Shiny things

I just received quite the surprise. Yesterday I had said goodbye to my students and was very sad to see them go. They had to move out of their dormitory that afternoon, so they were heading back to their hometowns. They all say, “I am missing you.” The female students especially, even the ones I only had for one week of class during the four weeks, make sad faces and crying motions, saying, “I am so sad.” As long as we have talked about when I would be leaving, we have been making these pretend sad faces, but yesterday I was definitely tearing up for real.

Back to the surprise. I am having a lazy day today, cleaning and packing halfheartedly. It is a little after 2:00 (Saturday) and I have just finished showering and getting dressed. I hear a knock at my door, even though our dorm is deserted (the other two students from MSU are at the beach in Pohang today). It is one of my female students from the beginning English class. Her hometown is Ulsan, which is not a short trip away, and she took the bus back here to Hayang today to bring me a present before I leave. She didn’t even know which room I was in, so she was knocking on every door in this hallway until she finally came to mine.


She made me what is now the most beautiful pair of earrings I own. She enclosed a very thoughtful (and long) note in English. She says, in part, “This earring is alike your eyes (color),” and “Your smile sound is so attractive.” This was a hot, hot, long trip for her. I had to fight back crying because I didn’t want her to think something was wrong, but this was such a wonderful thing to end my time here. She could only stay about 10 minutes before having to leave to catch the bus back home. Of course now I might be crying.

Messages from students

Today was our last day of class for the summer English program. We have a closing ceremony in about an hour (like the Olympics?) but I wanted to post these messages first that my students asked to write for my blog. Don't worry if you can't read the last one. She wanted to post a message in Korean. I think it basically says what the other messages say.

To; Kelly parents and freands

Hi~ My name is Cha Won Tae.
I’m from Busan in South korea.
I’m a Kelly English class student.
Kelly is very very kindly teacher.
We are got a lot of knowledge thing.
I’m very appreciative my teacher.
I rememver my teacher Kelly.
I’m missing her.
Thank you.

From; Korean student cha won tae

To; Kelly’s papa&mama
Hello…^^ my name is Kim Soo Un…. Nick name is lion…
I learned to Kelly lots of thins during this summer… Korea is summer now.
I wonder if there whether… cold? Hot?
Although I can’t speak English very well, I learned
So I think Kelly is awesome teacher…
^^ see you later…


안녕하세요
저는 켈리 수업을 들었던 학생입니다
이렇게 편지 쓸 기회를 가지게 되어 영광입니다.
이 글을 읽을 수 있을지 모르나 한국사람이 썼다는 걸 보여주기 위해서..
나중에 한국에 한번 방문하세요
뵙고 싶습니다.
켈리선생님은 정말 좋은 선생님이였고 잊지 못할 거예요.
켈리선생님 부모님
안녕히계세요.

Fan Death: silent, deadly, illogical

This is something I've been hearing about a little bit here and there since I arrived but hadn't quite been able to piece together yet: fan death. It's basically a belief in South Korea (an urban legend, as we might call it in the U.S.) that sleeping overnight in a room with the door/windows closed and a fan running can kill you.

It sounds strange, maybe like something the older Korean grandmas and grandpas try to tell the younger people about fancy electronical gadgets and such.

But, surprising numbers of people of all ages, backgrounds, and education levels are quite convinced of this. Some people I've talked to say most Koreans believe it, although another American university instructor held a debate about it in class (for and against) and conducted a survey afterward, saying about half of his class believed it.

Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on fan death, which explains the supposed scientific reasons for it. I was pretty intrigued by the fact that both the Korean government and the mainstream media endorse fan death as a legitimate phenomenon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death

I asked someone if it applies to air conditioning, but I didn't get a clear answer on this. If it does, odds are I'll be dying before the week is out...

Maybe this explains why the fan in my room was hidden away in the closet when I got here. Put that death trap away! At least it only happens in South Korea, so we don't have to give up our Whirling Dervishes or Hawaiian Breezes at home.

Beatles update

One of my students wore this T-shirt to class on our Beatles presentation day and claimed not to have worn it on purpose.

My students showed me this YouTube video during class on Friday, and I thought I better share it. If it doesn't load, just search for "baby" and "hey jude." What's better than a baby in a diaper singing the Beatles?

http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=fqXYwNDrU8k&feature=related

Pretty cute... I'd say it's about time to be training Felix to sing "Back in the USSR."

The non-native English-speaking students are getting restless!

