From the Eye of the Storm

Last Saturday afternoon was a gloomy, rainy one and, as one would do on such afternoons, I was sitting on my friends couch watching some brainless comedy. Suddenly, we heard a siren coming from outside. I looked at her, she looked at me, and we shared a confirming glance:  this siren did not sound normal. In an adrenaline filled Google search (yes, a Google search. What would you have done?), a peak out the window, and a mass text, we realized that there was no cause for concern and we had simply overreacted to a police siren. Funny? yes. Eye opening? Definitely. This was the first time I realized that this was a situation that I was taking seriously.

Though, false alarms aside, the only reason I am feeling anxious about the rising tensions in my newly claimed home is from the sensationalized news. Walking through the streets of Seoul, South Korea, an easy 6 hour drive to North Korea, and of course the North's main target, you would have no idea that a war, let alone a nuclear war, was feasible to arise at any moment. South Koreans are going about their daily lives, making plans for tomorrow, next week, next month and next year as if nothing was happening. We haven't spoken about it to our students nor even brought up the idea of practising an evacuation plan should anything happen. People are happy, parties are still being planned and a unconcerned attitude remains throughout the flow of daily life. This, to me all seem pretty shocking. If Canada was being threatened with an imminent nuclear war, you'd think at least, our schools would plan a 'what if' scenario. A threat this huge and hardly anybody has even blinked. Why? Well frankly, nobody here takes North Korea seriously. These threats have been happening every spring, each year for the past 60 years, while basically nothing comes of them. Some think the threats are fuelled by Kim Jong un wanting to establish power within his own country. Some say he wants more money and resources for the North. We've heard it all before, and so far, these theories have been correct. I, personally, don't quite know what to think of it all, but for now, I still feel safe. North Korea's threats have become an undeniable case of the boy who cried wolf. Lets just hope this one has a happier ending.

Of Greasy Hair, Bomb Shelters and Screaming Children

Noksapyeong Station: my nearest subway stop

My first couple of weeks have been quite a whirlwind as I've been trying to settle into this foreign land called South Korea. From new grocery store brands, to crazy traffic, to peculiar smells and so much more, the world I once lived in has been turned upside down.

My morning bus ride takes me from my comfortable neighbourhood of Kyugnidan, Itaewon, an area dense in foreigners like myself, meaning easy access to late night pizza, a weekly wing deal, and some pretty fantastic coffee, where I travel over the beautiful Hann River into Seocho. Although I realized the air quality over here was going to be much poorer than the beautifully fresh air I was taking advantage of in Canada, the clear evidence of it's effects are impossible to ignore, as smog wades like low clouds each morning, surrounding the city, and causing me some fast-acting hair grease...and we all know how I feel about hair washing. This though, is apparently at it's worse now, in the spring. C'mon summer!

Now you are probably all reading this just waiting for me to get to the juicy goods. Is it the spice factor of the kimchi you are wondering about? Oh no, maybe its how often I hear Gagnam Style? Ohh, you're probably wondering how I feel about the whole North Korea - South Korea situation? Yeah, that whole thang.... Well, despite the fact that each subway station doubles as bomb shelter, (Oh, by the way, Toronto, have you seen Seoul's subway system?! It is sparkly clean, HUGE and plays beautiful birds calls while you wait. TTC, you should be comparatively ashamed.)  and has vending machines filled with gas masks, nobody seems to be worried about it. They are all going about their everyday business, because apparently something along these lines happens every single year...so, although when I ask people about it, they say they are a little bit concerned, there is nothing even close to feeling alarmed.

I could really continue this post forever, but I'll end it by talking about my experience at my school. I work in a Montessori type school in Seocho. Seocho is a wealthy area that lies just south of my apartment. from 9:40am - 2:30pm I teach kindergarten students who are learning English for the first time. It is quite the challenge. In the afternoon from about 2:30pm - 4:30pm I teach afternoon classes. Each afternoon class is 1 hour long and these children's abilities range based on class. The school is called High/Scope Korea, and there are about 10 High/Scope schools across the world. The school's philosophy is based on much of Jean Piaget's research in childhood development and says children learn best in a social setting where children have the opportunity to choose materials, use their own ideas and choose who they want to interact with and how. Basically, it is one of the only schools in Korea that promotes individuality. The philosophy itself is great, the implementation of the philosophy I am still questioning. As I get more used to making creative, interactive and choice filled lesson plans, it is getting easier, and this second week has been easier then the first. But if you have any ideas you'd like to share, send them on over.

In the meantime, TGIF! Enjoy a weekend filled with green beer and leprechauns. Cheers!