All the Stuff that 5 Months Has Taught Me.

Now that I'm getting ready to enter my 6th month of employment, I thought it might be a good idea to share with the class everything I've learned about working at an English hagwon in Sketchville, S. Korea. Who knows. It may one day prove useful.

Important Things to Know:
`stay calm
`keep asking questions
`remember to apologize
`do whatever they tell you, but know that you take the blame if they change their mind
`don't tell them too much about yourself
`make sure to be out of town on weekends and holidays
`trust no one
`stay calm (worth repeating)
`never say "I didn't know."
`never say "I didn't know," "you never told me," or any variation of this.
`write detailed notes in that book & stand around while she reads it- makes it harder for the kids to throw you under the bus.
`always look busy
`write all homework on the board
`keep everything that's yours clean
`don't answer the door on weekends.
`don't lie. just don't
`never sit at Miss Honey's desk. (it's cursed, you know.)
`don't let them see your fear
`when in doubt, give them more homework. and use simpler words
`always be ready to explain yourself
`don't touch anything
`and, most importantly- Stay Calm.


Reading over this list, it may look like I've had a rough time of it in 2010, but that just isn't true. Sure it's been crazy and there have been whole weeks when I was super unfortunate, but I have been terribly optimistic this whole time. More optimistic than I think I have ever been in my whole life.

I think I owe this one to my big brother.

Back in the beginning of this trip, when Ruby was the craziest, I didn't have a home, and we thought the other teachers were spies, I called my big and asked if he'd lend me airfare if I ever found myself taking that midnight run. I wasn't having a bad time of it then, though. I was actually excited about all of the nonsense that I seemed to find myself in. I just worried that one day it would all become too ridiculous and I'd be tempted to throw in the towel. That, or I got fired.


He said something that has stuck with me thus far and I suspect I will take it with me until the end of this adventure. "This experience will be entirely what you make of it. If you think it's gonna suck. It will. Think it's awesome and there you have it: an incredible experience."

I tried it out and he was right. Living with the boss wasn't so bad. Spa day was kind of funny. Sleeping on the floor for 3 weeks was not something you get a chance to do all that often. Falling asleep on the 50 bus showed me how to get to the mountain. Even meeting the Gwangju mafia was kind of fun.

I've found that I'm a fan of optimism. Five months in and I'm not bored yet. Not even close. South Korea's where it's at. This experience is going to go exactly as well as I plan it to. And I'm planning on it being pretty freakin fantastic.