Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dec30

Time for a Quickie! ;)

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Hey guys!

I’m so sorry for being so quiet lately!  I’m rushing around like crazy trying to get everything sorted for my SA trip next week!  Can’t*Freaking*Wait!! Only 4 more days in SoKo then I’ll get to say hi to my lovely mountain!

It’s starting to get really cold now and we’ve had a little bit of snow – even on Christmas eve!  I spent Christmas at the lovely Braai Republic and as expected, it was bloody amazing!  Will post about it soon!  It’s -5 degrees at the moment and it’s almost noon!

Most EPIK Spring 2012 teachers have received their placements so I hope they’re all coping with the normal stresses of “the big change”!  Hang in there guys, it’s going to be awesome! Take lots of pics of the process. Spend as much time with friends and family as you can!

If you have any questions PLEASE feel free to comment or send me a message and I’ll try to answer them on here!  ’

EPIK Spring 2012 teachers in Cape Town, I’ll see you on the 10th at Blue Peter!  I won’t be gone for too long so I’ll try to get some blogging done soon!

I'll be back...!

Have a good New Years and be safe!

xx

Dec11

“What not to wear”…

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Recently I’ve seen a lot of questions regarding the dress code at school.  Knowing this helps a lot, because you can leave behind all of those unnecessary things and pack more important things.   I’ve mentioned it briefly in the “10 Questions Every Newbie asks” post, but didn’t realize that I never actually posted about it.  Whoops!  So here it is!  I’ve asked my best friend to help:

…bwahahaha!

Aaaaanyways….  dressing for school in Korea is pretty much the same as dressing for any semi-professional company in South Africa.  There are, of course, some key things to remember.  What seems appropriate in South Africa isn’t necessarily appropriate here in Korea and vice versa.  Here is a perfect example:

This really happens…

This really explains a lot!  :)  In Korea, wearing short short shorts is fine.  Showing shoulders is frowned upon and showing cleavage might get you a few words from an Adjumma!   So when it comes to school, you need to be even more careful. It’s all really simple actually:

  • Don’t show any cleavage – This includes semi-see through shirts.   Come on, they’re middle school boys.  Think about it…
  • Try your best to cover your shoulders.  This is also a respect thing.  I often wear short sleeved shirts in summer but you can pack away those sleeveless ones.
  • Like mentioned above, they like their short shorts, but you are a teacher.. Rather wear knee length skirts or pants.  The teachers room is usually air-conditioned in summer, so no, you won’t die. :P

So what do you wear?

Men:

If you are a suit guy, bring one or two.  You probably won’t be expected to wear a suit, but it doesn’t do any harm if you wear one for the first week or so.  It depends on your school, but you will probably be expected to wear neat pants and a dress shirt.  If you don’t want to do the suit thing (please don’t buy one!!!) throw on a tie for the first few days.  Don’t bother buying expensive dress shoes.  Will comment on this later.  Bring a pair of nice, neat jeans.  Some schools are fine with jeans as long as they aren’t baggy / washed-out / have holes in them.  If you pair up the jeans with a dress shirt you’re good to go.  (aaaah I sound like Glam Guru!!!  The JOY!)  Invest in a nice jacket or coat for winter.  It doesn’t have to be classy, just neat.  Like the jeans.  And warm…. :P  Your teachers’ room will be heated in winter, but might still be a bit chilly.. and the school hallways are the complete opposite of hell.

Ladies:

No shoulders… No cleavage… sounds difficult… It really isn’t.  I brought some shirts from SA and realized they were just a bit too revealing (according to Korean standards of course) so I threw on a spaghetti-strap underneath and fixed it.. hehe!   I usually wear neat pants to school and pair it up with either a short sleeved button shirt or a long sleeved one…   I often wear long-sleeved t-shirts in the colder months, with a jacket/jersey/coat.   With pants, make sure you don’t show any underwear when bending down.  Middle school boys are at *THAT* age, so really make sure you don’t have anything see through, revealing or inappropriate.  In summer I wear three quarter shirts or short-sleeved shirts.

