Interview with Mr. Soni

By Anono J. Mus

The Holy Warrior News Network


2nd-year "professional" native English teacher Mark P. Soni is working hard. Working late. Working hard into the night. Giving English-laden sentences and gobs of new English expressions and words, Mr. Soni knows this job takes hard work. But its fun. Loads of fun. Its so much work that its fun. What kind of job is that fun?


"Working at a girls' high school is probably going to be one of the most unique experiences in my life...it still blows me away to this day that I have such an opportunity to do this, and I only have God to thank for it." A girls' high school? A young man at a girls' high school...in Korea?


Mr. Soni, after starting his career at Yeonsu High School, requested for a transfer at the end of his contract, and signed with neighboring Hakik Girls' High School in Incheon, South Korea. The experience has been nothing but exceptional for the 24-year young lad out of Waldorf, Maryland, and yesterday we sat down for an exclusive interview in his apartment to discuss his time at the ladies' school and for his future:


Q: Mr. Soni, thanks for taking the time for this interview. Your home seems quite cozy.

A: No problem, I enjoy interviews. Keeps me on my toes and keeps mentally ready.


Q: Okay, let's begin. Why the sudden transfer to this school in 2008? Were you content at Yeonsu High School? Did they make you an offer for another contract? Or was it purely your decision to become a free agent and seek out a new school?


A: Of course they wanted me back. Being a rookie in the ESL game, I went out there into the classroom to work hard and make a great first impression. I literally had no experience outside of my stints as a College and Career Bible Study teacher back in Maryland and being a head coach (of a kids' soccer team), so I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to win the hearts and minds of both the student body and teachers. In the end, I won both. What I lacked in actual teaching experience was made up for the fact that I tried hard and became more friendly with the students.


Yet in the end, there was a desire for more. After falling out with my supervising co-teacher (yet resolving it at the end), and desiring for a change in my experience in Korea, I requested a transfer. Since most high schools in Incheon are either boys or girls school, I tried to test the free agent market and get in at a girls school. Later Sera Hyun, the liasion for foreign teachers at the Incheon Department of Education, hooked me up with this school which had a vacant teacher.



Q: Didn't you have a previous stint at Hakik Girls High School? More like a trial run?

A: Actually yes, and it was no coincidence. It was January 2008, and I was sitting in my office at Yeonsu High School preparing for winter camps. My boss comes in and proposes me to work an extra camp...at a girls' high school in Hakik-dong. Their native teacher prematurely left the job and they needed a camp teacher, and I answered the call. I felt like it was a great opportunity to test that market and see if I could make the change from a boys' school to a girls' school.



Q: Now, its November 2008, almost nine months completed on this contract. How do you feel now about the situation and where the Lord has brought you so far? Tell us about the overall feeling about being in this English program compared to last year.

A: Totally different experience. Last year's experience was great, but this school experience has been a total step up and simply amazing. Like, I feel really like I am a part of a team here at this school. Last year, I was never invited to demonstration classes to observe and give input, but this year, they really wanted me to give them input about how teachers performed in the classroom. Also, the teaching staff has given me virtual freedom on how to conduct my classes, and that is a good thing. They seem to get the fact that these students, compared to their Yeonsu-dong counterparts, don't need to be thrown English at them at every point of the day. They realize they simply need exposure to an English-native speaker and a chance to speak.


Plus, teaching girls has been different, in a good way.



Q: Tell us about that, how different was the transition from teaching those gangster boys to the girly girls?

A: 100% opposite. When I first arrived at Yeonsu HS, they were not at all that enthusiastic in meeting me. Then, over time, the boys and I became more closer and more enthuasiastic in my class. At this school, I would say the girls were super enthusiastic in meeting me (partly because I'm a young boy in a teaching suit) and trying the class out, but over time, sometimes their enthusiasm fizzles.


However, as language learners, they are much better to teach. Since girls are more mature and detail-oriented than boys, they seem to pick up the language much better.



Q: What are some difficulties from working at the school? Positives?


The biggest difficulty is dealing with the "girl" barrier. As a man, especially a foreign man, they are extremely shy to talk or try. Sometimes it was frustrating because they wouldn't respond.


So I tried a hands-off approach and get them to be more comfortable. Even though they saw me as friendly and tried to take advantage of that...I'm trying to find the right balance of being strict when I need to and when to be friendly.


As for positives, girls can be sweet. Since they are emotional, they know when you are emotional or sad and try to connect. Sometimes, they can be more funnier than the boys. They sometimes act like boys and do some crazy things in the classroom, such as sing, fight, or groan just like them. Also, the maturity factor is very key and helpful when it comes to teaching time. Given the right amount of kids, like in my extra class, where I teach about twenty of them, its easy to get their attention and get them to settle down. In a girls' school, the worst most girls do is just be chatty, for boys, they are rambunctious and cannot sit still.


Also, girls high school has a more student diversity to it. You got the typical teenage girls who are into boys and make-up and fashion, and you got some girls who are strictly into studying. Then, you got some girls who are tomboys, who are some of my favorites. They are not as pressed about themselves as some other girls are, and they more friendly and more relaxing to be around. Then you got the shy girls, then you got the "Power Girls," who kinda exert more power and more authority over their group, then you got the goofy girls who are clueless but funny. Its a really interesting make-up in the classroom.

