On Tuesday, we watched a short video in which the Grade 3's had to listen to and repeat a dialogue. Before the clip even started, half the class yelled out "African!" at the sight of a black child in the video. As always, I know that this isn't meant to be an insulting racist comment; it's just a lack of exposure to different cultures and different people. It's like culture shock to them. I then had to explain to them that just because a person has a dark skin complexion, even if it's remotely darker, such as my own, or much darker, such as the kid in the video, that does not mean the person is from Africa.
On Wednesday I was asked to talk about the four seasons in Canada and fun things to do during each season. I couldn't think of much for Fall aside from trick or treating and watching the leaves change, so I added the Zombie Run and Nuit Blanche. They all want to visit Toronto now. My job here is done.
On Thursday, I played my weekly game of Assassin with one of my Grade 6's seated across the class from me during my co-teacher's lesson, all unbeknownst to her. I know it's rude of me and all, but the kid is bored out of his skull, and he knows his stuff. Plus, it's super fun. And we're really good assassins, so we have't gotten caught yet.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Life of a Native English Teacher: Week of Mar 17-21
- I was trying to finish reading a news article before first class started. About 15 seconds after the 9:10 bell rang to signal the start of class on Tuesday, a cute little 8 year old kid poked his head into the teacher's office and gave a quick clap, as if to get my attention and say "Chop chop. Let's go, Mendoza" and quickly left. He did not seem pleased.
- I watched The Big Lebowski for the first time EVER. I know this has nothing to do with Korea, but holy crap, I don't know what took me so long. I love the Coen brothers; I love Goodman; I love Buschemi; I love Bridges; I love Julianne Moore, John Torturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, AND Peter Stormare (the hilarious Russian astronaut from Armageddon). Hell, even Flea is in the movie! It's flat out hilarious, trippy, and oddly rather insightful. I'm so disappointed with myself for taking this long to get around to it. That rug really did tie that room together.
- I saw kids playing a version of Red Ass outside, except instead of throwing a tennis ball at someone's butt, they kick a basketball. They go all out over here.
- On Wednesday we had our second staff (Korean) volleyball tournament. The first time around, I "won" a toothbrush; this time, I won mouthwash. I think they're trying to tell me something. Thankfully, they let me use my hands instead of my feet this time, so I was actually able to contribute and not make an ass of myself.
Two highlights of the night:
1) a highly energetic and insanely loud fellow from the office jumps to try to give the ball a dramatic JCVD style kick, but it sails way too high and he falls flat on his ass. The entire gym died of laughter.
2) On a match point that would advance the winning team to the finals, one team thought they'd managed to stay alive and keep the score 20-18 and started celebrating prematurely in front of the net. Meanwhile, a guy from the other team had actually managed to make a miraculous kick to send the ball clear over their heads. They didn't even realize they'd lost until the entire staff was once again leaning on each other to keep from falling in hysterical laughter.
- The office gave me a $50 allowance to go out and buy a new pillow after my co-teacher saw me constantly rubbing and craning my aching neck, so after work on Wednesday, my co-teacher took me to the mall and I bought an amazing memory foam pillow that works miracles. It only cost $47, so at least I saved the school $3.
- One of my Wednesday Grade 3 classes burst out in dance as they decided to follow the choreographed routine of the CGI kids on the screen singing the "Hi, I'm Uju" song. I expect a full out dance off by the end of the term.
- Teacher: What kind of club do you want to join at school?
Student: Nightclub.
This kid is going to grow up to be trouble.
- The instructions to "How Many?" are simple: Mr. Mendoza has a treasure chest. Write down three guess--three numbers from one to ten--as to how many of a certain item he has in his treasure chest. When every team has written down their guesses, ask him, "How many (item) do you have?!" as loud as you can and raise your whiteboard above your head. Then Mr. Mendoza will reveal that he has, say, 7 rulers in his chest. One particularly artistic student on Team 4 guessed one ruler. Rather than write the number one or spell it out, though, he chose to represent the numerical value with a lovely drawing of a middle finger. He did not have a good morning.