Shoes:

Don’t bother buying expensive shoes for school.  When you get to school you will take off your “outdoor shoes” and put on “indoor

These will look goooooorgeous with my white skirt!!

shoes”.  These are usually sandals… like “Hang Ten sandals”!!  Schools usually have spare ones for visitors (like when the parents come watch the open classes), but it’s best to bring your own pair, as you might find your toes hanging over and your ankles touching the floor…..!  And they will definitely point it out to everyone.   Ladies, if you’re wearing a really nice skirt and you really don’t want to wear these, you can wear other sandals (strappy ones etc) but they can’t be worn outside and it would be best to wear secret stockings with them.  Some female teachers don’t wear the secret stockings anymore, but it is still frowned upon by most Koreans.  They don’t really believe that feet are very clean.  The pretty sandal + secret stocking thing is revolting at first, but you get used to it and it’s really not too bad.  Also, you might go to a school dinner after work,which you’ll only find out an hour before.  It’s slightly awkward when you have to kick off your shoes before entering the restaurant and you’re not even wearing socks!  On that note make sure your socks are clean and hole-free and that they match! Your students will see your socks every day. :P  Don’t worry about socks with bears and hearts and duckies on them.. your principal will wear them too… with his suit.  :)

So, last thing about “what to wear” at school – Always look professional.  The best thing you can do is find a few teachers who are roughly the same age as you (if there aren’t any, choose the youngest one) and use what they wear as a guide.  If they wear neat jeans, you probably can too.  Don’t wear suits the first week and then rock up in jeans the next Monday – Friday.  They’ve seen you at your best, so tone it down gradually.  Always remember this:  ”When in doubt, throw it out.”  If you’re standing in front of the mirror and doubting whether or not your shirt is too revealing, it probably is.

xx

Dec8

A typical day at work…

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Recently someone asked me what the schedule looks like when teaching in Korea. So here it is!

The average teacher has 22 classes  a week.  That is roughly 4 – 5 classes a day.  You will be at school for about 8 hours a day – usually from 8:40am – 4:40 pm, but this depends on your school.  Lunch is some time between 12pm and 1pm and you will have lunch for  30 – 50 minutes (also depending on your school!).  Usually class times are as follows:

  •  Elementary lessons: 40 minutes each
  • Middle School lessons: 45 minutes each
  • High School lessons:  50 minutes each

Here is my time table. I teach at my main school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  On Tuesdays I travel to an Elementary School in the area and on Fridays to another Middle School.  My main school is a  Middle School, but there is a High School in the same building, so I teach there too!  (Don’t worry, most teachers have 1 or 2 schools that are the same level, I’m unique!!!)   ALSO!!  My students have too many subjects (seriously these poor kids!!!)  so at my main school I actually teach them English before the school day actually starts… so this is a non-typical lesson schedule! It will give you an idea though…

Okay so I have different times on Tuesdays and Fridays.   Teachers’ Class is when I have conversation classes with the teachers.  If you’re in a bigger school you probably won’t have this.  You might have 2 classes for each Elementary grade (I did last year) so then your schedule will be way better, since you get to repeat your lessons!  I really teach in the sticks so I have all schools, all grades (except for Elementary 5 & 6).   I don’t like the morning classes really… The students are still sleepy, I’m still sleepy and at the moment it’s bloody cold.  Mondays are rough, but the time goes by really quickly.     After school classes can earn you more money if you already have 22 classes.  I don’t so no extra money for me.. although my teachers’- and after school classes get canceled often – Especially during exam time. I haven’t had teachers’ class since October…  So I guess that’s a bonus.  For after school classes you might have one or two grades (together) on one day and another on a different day.  Mine is a free for all. Plus, despite going to school early and leaving late (My co teacher has a *lot* to do, so I leave school late often) I get to go home straight after my classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, so I catch the 3pm bus and I’m home by 4. (The bus takes longer)

Also, as you can see, you’ll have quite a lot of free lessons in between for planning.  These are GREAT.  In the beginning you’ll spend a lot of time lesson planning, so it might not feel like enough, but after a few months the lesson planning goes very fast so you will have a lot of “free” time.

