Michael Myers staring at me every night

Every night after work I make my way home. Usually the same way, seeing largely the same things and think nothing of it. However, as I am almost home I chance upon a scene from someones window that is the same every night. The first time I saw it and every time since, it has reminded me of the character Michael Myers in Halloween. Of course, it's not some menacing figure with a penchant for murder. As you can see from the (poor) picture it's clearly someones suit or overalls or whatever hung up, but still, every night I think the same thought and wonder what goes on in that house.

In the classroom

Me: "In Korea, what job is better than a doctor?"
Student: "Medicine"
General laughter as the class corrects the boy.
Student: "Ah, President"

Hitting the bottle

Just back from a trip to the local supermarket. I'm armed with a beer and a bottle of wine. Not the cheap stuff tonight though. Do I have enough alcohol? I think not but we'll see where it takes me. I'm not drowning my sorrows but I need a drink after my last class. I haven't been so frustrated with some students in a long time. My last class is my highest level consisting of supposedly my best students. Apart from three or four, that couldn't be further from the truth. I enjoy being their teacher but not teaching them.

Recently, well over half of my curriculum changed. The reading classes switched to writing. We've been told that Koreans don't do much writing, creatively, especially regarding English. This would explain the difficult transition we're having. For my last class of the week there are three students who are patently in over their head. One in particular just cannot do it. The work is difficult enough without spending most of my time helping him with work he cannot do. I am frustrated both with them and myself. Clearly I need to improve some of my teaching for this class. By the way this Japanese beer tastes great, roll on my four days in Tokyo.

Student message

Yesterday I got this card/gift from one of my students. Inside she wrote a message in fluorescent yellow so it doesn't show up too well in a picture. The message reads "Thank you teacher! I like you but sometimes I want play. So I want you and us have a game time a little bit". A nice message from a nice student. Perhaps I'll make some time for a few games next week.

Stunning pictures from China

Reading today's Times I have seen the most stunning picture I have seen for a long time. The picture is of a child chained to a post by his father in Beijing. The reason for this was to prevent him being abducted. The article quotes the father as saying “To chain him is better than losing him.” Very emotive pictures and a story behind it.

Seeing is believing

This is pretty hard for me to believe, but whilst out on a recent bike ride I found evidence that Koreans actually learn how to drive. Based on four years worth of first hand experience I can tell you that Korean drivers rank amongst the worst in the world. They seem to have nothing but contempt and disdain for the rules of the road - I presumed they just didn't know them or that they didn't exist here. Korean drivers come in mainly three categories. Bad, terrible and slow. There are exceptions but every single day I see appalling driving and feel like I'm likely to see an accident when I'm out and about. Koreans can be very respectful and courteous people. IF they know you. If they don't, then they are prone to ignore your rights, step over you or fly past you - this is if you are a Korean or not. Nationality doesn't seem to come into it. Perhaps this is an older generation problem but younger drivers aren't so great either.



Asking my wife, she tells me that for many years people before getting a license people didn't actual have any practice on roads and they learned to drive on 'courses' such as in the picture above. This is frankly ludicrous. I passed my test about thirteen years ago and all of my (expensive) driving lessons and the test were done on the road, barring one theory test. That's really the only way you should learn. Now this has changed here (I don't know when though). Nowadays Koreans actually have to practice on roads where there is traffic. I ask myself if Koreans will improve their skills over time or will things stay the same? And how hard are these tests? Whatever driving lessons they have, surely they don't teach them to drive whilst using phones.

Do Koreans study geography?

Today one of my class topics is about trips, travelling and holidays. As I write the same questions (though with higher grammar) that I feel like I have been asking forever I ask myself, do these kids actually study geography OR care about non-Korean geography? I know the answer is no for the second one (for many many kids). Whenever I play a game in class I try to encorporate an element of geography in the hope that they will appreciate that other countries barring Korea, Japan, America and Canada exist. They may know the name of other places but know little about them or care even less.

One of my major gripes about some of my students has been their lack of imagination. For some but not all, the cruelest thing you can ask one of them is to think for themselves and be creative. Today I will be hit with the usual "I don't know" when I ask about vacation destinations or "Korea. I'm Korean". It's enough to make me lose my temper, but I won't. Though I may bang my head against a wall.

Putting it bluntly most of my student's have an appalling lack of knowledge of geography and the world. It's not a new observation but I've been thinking about it over the last few weeks and been shaking my head. Sometimes I wonder what they actually learn at school. Whatever it is, it is limiting and doing them both a disservice and an injustice.

For the younger students I can understand that they lack information and knowledge of the world but there's no excuse for the older ones. When I was their age I studied geography for five years at Secondary school. I also studied History at the same time. Both gave me an appreciation and a basic understanding that the world is bigger than my own country and that their are many interesting people and cultures across the world.

How many times have my students asked me where I am from when it is obvious I don't come from North America or Australia? The only thing my students know about England is footballer Park Ji Sung or just football. Why are Korean students so abysmal in general at geography? Do they actually study this in class? These are the seeds sown by years and years of a policy of isolation and rejection of other cultures.

This month one of Korea's superstars, Kim Yu-Na is going for gold in the Winter Olympics in Canada, yet precious few know much about that country. If I showed these kids a map, then I think three things would happen. 1) They wouldn't know many countries there. 2) They would find Korea, of course. 3) They would complain that Korea is too small. And not, that other countries are bigger and have bigger populations. Geography is important.

Back to the old routine

Last night I went back to hapkido for the first time in around five months. During that time I've out on a few kilograms, which I'm slowly shedding, and felt it was the right time to come back. I need both the exercise and the practice. I expected a gentle session with an emphasis on stretching but spent most of the time practicing kicks. I thought it would stretch my fitness but I coped quite well and was pleased with how well I did considering the gap. It felt good to be back. Sometimes hapkido feels like part of my family in Korea. After over two years of classes I still find it enjoyable.

I've noticed that when I practice kicks at taekwondo I don't feel like there is much skill or technique involved (yet). We've been progressing very quickly, perhaps too quickly and at times I feel like we should be doing more. A bit stupid I suppose. I would like to be learning more things at taekwondo but I should stop and realise that I'm only a lowly green belt and been practicing for around eight weeks. The more difficult kicks will come when the time is ready so I should be patient and try to do as well as I can with what I'm learning.

Yesterday we learned when our next test will be. It was scheduled for the 17th February but on that day one of my practice partners will be out of the country. Korea's New Year holiday is at the start of that week too and I will be in Japan for a while too. Our Master then suggested a week later but I felt that maybe the 12th February would be better. Perhaps that's a mistake on my part but I feel like we'll all be ready. Knowing that the test is coming soon should motivate us to work harder. I hope I can continue both these martial arts. My body is aching today. A familiar feeling.