It has now been 6 months since I've been in South Korea, almost 7. Wow, when they say time flies, they really mean it. It feels like I just started working, and I ask myself, What the hell have I been doing for the past 6 months?
The new school year (because the school year in Korea begins in March) promises to bring with it some new challenges. Whereas last semester, I had to teach 5th and 6th grade, with one great coteacher and one awful one, this semester I will only be teaching 5th grade. The awful coteacher that I would have to teach with is, fortunately, going on a semester-long training course. However, as a substitute they have brought in a new teacher, who has just graduated university. I assume this is his first job. I only met him once, briefly, and he seems very shy. Now, I only have one semester more experience than he does, so I hope he's not expecting that I will be a seasoned professional. I also have to have storytelling class again (which is a complete headache), but this time with another new teacher. Whether or not this is a good thing doesn't bother me as much, as that class is only once a week.
So what have I learned this past 6 months? Well, I can tell you that I will not be resigning at the end of this semester. I feel like when you first come here, the foreigners are often portrayed as belonging to 2 groups: those that love Korea and those that hate it. I feel like it should be more along the lines of people that will stay in Korea for a long time, and people that won't. I get the vibe that people that leave after only a year are often viewed as those who "didn't try hard enough to appreciate things here," or "didn't try hard enough to blend in." You hear the horror stories of people who were rude, awful, and hated Korea with a passion, and left because they couldn't take it anymore. And then there's those who come back time and again, or who have been here for years and are buying cars and making other long-term commitments.
I don't really think I'm either of those kinds of people. I like Korea, I like Koreans, I like Korean, and I like Korean food. I have learned a fair amount of Korean, though nowhere near conversational, but I don't plan to stay here longer than August. One could argue, so what? It would be good to learn anyway. But, I'm trying to appreciate my time here through other pursuits. First one being dance. The dance studio I go to is all Korean, but dancing is what I love and I've found that I can make friends and connect with people through that. While there are plenty of beautiful things to see and do in Korea, I've never been much of a sight seer. I've always just enjoyed doing the things that normal people do, in order to connect with locals.
Being here has definitely improved me in a lot of ways, and that's a great thing. I've also learned that while it is "easy" (comparatively), this job is just not for me. Perhaps it's different in other environments, in different cultures, in different countries (and the money is good too), but I have several interests and passions in life, none of which include teaching ESL for a prolonged period of time.
So the next 25 weeks? I'll keep living, loving, and eating and ride out the rest of this wave.
<3
안영
Sam
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