Tuesdays gone...

Tuesday April 9th

This week is really taking it out of me... I am not sure why. I just feel so drained.

School was good. I have one boy in my 7-1 that gets really frustrated speaking. He actually speaks really well, but when he does, the kids laugh at him. So he gets really frustrated at that. But the reason kids laugh is because he almost never talks, so I have to coax it out of him. When he finally speaks, the kids see it as a joke and laugh. It stems from a deeper problem though... he laughs at kids when the mispronounce words, so he is thinking he is mispronouncing words. I am working with my Korean coteacher to work with him and to let him know he speaks well.

Also, my last class on Tuesday/Thursday really depresses me. It is the class with the kids that do not want to be there. There is that one girl, and she really takes a toll on me. Not as is a lot of work, but it depresses me and I have no idea what is the appropriate way to help her. It is the girl that I spoke of last week that said she has no friends. Today, she wrote down, besides not having any friends, that she does not know how to make friends. One of the other questions was who helps you when you are in trouble. She wrote nobody helps me when I am in trouble. Other kids said friends, family... not her. What can I do? Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. I know this girl has more going on in her life. I know people have a hard time making friends, and I know it sucks to have nobody to turn to. I know there are a lot of cultural differences and everything. This girl definitely has some personality quirks. I know most of the other people have written her off, as just "that is the way she is" but me, I cannot. I had so many great teachers growing up that went above and beyond, that didnt write people off. I wish I could find her friends, I wish I could find a social group for her. I dont want her to become a statistic (in many senses of the word). This may be the most stressful situation I have. Making the kids speak English that do not know English is stressful. Kids not wanting to sit down is stressful. Kids not knowing how to be quiet is stressful... but having a kids say she has not friends, does not know how to make friends, and has nobody to help her is a stress on a whole other emotional and stressful level.

After work, Rob and I went to a new restaurant that opened up by Bobo. It is a Ho Chicken. It is a chain for Fried Chicken and beer. Rob and I had chicken and beer. In Korea it is called ChiMaek (Chee-Meck) 치맥 which is Chi (치킨 -Pronounced almost the exact same as Chicken and is Chicken) and Mek (맥주 Pronounced Maekju and is Beer). Simple and delicious.


Also, I know some people have been concerned about me and the whole NK situation going on. This is an email I sent tonight.

Nobody I have talked to is concerned in the least. Everything is business as usual. Korean news is very blase when talking about it. It seems that the US 24 hour news cycle is more in tune to drum up fear. I think most people here have heard this rhetoric from the north on and off for years. Until people here start to worry, I am not.


Even reading the military capabilities of NK, most people do not think an attack could amount to much. Most of their technology is nearly 50 years old. Their artillery at best could hit north Seoul (I am south) and their long range missiles have never been successfully tested. With as much as the US and SK are watching NK, if the north did try anything, I dont think much damage would be done south of the DMZ. Also, China, the one ally of NK seems to be putting a lot of pressure on NK to not do anything stupid. China does not want anything to happen, and China has a lot more pull with NK than the US does.


The embassy sent an email last week saying that there is no new information and they have not raised the alert status.


Worst case scenario, if NK does start to shell SK, the subway station less than a block away from my apartment is a bomb shelter, the subway station 3 blocks away from the school is a bomb shelter, and the nearest US evacuation zone is a 15 minute walk from both my school and apartment. I could get there much quicker if I needed to. The area I am in is not a 'major area' (basically NK would have no reason to focus on my part of Seoul- we are not home to businesses, commerce, or anything like that) so NK would doubtfully aim anything over here. I am also not near any US Military installation.


So, while I do not think anything will happen, I am a boy scout, so I am definitely always prepared for it to.






So just in-case anyone was worrying about how I felt, this pretty much sums it up.