Korea has been taking the threat of swine flu very seriously, especially now that it's showing up in schools. In I-dong High School, at least six first-grade students have left school, allegedly suffering from the virus, though no one can tell me if any of the cases have been confirmed, and students and teachers have expressed an increasing unease. Some of the teachers have complained to me about the principal's lack of urgency on the issue, saying that it seems he is waiting for something serious to happen before he makes any changes.
On Monday this week he announced that night study would be canceled (classes finish around 5pm every day; until 10pm the students are expected to stay at school for one long supervised study period) and students would not change classrooms. During a regular school day, student classes are split into high level and low level students - high level students from different classes are grouped together, and low level share a classroom as well. This week the high and low level students will be in the same classroom, in order to keep them from moving around too much and spreading their germs all over the school.
The administration has also installed hand sanitizing machines in the cafeteria and distributed antibacterial lotion to every teacher's office and classroom. The teachers are checking students' temperature daily with electronic ear thermometers. The regular use of masks in the school has jumped significantly.
One co-teacher informed me this morning that the government is considering shutting down schools nationwide in order to prevent further spread of the disease.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Low Standards: What it takes to be an English professor in Korea
I stumbled across some notes I scribbled at a conference and wanted to put them somewhere I could find them again. So here they are, with some observations. Forgive me in advance for my condescension.
I attended this provincial conference a few months back with my Korean co-teacher. She took me because it was a conference for English teachers, which I am. It turns out that it was for Korean English teachers, which I am not. As a result, over half of the conference was conducted in Korean - only two presenters gave their productions in English: a Korean recently returned from a sponsored trip to London, and an American English "professor" at a local university.
The following are quotes as close to exact as possible that the "professor" made during his presentation on Creative Writing:
"Curb it down." (He must have said this about 37 times. I still don't know what it meant.)
"I can't tell you how to do it. That's your job." (In reference to teaching Creative Writing.)
"Creative writing means no mistakes."
"You have to..." (This is how he began 62% of his statements.)
"Sometimes you have to use negative reinforcement. If a student produces something that doesn't make sense, ask them "Why did you write this?" Then maybe they'll think about it and then write about it."
then, later...
"If a student writes something inappropriate, say "Why did you write this?" That's not positive or negative reinforcement - it's neutral."
"What students think are important." (This was actual text from the PowerPoint presentation he was using - not just a grammatical slip of the tongue.)
"Don't ever put anything nationalistic, like a picture of Lee Myung Bak (Korea's President). I don't put up a picture of Bush."
"Don't ask them to write 'Why I love Korea.' I don't do that to my students."
"Show and tell is never bringing it in and explaining it."
"You have to do everything as they're doing it." (As in, complete every activity along with your students, so they can see that it's important.)
And my favorite nonsensical quote of the day:
"Apply the UPs: 50% loosen up and 50% tighten up. You could go up to 60% tight sometime. You could even do 70%. But 50-50 is the ideal mix."
Leaving the amphitheater was one of those moments when I actually felt dumber than when I went in. I felt sorry for everyone involved. I felt sorry for myself, for being associated with him by virtue of my birth. I felt sorry for him, for having received such a substandard education. Most of all I felt sorry for Korea, for having to put up with people like him.
I attended this provincial conference a few months back with my Korean co-teacher. She took me because it was a conference for English teachers, which I am. It turns out that it was for Korean English teachers, which I am not. As a result, over half of the conference was conducted in Korean - only two presenters gave their productions in English: a Korean recently returned from a sponsored trip to London, and an American English "professor" at a local university.
The following are quotes as close to exact as possible that the "professor" made during his presentation on Creative Writing:
"Curb it down." (He must have said this about 37 times. I still don't know what it meant.)
"I can't tell you how to do it. That's your job." (In reference to teaching Creative Writing.)
"Creative writing means no mistakes."
"You have to..." (This is how he began 62% of his statements.)
"Sometimes you have to use negative reinforcement. If a student produces something that doesn't make sense, ask them "Why did you write this?" Then maybe they'll think about it and then write about it."
then, later...
"If a student writes something inappropriate, say "Why did you write this?" That's not positive or negative reinforcement - it's neutral."
"What students think are important." (This was actual text from the PowerPoint presentation he was using - not just a grammatical slip of the tongue.)
