 And now, for a more interesting personal, pictorial
introduction. This is pretty recent stuff, mainly taken within the last
year or two. I hope you enjoy this tour of me. I spent two years in South
Korea as a middle school teacher. I was on a Fulbright
scholarship, and I learned lotsa neat and interesting things about not
only the "target culture," but about myself as well. Well, anyway,
this is what one should say after spending two years on his program, Senator
Fulbright would probably add, were he alive. Not only did I bring something
of myself to the country, I also took some away with me. Alternatively,
I might say that I left something there, a la "I Left My Heart in San
Francisco." I think I may have left my heart in Chejudo, South Korea
(a small resort island off the southern coast of the peninsula), and just
live in San Francisco now. Here are the Fulbrights who lived on Cheju Island from 1995-1996.
My friend Beth, on the far right (spatially, not ideologically), was with
me from 1994. We went to the island together - two-year vets. She's the
Chejudo queen, as she lived in her homestay for two (count 'em!) two straight
years without a hitch. And she speaks some rapid-fire, super-unleaded Korean.
Going towards the left (hey, this is Asia!), next is Ted. He's a cool guy,
but he went to Yale. Ugh. (Kidding, kidding.) Then is Monica, who got us
into a picture with President Clinton when he came to the island April 1995.
She's a tough lady, and speaks some mean Japanese and Korean. Then there
is Mark. He, solid rock of coolness and moral rectitude. Mark endured many
hardships in his time in "the 'Do," as we affectionately called
it. A true trooper in the spirit of Fulbright and all for which he stood.
By the way, that's me holding the beer. Those were the days. |
Here are some of the reasons I enjoyed my experience
as a teacher. My middle school students were a joy. I taught in a boys'
middle school my first year, which was kinda tough. I was happy to move
to a co-ed middle school my second year, which was a vast improvement. Girls
are sweet, and since it's a co-educational environment, the boys' personalities
are very tempered by the presence of the girls. Still, I got closer to the
girls, since they're much more mature than the boys their same age. They
like to write thoughtful letters, be friends, things like that. Boys tend
to want to roughhouse and bounce around, which I must say, can have its
merits. However, every time I pulled out my camera at a school function,
the boys would just go straight up insane. I was once knocked over by a
mob of boys wanting to get in the frame. Needless to say, I took out the
camera less around boys. Hence, more girl pictures. However, this is not
to say that girl students are not dangerous in their own right. I was once
attacked by a group of girls from my school who needed an adult to get them
into the lobby of a hotel where a famous Yonsei basketball star was staying.
The security guards had to pull them off me. I actually broke into a full
run when I got loose. Anyway, the point is - don't underestimate Korean
middle school students, especially girls. There is strength in numbers.
This picture was taken during a lesson I was doing on Halloween. Note the
knife.
For more on the Korean middle school (and more cool
pictures), click 
