Work Visa (slow progress)

Perhaps the fact that my visa expires on MONDAY finally sunk in with Mr. Kim.  Last night he had me fill out an "extension of sojourn" paper.  Tonight he had me sign a 2-month contract, because apparently the immigration office won't extend the visa otherwise.  A 10-page contract, and of course I don't read anything because contracts don't mean anything here.  I did glance at the length of the contract, which said 2 months, but then the dates of the contract said March 8, 2004~March 9, 2004.  I asked Mr. Kim if perhaps that would be a problem with immigration.  He didn't think so, but went ahead and changed the dates to August 3~October 9 (although those aren't the dates I'll actually be working).

The kids play way too many computer games.  In the past I was reading a dictation to them and Lewis wasn't ready for me to go on, so he said, "Teacher!  Wait!  Loading!"  In a diary a student was writing about his tests and how well he did and how he "lvl up."  Tonight at the end of the OLT test a boy said, "Game over!"  Uh, that's "The end" or "We're finished!"

The heat is almost unbearable.  With the humidity, it feels like 40 degrees Celsius.  That's like the middle of the desert temperature!

The adults (OK, only Grace) were really annoying again today.  Because of the vacation, I won't have to see them again for a full week.  I'm more excited about that than about the vacation!

The OLT tests today went pretty smoothly.  I did a little small talk with some of the kids before the test began.  Most of them pleaded with me to read easy questions and go slowly, but I always replied that I was reading the most difficult questions very quickly.  I talked a lot with Tanya, and some with Matt, over the course of the day.  I didn't get any of the diaries or daily reports done.  I wrote a letter to Grandma P. over the course of the day--it's such a disorganized mess.

Most of yesterday was really great.  In the first class Tomas asked me a lot of questions--what kind of things I have in my apartment, how I get to school, and what countries I've been to.  I had to use the Korean names for some of the countries, and Tomas counted them up and was amazed.  Then he asked me if I've been to North Korea, and seemed surprised that I hadn't.  I explained that Americans couldn't go to North Korea.  Why not, teacher?  Because North Koreans don't like Americans.  Why not, teacher?  Do you remember the Korean war?  South Korea and the USA vs. North Korea and China?  OH, OK, teacher--North Korea doesn't like Americans.

In the next class there was lots of joking.  Only 8 kids were there (of the normal 12).  They used a little Korean, but only when necessary.  The picture in the textbook was a cut-away of a 2-story house, so they asked where the doors and stairs were, then commented on how small the house was, and that there was no father so the family was so poor that they couldn't afford doors and stairs after the typhoon came and ripped the house apart, etc. etc.  It doesn't recreate well when written down, but it was absolutely hilarious--both their powers of observation, and the way they put it into English.

The 5 PM class argued about whether last night's concert was inside the soccer stadium or outside by the lake.  I later learned that both were correct--the singers were live in one location and on a big screen in the other.  The next class studied really well (it helped that Billy was absent).  We got a ton done in the book so I rewarded them with 5 minutes of playing.

The last two classes weren't as good.  Paul was insane as usual, chanting, "I am a boy, you are a girl" repeatedly.  In the last class Charlie refused to listen, so I moved him by me.  His back faced the rest of the class and he was completely cut off from the other boys.  He was not at all happy with me, but still studied without too much of an attitude.