I was speaking to my co-workers the other night and it just dawned on me... I've been here for about 8 months and my contract us up in only 4 months!!! Ahhhhhhh!!! I can't believe time has gone by so quickly! This means that I only have a few months to get my new visa in order. I definitely plan on staying here for at least another year and instead of an E-2 visa (a teacher's visa), I plan on obtaining an F-4 visa. This visa is specifically for Koreans who were born in Korea but have citizenship in another country. With this visa, I am able to live and work in Korea like a citizen...I just don't have the right to vote. Right now, my E-2 visa forbids me to have any extra job outside of teaching at my hogwan. With my F-4 visa, I would be able to give extra lessons or tutoring to kids or adults...making my income increase CONSIDERABLY. For example, I was offered a job to teach my friend's manager conversational English before work. He would pay me 40,000 won (roughly $40) an hour and I would meet him twice a week. That would be an extra $320 a month for only 8 hours of work. And I was also offered another job being a "patient" for my friend's business (which prepares Korean doctors for their American doctor's exam). I would have had to pretend to be sick with some type of symptons in different personality types and the doctor's would assess me. For only 3 hours of work, I would have been paid 120,000 won!
As for my classes, they are still going strong! This month we had Winter Intensives, which are extra English classes that students can take during their winter vacation. I had two extra classes in the morning which we would read stories, discuss, and answer questions. I also had to teach Science. My other co-teachers were telling Science was so much fun to teach and that it would super easy. So, I was pretty confused when I found out I absolutely HATED teaching it! Our last Science project was making a pan flute...and they didn't really work. My poor students were so disappointed! And since they didn't work, they didn't know how to respond to the questions about the different tunes they made while blowing into the pan flute in their workbooks. I tried to explain to them but all I got was blank stares. Sooo, what was I to do? I still had ten minutes of class left! Play hang man? Play Bingo?? Nooo, I could do better than that... I taught them to say Supercalafragalisticexpealadocious. Hahaha. And they loved it! The way I saw it was that it helped them with their pronunciation! That works, right??
This month I have become extra strict with most of my classes. Some of my classes have started a bit more challenging books and I'm focusing on writing perfect sentences. Some of my students can get lazy, so to make sure they don't get too lazy, I told them that if they do not do their homework or do not write perfect sentences, they have to rewrite their sentences five times each. I had one girl who did not do her homework for two classes and could not stay after class due to piano lessons. Having to be consistent and fair to the other students who did not complete their homework, I told her she needed to write extra sentences in addition to the typical five. She ended up writing 125 sentences! I was surprised that she actually did it! Needless to say, she hasn't turned in an assignment late since!
Also, next month, my class schedule has changed quite a bit. I have switched a few of my classes because they're combining classes together due to fewer students in each of the classes. I no longer finish at 9:10pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday...I'm now finished at 7:25pm! Nice.
Next month is our Kindgarten Graduation. Some of our kindie students are graduating and will not be returning to YBM or will be moving into our afternoon classes. So, there's a big ceremony...and they even wear caps and gowns!!! Each class will perform a valedictory, a play, a couple chants, a song, and a storybook. Some of the students will leave YBM others may begin our afternoon classes. It will be sad to see some of the little buggers go!! And speaking of students leaving, my favorite student, James, is leaving next month! Oh, I'm gonna miss him! Apparently he's moving. :(
My last few months of my contract are going to fly by even faster than the past eight months! Next week, I am off to Thailand with my friends Priscilla, Mark, Lim and Nic. I am soooo exciteed! We spend one night in Bangkok (just like the song!) and four days in Krabi. I plan on relaxing on the beach, taking in some sights at temples and local caves, ELEPHANT TREKKING, and eating some goooooooood Thai food!
Even more exciting is that my whole family and Alice Anderson are coming to visit me in March. I am very excited to show them around my 'hood! Although it's been over ten years since we last came to Korea, I think they'll be surprised to see how much Korea has changed!! I can't wait for them to try some darn good Korean food and to watch them try to eat with metal chopsticks... haha ;) I especially can't wait to take out my brother and sister out on the town! Hopefully this will be an amazing vacation for them!
