Good for the Seoul

Finally....my post about Seoul. I've been excited to write about my weekend trip because major breakthrough occurred over those five days that changed my outlook on Korea.

First, I in no way hated South Korea before orientation. I was just okay with South Korea. I enjoyed the beauty of the mountains and the ocean, I enjoyed the food, and I enjoyed the people. But I wasn't in love with South Korea. It didn't feel like home to me. And for me to be here for a year and not constantly think of home-home, that had to change.

Enter: EPIK orientation.

I get told a couple of weeks ago on a Wednesday that Chaz and I needed to travel to Seoul that Friday (yes, two days prior...this is how we do in Korea) and stay until Tuesday for EPIK orientation. Huh? You tell me two days before that I will be gone for FIVE DAYS? After I've already planned my lessons?? And I'm going to an orientation? And I LOATHE orientations?

So, Chaz and I packed our bags Friday morning to take KTX (the train) to Seoul for the dreaded orientation...a three hour tour (I know you're all singing "Gilligan's Island" right now). We begin the trip by missing our train the school paid for. Good start. I'm bawling in the train station as we hand over our credit card to pay for new train tickets. After getting new tickets, we hopped on the train to Seoul. KTX was really comfortable, and the time went by quickly as we traveled through mountains and small villages. It was awesome to get to see the Korean landscape.

Despite my trepidations about "orientations," I was pleasantly surprised by the trip.

The orientation was held on a college campus in Seoul (which required a 1 a.m. curfew...no problem for me! or chaz, haha). Throughout the orientation, we had speakers who talked about Korean culture, culture shock, Korean teaching, FAQs about teaching in Korea...etc. etc. Monday was reserved for six hours of workshops giving us ideas on how to teach in Korea, as well as material (games, lessons, etc.) we could use when we went back to our classrooms.

By far everyone's favorite day was Sunday. On Sunday, we had a "field trip" which began with a visit to Gyungbokgong Palace (largest palace in Korea). The palace grounds were huge, stretched out into 13 different palaces. Chaz and I made it our goal to see (and read about) every one of them. We made it, of course, and were able to share fun facts we learned when we got back on the bus for the next area (such as: one palace was where the Korean alphabet was invented).


Then we went to this great market area for lunch and a bit of shopping, and after lunch, we traveled to the Korean National History Museum. Once again, we tried to see as much as we could (how can you see a museum in 1 1/2 hours??). Then, we ended the night with a performance: NANTA!

(I made a lamp! Arts and crafts at Insadong)


(It's at the Korean National History Museum. I used it. It was okay.)


If you asked everyone at orientation, I pretty much can guarantee their favorite part was Nanta. Nanta is Korea's longest-running broadway-like performance and performs all over the world. It combines the styles of samulnori (traditional Korean drumming) with a modern-day story. Three chefs are under the care of a mean head waiter. He forces them to make a huge wedding feast in one hour, and then he sticks them with his annoying nephew. The show is all about their antics as they try to rush and prepare the feast. The performance is amazing, and everyone enjoys it because it's a non-speaking performance. The characters drum, use slapstick comedy, and act out the story line instead of speaking. It is absolutely amazing and hilarious. I'm pretty sure I never stopped laughing. At one point, Chaz got taken onto the stage to help with a scene. He was hilarious up front, and everyone said they picked the perfect guy from the crowd. If you ever get the opportunity to see Nanta: DO IT! You won't regret it.



The Summary: I had an excellent time at orientation. Can I stress once again that I HATE orientations? But this one was different. I went away with new friends, lots of ideas, and a renewed idea on teaching. What more could you ask for? (I have stories of negativity at the conference, but this blog is already very long, and I'm pretty sure I don't have enough space on my computer to rant about ungrateful, embarrassing Americans and how they have NO TACT or ABILITY to discern appropriate talk, behavior, respect, etc. etc. etc.)

The "Big Change":
So I said earlier that I underwent a major change in the course of this orientation. First, my view on teaching in South Korea changed. I came here with the understanding that I wouldn't be able to teach what I want, or how I want, so when I began teaching, I started with trepidation and uncertainty as to what I could and could not do. This caused much anxiety and frustration while teaching because I felt I had no teaching identity as I had given up who I wanted to be as a teacher. At orientation, however, I found out that I could, actually SHOULD, be the teacher I want to be. I was encouraged to take my interests and my passions and infuse them in the classroom. I could even start clubs at my school for drama, writing, poetry, environmentalism, etc. etc. This was a huge relief, and all of my "teacher training" from college came back to me. So when I returned to work, I did so with vigor and excitement (the way it should be...and what I missed). I'm sure my co-teachers thought, "Who is this new girl?" I'm still continuing to stumble my way through this first teaching experience, but I'm more successful (and happy) now that I've regained a sense of who I am as a teacher.

Second, I came away with so many wonderful ideas, tips, and tricks for the classroom. Everything from games to classroom management tips. They have been working beautifully. One tip a teacher gave us was to put a timer on the projector screen counting down from 45 minutes (the length of class). I begin class by starting the timer, and class is over when the timer is at zero. If they are loud when I want their attention (i don't make them be quite always because sometimes loud=learning), I count down from 5. If I get to zero and they're still loud, I pause the timer and wait for them to be quiet and then start it again when they are. I cannot believe how beautifully this has worked. Time between class is the students' paradise. They live for those 10 minutes between each class period, so when I take that away, they are not happy. Even my classes that were IMPOSSIBLE to get quiet have caught on right away and behave. Every time I count down and get to zero and there is dead silence, I want to giggle because I'm so amazed and happy that it worked (of course I don't because I need to use my stern "teacher look").

Third, I met amazing friends. I already had wonderful friends in Busan (and Ulsan!), but it was great to meet more foreigners. Chaz and I have also been showing some new people the "ropes" which is wonderful because it makes us realize just how much we've learned about Busan.

Lastly, I came away from orientation with a desire to go home. Not home-home, Korea-home. Riding on a bus through Baekyang tunnel, and seeing Busan, I thought, "Yay! I'm home!" This is the first instance in which I have felt Busan and Korea are my home. It was an amazing feeling, and I think it's amazing and silly that it took going to Seoul for an orientation and coming back for everything to feel right. The streets seem a little more friendly, the sky seems a little more blue, and I am in love with Korea!