- I watched The Big Lebowski for the first time EVER. I know this has nothing to do with Korea, but holy crap, I don't know what took me so long. I love the Coen brothers; I love Goodman; I love Buschemi; I love Bridges; I love Julianne Moore, John Torturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, AND Peter Stormare (the hilarious Russian astronaut from Armageddon). Hell, even Flea is in the movie! It's flat out hilarious, trippy, and oddly rather insightful. I'm so disappointed with myself for taking this long to get around to it. That rug really did tie that room together.
- I saw kids playing a version of Red Ass outside, except instead of throwing a tennis ball at someone's butt, they kick a basketball. They go all out over here.
- On Wednesday we had our second staff (Korean) volleyball tournament. The first time around, I "won" a toothbrush; this time, I won mouthwash. I think they're trying to tell me something. Thankfully, they let me use my hands instead of my feet this time, so I was actually able to contribute and not make an ass of myself.
Two highlights of the night:
1) a highly energetic and insanely loud fellow from the office jumps to try to give the ball a dramatic JCVD style kick, but it sails way too high and he falls flat on his ass. The entire gym died of laughter.
2) On a match point that would advance the winning team to the finals, one team thought they'd managed to stay alive and keep the score 20-18 and started celebrating prematurely in front of the net. Meanwhile, a guy from the other team had actually managed to make a miraculous kick to send the ball clear over their heads. They didn't even realize they'd lost until the entire staff was once again leaning on each other to keep from falling in hysterical laughter.
- The office gave me a $50 allowance to go out and buy a new pillow after my co-teacher saw me constantly rubbing and craning my aching neck, so after work on Wednesday, my co-teacher took me to the mall and I bought an amazing memory foam pillow that works miracles. It only cost $47, so at least I saved the school $3.
- One of my Wednesday Grade 3 classes burst out in dance as they decided to follow the choreographed routine of the CGI kids on the screen singing the "Hi, I'm Uju" song. I expect a full out dance off by the end of the term.
- Teacher: What kind of club do you want to join at school?
Student: Nightclub.
This kid is going to grow up to be trouble.
- The instructions to "How Many?" are simple: Mr. Mendoza has a treasure chest. Write down three guess--three numbers from one to ten--as to how many of a certain item he has in his treasure chest. When every team has written down their guesses, ask him, "How many (item) do you have?!" as loud as you can and raise your whiteboard above your head. Then Mr. Mendoza will reveal that he has, say, 7 rulers in his chest. One particularly artistic student on Team 4 guessed one ruler. Rather than write the number one or spell it out, though, he chose to represent the numerical value with a lovely drawing of a middle finger. He did not have a good morning.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Holi Hai
I just finished talking about the highs and the lows, the ebb and flow of things, and I just have to laugh at how perfect today was. Today was certainly a high, as it marked several new beginnings.
The reason I went to Busan was to experience the Holi Hai festival. Holi Hai is a Hindu celebration that welcomes Spring. However it's also much more than that. With the coming of Spring, of new life, of vibrant colours, also comes an opportunity to start anew--mend broken relationships and let go of any emotional weights that have been weighing on your heart. It's a celebration of love and happiness.
The story of Holi Hai is that long ago there was a demon king, Hiranyakashipu, who considered himself God. His son, however, refused to worship him, as he worshiped Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu tried to punish his son into worshiping him, but Prahlada's faithful devotion to Vishnu would not waver. Eventually, the king's sister, Holika, was all like, "I got this, bro" and somehow tricked the apparently not too bright Prahlada to sit on a pyre with her for some reason. Unbeknownst to Prahlada, his trickster of an aunt wore a protective shawl that kept her safe from the fire. Holika, who also doesn't seem to have had it all together upstairs, somehow had her shawl blown off by the wind and it covered Prahlada instead, keeping him safe while his bitch of an aunt burned to a crisp. Then Vishnu swept in and snuffed out the evil king.