At my Elementary School last year (I only had Elementary), teachers played Volleyball together every Wednesday afternoon.  I don’t ever see it or hear of it at my current school, but my students still have classes in the afternoon, unlike Elementary students.  As mentioned earlier, my students have too many subjects, so they literally start their day with morning class and end at16:15.  During the summer months, we change to 50 minute lessons (to accommodate the High School classes in our building) so then my poor middle school kids leave at 5:20!!  The sad reality is that most of them go straight to hagwon (academies) where they study even more, or they would have self study sessions at school – sometimes until 10pm.  It’s hard.  English teachers obviously don’t stay at school till then, but you can understand why the students are sleepy in my morning class…

On some occasions we go for dinner after school.  This is merely to socialize.  DO IT.  It might not be the BEST part of your day – especially if they don’t speak English to you! – but do it.  Koreans are very social and they love it when the waygook enjoys it.  It can honestly be a lot of fun.  It’s what you make of it.  Besides, after a few soju shots my principal is Mister English!  They try.  So can you.  Force-drinking happens.  But there are ways to not drink, without offending your principal.  I have friends whose teachers *never* drink at staff dinners, so once again every school is different.  Not scaring you, just telling you what to expect.

Sometimes there are also teacher’s trips.  Day trips.  Overnight trips.  I personally haven’t been on an overnight one, simply because I  don’t feel comfortable.  Maybe if I was a guy.  I would be like MacGuyver. But I’m not.  I’m a girl with a boyfriend whom  I only see  on the weekends.   I work longer than most teachers.  My weekends are super precious to me. I still try to make the best of it though – for instance, we have a teachers’ trip coming up on the final day of school. Over night.  23 December.  Which means?? We’ll be back home at around 9pm on Christmas eve.  I’m sorry, I just don’t do that.  It’s Christmas Eve.  I already have plans to go to Seoul for Christmas, so I compromised with my school. (They really are very understanding, so this is not an issue)  I am still joining the trip – come on, they’re going to BUSAN! :) – but I will subway to the train station and catch a train to Gumi late Friday night, since I’m departing from there for Seoul early the next morning.

Okay that was a bit of a babble, but my point is this:   If you really don’t like teachers trips and dinners, at least try to make some effort.  It doesn’t happen every week. It happens maybe once in 2 months.  Sure, it gets long and sometimes crazy, and I know me not going on the trips isn’t ideal, but at least try to go.  They will appreciate the effort and usually after a teachers dinner they’re all smiles and happy and they try one more time to speak English without being terribly shy around co-workers. :)  I’ve eaten some of the most delicious and also weirdest things by going to teachers’ dinners!  Plus, you find all the hotspots in your town! :P

What do I do during vacations?

Well… if you’re not on leave, you’ll probably teach English Camps.  They are at school, during school hours (maybe just morning or afternoon sessions) but they are much more fun and you *usually* can teach what you want.  If you’re lucky you’ll have a really nice Camp budget to buy all kinds of fun stuff with (to do a cooking lesson or buy snacks for the movie day).    If you’re not teaching a camp or on leave, you’ll be deskwarming.  It’s super boring. I love the first week of deskwarming, because I plan ahead, but then it gets super boring and you don’t feel like working….  :P   There’s a whole list of things to do while deskwarming on waygook.org.  Your school hours will most likely be the same during vacation time, however some schools tell their teachers to leave after lunch or not come in at all.  The POE doesn’t like this, so it is often done in secret. Shhh!

Anyways, this post was supposed to be about my lesson schedule.. Feel free to ask any questions and remember that my 4 different level schools and early morning classes are NOT the norm!! :)  Last year I had 4 Elementary grades (3,4,5,6) and I had two classes for each grade, saw all 8 classes twice a week and had a second school on Fridays. It was much easier! :)

xx

Dec1

…Phones and Berries

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“Will my smartphone work in Korea?”   I have been hoping to answer this in foreeever!  It’s been difficult.. since I inherited Noah’s phone from neentien toet.  I had no intention of buying a smartphone, since I never really used my phone much.  But since I got my Galaxy tab on contract from Mobileboo, I’ve decided to get a smartphone after finishing my contract.  Luck was on my side and I’m now able to order myself n lekker foontjie next week!

