A Change of Heart

Well, the swine flu made it to Bucheon, and two major hagwons have shut down for the next couple of weeks because their teachers have it. My work however is luckily swine flu free. A few teachers (Danny, Dennis, and Mike specifically) wished we had it, for a paid vacation, so long as no one dies from it. But Shayna with her cold (and who has also been to Mexico recently), has already seen a doctor and is not positive. So we continue to work.

I stayed after work til 8:45 today, making it a 12 hour work day. I needed to write comments for every single student I have. I did all but one of my classes, and I would have finished it, but everyone except Mike, Danny, and I was gone, so we finished up early and let Danny lock up for the night.

We went and had a KGB (vodka with lime). Jenny, our newest teacher, stopped by and we had an intense and deep conversation. I felt ashamed of having disliked her before, and I once again proved to myself that I do not have a very good judge of character, initially. Many of the people I like or dislike, end up being the opposite person I imagined, once I get to know them. I now care for her well-being a great deal and want to get to know her better.

I feel like I've settled into a certain way of teaching and I want to make some modifications. I like to be playful, then I get irritated if they aren't paying attention. I need to think of how to be the best teacher I can within my means and try to make some changes. Though I think I am doing well so far, I think I can do better. My students are learning and that I do not alienate any students, but I need to reinvigorate my passion for work.

At work every day I tell myself I will go straight home and clean my apartment. And every day, I do something besides go straight home, and I do not clean at all. I want to install internet, and all I have to do is set the day I want them to come, but I am waiting to make the appointment until after my living space is a place I could let a stranger see.

I've been making a small amount of progress on my guitar, but my fingers are still too soft to make much headway. When my pointer tries to press hard enough to play A minor, I get this massive crease in my skin and then a blister after 15-20 minutes.

I found out today that Yuri's mom (along with so many others) is just playing the kind woman. She apparently is just as viscious as the rest of them, and perhaps more so, as she is the ring-leader. I don't know much, but my partner teacher. Sunny, (who I trust) let me know she is kind to my face and mean about Sunny and I to other moms and teachers. I don't know why she has any reason to be displeased, except that she hasn't got enough things to do with her life as a mom who doesn't work or take care of her children. It seems to be the socially acceptable thing to be displeased, and to be a gossip. I've seen it before, and now I see it once again.