Now I'm not sure why Hindus named the festival after the villainous aunt in the story, but they did, and they mark the beginning of the celebrations by building a bonfire the night before the festivities, commemorating the night she got barbecued. The fire represents good triumphing over evil and is followed by an evening of song and dance.
The following day, people take to the streets and transform their bodies, matching the vibrant glow of the new Spring by pelting each other with dried colours. Afterwards, they clean themselves up and visit family and friends.
In certain parts of India, there is an entirely different meaning behind the festival--commemorating the love of Krishna and Radha--but at its core, it's still just a festival of love. Love is the only religion I need.
The gang and I arrived at Haeundae Beach just in time to register, get our colours (read: ammo), enjoy a couple of free (and cold, but still delicious) samosas, grab a late breakfast, and make it back to the beach for the start of the madness.
As we approached the festival area, I looked around at all of the people wearing white t-shirts (you don't want to wear your freshly ironed Armani shirt to Holi Hai) and I couldn't help but feel like we were going to a cult gathering to sip on some funky Kool-Aid.
There was some Hindu dude standing at the front of the crowd yelling the slowest and longest countdown ever, but nobody had the patience for the poor guy, so by the time he reached five, the colours were already flying. When he finally did get to zero, people threw even more colours in the air and we were suddenly swarmed by a funky haze of colour.
What followed was unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life Imagine walking through a huge mass of people jumping and dancing in euphoria, when suddenly a stranger's hand plants itself on your face and smudges powder all over you and rubs it all over your head, all while smiling from ear to ear and screaming happy tidings in your face. It was completely surreal and absolutely hilarious.
The act of throwing the powder, whether in the air or at somebody, or having it thrown at you, was like the embodiment of a smile. I could feel those delicious endorphins making their way through me. It was a feeling of utter joy, a feeling shared with complete strangers. Of course, after you've had powder thrown at you by somebody, you're not really strangers anymore, are you?
You just had to be careful not to get any powder in your eyes or your mouth. One poor girl got blindsided by a handful of green with her mouth wide open. Her teeth looked like they were rotting. We laughed, we hugged, we took a picture, and we moved on. Such is life. When someone throws dry paint in your mouth, you laugh and keep on dancing. Someone needs to put that on a shirt.
Having recently shaved my head, it seemed like I was a magnet for people's hands. After a couple hours, my hair was a resplendent technicolour piece of art. By the end of the fun, we all looked like a unicorn had thrown up on us.
The action started at noon and didn't stop for three hours. Music. Paint. Madness. When your bag ran out, you could simply purchase another bag for a dollar and continue the revelry.
While there were people from all over the world celebrating together, the Hindus in the crowd knew how to party best. They moved to the music like smooth criminals and sang along while others followed their lead. One guy got to his knees and started bouncing, arms waving in the air, as everyone around him extended their arms and shook them at him, as if casting a spell on him. Another guy locked eyes with a stranger, and then the two of them started pointing at something invisible in the sky with a look of awe and wonder on their faces before eventually locking eyes again, smiling, and high-fiving one another. Another guy got on all fours and a girl proceed to ride him like he was a bucking horse. Then there was the group who started throwing girls in the air like we were at a rock concert. And it seemed like every conga line was led by Hindu fellow.
When we were all coloured out, we headed to Fuzzy Navel, a nearby Mexican joint, where I had a beef and avocado burrito that was so good that I made some inappropriate sounds that I think may have startled Lex's sister, who was seated next to me. I blurted out "I forgot how amazing avocado tastes!" with my eyes closed in ecstasy.
I went to the washroom after I finished my meal, and it was there that I was finally able to see what I looked like in a mirror. I laughed out loud and turned my head left and right to admire everyone's handiwork.