Q: Any future plans? What's the situation like for you in this stage in the game?

A: After much prayer and thought, the Lord has allowed me to stay one more year to continue the work that He has entrusted me. I enjoy teaching here and the opportutnities to teach and help students grow...and not just in the English language. I think, especially for my style of teaching, the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus Christ in the classroom and out is just a great thing at this stage in my life. I know I won't be doing this for the rest of my life, so its a real honor that God has allowed me to be here for such a period of time and to be a role model for these young kids. I enjoy the work He has given me.

Q: What are some other things the Lord has taught you throughout this year?

A: Humility, trust, and consistency. At this school, my behavior has been more scrutinized than ever before, and I think that's a good thing. It kinda makes me more careful of the words I speak and how I behave in and out of the classroom. Keep in mind, I am a male foreign teacher, so its a two-edged sword. I'm a male, so the girls will retain some interest in me, and being a foreigner, my behavior will be looked at even more because I'm not the typical Korean in their lives. I believe it is a great opportunity to represent Christ at the school because they are watching me more. And then again, I have to watch myself and how I live more carefully. As for the trust factor, getting the girls to trust me as a teacher took time. At first, they saw me as a cool foreign teacher, but I wanted them to get to know my life more...and God told me to wait. Over time, especially with certain students, I have had the grand opportunity to share about my life more to these kids.

See, I have an Avery Johnson mentality when it comes to teaching. You know, AJ was called "The Little General" by his peers, for the fact that he was a little guy who commanded a huge presence on the basketball floor. He was tough on his players, but gained their respect. For me, the critical thing I admire about his leadership-style was the fact that he wanted to connect with the players outside the court. That's the thing for me. Given the fact that I only teach these kids only once a week, I hardly get to spend anytime with the students. I try to make up for that through the extra classes I teach and inviting certain kids to the English Zone during lunch time for roundtable talks. It gives the opportunity for kids who really want to learn English and to learn about the outside world a chance. I just wait on God's timing to see who He wants me to mentor and speak to about my life...which is changed by Him in the first place!

Q: Anything else you want to comment about your life so far?

A: Well, that even though I am getting older, there's alot about life I need to learn. How to be responsible, grow up in the Lord and in His favor, and to be consistent about my life. I hope to try new things in the future to expand my borders and Lord Willing, when I go back to the United States for good, I can reflect on my time here in Asia as one of the most beautiful times in my life. All I have to say is...wow.

Q: Thank you so much for your time, we hope and pray for the best of you in the upcoming year.

A: No problem, thanks for having me.

Dedicated to My Students, Part One

Hakik Girls High School Life Series

"What are we supposed to do? I don't understand Mr. Soni at all!"

I want to take sometime to recognize some of the students at my school who give me joy and continue to work hard in my class. Just like my school experience last year, I met some incredible students who teach me as much stuff as much I teach them. With no further fluff of an intro, here are some of my ladies who I am proud to say "I teach these ladies:"

Hakik Girls High Uniforms: Spring on the Left, Winter on the Right

1. Kim Kyung-eun, Class 1-5: She's something else. Always positive yet playful, she always a good student to have because she has a drive, but she also has this edge about her. She is obedient to what I say but always likes to tease her teacher, me. A short, pumpkin-head of a Korean girl with a round, cute face and a very monotone, low voice which makes her sound like an android. When she speaks English, she sounds like a hesitant captain of a Federation vessel unable to choose her words, and sometimes it seems she is talking with her nose. Yet she speaks English well; she just needs more confidence. One of my favorite memories during class time was earlier this year. She, having a huge crush on me earlier this semester, turned out also to be a dangerous weapon. One Wednesday, before our class started, I walked out the classroom to get something from my office, at a brisk pace. Oblivious to all students as I rushed by, I returned back to the classroom to start class. After the usual remarks after the bell, I proceeded to pass out the class' materials to every single table.

Su-yeon, Kim Kyung-eun, and Hyo-jin

Kyung-eun ignores me as I urged her to pass out the papers. I kinda shove her a little, as she still played listless. "Kyung-eun, what's wrong!? What are you doing?" I asked her friends Li-ra and Hye-yun what's the deal. They said they didn't know. After a minute of trying to cajole her, Kyung-eun is resolved to ignore me. What did I do? I finished the class, with one of my best students mad at me for something. Typical Korean high school girl.

Spring Time at Hakik Girls High

Fast-forward to the end of the day. Its cleaning time, and girls are busily cleaning my English Zone while I review the day's progress. Enter this goofball. With one smooth stroke, she brings out this English dialog book, and reads, with her monotone voice (think a female robot from the 60's): "Soni, the reason I was upset today was you...ignoreeed...meeeee..." expressing her sentiments with some glum on her frown. Yet you could see the playfulness: "You didn't say hi to me in the hallway! Grrrr!" I apologize and told her I was busily running back to the office. "Hmph!" she replied as she walked away.

To this day, I never ignore her in the hallway, lest I feel the Wrath of Kyung-eun/Angry Korean School Girl, a "hi" must be given. By the way, she's still one of my fave and best students because she actually gives a hoot to what I have to say. Keep it up girl.