I don't think I ever covered what the school day is like for the students who are taking this ESL summer program. They have class from 9 am to 8 pm Monday through Friday with 1 hour for lunch and 1 hour for dinner. And, especially in their TOEIC classes with the full-time professors, they have to manage getting a lot of homework done on top of it all.

So I don't blame them for being so restless right now (the end of the 3rd week out of 4 weeks). It's been really hard to keep them interested. The first week all I had to do was open up my mouth and say anything, and they would think it was fascinating. Well, I think my novelty has worn off. But that's okay.

They were sick of writing haiku and poetry in general, which I understand, so this week I brought in Beatles songs and sheets of the lyrics so we could study them (kind of like poetry, right?). They love this. The lyrics are simple enough for them to understand, except for a word here and there, the tunes are catchy, and they all seem to find something to identify with. They particularly love "Hey Jude." This afternoon they each present individually what they wrote about their favorite Beatles songs. I taught them some good words, phrases, and sentence constructions that will help them write about music, and what I've seen so far is pretty impressive. One girl who chose the song "Blackbird" wanted me to help her talk about it's hopefulness...

The idea for this came when I asked them to write suggestions for me for a new class project. They almost all wrote, "Do American pop songs." I couldn't quite stomach the idea of doing new pop songs, but old ones I can do.

I even drew a submarine on the white board when we did "Yellow Submarine" because I guess it's not a standard English vocabulary word students learn. Wasn't quite this fancy, but it did the trick.


Another thing that surprised me about this new project is that they love to sing out loud in class. So after reading the lyrics first, we all ended up singing every song together, which was incredibly fun. Another one of the glow-y teacher moments that you can't plan for, predict, or exactly explain afterward.

Fear-free dental! Come to Korea!

Well, I just got back from the dentist to have an urgently needed extraction of my bottom left wisdom tooth. Even though I had been to the dentist at home twice this year (including x-rays), I guess someone missed seeing that this tooth was completely horizontal and severely impacted against my other teeth.

I went with Rachel for her appointment on Saturday because she had just had a wisdom tooth removed and was getting a follow-up check. This tooth had been bothering me and was pushing through more and more every day it seemed like, so the dentist, who speaks decent English, took a look at it for me. By just shining a light in my mouth, she could see the problem.

They did an x-ray to see it in more detail. For those of you who go to the dentist regularly and have those painful and time-consuming picture x-rays taken where you have to bite on the thing that cuts into your mouth... There is a better way! Maybe they have this technology in the U.S. and I'm just not going to the right dentist. But all I had to do here was stand up in front of this thing, bite down (comfortably), and it scanned back and forth to make a digital image of my teeth.

And wow! There it was, this wayward tooth, very obviously in a bad, bad spot. So this morning I got my shots of novocaine and she went to work on it. The drilling and wrenching noises were terrible, but it took all of about 10 minutes. They had to cut the tooth into 4 big pieces and then down even smaller to get it all out.

Oh yes, I sound brave through all this, but I was terrified. When they were doing the initial drilling, I could feel it hitting a nerve ending, so I had to communicate with some squeaks, but then they gave me a little more anesthesia. It was bleeding quite a bit (she said hemorrhaging, but I don't think it was quite so bad), so they had to sew it up with stitches, but I get those checked out tomorrow and then taken out within a week.

I'm a little tired, but not in too terribly much pain at the moment. A little sore, of course, but no visible swelling. Hopefully when the numbness wears off I won't be crying for my mom too much! It was a little traumatic to be so far away, in an room full of a foreign language, without my family even knowing what was happening.

Either way, this dentist is my hero. She was so quick, gentle, and reassuring. She started me on a short course of antibiotics on Saturday, so I shouldn't have any problems with infection. Rachel and I asked her how much everything would cost, and she basically just kept saying, "No. You are Rachel's friend." I guess Rachel sends her a lot of referral business and has good insurance herself that pays for her dental work. Even though at most, without insurance, it would have cost the equivalent of $100.

I'm pretty amazed. If she won't take money from me, I don't think there's quite any way I can repay her for being so helpful. Of course, because of her amazing skills, I was wondering about the other 3 wisdom teeth, but she said they are not through the gum enough yet for her to take care of. But that will need to be done soon after I get home because the bottom one on the right is almost as horizontal as this one was. Boy do I dread going to the dentist in America now. I think I need a new one who actually looks at the x-rays!

Did I mention that I didn't even have to make an appointment to have this done and I waited barely 10 minutes to start the surgery? They even covered my eyes so I didn't have to see the tools coming at me and gave me a blanket for comfort.