Afterwards, I headed back to Nate and Kirsten's apartment to collect my things. When I got into the elevator to go back down to the main floor, there was a guy already in the elevator, texting on his phone. As soon as he saw me, though, he stopped texting and just stared at me completely bewildered as we rode down all ten floors in silence. I was howling on the inside.
It got even better once I got to Ulsan because I had to walk from the bus terminal to my apartment. The entire time, people kept staring at me. One lady even turned so she could keep looking at me as she passed by me. I smiled at some people and they immediately turned their eyes away.
Now I said at the start of this post that today marked new beginnings. It did, on many levels. I made a couple new friends, the weather was remarkably beautiful--hopefully a sign of things to come, and a blessing because we were all concerned in the morning that we were going to freeze outside wearing just a T-shirt--and most important of all, I threw away all of the clutter that was suffocating my heart. Today, I felt weightless, as I enjoyed the company of dear friends and drowned out the silence with laughs. The moral of the story: Smile, and the world smiles with you.
The reason I went to Busan was to experience the Holi Hai festival. Holi Hai is a Hindu celebration that welcomes Spring. However it's also much more than that. With the coming of Spring, of new life, of vibrant colours, also comes an opportunity to start anew--mend broken relationships and let go of any emotional weights that have been weighing on your heart. It's a celebration of love and happiness.
The story of Holi Hai is that long ago there was a demon king, Hiranyakashipu, who considered himself God. His son, however, refused to worship him, as he worshiped Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu tried to punish his son into worshiping him, but Prahlada's faithful devotion to Vishnu would not waver. Eventually, the king's sister, Holika, was all like, "I got this, bro" and somehow tricked the apparently not too bright Prahlada to sit on a pyre with her for some reason. Unbeknownst to Prahlada, his trickster of an aunt wore a protective shawl that kept her safe from the fire. Holika, who also doesn't seem to have had it all together upstairs, somehow had her shawl blown off by the wind and it covered Prahlada instead, keeping him safe while his bitch of an aunt burned to a crisp. Then Vishnu swept in and snuffed out the evil king.
Now I'm not sure why Hindus named the festival after the villainous aunt in the story, but they did, and they mark the beginning of the celebrations by building a bonfire the night before the festivities, commemorating the night she got barbecued. The fire represents good triumphing over evil and is followed by an evening of song and dance.
The following day, people take to the streets and transform their bodies, matching the vibrant glow of the new Spring by pelting each other with dried colours. Afterwards, they clean themselves up and visit family and friends.
In certain parts of India, there is an entirely different meaning behind the festival--commemorating the love of Krishna and Radha--but at its core, it's still just a festival of love. Love is the only religion I need.
The gang and I arrived at Haeundae Beach just in time to register, get our colours (read: ammo), enjoy a couple of free (and cold, but still delicious) samosas, grab a late breakfast, and make it back to the beach for the start of the madness.
As we approached the festival area, I looked around at all of the people wearing white t-shirts (you don't want to wear your freshly ironed Armani shirt to Holi Hai) and I couldn't help but feel like we were going to a cult gathering to sip on some funky Kool-Aid.
There was some Hindu dude standing at the front of the crowd yelling the slowest and longest countdown ever, but nobody had the patience for the poor guy, so by the time he reached five, the colours were already flying. When he finally did get to zero, people threw even more colours in the air and we were suddenly swarmed by a funky haze of colour.
What followed was unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life Imagine walking through a huge mass of people jumping and dancing in euphoria, when suddenly a stranger's hand plants itself on your face and smudges powder all over you and rubs it all over your head, all while smiling from ear to ear and screaming happy tidings in your face. It was completely surreal and absolutely hilarious.
The act of throwing the powder, whether in the air or at somebody, or having it thrown at you, was like the embodiment of a smile. I could feel those delicious endorphins making their way through me. It was a feeling of utter joy, a feeling shared with complete strangers. Of course, after you've had powder thrown at you by somebody, you're not really strangers anymore, are you?