Having a laugh at Summer English Camp

2. Jung Byol, Class 1-1: Jung Byol is one of the handful of Korean students who does not have three syllables in her full name. "Jung" is her family name, "Byol" means "Star." She's the class captain of her homeroom. A small, little girl, her English is very advanced for a half-pint. She uses her voice to help me in class when her fellow students are too loud. What makes her unique is that she's a good team player, always willing to help me in class and does a great job of communicating. Its a pleasure to have her in my class, because she's very wise and mature for a girl her age.



Sometimes sporting a white cardigan over her school uniform, she resembles a mini-version of a grad student. Hence her nickname, "The Graduate." In class, when Mr. Kim or I cannot get the class quiet, she'll step in and yell at her friends to "be quiet" and her friends shut their mouths quick. She has been really helpful in my class and is quite intelligent for age. I believe she'll be a super-super star in years to come.

Mr. Soni and His Yeonsu Boys Re-Unite at the Festival!

3. Hwang Yu-na, Class 1-7: Yuna is this chubby, happy-go-lucky girl in class seven. She is also their class captain. Since day one, she has been ever so receptive of me and active during each class we have together. Any activity, no matter how menial or boring, she'll do it with gusto. Slightly taller than me, she has a round face, chubby cheeks, a small nose, and a very short hair-cut, so she resembles a cat. Everytime I see here, she's always greeting me with a smile and asking me, "What've been up to?" a phrase that I've taught since day one. What makes her special is that she is a Christian. She's told and shown me what God is doing in her life, including her recent mission trip to Cambodia, where she had the opportunity to help many people in that country.

Mr. Soni and Yu-na before her big performance.

The biggest gift she ever gave to her teacher, me, was a song. A love song at the school festival, which I will post in the near future. Its something worth seeing.

4. The "Hana" Girls and Da-hae, Class 1-1: These girls are always together. Always together, never apart. They are the "Class One Angels." What is more unique is their personalities, they are perfect complements of one another. First there is Lee Hana, a small but fiesty little girl who has a very narrow face and serious eyes; she is very friendly at the same time a "don't mess with me" kinda look is always on her face. Then there is her partner in crime Cho Hana, who has a more soft face, shiny eyes, a button nose, and is very laid-back. What's unique about the both of them is that they are the same height, so they could be sisters in many ways, as they trade barbs with one another. Finally, to round them out is their friend Da-hae. What makes her unique is that she is taller than the other two, so she would seem to be the ringleader. Yet she is the most shyest of the bunch and most bashful. In fact, she never spoke in my class. Then during our annual Speech Contest, up comes in Da-hae with this eloquent speech about plastic surgery! So I asked her why she never spoke up in class..."the other kids would make fun of me." Basically, her shyness combined with her good English skills made her a silent Sally for the entire first semester.

Yet everytime I see these girls together, they are all holding eachother's hands (perfectly okay in the SK), laughing together, telling each other stories and goofing off. Their friendship and sisterhood just make you smile...again, they are always together. In God's Realm, one of the most beautiful thing about life is our camraderie and friendship...God never wants us to be alone.

My girls do an ad for "DemiSoda," a lemon taste, fresh fo yo'mind!

So that's part one of my fave students. Some students I chose because they make me laugh. Some I chose because they are highly intelligent and insightful. And some I chose because they represent the sheer humanity of life.

Added throughout the blog are some class pictures past and present of students from my school.

"Gonna Carry It Home"

Tonight was a funny story, an end to a excursion. I just returned from a long, two-week business trip to Yeongjeong Island, which is the island where the Incheon International Airport is located. At the island I taught as a substitute teacher at the Incheon Foreign Language Training Center, teaching secondary English teachers and helping them refine their English skills, giving them teacher training for their return back to the Korean public schools program. It was a great break from teaching high schoolers; it gave me an opportunity to speak at a higher level while I was able to give more insightful knowledge to the topics we discussed. A give-give situation, I had a great time doing this program as a temp and the secondary teachers had positive vibe for the program so far (even though I taught for two weeks, their actual training runs for six months). We did various activities like book study (on George Orwell's Animal Farm), listening activities, writing essays, speaking and culture, and pronunciation practice. It was intense, most days I taught 7 classes!

I finished my last day today, and I was exhausted. This weekend is Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, which I celebrated in full for the first time in my life last year. So, alot of the office staff at this training center left early to go travel to see their relatives in far off hometowns all throughout South Korea. The Korean staff, out of appreciation for the work we done, gave small gifts to us international teachers, such as wheat bread snacks, wrapped in a box and put into a small bag. Then, my homeroom class, out of wonderful appreciation for my brief stint as their teacher, gave me a brand new dress shirt to wear to school, wrapped in a small box and put into another small bag. Then, the President of the Training Center gave each international teacher a nice case of canned tuna, spam, and cooking oil. Put into a bigger box, and put into another bag, this one big.

I had so much stuff to carry home! I was already packed for a two-week trip, and upon departure for home my sports bag was filled to the brim so tight that if the thing was a living organism, it seemed like it would puke all of my clothes out! And I had three bags of goodies to carry home, as well as my small backpack. I'm shipping out for military camp? Maybe...

I had two options at this point. Mrs. Choi, one of the IFTC staff, allowed me the option of staying Friday night and travelling home Saturday morning, telling me to give my apartment key to the security officer on the way out. This would be a nice way to start my weekend, because the temporary apartment I stayed at was spacious, clean, and I had cable channels like CNN and BBC News, a rare treat for me. It was nice to stay on top of what's going on in the world.