It took me forever to choose between the Galaxy SII LTE (with 4G – available all over Korea next year), the Galaxy SII and the iPhone 4S.  I’ve always wanted an iPhone.  I decided to go with that.  A lot of Android apps are  blocked in Korea, so getting the apps you want… mission!  With the iPhone I will have access to both Apple and Android app stores. Bonus!

I was all eager-beaver to order last night until I read the following on the Mobileboo site:

Will my smartphone work in XYZ Country when I take it with me?
All smartphones and tablets sold through Mobileboo are already unlocked. The SK Telecom network uses W-CDMA technology, and it will be up to you to find a compatible carrier which in most cases is not a problem. However, some countries have carriers that use an older or proprietary wireless technology based on GSM. You would not be able to add your device on that kind of network.

Nooooooooo!  I knew SA was a GSM network for sure, but I still asked about 12 people – hoping that SA had some sort of revolutionary change since I’ve been here.  Turns out, they didn’t.  Apple on the other hand, did.   The iPhone 4S is a “World Phone” which means it is compatible on all networks (GSM as well as CDMA and all the others).  CDMA is like in America, where they program the actual phone with a number.  GSM is like in South Africa, where your number is programmed onto a simcard.  (This is my “basic” explanation because I’m NO expert!)

It boils down to this:  Most people confuse “Jailbreaking” and “Unlocking” your phone.  If the phone is unlocked, it means that you can use it on any network.  (GSM or CDMA for example). (Edit: This will only be possible if the phone that you are unlocking, is a dual phone – Compatible with BOTH GSM as well as CDMA networks – like the iPhone 4S) .  You will therefor be able to insert a Korean simcard into your smartphone and it should work. (I’m saying should, otherwise some people might sue me if it doesn’t work, plus, I’ll only be able to check this myself in January when I take my phone to SA)    Jailbreaking on the other hand has *nothing* to do with where you can use your phone.

This is how my Apple-friend explained it to me:  Jailbreaking means, your phone is literally in a jail and you’re breaking it out.  Unlike Android, which allows any user to upload any app, Apple has a very strict system when it comes to approving apps for their App store.  Apple wants its apps to be safe (malware-free) so they “jail” their phones so you can only download / buy Apple certified apps.  By Jailbreaking your phone, you are telling it to accept ANY app.  Apple certified or not.   By doing this you ARE voiding your warranty on your device, however should something go wrong (like you downloading an app with malware) you can easily restore the factory settings, which would make it “jailed” again.

Whether you’re into berries or apples, the point is this:  You need to have your smartphone UNLOCKED before coming to Korea.  The phone you unlock MUST be compatible with GSM as well as CDMA networks.  Then it *should* work.   If it makes anyone feel better:  I have a friend who just took his “Korean” iPhone home and it’s working.  Someone else took an iPad.  And there are a number of Blackberry users from South Africa in Korea.

I’m hoping that the information here is right, but this all makes sense to me.   My “Apple-friend” worked for Apple for quite some time, so I’m pretty sure it’s accurate.  Will let you know if all of this is true in about 4 weeks… when I go HOOOOME!! :)

xx

PS: If you’d rather get a phone here, I highly recommend Mobileboo.  Excellent service – in ENGLISH!  It is possible for foreigners to get a two year contract with them, and you  don’t pay half your savings to cancel after one year.  Check out their site for more info!

 

EDIT:   Sooo it worked!! :)  I took my unlocked Galaxy S2 LTE to South Africa last week and it was soooo easy!  I bought a simcard at the airport and had it RICA’d with my passport.  HOWEVER… I wasn’t registered until the next day, when I took the phone back to MTN. (Vodacom was offline when I tried buying a SIM there first… Welcome home, Mari).   I was told that for some reason the SIM didn’t complete registration. After popping the SIM into a South African phone (the MTN lady’s blackberry!) SIM registration was complete and it worked immediately.   The mobile internet in SA is a bit shocking once you’re used to Korea’s awesome networks!  I was quite disgusted when I realized that I have 4G internet in Seoul but sometimes only managed to get a single G in SA! Haha!  Either way, it worked, so hopefully SA will improve their mobile internet in the near future!    So to conclude:  Yes, you can use your Korean phone in South Africa! *obviously you have to have it unlocked and all the other stuff I mentioned before.*  xx