My First Hike

I needed this.

Back to Reality

The last post was chalk full of confidence...this one is more mellow.

We are two weeks into my solo-teaching adventures. Things are going pretty well. I know I have a lot to learn about teaching methods and tactics, but I think I am heading in a good direction. The kids are so enjoyable. I am way more attached to kindergarten, but the elementary students are equally as fun. I just do not have a lot of time with them.

One teacher, Krysta Teacher, left today...she was really nice and will definitely be missed at S.E.A. I am sure her replacement, Julia Teacher, will be just as good. What struck me, though, is how fleeting it all is. Literally, one moment she is there with kindergarten--who are all crying because she is leaving--and the next moment the ball is rolling again. It is obvious we are making a difference with these kids--some more than others--but at the same time I can see how teaching is a 'thank-less' job. When it is over, it is over. Especially here by returning to the U.S.A. Will we ever see this kids again?

Tangent: One thing that disappoints me is that I have not been able to go 'social dancing' or hiking yet. Those are two things that are very high on my priority list. There is a small chance that I could cross both of these things off my list tomorrow...but that depends on how tonight goes. I was going to do this midnight hike (through the night..to watch the sunrise), but I am not feeling currently confident enough to go by myself--not knowing anybody. Just writing about it now makes me mad that I am 'giving up on it.' Wow, when something bothers me, it is so hard for me to get over it. It is hard for me to get over anything I perceive as 'giving up.'

On the bright side, not doing this midnight hike will motivate me to do other things that I may have let fall by the wayside. Tomorrow, I will ideally either go 'social dancing' at night or hiking during the day. Perhaps both!

Finally, it was four weeks ago that I left for Korea. Four weeks. What? Seriously? I cannot believe it. This is going to go so fast.

Alan =)

Time to Boast

I love my life.

I love my life because everyday is an adventure.

I truly believe that you can control your environment. There are many subtle different ways to view a single event. If you try to take the most positive but yet realistically grounded view, you will find yourself happier. Humor helps. Laughing at yourself helps. Humility helps.

Happiness for me is the experience.

I love that no matter how scared or nervous of things I am, big or small, rational or irrational, I still try. And usually succeed.

When I do not succeed, or see no clear sign of success, things work themselves out in wonderful ways. This never fails. (Please notice the usage of "When I do not succeed..." as opposed to "When I fail..." Life is all about perspective.)

Life should always, ALWAYS, be cross-pollinating. I do not care if you are Ghandi preaching civil disobedience, Mozart writing music, or a mathematical genius like Einstein...you can always learn something new. People have something to offer if you give them a chance. The moment you stop and think you know it all is when life smacks you in the face and you realize how foolish you are. Arguably, I have acquired more knowledge about English simply through the act of teaching than the amount I have bequeathed upon my students. A net positive for Alan.

I think kindergarten-ers brains are so absorbent because they do not have to worry about social cues or other social pressures. For them, it is all about learning. Everything is new to them relative to us. Environment is huge. With this being said, I think it is possible, to a degree, for adults--as I guess I can call myself--to have an absorbent mind. As absorbent as when we were younger? No. But, I do feel that I can quickly adapt to new locations and new situations...even new languages to a decent degree. Maybe it is because my brain operates on patterns. I say this because I have been complemented multiple times on my Korean and chopstick skills--by Koreans nonetheless--despite only knowing a handful of phrases. Phrases that can get me in and out of a conversation quickly. I learn something new, I hear it in context, and I adapt it into my vocabulary. Language is just one giant puzzle for me. Perhaps the Koreans are just being nice, though, and I should get off my soap box.

I have no idea what the cashier is saying to me but I know when they are asking me if I want a bag (sans hand motion). Also, plastic grocery bags are an additional cost here, like Europe. America needs to take note.

Bedtime.

Vinyl Records

When I moved in, there were a bunch of vinyl records sitting on top of a cabinet. I thought it random:

Upon looking through the collection, there were some gems. The highlight:Here are the rest:

Faith - George Micheal
Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson
Harvest - Neil Young
Metal Health - Quiet Riot
Greatest Hits - Neil Diamond (with a really creepy picture of him on the cover)
Aqualung - Jethro Tull
20 Greatest Hits - The Beatles (from 1982)
No Jacket Required - Phil Collins
Desire - Bob Dylan
Building the Perfect Beast - Don Henley ("includes the hit 'Boys of Summer'")
Best of the Doobies - The Doobie Brothers
French Kiss - Bob Welch
Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue
Invisible Touch - Genesis
Wheels are Turnin' - REO Speedwagon
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Delicate Sound of Thunder - Pink Floyd (Live)
The Final Cut - Pink Floyd
CooleyHighHarmony - Boyz II Men
Listen Without Prejudice - George Michael
Happy Nation - Ace of Base
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Sinead O'Connor
Open Up and Say...Ahh! - Poison
Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Lennon's last album released before he died)
In Square Circle - Stevie Wonder
Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
Pronouced leh-nerd skin-nerd - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Falco 3 - Falco
The Original Musiquarium I - Stevie Wonder
In Through the Out Door - Led Zeppelin
Live in Japan - Deep Purple
Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi
Appetite For Destruction - Guns N'Roses
Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
Hot Rocks 1964-1971 - The Rolling Stones (first compilation album)
Physical - Olivia Newton John
Footloose Original Soundtrack - Footloose
Western Movie Themes - Some Random Korean album
The John Lennon Collection - John Lennon (1982, released after his death)

P.S. The Olympic Stadium was very cool, to bring conclusion to a prior post.