Yet I had plans for tomorrow, to meet friends and then going to a relative's house tomorrow night in Seoul. A trip from the island, back to my apartment in Incheon, then going all the way back out to big, but empty Seoul would be a really straining trip. Especially with the fatigue I've accumulated all this week through overteaching, hot weather (especially for September), lack of sleep, mosquitoes, and an unusually warm apartment which caused my lack of sleep, a double trip would not be the best way to start my Chuseok weekend, a weekend dedicated to rest.

I figured at this point the better idea would be to gung-ho it all the way on Friday night, sleep in mad tomorrow morning, and be refreshed for a new weekend. So my co-worker Saleha (from sunny South Africa), and her husband Shabiri went back to my temp apartment, took out the stuff that she loaned me for those two weeks while cleaning out my fridge of excess food, cleaned up the place, while I packed up everything, including my new goodies, and we went to Incheon International Airport for a final dinner with them before I bid adieu.

I've hauled heavy stuff before...but this I thought I was going to be the mother of backbreakers and haulings. However, God assured me tonight that it was not going to be bad...just "carry it home, I'll be there." After an enlightening chat with my South African friends, who graciously accompanied me to my transferring station, it was time to depart and carry the load home.

From the island, I took the AREX (the Airport Subway Line) to the Incheon Line, and from the Incheon Line, then to the KORAIL Line One and back to my home station...Juan (pronounced "ju-an," not the Spanish "Juan"). Just one more stop and off onto the main streets. This whole trip back to Juan Station took about one hour. Cool thing that many people are on the road for their journeys home so I could find a seat for the long ride.

Getting through the ticket get at Juan Station was tough. I basically had to slide my stuff through the gate and under the turnstyle one-by-one while pressing my subway card onto the scanner with this mutant-formed sports bag on my shoulder, like a strange creature enveloping my arm. It was a funny looking scene and this one Korean guy was giving me eyeballs for it.

For some reason, the bags seemed heavier because I was sensing home more and more. I walked around the station's underground shopping center walking towards the goal...exit #4, the bags hurting my arms and leg. I turned a corner, and lo and behold, who was there? Several of my lady students, whom I've haven't seen in two weeks. They first didn't see me, as they were giggling, goofing off, and "eye-shopping." Then they turned a corner as I began walking on the other side.

They saw me, shocked and surprised, where they bellowed a "hi!" towards their MIA teacher. In one swift, brilliant motion, I immediately beckoned them towards me...and I made them carry my bags out the station! Whatever providence I found in the situation, I think God sent those students to help me. Compared to their American counterparts, Korean students are much more respectful and obedient, so I got one of my students, Mina, to carry my tuna/spam/oil case, while my other students Hye-yon and Dong-hee carried my other bags.

Unlike my Yeonsu guy students, whom I can fraternize with easier since we're guys, seeing my lady students outside of class is a much less frequent occurence, and a more careful venture. Even though not written, there is a less interaction code between genders in this country, so my girls, even though giggly to see me, were very shy to try their English around me, so I tried to speak to them in Korean to break the ice. Only Mina talked to me, and her friends were giving her stick for that one, "flirty, flirty!" they said in Korean. And the whole time they were carrying my stuff, they tended to follow me rather than walk with me, a sign of seniority, I guess. Goof-balls.

They helped me carry my bags out of the station, I hailed a taxi, and I went all the way home without much fuss, relieved... my students yelled "Bye Soni!" "I love you Soni!" (Yeah, they "love" me, how original!)

I was worried earlier about how I was going to haul those bags home, but God opens the doors like that, it was so cool. I recieved help from a platoon of my fem-bot students to help me carry the load, and it was good.

So remember next time, when you have a friend or family member who is carrying too much of a load in their life, whether it be stress, an exam, co-worker problems, family issues, life goal problems, or doubt, please be sure to help them carry it, so they too "can get out of the station." Just remember our Lord who meets us at the station and helps carry our load out to the exit...only if we ask.

"...for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:30)

One of Favorite Years in My Life: 2003

2003 was a great year in my life. It was my first year in university, where I briefly attended UMBC in Baltimore. I was on my own after working hard in high school and getting where I wanted to go, with God's Grace behind it all and my parents working hard to get me to college. I have so much respect to my parents.

I just remember 2003 with fondness. Being on my own for the first time really helped me focus on my interests and a person. I started to feel out what kind of person I was and the sort of talents I had.

Being mixed race, I found being in the university environment was quite refreshing. I had some really cool friends in high school, but my high school was not the most fertile environment to feel a sense of belonging in terms of racial apprecation.

I remember doing some cool things in college such as meeting Christians from other countries and church backgrounds, so it started to open my mind up to other people's journey in their relationship with Christ. It wasn't just about Christians from "suburbia" gathering together on campus, it was an international community from Africans to Asians to Arabs to African-Americans rocking the house in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I met some cool peoples like my friend Stanley, a Haitian-American who was cool and mellow, and for the first time, I got to really get down with somebody who I had some really common interests: international soccer, politics, economics (my future major that year), and of course, faith. I felt like I could unleash my tongue in discussing these topics for me as I did not have much of an opportunity to do it before.

I got to be in a cool college environment where I met people from diverse backgrounds and areas of life. Sometimes I felt like a "kid among giants" because I was a freshmen among juniors in some of my classes. I really enjoyed the challenge of meeting people older than I am and trying to listen to what they have to say, while trying to impose myself as an individual.