"Don't ever put anything nationalistic, like a picture of Lee Myung Bak (Korea's President). I don't put up a picture of Bush."
"Don't ask them to write 'Why I love Korea.' I don't do that to my students."
"Show and tell is never bringing it in and explaining it."
"You have to do everything as they're doing it." (As in, complete every activity along with your students, so they can see that it's important.)
And my favorite nonsensical quote of the day:
"Apply the UPs: 50% loosen up and 50% tighten up. You could go up to 60% tight sometime. You could even do 70%. But 50-50 is the ideal mix."
Leaving the amphitheater was one of those moments when I actually felt dumber than when I went in. I felt sorry for everyone involved. I felt sorry for myself, for being associated with him by virtue of my birth. I felt sorry for him, for having received such a substandard education. Most of all I felt sorry for Korea, for having to put up with people like him.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
South Korea upgrading communications with North Korea
I just saw this headline this afternoon; though it was two days old, it was the first I had heard of it. While I suppose a communication infrastructure between the two Koreas is convenient, it hardly seems necessary. Particularly in light of the fact that one of the communication hotlines runs to an unused resort in the North, owned by a South Korean company. The article also snuck in, near the bottom of the page, the revelation that "the rival militaries also share a hotline." Does this seem strange to anyone, for two nations that have technically been 'at war' for the last 50-odd years to be sharing military information?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Stroke of Luck and a Brick of Rice Cake
My Principal recently became a grandfather, so to celebrate he bought every teacher in the school a package of rice cakes and a bottle of banana milk.
In Korea, rice cake is used in a similar capacity whenever anyone experiences a sudden stroke of luck or joy in their life. If someone gets engaged, we get rice cake. When someone has a baby, we have rice cake. When a student gets into college, their parents make sure we get full on rice cake. Usually it's more than I can really stomach - I mean they give us BRICKS of rice cake. Since I've been here I have probably thrown out a kg of rice cake after getting home from school. I mean, I can't share it with the other teachers - they have their own gigantic lump of rice cake to swallow.
I remember learning several years ago about how when a Japanese golfer hits a hole-in-one, he or she is expected to throw a party and buy food, alcohol, and gifts for pretty much all of their friends and everyone else on the golf course that day. They actually buy hole-in-one insurance to protect themselves against such an unlucky event.
In Korea I haven't heard of anything quite so drastic, but they do have traditions in a similar vein. When you experience good fortune in Korea, you are generally expected to share your happiness with others in the form of gifts (often rice cake). On your birthday, you are expected to buy all of your friends dinner - not the other way around, as most English teachers here are accustomed to doing. When you get engaged, married, have kids, and your kids do well enough to get recognized for something, you show your appreciation for those around you.
Granted, their friends and family will also buy them gifts or give them money to celebrate certain occasions, but the onus generally seems to be on the one celebrating to do the sharing.
As it turns out, either I'm getting more Korean or the rice cake the Principal delivered today is starting to taste a lot better. I'll probably eat the whole package by the end of the day.
In Korea, rice cake is used in a similar capacity whenever anyone experiences a sudden stroke of luck or joy in their life. If someone gets engaged, we get rice cake. When someone has a baby, we have rice cake. When a student gets into college, their parents make sure we get full on rice cake. Usually it's more than I can really stomach - I mean they give us BRICKS of rice cake. Since I've been here I have probably thrown out a kg of rice cake after getting home from school. I mean, I can't share it with the other teachers - they have their own gigantic lump of rice cake to swallow.
I remember learning several years ago about how when a Japanese golfer hits a hole-in-one, he or she is expected to throw a party and buy food, alcohol, and gifts for pretty much all of their friends and everyone else on the golf course that day. They actually buy hole-in-one insurance to protect themselves against such an unlucky event.
In Korea I haven't heard of anything quite so drastic, but they do have traditions in a similar vein. When you experience good fortune in Korea, you are generally expected to share your happiness with others in the form of gifts (often rice cake). On your birthday, you are expected to buy all of your friends dinner - not the other way around, as most English teachers here are accustomed to doing. When you get engaged, married, have kids, and your kids do well enough to get recognized for something, you show your appreciation for those around you.
Granted, their friends and family will also buy them gifts or give them money to celebrate certain occasions, but the onus generally seems to be on the one celebrating to do the sharing.
