So, yesterday I was feeling kinda down...just the adjustment phase really, but it bothered me. I didn't let it interfer with my teaching but I couldn't hide it from my partner, actually I didn't even try. We have lunch together and yesterday I decided not to just cause I didn't feel like being a spectacle. Everytime I enter the teacher's lounge I can feel all of them looking at me. I don't mind it from the kids but I just didn't want to feel that so didn't eat lunch. Well, the whole staff was concerned and saved some food for me to eat after classes. That was nice but still drew much attention to me that I don't want. The novelty of me is wearing thin these days. I have a feeling that that is what all Mondays will feel like here. After a few days of not seeing anyone, and not feeling like a stranger in a strange land, going back just doesn't seem appealing sort of thing.
Oh, and this country appears to founded on guilt trips, of which I am immune to. Since I was feeling down, after class my partner sat down to chat. She realizes how hard being here is for me and then proceeded to give me a sob story about how hard she has it now. I am contracted not to come in til 11am. she has to be here a 9:30 but comes in at 8:30 to get a jump on the work. I'm done at 5:30 and sit here filling out papers or checking on stuff but stay til about 6pm. She says sometimes she stays til 9pm doing work. Well, I don't have work. Nothing has been giving to me or asked of me other than teaching and taking care of my classroom. She has to call parents and befriend them and do a whole mess of paper work that I can't help with. On top of that she has done so much to make me feel comfortable here and there pretty much nothing I can do in return accept realize here plight. Well, like I said, I am immune to guilt trips, so I feel for her situation but I am not going to carry her baggage. I just don't do that.
Well, July the 10th, it rained here. And from what I hear it is raining there now and it is the 10th for you. Creepy, it is like I am from the future.
I was walking last night, in thoughts that I would get a pizza but I decide against it and will get one tomorrow. Well, on my way back to my place, I ran into, low and behold, Americans. A man from Utha and one from Idaho. We had a good time talking and then they told me what they were doing here. I assumed students cause there is 2 colleges nearby. Well, no. They were missionaries....mormons....here....apparently they have been here for a few years and hold services and also teach a free english class almost, shall I dar to say, religously. Well, here is my slight delimna. I am so cut off that I love speaking to someone of a native English; well, do I ring them up just so I have someone to talk to....well, to be honest only time will tell...will my desperation become so great that my only friends here in Korea will be activists. They did give me one clue that they are in a similar boat as me. They told me that their day off from preaching is Thursday and that I should give them a call....well, I don't have thursday off but what do missionaries do on their days off....
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7 comments:
It's cool to befriend them, to have people to talk to...just don't let them, you know, brainwash you.
Mormons in Korea...who knew?
Where's Utha?
Okay - I am amazed by you. I think I would have told that other teacher to deal with it. No really it's awsome that you have met more English speakers, even if they are a rather strange bread.
Maybe it's just your aura bugs that they can't stop staring at.
kisses-k
Dang it 1031, you beat me to it. I was about to ask about the great, mysterious state of Utha, lol.
-ben
Maybe you could convert them to the dark side or something. That could be fun. Or you could just hang out with them a little, see how it goes. Eventually you will meet more Americans I am sure and not feel quite so cut off.
Talk to them TJ, just try the Rose method and up front explain your serious misgivings about organized religion, especially of the christian persuasion. Let them know if they can respect that, (and every other word of their mouth isn's god this god that) you can respect them in spite of theological differences. Then, you shouldn't have to worry. If they balk, you know it wasn't meant to happern.
Mormon missionaries aren't nearly as bad as any other missionaries-- half the time they just do it to go somewhere fun and make their family happy doing something they don't mind doing but don't always love. Maybe they drink Mountain Dew on their day off (tee hee). I say call them up- they're probably great people.
huh, i was gonna say that they drink coffee and smoke ciggarettes, but jennie beat me, but i'm saying it anyway, but yeah...
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