I met people from Albania, Lithuania, Russia, the Ukraine, and many other countries, and I felt more at ease meeting these people because I was interested in their backgrounds.

I also started to feel my own self when it came to what kind of person I am and I became more comfortable with it, I felt like God was leading me to a place where I did not have to force myself to be a prototype person of what people wanted m to be, but just be me who God created me to be, with room to improve for more.

I started to realize I felt more comfortable in a certain zone in my multi-faceted personality: I am very gentle in dealing with people but very passionate when it came to things like my job and tasks given to me. I am people person when required to be, but most people find me very calm and relaxed when alone. At a party I'll be loud and outgoing when I'm up to it, then on the way home in the car I'll usually be the one listening to the other's people topics with intent and attentive focus.

I'm a very submissive and loyal, but not a whipping boy. I think that's one aspect where God is working on me now, to become more stronger.

I started to hone my interests: world affairs, social issues, languages, cultures, international sport, and hip-hop music.

I remember C.S. Lewis talking about what happens when you accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior in his book, Mere Christianity, "you get your true personality." I'll find that quote again, but I'm sure its there.

Even though I struggled with sin in 2003, the victories over that sin brought me closer to God and more closer to someone I want to know...myself.

Is It Worth It?

My senior year of high school. 2002. Just one more year of high school madness and it will be all over. I finished taking the SAT's last term and ended the summer on a high as I scored enough to apply to the schools I wanted to. It was time to wait..and finish high school.



I started by waking up at 6AM from Monday to Friday. School started at 7:30AM, so I had to get up, shower, eat a good breakfast, and drive to school. I had eight periods (including lunch) to eat as much brain food as possible. I took important subjects like English, Spanish, and Trigonometry to prepare for college. School ended around 2:15PM. I was on the high school soccer team in 2002, so we had team study hall until 3:30PM, and it was off to practice. Practice was two hours, and on Mondays and Wednesdays, I had to go to work right after practice. Coach was nice enough to let me go a little early so I could make it work on time. I had to get into uniform at work (Chick-Fil-A), and I worked the night shift from 6-10PM. My boss was kind enough to let me have a sandwich for dinner for five minutes since he knew I came from soccer practice. The store closed at 10PM, and even though I could leave at that time, sometimes one of my bosses asked me politely to stay and help clean the store. Being a team player, I usually obliged.



I drove home, where my parents usually did not fall asleep until they knew that I was home safe, being loving as they are. Then I would hit the books, because I hardly touched my homework throughout the day. Trig equations (sin, cosine, and tangents), the intricacies of the Spanish language (college-level Spanish), to my hardest and most rewarding class, AP European History with Mr. Shaffer. And don't forget wonderful English and its poetry, short-stories, and their papers you had to write with them. This self-studying time was crucial if I wanted to maintain good grades while keeping my life balanced. I would arrive home around 10:30PM and would not finish my homework until 1AM, or at the latest, 2 AM. My mother sometimes would come out in the middle of the night because she noticed the light in my room still turned on...and would ask me to go to sleep. Being half-Korean that I am, there is no stopping until I got my homework done.



Then I would get up at 6AM, bleary-eyed and weary. I would do it again. Oh so tired. Yet the cool thing was, I didn't have to work every night, so I would at least get my homework done in the early evening so I could go to bed at a decent time, meanwhile I could on the Internet, chat with friends, or play videogames. Also, I would hang out with my friends sometimes throughout the week. Or, I would attend Wednesday Bible study at my church. Despite the rigors of school, I had fun things to do. I did not have to be so tired every single day.



Now imagine the aforementioned schedule, except you have to do it every single day. Yes, every single day. Except without soccer practice or games (which are fun) or a part-time job...all you had to do was study. Get up at 6AM, go to school by 7:45AM, and essentially don't leave school until after 9PM, and then go to all-night "cram school" (private school businesses called "hagwons") where you get supplemental education until the wee hours of the morn, and then do it all over again. It would make you insane, right? Where in the world would people commit to such an atrocious, physically and mentally demanding schedule?



Welcome to Korean high school. I have talked extensively about my life at the high school before, mentioning some of the joys and lows of working in the Korean public school system, getting to work with energetic young Koreans who are force-fed English grammar nuggets most of their days. I mentioned the really animated and fun Sports Day at Hakik Girls High School and some of the fun aspects of working with these smart and clever young ladies. I mentioned just being a foreign teacher at a Korean high school is an honor and a cultural experience that I will never forget.



For all the unique aspects of this job, its still a job, and it has to be done. And just like any job, no job is perfect. Jobs are performed daily so that society can benefit, and then even the problems within the job are just small stepping stones to achieve perfection. At my job, I see a system where my students are merely going through the motions and not producing what is most necessary: knowledge.



In the grand scheme of things, sometimes I see a merciless school system that beats down on my children daily, a major competition vortex where there are losers and winners, just like in any society. Yet in Korea (and in many other East Asian nations), what's sad to see is that the throes of competition and selection are thrown at them at an early age, and its a debiliating thing. It makes for very mentally-fatigued and sometimes frustrated children.



