cards" (just like soccer) this week to kids who cussed in English during class, and one to a kid who kept making a mess out of the English Zone. What intimidates them is when I talk to them after class, because I turn on my angry voice.
As one teacher taught me, "be firm, but be fair." That's how the game goes. I discipline kids with the chance for redemption. Just like how God does to us: he disciplines those he loves.
Outside of the teaching realm, I've been following my favorite sport...basketball. The NBA is in full swing, and my Wizards made a full recovery to start the season 6-6, but with Gilbert Arenas out for a few months, things are not going to look great for a while. We need him as a leader and a scorer. Thanks to the Internet, I can keep up with the pleasures of home with a touch of the mouse.
So, as fall goes into more chillier temps and the nights come closer, I continue this journey to maximize my experience in East Asia by seeking God and becoming a better man.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
The "Sleepers"
Hi ya'll. This week has been a fun mess. This week I had to conduct oral English exams for many of the 1st level students that I teach. The goal is to accurately assess their ability to understand and respond to a series of questions in English and give them a proper score. I finished doing the 1st level students this week, and next week is a group of 2nd level students (juniors), whom I have not met or taught. Their scores go into their academic record, which could be useful when their teachers want to know their ability when it comes to English.
One of the most shocking aspects of this exam was the fact that I got to meet many "sleepers," or students whom I teach but had no clue that their English fluency was beyond what they look like. For example, there was one student from class 1-13, who always looks clueless and seems never to care what I say, reveals to me that he lived in New Zealand for 4 years and our 'oral test' turns into just a long conversation about his life in Kiwi-Land. What made me laugh about this cat was he had a New Zealand accent. It was awesome.
Other students throughout the examinations included boys who lived abroad, or at least had a grand aptitude towards language learning. Doing the exam with them was easy and fun because I did not give them the usual questions like "where are you from," but to even more interesting questions like "what do you think is wrong with the Korean education system." Some kids gave me some thoughtful answers and insights on how they perceive education in Korea. Having conversations with these kids was actually like talking to Westerners, because the level was so high. I was shocked.
Another surprising element of these tests was that the kids from class 1-13, who are notoriously ill-behaved kids (but not malciously), produced some of the best English speakers. But most of the time, these kids are always yakking in my class without a care in the world, and the reason is because of their teacher Ms. Lee, the young one. She's an awesome teacher, but she's so young so the kids think of her as their friend. And then there's me, I'm young, so these kids don't give a hoot about us because they think we can pal with them. But the crop of English-speaking peoples from this crew was amazing, and I actually lectured each one of them about the fact that they need to start performing better in class and stop misbehaving.
Unfortunately, the reason I never knew about these "sleepers" was because of the Korean classroom system, which many native English teachers and Korean teachers alike acknowledge is not adequate for language learning. Each Korean classroom at all levels has an average of 40 kids. In a college-like classroom setup, the teacher can only lecture and hope that the students absorb the information.
However, when it comes to foreign languages, a classroom setup like this is bound to fail. No one, especially the kids who do have experience and have a high level, can get individual attention or at least even feel comfortable to try because they will get teased for trying. And in this country where everyone has the same characteristics and uniforms, teasing is a major problem in the classroom. The most futile thing to do at times in a classroom size like this is to ask: "What do you think?" Teachers never ask their students what they think about a certain topic, there is no mutual learning.
With foreign languages, a students must apply what they learned readily or the material goes to waste. Unlike subjects such as history, math, and science, which can memorized and analyzed, language learning is a "trial and error" process. Take it from me, whom I have learned four languages in my lifetime (English, Spanish, Russian, and now Korean). Languages takes time, effort, joy, and depression. You must break through barriers, which means now and then you have to suck up your pride when a person corrects your speech or grammar. That's why I have a passion for languages, because I get joy when I can communicate with someone outside my culture and when I can break into a new level of communication via new grammar points, vocabulary, and sentence build-up.