You just had to be careful not to get any powder in your eyes or your mouth. One poor girl got blindsided by a handful of green with her mouth wide open. Her teeth looked like they were rotting. We laughed, we hugged, we took a picture, and we moved on. Such is life. When someone throws dry paint in your mouth, you laugh and keep on dancing. Someone needs to put that on a shirt.
Having recently shaved my head, it seemed like I was a magnet for people's hands. After a couple hours, my hair was a resplendent technicolour piece of art. By the end of the fun, we all looked like a unicorn had thrown up on us.
The action started at noon and didn't stop for three hours. Music. Paint. Madness. When your bag ran out, you could simply purchase another bag for a dollar and continue the revelry.
While there were people from all over the world celebrating together, the Hindus in the crowd knew how to party best. They moved to the music like smooth criminals and sang along while others followed their lead. One guy got to his knees and started bouncing, arms waving in the air, as everyone around him extended their arms and shook them at him, as if casting a spell on him. Another guy locked eyes with a stranger, and then the two of them started pointing at something invisible in the sky with a look of awe and wonder on their faces before eventually locking eyes again, smiling, and high-fiving one another. Another guy got on all fours and a girl proceed to ride him like he was a bucking horse. Then there was the group who started throwing girls in the air like we were at a rock concert. And it seemed like every conga line was led by Hindu fellow.
When we were all coloured out, we headed to Fuzzy Navel, a nearby Mexican joint, where I had a beef and avocado burrito that was so good that I made some inappropriate sounds that I think may have startled Lex's sister, who was seated next to me. I blurted out "I forgot how amazing avocado tastes!" with my eyes closed in ecstasy.
I went to the washroom after I finished my meal, and it was there that I was finally able to see what I looked like in a mirror. I laughed out loud and turned my head left and right to admire everyone's handiwork.
Afterwards, I headed back to Nate and Kirsten's apartment to collect my things. When I got into the elevator to go back down to the main floor, there was a guy already in the elevator, texting on his phone. As soon as he saw me, though, he stopped texting and just stared at me completely bewildered as we rode down all ten floors in silence. I was howling on the inside.
It got even better once I got to Ulsan because I had to walk from the bus terminal to my apartment. The entire time, people kept staring at me. One lady even turned so she could keep looking at me as she passed by me. I smiled at some people and they immediately turned their eyes away.
Now I said at the start of this post that today marked new beginnings. It did, on many levels. I made a couple new friends, the weather was remarkably beautiful--hopefully a sign of things to come, and a blessing because we were all concerned in the morning that we were going to freeze outside wearing just a T-shirt--and most important of all, I threw away all of the clutter that was suffocating my heart. Today, I felt weightless, as I enjoyed the company of dear friends and drowned out the silence with laughs. The moral of the story: Smile, and the world smiles with you.
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| You got a little something there on your face, Lex. |
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| The McCarthy fam |
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| Dammit Andrew, you're too badass for your own good. |
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| I think this is how we all felt by the day's end. |
And just because I don't think I've ever posted pictures of where I actually live, these are just a couple shots of downtown.
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| There's always something funky going on outside of Lotte Department Store. |
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| That one's for you, mom. |
Busan Museum
After leaving the Life photography exhibit, I started making my way to the subway to go meet my friends, but I took an unexpected detour and found myself walking towards the Busan Museum. The building just looked too damn beautiful to not check out. Just look at it!
As I approached the building, I saw a German fellow by the name of David exiting. I asked him what sort of exhibits were inside, and he said that the museum tells the history of Busan from the Neolithic Era up until basically yesterday.
I have to be in the right mood for history exhibits, and that day I was definitely in the right mood. Especially considering that it the museum is free.
Fun facts I learned about Busan:
- People have called Busan home from as early as the Paleolithic Age. That's, like, before the Internet and TV.
- Being on the coast, Busan has often been used as a gateway during several invasions.
- Stone tools from as far back as 17, 000 years ago have been found around Haeundae.