Okay, I'll stop bragging. Feel free to defend your own American dentist. But I think they should all be sent to Korea before being allowed to poke and prod our mouths.

Next day update: Definitely swollen.
The following day: Still swollen but hopeful.

A fishy day with a fantastic ending

Sunday started with a trip to the fish market in a port town near Pohang (on the East Sea). Driving there we saw towns of squid boats in the harbor, which have rows and rows of huge light bulbs on these arms that they raise up and shine over the water for attracting the squid at night.

Having lived in land-locked states all of my life, the fish market was definitely a trip. So many strange and exotic sights, smells, and sounds. I think the craziest part was seeing the octopus laid out on display, some still alive enough to be trying to climb (do octopus climb?) away. One of the octopus (about the size of an 8-year-old child) had almost gotten itself moved off the seller's tarp, so we pointed it out and she (does "fish monger" apply here?) picked it up and threw it back down in its place. If you've never heard a fresh octopus being slapped against a tarp, I can't quite describe the sound.

Lots of squid also. We ended up picking some tiger shrimp, clams, sea scallops, and tuna to take with us to grill at the beach. So cheap! Less than $30 altogether for a good amount of each. But, not an experience for those with particular olfactory sensitivity.

After I thought our day had ended with plenty of goods times (a barbecue on the beach with fresh seafood isn't shabby at all!) we decided to swing by Bogyeong-sa, a site of natural beauty and ancient Buddhist temples. This was so amazingly beautiful and peaceful. It was the perfect time of day (about 6:00 pm) with virtually no other tourists around and the hazy light of evening putting this enchanting look over everything. These are some of my favorite pictures so far, by far.

Then we decided to try a quick hike (as it gets dark about 8:00 pm) up to some of the waterfalls in the valley nearby, which is actually called Waterfall Kingdom. It's a series of about 12 waterfalls of different sizes winding up through the valley as the elevation gets higher. We were all wearing sandals, not exactly prepared for a hike. In fact, Rachel was wearing a dress and I was wearing a skirt.

Everything aside, this was one of the most amazing places I've ever seen in my life. Maybe THE. I'll have to just share as many of the pictures as possible, get them blown up as large as possible, because I don't even really know what to say or how to describe it. Standing there, all I could think is that this is what I came for, to Asia, to Korea, even though I didn't know it. This is what I was waiting for. It's natural beauty on a scale I've never seen before.

Believe me, if the pictures don't seem like anything all that exciting, all of your jaws would have been falling open with every bend in the hiking path. Just immense, immense, beautiful, and overwhelming. You can feel the age of everything and know that for thousands of years, people have been standing here awestruck, unable to say or do anything that does the sight justice.

Tidbits

On Friday night we went bowling (bring your own socks), a sport I'm terrible at in any country!

On Saturday I got a manicure and a pedicure after my trip to the dentist (See "Fear-free dental" post for more information, or skip it to spare the icky details). Ladies, I'm sure you know that the good stuff isn't cheap, with all the massaging and wonderful smelling lotions, etc.

20,000 won for both (about $20), and look at my pretty toes! And yes, I am aware the second one is slightly longer than the big captain.

Saturday night, Rachel, her husband Andrew, and I drove to the east coast. After dinner we sat on the beach (across the street from our hotel), playing in the sand and watching people light off fireworks.

Sunday includes an afternoon at the beach. I don't really know what to say about beach culture here. I guess there really is none. You wear whatever you want, except, apparently, for real bathing suits. I saw all manner of dress, from children in underwear to men in button-up dress shirts. And I mean in the water, swimming, playing, not just sitting on the beach. This was the hottest day in Korea so far since I've been here, but there were people in the water with jackets, pants, even hooded sweatshirts.

Also, lots of people sit at the water's edge or barely in the water wearing life jackets. You never know... There may be a fire or some other emergency covering the whole beach, in which case you would reasonably have to escape into the water, life jacket coming in mighty handy.

My Poets

Here are some highlights of all different flavors from the poetry (some haiku) that my students wrote this week:

Can love be paid in installments?
I mean, if possible, I'd like to live with you
in 2000-year installment plan.

****

His mind: "I like her.
She is so hot to me.
She approached like a wind."

Her mind: "I hate him.
He is so oily to me.
I felt him like a butter."

****

Man love Jane.
She loves another man.
The sad one sided love.

****

My mother told me
"You're my valuable son
but ... you look like anchovy"

****

I envy that girl
I want to meet mate quickly
But I must study

****

Under the blue sky
We have best time in my car
So, where are my shoes?