As it turns out, either I'm getting more Korean or the rice cake the Principal delivered today is starting to taste a lot better. I'll probably eat the whole package by the end of the day.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Happy Hangeul Day
Today - October 9th - is Hangeul Day (한글날) in South Korea, to mark the creation of the unique Korean written alphabet. Invented in 1443 at the behest of the celebrated King Sejong, hangeul(한글) has become a source of pride for the Korean people. Prior to the dissemination of hangeul to the public, Koreans used borrowed Chinese characters to write their language. It was an unfortunate situation - Chinese was not only notoriously difficult to write; it was also unable to express certain Korean words. As a result, many ordinary Koreans were illiterate, and the ruling class took advantage of the dichotomy to exert power over them. King Sejong's creation of a national, simple written language was widely seen as a gift to the common citizens of the country. He is still a revered figure in Korean history largely because of this contribution.
In honor of the day, Google.co.kr changed their logo accordingly:
This year hangeul is not only celebrating its history - it has an ongoing achievement to celebrate - its advancement outside of Korea! The Cia-cia tribe in Indonesia, lacking a written version, has decided to adopt hangeul to transcribe its spoken language. Next month they plan to open a cultural center to educate the 60,000 tribespeople about their new Koreanized alphabet.
Check out this website for more detailed info on hangeul and its history.
In honor of the day, Google.co.kr changed their logo accordingly:
This year hangeul is not only celebrating its history - it has an ongoing achievement to celebrate - its advancement outside of Korea! The Cia-cia tribe in Indonesia, lacking a written version, has decided to adopt hangeul to transcribe its spoken language. Next month they plan to open a cultural center to educate the 60,000 tribespeople about their new Koreanized alphabet.
Check out this website for more detailed info on hangeul and its history.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Korean Fire Drill
As opposed to a Chinese Fire Drill,
a Korean Fire Drill is actually a fire drill. It's in capital letters here because it is a pretty damn serious affair. When my co-teacher told me that we would have a fire drill two weeks prior to the date, I wondered about the advance notice. I mean, it takes me two seconds to get ready to evacuate a building. I realize now that the notice wasn't for me, but for the teachers and students who had actual responsibilities during the drill. Setting off the smoke bombs, for instance. Or Hooking up the fire hose to the hydrant out back and spraying down the front of the building. A team of four students ran into the "burning" building and rescued an "injured" student on a stretcher, carrying him to a waiting ambulance. Thirty minutes later, after a frenzy of activity and a speech by the fire chief on our school's performance, we were back in class.
smokin' the kids out of school:
effectively washing the school windows:
you think they'd know the difference if the smoke were real?:
saving the school's important documents:
the fire department expends their water surplus:
his heart! this 16 year old boy is having a heart attack!:
luckily the paramedics were on the scene:
a Korean Fire Drill is actually a fire drill. It's in capital letters here because it is a pretty damn serious affair. When my co-teacher told me that we would have a fire drill two weeks prior to the date, I wondered about the advance notice. I mean, it takes me two seconds to get ready to evacuate a building. I realize now that the notice wasn't for me, but for the teachers and students who had actual responsibilities during the drill. Setting off the smoke bombs, for instance. Or Hooking up the fire hose to the hydrant out back and spraying down the front of the building. A team of four students ran into the "burning" building and rescued an "injured" student on a stretcher, carrying him to a waiting ambulance. Thirty minutes later, after a frenzy of activity and a speech by the fire chief on our school's performance, we were back in class.
smokin' the kids out of school:
effectively washing the school windows:
you think they'd know the difference if the smoke were real?:
saving the school's important documents:
the fire department expends their water surplus:
his heart! this 16 year old boy is having a heart attack!:
luckily the paramedics were on the scene:
Monday, October 05, 2009
Shark Diving in Korea
The Busan Aquarium on Heundae Beach offers shark diving a few times a month, for divers and non-divers alike. The English-speaking instructor is Michael Jones, a long-time Korean expat from Canada, who runs Scuba in Korea, a dive company based out of Seoul.
Michael takes 10 divers per day, in two groups of five, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The dive can be rather popular, so it's best to sign up at least a week in advance of the date you want to dive. You can check schedule availability here.
The total program takes between 4 and 6 hours, depending on which dive group you end up in and whether or not you're certified. Non-certified divers will watch a 20-minute safety video and go through an extra 30 minute skill session. The dive itself is only 25-30 minutes; much of the program time is spent in the classroom signing paperwork and listening to a safety presentation (and MJ's oft cheesy jokes).
