Teaching English in Korea

I teach English to elementary, middle school, and adult levels in a small city called Miryang in South Korea.  The hours are usually from 1:30 p.m.

My co-teacher at one of my schools has stopped coming to class. He says that he is very busy. The only problem is that he never tells me before-hand so I end up getting to school and as we are walking to class together, he hands me the textbook and gives me the old, "I am very busy today. I have to ask you to teach by yourself."

So, I take the Korean Ministry of Education Elementary School English textbook, the teacher's guide (mostly in Korea), and the CD-ROM and head to class. In all honesty I prefer teaching by myself than with him as he doesn't do any preparation for class and simply beats students to get them to do what he wants them to...no games, no candy.

He also jumps around within each lesson, disregarding the numbers at the bottom of each page. This may have something to do with why he doesn't think there is anything wrong with the current situation.

Today was a wonderful day. My co-teacher took myself, two teachers from our school, and a friend of mine around the west side of the island. Other than my trip to Seogwipo for the 24-hour famine at the high school (looong story) it was my first time to get out of Jeju City.

My co-teacher picked us up around 10:45 am and when we got it the car, I realized that there were six of us. One of the teachers brought her baby boy.

"How old is he?" I asked.

"He is 3 years old."

Just as I started thinking that he looked young for 3 I remembered that Koreans start counting from inception and therefore add an extra year compared how we calculate age in the States. Then I realized that I was 30 in Korea! Son of a bi@ch!

"He is 25 months old." Wait a minute! 12 months in a year at 3 years old has got to be at least 30 months!

North Korea has announced that they have conducted a nuclear test. The country's official Korean Central News Agency, as reported by Reuters, made the following announcement.

"The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9, Juche 95 (2006) at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation.

"It has been confirmed that there was no such danger as radioactive emission in the course of the nuclear test as it was carried out under a scientific consideration and careful calculation.

"The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100%. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defence capability.