I need sleep!!!

Beth, AnnaLee, and I went to get our physical today via YBM ECC taxi. Canadian Sarah told me that the drivers name is Mr. Jong. He is incredibly nice, and asked all three of us if we knew “Jesus-e” on the way to the clinic. Height, weight, blood pressure, hearing, vision, blood and urine tests, and dental were part of the exam. We were suppose to make it back in time for the meeting this morning, but came in about 30-45 minutes late instead. Oh well; Mr. You was not concerned about that. In fact, Mrs. You, who was supposed to talk about new Kindy curriculum, was not even there. Both the Shinguk and Howon foreign and Korean teachers were talking about ways to improve communication when we walked in.

Afterwards, the foreign teachers ordered pizza for lunch (on Mr. You’s tab I guess), and then began preparing for their elementary classes. Well, needless to say, I copied papers I didn’t need to copy, prepared for a class that I don’t have on Tuesdays, and didn’t prepare for a surprise class that I didn’t realize I had. Haha…whatever! I suppose I’ll get it one of these days. I haven’t started phone teaching because I haven’t met all of my classes, and I think they need to know who Katherine-Alice Teacher is before I call them at home.

Phone teaching is free talking that should last ten minutes per student for kindy and five minutes per student for elementary. However, I’ve been told that being prepared with other material in the event that the kids don’t freely talk is helpful. “What is the weather like?”…… “What is your favorite color?”……”What do you want to be when you grow up?”…”Why do you want to be a figure skater?”….”Oh, you had gim and rice for dinner? My favorite food is Bi-Bim-Bahp; what’s yours?” This all depends on the student’s level of both English comprehension and speaking ability. I would ask les advanced questions, like “What is your name?” to my kindy class.

Mr. You took me home at 6pm, but Beth works until 9pm because she only does elementary. However, she also comes to work a lot later than I do. I find it odd that the elementary teachers only do elementary, but the kindy teachers do both kindy and elementary. Of course, I do believe that British Mike, who is leaving in May, and Beth are the only Howon elementary teachers. AnnaLee, the new Shinguk teacher, just teaches kindy, which I am totally jealous of. I don’t mind elementary so much, but keeping up with the different classes and curriculums is quite overwhelming to me now.

Anyway, I am off for now. It has been a long day, and will be a long night if I don’t get going. I get to move into my permanent apartment, with my own personal shower and bathroom, tomorrow. (Speaking of toilets though, there are much more “squatty potties” that I expected. I guess I thought that was a China thing. Oh well J) So lots of packing tonight for me. That, and I am really behind on this blog and would like to type some more. I have been typing it all in word and pasted it all together.