The dive itself is pretty straightforward and efficient - MJ keeps a tight leash on his divers, and rings a bell constantly to get divers' attention and keep them moving forward in a wide loop around the pool. His vigilance is probably one contributing factor to the program's stellar safety record. MJ has taken over 1,400 divers through the shark pool without incident.
The marine life of note includes a few black-tip and white tip reef sharks, some sand tiger and zebra (aka leopard) sharks, a few giant groupers, manta rays, and sea turtles. MJ has a pretty decent digital camera in an underwater housing unit that he lets divers pass around underwater to take pictures of each other, which he later posts to the Scuba in Korea website.
The sharks are quite curious but surprisingly docile, and will swim comfortably within feet of divers. Even with the knowledge that over a thousand divers have come before you, it's still quite a rush to stare at a mangled mouthful of razor-sharp teeth that are swimming straight for your head.
Equally curious are the Korean tourists on the other side of the aquarium pool glass, waving and taking pictures - often choosing to snap photos of the divers over the sharks themselves.
The shark tank is, in my opinion, the only real reason to visit the Busan Aquarium. At 4pm daily two professional divers feed the sharks in a somewhat choreographed show, as sharks steal fish out of the divers' hands and manta rays glide belly-out along the glass window, seeming to smile at the audience before it snatches its slithery meal.
The rest of the aquarium exhibits are depressingly small, with cramped spaces for even the most active of wild animals. The sea lions' tank was devoid of any plant life or even painted decoration, and the two animals lazed motionless along the bottom of the blue tank, where the paint peeled in mockery of the animals' lassitude.
For what it's worth, though, the shark dive in the Busan Aquarium is worth it, at least once, especially for anyone who wants to get a taste of scuba diving with a little controlled thrill thrown in.
The dive costs 75,000 won for certified divers (certification card required) and 95,000 for the non-certified.
Michael takes 10 divers per day, in two groups of five, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The dive can be rather popular, so it's best to sign up at least a week in advance of the date you want to dive. You can check schedule availability here.
The total program takes between 4 and 6 hours, depending on which dive group you end up in and whether or not you're certified. Non-certified divers will watch a 20-minute safety video and go through an extra 30 minute skill session. The dive itself is only 25-30 minutes; much of the program time is spent in the classroom signing paperwork and listening to a safety presentation (and MJ's oft cheesy jokes).
The dive itself is pretty straightforward and efficient - MJ keeps a tight leash on his divers, and rings a bell constantly to get divers' attention and keep them moving forward in a wide loop around the pool. His vigilance is probably one contributing factor to the program's stellar safety record. MJ has taken over 1,400 divers through the shark pool without incident.
The marine life of note includes a few black-tip and white tip reef sharks, some sand tiger and zebra (aka leopard) sharks, a few giant groupers, manta rays, and sea turtles. MJ has a pretty decent digital camera in an underwater housing unit that he lets divers pass around underwater to take pictures of each other, which he later posts to the Scuba in Korea website.
The sharks are quite curious but surprisingly docile, and will swim comfortably within feet of divers. Even with the knowledge that over a thousand divers have come before you, it's still quite a rush to stare at a mangled mouthful of razor-sharp teeth that are swimming straight for your head.
Equally curious are the Korean tourists on the other side of the aquarium pool glass, waving and taking pictures - often choosing to snap photos of the divers over the sharks themselves.
The shark tank is, in my opinion, the only real reason to visit the Busan Aquarium. At 4pm daily two professional divers feed the sharks in a somewhat choreographed show, as sharks steal fish out of the divers' hands and manta rays glide belly-out along the glass window, seeming to smile at the audience before it snatches its slithery meal.
The rest of the aquarium exhibits are depressingly small, with cramped spaces for even the most active of wild animals. The sea lions' tank was devoid of any plant life or even painted decoration, and the two animals lazed motionless along the bottom of the blue tank, where the paint peeled in mockery of the animals' lassitude.
For what it's worth, though, the shark dive in the Busan Aquarium is worth it, at least once, especially for anyone who wants to get a taste of scuba diving with a little controlled thrill thrown in.
The dive costs 75,000 won for certified divers (certification card required) and 95,000 for the non-certified.
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