I remember my student from class 1-6, Min-jung. Min-jung is a tall, elegant girl who usually has a smile on her face during my class time. Then came mid-terms. While she entered my classroom and sat down, I stopped by her table and said hello to her, where she just stared at me back with an expression of an owl. She literally dark circles under her eyes. Her friend Yun-young fired at me, "She has dark circles, so tired!" Min-jung was studying until the wee hours of the morning to prepare for the midterms. Normally a healthy looking girl with bright skin, she looked like a ghost this morning.



Now you might say, "Well, anyone would study late hours to get some knowledge in there, right? What's the big deal? Many high school students do that anyway." What makes Korea's system strikingly different is the competition. What's the prize? University. In two years time, they have to take what is called the "Ssu-neung" Test, or Korean SAT's. In Korea, more so than America to a degree, university names are sort of a price label in value. So each student is aspiring to get into the top colleges in Seoul, which makes competition strikingly fierce. Students in your own classroom, even your own friends, are potential rivals in getting into the best schools in Korea.



Korean competition in schools can sort of be read in this Korean proverb: "Five hours of sleep, you fail the test, four hours of sleep, you pass the test." Wow. You see where this going. So Min-jung was just being in a cog in a system where one less hour of marginal studying could cause her to fall behind. It was only natural for her to study more.



Do you know about yaja shigan? Yaja shigan is a Korean shortenized word for "self-study." Well, its natural to self-study, right? Well, this is how it works, because the Korean high school day gets better with this.



School ends in 7th period at 4:20PM. Students have to clean up the school. Then, there is an extra supplemental class at from 4:40PM to 5:30PM. Then from 5:30PM there is a dinner (served by a contractor food company) until 6:20PM.



From 6:20PM, you must do yaja. Basically, its mandatory self-study. In your classroom until 9PM. "Well, you got to study, right? It must be the Asian way of doing things." A supervising teacher from each grade walks around the hall with a stick in his or her hands making sure they are studying. No slacking on this one. Kids who fall asleep are given very unusual physical punishments or are harshly reprimanded for not keeping focus. "Well, they're kids, they're young. Back in my day we studied x amount of hours, so they can to."



So let's go back to the beginning of the day then. Imagine being grilled and drilled on Korean grammar, English grammar, Japanese grammar (if you are a junior or senior at my school and if you choose to learn it), math formulas, ethics (an unique subject taught in Asian schools), English vocabulary, the history of the Three Kingdoms and the Joseon Dynasty, chemical and biological equations, gym, home economics, social studies, and let's not forget other creative subjects like art and music. And being with fellow students of the same gender all day and with its unique Korean social environment, you can see this situation as a pressure cooker.



There are only 10 minutes of break time between classes, with lunch and dinner the only real major times they can play or socialize fully. At my school, there are literally bars on the windows on the lower level classrooms on the outside, sort of a psychological re-conditioning symbol of saying, "no one escapes."

So as I write this, Semester 2 begins at Hakik Girls High School in two weeks. My 3rd levels (seniors) have the Korean SAT's in 100 days. That day will either break them or make them. They have no choice. Study less than your competition, and you fall behind. The school system suffers from the "anything you can do I can do better" syndrome. Everyone else does it, so I must too.

Yet there is hope. For the pressure that these girls go through, I do see some nice things about the system. Korean students in general, despite the competition, seem very loyal as friends and share many joys and downs with one another, sometimes more than their American compatriots. Also, some girls refuse to be battered by the system and make the most of it. For example, one of my best students, Hwang Yu-na, a class captain, goes home after school is over. No forced self-study. I suppose that her parents see that the self-study will not be beneficial and that she should do it on their own.

Other students and teachers as well are becoming more critical of their system. My students, Lee Yun-young, always tells me what's messed up with her system in perfect English. Some girls I know, see the cracks in the system and someday they know it will have to change.

Finally, there's me. I hope that I can bring hope to some of my children. My teaching style is very different, I use different techniques in the classroom, and I hope that I can inspire my children to think on their own because of the experiences that my young life has given me already. To think outside the box. I'm bi-racial, I'm created in God's image, I have friends from most spectrums of life and pathways, and I've traveled to many cool parts of the world. Finally, I'm saved. Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

I'm not the light. Christ is. I think education can go hand in hand with the truth. The reality of this world can point us to God if we search for it. If these girls of mine can see some glimpse of the truth in me...that we are created, perhaps I can inspire them to search for it. "...for anyone who serves Christ this way is pleasing to God and approved by men." (Romans 14:18)

Is it worth it? For me and for them, it always is.

Trip Back in Time: Baekje Dynasty

Korea has a rich history, even though at times a very troubled one. As the peoples on the peninsula started to organize themselves into small societies 5000 years ago, the first nation-state to emerge on the western part of the peninsula was a small kingdom called Baekje. The capital once situated in present-day Seoul, the kingdom displays to this day remants of a wonderful and intricate culture. As Korea was divided into three kingdoms in its early history, Baekje was defeated by the northern Goguryo kingdom and forced to move its capital to Ungjin, or today's present day city of Gongju. That's where I went this weekend.



After a month fresh from my wonderful excursion to Taiwan, I have been working non-stop at my high school and just keeping a low profile on weekends. As the summer heat started to turn up its dial here in sauna-ready Korea, I felt like I wouldn't be going anywhere this term. However, after finishing up 4 straight days of extra conversation classes and getting ready for two summer camps, I needed a break! I opened up my Lonely Planet Korean guidebook, took a turn of the page, and after a friend's recommendation, I took a bus and headed to the small city of Gongju.



