Uper and Downer

It seems that every other day I go from being okay with being here to wanting to find a plane ticket and leaving this vary day. Monday is my six-week mark; I did not think that I would make it this long five weeks ago. I, overall, really do love my work; co-workers; bosses; learning about the culture…

Last Thursday, as I sat with my kindergarteners, I was in awe at how far they had come in three and a half weeks. A co-worker help explain that where the first years are after this four months is something we should be proud of because that is all us (she has 1st year 6 year olds). My kids can do so many little things that they could not do four weeks ago; not the least of which is understand about a fourth of the things I say to them. I am learning how to dumb things down more and more. Begin=go; start=go; different=not same; playroom=play; trouble= No! Bad!; basically one syllable or less answers. I am really trying, but it is slow: I talk too fast, but have excellent (very good) enunciation (word sounds) and am doing better at dumb-ing down my words (I feel there needs to be a thesaurus for ESL teachers that can turn all words into one syllable).

This weekend was interesting. Friday night was calm and I apologize to Carlos for missing meeting up with them for his birthday and thank Brooke for her continual support. Saturday, I tried out the subway for the first time. It is easy to navigate (of course there is only one line), but once I got off it I was lost for a while trying to find the downtown meeting place. There is a group of people interested in doing some theatre in the area. It sounds like “we” will be able to use the local universities theatre since they have no theatre and if it is a success then we would be able to do more. The idea is a 90 minute show (we will make a final decision soon, but looking at one-acts/monologues mixes of comedy and drama). Two others and I were asked about directing and organization help and we have plenty of people interested in the acting; we know that we can get the foreigner community to attend and think that we could get a good group of natives as well especially if it is at the university. I think that our biggest problem right now is actually getting it going. We have the interest and idea; we just need to start.

Other than that I am nursing being sick-ish again. From what I understand it will probably be a continual fight over here. I plan on getting a mask and will take a picture of how ridiculous they look. I am not sure they actually work, but the pollution and health problems of my co-workers have me on the cautionary side. It isn’t enough we work with little kids who pick their noses and have to be reminded to wash their hands after using the toilet; but Gwang-Ju is polluted and pollen ridden and dirty. No one escapes without encountering one of the following: the “Korean cough,” bronchitis, dehydration, general inability to breath, and etc. It’s kinda sad actually.