Observations About Life Abroad

The word "meter" came up in one of our books. I soon realized that parking meters are few and sparse here. People kind of park wherever the fuck they please. I do miss driving a great deal but I'm thankful I am not driving around Korea because if I thought driving through Times Square was heart-wrenching... driving here might literally give me an anxiety attack. I grip my soul every time I shut a taxi door.

My boss recently told me that it's time to decorate the classrooms "a bit more" because this is the time that people are coming and looking at the school. They clearly want to make a good impression. So what, our classrooms can be as barren as Nebraska but when there are people coming, we should spruce it up? I mean, of course, that makes sense.. BUT I do a crazy amount of Pinterest projects in my classroom and basically my boss told me to put my projects on steroids. It's just phony and I don't like that.

Did you know how hard it is to teach the difference between "a" and "the". I question my intelligence everyday here. Some things I just know and when the kids ask me why I'm dumbfounded. I just know these things. Did I learn these rules? Was I taught them and I just don't remember? Language is absolutely mind-boggling. And there are too many exceptions in English. We learned that if "e" comes after "g" then the "g" sounds like a "j".. like in "strange," "cage," "general," etc. Then my student asks why this doesn't apply to the word "get." Well, Amy, I don't know.

I think I'm slightly venting in this entry.. but the parents here are really never satisfied. I mean, they have every right to expect the greatest because they are putting their hard-earned wages into sending their kids to English school but the expectations can be a bit ridiculous. Recently, two of my elementary students entered an English contest about writing letters based off of stories they read. I was asked to read their letters and edit them. No problem. I obviously want them to win! I love winners and I love my kids! But, this isn't in my job description and it was an extra task and when I told my student that I didn't have the time one day to edit her letters - she went home and told her mother. Her mother then complained to my boss. I told my boss that I spent 10 minutes out of my 30 minute class correcting the letters and I couldn't continue. That I could either correct the letters or teach the class that she is paying me to teach. She obviously wasn't happy about my comment but COME ON REALLY?! The other kids are watching me correct these girls' letters and I'm just hoping and praying that they don't go home and tell their parents that  I'm not teaching the class but editing irrelevant letters. Being here has helped me learn patience and calmness but there are those times where I forget all of these newly learned virtues. The very next day, I had the time and I did, in fact, edit her letters. Her mother then complained to my boss that I edited the letters too much. WHAT?! No seriously, what?! Are you kidding me? What exactly is it that everyone wants from me? The two girls won second and third place and I was thanked for my assistance.

On a brighter note, my student asked me what my eyelids were the other day. "Teacher, what are those things on your eyes?" Too funny. I told them to close their eyes and touch their own eyelids. I informed them that they are something we all have but cannot necessarily see.