But in Korea, people have this concept of "face," which I believe is a major barrier to language learning. "Face," or "kibbun" in Korean, is the concept of maintaining your dignity and integrity in front of your peers and other peoples. For example, a student must not ever outshine his teacher if he or she knows more than the teacher does when it comes to knowledge. Or, if I intricately correct an older teacher's pronunciation of English, I made him lose "face" in front of others because I, the young man, made him seem dumb in front of his peers. Its an unwritten code that is still followed by many Koreans in this society. The examples are endless.
So from this tangent, I come back to the Korean classroom. Any student who does speak out in class, especially in foreign language class and outshines his peers makes them lose face, and he also loses face for not conforming to the pack. I'm not necessarily saying that Koreans are pack-oriented, but they do have an emphasis on group unity. Kids who do speak good sentences, answer my questions, and do well get my approval, but then the other kids turn around and say, "ooooooooooooooooooohhh, he spoke good English, FREE TALKING!"
My point is that a Korean classroom setup is not well designed to cultivate language learners. Many kids are filled with grammar points, vocabulary words (some words that are even SAT Level), and sentence structure, but they cannot built a sentence on their own! So, as I did these oral exams this week, I felt joy and frustration for these students: it was awesome that I got meet and practice some higher level conversation with some talented students, but frustrated that they spend their days in a monotonous classroom regime that does not allow them to try to expand on their knowledge and experience.
Even as I learn Korean now, its humbling when your Korean friend or relative can make out what you say or understand you, but I look back in hindsight and really see it as growth. For me, its a problem because pride is such a big issue for me. But, the more humbler I get as God helps on that path, the easier I can learn anything in life. I am proud that after 2 years of learning this language, that I did learn so much, and even though I am not my goal of decent fluency in my mother tongue, I realize what I need to improve: which is a humble heart, no self-pressure (which I mistakenly did my first few months in South Korea), and diligence. I will learn this language.
As for my students, I liked how one student, Min-hwan from class 1-15, one of my fave students, talked about how in his middle school they had a "free talking club." All students who had lived abroad gathered at lunch time and they spoke only in English, no Korean. Its initiatives like this, and like my English Club at my school, that make it more joyful to work with these kids and improve their skills.
"With God, all things are possible..."
One of the most shocking aspects of this exam was the fact that I got to meet many "sleepers," or students whom I teach but had no clue that their English fluency was beyond what they look like. For example, there was one student from class 1-13, who always looks clueless and seems never to care what I say, reveals to me that he lived in New Zealand for 4 years and our 'oral test' turns into just a long conversation about his life in Kiwi-Land. What made me laugh about this cat was he had a New Zealand accent. It was awesome.
Other students throughout the examinations included boys who lived abroad, or at least had a grand aptitude towards language learning. Doing the exam with them was easy and fun because I did not give them the usual questions like "where are you from," but to even more interesting questions like "what do you think is wrong with the Korean education system." Some kids gave me some thoughtful answers and insights on how they perceive education in Korea. Having conversations with these kids was actually like talking to Westerners, because the level was so high. I was shocked.
Another surprising element of these tests was that the kids from class 1-13, who are notoriously ill-behaved kids (but not malciously), produced some of the best English speakers. But most of the time, these kids are always yakking in my class without a care in the world, and the reason is because of their teacher Ms. Lee, the young one. She's an awesome teacher, but she's so young so the kids think of her as their friend. And then there's me, I'm young, so these kids don't give a hoot about us because they think we can pal with them. But the crop of English-speaking peoples from this crew was amazing, and I actually lectured each one of them about the fact that they need to start performing better in class and stop misbehaving.
Unfortunately, the reason I never knew about these "sleepers" was because of the Korean classroom system, which many native English teachers and Korean teachers alike acknowledge is not adequate for language learning. Each Korean classroom at all levels has an average of 40 kids. In a college-like classroom setup, the teacher can only lecture and hope that the students absorb the information.
