Camp Diary
I'm at a camp with 150 Korean middle schoolers, 12 very tired teachers from Portland and a dozen or so Korean teachers (including some of the most high strung women I've ever met).
Fun things have included being interviewed for Korean TV (NamDo TV) and working with Emanuel and Warren to organize game nights that result in 150 kids running around in an un-airconditioned gym (Hot!! Chaotic!!). Not-so-fun things have included teaching four ninety-minute classes back to back (which is what I will do every day that I am here). After my cushy public school teacher life (and quite a few days of lolling around watching TV in the aircon at home), this is quite the shock to the system. I'm walking around with a mask-like smile pasted on my face, timing my showers so that I can lock the door to the communal bathroom, thinking about how I will spend the extra money I am making and just trying to have as good a time as I can with the kids.
It *is* fun, just not as much fun as, say, a vacation.
Fun things have included being interviewed for Korean TV (NamDo TV) and working with Emanuel and Warren to organize game nights that result in 150 kids running around in an un-airconditioned gym (Hot!! Chaotic!!). Not-so-fun things have included teaching four ninety-minute classes back to back (which is what I will do every day that I am here). After my cushy public school teacher life (and quite a few days of lolling around watching TV in the aircon at home), this is quite the shock to the system. I'm walking around with a mask-like smile pasted on my face, timing my showers so that I can lock the door to the communal bathroom, thinking about how I will spend the extra money I am making and just trying to have as good a time as I can with the kids.
It *is* fun, just not as much fun as, say, a vacation.
posted by Ms Parker at
9:04 PM
4 Comments:
Oh you poor thing... the joy of overnight camps... Good luck with that :) Just focus on the end...that's what always got me through them :) You'll do fine. I believe in ya... All my best, April xox
By
Anonymous, at 2:18 PM
I have a mantra...I recite it sometimes when I have my arm up someone's toilet. THINK OF THE CASH...THINK OF THE CASH. It helps me, perhaps you too? Let me know.
p.s. How come I always get the loooong word identification thingies?
By
Anonymous, at 8:48 PM
From my apartment with aircon and TV I think to myself: I wish I had something to do. But maybe not quite as much as you've got goin' on there. Hang in there! I might just see you in Gwangju during orientation weekend just for some fun, though I might go there sooner for KumhoWorld. My life in my aircon-TV-apt will be so much better with an SD cable, some external hard drive storage, and such... today I think I'm paying my last month's bills. Woohoo. *yawn*
Paddy says hi.
By
Jen @ Light Enough to Travel, at 7:55 AM
Yeah, the Portlanders ARE tired...I can't imagine what it must be like to never be free!! Hopefully you're enjoying your weekend off....
By
Fallon, at 1:07 AM
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