****

On the blue ocean
My great villa is sailing.
Mine's bigger than yours!

****

I stand on the road
I want to leave my footprints
In the fresh green world

****

People love money
So they cut wood for money
A forest destroy

****

It smells wonderful.
I'm falling in love with it.
I love you, coffee.

****
And a group poem put together for a class activity:

When I met you,
You came to me, coolly.

When I saw you,
You looked like shiny jewelry.

When I kissed you,
I felt you smelled so sweetly.

When I dropped you,
Opps! Oh my Baskin Robbins!

****

And some reactions when I asked them to write about writing poetry:

"This work is really gratifying and worthwhile. I have not labored in vain."

"I don't like poetry so I hate writing poetry absolutely. Poetry is too difficult to me. I learned America and Britain poetry last semester. At that time, I was so hard. I learned Haiku. I think that Haiku is very interesting. I was so good because I studied with American native teacher. Although poetry is too hard, I love this class! :) Thank you for your teaching! :)"

"I don't like writing poetry. Because I never experience write poetry. I haven't a taste for literature. But I like rhyme of music. Thank you for Kelly."

"Professor Kelly: I like this time. I can think a lot of idea. When I presented my poetry, I'm so brave. I look like I'll become a poet. I read only Korean poetries but now I'm going to see American poetries. It's fresh."

"I like about writing poetry because my mind become peaceful."

"I love music. Music sameness poetry. I love poetry. I'm troublesome choose words and grammar is difficult, the rules of spelling, but I love poetry. Thank you my poetry teacher."

Prizes for your eyes!

One of my favorite things in Korea are the English phrases that stores and restaurants use, ones that don't exactly make sense. The coffee shop that is downhill from campus has on its sign the slogan "All of coffee itself!" Hmm... I don't even know what to say about that one.

I just ate some yummy comfort food for lunch. The lady at our little Italian place made me some mashed potatoes with bacon in it and lots of cheese. Good stuff. Now I might need a potato nap. And yes, if you read my previous entry and are wondering, it did help me somewhat recover from my homesickness. Here are a few more pictures I wanted to share.

A happy Korean cowboy! (Not really. I think this is a traditional Korean hat that only looks something like a cowboy hat. But he is happy to see you!)




A picture of Rachel and me at the entrance to one of the most majestic of the dwellings at the traditional village.




And finally, the sign that is posted along the sidewalk on the way up to campus.

Feelings and Stuff

Today I am quite a bit homesick for the first time so far. I definitely have missed family and friends during the time I've been here, but that feeling reminds me of how much I want to share my experiences with the people I love.

But homesick, that's a different thing. I think there is just such a stark contrast between when I am with my students during the day and when I get back to my room in the evening. They are so lively, warm, energetic, and appreciative of me. Today they asked me what I want to do in life when I'm done with school, so I told them I want to be a full-time literature professor. They said, "You will do well. We support you. We are your fan club!" These students are incredibly uplifting. Even though I know they truly appreciate me and what I try to teach them, I know I get so much more from them than they could possibly get from me.

So when I am not with them, especially on this day for some reason, I feel quite keenly their absence.

I think I am also starting to grow sick of the clothes and items I have brought from home, wishing for other things in my closet. For example, I didn't bring a long-sleeved t-shirt or sweatshirt of any kind. Even in the summer, I like to curl up in the air conditioning in cozy clothes. It still gets cool here in the evenings, so I am thinking about how much I wish I had a familiar sweatshirt from back home.

I've also noticed how easily the male TAs who are here with me from MSU are able to fill their down time with playing soccer. Sports are sports in any language, so they have been playing soccer or jokgu (the name for the tennis/soccer/volleyball fusion sport that I finally remembered to ask my students the name of) every night after class.

I think I also feel like I can't show any vulnerability when I'm here. The students are so happy, so I try to reflect this same attitude back at them.

Alright, enough feeling sorry for myself.

Yesterday one of the students in the program told me, "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life." You can't laugh at that serious face and such an openhearted compliment. I haven't had this student in class yet, so I guess he is a from-a-distance admirer. I know it sounds like the most ambitious pick-up line of all time, but I can't imagine this student has any intention of convincing me to stay in Korea forever and marry him. But, I'm sure he'd be open to the idea.

Thanks, Blog. I feel better now.

And something that is comforting, finding the bookmarks my sisters leave behind in the books we pass between us: a bright pink Post-it note, a Disney World ticket stub, an expired $10 off coupon from Target...