Out of Bounds

Sorry it's been such a long time. My last month has been overwhelming, what with my work schedule changing, my coworker and good friend Liz coming back, and all the interesting things that have been happening. I promise not to disappoint.

I've discovered a new part of being an English teacher that was hiding just beneath the surface of my observation before. I'd noticed it, but I hadn't really gotten too into it until a little while ago: people here gossip like it's a necessity of life.

A little aside: I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but being a foreigner in Korea is akin to being a celebrity. People will literally stop you in the streets to say hello and practice their English. I have had more strangers here tell me that I'm beautiful in the last three months than I have in my entire life. My friend and I were walking home one night when a busload of kids coming home from their after-school classes at 11 PM went by. It happened to stop at the light where we were crossing and all of the kids stuck their heads out of the windows and started yelling hello to us. I think there may have even been some pictures taken. Add to this the fact that the foreign community is a microcosm and you have this alternate existence being produced where you feel like you can't really have a private life anymore. Thanks go out to Facebook as well. What a heathen little invention.

I thought that I'd met someone. Don't get too excited...turns out that I hadn't.

The foreign community here is a microcosm. People go out on the weekend for a limited number of reasons and one of them is to catch up with friends. Like any small town, there's the people who are cool with just being friendly and those that thrive on gossip and drama. It's impossible to even look at anyone here without people talking. I don't even know why, but lately it's felt like I'm in high school again. Which is hilarious, considering that most of the people around here are over 25. My past few weekends have been eventful, to say the least. It's a good thing that Seoul is only a four hour trip away.

As for my work, it's going amazingly well. Liz and I have started going to the gym, which means that I'm in a way better mood when I start work than I have been for a long time. Not to brag, but I think I'm getting to be a better teacher because of it. I've still got my troublemakers, but it's a lot easier to deal with a kid when you're in a good mood. My latest technique: complete silence. It sounds counterproductive, but it works. All I have to do is make eye contact with one of the good kids, and they'll start telling the others around them to, ahem, SHUT UP. The ones who don't quiet down get a warning and the problem is solved. Easy as. The big challenge I have now is keeping class interesting.

Want to trade jobs?

Hugs and love to everyone back home. :o)

P.S. Chris, the countdown is ON!