However, when it comes to foreign languages, a classroom setup like this is bound to fail. No one, especially the kids who do have experience and have a high level, can get individual attention or at least even feel comfortable to try because they will get teased for trying. And in this country where everyone has the same characteristics and uniforms, teasing is a major problem in the classroom. The most futile thing to do at times in a classroom size like this is to ask: "What do you think?" Teachers never ask their students what they think about a certain topic, there is no mutual learning.
With foreign languages, a students must apply what they learned readily or the material goes to waste. Unlike subjects such as history, math, and science, which can memorized and analyzed, language learning is a "trial and error" process. Take it from me, whom I have learned four languages in my lifetime (English, Spanish, Russian, and now Korean). Languages takes time, effort, joy, and depression. You must break through barriers, which means now and then you have to suck up your pride when a person corrects your speech or grammar. That's why I have a passion for languages, because I get joy when I can communicate with someone outside my culture and when I can break into a new level of communication via new grammar points, vocabulary, and sentence build-up.
But in Korea, people have this concept of "face," which I believe is a major barrier to language learning. "Face," or "kibbun" in Korean, is the concept of maintaining your dignity and integrity in front of your peers and other peoples. For example, a student must not ever outshine his teacher if he or she knows more than the teacher does when it comes to knowledge. Or, if I intricately correct an older teacher's pronunciation of English, I made him lose "face" in front of others because I, the young man, made him seem dumb in front of his peers. Its an unwritten code that is still followed by many Koreans in this society. The examples are endless.
So from this tangent, I come back to the Korean classroom. Any student who does speak out in class, especially in foreign language class and outshines his peers makes them lose face, and he also loses face for not conforming to the pack. I'm not necessarily saying that Koreans are pack-oriented, but they do have an emphasis on group unity. Kids who do speak good sentences, answer my questions, and do well get my approval, but then the other kids turn around and say, "ooooooooooooooooooohhh, he spoke good English, FREE TALKING!"
My point is that a Korean classroom setup is not well designed to cultivate language learners. Many kids are filled with grammar points, vocabulary words (some words that are even SAT Level), and sentence structure, but they cannot built a sentence on their own! So, as I did these oral exams this week, I felt joy and frustration for these students: it was awesome that I got meet and practice some higher level conversation with some talented students, but frustrated that they spend their days in a monotonous classroom regime that does not allow them to try to expand on their knowledge and experience.
Even as I learn Korean now, its humbling when your Korean friend or relative can make out what you say or understand you, but I look back in hindsight and really see it as growth. For me, its a problem because pride is such a big issue for me. But, the more humbler I get as God helps on that path, the easier I can learn anything in life. I am proud that after 2 years of learning this language, that I did learn so much, and even though I am not my goal of decent fluency in my mother tongue, I realize what I need to improve: which is a humble heart, no self-pressure (which I mistakenly did my first few months in South Korea), and diligence. I will learn this language.
As for my students, I liked how one student, Min-hwan from class 1-15, one of my fave students, talked about how in his middle school they had a "free talking club." All students who had lived abroad gathered at lunch time and they spoke only in English, no Korean. Its initiatives like this, and like my English Club at my school, that make it more joyful to work with these kids and improve their skills.
"With God, all things are possible..."
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Quick Update
Hey guys:
Its been a while. This blog-site is blocked at my school, so I have to swing by the local PC Cafe to finish it up when I have time.
I have been real busy: this week I have to give oral English proficiency tests all this week and through next Wednesday.
This weekend I just got back from a church-weekend retreat to Ganghwa Island. It was a good time of "getting away," spend time with God, reflect, and ask Him what I need to clean up and continue to work on.
The biggest event going on here in Incheon are the SK Wyverns: the local baseball team here in Incheon. They are currently in the Korean Series, the equivalent to America's World Series, facing Seoul's Doosan Bears. Our local team, whom my friend James and I have been supporting since we got here in Incheon earlier this year, holds a 3-2 series lead, and have a game tomorrow night at their home stadium called Munhak Baseball Stadium. After losing the first two games at home (which we both miserably watched), the Wyverns gained steam and roared to win three consecutive games at Jamshil Station (home of the bears), and now take a 3-2 advantage back to Munhak.
