I'm genuinely confused that it's November. All continues to go smashingly well, though a bit too quickly. At school, I just completed Phase 1 of a letter exchange project between my 7th graders and the 6th grade students at Grove City Middle School. I'll be sure to share some highlights in a later post (there are many). And, with just over a month left before "Six Plays" opens, emotions in that arena range from great excitement to appalling anxiousness. There's so very, very much to do, but it's all intensely good fun.
My dedication to yoga has dropped to once a week classes with the kids, though I've since supplemented my exercise routine with practices for an upcoming dance performance. Two weeks ago, my friends said, "Hey, we're helping to organize a talent show for the Gwangju International Center, but no one has signed up. Do you want to dance?" Hearing that first, second, and third place winners receive the equivalent of 300, 200, and 100 dollars respectively, I imagined doing a simple dance on a small stage in front of a few elderly Korean people. And so, to help my friends, I agreed.
Fast forward two weeks: I hadn't heard anything, so I assumed the show was off. But, no. Three days ago, I got an email showing my time slot in the performance that will take place on November 10th. It seems I'll be doing a solo dance after a kung fu demonstration and before a traditional Nepalese dance on a large stage near the city's main event center. The show also features traditional Peruvian dance, tae kwon do, and a wide mix of other performances.
I may be entirely out of my league, but some friends who critiqued the two-thirds of the dance I've choreographed thus far suggested that I won't embarrass myself entirely. Actually, they were more encouraging than that, and I'm having way too much fun practicing to drop out of the competition. I also value dancing on the same level as breathing, the extent to which leaves me somewhat unconcerned about actually winning any money for the performance. Still, I am planning a January trip to either Vietnam, Thailand, or the Philippines, so the extra cash would be lovely! I'll be sure to let you know how it all goes, successful or otherwise.
The biggest news of the past month is: I have future plans!! For a variety of reasons, I've decided to finish my contract at the end of the year, return to the U.S. for 8 weeks, and then take off for a year in New Zealand. Life in Korea is, and continues to be, intensely wonderful. I've also felt acutely that remaining here for a second year without any dedication to learning the language is a little sloppy. I value this experience so much, and I also think that being able to converse with and remember the names of your students and co-workers is important. Like, super important. My knowledge of hovers around a shameful 5% score in that category, and signing up for a second year without any intention of improving the situation is absurd. My attention is too focused elsewhere.
So, New Zealand it is! An EPIK friend tipped me off to the idea about a month ago, when she enthusiastically described the year she spent there through a company called BUNAC. Barring unforeseen opportunities, I won't be teaching in New Zealand. My friend worked for a government office, and I've read there are loads of opportunities to develop my skills in sheep farming. Also, the country boasts a fabulous variety of cheeses, a point in which Korea falls drastically short in comparison (a country with 70% mountains leaves little room for large animal pastures). Here, you can buy the equivalent of a low-grade package of Kraft singles for around $6. Heartbreaking.
For the next (ah!) 3 months, I'm completely dedicated to soaking up the joy of living in Korea. Brace yourselves for the inevitable overly-emotional, gushing blog post that I'll likely produce sometime in February when I decide that good cheese isn't a sufficient reason to move countries. Until then, I have an extensive to-do list, the first item of which includes completing my After School Conversation Class lesson plan for a group of students who all but refuse to speak in English. I'll keep trying to inspire them, but I sympathize with the fact that their attention is too focused elsewhere. It's hard to get frustrated with them when I have the same problem.
I may be entirely out of my league, but some friends who critiqued the two-thirds of the dance I've choreographed thus far suggested that I won't embarrass myself entirely. Actually, they were more encouraging than that, and I'm having way too much fun practicing to drop out of the competition. I also value dancing on the same level as breathing, the extent to which leaves me somewhat unconcerned about actually winning any money for the performance. Still, I am planning a January trip to either Vietnam, Thailand, or the Philippines, so the extra cash would be lovely! I'll be sure to let you know how it all goes, successful or otherwise.
The biggest news of the past month is: I have future plans!! For a variety of reasons, I've decided to finish my contract at the end of the year, return to the U.S. for 8 weeks, and then take off for a year in New Zealand. Life in Korea is, and continues to be, intensely wonderful. I've also felt acutely that remaining here for a second year without any dedication to learning the language is a little sloppy. I value this experience so much, and I also think that being able to converse with and remember the names of your students and co-workers is important. Like, super important. My knowledge of hovers around a shameful 5% score in that category, and signing up for a second year without any intention of improving the situation is absurd. My attention is too focused elsewhere.
So, New Zealand it is! An EPIK friend tipped me off to the idea about a month ago, when she enthusiastically described the year she spent there through a company called BUNAC. Barring unforeseen opportunities, I won't be teaching in New Zealand. My friend worked for a government office, and I've read there are loads of opportunities to develop my skills in sheep farming. Also, the country boasts a fabulous variety of cheeses, a point in which Korea falls drastically short in comparison (a country with 70% mountains leaves little room for large animal pastures). Here, you can buy the equivalent of a low-grade package of Kraft singles for around $6. Heartbreaking.
For the next (ah!) 3 months, I'm completely dedicated to soaking up the joy of living in Korea. Brace yourselves for the inevitable overly-emotional, gushing blog post that I'll likely produce sometime in February when I decide that good cheese isn't a sufficient reason to move countries. Until then, I have an extensive to-do list, the first item of which includes completing my After School Conversation Class lesson plan for a group of students who all but refuse to speak in English. I'll keep trying to inspire them, but I sympathize with the fact that their attention is too focused elsewhere. It's hard to get frustrated with them when I have the same problem.
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