Gongju, while being one of the capitals of the Baekje Kingdom, has a special significance for my Korean family. My mother's family comes from this region of Korea, not Seoul. My mother was born in this province (Chungcheonnam-do), and her sister was born in this city I went to. Its a small city of 150,000, so the feel is more relaxed and quiet. The people don't seem as bewildered to see foreigners, but look on with a subtle curiosity. Unlike their Gyeongsang Province counterparts, the people have a more country-bumpkin hospitality like Americans in the South.



I trekked and visited some of the coolest sites from that period of history: the Tomb of King Muryeong, where these tombs were built in the style of huge burial mounds with immortality being the theme. The treasures and artefacts recovered from his tomb displayed the intricate style and detail from that time. From his royal diadem to his headrest, including all of his queen's ornamentation (am I Bush-ifying that last word?), these people knew what it meant to render services to their king.



What makes Baekje a special kingdom was their role in Northeast Asian affairs. They were the prime conduit of culture of China, taking and adapting Chinese properties of learning, political theory, and art while passing them on to the first peoples of Japan, called the Wae. In the video at the Baekje National Museum, you could see that artefacts discovered in places near Osaka and Nara (which I visited last summer) have a direct correlation with goods found in Gongju and Buyeo (which is near Gongju). Copy cats? Well, let's just say the Baekje were just sharing the knowledge.



I proceeded to the mighty Gongsansong Fortress, which displayed its fortitude over Gongju. A huge, and pretty much intact wall, this fortress was a Baekje defense aimed at thwarting future attacks by the northern Goguryo forces.

It was a beautiful sight to see as I surveyed my kingdom as the sun started to set. With the main gate in view, I imagined myself as a warrior defending the castle within just like the warriors of Rohan and the Elves were fighting the Uruk-hai in Lord of the Rings. It was like being a kid again.

I also read a passage in Psalm 91-2: "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust." (KJV) Human fortresses get breached from time to time, and whole kingdoms fall. But the Kingdom of God is never penetrated as long as we taken refuge in Him. It was really assuring to read that passage at that exact time and place. Divine inspiration anyone?

The rest of the weekend was really hot but just peaceful. A small town gives a sense of quiet and I took it to my advantage to enjoy it.

I came back refreshed, and I kind of labeled the Baekje Kingdom "my fave kingdom," for their bravery as the underdog against the bigger kingdoms while being survivors. They were very instrumental in spreading culture among their neighbors while retaining an unique culture for their own.

They fell in 660AD after holding off onslaught after onslaught of troops. Problems, inner fighting, and overwhelming odds took their toll.

I'm still standing, in a Mighty Fortress.

Girls' Sports Day...is the Coolest!

Stade de Hakik YoGo: The Colors!

So it was Sports Day last Thursday. At a girls' high school. Girls' in Korea, compared to other Western nations, hardly play sports during their school tenures. The only student-athletes you see at the high school level are carefully selected boys or girls who have that gift, and they basically cruise through school without having to really study that much. The rest are geared toward studying for that dreaded college entrance exam or studying a tradecraft, while these selected few are groomed to be future athletes for club teams or university teams.

Jump it up!

So sports at a girls' school is hardly a huge thing. I see girls going to gym class, but the things I really hear (yes, that's right, "hear," because you don't see them outside doing any of this stuff) them do during PE class is learn to dance or jump-rope. Yeah. I am very lonely man during lunch time as I practice my jumpshot. I have had, however, the pleasure of tutoring some curious girls who came out to play ball with me, and even taught some of the tomgirls how to set a pick and shoot a J. "Computer blue."

My Class 1-3: Parasoling It Up!

I thought this Sports Day would be a joke. Just let these girls go in, do some jump-roping and do some silly games, put some make-up on, and look pretty for the big chiefs of the school. I was wrong. Ohhh boy, I was wrong. Let's just say that yours truly was getting in on the action and rooting for the girls as they poured their hearts out over the whole thing.

There were relay races: ones with obstacles like hurdling over hurdles, diving under v-ball nets, and the leg anchor having to put her face into a pan of flour, or something like it. It was absolute madness. It was cute to see the girls who cannot run properly chug around the track with poor posture.
Soni Representin' Wit Dem "1-3" Ladies (Man, Soni is dark!)

Then there was the homeroom race where 38 girls position themselves as one long pathway, as one girl, positioned in the middle, is led by two adjoining girls who guide her down the path as she treads on the backs of her fellow girls. I saw some girls tumble off really bad because they went too fast. Some girls got injured! Thankfully, Nurse Joy (I forgot the ladies' name) was on had to put some ointment on the boo-boos.

"The Dash on Backs Race"

Then there was the regular relay race, old track and field style. 1st level students had prelims, as well as did the 2nd levels, and just like track and field, had the 1st leg run it all the way to the anchor leg. Some of the races got so heated that some girls were elbowing each other to get position at the end of the track, because the track was so small (Sports Day was held in the gym because of bad weather). Your teacher Mr. Soni saw one girl literally elbow another as they were going on the final turn. The latter fell hard as the former finished the race, but our male VP was on hand to slap her DQ papers on her forehead. I liked how he took charge and made things right.