If they win, we will not only win the championship of Korean baseball, but they will punch a ticket to the Konami Cup, aka the Asian Series, where the Wyverns will gain the right to face the champions of the Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese baseball leagues. This is the first ever kind of championship series that I have ever been to, and I'm excited to hopefully see our team win a championship, and be there to experience it...
Check out my MySpace page for pictures of the series.
Other than that, life is the same, just teaching, hanging out with friends, touring Seoul, learning Korean, and spending time with family.
How's your life lately?
Its been a while. This blog-site is blocked at my school, so I have to swing by the local PC Cafe to finish it up when I have time.
I have been real busy: this week I have to give oral English proficiency tests all this week and through next Wednesday.
This weekend I just got back from a church-weekend retreat to Ganghwa Island. It was a good time of "getting away," spend time with God, reflect, and ask Him what I need to clean up and continue to work on.
The biggest event going on here in Incheon are the SK Wyverns: the local baseball team here in Incheon. They are currently in the Korean Series, the equivalent to America's World Series, facing Seoul's Doosan Bears. Our local team, whom my friend James and I have been supporting since we got here in Incheon earlier this year, holds a 3-2 series lead, and have a game tomorrow night at their home stadium called Munhak Baseball Stadium. After losing the first two games at home (which we both miserably watched), the Wyverns gained steam and roared to win three consecutive games at Jamshil Station (home of the bears), and now take a 3-2 advantage back to Munhak.
If they win, we will not only win the championship of Korean baseball, but they will punch a ticket to the Konami Cup, aka the Asian Series, where the Wyverns will gain the right to face the champions of the Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese baseball leagues. This is the first ever kind of championship series that I have ever been to, and I'm excited to hopefully see our team win a championship, and be there to experience it...
Check out my MySpace page for pictures of the series.
Other than that, life is the same, just teaching, hanging out with friends, touring Seoul, learning Korean, and spending time with family.
How's your life lately?
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Hair Purge
So, I'm back in town, back to school. School was great this week: no major fisticuffs with the kids, good discipline, good lesson planning, and great execution. Nothing major happened, and that's what I liked.
But recently at school, there's a funny little phenomena going: their haircuts are getting shorter. As I mentioned before, the high school has an unusual rule where the boys' haircuts has to be shorter than the ears, more like military-style cuts designed to keep the boys in line.
Its one of the most unpopular rules that is enforced at the school, all due to the principal. The principal is a wanted man for this.
What is more unusual is that other high schools are relaxing this rule, with many other boys' schools producing students with shaggy and long-haired cuts similar to the many boy bands in South Korea. Whereas our student body looks like a bunch of "fuzzy kiwi fruit heads," as one 2nd level student told me in humor the other day. Even my girl cousin's high school back in the day, she was forced to wear her hair near her ears, which made all the girls look like cute little boys...sad indeed. But today, even the girls' high schools are sporting hair that is long, frizzy, and stylistic for their needs.
So, our students are being "hunted" down by authorities to conform to the haircut law: if they do not get a haircut, then they are deducted points and punished even further until they go under the knife, errr, razor/clippers. The hair purge of the Yeonsu Regime begins.
But it brought back an interesting thought and question about this whole hair purge: why? I think its mostly conformity. As one of the top high schools in Incheon, the principal wants to make sure they conform to a high level and look neat for that purpose.
However, I disagree with this policy. I think that your hair is one major aspect that makes your individuality. I remember when I had short hair, you can't do much to it and you have to let it sit there until it grows back. So just like Samson from the Bible, these boys feel they are being robbed the last of their individuality, and their power! And they're kids too!
