Territorial I'm no Picasso.

Right. So. We have a new temporary teacher. He's a he. Because our VP insists that hes cope better with the male students than shes. Whatever. Today at lunch he spies me sitting with Co and comes over to awkwardly introduce himself and request some "time to talk" after I finish eating. That's nice. Isn't that nice? Nice.

So, I finish eating, and see that he wasn't shitting around about "waiting" for me to finish -- he literally sat at the end of a table by himself and waited. We go up to the office, and I think this is just going to be a nice little introductory, getting-to-know-you chat before we enter the classroom together in a couple of weeks. And it was, at first. But then it morphed into something else entirely, as he began to explain exactly what he would like me to teach during my class time with his students.

Now. I get that that's how some schools operate, and that a lot of native teachers, particularly on the elementary school level, take a lot of direction from their Korean cos. That's fine. I'm one of the ones who's been left to her own devices with complete control from the very beginning. If this were a new main teacher, I might be a little more willing to take this in stride. But being that this guy is a temporary part time teacher with no experience in public school education whatsoever, we didn't get far into that part of the conversation before my dander started to rise.

I know the students he's teaching -- I'm intimately familiar with their levels, their abilities, their personalities and their characters. I know what they can understand out of me and what they have trouble with. I know how to make the material work on their level, and how to best go about getting them using English in the classroom, as well as how to completely overwhelm them and lead them straight into a mental shutdown. He's been teaching them for a week, and is already admitting to having more than a few issues with them.

I also know the Korean workplace, however, and I know that telling a new, older coworker to lay the fuck off is not the best way to go about things. You gotta play nice, like, you see. So. I got up from my seat, went to my desk and pulled out the second grade book. I showed him which section I teach. He told me he thought that section was too difficult for the students to understand from the native teacher in English. I explained that yes, just looking at the book, the lesson is too difficult for the lower level students, which is why I don't use only the book, but also -- here, look -- these worksheets that I've created, which break the subject matter down in a way that they can understand and process, as well as gives them the vocabulary they need to complete the assignment. All in English.

Not willing to let go just yet, he readjusts his strategy and now suggests that I should teach not only the first structure, which just two minutes ago was too difficult for the students to even understand, but also ten variations on the structure. Within 45 minutes. That's a nice idea, I say. I'd love to teach the students all of those variations. First, though -- don't you agree? -- I should teach the structure outlined in the text, which they will be tested on, and then if there is any time left over in class, I will be happy to get to all of those suggested variations.

I don't know where the fuck that even came from. I've never had a co-teacher try to take over my class like that, not even back when I was a newb with literally no fucking clue what I was doing, when it would have been completely legitimate for them to be bossing me around. Let alone without having ever even seen me teach. Let alone while being a part timer who is brand spanking new at both the job and the school. But lucky for me, I've watched my coworkers navigate this kind of shit often enough to have learned how to completely agree with someone, while also completely disagreeing. Telling them that I will do what they want, while also making it clear that I have no intentions whatsoever of doing any of it.

Co sat discretely behind her cubicle divide during this entire conversation and, once the new teacher had left the office, shot a look over the wall. I pulled a face and she busted out laughing. Thank the universe for my co-teachers. I could have it a hell of a lot worse.

New beginnings and remembering The Happy.

Back into the fray today. I always get so awful and blase about Korea when I've gone too long out of the classroom. Then, when I return, I'm amazed to find (remember) that I actually love my job. This is why me and long-distance relationships don't go together -- when I go too long away from something I love, I tend to begin to write it off as incredibly mediocre in my mind. I don't know what that is. But anyway, I'm happy to be back.

Started with the baby first graders today, and commented in an email to Mags about how spectacular it is to have developed that illusive "projection of authority" that just comes with time, experience, and enough confidence that they can't smell the fear on you. I walk in, tell them to sit down and be quiet. And they just sit down and be quiet. As if something bad will happen if they don't. Without me even having to outline what that bad thing might be. It's incredible. And a very far cry from where I started.