There was also the classic tug-of-war game, as these girls really put on some weight to tug away. Very spirited indeed.

Then, there were some events for the teachers to get their sports on. Mr. Soni was in the "Love Game," where a teacher is paired up with a student, usually a teacher outside the student's homeroom, as they run a relay race with their feet bound together. Their goal is to keep a balloon between them as they reach the end of the track and pop the balloon together. I was paired up with a 2-2 girl, a very smart girl, named "Aerie." She is in my extra English Conversation Class, and she is just a grand of a student. She and I struggled to get down there because our rhythm was off, but she and I got the job done. We paced ourselves by counting our steps, "1...2...1...2." Our team ended up winning the race. I was laughing really hard as girls screamed in jealously as Mr. Jang (the school dubbed "hottie teacher") ran down the path with a girl student.

Soni and Aerie Prepping for The Love Game...oddly named indeed.

Since the gym was at full capacity and filled to the brim with screaming teenage girls, the atmosphere was like a mix of being at a boy band's concert and the NBA finals. It was that loud. Girls can scream. They can sing and they can get crazy. They were singing all sorts of Korean pop and traditional (like, real old traditional) Korean faves as they cheered their teams along. Also, 1st level students supported their "sister" students in the 2nd grade, if their homeroom number corresponded with theirs. For example, my 2-3 girls cheered on the 1-3 girls when they did an event, and vice versa. It was a really unique atmosphere and it was fun to be in. In fact, after finishing neck-in-neck in the teacher/students' relay, Mr. Soni ran down the track and pumped some fists in the air to get the crown going. I did the signature Hulkamania/WWE ear call (where I circle my hands and put them on my ear to hear their roars of approval), to get them to pump me up for my next event. I figured, "I don't think I'll be in the state championship anytime soon, or even the World Cup Finals, so let's have fun now and just bask in the moment." The American side of gyrating my hands and pumping my fists, Allen Iverson style, was a huge hit with the ladies.

Then came the parade. Each homeroom went out there, dressed in crazy costumes, displaying some kind of theme about school, Korean life, or dreams. For example, some girls in 1-7 dressed as "bad students" who drank too much soju, while the rest of the class dressed as good students. Then, in front of the whole audience, the good students literally blew away the bad students, who fell in unison. Laughter erupted with a mix of applause.
The Parade: 2nd Level Girls Dressing It Up!

Some homerooms were really creative, and some were so-so, but the award of best production had to go to class 2-7. This is Mrs. Lee's class, who is an English teacher. Their girls went all out and did a wholesale mini-drama of stages of a Korean girls' life. From singing little kids' songs at their primary school age (where students dressed as baby kids), to a few of the girls dressing as "ajumma" and doing a crazy dance in which ajumma do at a certain age at dance halls, it was sarcastic but hilarious. It brought the entire house down.
Athletes, Doctors, Goofy Girls Oh My!

One highlight of that skit was one of the girls' in the class, dressed as an elementary school student, literally skipped to me as her production came to a close and gave me her lolly pop "prop" that she used, as a gift. I was filming their parade this whole time, so I got this student running up to me on tape to hand me her lolli, while I give her a thumbs up for her nice gift. I was very touched by her kindness.

Finally, after all the games, came..."the dance." Oh boy...I thought it would be one of the goofy dances where everybody does a group dance like in anime series, "AzuManga Daioh," (okay, if you don't know the reference, its all gravy), but no, it turned into almost like an American High School dance. Pop music started to play over the speakers as students rushed to grab our lady principal and forced her to dance.

I was dead before I could even move. One by one, each homeroom who had the chance to see me persistently grabbed me by the arms and pulled me into their class circle like I was about to get pummeled like a gang inititation. "Dance!" they cried!
Party Time!

Now, I'm no dancer. I like to dance on my free time, but that does not mean I can dance. There is a major difference between having the skills to do so and just doing it to do so.

Since I had such a fine time, I figured I give them a laugh riot and did whatever crazy moves I had within me. Various roars of approval, laughter, and screaming literally turned my eardrums into mush.

In fact, all the popular male teachers like Mr. Jang or Mr. Kim (2nd level teacher, not the English teacher), were forced to dance. The popular Ms. Han Bora, the darling lady teacher of the school, was dancing to the approval of her 2-5 students. Everyone got in on the act. I didn't know that Koreans had the "Bust A Groove" Syndrome in them.

Meanwhile, I sweated so hard because the room started to get hot, filled with the heat of screaming and crazy teenage women. The AC units were blasting right after the music stopped. Then came the awards for the winners...but I could not stick around to see them...I was off to the airport.

In the end, this was one of the craziest but most memorable events during my career here in South Korea. I remember last year's Sports Day at the boys' school, where it was very simple. They simply played competitive sports such as b-ball or soccer. They had a tournament with simple champions to be chosen.

Here, to get the girls to do something, they got creative, and the creativity sure paid off. Zany games, competition up the wazoo, and just having a good time by all was simply pure joy to see.

Seeing the singing, and the dancing (no offense, my fellow Baptists), I thought to myself about what heaven is going to be like. The room echoed with the chorus of fun and bouncy Korean music, with claps, drums, and PA microphones going off in many directions.

I thought, heaven will be like this, but way, way, way bigger. And we will be praising the One who gave us all the instruments of praise in the first place.

Wow! That was fun. Now off to Taipei...