- First you get the money (a commercial port), then you get the the power (political and military development), then you get the women (duh).
- Busan was the place to be during the unified Silla Period. Its natural beauty was the talk of the town, and the city played a pivotal role in both defending the kingdom and promoting maritime trade.
- With the outbreak of the Korean War, the U.N. donated money to help rescue civilians and rebuild the economy.
- During the first several months of the Korean War, all schools were ordered closed for use by the military. Eventually, classes resumed in tents and open areas.
- After the war, Busan became a creative refuge for artists. Many used the war and the struggles of refugees as the inspiration for their work.
- 1943 marked the beginning of 8 years of delicious independence and freedom for Korea. Then came a couple wars and several invasions. They couldn't catch a break.
- In 1911, Japan wrote up the Turn-Koreans-Into-Citizens-of-Imperial-Japan policy. (Not very creative on the name, but whatever.) Then, in Order of the Phoenix style, several schools popped up around Busan to "recover sovereignty through patriotism and solidarity."
I have to be in the right mood for history exhibits, and that day I was definitely in the right mood. Especially considering that it the museum is free.
Fun facts I learned about Busan:
- People have called Busan home from as early as the Paleolithic Age. That's, like, before the Internet and TV.
- Being on the coast, Busan has often been used as a gateway during several invasions.
- Stone tools from as far back as 17, 000 years ago have been found around Haeundae.
- First you get the money (a commercial port), then you get the the power (political and military development), then you get the women (duh).
- Busan was the place to be during the unified Silla Period. Its natural beauty was the talk of the town, and the city played a pivotal role in both defending the kingdom and promoting maritime trade.
- With the outbreak of the Korean War, the U.N. donated money to help rescue civilians and rebuild the economy.
- During the first several months of the Korean War, all schools were ordered closed for use by the military. Eventually, classes resumed in tents and open areas.
- After the war, Busan became a creative refuge for artists. Many used the war and the struggles of refugees as the inspiration for their work.
- 1943 marked the beginning of 8 years of delicious independence and freedom for Korea. Then came a couple wars and several invasions. They couldn't catch a break.
- In 1911, Japan wrote up the Turn-Koreans-Into-Citizens-of-Imperial-Japan policy. (Not very creative on the name, but whatever.) Then, in Order of the Phoenix style, several schools popped up around Busan to "recover sovereignty through patriotism and solidarity."
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| Go humans! I'm pretty sure my posture is as bad as the guy in the back. |
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| How to make tools out of stone: Step 1: Bash it hard against a hard surface. Step 2: Bash it hard against another stone: Step 3: Repeat step two over and over and over again until you achieve your desired results. Step 4: Go buy a 6-pack and admire your work. |
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| The life and times of Busan. |
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| The first ever shank. |
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| Kelleen, they were calling your name. Just look at 'em all! |
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| Coooooool.. |
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| I really fancied this one: Pensive Bodhisativa |
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| While I want to be buried with my vinyl and wearing my favourite Metallica shirt, kings insisted on being buried with their favourite pottery, crowns, and other relics. To each his own, I suppose. |
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| Double Dragon! |
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| A badass looking poster advocating unification. |
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| U.N. Memorial Cemetary. A beautiful site to visit for those in Korea. |
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| Elementary, Middle, and High School textbooks respectively. I wonder if that idiot Homin is in any of these. |
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| That harmonica is a BEAST. |
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| Korea's Teen Magazine |
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| A pamphlet for the play Hamlet. |
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The war brought an influx of 700, 000 extra people into Busan, almost tripling the city's population. There were shortages everywhere and of everything.
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| Glasses and watches became trendy, and those seen wearing either were considered "westernized." |
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| Due to the importance of family, and the rising popularity of photography, family photos became all the rage. |
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| Beauty |
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| Alcohol jar :) |
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| "You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel." |
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| A model of Busan in the 1930's. |
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| A recreation of the Navel Battle of the Busan Port. |
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