Did have two nutbags in the second class which (surprise!) another temporary teacher is in charge of, but as soon as I dragged out The Special Chair and explained the concept of being The Special Student, they cut the shit for the rest of class.

This group doesn't seem nearly as nervous and goosey as my other boys have been in the beginning. They still freeze up when I approach them to listen in while they're doing their assignments, but as soon as I push them a little and engage with them, they decide nothing tragic is going to happen if I hear them make a mistake, and continue on.

Good stuff. And a great start to the new semester. It's officially good to be back.

Co told me the third grade students were surprised not to see me back on the first day of the semester, but that she had left it unexplained as to where I was exactly, because apparently some of them thought they spotted me from the window and shouted my name, and she didn't want to embarrass them. I have no idea exactly what that means, or who in the world could have been walking past who might resemble me (a foreigner). But it's sort of funny anyway.

Now, I've found out I have six days off in a row for Chuseok, and so the great Shanghai debate has begun. I don't fancy the idea of wiping out my monthly budget in one fell swoop, but I also hate how little traveling I've done since I've been here. So. We'll see.

Two hwaeshik scheduled already for this week. Fall semester is always the busier one, with far fewer nonsense days where everything is canceled. But at this point, I'm grateful for that. I've got big plans to lay low and save as much money as possible, and constant work engagements help to encourage that behavior.

Now I'm off to do something really exciting, like watch a movie, or read in bed. Because it's too humid to be out and about. Plus, two hwaeshik and a special "welcome back" coffee date this week spell the need to mentally prepare for loads of social interaction. Koreans and their drama over short departures. I love it. I really do.

Back in Black

Back in my little apartment and up at five, unpacking, doing laundry, drinking the coffee black, smoking the remaining Camels with relish, and torturing the neighbors with Nina Simone. I can't say that it's good to be back yet, but I'm sure that it will be. Maybe later this afternoon, if I'm not still too disoriented and exhausted, I'll get to work on some of the questions you all have left for me, so as to prove that I am really still here.

It's not technically the start of the third year yet, but it might as well be. I'm ready to get dug in and see what this time around has in store for me. And possibly begin to plan something new, as well. Here we go, babies.

Some Kpop to get us back in the mood:

Hey kiddies. Just a quick note to say that I see all of your emails and questions, and I'll be getting around to them soon -- promise. Right now, down to the last five precious days with the family for the next 14 months. Which is depressing as hell to actually type out. But you know. Don't give up on me. I'll be back soon enough. Love.

Alive.

Hey buddies. I'm on the ground here, finally back in the hometown after two weeks of pure hillbilly living out in Alabama. Creeks and rivers and town sheriffs and being gawked at nearly as bad as in the ROK. But it's back to civilization now, and I don't have too much of substance to say.

Went to my grandfather's grave two days ago and saw my little baby nephew today. He was wary of me at first, but spent the final hours of the evening coming to get me to follow him around while he pointed at things for me to reach and hand to him, as he thoroughly explored the house and all its contents. He's at the age where he's just starting to speak and mimics everything around him. He even has the most ridiculous fake laugh and fake cry, which he does in turn for reactions. After a few rounds of him pointing to things on high surfaces for me to hand down to him, and me asking, "That? That?" he began to say, "That!" when he pointed to what he wanted. A few repetitions of "doggy" while pointing to one of the family dogs in his cage led to the new acquisition of the word "dedgy". It was weirdly reminiscent of.... well, of my job.

There are a lot of things going on within the family at the moment, which aren't even worth going into for lack of simplicity and background knowledge, not to mention common interest, but it's going to be an interesting trip. It's a pivotal moment within the family and there's a lot to be decided. All of it is making me feel very, very far away from Korea, and putting my life there into a different kind of perspective. Which has got my fickle little heart leaning toward starting to think about moving on. But that's a way's down the road yet. Nonetheless, it's the first time the thought has officially entered my mind. I'll take this year to look around at options and see what I come up with. For now, my heart is here with my family in Texas, and so this blog will more than likely remain untouched for a bit longer. But I just wanted to touch base and make it clear that I haven't died in a horrible plane crash or anything. Alive and well and returning soon. Take care all.