Its bad enough to have 40 to 1 class ratios, where no one speaks out and does "individual learning," but the whole deal with this haircut policy is questionable. I feel bad for the kids, and the kids joke with me by saying, "Nice hair, Mr. Soni." I couldn't imagine, unless in the military or for oath reasons, where someone told me to cut my hair. I cut my hair when its necessary, not because someone tells me to do it. I think the whole spiel is that they want kids to get be integrated into one system and one set of rules, and having long hair would increase the number of non-serious students. But to have a kid conform to a haircut rule...its just shaky ground to bring an old rule in a new modern era of education.
Its sorta like when someone says, "do this because its fashionable." So when trendsetters or other people who say this is cool "because everyone else does it," does not mean its always healthy. Movies, clothing-styles, expressions, secularism, whatever the crowd implicitly says that you need to feel good...its hardly good for you. People who follow pop culture to the t and conform because everyone does it...they get a hair cut.
On a cool note today, an unknown senior student randomly plopped into my classroom to ask me how to conduct an interview with a foreign professor. Nice boy had the guts to meet me. He asked me what is the most polite way to greet a professor from the West. I gave him my spiel on Western culture and the usual greetings in the "nopimal," or "high form" of speech of English, and off he went. Good luck to the kid...his future is on the line...November 15th. A day that is a day of infamy for all seniors of South Korea. Two words: national exam.
But recently at school, there's a funny little phenomena going: their haircuts are getting shorter. As I mentioned before, the high school has an unusual rule where the boys' haircuts has to be shorter than the ears, more like military-style cuts designed to keep the boys in line.
Its one of the most unpopular rules that is enforced at the school, all due to the principal. The principal is a wanted man for this.
What is more unusual is that other high schools are relaxing this rule, with many other boys' schools producing students with shaggy and long-haired cuts similar to the many boy bands in South Korea. Whereas our student body looks like a bunch of "fuzzy kiwi fruit heads," as one 2nd level student told me in humor the other day. Even my girl cousin's high school back in the day, she was forced to wear her hair near her ears, which made all the girls look like cute little boys...sad indeed. But today, even the girls' high schools are sporting hair that is long, frizzy, and stylistic for their needs.
So, our students are being "hunted" down by authorities to conform to the haircut law: if they do not get a haircut, then they are deducted points and punished even further until they go under the knife, errr, razor/clippers. The hair purge of the Yeonsu Regime begins.
But it brought back an interesting thought and question about this whole hair purge: why? I think its mostly conformity. As one of the top high schools in Incheon, the principal wants to make sure they conform to a high level and look neat for that purpose.
However, I disagree with this policy. I think that your hair is one major aspect that makes your individuality. I remember when I had short hair, you can't do much to it and you have to let it sit there until it grows back. So just like Samson from the Bible, these boys feel they are being robbed the last of their individuality, and their power! And they're kids too!
Its bad enough to have 40 to 1 class ratios, where no one speaks out and does "individual learning," but the whole deal with this haircut policy is questionable. I feel bad for the kids, and the kids joke with me by saying, "Nice hair, Mr. Soni." I couldn't imagine, unless in the military or for oath reasons, where someone told me to cut my hair. I cut my hair when its necessary, not because someone tells me to do it. I think the whole spiel is that they want kids to get be integrated into one system and one set of rules, and having long hair would increase the number of non-serious students. But to have a kid conform to a haircut rule...its just shaky ground to bring an old rule in a new modern era of education.
Its sorta like when someone says, "do this because its fashionable." So when trendsetters or other people who say this is cool "because everyone else does it," does not mean its always healthy. Movies, clothing-styles, expressions, secularism, whatever the crowd implicitly says that you need to feel good...its hardly good for you. People who follow pop culture to the t and conform because everyone does it...they get a hair cut.
On a cool note today, an unknown senior student randomly plopped into my classroom to ask me how to conduct an interview with a foreign professor. Nice boy had the guts to meet me. He asked me what is the most polite way to greet a professor from the West. I gave him my spiel on Western culture and the usual greetings in the "nopimal," or "high form" of speech of English, and off he went. Good luck to the kid...his future is on the line...November 15th. A day that is a day of infamy for all seniors of South Korea. Two words: national exam.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Live in Busan
I'm in the city of Busan, South Korea, as we speak. Busan is the second largest city of South Korea, and its located on the southeastern tip of the peninsula, facing its most loved rival: Japan. I've been here one day, but there's a somewhat different feel to this place compared to the cities of Seoul and Incheon.
For one thing, Busan is another major port city, like Incheon, but this place is more displaced in terms of location compared to the nation's capital. So there culture seems a little different. My Korean skills still suck diddily-uck (quoting Flanders from The Simpsons), but there's a noticeable twang to the way they speak their Korean compared to the folks back in Incheon and Seoul. Basically, its like going from Washington DC to Atlanta.
But to me, Busan is like Baltimore, a decent comparision. An important hub of East Asia, loads of cargo ready for trade and shipping comes here and goes throughout the rest of Asia, i.e. to Japan and/or Southeast Asia. Seafood is obviously the staple here, something I realized when I ate breakfast at a Korean restaurant. My soup consisted of these UFO seacreatures, I can't even remember how to describe them, but they were tough to eat. Nonetheless, the food was energizing.
So far, I rocked Busan's most famous beach, called Haeundae, went to one of the biggest bathhouses in Asia (never felt more refreshed), and visited the notorious Jagalchi Fish Market (where anything that swims becomes food, even whale meat). This is definitely different city from the capital, but similar to Incheon in some ways.
So I am doing a solo trip here in Busan, and solo trips are a fresh way to get your mind off things and try things on your own. So far, so good. The 1 and a half years of studying Korean is starting to pay dividends now as I begin to travel around this nation, like this morning I had a small conversation with a local who helped me with directions.
Meanwhile in other news around this nation, North and South Korea are having a major summit in Pyongyang, North Korea. Big news, it is being followed by every major network here in Korea, and in some other world major news networks, but most people are skeptical about the progress being made there.
Will the South concede more concessions? Will the North start to roll back some of its forms of terror and start to reform to the real world? Its all up for grabs, but for now, God's in control. Just keep in mind that North Korea is a poor nation that needs all the help it gets, and I'm talking the citizens, not KJI himself.
After touring more of the city, I'll update this solo travel later.
For one thing, Busan is another major port city, like Incheon, but this place is more displaced in terms of location compared to the nation's capital. So there culture seems a little different. My Korean skills still suck diddily-uck (quoting Flanders from The Simpsons), but there's a noticeable twang to the way they speak their Korean compared to the folks back in Incheon and Seoul. Basically, its like going from Washington DC to Atlanta.
But to me, Busan is like Baltimore, a decent comparision. An important hub of East Asia, loads of cargo ready for trade and shipping comes here and goes throughout the rest of Asia, i.e. to Japan and/or Southeast Asia. Seafood is obviously the staple here, something I realized when I ate breakfast at a Korean restaurant. My soup consisted of these UFO seacreatures, I can't even remember how to describe them, but they were tough to eat. Nonetheless, the food was energizing.
So far, I rocked Busan's most famous beach, called Haeundae, went to one of the biggest bathhouses in Asia (never felt more refreshed), and visited the notorious Jagalchi Fish Market (where anything that swims becomes food, even whale meat). This is definitely different city from the capital, but similar to Incheon in some ways.
So I am doing a solo trip here in Busan, and solo trips are a fresh way to get your mind off things and try things on your own. So far, so good. The 1 and a half years of studying Korean is starting to pay dividends now as I begin to travel around this nation, like this morning I had a small conversation with a local who helped me with directions.
Meanwhile in other news around this nation, North and South Korea are having a major summit in Pyongyang, North Korea. Big news, it is being followed by every major network here in Korea, and in some other world major news networks, but most people are skeptical about the progress being made there.
Will the South concede more concessions? Will the North start to roll back some of its forms of terror and start to reform to the real world? Its all up for grabs, but for now, God's in control. Just keep in mind that North Korea is a poor nation that needs all the help it gets, and I'm talking the citizens, not KJI himself.
After touring more of the city, I'll update this solo travel later.
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